Tag Archives: hobby farming

Lessons from farming, revisited

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Jane Fritz

I’m going in for shoulder replacement surgery on my right shoulder tomorrow morning, which means my right hand and arm will be out of commission for a few weeks. When I lamented that I wouldn’t be able to blog for … Continue reading →

Posted in Farming, Life stories | Tagged cows, highland cattle, hobby farming, horses, lifelong learning | 60 Comments

Lessons learned from farming in winter: snow fences work, eventually

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Jane Fritz

After a pleasantly mild fall and then a lovely warm week on a beach over Christmas, reality has set in. There is no longer any doubt about what season this is; the instant piles of snow and very cold temps and wind (-20C/-4F) … Continue reading →

Posted in Farming, Life stories | Tagged farming, hobby farming, learning, maps, photography, snow, snow fences, winter | 11 Comments

The fable of the porcupine and the cows

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Jane Fritz

Communication is important; nobody disputes that. Miscommunication can be as a result of differences in use of language, imprecise use of language, contextual or cultural misunderstandings, interpretation based on false information, hearing impairments, or simply not listening. Interpretation based on … Continue reading →

Posted in Fables, Farming | Tagged animal communication, children, communication, cows, Creativity, drawing, fables, farming, gender, hobby farming, inspiration, interpretation, language, listening, miscommunication, philosophy of language, porcupines, understanding | 6 Comments

Lessons from raising pigs

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Jane Fritz

During our time in the country, once we expanded our farm inventory to include animals, our menagerie – and annual home-grown supply of food – wouldn’t have been complete without a few pigs. The spring during which our farm population … Continue reading →

Posted in Farming, Life stories | Tagged children, farming, hobby farming, pigs, pork | 5 Comments

The fable of the fox and the ducks

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Jane Fritz

One year during our time on our farm, one of our neighbours acquired 4 white ducks. Whether for pets or meat I’m not sure. They were kept in an enclosure behind the neighbour’s house, at the end of his driveway. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fables, Farming | Tagged Creativity, drawing, ducks, fables, farming, fox, hobby farming, inspiration, Writing for children | 9 Comments

Lessons from raising horses

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Jane Fritz

The title of this piece is somewhat inaccurate. I don’t think we could say that we actually raised our horses. We had a horse and she produced a baby horse. The mama definitely raised her colt; we just watched and … Continue reading →

Posted in Farming, Life stories | Tagged children, farming, hobby farming, horses | 5 Comments

Where did the family farms go? Does it matter?

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Jane Fritz

When we were farming, over 30 years ago now, we were just hobby farmers. We had day jobs; our farming exploits provided us with new adventures, new learning experiences, unbelievable food, and beautiful animals in our pastures and barns. Of … Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship & Business, Farming, Just wondering | Tagged entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, factory farming, factory farms, family farms, farming, hobby farming, organic food, winter | 9 Comments

Lessons from raising cows

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Jane Fritz

I have always loved cows. I grew up far from any cows, but whenever my family had occasion to drive in rural areas – usually when visiting our grandparents and cousins in upstate New York – I loved seeing them … Continue reading →