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Gardens et al.

In an effort to recreate the life of the early French inhabitants (Creole) of Wisconsin, and paralleling my family’s gardening interests, I have focused some time and attention to the agricultural practices and crops of the French-Canadians and Indians of the Western Great Lakes.
Note: For updates on the gardens and our animals (especially in the summer months), check out the updates that I put on my blog.

 

Our chicken endeavors started in mid-July, 2008.  I butchered most that Fall but kept eight for laying (7 hens and a rooster).  By December we were getting 6 eggs a day.  This started our laying flock that we currently keep (and that has grown).  We additionally raise birds every summer specifically for meat.  An ongoing goal I am working on is to establish a laying flock that is somewhat indicative of a small flock that you would have seen in Wisconsin ca. 1800.

Below are a variety of images from past years’ gardens, the chickens, and our wonderful dog, Jolie. We can’t forget the family’s favorite mutt.  She is a husky cross that we rescued as a pup.  Speaking of phenotype, she looks much like the Indian and French-Canadian dogs in the paintings of Krieghoff (details of which are shown right and left).  She has been trained to pull toboggan and cart.  As of the summer of 2016, Jolie is no longer with us.  After quickly declining in health and becoming a very much in pain, we had to finally put her down. RIP, sweet girl!  In 2015 we added another mutt dog, Julius and after Jolie’s passing, another, Rakki.  I have no plans on training them to cart or toboggan, but do know they are good fits for our household.