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So, this post was supposed to go up yesterday to wrap up last week and I tried, I really did. In fact I tried 3 separate times but the little guy had different plans for me and so here I am, coffee in hand, baby sleeping in his swing and wrapping up my 2nd Week on the Farm blog post..on a Monday 😉

This week started to really feel like Spring. I loved it! The warm weather came by the weekend and melted a ton of our snow and Adam was out and about moving machinery which always cheers me up. Something about the hustle & bustle of farm life really makes life good 😉

And with that, here’s what happened around here this past week:

Every morning starts with family snuggles in our bed…and I couldn’t love it more!!
 
 I sprouted lentils for my chickens and they went crazy for them!!
 
 It snowed mid-week and while I love a good snow day, I’m so ready for some hot sunshine
 
 Our machinery sits idle, like sleeping giants
 
 The seeds I planted last week have started to grow and it makes my heart happy
 On Wednesday, Adam began hauling lentils to the terminal for cleaning. Can’t believe we’ll be seeding next month!!
 
 Hudson got his very first semi ride!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 My inlaws left for Hawaii 6 weeks ago and this weekend, Hudson’s grandpa came home!
 
 We came across this little porcupine and he was so willing to have his photo taken!
and that was our week on the farm!!
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Its no secret, I love spoiling my ladies in the coop! Afterall, they supply us with the freshest, best tasting eggs I have ever had, daily! I’m always looking into healthy treats to give them that don’t cost a lot but yield big nutritional results. In the Summer, my ladies feast on garden extras such as lettuce and tomatoes but in the Winter, fresh treats are hard to come by on the prairies of Canada! I have seen on Pinterest some pins about sprouting lentils/wheat etc so I thought I’d try it out for myself to see what all the fuss was about. And, after round 1 I can honestly say I will be sprouting lentils from now until Summer! The process was so easy! From beginning to end, the sprouts took 4 days and I made enough to last at least a week!
Now, since we grow wheat, durum and lentils..all I had to do was shop from our own farm for all the supplies needed to prepare the sprouts for my chickens. I have a 5 gallon pail of lentils from our 2013 harvest in the basement so thats what I went with for this test round. If you do not have access to fresh lentils like I do, they are easily found in most bulk stores or grocery aisles.
So, here is what you do to sprout your own lentils to treat your ladies with wholesome, homegrown, nutritional treats! Take a few tablespoons of lentils and place them into a glass pint jar. I used 4 canning jars for more treats in less time and am very happy I did! Fill the glass jar full of water and soak the lentils for 12-24 hours. I did this at night and they were ready to go by the next day. I soaked them all in 1 jar then drained the water and divided the lentils into four jars and set them in a dark corner of my kitchen counter
 Twice a day, rinse the lentils under water to keep the sprouts moist as they grow. I have seen some people use a sprouting lid to help with this process and I can tell you with 100% certainty that I will be using a sprouting lid for future ease of use as dumping out each jar, rinsing then putting the sprouts back into the jar was more time consuming then need be

Within a day, I noticed my lentils were already starting to sprout! trust me, in the dead of winter when everything is covered under a blanket of snow outside..this is a *very* welcome sight!! Keep rinsing your lentils twice daily for 2-4 days

Once you notice some significant sprouting, move your jar(s) to a windowsill or bright spot in your home to let them green up a bit (above). This process will happen anywhere between days 4-6. Once this happens, they are ready to be given to your ladies!!

The real test came when I took my freshly sprouted lentils out to the ladies. As with people, chickens vary in their tastes and what works for one persons’ flock will not necessarily work for their neighbors!! I was so curious to see their reaction! I called my ladies out from their warm, cozy coop and spread the lentils amongst the snow and watched with glee as they happily clucked and pecked at every last morsel….SUCCESS!!

I will definitely be treating my ladies with these sprouts throughout the Winter to get them thru. Fresh, homegrown treats are always a good choice and this one definitely hit it out of the park with my flock!
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  • Nikala - Love this idea! I have a 25lb of lentils which I’ve touched once. You need a ‘pin’ button on your blog!ReplyCancel

Welcome to my new, weekly photo post that wraps up our week here on the farm! As February turns into March, our thoughts go heavier into Spring. Farming season will soon be upon us as well as myself getting back into the garden and we are so excited for the warmer weather! This week, we had mostly cold days except for Wednesday…the cold weather blew away for one warm, sunny day that seemed to whisper, “Spring is on its way!” We were in the city that day for my 6 week check up at the drs as well as a check in with Hudson’s pediatrician and I kept commenting over and over again about how much I loved the weather that day and how, if we lived there, I would be walking Hudson every day (no snow, no ice!) All in all it was another busy week for us here at the farm..and I highly anticipate that every week from here on out will only get busier!

This week on the farm..

Spring has sprung! In bulb form, by our kitchen windowsill. 

My ladies are laying eggs like its their job throughout this Winter. Every day I am collecting at least 7 eggs from my 10 hens!! I am so impressed and so thankful for these amazing little pets of mine. There is something so comforting in raising chickens, knowing that, even if we ran out of money tomorrow..we’d always have something to eat thanks to them. Its such a good feeling!

Country drives with my farmer have always been a favorite way to spend a morning and this week was no exception. We drove all over our land, showing Hudson where we live and, checking our fields. Planning and anticipating Spring!

Jumping off hay bales 6 weeks after a c-section? I never thought I’d see the day but here we are!! And so happy that I’m feeling back to my old self so soon again

Adam got our blue tractor going and our auger set up to accept loads of fertilizer this week! It was awesome to hear the equipment going again and knowing the loads of fertilizer were going in to the bin for Spring made Winter seem that much more bearable..whew! Spring really is around the corner!

Fresh from the farmhouse, I made my first attempt at baked donuts and let me tell you, these did NOT disappoint! YUM!

My baby is 7 weeks old this week..please, someone tell me how this happened!!?!

This week, Mr Fox struck again and took one of my barred rock hens. I was devastated! She makes #4 of hens lost this winter to a predator..my first ever winter experiencing this kind of loss. Enough is enough!!

  
 
 
My herb seeds I planted last week have begun sprouting!!
 Hubby surprised me with a potting bench this week!! More details in a future post to come!
This week I played in the dirt and sowed my first seeds for this years garden. So far, sweet peppers, asparagus, strawberries, blue corn, heirloom tomatoes, onions and a few perennial flowers have been seeded!
 And that wraps up our first Week on the Farm wrap up!! Have a great Sunday everyone!!
Posted in chickens , farm life , gardening , photography , This week on the farm
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  • dawn - Hello Dawn,
    Your week on the farm sounds perfect to me. LOVE IT!! How nice it is to see you up around and enjoying nature and mommyhood, YIPPEEE!! You look great and baby Hudson is so dang cute! The time does go too fast, I can’t believe mine used to be this small. Enjoy every moment of it!
    HUGS!!!ReplyCancel

  • Katelyn Revitte - Those baked donuts look amazing!!! I’m going to have to try them.ReplyCancel

This past week was an interesting one for me, I had my 6 week check up at the drs and everything looks good and I’m ready to get back into the swing of things! I feel I made the true turning point at about the 4 week mark, when I noticed I could pick up the pace to a more normal walking speed and felt as close to myself as I possible could considering everything my body has gone through! It wasn’t necessarily an easy journey but, it was well worth it AND? It wasn’t nearly as horrid of an experience as I had imagined! Whew! I did it!!

But, as good as I was physically feeling..mentally, I knew I wasn’t as good as I should be. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking post partum or upset with my “new life”..not in the slightest! Instead, I was just feeling a tug from my ” old” self, it was calling and begging for some attention. The last 6 weeks I have been full on, 100% baby brain, which is what I should be but, I also needed a reprieve. A break..a piece of normalcy..I just didn’t know what! Eventually I sat down and discussed this with Adam. I was desperate to do something every day that got my mind going again. I was craving a project, a job..a slice of time for myself. I felt flustered and desperate for ideas and then Adam said the simplest of thoughts that made everything click. All he needed to tell me was this, “you just need to start. You just need to do something” and, just like that.. It changed my thinking. 
Funny how the obvious just sometimes needs to be heard, isn’t it? Need something to write about on your blog? Give yourself projects! Teach yourself something new every week, challenge yourself. Pick up your camera and work on your skills, photograph the every day, just like you used to!
And with that, I’ve been creating lists of things I want to experiment with and challenge myself with. I will be sharing all my ideas and challenges here on the blog this coming year, and I do hope that, if anything, you all can take away something..anything…from each post. To begin, starting this Sunday I will be posting a new column on here entitled “This Week on the Farm”, a weekly photo wrap up of the comings and goings of our life here on the farm. I do hope you enjoy it!!
Until Sunday, keep warm my friends!!
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  • dawn - Dawn, I’m so glad things are going good for you. It is great idea to do something for you, I lost myself in those beginning years of being just a “mommy” and wish I had done more for myself back then. It’s a tough thing to balance and will continue to be as your kids grow up.
    I LOVE this weekly idea and reminds me of when you used to post like this!! This was my favorite, seeing you live on the farm and sharing stories about it. Looking forward to reading them and now Hudson will be in these stories, YAY!!

    Next month will make it 2 years since we met. Remember Ali’s WITL that April. Time has flown by and I’m so glad we are still friends. I can’t wait for spring to come and see your gardens this year.

    Have a great week Dawn!ReplyCancel

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