Striving Acres proudly announces…

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9.24.2015 birth announcement

Striving Acres proudly announces Bindi

born September 22, 2015 at 4:56 p.m., @ 45 lbs

After much back and forth discussion, Ted and I finally settled on the name Bindi as a tribute to the late and great Steve Irwin (1962 – 2006).  He was an animal lover, a wildlife expert, a conservationist, and he was fully passionate about all forms of life.  He named his own daughter Bindi, a word from the southern Australian Aboriginal Pitjandtjara language meaning “awakening”.

We cannot think of a better name for our little Bindi because that is indeed what she is for us: an awakening.  Seeing her birth and seeing how Bessie, and now Beef, react to her, care for her, and love her goes beyond anything we ever imagined.  Our little Bindi’s birth has renewed our commitment to run an ethical and humane farm for all of the animals here.

We will never be wealthy by society’s standards because of the affirmation to live by this commitment, but in the ways that matter, we are rich beyond belief to simply be part of the circle of life and to perhaps inspire others to realize that you, too, can live this wonderful life-altering dream.

Visiting buddy

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Just about every morning, we get a visit from our little buddy who lives down the driveway, across the road, and up the next big hill.  He makes the short trek over just so he can pee on my farm truck tires, sniff noses (and butts) with DG and Puppers, and have a drink from the washtub.  He’s a funny little dog, and he doesn’t chase the cats or the chickens so I don’t worry about it too much (especially since my dogs are all spayed so there’s no chance of puppies!).

He has a little chihuahua friend who hasn’t ever made it further than our cattle pasture fence line one time (and Ted saw him and took him home because he said he was afraid he’d get hit – I think Ted was afraid I’d want to keep the chihuahua!).  I haven’t ever seen the chihuahua (only heard about him from Sahara and Jake).

This little guy has made it about half a mile down the road before; a neighbor posted on her Facebook that she’d found the dog and was trying to find out who he belonged to.  I let Gramma Izzie know, and within a few minutes, the guy across the hill showed up and had this little guy back.

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Evidently though, he’s a wanderer.  He loves to visit everyone.  I’m really tempted to staple a note to his collar to let the owners know that when he disappears every morning, it’s because he’s over here to say hello to the ladies (and my farm truck tires).

Best fertilizer around

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We expanded the pig pasture to include the hens’ pasture last year in September when we brought the pigs home.  It was somewhat grown up and covered in patches of daisy-like wildflowers, and there was some grass, but there were bare patches, too.

By February, the pigs had cleared the entire thing; it looked like a mud pit, and Ted bemoaned the fact that I had “ruined the yard” by allowing pigs in it.  I told him repeatedly that I was assured by other pastured pig farmers that the pasture would spring back to life come summer.

Here’s what it looks like today:


We planted nothing at all in here.  Whatever this is (I’m assuming it’s from the hay and grains we fed the pigs all winter), it is HUGE (as in at least four feet high)!  Oh, and there are volunteer pumpkins in there from where I fed the pigs donated pumpkins daily for about three months; we can see the orange blossoms here and there, low to the ground.

I want to say, “I told you so”, but I won’t…

Who am I kidding? I told you so, Ted! Too bad we can’t feed pigs pennies; I bet that poop could grow money trees if it was possible!

In my living room right now…

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My first official day off was Friday which is always spent just vegging out on the couch, binge watching tv and movies.  That morning, I found this newly hatched little chick in the coop along with two others (who didn’t make it). The other chicks (two weeks old) and the three mama hens were horrible to this one, pecking it and stepping on it and throwing it around so I had to rescue it. Unfortunately, this meant I was the only flock this little one had, and it cried incessantly when I was out of sight so the chick chilled with me all day on the couch.

On Saturday, Ted, Teddy, and I went to Rural King to get it some friends. I’m pretty “country”, but I draw the line at giving a chick free roam of the kitchen and living room (that just cannot be sanitary!).  We came home with six little friends for it, and now it’s happy all the time!  It still loves me and likes watching tv with me though…

…and they can all watch tv through the holes in their laundry basket in the living room!