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T O P I C    R E V I E W
Sydney2015 Posted - Jan 29 2016 : 3:29:32 PM
I was looking at some of my other old posts(I was bored) and saw that I had started a topic called My Farm, with information about my farm in it. I never actually said very much, so I decided to tell you more about Green Forest Farm.

We have a greenhouse business called Greenwald's Greenhouse. My family is German, in German, Greenwald means Green Forest, so that is how we came up with a name for our farm. We have a woods, a slough, and our fields/gardens. We grow just about everything we can, even watermelon. We store potatoes and onions for winter, so we hardly ever have to buy any. We have beef cows, for beef. Every year, we also raise meat chickens that go in our freezer. We have egg layers, and sell the eggs that we don't eat at our other store, Mama's Mercantile. We make jam, jelly, and sauerkraut. I hope to add dairy products to that list next year. We have horses and one donkey, her name is Bugzy. I have a cow(as you all know) named AppleButter. Here's a secret, her nickname is Butter Butt.

More about me, I am in 4-H, it is my life. I show horses, dairy, poultry, and dogs. I love to sew and quilt. I also love spending time with animals. My other favorite thing is Laura Ingalls Wilder. I don't know if I could count he number of books I have about her or written by her. I do dog bowl, it's sort of like a dog quiz show, through 4-H. I am also homeschooled.

I have pictures coming!! Any questions?
24   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
CloversMum Posted - Feb 05 2016 : 10:31:37 AM
Yes, Andrea, you are correct. It is harder to raise a pig in a 4-h group where the leaders don't support organic and non-GMO as well as the traditional methods. But most definitely, the demand is growing and we don't have a problem selling any of our meat ... we aren't certified organic but did get high quality feed from a local farmer who is changing to organic ... just hasn't met all the certified requirements.
Andrea0509 Posted - Feb 04 2016 : 4:48:23 PM
Sydney, nice job on your accomplishments in dogs!! And I don't think it's bragging at all, it's fun to hear about your experiences! I definitely had my fair share of losses too. I agree, friendships gained and having fun is what it's all about :)

Charlene, one year I had a pig that was a few pounds under the minimum and I found a private buyer while at fair. Worked out fine in the end, just couldn't sell it at the auction. That would be great to see the program promoting more natural methods of feeding and care. I'm not sure how it is now, but when I was last involved 10 years ago, it was pretty much open to the exhibitor's preferences. Although everyone I knew fed commercial feeds and organic and non-gmo wasn't very widespread yet, at least at our fair. I'm thinking now it'd be something that would go higher at the auction and be in demand, especially if he emphasizes that in his buyer letters prior to fair. :)
Sydney2015 Posted - Feb 04 2016 : 2:12:34 PM
How funny, Andrea! Agility is my favorite, too! I'm just starting on weave poles this year, I don't know how it's going to go. My dog Allie could win if she's in a good mood(she had her knees replaced before she was three). I show agility, obedience(my least favorite), rally, and showmanship. I also do jumpers. I am starting a second dog this year. Allie is really good at showmanship. My first year at the State Show, we got Grand Champion, last year we got Reserve!(We've also lost a lot, I don't want to seem like I'm bragging)

I show horses in everything. Last year I started a training horse, we'll see how it goes this year for real classes.

Charlene, I tell Owen to go for it! I know AppleButter will never win any classes(she is too small), but I love to do it so I can make friends and have fun! That is the best part!(I have to say, I've never shown pigs, so I don't know if they all go auction or not.)
NellieBelle Posted - Feb 04 2016 : 10:45:05 AM
Interesting Charlene. Perhaps that is something these programs for youth could try harder to be current or progressive as to what's good for the animal, what's good for the environment. 4-H and FFA programs, are they teaching GMO free and Organic farming? Is raising the fattest hog what's important or the healthiest animal? Food for the family tableā€¦.http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/31/monsanto-4-h-programs.aspx http://civileats.com/2015/01/08/not-your-grandparents-4-h-how-a-new-generation-is-learning-to-farm/ And, https://www.organicconsumers.org/blog/organic-future-farming
CloversMum Posted - Feb 04 2016 : 10:03:55 AM
Andrea and Sydney, you both have some amazing 4-H experiences! Wow. I did 4-H growing up as well, even trained a guide dog puppy for the blind. But now in our area, it seems as though the 4-H has really diminished. It is sad and my children have not had the opportunity with 4-H as a result. I think that the local 4-H now is more interested only in the farm animals which is nice, but they really push traditional means of feeding. My youngest son was going to raise a pig for the fair; however, we wanted to feed the pig organically. Well, there was no way that the pig was going to gain at the same rate as the others so we dropped out. Owen was relieved anyway ... he wasn't too sure about the auction at the end. But I love how 4-H teaches public speaking, demonstrations, and such. What a wonderful program!
Andrea0509 Posted - Feb 04 2016 : 09:31:33 AM
Sounds like you'll have a full list of things to work on for this year's fair!
The veterinary science program was wonderful, I participated in that as well and worked through the books with my club. Learned a lot and loved working side by side with an actual veterinarian...thought that was so cool! You're going to have such a solid foundation for your future studies if veterinary school is the route you go. Awesome!! Aren't dogs fun to compete with? What areas do you show in? My personal favorite was agility. My last year competing my faithful pooch and I won a gold at the state 4H show in off-lead! We'd just started training for weave poles that Spring and the day of the show she totally turned it on, I couldn't believe it! :)
Sydney2015 Posted - Feb 03 2016 : 8:17:29 PM
I can't say enough good things about it either! I do shop, arts and crafts, quilting and sewing, preservatives, and many other things! Every year we make a family calendar, for aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on. We were going to put the fair on it this year, it is such a big deal to my family, but we forgot. I do dog bowl too. I show horses, dogs, dairy(Thanks to Butter Butt), and poultry. My favorite indoor project is Veterinary Science. I even took it to the State fair and got a purple(Yay!!) earlier this 4-H year. I want to be a veterinarian.
Thanks for sharing your 4-H experience!
Andrea0509 Posted - Feb 03 2016 : 6:23:01 PM
Thanks for sharing about your family farm and all of the fun skills you share together. I love that you're a 4-H girl! I was too :) I showed horses, pigs and dogs, in addition to being involved in club leadership in my last few years. I also brought a slew of art work/crafts and baked goods in every year. So much fun. It's an incredible program, I can't say enough good about it! It doesn't seem possible that it's been 10 years since I showed my last year at the fair... And now I'm totally excited for my kiddos to get involved in another year or two!! Love that everyone's sharing nic names...my cow is Miss Persimmon, but I call her Percy, Perciber, and my big moo cow (even though she's a mini) Haha ;)
Sydney2015 Posted - Feb 02 2016 : 11:33:21 AM
That sure would be!
CloversMum Posted - Feb 02 2016 : 10:51:33 AM
We have a couple people in our family as well that do just fine drinking Clovers & Flossie's milk. And quite honestly, after drinking fresh milk, the store-bought milk has absolutely no taste to me! There's no going back for me, that's for sure. So, Sydney, you'll have to try AppleButter's milk next year and you just might get a sweet surprise and be able to drink her milk! Wouldn't that be a treat?
Sydney2015 Posted - Feb 01 2016 : 7:20:41 PM
That is so nice to know! I am really hoping I can drink raw milk. I'm pretty sure I will be able to, but you never know! Thanks!
farmlife Posted - Feb 01 2016 : 3:19:06 PM
I have an Elli Bellie, or Mama Bellie depending on her mood. Sydney, I too am lactose intolerant, but I have no problems with Elli's milk. You will for sure want to give Apple Butter's a try.
Sydney2015 Posted - Jan 30 2016 : 7:51:31 PM
Lucky Duck, Poy Poy(Cheyenne, our dog, don't ask, I don't even know how she got this nickname), Bam Bam(Allie, her full name is Alabama's Pink Girl, so this one sort of makes sense), Sophie Sopherson...
Sydney2015 Posted - Jan 30 2016 : 6:04:03 PM
That is what I am hoping for! Such silly names!
maryjane Posted - Jan 30 2016 : 5:19:17 PM
Maybe once you have your own milk from your own lovely cow, you'll discover that it had more to do with the quality of the milk and not so much your intolerance.

Pooh-key Pooh, Moo-ey Moo, Silly Billie, EB CB, Lazy Daisy ...
Sydney2015 Posted - Jan 30 2016 : 2:46:32 PM
How cute are the nicknames!! We have a horse named Barbie, her nickname is Barbara Jenkins. Janet, you will like this one, we have a horse named Sienna, her nickname is Sienna Felipe. How do we come up with these things!!

Thank you to everyone! I do truly love our little farm! One other thing I forgot to say for those of you who don't know, I'm lactose-intolerant. The only two lactose intolerant people I know(me and one other person) show dairy together! How funny is that?
NellieBelle Posted - Jan 30 2016 : 04:53:24 AM
I think we would all be surprised at some of the names we will call our bovine friends at times. I call Leo, Bozo Butt, he has so many silly antics, such a clown so thus the name. And Joe calls Tuck, Our man Tuck, because he is all business. And I call Sienna, Buffalo Gal, because she's so large. Just comes with being around them and their personalities. Truly endearments. Oh! and Nellie's Bellie.
farmlife Posted - Jan 30 2016 : 04:47:46 AM
I think it is super fun to know where your food comes from and your family definitely does, Sydney. I think Butter Butt is a funny and cute nickname.
NellieBelle Posted - Jan 29 2016 : 8:07:26 PM
Wonderful write up Sydney. Sounds like a farm. A great place to live and grow up. That's the way it was years ago. You grew your produce, raised your meat, dairy, pretty much all you needed to survive on the farmstead. And like you said, hopefully adding dairy soon. Thank you Sydney.
txbikergirl Posted - Jan 29 2016 : 6:54:00 PM
sydney, you and your family are truly blessed to have the farm life you have. i love how much you appreciate the lifestyle at such a young age, my hubby and i (lover boy) just bought our property 3 years ago and are just starting down the path to self sufficiency... and he is over 50 and i am almost there.

you and your family are an inspiration to us sydney!
CloversMum Posted - Jan 29 2016 : 5:31:07 PM
Wow. I am impressed with all that you and your family do! You all must be very hard-working.

I think it is pretty amusing as my hubby has come up with nicknames for our critters too ... just like Nick. Flossie is "Flo" according to my hubby and he named our buck, "Ernie". I won't tell you ALL the nicknames as some aren't as nice! Love "Butter Butt"! :)

And, I'd love some photos ... hint, hint.

maryjane Posted - Jan 29 2016 : 3:45:54 PM
Gotta love what we really call our cows. My husband comes up with some doozies. Butter Butt. Love it!
Sydney2015 Posted - Jan 29 2016 : 3:40:45 PM
Thanks MaryJane!!
maryjane Posted - Jan 29 2016 : 3:40:01 PM
Wonderful presentation Sydney! You answered all my questions except for me needing photos now:) What a cool family, awesome farm and business. Kudos kiddo!!!!