Happy Herd

Ever since having children I have struggled with weight gain, lack of energy, and quality sleep among many other things. I kept thinking to myself that these things must just be normal as a busy mom, as I am sure you can relate . I never thought of myself as a stressed or anxious person but any that I did have, felt amplified after having kids. I would see posts and videos of other moms and feel bad for having these feelings. My children, of course, are such a blessing but I could not help but feel overwhelmed.  My husband, Brandon, has always supported me but did not always know how since we weren’t sure why I felt the way I did. He did research on the Carnivore Diet and started on a journey with me toward a higher protein diet. He had a lot of success… lost weight, his mind felt sharper and overall felt healthier. While I started on the same journey, I struggled with my motivation. It was hard to eat a meat heavy diet, and I lost the desire when my results did not come as fast or...

Tis the season for coughs, colds, flu and pneumonia!!! But seriously, everyone around us seems to be getting sick and unfortunately our house was not spared… ☹ This year, like many others, the sickness seems to be lingering with symptoms of coughs and drainage lasting weeks at a time. We got tired of going through the motions, hoping that the sickness would just miraculously disappear. While there is an abundance of over-the-counter medications available, we are trying to focus on more natural remedies this year. Here are just a few that we have found to be helpful in our home so far this year: 1.       Garlic – a.       What does it do? Not only does it help to balance blood sugar, blood pressure and gut health; it also has immune boosting, anti-inflammatory & antimicrobial benefits to aide with sinus congestion, sore throat and runny nose. b.      How is it used? Fresh garlic cloves can be crushed and ...

So it has been 5 months since Brandon and I started the Carnivore diet. First things first, Brandon loved it and continues it on a modified basis still today. Not that he needed to lose weight, but he lost 30lbs in the 5 months and feels the best he has in years. He will now eat garden fresh vegetables and will use some select sauces as long as they are sugar free and have clean ingredients.  I, on the other hand, struggled from the beginning ... Eating a meat heavy diet was not easy or fun for me and I did not last past the initial 30 days. I topped out at about a 13lb weight loss and felt great , but mentally I just could not stay motivated. My immediate thoughts were that I failed.  Thankfully life and God doesn't work that way and I have felt grace throughout this journey. While I do not follow the Carnivore diet 100% of the time, I have made some changes that have been more sustainable for me and are helping me be more mindful of what I am eating. Am I getting a true clea...

Have you ever felt like you are in a season of life tossing you around on a constant wash cycle?!? That is where we are now... recent deaths in our close friend group and community, medical needs within our family, financial strains, an off-the-farm job to name a few. All the while, we are trying to raise healthy and kind humans ... I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way sometimes, but man can life be hard. When we are in this season it is hard not to feel like you have to choose between peace or progress . Before we started raising our own livestock Brandon and I had a fairly simple life. We both worked off the farm and he helped his dad in his off time with their organic row crop enterprise. Our lives changed drastically though when I got pregnant with our first child. I started having blood pressure issues that lead to medication, constantly changing dosing and increased swelling ultimately leading to a medical emergency with a helicopter ride to save our baby's and ...

Have you ever wondered where your food comes from? Well it's your lucky day, Brandon took the time to write up a little history on our family farm and how it has flourished in to what it is today. Our farm was started in 1898 as a traditional homestead with livestock, hay, oats, wheat, corn and of course a large garden. The farm kept up with farming practices and used the most up to date equipment and ideas to be profitable. Our farm started going a different direction than mainstream farming in 1987, when soil health practices started becoming apparent.  In 2000, we transitioned to organic to be more profitable and because we didn't like the chemicals and all the possible unknown dangers associated with them. We then listened to God in 2020 and started converting our farm to a ranch to use less fuels and allow nature to become the main factor in our operation. We try to operate our ranch with nature, not against it, and provide the best possible food to our family and you. Som...

I have had trouble trying to figure out what to write as we lost a dear friend this week but know that even in our sorrow, God has shined through. He has provided people in our path over the years to confirm the choices we have made and helped to shape the life that we live now. Although our neighbors may see what we do and think we are crazy at times, they support our passion to bring our soil back to life while working to achieve a better balance with our young family. This particular friend of ours lived a life on fire for God! He was never afraid to share his faith and had a huge heart open to welcome anyone in... even me, a silly city girl who had no idea what she was getting into when marrying a farmer 7 years ago. He showed us what it meant to work hard for what you have but also understood the importance of placing your family first. He loved to fellowship with others, share a meal (or a sugary snack!) and never met a stranger. These qualities, thankfully, have been passed down...

From the perspective of a city girl, I had no idea what farming entailed let alone regenerative farming. It has taken me the better part of seven years to truly understand the transformation our farm has gone through over the last 100+ years. My father-in-law's (Paul's) ancestors worked with nature because they did not have another option. They had chickens, cows and horses... some raised for food and dairy products and others used to help work the land. It was only fairly recently that large equipment and chemicals were brought in to help work the land and develop consistent crops.  Paul had the foresight to see what chemicals were doing to our land and made the decision to begin the process of turning our farm land into certified organic land 24 years ago. While that has shown a significant difference in the health of our soil and the crops we produced, there was still a desire on our hearts for further change. We then felt led 2 years ago to put our faith into action and do ...

Brandon and I started the carnivore diet two weeks ago... Honestly, it has been hard for me. Brandon has will power like I have never seen and I obviously do not possess that same quality. I do have to admit though that I like the way I feel, I am beginning to notice some extra room in my shirts and even have seen my weight trending down about 7lbs so far. So while, I cannot say that I am enjoying eating this much meat, I am seeing results.  What method are we following? We are eating our certified organic grass-fed, grass-finished beef, pasture raised chicken eggs and the occasional chicken or pork. We also are eating raw milk and cheese to help balance out the meat and make our meals a little more exciting. 😏 The first 30 days are considered a cleanse and if you continue through 60 days it is a whole body reset. We may end up continuing through 60 days but maybe add in a few fruits and vegetables along the way to see how our bodies respond. Many people with chronic illnesses use...

Do you or other family members have issues with chronic illness or autoimmune diseases? We do... which is, in part, what lead us to change our focus on the farm and in life. I won't lie, it is a work in progress .  I have my own health struggles with my thyroid and blood pressure. I have been in a season of adding and subtracting from my diet, trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. Changing from eating store bought bread, to homemade bread, then again to homemade sourdough bread. It can be time consuming and seem very overwhelming to constantly be changing what you are eating and never sure how your body is going to feel.  Although bread was a huge part of my change thus far and is an easy target when modifying diet... The meat we eat plays a big role in the nutrient content of our diet and how I feel each day. We knew organic was better, not having chemicals or pesticides used on our pasture. We also knew grass-fed & grass-finished provides higher nutrient cont...

Do most days seem like a blur, not really knowing if you accomplished anything on your to do list? I can definitely relate... working part time outside of the home, part time on our family business and being a full time mom, wife, cook, cleaner... the list could go on and on. I can only imagine how crazy I would feel if I worked full time outside of the home on top of all the other roles!  I have been feeling guilty of desiring time to myself and thinking a lot about "self-care" this week. Don't get me wrong, I feel SO blessed to be a wife and mom to some of the greatest humans I know. However, we ALL need time to fill our own cups so that we can be our best selves for our families. Jesus speaks to this in the story of Him feeding the 5,000. "Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not have a chance to eat, He said to them, "Come by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a soli...

My mother-in-law has the BEST chicken noodle soup recipe I have ever had in my life! It is something that every kid and grandkid asks for when we are over at their house and it never disappoints. However, when we started raising our own chickens, she had to do a bit of testing, especially since we raise a different breed than she is familiar cooking with.  After some trial and error she has found that our instant pot makes the juiciest, tender meat to pair wonderfully with her soup recipe. Whether you are looking for a soup recipe for a chilly night in or need to feed a crowd on a budget, this recipe is for you! Be prepared though, you will have people asking you to make it every time they come to visit!  If you enjoy this recipe, I would encourage to sign up for our email list. We send out a new recipe every month and they are always taste tested and approved by us! SIGN ME UP   Place 1 Organic, pasture-raised Triple Silo Meats chicken into your instant pot along with...

Have you ever wondered what the day to day looks like on a livestock farm or ranch? Well I did! I grew up moving to mainly bigger cities, living on military bases and longing for a quieter life . I never knew that God would answer that desire with where we are now but man am I glad He did! I married into a farming family that operated a certified organic row crop farm in Southwest Minnesota, which I knew NOTHING about haha. Needless to say, it was trial by fire when we moved back to the farm the weekend after we got married. There were many late nights and early mornings together in the tractor with Brandon attempting to explain the intricacies of farm life... Much of which went over my head at the time. He tried to be patient and luckily we also had his parents to help ease me in to the farm life.  Fast forward a few years and I have found my passion for the farm . From researching the best forage mixes for our livestock to being out in our pasture, watching our cattle graze. It ...