Farm Life

As you can imagine, there is a lot going on at our little farm so this category covers a lot of that life, as best as we can. Fixing things, improving things, feeding things, and so much more. Essentially a peek into some of the adventuring we are up to.

Farm Life

Latest Posts

Farm Life, LJF Livestock Program

Our Pork – Not the “Other White Meat”

Supermarket pork often lacks flavor, with a spongy texture that leaves little to savor. That’s why most conversations about pork revolve around cured bacon or smoked barbecue roasts, rather than...Read More
Farm Life, LJF Livestock Program

Ordering Half a Pork Share – An Example

Ordering a half hog share is the best value we offer, providing a substantial discount compared to buying the same cuts at retail prices. By working directly with the butcher,...Read More
Farm Life

Pork Fat versus Olive Oil in Italy – A Brief History

We Smith's have used olive oil for years. It was on the weekly Costco list for the longest time. We felt confident that the Italian OO that they sold was...Read More
Farm Life, Farmhouse Recipes

Homestead Living Magazine – The “Other Cuts” Article

This was originally written for Homestead Living Magazine in the August 2024 issue and in that issue was titled “Butcher's Cuts - Transforming Tough and Uncommon Cuts of Meat into Mouth-Watering...Read More
Farm Life, Farmhouse Recipes

Eggs – 3 Ways

I have updated this post to reflect the fact we now grow our own eggs and use them every day but decided to keep some of the raw elements of...Read More
Farm Life

The Barn Quilt

One of the recent projects we put together was working through a barn quilt maker in the Midwest to turn our little farm logo into a barn quilt. When I...Read More
Farm Life, Farmhouse Recipes, Pantry

Rendering Lard

There are a lot of things we have learned in our short time owning a little farm. Some are dramatic (cows trying to leap fences) while some are so subtle...Read More
Farm Life, LJF Livestock Program

Cuts of Pork

At Lake Joy Farmstead we take great care of our pigs. Our “pastured pork” is free to graze all day, every day, and we supplement their grazing with 100% organic,...Read More
Farm Life, LJF Livestock Program

Cuts of Beef

At Lake Joy Farmstead we take great care of our cows. Our cows are 100% grass-fed and grass finished and have access to pasture their entire life. We use the...Read More
Farm Life

Homestead Living Magazine – DIY Smokehouse Article

This was originally written for Homestead Living Magazine in the May 2024 issue and in that issue was titled "Up in Smoke - the Art and Science of Smoking Meat."...Read More
Farm Life

What is a CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a model of food production and distribution that connects consumers directly with local farmers. The CSA model is based on the principle of community members...Read More