I had the pleasure of meeting Robert when he spoke at an event near Cincinnati 4 years ago. The effort that you have both made with physical work and good nutrition is so evident in the pictures. Thanks for all the work that you both put into writing this Substack.
Nature is amazing. I live 450 miles north of Toronto Canada. The carrots I haven't eaten in the fall stay in the ground through winter and are pulled up and eaten early the next summer. After having been covered with up to 6 feet of snow for almost 6 months with temperatures regularly 40 below zero, they are delicious and much sweeter for having been in the ground through the winter. I'm also amazed that I can eat wonderful lettuce even after the frost and snow of early winter. I just brush the snow off and it's in perfect condition.
I have learned so much from your site and it is so refreshing. Although I am envious of how you live you have accomplished to continue to live the way most of us were brought up. Kudos to you and Jill. My husband and I moved from the country where we had 25 acres to the suburbs to be near our daughter and grandchildren it has been a wonderful esperience but we have always missed the country.
Love this post. Brought back some memories as long ago, newly married in our first home, we accidentally grew pumpkins when we threw leftovers from pumpkin cuttings in a compost pile we had just started. At first, we didn’t know what was growing!
My son, who is “on the spectrum” still lives with us and is making sourdough bread about twice a week. We gave him a designated area in our kitchen for his bread making equipment and purchased a Brod & Taylor machine that keeps his sourdough at about 45 degrees Fahrenheit and also warms it up to around 75 when he is ready to make his bread. He doesn’t use the method with all the wasted flour. He created his own method with minimal flour and leaves only about a tablespoon behind in the machine for a few days before the next feeding for a new loaf. His bread is wonderful.
I only think the farm should have camels because I love the pictures and stories. I know you have the love and you'll surely have the particulars of being camel-parents down in no time! If I were closer, I'd volunteer to give the farm animals affection (be it a hug, a scratch, an apple, or space to be happy). If you're ever in Tampa again, feel free to bring your new camel by (or any of the animals) if they want to be showered with affection by me and my kids (while my husband tilts his head to the side and wonders if I love the animals more than the family)!!
Side note - your dedication to your audience and to human & animal-kind in general are inspiring. A sincere thank you from my family to yours. Your influence has been invaluable to our health and wellbeing.
I wonder if you have made sour dough bread with a locally grown and milled flour. Commercially available, organic white flour has no flavor compared to wheat grown by regional small farmers. Once you try it, there is no going back.
I have been baking sourdough for over 30 years. I do not refresh my sourdough starter every 24 hours. I keep it refrigerated for up to two weeks, then refresh. I also have dried starter in the event I loose refrigeration for an extended period.
Also, there are a number of recipes that make use of "discard" sourdough starter which is touted as "gold" by some recipe writers. They range from Pasta to Brownies, and many things in between...
I said no to the Camel, only because I don't know how well they would over winter in VA. I don't know if Camels are that resilient, but I have not studied the camel either!
Now if I could only get "something" to grow in Nevada I'd be excited! Maybe your book will help? It's on order with Amazon, so sometime soon...
Your pumpkin/squash experience brings to mind the groups that promote starting everything from seed. It may be OK for some plants, but counting on apple seeds is foolish if you take seeds out of an apple you got from the store. Commercial apples grow on one rootstock grafted to a middle stem grafted to the actual top that produces the apples. Essentially, all the apples of one variety grow from one branch that unexpectedly produced a genetic surprise with good taste, etc. Then that branch got cut up and grafted to a bunch of rootstock starts, which, when several years old, produced more of that new variation. None of this process relies on seeds. As proof, we live in a 50-acre area of woods and open fields that have apple trees on the edges of the woods (grown from seeds dropped by birds that ate the apples and left droppings where they perched). Some of those trees produce tolerable apples, while others produce fruit that resembles sawdust in texture and taste!
Thanks for the homesteading read. I always learn something from your posts. The cross pollinating of the pumpkins and squash was very interesting. Loved the camel video. You and Robert always find something to ride. Very cool.
When I share homesteading with others wanting to start, I think the best blessing is to share that one couple truly cannot “do it all”. Find what you are good at and then do it to your utmost. Network with others doing their utmost and learn together about the infinite skills necessary to make the most of the bodies and space we are blessed with and honor the CREATOR who makes it all. Since horses are a passion we both share—how much more will your horse passion skills benefit by adding camels to your schedule? Like homesteaders who try to do it all and burn up and flame out if they actually HAVE to live on their production, keep the flame you know sustains you bright and raise the finest horses that you can. Enjoy learning about new critters, but never let that lessen the goal of equine excellence.
Just an old horse gal who wants to do it all but knows what her true passion is after God and Hubby and the so she cares for now.
I had the pleasure of meeting Robert when he spoke at an event near Cincinnati 4 years ago. The effort that you have both made with physical work and good nutrition is so evident in the pictures. Thanks for all the work that you both put into writing this Substack.
Nature is amazing. I live 450 miles north of Toronto Canada. The carrots I haven't eaten in the fall stay in the ground through winter and are pulled up and eaten early the next summer. After having been covered with up to 6 feet of snow for almost 6 months with temperatures regularly 40 below zero, they are delicious and much sweeter for having been in the ground through the winter. I'm also amazed that I can eat wonderful lettuce even after the frost and snow of early winter. I just brush the snow off and it's in perfect condition.
I have learned so much from your site and it is so refreshing. Although I am envious of how you live you have accomplished to continue to live the way most of us were brought up. Kudos to you and Jill. My husband and I moved from the country where we had 25 acres to the suburbs to be near our daughter and grandchildren it has been a wonderful esperience but we have always missed the country.
I just pre-ordered your book!
One thing certain is that Dr. Robert Malone,
really looks the part of a Arabian seasoned desert camel jockey.....
Love this post. Brought back some memories as long ago, newly married in our first home, we accidentally grew pumpkins when we threw leftovers from pumpkin cuttings in a compost pile we had just started. At first, we didn’t know what was growing!
My son, who is “on the spectrum” still lives with us and is making sourdough bread about twice a week. We gave him a designated area in our kitchen for his bread making equipment and purchased a Brod & Taylor machine that keeps his sourdough at about 45 degrees Fahrenheit and also warms it up to around 75 when he is ready to make his bread. He doesn’t use the method with all the wasted flour. He created his own method with minimal flour and leaves only about a tablespoon behind in the machine for a few days before the next feeding for a new loaf. His bread is wonderful.
I purchased your book, can’t wait to read it.
Wish we were your neighbor. Thanks for the baking tips. Everything looks delicious. Safe journey home, Drs. Malone.
I only think the farm should have camels because I love the pictures and stories. I know you have the love and you'll surely have the particulars of being camel-parents down in no time! If I were closer, I'd volunteer to give the farm animals affection (be it a hug, a scratch, an apple, or space to be happy). If you're ever in Tampa again, feel free to bring your new camel by (or any of the animals) if they want to be showered with affection by me and my kids (while my husband tilts his head to the side and wonders if I love the animals more than the family)!!
Side note - your dedication to your audience and to human & animal-kind in general are inspiring. A sincere thank you from my family to yours. Your influence has been invaluable to our health and wellbeing.
I wonder if you have made sour dough bread with a locally grown and milled flour. Commercially available, organic white flour has no flavor compared to wheat grown by regional small farmers. Once you try it, there is no going back.
I have been baking sourdough for over 30 years. I do not refresh my sourdough starter every 24 hours. I keep it refrigerated for up to two weeks, then refresh. I also have dried starter in the event I loose refrigeration for an extended period.
Also, there are a number of recipes that make use of "discard" sourdough starter which is touted as "gold" by some recipe writers. They range from Pasta to Brownies, and many things in between...
I said no to the Camel, only because I don't know how well they would over winter in VA. I don't know if Camels are that resilient, but I have not studied the camel either!
Now if I could only get "something" to grow in Nevada I'd be excited! Maybe your book will help? It's on order with Amazon, so sometime soon...
Our own personal shooting range on the farm! A+
The right to keep and bear arms lives on in Virginia.
Practice indeed makes perfect.
I am a sucker for fresh baked artisan breads.
I know a heavenly loaf when I sees one.
Your Dutch oven delight pic with the awesome crust award winning!
Good to hear from you and about how things are going.
Have grown fond of yellow squash. No capacity for baking. Interesting though.
Camels. Our zoo had summer participants. Two camels and babies. Camel rides. Thought the poor moms were being put upon.
Did a quick and dirty Brave seach and it looked like there are camels (some smaller sized) for sale.
Suspect the question might relate to the longterm plans for your operation.
Safe travels home!
Looking forward to the Sunday 9am show on experiences and views
Your pumpkin/squash experience brings to mind the groups that promote starting everything from seed. It may be OK for some plants, but counting on apple seeds is foolish if you take seeds out of an apple you got from the store. Commercial apples grow on one rootstock grafted to a middle stem grafted to the actual top that produces the apples. Essentially, all the apples of one variety grow from one branch that unexpectedly produced a genetic surprise with good taste, etc. Then that branch got cut up and grafted to a bunch of rootstock starts, which, when several years old, produced more of that new variation. None of this process relies on seeds. As proof, we live in a 50-acre area of woods and open fields that have apple trees on the edges of the woods (grown from seeds dropped by birds that ate the apples and left droppings where they perched). Some of those trees produce tolerable apples, while others produce fruit that resembles sawdust in texture and taste!
Thanks for the homesteading read. I always learn something from your posts. The cross pollinating of the pumpkins and squash was very interesting. Loved the camel video. You and Robert always find something to ride. Very cool.
When I share homesteading with others wanting to start, I think the best blessing is to share that one couple truly cannot “do it all”. Find what you are good at and then do it to your utmost. Network with others doing their utmost and learn together about the infinite skills necessary to make the most of the bodies and space we are blessed with and honor the CREATOR who makes it all. Since horses are a passion we both share—how much more will your horse passion skills benefit by adding camels to your schedule? Like homesteaders who try to do it all and burn up and flame out if they actually HAVE to live on their production, keep the flame you know sustains you bright and raise the finest horses that you can. Enjoy learning about new critters, but never let that lessen the goal of equine excellence.
Just an old horse gal who wants to do it all but knows what her true passion is after God and Hubby and the so she cares for now.
Love what y’all are doing.