Homesteading with Heritage Breeds

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Milk from the cows provides a bounty of dairy products.
Milk from the cows provides a bounty of dairy products.
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The windmill pumps water for livestock, but may pump water for a gravity-fed system in the house some day.
The windmill pumps water for livestock, but may pump water for a gravity-fed system in the house some day.
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The Shaws raise heirloom vegetables in their garden.
The Shaws raise heirloom vegetables in their garden.
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Heritage breeds of livestock, like this pair of Dorking chickens, make a great addition to a back yard or a place in the country.
Heritage breeds of livestock, like this pair of Dorking chickens, make a great addition to a back yard or a place in the country.
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Righteous, the rooster, rules only half the roost. Another rooster, Carlos, rules the other half.
Righteous, the rooster, rules only half the roost. Another rooster, Carlos, rules the other half.
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The Dorking cockerels on “pasture” in the chicken tractor.
The Dorking cockerels on “pasture” in the chicken tractor.
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Guinea hogs are an endangered breed.
Guinea hogs are an endangered breed.
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The Dutch belted cattle are a dual-purpose breed; they efficiently produce both milk and meat for the homestead.
The Dutch belted cattle are a dual-purpose breed; they efficiently produce both milk and meat for the homestead.
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In addition to preserving the genetic diversity of these wonderful heritage breeds, the Shaws are enjoying the rich bounty of nutritious and flavorful food they produce.
In addition to preserving the genetic diversity of these wonderful heritage breeds, the Shaws are enjoying the rich bounty of nutritious and flavorful food they produce.

Rare breeds of farm animals have come into our lives in the same serendipitous manner as our farm itself. We’ve discovered perfect heritage breeds for homesteaders — Dorking chickens, Dutch belted cows and Guinea hogs.

My husband, Tom, had been a building contractor who insisted on recycling materials and using superinsulation. I was a family practitioner who emphasized preventive medicine and universal health care. He was discouraged by people’s indifference to conserving energy and materials. I found it difficult to give good care in a system that was becoming more focused on profit than health. Then we bought a 13-acre farm near Washington Courthouse, Ohio. That was almost 11 years ago.

We continued to work at our “real” jobs for the next decade, but the farm offered us a place to be completely true to our values. We poured energy, money and time into restoring our farm’s seven buildings. We nurtured the large vegetable garden and orchard. It wasn’t long before we realized the joy of sharing our experiences with others — and our own enthusiasm grew.

City children came on farm tours and had their first experience of potatoes coming out of the ground and green beans on bushes. We began beekeeping; bees confirm our belief that nature and chemicals are not compatible. Last year we put up a windmill to grace the pasture and to reassure us that we can have water without electricity.

We bought the field adjacent to our meadow with money from selling an old house Tom rebuilt. We turned those 40 acres, which were mono-cropped with heavy machinery and chemicals, into grassland and wetland. In addition to giving refuge to many animals, these acres now help purify water that overflows into the meadow.

  • Published on Feb 1, 2008
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