When Steve, Leila, and I moved to Patina Meadow, we knew we wanted to further the mission we established at Patina Farm: to create a farm that was not only beautiful but sustainable. Our animals are a vital component of that mission as they help to maintain the land, control pests, and improve soil health.
As you know, we already have quite an expansive animal family, consisting of cows, donkeys, goats, sheep, pigs, cats, dogs, and chickens, who made the move with us across the country from California. From producing delicious eggs for our breakfast to keeping our soil healthy, all of our animal family members serve a vital purpose in the health of us and our land.
If you would like to see more images like this, check out our book, Patina Living. (Image Credit: Victoria Pearson)
Since the landscape of our new 100-acre property is quite different from our previous home, we quickly discovered there were new roles that needed to be filled. And so, our animal family grew by quite a few! We're excited to introduce you to our newest additions: two babydoll sheep, six piglets, two Anatolian Shepherds, and our flock of guinea fowl!
We have added two precious chocolate colored babydoll sheep, Mo and Flannel, to our existing flock of babydolls, Cash, Paisley, and Linen.
These little lambs have captured our hearts with their friendly personalities, soft wooly coats, and adorable bleats. Despite their small size, they are excellent grazers, and we love watching them keep our grass perfectly trimmed.
We also have six new Heritage Hog piglets. We haven't settled on names for these guys just yet, we are waiting to learn a bit more about their personalities before we choose ones for them. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them in the comments!
Once they grow up, they will have free range of the back part of our property to clear out the forest floor, which is a natural and sustainable way to help manage the forest.
We are thrilled to have Nyla and Blue, our two faithful Anatolian Shepherds, join us as guard dogs.
Their fierce loyalty and protective nature have made them invaluable members of our family, and we are grateful for their steadfast presence as they keep watch over our livestock.
They spend the nights patrolling the land, keeping predators away, and then they snooze all day!
Last but not least, we have our delightful Guinea Fowl. These quirky birds may seem out of place to some, but we see them as vital members of our farm.
We love their distinctive calls that fill the air and their tireless work as pest controllers. We're amazed at how effectively they eat insects and other pests, like ticks, that can harm us, our crops, and our other animals.
They also provide endless entertainment!
We feel incredibly blessed to have such wonderful animals on our farm, and we are excited to see them continue to thrive and grow. They bring so much joy and love to our lives, and we cannot imagine our farm without them. Thank you for letting us share our animal family with you, and we look forward to updating you on their adventures in the future.
xx,
Brooke
