by Jennifer Sartell I’ve been brooding chicks on and off for the past 19 years. And it is a wonderful experience! One that I look forward to every year. I’ve been known to sit cross legged for hours watching our sweet little birds gently poke around, nod off to sleep in a hilarious instant and […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm We spend a lot of time at the feed store. Goat feed, chicken feed, wormers, buckets, pails, tractor parts, bedding, fencing, vitamins…yeah the folks over at the feed store see a lot of us. As many of you know it’s chick season and in my many “ins and […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm “Variety is the spice of life.” This old saying also applies to the farmyard scene. I love the mix of animal species that graze, peck and pluck around our property. We have Angora goats that give us beautiful fiber, and Nubian and Alpine goats that give us milk […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm I can’t imagine my life without chickens. I’ve had them since I was 14 and raising them has become part of my identity. Friends and relatives are always giving me little trinkets and chicken paraphernalia, or forwarding bits of chicken information or interesting articles. It makes me happy […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm A lot of us raise chickens for the fun of collecting our own backyard eggs. I never grow tired of reaching in the nest boxes and filling my little chicken wire basket with delicious, sometimes still warm, home grown eggs. But there are times when this isn’t possible. […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm I’ve made stew quite a bit over the years. My husband Zach is a meat and potato kinda guy. And I have to agree, there’s nothing more delicious on a Sunday evening than a crockpot full of simmering meat and hearty vegetables. When made in the crockpot, stew […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm The eating season is upon us. Gravy season. That wonderful time of year when a bit of thickened broth, some drippings and the right amount of seasoning can bring you home. Warning: The following story might be difficult to read for some who are true gravy connoisseurs. It […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm There’s this new word floating around (or at least it’s new to me), and that would be “Hipster”. I keep seeing it. I was reading a recipe blog the other day and in one of the comments, the commentator was calling the chef a “Hipster” for pronouncing a […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm The Michigan Renaissance Festival ended a couple weeks ago. Sadly, we haven’ been in a few years but the memory of fall weekends walking through the festival are clear in my mind. The festival is somewhat overwhelming…but in a good way. You walk through the gates and are […]

Story and photos by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm I am very pleased with the collection of roosters we have at the farm. They’re pleasant birds that get along nicely with one another. They’re gentle with our hens and I don’t have to worry about visitors approaching our roos. This hasn’t always been the […]