Passionate

This little farm girl has been thinking an awful lot about the desires of her heart as of late. I think that I have "discovered" it. Ironically enough, I've been surrounded by my desire and passion my entire life. It took moving away from it all to finally see how much I want it. I desire the land. Farming. Horses. Tractors. Long days working beside my husband. Young sons and daughters riding in truck beds. I desire it so much, it brings tears to my eyes whenever I dare to imagine it. 

One thing that God is really teaching me right now is that I have to be thankful for the things that I have now. I have to acknowledge him now. Not later. Now. Because why on earth would my Father bless me with more if I'm not grateful for what I have right now? Why would He give me more if I refuse to acknowledge him here and now? If I refuse to do that now, when I have little, since we're just starting out,  when would I acknowledge the greatness of my Father when I do have more? I wouldn't. And I know that. 

I also so whole heartedly believe that when God gives us such a passion, a desire for something, that He will not deny us of that desire. It may take a few steps along the way. It has to be earned. When God places a purpose within you, He will fulfill that purpose through you! So always dare to dream so big! You're on a journey to entering into your desire. 

When The Farmers Go To Town....

Monday was a good day. I got to spend it doing what girls do best: shopping! My sister and I headed down to the local Value Village (yes that's right! Why pay more for something when you can pay less and still get that something??) and we spent a few hours scouring the racks for jeans and dresses. It was a success! It always makes me feel like a super-farmwife when I can get great things at a great deal with my hubby's hard earned money!

Here's a little post to encourage y'all:

This is just the beginning, my friends!

And this one too: 

I hope that you enjoy today to the FULLEST! God bless! 

Water On The Countryside

The summer rain slips in. I can smell it.  How it likes to tease the farmers! It makes them worry about their fields. Ploughing still needs to be done, subsoiling, planting, there's still hay on the ground. The rain would always set in slowly in the valley where I grew up. It rolls in like mist, creeping from the mountains across the farms. I'm convinced that most of the Weather Network's ratings come from local farmers. 

A storm brewing in the Fraser Valley 

It's so ironic that townsfolk consider rainy days to be lazy days. That is far from the truth for  this farmer's daughter, who is now also a farmwife. They turn into busy days. Hurried, rushed, hard working days. It's a challenge to try to get your fields caught up before the rain arrives. But then, when it does arrive, Hallelujah! The farmers can rest for a moment. Then we carry on until summer showers come again. 

The sun shows up again

Rainy days in the valley bring newness. It's incredible to see just how high the corn seedlings shoot up after one good rain and a few days of sun. Summer rain always shows up at just the right time -- when it's most needed. It brings green back to the valley again. Such a wonderful, fresh source of renewal.

Sometimes, if the storm is just right, we get thunder and lightening. A very rare occurrence. Other times we're blessed when we get to see this: 

 

And God's great promise still remains. 

He provides rain for the earth; 
    he sends water on the countryside.

Job 5:10

Some Beautiful Barns

Since you all know that I love big old barns, here are some more pictures of them! It's so incredible to think that these old barns were someone's pride and joy. They were a save haven for grains, hay and beasts. Although they may look a little forlorn, they are still a thing of beauty, and proof that hard work always will pay off. They're still being seen and admired for generations to come.

Click to See More Country Images

Chicken Fried

Since my last post was about chicken farming, I figured I should post a delish chicken dish today. This recipe was originally posted on The Girl Who Ate Everything. It's one of the tastiest things ever! Enjoy!

(PS: This chicken would be excellent grilled, or on kabobs!)

Chicken Gyros: 


Tzatziki sauce: 

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

To assemble: Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

Directions:
Shred the cucumber or chop in food processor. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips. Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Follow The Girl Who Ate Everything

It Takes a Tough Man to Raise a Tender Chicken

These are some very happy broilers. They're laying down,
and roosting a little, which is a telltale sign that they're
super comfortable in their barn! 

I grew up on a chicken farm. We have raised broilers since my existence came to be. I have spent countless hours in the barn as a little girl "helping" my dad. Then, as I got older, I actually did turn into being quite a good farmhand. It's what I grew up knowing, so the aspects of raising up healthy, good chickens seems simple to me. For everyone on the outside looking in, it doesn't seem that simple! Each cycle of birds involves a lot of care, and between each cycle involves a lot of meticulous clean up. Then you set up and do it all over again!

All broilers (the meat producing chickens) are given free access
to feed and water. They get to roam around their spacious barns all
day, doing as they please, eating when they want and enjoying cool,
fresh water whenever they desire. 

Sometimes, it was tough or scary. During the harsh winters, its hard to keep the barn warm and keep the little chickens up to temperature. During the heat of the summer, it's hard to keep the large birds towards the end of the cycle cool and drinking. There have been close calls where we have almost lost flocks of birds. That would be devastating to our livelihood. I remember summer days spent walking through the barns every 20 minutes to a half an hour to keep the birds up, drinking and alive. I also remember cold, cold, cold winter days of pushing snow away from the barn to keep it from puddling too close to it as it thawed out. (By the way, snow days create a lot of work for farmers! A simple 15 minute job during good weather can turn into an hour or two long job in the snow!)

A water line. Chickens love to peck at things, especially shiny things.
So when they see the shine of the droplets of water on the end of a water
nipple, they can't resist it one bit! That's how they get their water. 

Here are some facts about chicken farming in Canada:

• For starters, Canada benefits greatly from the economic activity generated by its chicken farms
• Ontario is the largest producer and processor of chicken in the country. One third of all Canadian chickens are grown there. 
• Chicken farmers have an awesome, well thought out biosecurity program in place that makes our chicken products safe, nutritious and competitively priced.
• In 2009, the average chicken farm produced 364,819 million kilograms of chicken meat. That's a lot to feed this nation! 
• In 2009, retail purchases accounted for around 659 million kilograms of chicken. This represents over half (63%) of Canada's total chicken consumption. 22.6% was consumed via fast food restaurants, 9.4% in full service restaurants, and 5.1% was consumed while in hotels or institutions
• In 2009, Canada exported over 5.7 million chicks worth over $13 million to 26 countries, with the United States being the primary market! Everybody loves a Canadian Chicken! 

Those are some pretty awesome facts for us Canadians! (And we should be proud of it!) Another thing that most Canadians unfortunately aren't aware of (but should be about the chicken they consume) is that: 


If the chicken is grown in Canada, and the label on the packaging states that it is Canadian chicken, it's 100% hormone and antibiotic free! 

That's right, all Canadian chicken is 100% all natural, so you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for  "organic" chicken at your favourite grocery place! Thank you to Canada's awesome chicken farmers for keeping our chickens healthy and natural for us!


Click Here For More Chicken Facts

Planted

Two bags of corn seed, patiently waiting to go into the planter

What you see depends on how you view the world.

To most people, dirt is just dirt. 

To a farmer, it's potential. 

Doe Zatamata 

 I love this quote and this picture! Both are great reminders for so many aspects of live. Sometimes, we are the ones who must wait to be planted. More often than not, we're only able to see the "dirt" of a situation and not its truest potential. 

And then when we discover that we have been planted in a certain spot for a reason, we get to follow the next step:

There's a reason for the spot that you're in today. Sometimes it's a good spot, other times it seems like a hopeless spot, but don't give up! What you've sprouted will turn into seeds you can sow again. Sow them in the right spot, and you'll never ever stop reaping the benefits! 

As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest, 
cold and heat,
summer and winter, 
day and night
will never cease.

Genesis 8:22

Welcome To The Farm

If I could find a plain burlap sack and get this printed on it, I would! Do you know what I just learned? That between the BC Cattlemen's Association (BCCA) and the government, they have decided on a "B.C. Beef Day." The third annual "Beef Day" was held on May 16, 2012 in Victoria. What an awesome day. This day was created in June 2010. An even better part about this day was that the beef was prepared by "House of Q," which if you've never heard of them is a locally based BBQ team out of Langley. Many of their products are available at Lepp Farm Market. Through their "Behind the Beef" program, ranchers are able to employ beef educators. Stores such as Save-On-Foods, Cooper's Foods, Safeway, and some IGA Marketplace locations are involved in bringing you the best, most up to date information about their beef products. Ranching in BC has quite the history, and it is an art. The amount of care and time put into all of their cows is incredible.

• BC ranchers occupy more than 2,023,400 hectares (which is about 5 million acres) of private land and have close to 21.5 million acres of  Crown land for grazing their herds on. 
• About 8,700 British Columbians are employed in the beef sector 
• Not to mention, BC producers are the primary leaders in areas such as animal health, food safety, traceability, and land stewardship! Way to go BC!! 

Check Out the Beef Here
Behind the Beef

This Is Country Music

Here's some country mid-week inspiration for everyone. Enjoy!









Summer nights,
everybody are you with me,
Let that Igloo cooler mark your piece of paradise......

Make hay while the sun shines, 

And dance all night in the moonlight....

Two bare feet on the dashboard,

Young love and an old Ford..........

Summer's just around the bend, 

Turn up the music loud, 

Take the t-tops out,

And let the chrome shine, 

Cruizin' 'long the riverside.....

 Cottonwood blowin' like snow in July....

I can take you for a ride on my big green tractor,

We can go slow, or make it go faster,

Down to the woods,

Or out to the pasture, 

As long as I'm with you it really don't matter,

Climb up in my lap,

And drive if you want to,

Girl you know you got me to hold onto,

We can go to town, but baby if you'd rather, 

I'll take you for a ride on my big green tractor....

We laid a lot of memories down,

Like tattoos on this town...... 

I'm gonna live where the green grass grows, 

Watch my corn pop up in rows, 

Every night be tucked in close to you,

Raise our kids where the good Lord's blessed,

Point our rockin' chairs towards the west,

Plant our dreams where the peaceful river flows,

Where the green grass grows......

 

The sign said forty miles to Canada,

And my truck tore across Montana,

Ian Tyson sang a lonesome lullaby,

And so I cranked up the radio, 

'Cause there's just a little more to go,

Before I cross the border at that Sweet Grass sign,

I'm Alberta bound,

The piece of heaven that I've found, 

Rocky Mountains and black fertile ground,

Everything I need beneath that big, blue sky.......

Farming Statistics

Here's the dirt on farming in Canada:

• According to Agriculture Canada, the agri-business sector is one of Canada's top five industries, accounting for  8.5% of its Gross Domestic Product.
• Canada is a major producer and exporter of agricultural products, including wheat, coarse grains, and oilseeds.
• The average annual production of all types of wheat in Canada from 1997-2001 was around 24.5 million tonnes. 
• According to Statistics Canada, for the first time, operators in the age group of 55 and older made up the largest share of total farm operators. They made up 48.3% of the group, compared to 40.7% in 2006. 
• Farmer operators under 35 decreased from 9.1% to 8.2% in 2011. 
• The number of certified organic farms is on the rise in Canada. They have risen 4.4% since 2006
• Total land on farms dropped down 4.1% since 2006, but the average size of a Canadian farm increased from 728 acres to 778 acres, which is a growth of 6.9% 

Go To Stat's Canada

Go To USDA

Go To "The Daily" by Stat's Canada

The Farmer......

The Farmer

The king may rule o’er land and sea,

The lord may live right royally, 

The soldier ride in pomp and pride,

The sailor roam o’er the ocean wide

But this or that, What’er befall,

The farmer, he must feed them all. 

The writer thinks, the poet sings,

The craftsman follows wondrous things,

The doctor heals, the lawyer pleads, 

The Miner follows precious leads,

But this or that what’er befall, 

The farmer, he must feed them all. 

The merchant, he may buy or sell,

The teacher do his duty well,

The men may toil through busy days,

Or men may stroll through pleasant ways, 

From king to beggar, what’er befall,

The farmer, he must feed them all. 

The farmer’s trade is one of worth, 

His pasture with the sky and earth,

His pasture with the sun and rain,

And no man loses for his gain,

And men may rise and men may fall, 

But the farmer, he must feed them all.

God bless the man who sows the wheat,

Who finds us milk, and fruit and meat, 

May his purse be heavy, his heart be light,

His cattle and corn and all go right, 

God bless the seed his and let fall

For the farmer, he must feed us all...

Unknown

The Sun Can't Shine Every Day

 Today is a rainy day. It's also my glorious day off. I used to love rainy days down at the farm. The horses would be all cozy in their stalls, contentedly munching on their hay, the tin roof on the garage would echo each raindrop, the house would be warm, and coffee would always be on. The house would be loud, since all of the kids are cooped up inside. Soup would be the typical hot lunch for a rainy day. You would hurry to get all of your outside chores done. Typically, I would steal a barn jacket from my dad, put on my Muckboots and do my chores. This is what my rainy day looks like now that I live in town: 

The kittens love the sound of the rain

Rainy days in town consist of being inside, watching tv, tidying up the house, and maybe running some errands, and settling in with a good book. It's also a day to find some primitive inspiration:

A lovely barred rock hen

Old barns are the best inspiration

Chillin' on a dirt road 

Someday, I will own a piece of property with an old barn on it

Gorgeous old farm house. This place must have housed
many a farm worker, and has such an amazing story hidden
in its walls.

I also discovered this awesome, and incredibly talented lady through her Facebook page. Her name is Erin Ehnle. I love all of her work. Check it out here: 

http://www.erinehnle.com/proofing/photos.php?pageid=39&gid=38#false

Down to My Last Dollar

After a very long day of being up early, having a tutoring session for math, running some errands, doing some more math, stopping by the farm, and going to work, I still had to fuel up my car. It is 9:00 at night and I don't feel like it. My week has been busy. My husband has been working hard. The absolute last thing that I want to do on my way home from work is to stop at the Esso gas station that's on the corner of my block (that's so weird for a country girl to even fathom!) stand outside and fuel up my car. But I have to. I have to work all weekend (try Tuesday through Sunday shifts...they're fun!) I wouldn't normally say yes to covering extra shifts this weekend, but one of my co-workers really needs the time off more than I do.

So I debate: to fuel up, or not to fuel up. Before I know it, I'm in the Esso parking lot, pulling out my debit card, and purchasing $40 worth of fuel. Nothing more, nothing less. But somehow, I ended up with more. Five cents more to be exact. And I was fascinated by what I discovered on my receipt:




FORGIVEN: $0.05
INTERAC: $40.00



Forgiven. The word forgiven. Nowhere on the receipt did it say the words like, still owing, pending, added to, obligated to pay, or outstanding. Simply forgiven. A sweet moment of grace. Knowing that I was forgiven of this simple five cents humbled me right there on the spot. If anyone could have seen into my heart this week, they wouldn't have wanted to forgive me for some of the things that I've harboured up inside. Things like distrust, moments of uncertainty and doubt. Jealousy may have snuck its way in for a time or two. All things that make it seem like I owe more. I need to do more. I need to become better. I owe people my time. People owe me their time. But I am forgiven. I was bought at a price (for definitely more than five cents!) and I am free. All because of someone's solitary choice to cover it for me.

Absolved. Clear. Bearing no malice. Not owing a single thing. Free, whole, loved, redeemed.








Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Luke 7:48

Where The Green Grass Grows

Now, someone please tell me: how can you not fall in love with days like this?