Check out www.homesteadorchards.com for their seasonal products and to buy some of our meat for sale at their farm store!

Just as I was about to tear these seasoned sunflowers off the wall, throw the egg shells in the compost and wash the empty jar, I paused each time.  They were so full and alive at one point, just like everything has its time, I guess. 

It’s easy to see beauty in obviously beautiful things – to look out over a mountain top; trees covered in snow and icicles; walking along a shoreline; children sleeping; running horses…  The problem of course is that in life there aren’t enough of these moments, so we have to look for them!   

From a different perspective everything can have beauty.  These three objects definitely wouldn’t hit the tourist guide of Georgina, but they’re just so pretty, I couldn’t help but snap a photo!      

It’s special to find prettiness in ugliness, in something as simple as soon-to-be trash.  

Halloween has always been a tradition on farms – corn mazes, pumpkins, gourds, fall displays… but it’s different when you grow up on a farm yourself.  Unless you ventured into a nearby town for door to door knocking, you had a different experience out on the country roads. 

We were a mix between a trick or treating family and enjoying a quiet night with the lights out kind of family.  My mom became adept at recycling lengths of material and cheap thrift store finds and turning it into whatever we wanted to become.  In my case, year after year, I always wanted to be a unicorn or the Hamburglar...very fitting for a beef farmer.  My sister and I would prep for a Halloween night like any other – carving pumpkins, looking for the biggest bag, eating pumpkin seeds and bursting with excitement, but on the night itself we never made it very far.  We’d walk down our long road, past hay fields and lengthy driveways, definitely burning off all calories before consuming any treats.  When you live in the country, there’s very few homes to actually visit by foot, so everyone expects less visitors.  Even my parents would only buy a dozen big chocolate bars and one or two neighbouring kids would leave with most of them.  Or, my sister, dad and I would pilfer the rest upon returning home for the evening.  Lucky for us, we would get the same treatment at other farms down the road – jumbo bars, juice boxes, cans of pop, candy apples, cotton candy, chips and baked goods, mixed with friendly hugs and conversation.  After ten homes our bags were full and we were exhausted from trekking.

I would hear stories the next day at school of hours of door to door treating with pillow cases full of wrapped candies, but this Hamburglar was content with neighbourly visits and a large bag of homemade goods.  Well, not 100% satisfied because no one ever gave out hamburgers.    

the saddle can take me
so many places
with only my horse and my mind
mother nature keeps me
surrounded by beauty
forces my heart to unwind
i feel as if i own
this land that i roam
or perhaps it owns me
the open fields
the unknown trails
there’s no better company

Even 7500 miles away from Canada, I’m still thinking of farming.  My first full day in Thailand I arose bright and early to roosters crowing outside of where I resided.  I had been on flights for the past 20 hours and should have slept through anything, but my body still immediately awoke earlier than it wanted, to that old familiar ring – the sound of neighbouring roosters.  Immediately I thought, time for chores, then reality set in that I had no animals of any kind to look after for a while.  So, I laid there enjoying the roosters crow rather than cursing it like the other 364 days of the year!

I had an omelette that morning, from the hens outside my bedroom window, that accompanied one of the many cock-a-doodle-doo alarm clocks.  I had hours before meeting up with anyone or starting my travels for that day so I sat and did what I like to do best in the morning – write.  I people watched, took in the culture, listened to conversations around me that I didn’t understand, drank coffee and wrote anything that popped in to my head.  Naturally, I started writing about agriculture in Thailand because, well, farming is always on my mind. 

The language barrier made it difficult to ask questions, but I asked several.  Agriculture production is minuscule in comparison, but despite such a small proportion, it is still great importance to the Thai economy, since the majority of the population survive and earn a living from agriculture.  It was obvious to me that crop production was the most abundant and important agricultural sub-sector, with good soils, abundant water supply during certain times of year and a tropical climate.  The agriculture in Thailand has successful exports internationally, with rice being the country’s crop of most importance.  I do not know statistics, but I was told approximately ¾ of Thailand’s farmers grow it, making them a major exporter in the world rice market.  Just like in Canada, there were many locals I asked questions to who had no clue where their food came from, but many could give me sufficient information about agriculture, because their lives are so heavily entwined in it.  Other crops grown in the country that I was exposed to or asked about were: sugar cane, fruits and vegetables, nuts, corn, soybeans, coffee beans, tea leaves, tobacco, cotton and cocoa.  There are more, but I know little about how they are grown.  I observed rice grown all over the country and ate it everyday too. Also, coffee beans, I thoroughly taste tested daily!              

The first thing I realized as I started venturing around Thailand was the lack of livestock in comparison to North America.  Rural backyard production seems to be the most common, which I experienced my first day and every day thereafter – roaming birds and swine crossing the streets, in people's homes and greeting onlookers.  Lots of chicken eggs, quail eggs and poultry meat consumed daily.  Beef seemed to have the most shortage and what I did see was mixed with water buffalo.  Not only did I see very few heads of cattle, but the availability seemed scarce  in restaurants and stores too.  Most beef products are imported from abroad.  Although it does exist and has been steadily increasing I have been told, it is hard for farmers in Thailand because of laws and regulations not being fairly enforced, lack of technology and herd health management, and the Thai producers lack of knowledge and ability to compete with overseas markets.   

There are some large dairy companies in Thailand, but I was unable to visit any of these.  When I asked about dairy production I was informed that Thailand has a lot of raw milk production.  We have such different living standards in North America!  More than half of this goes to school milk programs and the rest to the commercial dairy sector.  I saw very few dairy products in Thailand and many people couldn’t answer questions about it either.  I bought yogurt anywhere I could, but mostly went without cheese and milk the whole time I was there, as they don’t offer it in many places.  I was told most Thai people don’t consume dairy products, which makes sense why I couldn’t find it many places!  Nevertheless, the demand for dairy products definitely exceeds the local supply. 

I had high hopes to see goats, but didn’t see any goats at all and did not ask about goats either.  I had assumed they would rove freely like the chickens, dogs and pigs, but assumed wrong.  I missed my goat friends for a few weeks (and sheep, but I didn’t expect to see any sheep there).  Pigs on the other hand, laid beside me as I ate most my meals and awaited scraps.  Besides the backyard swine crews, the swine industry has been on the rise and pork production and consumption has increased drastically.  A local who lived in a hill tribe village in Northern Thailand where we were doing some work, said that over the past decade several large swine farms have gone into production in the countryside.  I don’t think “large” in Thailand is the same as “large” in North America, but still successful and sustainable swine production businesses.    

As for fishery products, well, there are lots of them and I enjoyed this in my food daily, as well!

At the elephant sanctuary, I was able to learn about how they breed and care for elephants. One day, I helped plant a long grass crop.  This is a staple for the elephants and they grow them on site at the elephant camps.  It was neat (but also frustrating) to see how they plan, plant and organize their crops.  The efficiency is extremely different than here at home.  The lack of technology and equipment, which saves a drastic amount of time when we plant anything here at home, was non-existent there.  Most things were done by hand, (including their fertilizer process) and even then, not always in the most productive, time efficient way, but it worked for them.  Planting long grass was much more enjoyable than doing square bales of hay, that’s for sure!  I didn’t tell them that, but I was relieved when I realized it was much less work than hay…(haha)…because I was not mentally prepared to do hay.  I left hay at home on purpose when I hopped on the plane! 

The markets were one of my favourite parts of the whole adventure.  The handmade items, the fresh fruits, bees to observe, nuts, coffees and eggs.  I wanted to buy everything for two reasons: one being to support them just like I would a farmer’s market at home, and two, because there were so many nice things at low prices, but I couldn’t bring everything home.  Our Canadian dollar is worth a lot more than a Thai baht, so a little bit goes a long way for many of the Thai locals.  I learned very quickly and saw first hand how few “wants” they have.  Many do not even have basic needs and the 7/11 stores became my best friends as I constantly bought fresh water (and yogurt!).  Farming seems to give them most of what they need to survive and anything extra is a bonus.  I saw more injustice, poverty and garbage than I did schools, toilets or clean clothes, but I also saw more appreciation, gratefulness, playing outside and smiles, than I ever see in North America.         
​
Mostly, I realized how universal a smile is.  We all spoke the same language when we smiled, even if they couldn’t answer some of my agricultural questions that always lingered in my mind!  The dogs still begged and wanted to be cuddled, the children still laughed and played with whatever they had available to them, the pigs still awaited scraps just like at home and the roosters still crowed.  Those roosters haunted me the whole trip, but alas, once back in the comforts of my old rickety farm house, I haven’t heard my rooster at all.  I have learned to drown that sound out.   
 

​I’m not sure what it is about tall piles: snow stacks, dirt piles, hay stacks, manure mountains, …  but most of my childhood was spent chasing my sister to the top of anything (or trying to!).  So many years have gone by and we don’t chase each other to the top anymore, shouting, “I’m the King of the Castle…You’re the dirty rascal.”  Now, we are content being equal and being Queens of the castle (or dirty rascals) together!  

​It must be a child thing…  My grade two class visited the farm a couple weeks ago and spent most of the day climbing anything they were able to – fences, gates, round bales, tall pieces of equipment they weren’t allowed on.  I did everything to keep them away from the poop piles and the backs of horses.  They all live in the city and have never visited a real working farm.  They spent the first ten minutes giggling over the smells and worrying if the hay would scratch their legs, then their worries miraculously went away.  They didn’t care if they got wet or dirty and that carelessness is what I wanted them to feel.  They are kids, who just wanted to explore, learn and chase each other to the top of piles, just like Vikki and me.  We must be very accustomed to it from all the manure pile sitting we did as infants (thanks dad!), but it didn’t take them long to warm up to farm sights, sounds and smells.  Especially, when I told the class what their vegetables grow in…   

​Their visit to the farm made me reminisce.  That night, I dug into old photos and pulled out these special ones of my sister and me.  The days where my parents would just hand us a shovel and set us on a pile of anything so we felt like we were helping.  Or, they would put us on a tractor or hay bine and leave us there, so we couldn’t go anywhere.  We were even lucky enough to climb 20 ton piles of carrots every couple of weeks. This was a past-time I thought was normal, but apparently having misshapen carrots forming large mountains in the backyard was just a Bunnik thing.  I miss those carrot piles and I’m sure the cows do too!  I would have been World’s Best Teacher if I could have provided a mountain of carrots for the class.  My students weren’t given the privilege, but next year, I will make sure that carrot hills and manure pile climbing is ticked off on the permission form.  

The time will come to wean lambs from their mothers and my parents will regret having ever welcomed one into their home.  Separating ewes from their lambs is a noisy process as is, but separating a lamb from a plush dog bed, warm milk and cuddles and other furry four legged friends that love to play, will indeed be a difficult task! 

There is always the odd lamb or two each year that requires extra human attention because their momma just isn’t giving it to them.  Lambs raised on bottle make the friendliest critters because they naturally trust people and are not afraid to be near people.  Basically, it thinks you are its mother.  They become pets; however, they should remain outdoor pets. 

I took it upon myself to Google “sheep as pets” and the first thing that came up was Lambs as Pets:  Great Companions or A Baaad Idea?  Apparently, people keep sheep as pets all over the world!  And here I am feeling sheepish and thinking my parents are odd!  I guess this was a long time coming, having a lamb temporarily live in the house.  My sister and I used to bottle feed lambs all the time, out of necessity, but then they would proceed to follow us out of the barn and join us as we waited for the school bus.  This was so normal to me growing up in the country, but one time while promoting our local fair on Breakfast Television, we brought a lamb to Toronto and several dozen city-goers choked on their coffees and screamed in disbelief, on the way to work as they passed us on crowded sidewalks. It was like an episode of Just for Laughs, Gags.   
  
In hindsight, my parents must have polished my instinct to bring lambs into the house as a little girl.  My parents would come home from work only to find a clean lamb dressed in my finest baby clothes, a diaper and a dirty bathtub that needed scrubbing.  This was my favourite past-time and I think that’s why I had so many friends when I was little.  I mean, who wouldn’t want to play dress-up with lambs instead of Barbies when you are 10 years old?  
 
Recently, nature vs. nurture came to mind as I drove to work one morning.  I stop by my parents early each morning to drop off a dog and grab a coffee.  As I pull up the drive, their dogs and the new “dog”, Lambie gallivant towards me and greet me with barks and baas and licks and head butts.  Then, they proceed to wait for me to open the car door and let my dog out, so they can greet him in the same manner.  Lambie trots about, sniffing the way dogs say hello and I even think I saw him try to pee on the car tire.  My dog Brisk, who still thinks little children are from outer space, is starting to adjust to having a lamb share the attention, the water bowl and the dog bed!  The environment really has rubbed off on Lambie and physically, yes, he is a woolly lamb with loud bleats, but mentally he is a canine companion in the Bunnik household. 
    
It is a true circus.  His gentle nudges may soon turn into head butting the cats and knocking the wind out of dogs and humans alike.  It’s all fun and games until someone gets head-butted by a ram.  And there will come a day when no more milk is given and kibble may not be an option.  This will be easier said than done.  Lambie will in turn, have to nibble at fine alfalfa, fresh grass and eat sweet molasses flavoured grain in a field with other’s just like him.  Torturous, after such an elite upbringing.

After all, farming is a business, right?  And not a pet shop business.  Soon those guttural baas and high expectations won’t be so cute.  He is going to expect fluffed pillows once back in the barn… Straw just won’t cut it.  Perhaps a sheep skin rug?

 With Easter upon us, thoughts turn to chocolate eggs, hot cross buns and tales of the Easter bunny. From colouring eggs and decorating baskets, to early morning egg hunts and special services and meals, Easter is even more fun with kids, even if they aren’t my own. I remember these childhood traditions like it was yesterday and even though Easter isn’t just about bunnies, baskets and egg hunts, what a fun way for kids to enjoy the holiday. 

Scanning the barn yesterday morning and trying to remember all the places my dad (I mean the Easter bunny…) used to hide eggs brought back so many memories.  I visualized all the places Vikki and I would run to and grapple over the biggest eggs. Eggs in haybales, eggs up the ladders, eggs in the holes of wooden beams, and anywhere else that required a little safe climbing.  I planted some a little too high, for the adult eye (or mouth), but the girls would have to reach or get a lift from grandpa.  In most cases as they reach for one, they drop the rest out of their baskets, which just make for more surprises!  More eggs!  This only works because they are two, but next year I won’t be able to fool them and will need a bigger budget.

I wondered why a “bunny” hides the eggs, since bunnies are nowhere to be found in biblical scriptures, but it hasn’t stopped the cute creatures from becoming associated with the tradition.  I’m sure the rabbit has symbolism and there are early depictions of floppy eared creatures delivering eggs to Christian families, just like various Christmas traditions around the world.  I understand the reasoning of Easter, but not the symbolism of eggs and bunnies and am waiting for the day when my niece asks why it isn’t a hen delivering the eggs, since they do all the other days of the year! 

I heard my aunt say, it’s easier to see these milestones now as a grandma because as a busy mom you are present for them but miss them when you’re occupied, as you are scurrying about trying to help rather than standing back and observing.  It must have been nice for my parents to see Sadie running around being silly and eating eggs, racing to the next colourful tin foil to claim it as hers. 
​
What a magical Easter for the kids, full of chocolate, lambs, piglets, puddles and mud - all good things, especially when you’re two! 

Well, I guess it is time to put my “Winter Welcome!” sign to sleep for these warmer months.  In case you didn’t know – it’s SPRING!  Do you know what spring means for me?  MUD, MUD and more MUD.  It is everywhere – dog paws, cat paws, barn boots, barn clothes, chicken eggs, buckets, cars, trucks, door trim, floor trim, house floors, barn floors, windows and doors and it even manages to get into the animal waters.  Needless to say, every animal is the same colour this time of year too – mud.   

The grass is brown, the puddles are abundant and it is the ugliest time of year on the farm, for sure…but somehow still so beautiful!  When people ask to come visit the farm in the spring I’m hesitant because they will definitely be let down if they have not grown up on a farm.  Spring on a farm is much different than spring in a city...muddier.  Summer and fall are aesthetically much more pleasing to the eye then the early, dreary days of spring.  Nonetheless, I find spring so alive: The cows are calving; goats kidding; chickens running after bugs I cannot see, loving the longer days; dogs anticipating more walks and chasing rabbits; and horses moving further than ten feet from their winter hay feeder, trying to eat non-existent grass (they know its coming!) and bucking and kicking in puddles, as the weather warms.  I suppose, just as the higher temperatures are exciting for us, they are exciting for them too!

Spring on the farm is a busy time!  Planting is in mind, spring cleaning and fixing equipment that you were certain would have been fixed over the long winter months, but alas…still sits in the shed with parts around it.  Now the parts are just muddy…

And the best part of spring…Easter egg hunting in the hay-bales.  Soon enough it will be here!  Then, just like that,  grass is green, trees have leaves, flowers start to pop and everything is cleaner.  Bye bye mud.  

Happy Spring & Stay Clean!!!