Contributor Introduction: Amanda

At the time of this writing, I am a 24 year old young woman living on a farm that has been in my family for at least three generations. The city once called my name but it turns out the farm has a much stronger call, and after living on my own, I have returned to my roots.

There is nothing I love more than the farm in the early morning when the air is still a little bit crisp. Everything is quiet except for the impatient morning sounds of the animals as I make my way to the barn. It is that atmosphere that I missed the most when I lived in the city.

We have, on and off, had our own meat, at the very least, here on the farm. Over the years, we have also had chickens (for meat and egg), cattle for milk purposes, and some semblance of a garden. Though we've deviated from that plan more or less since my high school days, we are beginning to come back around.

This year (2010), we have three calves - two intended for the freezer, and another that we will raise to be the "family cow", breed yearly and milk for personal consumption. We also have a small herd (12 adult does) of goats, as well as a slightly larger flock (22 adult ewes) of sheep. The kids and lambs are used for market or breeding stock. I have plans for chickens when the weather begins to warm a little, and a pig as soon as possible (I love having pigs around!).

The garden is a tricky stick. Our farm is called "Rocky Valley Farms" for a reason - it is both within a valley, and rocky. We have to take our stock elsewhere to bury it if we need to bury it deep, with the exception of a couple of family dogs that are buried about a foot deep with a huge rock monument on top of each grave. The only thing we can grow with any success and consistency is indeed rocks. Either way - we try our best and build on top of the land with composted horse manure. This year, I would like to make a bigger attempt with the garden.

Also residing on the farm are six dogs, a couple of which are our "charity" cases, five horses and a pony, as well as a llama and an alpaca. It is certainly a diverse group full of interesting characters that I am excited to share!