Farm
Our farm might be little, but we still have most of the jobs and problems a real farmer does, just on a smaller scale.
Cows
I’d never kept cattle before we moved here.
The stories of our herds; the hard lessons; and the cows that weren’t even ours.
Surprise cows
We weren’t expecting them, but surprise! We have a new herd of cows.
The price of beef
A frank look at what we do with our cows.
Spare cow
In the face of a mystery, we find ourselves examining our morals.
The hypothetical house cow
Dairy prices are rising again, so I’m beginning to wonder if I should bring production in-house…
The fourth herd
After a winter without any cows, our fourth herd has arrived to fresh spring growth.
Paying for my cow's farts
How will the proposed agricultural emissions scheme affect my little farm and tiny cattle herd?
New, new cows
Meet the new herd of cows that arrived at The Outpost this week.
Hello, new cows
The story of how we got our new angus-cross heifers: Taco, Nacho, Burrito, Goulash, Meatball, and Meatloaf.
Saying goodbye
Our cows are ready to sell, and the market is good. But it’s still hard to say goodbye to the livestock we’ve looked after for 12 months.
Poultry
Every idyllic farm has a flock of random poultry to admire. Meet ours: the ducks that came with the property, and the chickens we chose.
We're chicken people
Once again, it’s time to top up the chooks, which means baby chickens!
Changes in the pecking order
There’s been changes to the pecking order of our flock, and it’s come with benefits!
Pam and Tommy
Six weeks ago we welcomed two new occupants in our zoo – Pam and Tommy.
Chickens love coprosma
An accidental observation leads me down a rabbithole.
The pros and cons of owning chickens
If you love eggs, you might be thinking about owning some chickens… but should you?
Max chicken
We’ve had a bit of a poultry shuffle. The ducks have found a better home, and we’ve gone max chicken!
The roosters
A couple of months ago, we welcomed some new chickens, and now the roosters are crowing.
The zoo grows again
One person’s problem became our new friends with the arrival of 7 new chooks.
Our chicken coop
After I decided I was ready for chickens, I had to find them a house. 3 years down the track, I evaluate how I did.
The ducks
A little introduction to our ducks, how we look after them, and what we plan to do with them.
Infrastructure
The dream never included fencing, driveway maintenance, clearing culverts, or mucking out troughs. But the reality sure does.
Outpost Buildings chicken coop review
We’ve had our Outpost Buildings chicken coop for 8 years. How has it held up?
Sweating with Pride: The fences project
We’re out sweating on the paddocks, clearing off the grass and gorse.
A new driveway
Some major work has been occurring in the subdivision that will make visiting us easier and more pleasant.
Some faults on the fenceline
The storms last weekend brought down a couple of nīkau palms near our fence line. How did we sort this one out?
Fencing folly
Simultaneously the most boring, difficult, and utterly necessary bit of owning a farm.
Doin' it with stile
I built something on the farm and now I don’t have to roll in cow poop!
The shed
Probably the most-procrastinated and disliked tasks since we moved here is now done!
Cleaning troughs
With the nicer weather comes some essential lifestyle-block spring cleaning!
Walking to the mailbox
Some observations and musings on a long, mostly-up hill walk.
Go deeper...
More themes from the farming side of life.
NATIVE BUSH
We're blessed with several hectares of regenerating bush to take care of.
It seems every time we enter, we learn something new.
PEST CONTROL
Pests here include possums, pigs, rats, and wasps.
There's also a collection of wild weeds like gorse, Taiwan cherry, privet and more.
ORCHARD
Planted by the property's former-owners and extended by us.
We care for over 20 fruit trees, and plant more each year.