Sharing our small farm stories and skills along our farming, gardening and homesteading journey. Visit the farm for an informative and sometimes irreverent tour through our garden, livestock pastures, chicken coop and greenhouse as we live - pasture to plate. Farming topics free range around pastured heritage pigs, broiler chickens and pastured eggs, heritage breed turkeys, an heirloom vegetable CSA and garden, high tunnel / hoop house / green houses, organic and traditional gardening, farm infrastructure, tractors, sustainable energy, permaculture, food preservation and even fence mending.

Farming stories and skills from our small farm, gardening and homesteading journey -

pasture to plate.

On this coopcast:

  • Managing a farm while you are on vacation, 
  • Buying produce from the store (gross), 
  • General farm updates, 
  • The adventures of "Nugget". 

And in this episodes Farm U segment:

  • Buying / selling meat chickens, 
  • The importance of good "forms", 
  • Pricing of chickens.
Direct download: CoopCast012.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 3:33pm EDT

On this coopcast:

  • Updates on the coop hatched chicken named "Nugget", 
  • Grade School Science Fair, 
  • Some good listener questions. 

And in this episodes Farm U segment:

  • Small farm tractors, 
  • Brands and dealers that matter, 
  • Types of tractor tires, 
  • Size and selection.
Direct download: CoopCast011.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 5:04pm EDT

On this coopcast:

  • Thanks for all the reviews and feedback - keep it coming - a great community of listeners, 
  • Andy is losing the guinea discussions, 
  • A soil block love affair, 
  • Good eats with pork steak and preserved vegetable stir-fry, 
  • A new firearm comes to live with us, 
  • Hatched in the coop chickens. 

And in this episodes Farm U segment:

  • Final part of our Cornish Cross (Cornish X) chicken discussion, 
  • Putting the birds on pasture (tricks and tips), 
  • Pasture pens, Water, feed and other considerations for the pastured Cornish X birds, 
  • A consumer's perspective on pastured chicken.
Direct download: CoopCast010.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 10:53am EDT

On this coopcast:

  • Kelli managing the farm and Andy's business trip, 
  • Crazy weather (really, it never ends), 
  • General animal updates (pregnant pig and broody hen). 

In our Listener Feedback/Questions discussion:

  • Great feedback and reviews this week, 
  • Questions about feed, 
  • Other discussions. 

And in this episodes Farm U segment:

  • Second part of our Cornish Cross (Cornish X) chicken discussion including; 
    • Where to get the chicks (hatcheries and strains), 
    • Food, feed and feed restrictions for Cornish Cross chickens, 
    • Managing the chicks in the brooder.
Direct download: CoopCast009.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 11:35am EDT

On this coopcast:

  • A Bourbon Red Turkey in the oven, 
  • Soil block germination rates, 
  • Managing mice in the greenhouse, 
  • Broody hen update. 

In our Listener Feedback discussion:

  • A plea for feedback and ratings on iTunes, 
  • Bucket waterer tips for chickens, 
  • Egg prices around the states, 
  • Breeds of chickens in our laying flock. 

And in this episodes Farm U segment:

  • First part of our Cornish Cross (Cornish X) chicken discussion including; 
    • How do they breed a Cornish Cross broiler, 
    • A little history, 
    • Consumer demand for the Cornish Cross carcass.
Direct download: CoopCast008.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 8:33am EDT

On this coopcast:

  • Soil block update, 
  • CSA status, 
  • Upcoming farm stand, 
  • Our plans for a broody hen. 

In our Chicken Talk discussion:

  • How we set up our chicken coop for our climate, 
  • How we pasture (range) our birds. 

And in this episodes Farm U segment:

  • Chicken manure management, 
  • Carbon to Nitrogen in manure management (deep litter), 
  • Coop cleaning.
Direct download: CoopCast007.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 10:27am EDT

On this coopcast:

  • What's with this winter weather, 
  • A Pig-noucement, 
  • Super Bowl (big game) foods, 
  • Seed orders and annoying birds in the coop. 

In the Farmers Choice:

  • More memorable turkey moments. 

And in this episodes Farm U segment:

  • Seed starting suplies, 
  • Lighting considerations for seed starting, 
  • Soil blocking.
Direct download: CoopCast006.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 7:52am EDT

On this coopcast:

  • A thank you to all the listeners and fans around the world (you are the best!),
  • The FIRST geothermal heating bill, 
  • A pig with "the runs", 
  • Seed orders and annoying birds in the coop.

In the Farmers Choice:

  • Stories of our first experience with turkeys. 

And in this episodes Farm U segment:

  • Alternatives to fossil fuels for heat in the country,
  • Wood vs corn vs geothermal,
  • Sustainable energy as an investment.
Direct download: CoopCast005.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 9:09am EDT

On this coopcast:

  • Winter weather has arrived with a big windstorm,
  • Managing a winter hoophouse, 
  • Ordering seeds (where, what and how). 

And in this episodes Farm U segment:

  • Eggsactly what does egg labeling mean; 
  • Brown eggs vs white eggs; 
  • What would you buy or how should you label if you sell eggs.
Direct download: CoopCast004.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 9:34am EDT

On this coopcast:

  • A followup on “Wheezy” the chicken; 
  • An excited boar and lessons learned; 
  • Being prepared on the farm. 

And in this episodes Farm U segment:

  • What products do we keep handy on the farm; 
  • Best ways to be prepared on the farm for the unexpected.
Direct download: CoopCast003.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 2:59pm EDT