Hello and Happy Labor Day
Today I  want to discuss how important community is as we have been so amazed by the neighbors within a few miles of our home.  Everyone helps everyone and it has been such a blessing in so many ways.  The weird thing is that we only moved  5 miles, but we have been surrounded with the most helpful people we call friends as they have helped us navigate so many things with adding 23 pigs and helping us get ready for our 4 dexters coming in about a month to helping us casterate piglets for the first time.  We have had a huge learning curve on our farm as we have had chickens and goats for a long time, but this will be the first time with pigs and cows.  So far it has been a fun experience with the pigs and we are really looking forward to the cows!!!!!  
 
There are so many things to learn and it has been so fascinating what we are learning along the way!  For us, we have worked on pens and fencing probably the last four weeks because as we needed more pens, we needed to make more space as the piglets get weened, another one will be having piglets anytime, so we had to move the boar out of that pen and then the boar cant be alone, so we put our American Guinea/Idaho Pasture Pigs in with him as they have most of our garden for next year rooted up.  It is a great time for the pigs to be in the woods right now because there are so many acorns falling from the oak trees and they are in heaven with all the vegetation.  It has been a process, but we are sure enjoying it!
 
With our cows coming next month, we had hay to cut and a neighbor borrowed us their machinery and we were able to buy a semi load of round bales from them as well as we will need a bunch for the winter because we never know how long that will be here!  
 
When we got our pigs, another neighbor had borrowed us their trailer to haul them and that was so helpful as well.  We have such incredible neighbors and we are able to pay back with heavy equipment work and my husband will be able to fix their equipment in the winter.
All this to say, reach out to those around you because it is so important to build community where you are at.  We are all in this together.  Reach out to others and see what you can help with and learn as much as you can from those that have gone before you.  
 
It is so nice that we can learn from you tube, but there is so much more power in surrounding yourself with those right in your own community.
 
I’m so excited to share that I will be having our first Monthly Women’s Homesteading gathering next month, so if you are in central Minnesota, we would love to have you join us.  DM me for the details or send me an email at monica@claimingsimplicity.com
https://fb.me/e/1dkvlPWsw
Have an awesome week friend!  Talk to ya next week!
Monica