Let’s talk about Soap / Fresh Farm Products

Lets talk about soap for a moment.  I’ve been making lye soap for about 10 years now and I still love it and continue to be in awe of it’s powerful purity and many uses.  It’s so nice to be in my bathroom where no bottled chemicals or detergents cover the shower floor.  There is only a bar of soap that does it all.   

 

 

Laundry has become more simple too.  The large laundry bar I call Simply Soap does such a good job in the washer.  I grate it and blend it with Borax and Washing Soda.  My clothes get clean and smell so good as I hang them on the line to dry.  I make a rinse to add to the laundry:  In a gallon bottle place 2 cups white vinegar fill the bottle half full with water before adding 1 cup baking soda.  Add the soda in small amounts as the vinegar will fizz.  Then tap off the bottle with water and add your favorite essential oil. 

One other thing I have learned is to use baking soda for all my general cleaning.  It is so good on sinks, toilets and showers.  I keep a container of soda in the shower to scrub the shower doors.  It is so easy and the hard water build up comes right off.  I had my own cleaning business years ago and used chemical cleaners.  I got so toxic that I had to find something natural or die.  Baking soda, vinegar and a little grated soap are now my first choices for cleaning.

 

Carolyn,

Love to hear from you.

Hay Season Started Early / Reid Ranch/ Small Kansas Farm

 

Hay season started early.  The weather was so much warmer then normal so we started cutting hay in early May.  Usually it’s middle of June.  The rains also were not normal as we usually get a lot of rain in April and May, not so this year.  So we started cutting our own hay and were thankful to get a second cutting off of one of our fields.  Our old equipment made it thought another season.  Brian did hay for our neighbors and they helped us put the hay in the barn.  It’s great to know and love your neighbors .  Here in the country, people try to help each other.  What a beautiful life!

 

 

Yesterday I got a lesson on how to shoot a 22 Rifle.  What fun I had!  I wanted to be confident in the use of a Rifle.  Now, I  feel sure of my abilities.   I needed to know how to load and cock a Rifle and then aim and shoot.  I believe all of us need to have that kind of knowledge especially those of us on a farm.   The farm life demands that we know how to use this tool.  A Rifle in my mind is a tool, just as important as a shovel or farm tractor and must be appreciated.

107 Degrees here in Kanas/ Reid Ranch Farm / Small Farm

107 degrees here in Kansas today. It has been in the hundreds most of the month of July and hot in June too. What’s to complain about? We can find so many reasons to be depressed and complain.” It’s, Oh so hot! “ It’s been so hot the gardens are dying.” I’ve mulched and watered and tended to the tomatoes and the tomatoes are drying up on the vine.” Squash bugs are devouring everything.” Where is the rain?” “ The cows have little to eat.” The complaining can go on and on. I right now, have made a decision with my self to not speak a word unless I can be positive and encouraging about the situation here in Kansas. Things will then look better even if not in the natural. Prayers get answered when offered with a positive, joyful spirit.

Me and My Apples

The fruit love the hot weather

Thank you for looking.
www.carolynsnaturalsoap.com

4 Nubian Goats/ Reid Ranch Farm / Small Kansas Farm

We have 4 Nubian goats. They all had their kids within 2 weeks of each other. Ten darling kids: 4 does and 6 bucks. Feeding them all with bottles was a challenge. Now that they are 2 months old we have sold 8. The last two are so beautiful and will make good additions to our small herd. Goat milk is such a blessing to the Reid Ranch.

Thank you for looking

www.carolynsnaturalsoap.com

FARMING IS NOT FOR A COUCH POTATO / Reid Ranch Farm/Small Hay Farm

Brian is such a great man. This heat has been very hard on him but he keeps going. A few weeks ago he wanted to get another cutting from one of our fields as hay will be expensive later, and we need as much as possible to get through the winter. The day he went out to work was the another 107 or 110 degrees. He started to cut and he got a flat tire on the Ford tractor. He walked to the house and the other tractor would not start. Dead Battery. Once the battery was charged he put the sickle mower on the tractor and started to cut the field. Once the field was cut he put the rake behind the tractor and started to rake and after 2 rounds the main shaft on the rake just broke off. He brought the broken rake up to the house and in this heat, he took the parts off the rake and put them onto the rake we keep for parts. With determination and a smile on his wet face he drove off to finish the job. One more thing, the tongue on the rake he was beginning to use in the field broke off. Another trip to the house to remove the tongue on the other rake and attach to the rake and finally the grasses got cut, raked and then baled. I told this complicated story for those of you who do not work or live on a farm. To be successful in farming you must be confident in your self and never give up. The farming life is not for the couch potato.

Dave Berggren & Brian Reid.

Lawrence Farmers Market / What to do, What not to do / Reid Ranch Products

Lawrence Farmers Market

Hello to all, Mom and I have decided to include me, Julie Justus and Heather Reid, my brother Brian Jrs. beautiful wife as this blogs writers. Mom, aka Carolyn, has not had the time to keep everyone informed by blogging continuously, so we thought we could help some by writing our farm adventures. Mom will still write and share and I look forward to when she does.

My first story will be about the Lawrence Farmers Market. Heather and I will be working at the market, hopefully every saturday this season to help promote the Reid Ranch and Carolyn's Natural Soap.

Sat May 5th 2012 was our very first and we learned so much. The day began with no sleep, we both were to nervous to get any sleep and we planned on getting there at 5:30 in the morning. We spent most of the night getting everything ready to go. We made sure we had a table, canopy for shade, table cloths, chairs, tape, scissors, sign cards with extra paper and markers, chalk board sign, and all the products we were selling. Heather sent most of the week making very tasty jelly from plums using her grandmother recipe. This was the hit of our stand. With many other fruit trees at the farm, I am sure we will have many other verities in the future. She also spent the week making yummy organic muffins, granola bars, granola in bags, and dog treats. I spent the evening picking organic Purple Plum Radishes and gathering Carolyn's Natural Soap products.

Saturday morning we met at the farm and headed to Lawrence. Still dark we arrive and find our spot. To our surprise our spot is smaller than we thought. It is set up at an angle and there is hardly enough room for our truck. We set up our canopy and realized it was way to big for the spot. Luckily the spot next to us was vacant so they let us get by this time. With everything set up, we were ready for the day.

Lawrence Farmers Market is more than I expected. Many wonderful vendors with awesome products. If I had my way, I would spend all I made. Many people came to enjoy farm products and the great morning weather. Can't wait to return and sell Reid Ranch Products.

Chickens On The Run

Our chickens run freely on our farm.  They are not in cages and graze in the fields with the cows and goats.  It’s a beautiful thing to see them eating bugs and getting other things from the cow dung, haha.  While they eat and move along in the fields they have many predators.  We have lost many to foxes and coyotes and Brian and I are always on the watch for those chicken hunters.  Now that we have Walter, our English Shepherd, the Coyotes have been kept at bay but at times still sneak in at nab a chicken.

Last week late in the afternoon I saw a coyote start to move in close to the fence and I knew he or she was going to kill a chicken.  Brian grabbed his rifle and quietly crept out to hide behind the pile brush and what happen next was a story to tell.  Brian had an army of chickens lined up behind him.  As he crawled across the mowed grass to hid  next to the cow trailer this army of chickens followed behind.  I laughed so hard, it was so cute to see these girls(Hens) and couple boys(Roosters) waiting for the MAN to kill their enemy.  There must have been 30 or 40 chickens following him and as soon as he lifted his rifle they ran to hid somewhere.  BOOM !  Down went the coyote and Brian stood up to see for sure if he got him.  As Brian came back to the house all the chickens ran to meet him and he was surrounded with their joyful relief .

Carolyn

 

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Helping Hands in the Soap Pot / Carolyn’s Natural Soap

Carolyn’s Natural Soaps is where I began and the soaps and creams are still in demand.  Thankfully I have a daughter Julie, who Is my right hand helper in all soap making.  I have 10 grand children and one on the way and they also put their helping hands in the soap pot, but most of all they want to have a soap named after themselves.

Adelaide has a herbal garden soap she encouraged me to make.  It’s heavily scented with herbs from the garden.  Thyme, Basil, Oregano, Lavender, Rosemary, the herbs that are anti bacterial and germicidal.  I love it and it has become very popular in the Akins Stores.  

Eva wanted a soap called EVA DEVA. I just developed an Acne Bar for young skin fighting blemishes.  I call it EVA DEVA’s Herbal Acne Soap. There is a toner that will go with it.  My mothers picture taken in the 1920’s will be on the wrapper. Almost done with the label.

My grandson Nathan wanted a Nat’s Naterade but we changed the name to Nat’s Natur-aide bar.  This bar is for bug bites and poison Ivy relief.  If you use it soon after a bite or a rash it will help to dry up the problem.  I also made an itch salve that helps stops the itch and  bring down the bumps and lumps.

These are just a few of the new products Carolyn’s Natural’s are developing. 

HIS NAME IS WALTER / Reid Ranch Farm/English Shepherd Dog/Small Farm Life

 

 

His name is WALTER.  The English Shepherd pup we got in the winter is a WONDER DOG.  To watch Brian and Walter together is so cool.  With a hand signal and a call Walter races  through the grass to find the cows in the back pasture or resting under the trees.  He barks as he begins to make his wonders happen.  He moves so freely, in and out as he finds them and brings them to the barn.  He looks at Brian to get another command and waits as he watches the cows move by.   For years Brian has had to walk through the pastures to bring them all in, but now he waits on the porch and Walter does all the work. He’s our Wonder Dog for sure.

www.carolynsnaturalsoap.com

It’s About Time to Blog again / Reid Ranch / Farm Life

Where has all the time gone?  The winter is over and summer is almost here.  The grass is green again and the crickets are singing their song.  The cows and goats are happy and giving more milk then we can handle.  It’s so nice to once again walk outside with no shoes and feel the grass between my toes.  Planting seeds in fresh turned soil and waiting for the first rain to wet the seeds and watch them grow.  Nothing is more beautiful then the simple things our Creator has given for us to behold. 

Once the grass turned green the cows, who all winter gave all they could, have now doubled their milk production.  I have been making so much cheese and butter I’m beginning to wonder if I can keep going.  We have been able to add a few new families to the farm store but could use more.  These new families are so happy to have found us and we are so thankful too.  They tell me that the products from our farm store are the best ever.

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THE FARM IN WINTER / Midwest Farm Life / Kansas Small Ranch / Natural Organic Farming

We lived through the bad storm!   How do the cows and calves endure such cold nights?  Brian wares layers of clothing and then a jump suit overall.  Yesterday and today nothing will run so it’s Brian walking with totes and wash bucket up to the barn.  I get to sit by the fire and type this short blog until he comes in.

Milking Helpers/ Midwest Ranch / Kansas Small Farm

Last Saturday night all the children came to celebrate their dad’s birthday.  Brian Jr., Tom, Julie, Cheryl, Sam and Greg all came to eat and relax awhile. 

BRIAN & GREGG ON GUITAR

When it came time to milk the cows Brian and Tom, Brian Jr. and Julie went with Dad to help.  The only one who has milked before was Tom.  Everyone took turns milking and they did really well.  Maybe someday they can take over so Dad and I can get away for awhile.

BIRTHDAY BOY (BRIAN)

TOM

BRIAN JR

JULIE

BRIAN JR & BIRTHDAY BOY

How did the Old Time Farmers do it? / Kansas Country Farming / Midwest Simple Living / Natural Farm

Farming the ways of our forefathers in this busy, fast paced world of corporations, big money and overwhelming taxes, takes a peaceful, patience person to survive and be successful .  It takes talents and  determination with a love of the freedom to work for yourself and enjoy the pleasures of small successes.  My Dad was a farmer in the 1930ties and on in to the 70ties.  I didn’t realize how much I had learned from him until we started our own farm.

My father was his own boss and never worked for any other man.  His desire to be a man of means, working only for himself, gaining and living in the freedom this country offers was how he lived.  He helped many people and worked very hard to provide for our family.  Dad spoke freely to us children on how to keep our minds open and encouraged us to ask questions and think before you answer a man.  Farming was in his blood and he tried many things to keep diversified. He raised beef, sheep, row cropped tomatoes, strawberries, raised acres of wheat and  alfalfa. He cleared fields of grassed and planted orchards of walnuts and prunes.  Dad bought land and worked hard to pay the mortgages.  He always tried to be successful but had many disappointments.  He would always say, “If you don’t take chances you’ll never know if it would have worked, so don’t be afraid to fail.”

To work for yourself can be exhausting.  Brian and I have not had a day off for over 5 years. Our gardens have not always been productive, even though we worked hard to plant and weed.  The animals take much care and they are not without cost.  The buildings always need repair or rebuilt.  Brian added on to the barn this year using much of the reclaimed lumber he had stored of several years.  We have lost chickens to the wild life here in Kansas and lost our investments many times over.

The joy of living and working for yourself is hard to express.  It’s spiritual, and never leaves the heart.  Living this way with loving animals and wild creatures,  enduring the weather in summer and winter, evokes a pure way of life that echoes from wholesome, honest, loving farmers of the  past.  My hope and prayers are that more families will find this same desire to live off the land and give their children the same confident,  land loving, positive education I received from my father.  

Curious Jethro / Midwest Farm Life / Kansas Small Ranch / Donkey

Monday, Brian and I went to town.  It’s hard to leave the farm as the work or things to do never end.  Brian and I had to hustle to get as much things done before we could leave.  The last thing Brian did was put bales of hay on the back of the farm truck and drive up on the hill to leave hay for the cows.  I had finished washing the totes and vacuuming the house. We grabbed a second cup of coffee for the trip and off we went.

It was around 5 pm when we got home.  We began to prepare for milking, as we start that task around 6 every night.  As I went out to bring some more groceries in from the car, up walked Jethro, my cleaver donkey.  I said,” Hi Jethro how did you get out of the field?”  I looked around and Valentine a steer was also out.  Long story short, I led Jethro back into the pasture and Valentine followed.  Brian in his hurry had left the gate open, thank God the other cows had not found the opening.

When Brian went to the barn to milk later that evening, what he encountered was a mess created by CURIOUS JETHRO.  Jethro had had a happy day in the barn!  The feed containers with cat and dog food in them were pulled out and flung over to the other side of the barn.  He had helped himself to all the alfalfa hay he could eat, as bales had been pulled open and moved around. The cats’ house had it’s roof off, the halters and ropes that hung on hooks were pulled off the hooks and tossed to the ground. Oh Jethro, what a time you had carousing around in the barn. 

Brian wasn’t to mad, as he knew it was his fault for leaving the gate unlocked, but we might have to put Jethro in with Becky and the calves as he is eating to much; or, we could leave him out to be a Farm  Greeter? Walmart has Greeters, why not the Reids?     He did greet one neighbor as she came for her milk.  She tried to put him in with Becky the cow, but he wanted to stay out and Becky tried to get out to, so  her efforts were in vane.  Life on the Reid Ranch is never dull or real exciting, just enjoyable.

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Becky the Pain! Becky the Boss! Remember Becky? Well, she almost was meat. / Midwest Farm Life / Kansas small ranch / Natural products

 

Recently, when Becky was with the other cows, she was acting like a bull and bothers the cows all day, day in, day out for weeks.  This was hurting her utter and milk production and the other cows as well. This might be because four other cows were due to have calves. Maybe she was a little jealous. She doesn’t eat much and won’t let the other cows eat to.  We thought of selling her and then thought she might have to be sent to the butchers!!!!

 

Becky, the Jersey Cow, was our first cow and has given us the best milk and butter for 5 years.  She is my favorite cow and her picture is on my soap labels "Carolyn's Natural Soap" and it’s her rich milk that makes my soap so special.  We did not know what to do.

This last month, we were blessed with four new heifers, I will write about them later. Brian said he’ll give Becky another chance and put her in the calves pen.  Wow, what a differences!  Becky now is at peace.  She will let Brian milk out in the open and her milk is as sweet as ever.  We’ll have to keep her separate from the others to enjoy her gifts to our farm and family. I think she wants to be the boss, but Gurney, our Guernsey cow, wanted to be the boss among the cow herd.  Now, Becky is the boss among the calf herd.  HaHa

Please leave us a comment. We love hearing from you.

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FOUR NEW CALVES TO JOIN US / Kansas Farm Life / Midwest Simple Farming / Cows

Four new calves born all ready!  Trisha, a black Jersey had her calf on the 7th of November. This was her first time to calf and gave birth without a hitch.  We named the heifer calf, CoCo as she is chocolate brown. 


Mae, another black Jersey had her calf on the 23rd of December.  We thought her calf wouldn’t be born until the end of January as our bull was not yet a year old if he  bred her in March, but to our surprise that is exactly what he did.  This heifer calf we named Grayleen because of her color.

June now had her calf on the 31st of December,  New Years Eve.  June started her labor in the late afternoon so Brian and I got her to the barn as it was very cold.  The calf came that evening, another heifer.  We call her Nevey, New Years Eve baby.

I now feed 4 calves who fight for their bottles and suck my coat and hands.  It’s quite a challenge to care for these beauties.  The 4th is a Jersey bull calf we’ll raise to replace Moonlight someday.  We call this bull calf Stanley.

CREAMS AND THINGS / Kansas Farm Life / Natural Farm Products / Natural Face Creams

CREAMS AND THINGS

When I was a young girl I often messed around making concoctions with mud and would add flowers and grass.  Most children love to play in the mud and make mud pies.  I made mud face cream.  I rubbed this cream on my dolls and on myself.  My folks had an old barbecue pit in the back yard.  When no one was watching( I thought), I would build a fire and make a pot of flower water and mud into tea.  I drank the tea and served my dolls.   I guess making creams and lotion was a passion with me.  Now I make real creams without chemicals and with organic and natural oils.  Today the purity of creams are really in the hands of the manufacturer and the laws that protect us from some of the chemicals do not apply to all makers of creams and lotions.  Many products do not tell the consumer what is really in the product. That’s why I now make creams and lotions that are without chemical preservatives.  The problem with no chemicals, is that the creams keep much longer if refrigerated.  This seems easy enough to do and the beauty benefits are so much more achievable.  Making Mud Creams have brought me to this new line of  Real Pure Facial products.  WOW !  There is a Creator who gave us all we need in His creation for our health and healing.

WHAT IS THAT IN THE SKY? / Kansas Farm Life / Mid West Farming

WHAT IS THAT IN THE SKY?

Have you ever noticed the long trails of spray that comes out of some of the jet airplanes?   I’ve been looking upward more now since I’ve seen these long trails criss cross like a Tick Tack Toe board in the sky above the farm.  If you  watch for awhile, these white, cloudy trails will completely cover the length of the sky, begin to spread out and look like cirrus clouds.  I watched several planes, ( at least I think they are normal planes, they are so far up in the sky they look like little dots) as I came home the other day, spreading white trails of something, I’m sure it’s not normal, right in front of the sun as it was setting.  I counted 9 trails.  In California they sprayed our area with a chemical to kill a fly that was killing the fruit trees.  This seems similar but to a greater degree and much higher in the sky.   Even this morning when I went early to give the calves their bottles, long trails were stretching across the dark sky. If any of you have knowledge about these things maybe you could share.  Very Concerned. Thanks

THREE IS MORE THEN ENOUGH / Kansas Farm Life / Mid West Simple Living

THREE IS MORE THEN ENOUGH.  Our goat Ginger had her kids the other day.  It was when Brian went to milk when he heard the sound of the babies crying.  Ginger had three kids again this time.  I went up to clean them off and see what they were.  Two males and one doe.  That night we thought all were nursing and doing fine.  The next day I went to check on them in the afternoon.  One kid looked nearly dead.  He was still and lying stretched out while the others were warm and sleeping.  I picked up this little one, so mad at myself for not checking earlier. Took him to the house and I forced him to drink the colostrum I had taken from his mother.  He didn’t try to suck, only was freezing cold and limp.  Eva and Isabelle held him near the fire place and kept trying to get some colostrum down his throat.  Miracles still happen! AT 2:30AM I heard him crying and I gave him more milk. 

The next morning he was up on his feet, and Naomi held him the rest of the day until we had to put him in the barn.  

Adelaide is here today and Prince Nibbles is now everyone's favorite baby.  Prince Nibbles will be Adelaide’s 4-H project for next years fair.