Sunset Creek Farm LLC

Today I'm talking with Katie at Sunset Creek Farm LLC.

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00:00
You're listening to A Tiny Homestead, the podcast comprised entirely of conversations with homesteaders, cottage food producers, and crafters.  I'm your host, Mary Lewis. A Tiny Homestead is sponsored by the Homegrown Collective, the best option for organizing a responsible and regional food system for America.  You can find them at homegrowncollective.org. Today I'm talking with Katie at Sunset Creek Farm LLC. Good,  well, I guess it's evening, Katie. How are you? I'm good. How are you?

00:27
I am good. I usually record in the morning  and so I'm always saying good morning  and when I do them in the evening, I'm like, ah, it's not morning anymore.  Yes, it is a dreary afternoon here for sure. Yeah. And you're in Georgia, right? Yes, in Trine, Georgia. Yeah. It's not dreary here cause it's not raining, but it's been gray  all day. Yes. And I'm in Minnesota if you didn't know. So. Yes.  Okay.  So tell me all about yourself.

00:57
and Sunset Creek Farm.  Okay,  so  like I said, we're located in Trine, Georgia.  We have been here about six years. So my family actually owns part of the land and then we took a little bit of it and then we had actually built a barn so that way we could get married in it. So it all started from there.

01:22
And so then  last year, and we've always had, I rodeoed my whole life. And so I had, I've had horses and cows my whole life. But then whenever me and Caleb  got married, then of course we had planned to build here and everything.  And then last year we ended up getting Kiko goats. So that was really kind of how we got started.

01:47
in having our own little farm.  It had always been a dream of ours to have our own farm.  And  luckily we had the acreage.  And so then from there,  of course, the goat supply just kept coming. So we ended up, we have about 13 nanny goats.  And so,  and we've got a couple of billies that we're keeping separate. That way we can keep the.

02:16
the lines going and then  in December, I decided that I needed a milk cow.  So I  do a lot of research before I do anything. Me and my husband are both that way. And so I got to look in and you know, we didn't need a full size cow because we didn't need that much milk just for our family.

02:40
And so I ended up doing a lot of research and discovered that the mini jersey was probably our best option. So we get anywhere from one to two gallons of milk a day,  just depending on how much I'm milker. So  I do have a full-time job. So this is our hobby on the side. And so  luckily we do have a bottle cap.

03:06
that he helps me milk her during the week and then I milk on the weekends so that way we have enough milk to get us through the week and I like to you know make the different cheeses and I've made feta and mozzarella. I haven't tried hard cheeses yet.  I'm a little intimidated but I'm trying to build myself up to there but then we like to do butter and yogurt and you know different things that I can make with the milk.

03:34
And so,  so that's one thing that, you know, the mini Jersey, we have loved having her. And so in the, the buttermilk or the, excuse me, the milk is very rich and has a lot of butterfat. And so that lets us that I don't have to have as much milk  or cream as I need to make the butter. So that makes it, it makes it easier for me to be able to produce butter when I want to.

04:04
That's really enjoyed it. Yes, yes. you know, really, it's been nice to be able... So the main reason that we started... So I had breast cancer in 2023. So that made me start looking at what chemicals that are in our food, what chemicals are in the shampoo, the conditioner.

04:30
the body washes, the even, you know, the different laundry detergents that you have, all the chemicals that are unnecessary to have and to put on your body. And so that was whenever we really started looking at what is the best way to be able to grow our own food  and to be able, you know, to have our own milk and, and take those chemicals that we can. Of course there's chemicals around us all the time, but to

05:00
but to take what I could out of our lives for what I could.  Yeah, because your skin is your biggest organ. Not everyone knows that, but your skin is exposed to everything.  whatever you can  do to cut back on what you're putting on your skin that's going to get absorbed that's bad for you is a grand and glorious thing.  Yes. And that was one thing that got me started in the soap.

05:28
making was because you know, I only have you know, five different ingredients in my soap. And if you look on the back of a body wash, I mean, there's all these ingredients, I can't pronounce. And so then that makes you think if I don't, if I can't pronounce it, I definitely don't know what it is. And so that's one  one thing that I started, you know, looking into making soap. And so I ended up taking a class.

05:53
and she was actually doing goat milk soap. And I was like, oh, that is great because then I can incorporate our goats into making my soap. And of course  the goat milk soap has a lot of different  benefits to it. It's supposed to be good for your skin, good for people that have  different eczema and skin conditions.  And it's really soft. And one thing I love about the recipe that I

06:23
do is it has a really good lather. I'm all about, you know, a good lather. If it just kind of like wipes on and wipes off, I don't feel like I'm clean. But if I get a good lather, then I love it. So that's one thing I've really enjoyed about being able to experiment with my own soap is what gives me the best feeling.  You know, and then I know it's just, you know, basic oils. So  I've really enjoyed it.  You are singing my song, lady.

06:51
My husband makes  cold process soap and I've talked about this on the podcast a lot But  my question for you is do you use essential oils to make your soaps smell good?  Yes, so a lot of the soaps that I have  they don't have essential oils because I try to be very aware of people that  Can't handle smells and especially strong smells  because when I was going through chemo, I couldn't handle strong smells

07:20
So I try to cater to that, but I do actually use essential oils. And I try to find the pure essential oils so then that way, I know that they are better for you than just the fragrance oils. If anybody had a request for a certain oil and I couldn't find it, then of course I would use what they wanted. But I try to use more of the pure oils so then that way,

07:47
You know, you're not putting those harmful chemicals on you. Yeah, I really like using the pure essential oils because for that exact reason. And you're getting exactly what it is. Like my favorite one that we do is lemongrass. Yes, me too. And every time we put a new bar of soap in the shower, I want to eat the soap and obviously not going to eat the soap, but it smells just like a lemon bar. And

08:16
I'm just so excited every time we put a new bar in the shower. like, oh my God, my bathroom is going to smell like lemon bars for a week.  Yes.  Yeah. And that's one thing I normally do before I put anything out there. Like we've used a bar of it to kind of see how it is, how it smells and make sure that, you know, it feels good. So I don't want to put anything out there that I wouldn't use for sure.  Yeah. And I'm telling you lemon.

08:43
Lemon is the best thing in the morning to wake you up. I don't know what it is. I love lemon anything like lemon meringue pie. You put one in front of me. I want to eat the whole thing and I don't, but I really, really want to.  But there's something invigorating about that lemon scent first thing in the morning.  Yes. And actually,  I freeze dry things as well.  so  actually at Christmas we had an extra  lemon icebox pie.

09:13
leftover. So I freeze dried it and  I actually had it at the meeting yesterday and people were tasting it and of course it tasted like I had just done it. So that's one way to get your  lemon, just a little bit of lemon hit and not have to eat a whole pie.  Well that's awesome and as an aside this whole thing about lemon.  I think everyone in my immediate family like my mom, my dad, my sister, my brother and I  all just love lemon.

09:43
and come to find out both sets of my grandparents did too. So maybe there's a genetic coding thing in there. Maybe, maybe so because our family seems to like lemon as well. My grandmother, she actually would do a lemon icebox pie every Sunday when we would go eat dinner with her. And I always for  many, many years thought, oh my goodness, like she

10:09
loves us so much. works around the clock and makes us these two lemon icebox pies. Years later, I was like, Mom, I would really like to make that recipe. She gave it to me and it took me five minutes to make it. And I thought,  Oh, now I see why she always made us two lemon icebox pies. They were simple and delicious.  I am so thrilled to be talking with you because you keep giving me all kinds of things to think about.  Cooking.

10:37
You're saying that you thought that it took her all day to make those pies and it did not. It was simple. Very simple. funniest thing about cooking and people's perception of cooking is that it's hard and it takes a lot of time.  That may be true on some things, but I have an entire cookbook that I've put together like a binder.  I have printed out recipes that I love  and my husband works half an hour from home.

11:07
And he'll call me and say I'm headed home and I will say  awesome drive safe I love you and then I start cooking right then  Usually dinner is ready within five minutes of him walking in the door. Yeah half an hour is  nothing it  You can spend half an hour staring at the TV and do nothing productive  Or you can spend half an hour whipping together dinner and having something wonderful. That's good for you.  Mm-hmm. Yes, so

11:37
And I'm trying really hard not to be snarky about this because I don't expect everybody to be a fantastic  chef level cook. That's not necessarily what I'm saying.  But learning to cook some things that you really enjoy eating,  is satisfaction in cooking it, not just eating it. Right. Yes. And that's one thing going back to the freeze dryer  I have found is very

12:06
beneficial is, you know, I have made a big batch of chicken enchiladas and it's just, you know, us three or four or five, ever how many is going to eat with us. And so I have a whole lot leftover. We're used to, we would eat on it a couple of days and then it would go bad where now I stick it in the freeze dryer. And then when that's done, I stick it in the Mylar bag and it's good for 25 years. So then whenever I'm ready to eat it again,

12:35
Then we'll put out, put a little hot water in it, let it steam and it's back to what it was whenever you freeze dried it. So that's,  it has been a very well investment for us.  Awesome. I want one. I just can't afford one right now.  I did say, no, I don't work for harvest right at all, but I did say that they're having a big sale right now, starting in May. And that's actually how I ended up getting mine was they were having a big sale.

13:03
And then tractor supply had a big sale. And so I managed to put everything together and  convince myself to get one. It took about a year  to decide. so  actually at the meeting yesterday, I was telling a lady that I was standing there, you I told my husband, let's go, let's look at one. I'm standing there just looking at it. I don't know what I expected to happen.

13:27
But I was just staying in there and I had this lady walk up, I'd never seen her before and she said, are you looking at getting one? And I said, I am. And she said, oh, well we have one and we love it. And I said, well, can you tell me a little bit about it? So she was telling me about they mill prep and they do this and they do that.  And I said, do you love it? And she said, yes, I love it. The only thing I wished I would have done was gotten the bigger one.

13:52
And I thought, okay, this lady was sent to me to tell me I need to do it. And so I took that as my sign.  And so that was, we made the investment that day just because I thought, okay, I can't just keep putting it  off  and keep saying, okay, well, maybe whenever I save up a little more, I save up a little more. And so there was the sale and there was the lady telling me to just do it.  Yep.  Awesome.

14:21
Was a God thing. It was. It definitely was. Okay. I have one more question about that and then I want to get onto your meeting last night because I want to ask you questions about that too. Is the plug for the freeze dryer, is it just a normal plug into the wall plug? So the one that we ended up getting with the ladies advice, we ended up getting the large one instead of the medium. So the medium is the 110 plug and then the large one is the 220.

14:51
So we did end up getting that one.  My husband actually works in construction. So  of course I get it and then realized that the plug was different. And so I was like, babe,  can you put me in a plug?  And of course he did his handiwork and got me a plug in within a  couple of days.  So,  but that is the only thing that the plug is different on the bigger one. What a great husband you have.

15:17
Yes, he is very good. Anything I need, he makes happen. Well, that's fabulous. I have one of those too. For the most part, I keep saying, we get a mini cow? And he says, no, because we don't have any place to put it. And I'm like, okay, fine. Okay, so this meeting that you had last night, I saw on your Facebook page something about it, but tell me what that was about.

15:42
Yeah, so we are actually members  of the Chattauka County Young Farmers  and we get together once a month or every two weeks and we have little programs.  A lot of times it'll be different people coming to sell, you know, different things like either software or we'll do classes. A lot of times they'll go to

16:06
different places, know they have like a canon class and different things like that, that we  all get together and  it's a learning experience plus it's good fellowship and especially being able to connect with people that are in our community that do the same things we do.  And so usually everybody's running  in  different ways at all times, but it's nice to get together  every two weeks, once a month to be able to.

16:34
you know, be together and we all have the same struggles and just to be able to see each other.  And so one of our really good friends is the vice president of it. And so he reached out to me in January and said, you know, you're doing all of these things and I would like for  you to host a meeting and be able to, you know, show what all you do.  And he said last night, it was nice to see that, you know,

17:02
me and my husband were kind of doing things that the older generation had done, you know, with doing the canning and all of that and doing the garden. And he's helped me and gave me advice on the garden and, and really, really helped me. And so, so it was nice to be able to kind of show everybody what we've done and what we've been building the last few years and, and how we're trying to make the community, you know, make the community better with.

17:32
you know, my soaps taking out the different chemicals and whatnot. So  it was, it was a really good meeting. was, it was funny because as it has rained today, it, was really nice yesterday. And then, um, as everybody was starting to get here at six o'clock, they, cooked hot dogs and hamburgers or they cook hot dogs and hamburgers out on the trailer.  And then as it started,  um, as everybody started to get here, it started to rain.

18:00
So luckily we had somewhere to go. So we all got our food and went in  and  it stopped raining for a minute and then it would come and pour down. So  it did that off and on, you know, for a little bit. And then I was able, we started doing my presentation.  And so then by the end of it, it finally stopped raining and then everybody was able to get out and be able to visit with the goats and see them in New Jersey.

18:28
and just be able to be around all the different animals and see the garden and the greenhouse and all that. And it was just nice to be able to  show them what we have been working  on and what we're working toward. So I did  talk about that  as well. So it was a lot of fun. It was.  And it's really nice because a lot since I grew up in Chattucket County.

18:55
And so it's really nice to be able to, you know, see people I either grew up with or people's parents that I grew up with that we're all in the same community.  And,  you know, we're all,  it's really nice to see the support. felt so much support from  that community that just, you know, basically  helps lift me up that, you know, I'm, I'm doing, I feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

19:25
You're fitting in your skin and you're fitting in your world and that is the best feeling ever. Okay, so how many people showed up? Do you know? Oh goodness, it was probably, I would say probably 25 people. I didn't get an exact head count, but usually I would say probably 25 to 35 people maybe. Nice, very nice.

19:48
Well, I think it's amazing that you did that because I have social anxiety. If 25 people showed up at our place, I would be like,  Yes. And by day, I'm an accountant. So I kind of sit in my office and I'm not very social. So it took me out of my element, but I think it's  a good thing because I'm trying to branch out and trying not to be such an introvert that I am.  Yeah.

20:17
I love the podcast because I get to talk to people, but I don't have to be in the presence of people. Right. So I get my social needs met that way. And it's really fabulous because I learned so many new things from you guys. just, I love it so much.  okay. So tell me about the, uh, the mini Jersey cows because  I didn't realize until today that such a thing existed.  Yeah.

20:41
Yeah, so that was one thing when we  got to research in about this mini Jersey, you know, of course my first instinct was,  how did the mini part of the Jersey come about?  And so I got to research in and had, you know, listened to a podcast and done some research and actually, so the Jersey was crossed with the Dexter cow  and the Dexter is a shorter black cow.  And so that is why our Clairebale,

21:10
has more  black in her than she does the you know the typical brown with a little bit of black on her. She has more black  and so that's where  we believe the black came in was from the Dexter. So that's where they got the hot from and so it was really funny because our bull Darius,  we got him from Oklahoma

21:34
And he actually, he has a little more black in him than a typical Jersey, but he does have the typical lighter brown and a little bit of black look. we're excited. So hopefully she is bred and hopefully we'll have a baby about August, September we're hoping. So I'm excited to see what the baby's going to look like, but they're, so sweet.  I've really, really enjoyed it. And she comes  up.

22:03
I took out my hip. She's not very, she's not very tall. And when the lady that we had gotten her from, they didn't know if she had ever been milked before. She had had a calf on her and they had pulled the calf off and had sold it when it was time.  And so luckily she was still in milk when we got her.  And, um,  and so the first night we put her in the stall  and I chased her around for two hours cause she wouldn't stand still.

22:33
So then, of course I've told you about my marvelous husband. So the next day I show up from work and he has me a cow stanchion built. And so then  I was like, okay, so we put her in there and it took me about an hour and a half to milk her. And I thought, oh goodness, I can't do an hour and a half every day just milking. So I got on and ordered an  automatic milker.

22:58
And so that has really been a lifesaver. can, I can normally milk her in  30, 45 minutes, just from start to finish cleaning up and everything.  And it has been, it has been fabulous, but she is so  friendly and gentle. She follows me around. I get a bucket of feed and she'll come running.  Um, I think I've actually got a video on Facebook where I just barely shake the bucket and her and her bottlecafs come running.

23:29
And they'll love all over you and they're just, really sweet. I've really enjoyed being able to, you know, have her join the farm and just the, like, and my daughter is out there with her and, you know, she doesn't, she doesn't bother us at all. And she just wants to be the love owner.  So she's like a dog.  She  is. She  is. And she's so sweet. Well,

23:55
I think all that's fabulous, but God bless that man of yours.  You got a winner. Yes,  he is all about building something to make our lives a little easier. And so  he saw how bad I was struggling that first night, so he knew something had to happen.  Yeah.  Okay. So if the mini jersey came from across with a Dexter, does that mean that they're actually good  as meat as well?

24:23
So I have heard that they are actually, the Jersey is a very tender meat. don't know of anybody personally that has processed Jersey cows, but I've heard that the meat is very good. Okay. I was just wondering, because a dual purpose animal is always good on the homestead. Yes. Yes. And that's also segue into our goats. That is actually one of the great things about our Kikos.

24:52
is that they are actually mainly,  they're meat goats  and milk goats.  So they do really good on the production of  their milk. And so I'm able, of course, once the babies are big enough, I'm able to get some of their milk and be able to make my soap. But then also there is a big market for them as a meat goat as well. So yes, we try to do  things that are gonna be the most beneficial.

25:22
Yeah, I mean, if you're going to be a farmer or a homesteader or a rancher, and those are all  different things, but they all kind of fall into the same umbrella, you want everything to work together for the greater good of the  place that you have. Yes.  And we kind of suck at that, actually. We're working on it. Oh, yeah.

25:48
It's hard to try to make everything jive on people or things that you want to do and things you need to do. So  yeah, I mean, I, I  don't want to talk about my podcast a lot, but I started this podcast over 18 months ago and,  and I really needed to make some money from it. And I really didn't want to put ads on it. I loved it the first year because it was very clean. It was just the podcast. It was just,

26:18
me introducing it and you guys talking to me and it was great.  I loved it.  And then I was like, I'm sinking some real time into this. I kind of need it to make money and I put  ads on it and I hated it for the first month. And then I was like, you know what? It's okay. It's okay because I'm doing something important here that I love to do that is helping other people.  It's okay to put ads on it. Yes. And my husband was like,

26:46
How much time are you thinking of the podcast? And I said a lot. And I told him the hours and he said,  do not feel bad about trying to monetize it. He said, you are earning any penny that you make. Right. And I was like, okay, yes, I know. I still miss the first year, Katie, of no ads, no nothing. It was so  clean, you know?  Yes.  But I'm not giving up. want to promote.

27:13
you guys who are doing the hard work and improving your communities and sharing and learning too. Yes. So I want to add a new thing at the end of the interviews. I'm going to start with you. If you had to describe your farm with one word, what would it be? Oh, goodness.

27:41
would probably say a dream.  dream? Yes. I think that's a great word because it is a dream. Yes, because it is definitely  what we have dreamed  of and what we have, what we've been trying to work towards.  And then just to see it come together just feels like a dream. And especially since I guess too that it's on

28:11
my family's land. And so just to know that, you know, there's way more history than just six years  right here.  So that's, that's one thing that is,  um,  that is, I guess what I'm trying to think of even how to put it, but a dream. That's really what it is to me.  I love that. I think that's wonderful.  And maybe your kids, you have kids, right?

28:40
Yes, I have one. Yeah, maybe maybe 20 years from now this will what you're doing now will be part of her history and maybe she'll be running it. Yes,  I hope so. That's one thing we always try to  make sure that she's involved in in everything and she tries to help so so much on the farm and we've we really enjoyed it. Yeah, I'm gonna say this again. I've said it a bunch of times on the podcast in the last 18 months. I think that  people who are in a position

29:10
to have land and have animals and grow things and they have kids is the best thing for those kids because there is real accomplishment that the kids feel even from the littlest age like a year and a half old when they go out and grab the egg out of the nesting box.  They didn't put that egg there but they just think it's the coolest thing. They got to pick out the egg from the nesting box and bring it to the house. Yes.  Oh yes.

29:40
She is all about picking up those eggs too and inspecting them. There's actually a video on  our Facebook page of her  inspecting the eggs and it was so funny because I just handed them to her and said, hey Lila, just put them in there. And so  she started looking and she was inspecting and putting them back in the bucket if she didn't like them. I love it. How old is she?  She's four.  Oh, she's a little one. She is. She's tiny.

30:09
She's a little, as I call any kid under five. Yes. And when people have more than one, they're littles. Yeah.  So  all right, Katie, we're at half an hour. That was fast. Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it. Yes. Thank you so much. I've really enjoyed it. Have a great night and a great weekend. Thank you. too. All right. Bye.