I live in the Pacific Northwest on a derelict century-old dairy farm with my husband, that we’re slowly bringing back into production. I am a software engineer by day, and currently work as a project manager overseeing Lean Six Sigma and CMMI R&D process improvement at Philips Healthcare. I have two Border Collies (once four), which were the original motivation for the farm. They needed livestock on which to practice their skills, which I occasionally enjoyed putting to the ultimate test at local Stockdog Trials. But now that I have a farm, I find there is little time to train for trials and travel, so the dogs just do useful work these days! We also have two livestock guardian dogs; sheep, a llama, and ducks, chickens and turkeys. And more to come, I’m sure!
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June 12, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Now that I know you’re a software engineer, your technical expertise with other things… fencing, tractoring… makes great sense!
Love, Wardeh
March 19, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Your new LGD is doing her job. I had to stop and take a good look at her and she told me that the flock and pasture were hers so to move on. I thought she might be a Great Pyrenees until I came home and read about her. Your blog and your pasture happenings are fascinating. I am glad your dad forwarded the information after Dolly went surfing.
March 20, 2009 at 4:05 am
Hey Joanie, good to hear from you! She does seem to be doing a good job, though she makes me smile-I can see her from the window, that she half play-bows at visitors, she is still SO silly. A dog-savvy person would probably not feel afraid to go in there, but everyone else might! There sure have been a lot of stoppers-by looking at the lambs!
Michelle
March 5, 2011 at 6:05 pm
I just found out about your blog via the Everett Herald. I am envious as I note your postings and see the photo of your farm from a distance. I grew up on a farm in Minnesota, having moved on to other adventures. The farm is now operated by my brother and the focus has changed from extreme mixed farming of the 1950′s through the 1970′s to more specialization of what we called row crops…corn and soybeans.
I have daydreamed for years about having a few acres on which I could have a few head of hereford cattle, perhaps a few pigs, some chickens and a large garden. I continue to dream.
For now, I will live vicariously through you and your husband as you experience the varying times that encompass a farming operation. Keep it up….
Shelby M. Brustuen from Seattle Metro Area
March 5, 2011 at 7:10 pm
Hi Shelby, thanks for the comments! It sure is interesting how AG has changed, and now the pendulum seems to be swinging back the other direction a little bit, with people feeling like smaller, diverse and local farms are something we value and want to pay to keep. But everything in a balance- the big and specialized farms have definitely lowered the price of food, which is good for the welfare of humanity. From what I’ve read, groceries in the ’50s were definitely a much bigger slice of our household incomes than they are today! I think we have to find the middle ground- how to specialize enough to maintain efficiency and low costs, while not sacrificing our values for producing quality food and taking good care of the animals and the earth.
Michelle
December 26, 2011 at 9:07 pm
I am having a hard time trying to find some Katahdins (hair sheep) for sale. I live on the Oregon coast. Any idea where I can find some?
December 27, 2011 at 6:07 am
Joan, it is hard to find them right now, there is very high demand. If you start by looking at the KHSI website breeder listing, that will get you hooked up with local people:
http://www.katahdins.org/
If they don’t have any, ask them who else they know and try to just connect with a lot of people. I always find that good breeders recommend other good breeders. It would be good to try to get on people’s lists now for lambs born next spring, versus waiting until they are on the ground. If people know ahead of time that you are looking, they can plan around that easier and contact you when they have something that meets your needs.
December 29, 2011 at 7:53 am
thanks for the info. I did make contact with two gals that have some katahdins for sale.
January 9, 2012 at 11:05 pm
I can’t even remember how I stumbled upon your blog–probably something to do with Border Collies–but I enjoy it very much. I grew up in the suburbs, but I also grew up hearing my mother’s stories about farm life.
As an adult, I have lived on a farm twice, but only because I rented a room there. I was able to tend to some of the animals in exchange for rent though, so I’ve been bitten by the bug.
Maybe some day. Until then, I’ll live vicariously through your blog
January 10, 2012 at 5:01 am
Thank you terrecar- it’s funny how farming finds you sometimes!
January 11, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Yes Michelle your blog is great. I sure was happy to find it and do read it! Good luck to terrecar on getting going with back to what she really dreams about doing! jel
January 12, 2012 at 5:21 am
Thanks Joan!
August 27, 2012 at 6:34 pm
I would like to inform you that people in the USA who cannot purchase A2 milk can purchase full cream powdered Goats milk from Australia: Caprilac is the name of the company/brand. Google it and it will come up. Also you can purchase A2 full cream sheeps milk from New Zealand at: http://www.blueriverdairy.co.nz Also they can purchase these milks from the UK and Europe, just google and you will find it. They will send product by mail. I find that even with the high cost of postage the total cost works out to 25% to 50% less than they sell it in the health food stores.
Cheers
August 28, 2012 at 3:28 am
Thanks Sofia- I think fresh goat milk is pretty common and accessible in most of the U.S.; though a lot of people don’t prefer the taste. Sheep’s milk is pretty rare here. I’m not real keen on the palatability of powdered milk, I’d much rather have it be fresh. I would sure like to find fresh A2 cow’s milk, but it’s going to be a wait before it’s widely available here, I think- not until the patent runs out. The only other option is to get your own Jersey!
October 13, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Michelle, I found your blog quite by accident this morning, and read with interest your e-article on Old Barn, New Barn. I am Joanna Hoem Flippin direct descendant of Elling Hoem (my Norwegian great-grandfather) and Edward and Myrtle Hoem, my grandparents. Sadly my own father, Edward Alexander Hoem passed in June 2005. My 4 brothers and I spent our childhood on the Farm. When my Aunt Eleanor passed away from liver cancer, the farm, almost it’s entirety was passed on to my eldest (of 14 first) cousins), Judy Asbury Edmonds. I am going to share your blog with my brothers Eric, Elling, Merle, and Edward (Ted). I would like to share email addresses and put you in touch with my eldest brother, Eric in particular.
I am wondering if the “fallen down century old farm” you are living on is, by any chance, the old Hoem Farm?
October 13, 2012 at 4:14 pm
correction: I meant when my Aunt Evelyn passed passed from liver cancer.
October 13, 2012 at 4:25 pm
Joanna, Hi! Haha, what a small world it has become on the Internet. Indeed I do live on the farm, and the old silo is all that’s left of the original buildings. Judy is still our next door neighbor up on the hill, and a wonderful couple now owns the 1905 Craftsman house and they are working hard on restoring it (and just had their first baby, so another generation gets to play in that house!). The plot we’re on that had the barn and silo was sold to Mr. Tester in the ’60s, then to the Mormon Church, then Darlington Farms, and now us.
I do know your brother Eric, I’ve talked to him a lot, and he’s shared some great nuggets of family history with me- photos etc! I think I originally tracked him down via the Historical Society, as he had left a copy of a lot of his research there, along with his contact info. He had dropped by a couple of times when he’s in the area, and brought your mom once. It was so fun to meet her and hear her memories of the place. So, if you are in the area, drop me a line and stop by!
I think about the Hoem family all the time, especially when unearthing old things, like ancient fence posts, bits of glass bottles etc. This place has been farmed for a long time!
October 14, 2012 at 12:57 am
I’d love to stop by some. I live in Salem, and maybe next summer I can get up that way. I miss my father terribly, and yes, we have many, many pictures and farm memories, how proud my dad was of the Farm, and the thousands of memories and photos he shared as we were growing up. I am surprised Eric never mentioned you before, and he and I are very close. I’ll tell him we made contact. It’s been so long since I have been at the old house, we visited once in the late 70′s when one of Judy’s kids was still living in the house. There are a flood of memories, and I have to say when I found your blog this morning, and seeing the picture of the farm, choked me up. I am happy to know that there is new blood being breathed into the Farm. My mom is 92 and probably will not make any more trips north, much to her sadness, but Eric was so wonderful to get Mom up there for years to visit the pioneer graves on Memorial Day and to meet you. I will meet you one day. p.s. We had a border collie growing up named Lassie, so even the coincidence of your having border collies made me smile.
Dad would be so thrilled to tears, just knowing the Farm has good stewards now would ease much of his personal sadness over what transpired at the farm after his parents passed away.
October 14, 2012 at 5:37 am
Joanna, I’ll send you a photo of what it looks like today!
October 18, 2012 at 7:58 pm
Hello- I live in Sultan, WA and would like to know where you found the Cattleman’s Custom mix of minerals. I am currently looking at using boluses for copper, selenium, and cobalt for my Icelandic sheep but would like to still offer them an appropriate loose mineral for the times they feel they need it.
Thanks!
October 19, 2012 at 2:00 am
Hi Lydia- you have to join the Snohomish County Cattlemen’s association. It’s $50/year for an associate membership, but for me it’s worth it, because the minerals are very discounted ($20/50 lb bag). Plus it’s a great group of people, I learn a lot at their meetings. http://www.cattlemenassoc.org/
February 14, 2013 at 7:13 pm
Hi there, I don’t know if you ‘do’ blog awards, but I have nominated you for one (details on my home page if you wish to know more) as I’ve been enjoying your posts. I’m in the middle of collie and crofting country, here in north west Scotland, so it’s interesting to hear what’s the same and what’s different with you!
February 19, 2013 at 3:18 am
Why thank you, braith an’ lithe!
April 1, 2013 at 5:45 pm
I would live to talk to you about the mummified babies. One if our sheep have given birth to mummified babies two years in a row.
April 1, 2013 at 6:13 pm
Kelly, I’ll shoot you an email!
April 11, 2013 at 11:23 pm
Hi there – just to let you know your blog has gone transatlantic! I live in a beautiful historical city in the north of England – York – and I absolutely love reading about your stories on your farm. You’re obviously very knowledgeable and I love reading your stories. I work for the UK equivalent of the National Forest Service, so I spend a good deal of time working with farmers here!
All the best to you and your flock
Kate x
PS – where in the Pacific Northwest are you from? I’m afraid embarrassingly I know it only from the Twilight books…
April 12, 2013 at 12:26 am
Hi Kate, thanks! I live just north of Seattle, so about a four hour drive from Forks, WA!
May 10, 2013 at 5:08 pm
HI Michelle
Great blog, can you do me a favour and contact me via e-mail I have a couple of questions
Thanks!
May 22, 2013 at 1:52 am
We just bought a farm and got two little bottle sheep – i’d love to see a reading list – you seem to have a lot of neat remedies, and i can’t find enough to read on sheep
. Chickens, there’s a ton!
May 22, 2013 at 2:38 am
Stephanie, I think the best book out there is Raising Sheep the Modern Way by Paula Simmons. I have several other books, but none of them have anything that’s missing from Paula’s book! I also like Pat Coleby’s book Natural Sheep Care, though the title doesn’t really reflect what it’s about: the entire book is on mineral supplementation. But it’s a great reference to have on health problems which can be caused or influenced by mineral imbalances.
The Veterinary Handbook for Sheep Farmers is good to have too. Lately I’ve been referencing the online version of Sheep & Goat Medicine by Pugh- I intend to buy it, as it seems like an even better reference. And, lastly, the American Sheep Industry Association has a great reference called the Sheep Production Handbook. The last 3 are expensive books, but I find that since vets know less and less about sheep, and fewer vets are available to do farm calls, we really need to know a lot ourselves and have good reference materials on hand to look things up.
And then, of course, there is always the Internet! Susan Schoenian has written an amazing amount on her Sheep 101 and 201 series websites. Those are always a very reliable reference.
May 22, 2013 at 4:24 am
Thanks so much! I have the first one
, but i will keep my eyes open for the others, and check out the Sheep 101/201 websites- i’ve bookmarked your blog as well – i love your writing style 
May 22, 2013 at 4:31 am
Thanks Stephanie! I love to write!