tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.comments2023-09-09T02:51:28.549-07:00Candleford Farm HomesteadMelanie Ann MacKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996032368440216456noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-60305332456950685122016-07-31T13:35:11.235-07:002016-07-31T13:35:11.235-07:00Mel this is the most beautiful veggie garden. It ...Mel this is the most beautiful veggie garden. It really reflects the hard work that you and Frank have put into it.<br />JeanieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-26038402547099891712016-05-08T05:10:17.578-07:002016-05-08T05:10:17.578-07:00My deepest sympathies to you and Frank on the loss...My deepest sympathies to you and Frank on the loss of your beloved Teally.Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13556828521849246893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-41504380360395873252016-05-07T20:55:10.318-07:002016-05-07T20:55:10.318-07:00Very sorry for your loss.Very sorry for your loss.KateB.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14413658719560232853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-36060719697593165102016-05-01T19:36:17.642-07:002016-05-01T19:36:17.642-07:00Sorry to hear that your dog is very sick. Always a...Sorry to hear that your dog is very sick. Always a difficult time. Hopefully he recovers with some extra TLC. We lost our much loved girl to an unknown illness and vets who couldn't figure out what was wrong and just kept throwing antibiotics at us (to no effect). I recently watched/listened to an online seminar from a vet who has years of experience using natural herbal medications and learned some things which I wish I had known because I definitely would have tried them. Dr. Patrick Jones - homegrown herbalist.net. Perhaps there are other online vet herbalist resources out there, but I was impressed with his knowledgable and straightforward advice. Best of luck.KateB.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14413658719560232853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-48668666193429914572016-04-22T17:55:48.267-07:002016-04-22T17:55:48.267-07:00Great post Melanie! Robin and I hope to try our h...Great post Melanie! Robin and I hope to try our hand at sausages as well.Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13556828521849246893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-76269706078758899122016-02-11T14:06:39.014-08:002016-02-11T14:06:39.014-08:00You might find this web sight informative when it ...You might find this web sight informative when it comes to climate change. http://www.agriculturedefensecoalition.org/Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00969721777471358889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-90926729975461803862016-02-11T13:57:52.694-08:002016-02-11T13:57:52.694-08:00sounds all so yummy, can you share your giant Hubb...sounds all so yummy, can you share your giant Hubbard squash soup recipe. thanks. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00969721777471358889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-41121369378946526062015-12-17T19:10:57.440-08:002015-12-17T19:10:57.440-08:00I am so glad to be given a chance to read your won...I am so glad to be given a chance to read your wonderful article. Im looking forward to read more of your works and posts. You did a good job! Try to visit my site too and enjoy.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.n8fan.net" rel="nofollow">n8fan.net</a><br /><br />www.n8fan.net<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00391915680800427200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-3758907505804477072015-11-27T05:25:50.415-08:002015-11-27T05:25:50.415-08:00Great advice! When Ken and I buy bacon we buy it ...Great advice! When Ken and I buy bacon we buy it by the 11kg box! So we definitely have to split it up once we get it home. We usually put 6 to 8 slices together (depending on how wide the slices are). so being prepared and freezing the bacon is definitely the way to go!The Rustic Painterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01180358629894961186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-31634586583087326912015-11-10T05:15:04.273-08:002015-11-10T05:15:04.273-08:00If that is what you think that make your hard job ...If that is what you think that make your hard job easy then go for it. Everyone will always look for the easy way. <a href="http://topbestlogsplitters.com/" rel="nofollow">Best Log Splitter</a>Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12114479635982380752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-75199887049430700022015-10-12T16:05:09.080-07:002015-10-12T16:05:09.080-07:00So sorry to have read about your troubles Melanie....So sorry to have read about your troubles Melanie. Glad that you and Frank are alright, and what great neighbours you have.Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13556828521849246893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-17725135617884170362015-07-04T16:36:07.616-07:002015-07-04T16:36:07.616-07:00It looks delicious Melanie, and you can't beat...It looks delicious Melanie, and you can't beat farm fresh eggs!<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-2541624183238647822015-07-03T16:14:22.903-07:002015-07-03T16:14:22.903-07:00Your garden is wonderful Melanie, all your hard wo...Your garden is wonderful Melanie, all your hard work is really paying off. I can't imagine keeping up such a big garden, but all those fresh veggies, yum!<br /><br />KellyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-88723022152011624902015-06-14T18:31:25.035-07:002015-06-14T18:31:25.035-07:00I look forward to seeing how your tomatoes grow Me...I look forward to seeing how your tomatoes grow Melanie. I completely agree with you on the whole rock thing, as we have dug out a couple of massive boulders (using a back hoe) at our property.<br /><br />KellyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-29274481233986681722015-05-21T07:03:59.379-07:002015-05-21T07:03:59.379-07:00Hi Melanie! Just noticed this and wanted to say Gr...Hi Melanie! Just noticed this and wanted to say Great Blog! and so glad the bread worked out. I continue to tweak my recipe and technique, just as I am sure you will too! I've really enjoyed looking at your photos and reading your posts and feel right at home here. I am sure you understand why! :)Michellehttp://www.cammather.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-53743164730349239802015-04-23T18:00:09.381-07:002015-04-23T18:00:09.381-07:00I have raised beds with wooden sides and wood chip...I have raised beds with wooden sides and wood chip mulch on top of weed fabric between the beds. Weeds grow in the gardens and on top of the mulch. I find it easier weeding in the other part of my garden where I garden Eliot Coleman style where I have 30" "beds" that look raised by digging the dirt from the 12" paths onto the beds that you never walk on. I use a collinear hoe (Lee Valley) on the weeds when small in the beds. Elliot recommends it for stand up weeding, it is expensive but I have found it works great. For the paths I you one similar to the Hula-ho. Check you tube for videos. I am just trying the broad fork he recommends this year. <br />I considered getting rid of the raised beds but they are workable earlier in the spring. Hope this helps.Lisanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-81842151574896621162015-04-22T17:24:40.263-07:002015-04-22T17:24:40.263-07:00I'm not sure what kind of weeds (hhmm, perenni...I'm not sure what kind of weeds (hhmm, perennials!) you may have in your area, but I would caution you to be aware that many types of weeds will still grow up into the raised beds. But it will be a dream to work with - not so much bending over! :)The Rustic Painterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01180358629894961186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-48806364122531833782015-03-29T15:41:09.194-07:002015-03-29T15:41:09.194-07:00Nice butcher block counters!!! :)Nice butcher block counters!!! :)The Rustic Painterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01180358629894961186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-20225314776930374702015-03-20T15:45:56.279-07:002015-03-20T15:45:56.279-07:00Excellent advise! (and whose really going to miss ...Excellent advise! (and whose really going to miss that 20 dollars a week?) I'm sure many of us can visualize that easily as 3 or 4 fancy coffees! There's a really good book out there that I purchased almost 20 years ago - its called 'How to Live Without a Salary'. I purchased it when my husband took a buy-out and our income was changing drastically! It is a very good book and we've lived with a budget ever since (although we're not as stringent with it all the time), but I get myself back in check every once in a while to make sure that we're not blowing money where we shouldn't be!The Rustic Painterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01180358629894961186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-29088555272954049422015-03-10T16:14:35.173-07:002015-03-10T16:14:35.173-07:00And today they're talking about selling off pa...And today they're talking about selling off parts of Hydro One...... Do you remember when I said I wanted to go off-grid? And then built a new house and didn't.... :( Well the tons of insullation we put in certainly have helped and we paid dearly for that. So in comparisons to your very think straw walls..... gee, which was a better investment? Straw of course!! :) I have a wall of south facing windows and my thermometer today (now actually at 7pm) is at 76degrees. I step outside a few times just to cool off! That sun is everyone's friend and we should take advantage of it when we can! Thanks Mel for these great posts - I enjoy reading them very much and look forward to receiving them.The Rustic Painterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01180358629894961186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-67095324323748286582015-03-04T19:22:16.080-08:002015-03-04T19:22:16.080-08:00Good advice! Almost the same advice that I would ...Good advice! Almost the same advice that I would give as a realtor! (maybe you should think about getting your license!) :)The Rustic Painterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01180358629894961186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-55771838463985817292015-03-03T16:19:37.276-08:002015-03-03T16:19:37.276-08:00I aspire to be like both of you!!! It was a pleasu...I aspire to be like both of you!!! It was a pleasure working with you over the period it took to find you that 'perfect piece of heaven' to start your farm! I have relayed your story to many other potential homesteaders, but you are the only ones that have actually done it! I really wanted to do it, but unfortunately it just didn't happen. But we did build a new home the year after you did (2013) and we have excellent southern exposure. Our propane boiler furnace doesn't turn on very often and as soon as the heat of the sun goes away we put the woodstove on. Our electric bills were about $95/mth but since 2015 has been a very cold winter we're up to about $135/mth (we also got the dishwasher installed, so that may be part of the additional electricity charges, but man is it nice to not wash dishes for 2 hours anymore!!).<br /><br />Mel and Frank I look forward to getting back to see your now-completed off-grid home. If I ever come across anyone else looking to homestead I'm definitely going to send them the link to this blog. I read it everyday - thank you for the posts and keep up the good work!<br /><br />Take care both of you and hope to see you in Burnstown this Spring!<br /><br />Pat Forrest<br />Broker of Record at Prime Valley Realty AND<br />owner of<br />Rustic Remnants Artisan and Consignment Shop (see our ads in the Humm!) :)The Rustic Painterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01180358629894961186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-66754501643893246952015-02-22T04:31:01.265-08:002015-02-22T04:31:01.265-08:00Hi Melanie - I've been enjoying your posts - g...Hi Melanie - I've been enjoying your posts - great idea! but I'm wondering if you also have a Facebook page? I have a nice following and I wanted to share your posts on Facebook. You can continue to write your blog on the program that you have it in but you can also create a link that can be posted and shared on Facebook. I see that you are attached to Google+ - I'm afraid I really don't know much about that, so maybe I'm just missing something :) Great articles - keep them coming! Pat Forrest, Renfrew, OntarioThe Rustic Painterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01180358629894961186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37154582755373937.post-34921016290065911672015-01-20T13:33:23.853-08:002015-01-20T13:33:23.853-08:00Thank you for sharing your journey with us. We mis...Thank you for sharing your journey with us. We miss you both, but isn't just fantastic to live out your dreams in real life. Now that is living! We don't miss the big town of Newmarket either. I can't wait to see more posts and pictures! We will get out for a visit once the nicer weather arrives. Keep Well Dan & VickyUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00537788944070652015noreply@blogger.com