Meet the Farm Residents

At Blue Sky Homestead, every animal has a vital role to play, contributing to the farm life. From providing milk and wool to laying eggs or offering protection, each creature enriches our homestead in its own way.

As we approach May 2025, we are excited for our first lambing- and calving season. Both Hazel and Blossom are experienced moms and we are thrilled to start this years milking season - already dreaming about all of the cheese- and butter making possibilities. The mystery surrounding the number of lambs Blossom will have adds to our anticipation.

We're eager to see if our American Buff geese will nest and hatch this year, and even Lilly seems to have found a potential mate for the prospect of expanding our livestock guardian dog crew.

With so much on the horizon, this year promises to be quite eventful!

Hazel, our three-year-old Jersey/Brown Swiss milk cow has been bred by an Angus bull and is expected to calve around the end of May. As Hazel is still warming up to her new human family, she and Christina have been working on daily (mutual) trust-building. Turns out, neither one of them is above bribery. While she may not be the most cuddly of our animals, Hazel appreciates routine and thrives when she knows her responsibilities. We are hopeful that Hazel will become more comfortable and form a special bond with us, showing us her unique personality and charm.

Noni is a young, Black Baldy steer - a cross between a Hereford bull and an Aberdeen Angus cow - recognized for their exceptional meat quality. Noni has a sweet and charming personality and loves nothing more than a good scratch between his shoulder blades. He is destined to be the most loved and pampered beef steer, as we are committed to providing him with a happy and fulfilling life.

This spring, we plan to fence in the remaining 22 acres, allowing us to raise and sell additional beef steers in the future. Our goal is to create a loving environment for not just Noni, but also for future steers, to let them lead wonderful lives while contributing to our farming goals.

Rosie, Blossom and Poppy (back to front) are our three East Friesian dairy sheep. Blossom was bred to a white East Friesian ram and is due to lamb on May 1st. She is trained to the milking stand, and was wonderful to milk last year, when we milk-shared with her daughter, Poppy. As this is our first time lambing, we decided to only breed our most experienced ewe and give Rosie and Poppy an additional year to mature - and us time to learn. All three ladies will be shorn in March and Christina has high hopes for processing their wool into some saddle pads and using their fleece to deter weeds and pests in the gardens.

Our Jurassic Park residents are a colorful mix of different laying hens, ducks and American Buff Geese. The chickens have been laying vigorously throughout the winter and we are waiting for our ducks to mature enough to do the same. Our American Buff gander has been wooing his mate and we are excited to see if they will have any goslings this year.

Lilly is our Great Pyrenees Livestock Guardian Dog who guards and lives with our sheep full-time. Lilly has a very sweet and loving personality and has formed close bonds with the sheep, horses and even the geese. She loves to play with every animal (and human) that is willing, enjoys long naps during the day and is all business once the sun sets, making sure her flock is safe. Lilly is also a fantastic mouser.

Windy is Christina's go-to equine partner, physical therapist, emotional support and pure enjoyment. She has been with us since 2018, is absolutely reliable and she loves having a job. Windy lives for long trail rides, catching loose animals and even dragging the paddock. Her nickname "Superpony" is well-deserved.

Stormcloud is only 3 years old and is just getting started in her riding career. She has a great mind, lines up to open and close gates like a pro, always tries her best, loves getting kissed on her nose and is well on her way to becoming "Superpony 2.0".

Rick is the homestead's beekeeper, taking care of and nurturing our bee colonies. As he continues to learn and refine his beekeeping skills, we are hopeful and excited to harvest our first honey in the fall of 2025.