Musings From The Farm Comfortable living in your own skin

Our adventure started with Dean dreaming of having our own family business. The little dilapidated farm we had purchased was my dream. Goats were my idea, after all, they were so practical for their milk, provided endless entertainment and… well, good at getting into trouble.

We drank the milk they provided and what we couldn’t drink we made into yogurt and cheese. Then after helping a friend make soap, I began researching and experimenting with that formulation of goat milk soap. I wanted to make the best soap I could for our family and friends. Dean, on the other hand had always wanted his own business. He put a basket of our soaps out when  we were having a yard sale. I was surprised that my soaps sold out quickly. Now Dean had been thinking for a while he would like to create a business on this new thing called the “World Wide Web”. He had been working in computer technology since he graduated from college and was eager to learn about this new www. So naturally Dean decided we should sell my soaps on it.

I thought he was crazy and I was not interested in making soaps as a business. I was homeschooling our 2 young children along with taking care of the garden, chickens, goats , cats and a dog. Eventually he got me to commit to making two batches of soap a week. At that time my batch size was 9 bars of soap. Dean partnered with a friend from work to create a webpage as an online craft fair. The idea was to make it easy for crafters to sell their creations on an online store (years before Etsy thought of it). It opened for business December 1998 with me providing goat-milk soap, candles and some other crafts I made. By early 1999 the site had several crafters including our 12 year old son who made his popular Rice bags for therapeutic warm moist heat. In a few months there were over 60 crafters selling everything from Art to Wedding photos and everything in between. In February 2000, our soaps had become so popular Dean decided we should concentrate solely on our family business, newly incorporated, “Alabu Inc”.

Back in 1994 when we bought an old run down farm. My daughter had her heart set on getting a horse. But I am too frugal and practical, so she got 2 milk goats and our son got chickens. We learned how to care for and milk goats and make cheese and yogurt. Life was filled with new adventures of taking care of our animals, gardening, preserving our produce, maple sugaring, and sewing. And we did manage to fit in homeschooling. In 1997, my friend and goat mentor needed help using up her excess goat milk by making soap. Her first attempt failed, so she asked for my moral support to try again, she added it would be a good chemistry lesson for our homeschooled kids. Excited to learn and spend time together, we donned goggles and gloves in her kitchen, where she explained that we would use lye and oils to create soap. After weeks of curing, I tried the handmade soap and I was amazed. Unlike drying commercial soaps, this one left my skin soft, without flaking or itching. I became hooked on making my own soap, sharing it with family and friends who loved it.

It’s hard to believe our Miss Number One is turning 15 years old. She is so excited to be a teenager. She has overcome many challenges and has faced them with courage and strength. She has a sweet spirit and a kind heart and we are so proud her.

Tennessee winters are a little unpredictable. It is more moderate than upstate NY, but we still get cold temperatures and usually at least a little bit of snow.

March may start with some warm days and daffodils popping up here and there. Then suddenly it seems like we are back in mid winter. Then you may get a week or two of warm sunny days, but more cold, rainy and maybe even snowy days will follow! For centuries, farmers have observed and journaled signs that helped them decide when to plant their crops and when to wait. Here in East Tennessee, this seasonal predictions are still used today and passed down from generation to generation. These predictable cold snaps, called “little winters” happen around the same time each spring and each were given a name corresponding to what is blooming.

• Redbud Winter – Mid-March to early April, when the redbud trees bloom.
• Locust Winter- Early April when leaves start to appear on locust trees.
• Dogwood Winter – Mid- to late April, when the dogwood trees bloom. Still a chance of heavy frost.
• Blackberry Winter – Early to mid-May, when blackberries are in full bloom. In the Tennessee mountains, this often coincides with the last frost of spring, which can kill new plantings.
• Whippoorwill Winter –Mid- to late May, when the whippoorwills can first be heard.
• Cotton Britches Winter – Late May- early June, when farmers changed to light cotton clothes.

Interesting that down here they say the same thing they did in Upstate NY: “if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.”