2021 was one heck of a year and that’s after the chaos that 2020 brought us!
So to sum it up very quickly, we lost everything in 2021. Our home, all but 6 animals, our marriage… everything. So the kids and I moved from Rosedale to Keller and we started over. In the last 6 months, we have built our rabbitry back up from 5 to 11, we have added 3 breeds of ducks, and built our chicken flock up from our lonely rooster to a healthy 7 birds.
Huckleberry Farms was built on the ashes of Houston Homestead. We chose the new name from the Doc Holiday quote “I’m your huckleberry” which means “I’m the man you’re looking for.” We are who you’re looking for when it comes to naturally raised animals and produce and no one is going to win at stopping us.
We have chosen to buck the conventional way of raising animals and are focusing on rotational pasture management and natural gardening techniques that work with nature instead of against it. By reducing the amount of grain that our animals receive, we have managed to create happier, healthier animals that not just provide us with meat and eggs but also do part of our work for us. The rabbits are clearing the fence rows of vegetation, the ducks are getting a handle on the bugs, and the chickens are providing natural fertilizer and will be our garden tillers once we figure out the new garden placement.
The Feral Kids have joined into the family business as well. Even the youngest at 1.5 helps with chores such as watering and feeding, the 4-year-old has discovered a love of gardening (and begs to weed the garden daily, even when there aren’t any!), and the 7 year old has taken an interest in learning to build the enclosures. They all love going out to check for eggs and would likely move into the hen house if I would let them.
2023 will bring many more new additions to the property, including more livestock and a much bigger garden (we all need more than tomatoes to live on!!). I know that I, for one, am super excited about the things to come and I hope that you will join us on our journey!! Happy homesteading!
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our NEW Facebook Page Huckleberry Farms! Get daily posts about the goings on at the farm, funny memes, and information bites that can help you with your homestead journey!
