Recent Posts
- July, 2026
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
- May, 2026
Farmers Quiche from Bearded Butchers
- April, 2026
Nettle Pesto
- March, 2026
Steakhouse Series – Picanha
Steakhouse Series – Bavette
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
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Farm Life, LJF Livestock Program, Pastured Poultry
Pastured Poultry Program 2025 Wrap Up
What a year 2025 was for our little farm and our pastured poultry program. We raised about 150 chickens and about 15 turkeys and by in large we were successful...Read More
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Farm Life, LJF Livestock Program
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
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Farm Life, LJF Livestock Program
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
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Farm Life, Preserving, Smoking Meat
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
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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
