Giveaway and upcoming events

I am so sorry I haven't posted on here lately! We've had a LOT of goats giving birth, and prior to yesterday, our total stood at 23 does and only 2 bucks. Then Charlotte changed all that during my goats "Breeding and Birthing" class yesterday when she gave birth to triplet bucks. If anyone were going to have triplet bucks, it is good that it was Charlotte because she was my best milker last year, producing six pounds a day at her peak (almost three quarts) and producing more than 900 pounds of milk in nine months. So if you need a herd sire with a milky pedigree, these are your boys.

Most of you will probably agree that I can't write about babies without giving you pictures. Unfortunately I haven't taken any pictures yet, but once I do, I will post about the babies. In the meantime, I thought I'd update you on what's coming up on the farm.

But first -- I'm hosting a giveaway of the awesome book Idiot's Guide to Small-Space Gardening by Chris McLaughlin over on my book blog. The deadline is midnight tonight (Sunday), so please scoot on over there and leave a comment for your chance to win. This book is especially great for people living in the city, but I personally have started to employ some of the ideas -- like growing vertically -- because it just makes life easier.

Classes on the farm
Yesterday was our first class of 2012, and we're just getting started! On Saturday, March 3, we have classes coming up in home dairy, soapmaking, and homesteading. And we'll be hosting more goat classes on March 24 -- basic goat care in the morning and the breeding and birth in the afternoon. Two goats are due around that time, but no guarantees either of them will be as thoughtful as Charlotte to give everyone a live demonstration of the process. For more info on these classes, click here. And I'm currently talking to someone about doing a beekeeping class on the farm at the end of April.

Homesteading Conference
I'm excited to tell you that Cathy Lafrenz and I will be doing the Homesteading Conference at Illinois Valley Community College in Ogelsby, IL, on Saturday, March 17. Last year, we had 31 people show up, and we had an awesome time, so we're doing it again! And we are having Richard McGinnis join us to talk about beekeeping. For more information on the homesteading conference, click here. In April, I will also be teaching classes at IVCC in cheesemaking and breadbaking.

And if you'd like to keep track of other events as they are added, you can follow me on the Homegrown and Handmade Facebook page and the Antiquity Oaks Facebook page, as well as the Events page of the Homegrown and Handmade website. In the coming months, I will be heading out to Iowa and Washington State, as well as Pennsylvania again in September.