The Bowl and the Saucer

An old Swedish custom is to leave a cup or plate from the last visitor untouched. The meaning behind this little and often times unknown custom is to never sweep anyone from your home. The plate or cup is washed and neatly put away as a new guest arrives.
Our little Border Collie Cassie was put to sleep yesterday. The sadness has left us feeling empty while the memories fill a treasure chest of pleasant memories.
The last cup and bowl that she ate and drank from are washed but remain untouched on our kitchen counter. A gentle reminder that as our Lord takes away, He provides something new.

2 Corinthains 1: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; (KJV)

Thanksgiving

November fifth is butchering day at Rise 'N' Shine Farm. I will miss my feathered friends. They follow me around the farm like dogs. Although, I believe Rufus (A White Holland) and his girlfriend will stay and reside as part of the farms ambiance. Rufus won his way into my heart at two days old when he would drop his wings, strut and turn in a circle. His daily dignified dance has captured my attention and won a place in my heart. He has never been forceful with his demeanor like some of the other males, but proudly displays his presence with a dignified honor.
It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is around the corner. After raising turkeys, we truly know the depth of the meaning of Thanksgiving. I have not been sheltered from the process of life and understand it's deeper significance. I often times correlate the nurturing, care, love and sacrifice that goes into raising an animal with the life of our Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord for blessing me with joy and understanding and for the gifts that you have richly bestowed upon me. Thank you for your sacrifice and for loving me enough to save me and bless me with a heavenly home to spend with you in eternity. I am truly thankful.

Romans 10:9 (KJV
9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

The Finer Things in Life

We had a wonderful day of gathering together with some ladies and one gent for a workshop on sprouting grain and making homemade bread, biscuits, sweet rolls and pizza. We topped it off with learning how to make homemade butter from the inspiration of my Great Grandmother Emma's prize winning homemade butter.
As the conversation spun it's web into homemade goodness and the shift of healthy living alternatives, we were all in agreement that the small farm could be kept sustainable for the future health of our rural and suburban families. The reality that big farms have had to use pesticides and the worlds alternatives in competing to produce more to stay in existence. The trend to purchase grass fed meat and organic veggies has put the small farm back on the map with the possibilities of squeezing it's way back into a sustainable crevice.
We still have a way to go for those who are seeking to purchase our small farm products. We are still competing with the Walmart mind set of more bang for our buck with out the considerations that the small farmer and his or her passion does not pay for the increase in organic feed. A quick example would be a regular bag of turkey feed would cost $11.95 and an bag of no GMO turkey feed is $18.00. When finishing twenty-six Thanksgiving birds the last two months of their lives, we are going through a fifty pound sack of feed every other day. This gives zero profit for no hormone, no pesticide, no GMO farmer. It does not take into consideration for the time spent changing newspaper like diapers for sanitation and the health of the baby bird. No paycheck for their daily care of feeding and watering and shoveling manure. There is no compensation for the gas that is spent to purchase organic feed that often times cannot be obtained at your usual local feed dealer. Yes, it has to be a passion to free range a bird and patiently herd it back from across a fence and from the nearest neighbors tree. You can bet your bottom dollar, that I will be thankful at our Thanksgiving feast.
There still can be a more with less exchange when you are not paying for doctors visits and your food cravings decline because you have shifted to eating real food just like Great Grandma. This took place long before the drive through was installed for our convenience or for our slow demise.
A new appreciation for healthy food needs to be talked about and discussed with our children. They need to learn to appreciate the finer things in life.
Spend a day helping do chores with your local farmer.
Ask if you can attend butchering day.
Learn where your food comes from, what it eats and the care it is given before it ever reaches the convenience of your table.
Teach your children to understand the depths of how their Great Grandparents lived.
Encourage them not to forget their roots and teach appreciation as they move forward in this face paced world. Convenience like greed has a much higher price to pay.

Cheryl's Turkey Dressing

Ingrediants:
Cook down giblets (heart, liver & gizzard) Chop and add broth to ingrediaents
4 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 cup melted butter
4 quarts or 16 cups of homemade dried & cubed bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste
Whisk 2 eggs
Warm Chicken or turkey broth

Directions:
Add the above ingredients to a mixing bowl.
Add broth to desired consistency.
Place in a Pyrex baking dish.
Cook at 350* for 20 minutes covered and 15-20 minutes uncovered to brown sufficiently.
This recipe makes enough dressing to serve with a 14-18 pound turkey.

My Two Scents

Each night, I journey to secure the chickens and turkeys from visiting predators. When I was gathering the remnant of straying turkeys from the back of their shed, I spotted a mound of freshly unearthed dirt. My natural assumption was that it was the usual visiting ground hog. I fetched and baited my live trap and set it next to the shed. The next morning when I went to check the trap, I could see from a distance that the trap door had been tripped. With much certainty, I neared to view what I thought would be a ground hog but to my surprise, I had caught a skunk. I stopped dead in my tracks and approached with caution. This was not the usually variety that we see, but a white skunk with a black underside. I quickly processed the event and decided that he was probably trying to dig under the shed to reach the turkeys food, but to no avail. We had diligently buried wire to prevent such measures. Like raccoons, skunks carry rabies. This was not something , we wanted to hang around our farm. I gathered as much information and contacted other locals that could tell me how to dispose of this perfumed critter. I was told to approach it at night with a flash light to blind it and cover it with a heavy blanket. Next, to fill a tub with water or take it to the creek and drowned it.
We set out that night with all our gear in hand and our prepared water filled barrel for his demise. After blinding him and covering him, we slowly and carefully drug him to the barrel. Upon lifting him in the air and lowering him to the water, we discovered that the cage did not fit the rounded water filled brim. Defeated, we left him in the cage and returned the next night for plan B. This time, we decided to back the truck up over the top of the cage and let the exhaust slowly lull him into eternal sleep. The next morning, we arrived to dispose of the poor creature, we were surprised to find a happy and much alive skunk. I was exhausted by the emotion of trying to rid myself of this helpless creature, so I did what most would do. We set him happily free. We watched as he tipped his head and listened to our voices, then slowly moved from his caged existence and quickly scurried into the neighboring wooded terrain.


How to Catch a Skunk
Shine a flashlight in their eyes at night. It will blind them. Pick them up by the tail. This prevents them from spraying. Put them in a box with a lid that is kept in the dark for transport.

Skunk in a live trap
Shine a flashlight in their eyes as you are approaching. Cover with a heavy blanket. Re-locate miles from your home or take to the nearest body of water and immerse the trap for six minutes or better.

Little Known Facts
The scent gland is sold to high end perfume companies to help hold the scent.

De-Skunk Shampoo
In a plastic bucket mix the following ingredients
1 quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
1/4 cup of baking soda
1 to 2 teaspoons liquid soap
for very large pets one quart of tepid tap water may be added to enable complete coverage.
Wash pet promptly and thoroughly, work the solution deep into the fur. Let your nose guide you, leave the solution on about 5 minutes or until the odor is gone. Some heavily oiled areas may require a "rinse and repeat" washing.
Skunks usually aim for the face, but try to keep the solution out of the eyes - it stings. If you have any cuts on your hands you might want to wear latex gloves for the same reason.
After treatment, thoroughly rinse your pet with tepid tap water.
Pour the spent solution down the drain with running water.
NEVER, ever, store mixed solution in a closed bottle, sprayer, etc. Pressure will build up until the container bursts. This can cause severe injury.

Notes
1) Clean plastic mixing containers and utensils are preferred. Metals encourage auto-decomposition of the peroxide.
2) Hydrogen Peroxide 3% solution is usually sold in pint (500ml) bottles, so you'll need two. The 3% grade is often marked "U.S.P.", meaning that it meets the standards for medical use and purity as set forth in the United States Pharmacopoeia.
The use of other strengths/grades is not recommended unless you're a chemist, and even then a trip to the 24-hour drugstore is much better than a trip to the emergency room.
3) Use baking soda, not baking powder. "Arm and Hammer" is one popular brand. Baking soda is also called: Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, U.S.P., Bicarbonate of Soda, and Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate. Do not confuse any of the above with Washing Soda, which is Sodium Carbonate. Washing Soda is about 100 times more alkaline than Baking Soda and can cause skin burns to both you and your pet.
4) Two preferred brands are "Softsoap" and "Ivory Liquid". As far as auto-decomposition of the peroxide is concerned, the surfactant package in these two is fairly inert. Heavy-duty grease-cutting brands such as "Dawn" are less inert, and hair shampoo is probably the worst.
5) Once mixed, the peroxide slowly breaks down into water and oxygen gas. Thus it gets weaker with time and so it should be used promptly. The exact rate depends on temperature, pH, and catalysts such as trace amounts of metals (iron, etc.) in the soap and/or tap water.
How much pressure will the complete decomposition of 3% hydrogen peroxide produce in a closed container ??? It depends on how full the container is. Assuming negligible solubility of Oxygen in water, a bottle half-full of peroxide will develop about 140 psi. A bottle 3/4 full would develop 420 psi. This can do a lot of damage.
Highly pure hydrogen peroxide decomposes very slowly if kept cool and in a dark place, a few percent a year. The more dilute solutions usually decompose faster (due to impurities in the dilution water) and have a trace of stabilizer added. So why aren't the bottles in the store bloated or bursting ? Look carefully inside the cap... you'll see some very tiny holes in the cap liner to let the oxygen gas escape. A good reason to always store bottles upright.
Look for an expiration date on your peroxide. If you're using stuff which has been sitting around in your medicine cabinet for years, buy fresh peroxide.
6) Tepid: lukewarm.
7) All brand names mentioned in this website are trademarks of their various owners.

The Barn

When we first arrived in Pennsylvania the culturally differences from the West were obvious. The rolling hills and evergreen trees were bountiful. The Amish were scattered in various areas and their plain life was refreshingly reminiscent of yesteryear.
It is not uncommon to be greeted by Pennsylvanians and asked, if you want to see their barn, rather than their house. A barn in Pennsylvania is still highly valued. It's a safe haven where your animals are raised. A shelter to protect ones provision of hay and grain from the long bitter winter. Crops can be fed to sustain your animals or sold for those who are unable to plant. The majority of ones life is spent in the field and in the barn. The barn is still the central and most important part of every Pennsylvania farm.
So, when your welcomed by a Pennsylvania farmer's, "Come on in", don't expect to be taken into their parlor, but rejoice if your invited to view their true splendor that is showcased by an abundance of golden straw.

The Note

When God sets a passion in your heart there seems to be no denying what just comes naturally. When you have something you love, what is known as work does not contain drudgery but true joy. Well not to say, that work is not involved but the heart reigns over the mundane tasks of labor.

Our first home was a small two bedroom one bath house. The bathroom was so small, that I referred to it as the two bedroom-no bath home. It was on the outskirts of Phoenix and was just 1/3 of an acre but for me it was my first glimmer of what I dreamed, a real farm. Even though the house was the size of a puddle, it was my goal to make it a pond.

Answering an add in the newspaper for chickens, we drove our old Buick to a rural surrounding farm that was selling out and moving to Texas. I drank in the thought of living the life that they had embraced. Growing up with the stories of my Great Grandmother and Grandfather that homesteaded one-hundred and sixty acres in Idaho, I longed to be surrounded by dirt. I was met by a handsome young man that was the son of the owner. He could see my excitement as I picked out a box full of laying hens from his flock. I graciously paid him and we put them in a cardboard box for the ride home. Not knowing a lick about chickens or farm animals for that matter, I did not shut the lid of the box. It was not long that I had a backseat full of full sized, fluttering chickens throughout our car. I’m certain we were a sight to behold.

Our small little house was bursting at the seams. Christin and Kati shared a bedroom and on weekends Candice would come to stay. Our son Dustin had arrived and slept in our bedroom and later would take the couch, as there was no more space for another bed. We were packed like sardines in that little house but all the kids in the neighborhood would make there way over to play at our house. There was more than one occasion that I would find a neighboring child asleep on our couch. A small unobtrusive house with no glitz or glamour that the neighborhood children seemed to see as a safe haven. A home, away from home.

It was not long that word seemed to spread of my love for animals. I took in strays and doctored flightless birds. I remember, one occasion of coming home and finding a dead bird placed on our doorstep with a note attached.

Cheryl,

I found this bird and thought you could bury it.

Love,
Amy

The sweetness of thinking that I was the only one that could properly dispose of this lifeless creature, touched my heart. The sweet innocence of a child resembled that which I had found among my animal friends. A lesson that I will cherish all of my days.

Even the Smallest of His Creatures

Our neighbor asked, if I would be willing to take one of their baby ducks. It had been trampled by the other adult ducks and one of their chickens was protectively keeping him from getting any food. I was ecstatic because Indian Runner Ducks are my favorite breed of ducks. When I inspected the depths of this little ducklings injury, I was not very hopeful. Indian Runner Ducks hold their bodies upright like little penguins. Without the use of one leg there would be no possible way for this little duck to be able to survive. After little contemplation, we decided that it was worth at try. I went on line and found out how to make shoes to spread its webbed feet and splint it’s legs. The one leg and foot looked hopeful, while the other dangled like a piece of limp spaghetti. There was without a doubt severe nerve damage. My next focus was to give it a boost in nutrition. I added sugar, vitamins, and electrolytes to its water. I gave it free choice game bird feed. I found that if I picked around in the feed with my fingers it gave the duckling the sensation of the mother eating with her. My greatest concern was when I would return to check on her, her one leg would be laid out directly behind her. I was adamant to keep a vigilant eye and keep re-situating the leg into it’s proper position. About a week went by and I felt it was time to remove the splints for inspection. The one leg looked perfect while the other leg had made some progress but not enough for it to even stand. My greatest fear was that now that I had bonded, we would have to humanly put her down. I cried out to God, knowing that if it was His will, He could even heal the smallest of His creatures. The next day, I awakened to check on my little feathered friend. My heart was low as I was beginning to except her unimaginable fate. When I looked in the box, she was trying to stand on her leg. Prayers of praise and tears of joy from this two legged mama duck. There was hope for her survivability. A miracle for one of God’s creatures. As the days went by her leg strengthened, we began to take short little walks. Her little leg went to one side and her webbed foot pointed inward, but she waddled with the utmost of determination. Every morning when I open our chicken coops, Inga runs along side of me to do our chores. We stop to take a break under the oak tree and she gets a bite to eat. On our way back to the house, I help her into the water trough and relish in the joy of watching those little webbed feet swim. Inga is a constant reminder that God is faithful to even the smallest of His creatures.

Do Not Worry
25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
Matthew 6:26-27 (KJV)

Billy Boy

The spring and summer months have always offered me joy. Spring for me means new life. On the farm new life is abundant with the birth of a variety of baby animals. A joy that I simple will never tire. While at the Farm Show last year my husband and I purchased a blue eyed white male peacock to keep our white female hen company. We house them in the barn for the winter and let them into the back treed area to reside with the chickens in the summer months. David cut paths with the tractor but left the field with a natural landscape. I piled branches in one area for the wild rabbits to reside. A place that I refer to as the Rabbitatury. Yes, a word that I made up but is fitting for their mini wilderness area. I love walking out back and seeing the wild rabbits, peacocks. llamas, alpacas, and Jacob Sheep all meandering through the high blades of foliage, pine and cedar trees. A tranquil oasis to have a quiet time of reflection and thank God for what he has provided for our enjoyment. One evening, we noticed that we had not seen our blue eyed white male peacock but could hear him calling in the distance. Living a stones throw from the Conewago Creek, I was certain that Billy Boy was enticed by his adventurous spirit. The next morning, we received a call from a neighbor that Billy had made his way to their chicken coop and was happily residing with their chickens and ducks. We picked him up by wrapping him in a couple of towels for the ride home. We checked on how to adequately trim his flight feathers in hopes that this would keep him home bound. This still enabled him to fly short distances and get into a tree for his safe keeping at night. Several days passed and Billy and Iola remained together. Just about the time, I thought we had the situation conquered, the phone rang to let us know that Billy was walking down our road and up the dirt road that leads to our neighbors coop. No longer able to take flight, he decided to take the long hike on foot. These summer days we find that Billy Boy comes home for short visits and sleeps in the tree in the front field and then for no apparent reason, he takes his hike down the road and up the hill to visit his other favorite flock

Peacocks
Because of their gorgeous appearance, the peacock has long been famous outside of its native countries of Southern Asia and Malaysia. They have been kept for centuries by people first in China and then in Europe and America. The Phoenicians brought the peacock to Egypt more than three thousand years ago. Historical records indicate that Solomon kept several peacock species, among other pheasants, with the India Blue being his favorite peacock. Peafowl were extensively raised by the Romans for the table as well as for ornamental purposes, and medieval Europe carried on this practice as well. It is only after the XVI Century, when turkeys were imported from Mexico, that the peacock was discarded as a table bird for the more fleshy American birds.

Peahens are excellent mothers, but peachicks can be reared just as well in a brooder. They are among the easiest birds to raise. One thing to be careful about is to give them good shelters in the autumn and winter following their birth, as they are not fully grown before eight or ten months.

Peafowl can be quite sociable and often display their feathers right in front of you in the springtime. The male peacock displays his gorgeous tail feathers in the spring and also utters an awakening call which is loud yet quite delight to hear!

Peacock feathers are popularly used in unique crafts and decorations.

The Sequence of Lambing

Our day started out with it's normal routine. I was cleaning up the kitchen and Daisey was out at the barn feeding animals. The phone rang and Daisey's voice resounded,"Mom, Camden is in Labor." This was a ewe that was from our foundation flock and that we had retired several years ago.
The men in our household have an aversion to closing gates and have failed farmer 101miserably. However, our ram is delighted with the lack of their ability. He has been found in the field long after, he has been removed. Because Camden was older, we decided it was a good idea to keep vigilant eye on her throughout the day.

It was a rainy and cold Pennsylvania day. We gathered a couple of insulated cups filled with hot tea, a deck of cards, and one of our favorite board games Sequence. We are accustomed to living on a wing and a prayer, so we put our farmer ingenuity to work. Daisey remembered where to find and old wood table that Dustin had fashioned during his first year of carpentry. I located a couple of folding chairs tucked in among the bales of straw. We set up our little make shift game table next to the ewes that had already delivered.

This also gave us perfect visibility to Camden as she labored. I marked the time that she first started laboring. An hour went by without her dilating or progressing. Camden even got up on two occasions and came over and stood in front of us baaing. She seemed to be asking for our help. My heart of hearts knew something was very wrong.

We decided to call our neighbor who is a Physicians Assistant and he came to our aid. Once again, Camden got up and stood right in front of him. She began frantically bleating when he entered the barn. She was with out a doubt asking for help. Daisey held her as he began an internal examination. The lamb was situated perfectly for delivery but the water bag and the placenta had intertwined and was wrapped around the lamb. This was preventing the lamb from being able to be delivered without assistance. As Bill reached his hand further, he was able to tear the sack and deliver the lamb. When she first arrived, she lay lifeless. We used an old farmers method of sticking a piece of straw up her nose. This caused her to blow some of the trapped mucus that was not allowing her to breath. I then picked her up by the back legs and gradually swung her outward and lightly against my leg to help expel anything that was causing her from breathing properly.
Through out the day, I was reminded that this was Good Friday. A day that we reflect the time that our Lord hung on the cross. Our thoughts throughout the day prepared in anticipation and remembrance of His resurrection to be celebrated on Easter morning. What a miraculous experience when you see what was lifeless, come to life.
C.A. Bresin

For further information on lambing:
http://www.sheep101.info/201/lambingprocess.html

Lambs and Cupcakes

Four lambs were born yesterday. First came two ewe lambs out of Dancheska. I named them Danish and Dabnie. They are cross lambs but you would never know it. They are marked just as Jacob lambs should be and have perfect Type A birth fleece. Fleece is my main purpose, so at least one will stay at Rise 'N' Shine Farm.
Right after Daisey left for youth group, I heard all of the sheep baaing and carrying on in the field. In order to get my attention, they just would not let up. It was the call of new birth. When I arrived in the barn, there they stood two more miracles from above. A solid black ewe lamb and a four horn Jacob ram lamb. I was on my own to iodine their umbilical cords, dry them off, put their little Woolover's on, bring mama her molasses water and get them all into the jug area. All was going relatively smooth, until I realized that the jug that was ready was the one with the huge ditch in it. The glories of an old milking barn. The jug adjacent was filled with straw so I began to remove bale by bale until it was emptied. I stooped down to grab the last bale and placed my knee directly on a old rotten duck egg. Oh my, what a smell that quickly permeated the entire barn. I had wished, I could run away from myself. Upon further inspection, I found an entire nest of duck eggs that had been neatly tucked under the hay from last season. This was a job bigger than me. Both stalls needed to be totally gutted, re-strawed and lambs and mom re-situated into what should have been prepared long before now.
When David arrived home, he graciously worked in one-forth the time that my lack of muscle would have provided. After cleaning the one stall he put straw in the ditch and covered it with a board. Next, he placed straw over the top to make a nice floor until we can quick-crete it when the weather cooperates. Awe....

The German Rolling Pin

Living in Pennsylvania offers the splendor of a variety of old world demonstrations. We entered a hand stoned home when we were embraced by the sweet smell of homemade biscuits. As we neared the kitchen area the walk in stone fire place was graced with black rod iron cooking pots. The warmth of the fire filled the room and the sweet smell of biscuits cooking permeated the entire lower level of the home. A women stood at a large wooden table dressed in period clothing. She was mixing up another fresh batch of stone ground biscuits and rolling them out with the most unique rolling pin, I had ever laid my eyes on. I questioned her about the rolling pin and she stated that it was a German rolling pin that was made by a man in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She was kind enough to give me the information where I might locate him. I set out on a quest to find this rare rolling pin but was disheartened that the man that had fashioned her rolling pin no longer was living. I was sent to another source that had duplicated the previous mans work but the price was astronomical in comparison to it’s simplicity. I had set aside the idea of ever owning one of these unique pieces but kept the vision rolling around in my head for weeks.
It was Christmas time and one of our favorite past items is to frequent antique shops in the area. Often times it’s not to purchase anything but just to reminisce about items that we had while growing up or embrace new knowledge of the use of items we encountered. We would walk around sometime for hours taking in all the splendor of yesteryear. I paused in one area with my hand draped across an old dresser. I began a conversation with my husband when I glanced down and there inside the dresser drawer was the rolling pin that I had so desperately wanted. I gasped, picked it up and held it tight to my chest. I paused afraid to turn over the price tag. After all it was in an antique shop and could very well be twice the price that I had already determined as astronomical. I bravely removed it from my chest and drew in a deep breath before I revealed the price. It just could not be, it was fraction of the price and in perfect condition. As I inspected it further it was engraved with the name of the man that had passed on and date as proof of authenticity. I knew at this very moment that this was a gift from above.

Cheryl’s Whole Wheat Bread

Preheat oven to 250 degrees and turn your oven off .

Place 2 ½ Tablespoons of yeast in a bowl with 1 Tablespoon of natural sugar and ½ cup of warm water. Let rise.

Place in your Bosch Mixer
5 cups of hot water
2/3 cups olive oil (place oil first so honey does not stick to your measuring cup)
2/3 cups honey
2 Tablespoons of salt
Pulse above ingredients to mix 4 to 5 times

Add yeast mixture when water has cooled to a warm temperature so that you don’t kill your yeast. Pulse to blend 3 times
Begin to Add wheat a cup full at a time
It usually takes about 12 or more cups of freshly ground whole wheat depending on the humidity..
I just add wheat until the dough does not stick onto the side of the bowl.
Set timer for 10 minutes and let the Bosh mix on setting 1

When removing your bread from the bowl, grease counter well with olive oil. (It’s a puddle of oil). Place oil on your hands to pull the dough from the bowl and remove from the dough hook.
Take the mound of dough and fold in the air by grabbing each corner and placing it in the center of your dough. You will do all four corners the same way.
Now, divide dough into four batches and fold air into each batch the same as above.
Grease bread loaf pans and place in warm oven to rise until double in size.
Do not preheat oven but shut door and set oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
When removing from oven let sit in pans for a couple of minutes to rest and take a butter knife around the edges to remove onto a cooling rack.
You can rub butter over the tops of bread to make a shiny top on each loaf.
Store in air tight bags.

When making sweet rolls, roll one bread loaf size dough out sprinkle with brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon. Roll it long ways and slide dental floss underneath the loaf and pull upward to cut desired size pieces. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes.
You can glaze them with a powdered sugar and cream cheese frosting or eat just as is.
Store in air tight container. C.A. Bresin www.risenshinefarm.com

Cassie Rose

Our Border Collie Cassie came to us as an unwanted pet that was herding a vast amount of cattle without command or guidance. Border Collies have a natural instinct to herd but without the proper training can become a thorn in anyone’s side. The simple problem is they are intelligent, high energy dogs, that get bored quickly. If you can't find a way for them to stay busy, they will. There idea of staying busy may not be advantages or beneficial to anyone but themselves. When Cassie first came to our farm, she would jump our front gate and make her way into our front field before we ever missed her. She would herd the baby calves from one corner to another until they would drop from exhaustion. Her other favorite past time was to lay low in the grass along side the road and run along side the cars. She would hit their door as if she were playing tag. There was many a frightened passer by that thought they had hit her instead of her hitting them. It wasn’t long before we caught onto her antics and put a stop to them. No, we didn’t tie her, hit her, or find other degrading means to stop her behavior. We simply put her over abundance of energy to good use. First we tried training her to bring in the sheep when we were there to supervise. She was brilliant! She would watch my hand commands and bring them all the way in. Our problem surfaced when she felt it was necessary to bite them on the heels when she got too close. I spoke with a trainer for herding dogs and she suggested muzzling her during the time we were working the sheep. Cassie spent a good bit of her time buried beneath the grass trying to work that muzzle off her face with her paws. Rather than give up on her abilities, we found a book that showed all the uses for Border Collies. We asked Dustin if he could make us some jumps and a ring as a obstacle coarse and set her to the new task. It didn’t take long before she was clearing the jumps and making her way flying through the hoop. She was a natural! This was not only fun for her but we really enjoyed watching her gracefully glide through the air.
Cassie always had an aversion for ground hogs. One day, I was standing in the field with her and I saw her bury her head in a hole. The next thing I knew, she had lifted that ground hog from it’s hole, snapped it’s neck, threw it in the air, and then tossed it at my legs. I let out a scream, took flight and landed to see the proud gaze and wagging tail of our little black and white Border Collie. It was plain and simply, a job well done.
So often I hear or see of people who misunderstand the abilities and the way a dog thinks and reacts. More times than not, it’s the problem owner not the problem dog. A dog will always give you back the love and respect you give them.
To one of the best little ground hoggers bar none. You are a part of so many cherished memories here at the farm. You will always be loved and your presence forever missed. April 14, 1999 - December 12, 2011
C.A. Bresin (Welcome to My World)

The Border Collie originated in the border country between Scotland and England where the shepherds' breeding selection was based on biddable stock sense and the ability to work long days on rugged terrain. As a result of this selective breeding, the Border Collie developed the unique working style of gathering and fetching the stock with wide sweeping outruns. The stock is then controlled with an intense gaze known as "eye", coupled with a stalking style of movement. This selective breeding over hundreds of years developed the Border Collie's intensity, energy and trainability which are features so important that they are equal to physical size and appearance. The Border Collie has extraordinary instinct and an uncanny ability to reason. One of its greatest assets is the ability to work out of sight of its master without commands. Breeding based on this working ability has made this breed the world's premier sheep herding dog, a job the Border Collie is still used for worldwide.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/border_collie/

Georgia

It wasn't long after our goose Lucy made the news that people began to call for one reason or another. One morning a farmer responded to the article in the newspaper saying, he didn't have our goose but he had a goose or two that we could have. There was really not another goose that could fill Lucy's place but we set off on a days adventure. His farm was neatly tucked back in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. We meandered down a dirt road and past a pond where we met an older man dressed in well worn overalls. He greeted us and took us to the barn were he had ducks, geese, and a male turkey that met us up close and personal, as he shook his feathers and did his turkey dance. We decided on a couple of White Ebden Geese and the farmer said, he would even throw in a little bantam hen and tree duck eggs. Down the road we traveled to take our barnyard friends to their new home. It was nice to once again hear the sound of geese honking and clamoring as they waddled in front of our barn.
We named the little red bantie hen Georgia and placed her in a laying box and carefully put the duck eggs under her. It was really quite comical because she was so small that she barley covered the large eggs. She sat diligently until one day the hatching began. What a sight to behold as this little hen hatched out three perfect yellow ducklings.
We were in the process of a move to a new farm that had a larger barn and a small pond. Gathering all of our animals for the move was quite a challenge. The horses were loaded in a stock trailer. The dogs and cats were crated and the chickens and geese were placed in separate containers. Special care was given to Georgia and her waddling feathered ducklings. Adjacent to the barn rested a little pond that I knew would be perfect for the ducks. We began to unload our variety of barnyard critters when the ducklings quickly made there way to the little pond. With out any hesitation Georgia followed them into the pond before she realized that she could not swim. As her confusion rose, the flapping and struggling to try to stay afloat overcame her very existence. We quickly went to rescue our puzzled little bantie. This was without a doubt the last time that she would try to swim. In the upcoming days Georgia would peck around the pond as her hatchlings enjoyed their daily swim. Once her ducklings were done swimming, you could see them faithfully waddling single file behind Georgia throughout the day.
C. A. Bresin

Bantam Chickens
A bantam is a small variety of chicken, deriving it’s the name from the city of Bantam. Bantam was once a major seaport, in Indonesia. European sailors found the small native breeds of chicken in Southeast Asia to be useful, and any such small poultry came to be known as a bantam. Bantams are usually one-fifth to one-forth the size of an average chicken.
Bantams are suitable for smaller backyards as they do not need as much space as other breeds. Bantam hens are also used as laying hens, although Bantam eggs are only about one-half to one-third the size of a regular hen egg.
Many bantam hens are renowned for hatching and brooding purpose. They are very protective mothers and will attack anything that gets near their young.
excerpts taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantam_(poultry)

God's Provision

The joys of living on a farm outnumbers the challenges. Caring for our animals on a daily basis not only requires feeding and making certain they have fresh water but the administering of wormers, vaccinations and a variety of general care. Each type of animal requires a different feed and the knowledge of its individual design to properly raise and maintain it's survivability.
Chickens have been a passion of mine for over twenty years. I still delight in the fact that God has provided us with all we need for our sustainability.
Each morning we go out, open the coop door and give them some chicken mash and fresh water. We use a natural parasite control and organic dusting powder for lice and mites. Chickens are relatively easy to keep other than the constant watch for predators. Our farm resides along the Conewago Creek, so we seem to have a variety of fox, raccoons, possum, and chicken hawks. We even have a resident bald eagle that nests along the creek and sits in one of our trees to peruse her delectable fancies. A massive white owl has been known to visit on occasion. All of these predators are a constant source for absconding my cherished feathered flock.
It was broad daylight when I heard our chickens creating a loud cackling stir. We raced out to the coop to find that something had brazenly entered. I could see white feathers scattered across the field. Upon further investigation the first and largest patch of feathers were located where our chicken had been killed. Right next to the feathers remained a pile of her intestines. We then discovered a fresh pile of dung that the animal left as a way to mark it's territory. Fortunately, I had recently purchased a tracking book, which Daisey fetched so that we could inspect our findings. As I flipped through the pages, I eyed a surprising perfect match. It was undoubtedly a fox. We could hear the foxes eerie calls during the night. Their shrill screams sends chills up my spine when walking in our darkened fields.
Now that we had identified our culprit, we set out to track our adversary. We swayed back and forth across the field as if we were on a treasure hunt. We could see an occasional feather that kept us on coarse. As we approached a ravine, we came to an end. Our Border Collie Cassie had been eagerly tagging along. We sent her down by the stream that naturally flowed between the crevices of the terrain. She seemed to be onto something, as she frantically sniffed and began to paw at a pile of leaves. Our son Dustin climbed down to help her unearth her prized discovery. There it was, neatly tucked under the leaves resting close to the cold free flowing water. The fox had intelligently placed it for safe keeping so that she could come back for it when she needed to feed her young. We placed the leaves back over the top of our chicken as the fox had rightfully won her kill.
We walked back across the open field realizing that we were not only provided with a knowledgeable adventure, but we witnessed first hand God's provision for all of his creatures.
C.A. Bresin

Fabulous Foxes
Foxes belong to the canid family and include such species as red fox, kit fox, swift fox, fennec fox, arctic fox and gray fox, just to name a few. While some species of canid have been hunted almost to extinction because of their penchant for livestock and the depletion of their natural habitats, some species of fox such as the red fox have adapted well to changing times and find great opportunities for food and shelter in urban environments. The red fox is not a finicky eater, and will ingest beetles, worms, frogs, birds, eggs, mice, fruits and refuse.
Similar Characteristics: All species of foxes have similar characteristics. They tend to be light brown, reddish, gray or dark brown in color, except for the arctic fox, which is pure white in winter. Most foxes have relatively large ears that stand up straight and long bushy tails. Home for most foxes is a den tucked away among rock crevices, an abandoned rabbit burrow or a tree hole in the case of the gray fox.

DID YOU KNOW?
Fox Names
A pack of foxes is called a "skulk."
A fox's bushy tail is called a "brush."
And its acute muzzle is called a "fox face."

On the Brink
Some fox species, such as the red fox, are highly adaptive. Others, like the crab-eating fox of South America and the bat-eared fox of Africa, are on the brink of extinction in their native habitats.

Cold-Adapted Fox
The arctic fox has several adaptions to its cold environment, including thick, white fur, a good supply of body fat and a system of blood circulation in its paws that keep them constantly warm.
http://animal.discovery.com/mammals/fox/

Shearing Day 2011

A Pioneer Spirit

The day had arrived that Emma would journey across the wide open sea to a new land. She had diligently saved her money for her ticket on the ship Helvetia. The journey would take forty days or more and there would be no turning back. All she had known was her birth place of Appelbo Sweden. Being a young lady her sights were fresh and untainted. With youth comes the freedom from unknown fears and the willingness to experience unsettled territories.
From the moment Emma stepped foot onto the Helvetia, her heart raced with excitement as she anticipated the journey ahead. The large crowds of people filed to their designated cabins, but many more would be escorted to the steerage below the ships deck. The massive trunks filled with treasured belongings were stored below and a carry on bag of personal necessities remained with each passenger.
One could feel the era of excitement as the passengers shuffled around. After the first and second class passengers settled in, many returned to the deck to wave farewell to those that were left behind. With arms waving, for some this would be their last farewell. The voices and cheers over shadowed the ships whistle that bellowed as the large vessel pulled from the shore. For a moment, there seemed to be an unsettling calm as the emotions of leaving their loved ones brought forth the reality of the journey ahead.
As they set sail, the waters were brisk and the smell of salt water filled the air. It was not long before there was music playing and many of the passengers were brought joy by and endless night of celebration and dancing. This was a time of festivities and the making of new friends that all shared one common virtue, a pioneer spirit.
C.A.Bresin

The development of passenger vessels made the journey easier, cheaper, and faster for many immigrants. By the 1870s, steam powered ships replaced sailing ships. They were bigger, faster and safer. Immigrants in the early 1800s had to endure voyages averaging 40 days, depending on weather; by the 1900's, the average voyage was only one week long.
In order to account for and regulate immigration, the US government established immigrant processing centers on both the East and West Coasts. 70% of the European immigrants beginning in 1855 would be dropped off at Castle Garden on Manhattan Island and pass a series of examinations. In 1892, a new immigrant center at Ellis Island was built to replace Castle Garden. On the West Coast, immigrants, mostly Chinese or Japanese, arrived through Seattle or Angel Island in San Francisco.
The increased convenience of immigration did not, however, imply a level of comfort for the immigrants anywhere near modern standards. Poor sanitation and food, as well as diseases such as cholera and typhus, were still common on the trans-Atlantic liners.
Immigrants who could only afford the minimal third-class fees of about $30 were referred to as "steerage passengers." The name came from the part of the ship, the steerage, where they were kept and which provided the cheapest possible accommodations. It was crowded below deck, and steerage passengers were seldom allowed to go up for fresh air. The trans-Atlantic shipping companies had not yet learned to provide efficient basic services, such as food, and often fed passengers nothing but soup or stew, and sometimes bread, biscuits, or potatoes.
Many immigrants had to wash themselves with salt water while drinking stagnant water that was stored in dirty casks. At the root of these problems was a mindset on the part of many of the companies that considered the immigrants "human cargo." These same companies would often ship American-made goods to Europe on the return trip, and could not yet see the essential distinction between transporting products and people. They would learn with time.
Even after the tough voyage, immigrants were not guaranteed entry to America. About 250,000 people (2% of all immigrants) were sent back home. 1st and 2nd class passengers were inspected on the ship, but 3rd class passengers had to go to Ellis or Angel Island for screening, waiting about three to five hours in line and undergoing inspections of both a medical and legal nature.
Officials at Ellis Island also did something that is not commonly done today. When they could not pronounce an immigrant's name, the immigration inspectors thought that this gave them the prerogative to change the name to something less difficult. Names like "Andrjuljawierjus" might be simplified to "Andrews" or something similar.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/268908/immigration_from_1870_to_1920_the_journey.html?cat=37

Quilts For Sale

Moving across the United States always brought unwanted anticipation. The questions raced through my mind as I embraced the new adventure. Would I like my new home and the people who would surround me? Could I find a good doctor for my family? Would everyday necessities cost more? Where would I purchase feed and hay for our animals? Is there a good veterinarian in the area? So many things to consider and all of them out of my control. This particular move brought a deeper venue, a change in culture. We were moving among the Amish. I enjoyed soaking in the ambiance of the passing buggies. Slowing down to consider another way of life was something I admired. On my way to town to get groceries, I would take the Amish backgrounds and drink in the beautiful farms with pristine gardens laden with flowers. Often times, I would see a Amish farmer working with his majestic draft horses gathering shocks into a neatly packed array. As I rode further down the dirt roads, I passed an Amish one room school house. This was another cherished opportunity to watch the children playing in their school yard enveloping in the traditions of their community.
One of my favorite stops was the Amish tack store. The buggies were hitched to posts out front. When entering the dimly light wooden building, the stoves were filled with coal that brought about a warmth that was like no other. The heavy boarded floors resounded as you walked through out the shop. The shelves were neatly stacked with work boots, oil lamps, and other accessories. The upstairs was filled with saddles and bridles. Along the wall were red wagons awaiting the some little boy or girl who would happily use them for pleasure or possible to carry supplies. Even the Amish children knew what it was to work and contribute to the livelihood of their family.
There was always a few Amishman off to the side of the front counter. They busily repaired leather bridles and any other work that needed to be done for their Amish and English customers. I frequented this tack shop for some time before I was no longer looked at as an outsider but someone that was here to do business like so many others.
On one particular day, I noticed a black and white hand painted sign out front of an Amish home that read, Quilts For Sale. As I pulled in, I marveled at the serenity of the this home. We went in the little shop and sitting quietly doing some needle work sat a Amish lady. She sat quietly while we looked through the endless displays of hand sewn quilts. There was a rack of quilts that were neatly displayed. A double bed sat next to a sun lite window that you could fold back one quilt after another. An endless masterpiece of hand sewn needle work that created some of the most beautiful patterns and an endless array of colors.
On one of my many stops to the Amish quilt shop, I noticed my little Amish lady entering her house to have coffee with an English neighbor. I remember thinking what a honor and privilege to have and Amish friend and especially this one.
One day I got up the nerve to ask her name and she glanced from her work to say in a slight Dutch accent, Mary Ann. She seemed to become more comfortable with me as my daughters and son would enter on a regular weekly basis.
On one of my visits she asked if I would take her to pick up a new Chihuahua puppy at another Amish house. A buggy ride would be quite a ride but a ride in a car would get her there and back in no time. She was so excited to get her new puppy and offered to pay me for my time. I surprised her by saying, that I would take a kiss on the cheek for payment. May Anne giggled and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
Our friendship grew and we were later invited to their home for a dinner. This was like being in a dream or stepping into the pages of a story book. These were not just some Amish people, Danielle and Mary Ann became true friends.

The Family Table

The beginning of February starts with preparations for our annual shearing day. This year we are excited to begin our five hour journey to Amish country. Our quest is to pick up a Amish handcrafted family table. A family table is designed to accommodate a growing family, once common to most rural homes. It has several leafs you can add and benches that can be stacked when the extra space is needed. The family table will be constructed of solid oak and will extend to sixteen feet. Our guests for shearing day will be able to enjoy a meal of lamb stew, homemade biscuits, and desserts. It will be wonderful to all be seated at the same table.
We hold a treasure chest of found memories of shopping at the local Amish tack store and traveling down the dirt roads slowly behind a buggy or two. This was an area that we lived for seven years. Living among the Amish offered us the opportunity to visit the local wood shops that reside at individual Amish farms. The Amish carpenters display the craftsmanship from the days of old, when a piece of handcrafted furniture was like signing your name to a painting. There is a sustainable accomplishment in their work as it is constructed with solid materials and with the strength to endure future generations. Somehow, between the two distinct worlds their becomes a blur when friendships are established.
C.A. Bresin

Shepherds Pie

Ingredients:
2 pounds organic potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons Daisy sour cream or softened cream cheese
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic and a dash of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 -2 pounds ground beef or ground lamb
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas, a couple of handfuls or a bag of organic frozen vegetables
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons grass fed organic butter
2 tablespoons Daisey organic all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and beat with electric mixer until potatoes are almost smooth.
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper to taste. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings. Add chopped carrots, onions to the meat or frozen vegetables. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes on moderate heat setting, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat melt butter. Whisk butter and flour into the broth. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.
Preheat broiler to high. Fill a rectangular Pyrex casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly.
Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

C.A. Bresin (Welcome to My World) www.risenshinefarm.com