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Nature's Image Farm

Zanesville, Ohio

naturesimagefarm@gmail.com

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It’s gettin’ hot in here! Garden season is in

It’s gettin’ hot in here! Garden season is in full swing here in Ohio!! Have you started your garden? Whatcha most excited to plant this year? #homegrown #growyourownfood #contraryfarmstead #greenhouse

These boys are turning into hard working men right

These boys are turning into hard working men right before our eyes. Today we’re splitting wood and getting the workshop ready for all the spring shenanigans!! So thankful for the opportunity to train these fellas up. #homeschool #trainthemup #keepitcontrary #workshopcleanup #contraryfarmstead

When your hillbilly internets just ain’t got the

When your hillbilly internets just ain’t got the gumption to upload your latest YouTube video you head in town for a “Hot Date” ;) #contraryfarmstead #hotdate #youtubechannel #naturesimagefarm

Today’s job site...our new dining room! With al

Today’s job site...our new dining room!
With all the kids, critters and constant abuse of a farm floor, it’s real hard to beat the durability, ease of install and price of a vinyl plank floor. Looks like we’ll be eating our New Years Dinner in the new dining room!! #shawfloors #contraryfarmstead #diyordie

NEW EPISODE!! 10. Pulling Irons From The Fire... A

NEW EPISODE!!
10. Pulling Irons From The Fire...
Available on all podcast players.

Sometimes you gotta pull irons from the fire to focus on the flame. To focus on burning desires...like to be critterless for a winter:) Or to make good on promises you've made to your kids and to keep that good, good cornbread lovin comin hot out the oven! For real though, how many irons can a blacksmith tend well?

Suzy made a killer cast iron wood stove dinner!! H

Suzy made a killer cast iron wood stove dinner!! Ham, green beans and potatoes from the garden...perfect cornbread topped with our honey and a mighty fine cup of coffee. We’ve been hard at it working on the addition and dinner was such a nice reward. #heavenisaplaceonearth #contraryfarmstead #homegrowndinner #diyordie

The morning chorus from the tree tops... The gentl

The morning chorus from the tree tops...
The gentle pitter patter of a slow soaking rain on The leaves of a freshly planted tree...
The rich, vibrant fall colors...
Makes for a truly special Autumn Grand Finale...#naturesimagefarm #contraryfarmstead #mountainbanana #pawpaw #natureart

Make Asimina Great Again... #MAGAtriloba #contrary

Make Asimina Great Again...
#MAGAtriloba #contraryfarmstead #familyorchard #trees #pawpaw #plantemifyougotem

Can you guess what we’re up to? I’ll give you

Can you guess what we’re up to? I’ll give you a hint...The best time to do this was 20 years ago, the second best time is now...#contraryfarmstead #restorationagriculture #farmsteadedition

FORCE MULTIPLIER Its amazing how much a game chang

FORCE MULTIPLIER Its amazing how much a game changer a piece of equipment can be. The new RK37 is proving to be one of the smartest investments on the farmstead. I’ve saved an incredible amount of time and back labor today using the grapple to pull logs out and hold up in the air when cutting rounds. No more cutting half a round and using a log jack to roll the log over. I could go on and on but one things clear...this RK37 is an incredible force multiplier. #contraryfarmstead #forcemultiplier #ruralking #rk37 #homesteader #firewood #husqvarna

Freshly Spun Honey + Kerry Gold Butter=Spellbound

Freshly Spun Honey + Kerry Gold Butter=Spellbound Sunday#contraryfarmstead #bulletcoffee #dontknockittilyoutryit

The leaves are falling all around...it’s time I

The leaves are falling all around...it’s time I was on my way... The bees are busy bringing in nectar from the beautiful goldenrod crop. After years of hiding the Sun Chokes have awoken and are stunning. Everything smells of fall and of change...#contraryfarmstead #fallequinox #mostwonderfultimeoftheyear

The help these days... So very thankful for our fa

The help these days...
So very thankful for our family work force. When it’s time to GSD, everyone jumps in to help see the work thru. Suzy has been busy mowing on her new tractor and the kids have been shelling LOTS of beans. Jake is a rafter walkin fool and has been an amazing help getting the last of the roof framed in. This addition has been a labor of love. It hasn’t been easy but it’s been one of the most rewarding things we’ve ever done. #familyGSD #contraryfarmstead #childlaborlawsneednotapply

Happy Dog Day!! Meet Petunia!! I love my farm dog.

Happy Dog Day!! Meet Petunia!! I love my farm dog. She’s the best. I’m actually going to start breeding her to provide the highest quality livestock guardian dogs ever. #livestockguardiandogs #farmdog #dogday

NEW PODCAST EPISODE!! 8. Making REAL Change w/Mark

NEW PODCAST EPISODE!!
8. Making REAL Change w/Mark Shepard. Available on all your favorite podcast players.

Enjoying a beautiful evening on the porch putting

Enjoying a beautiful evening on the porch putting together my presentation for the upcoming Restoration Agriculture Workshop with Mark Shepard!! It’s a little surreal sitting hear seeing the bees fly by, hear the goats bell dinging as she grazes, hearing the locusts sizzle away in the trees over looking the garden and hearing Jake in the workshop earning money building bee frames.
Just a few short years ago we were at a place in our life looking to start over, from scratch...Yearning for a life immersed in Nature’s Image...
Can’t wait to share our journey, how we’ve made it work physically and financially and hope we can be a lighthouse just as so many have been to us.
There’s just a couple days left to sign up for the workshop, hope to see you there!
https://radworkshopnewparisohio.weebly.com/

Making locally adapted queens is one way we work t

Making locally adapted queens is one way we work toward having a sustainable beeyard. Today we caught a new queen emerging from her cell. It’s always so fascinating to see the initial interaction between a new queen and her new workers. #naturesimagefarm #sustainablebeekeeping #makeyourownqueens #bees #beekeeping #savethebees

BITTERSWEET THANKFULNESS Well...today we hauled i

BITTERSWEET THANKFULNESS
Well...today we hauled in 163 and 165 to the butcher. It’s definitely bittersweet. It’s becoming more and more difficult to make the time to move our tiny herd of tiny cows and we decided to send 2 of the 4 off to get processed.

I wanted to be the last one the cows would see. I wanted to be the one meticulously and reverently butchering these cows. I wanted this, I wanted that...But life is full of compromise and making tough calls. There’s just not enough time to do all the things this homestead life has to offer and it’s tricky getting good with that.
It was a little tough hearing the young heifers calling for their mommas, and hearing the pigs get excited over the excitement.
We started feeding treats out of the trailer the past week to ensure a peaceful and stress free load out. Loading and drop off was wonderfully uneventful and in a couple weeks we’ll have freezers full of wonderfully rich, heritage beef.
These cows lived a life foraging orchard pasture and resting in the cool shade of the forest.
These cows brought so much joy and happiness and will continue to do so in their calves, the fertility they’ve brought to the land and to the sustenance they’ll provide our family as we tend to the land. So we won’t say goodbye, their essence will always be here. Instead we’ll just say...THANKYOU
#irishdexters #contraryfarmstead #naturesimagefarm

To learn more about integrating cows, pigs and chickens into perennial agricultural systems, join us at the upcoming Restoration Agriculture Workshop with Mark Shepard in New Paris, OH 8/2-8/4
Restoration Agriculture Development
https://radworkshopnewparisohio.weebly.com/

Thank you everyone for all the birthday love!! The

Thank you everyone for all the birthday love!! The rain broke and we spent the day cow rigging and catching queens.
Suz surprised me with some good eats that may or may not of been super Keto friendly:) Or were they?
We had a great day and I got to double dip on the Birthday/Fathers Day combo:) Thanks everyone for the calls, txts, and FB messages. Y’all are the best and one things for sure, birthdays are better with all y’all being a part of it. Much love “The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.”

NEW PODCAST EPISODE!!! BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Episode

NEW PODCAST EPISODE!!!
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Episode 7. Wouldn’t, Couldn’t & Can’t:
Life Lessons Learned from The Fat Bee Man
Tune in for the BIG announcement and for life lessons learned working in the beeyard of The Fat Bee Man. There’s been two enormous lighthouses on our path, Mark Shepard and Don Kuchenmeister. Join us as we open up about exactly how impactful they’ve been to us in the beeyard and on the farmstead.

Can you help us #bethelighthouse by sharing this episode?!

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