Heaven on Earth Mini Farm

Our Latest Litter

2013-02-02T09:31:00.001-08:00

Travis Jaques of Travis Scenes made this wonderful video of our most recent litter of puppies. Travis specializes in wedding and dance videography. When you check out our puppies, check out some of Travis's other work.

Untitled

2012-11-19T06:17:00.001-08:00

The Great Pyrenees is not your ordinary dog. For centuries, they have been bred to guard livestock. They are in the" Working Dogs" dog breed group. Their size classification is "Giant." They are very large, intelligent and stubborn. Therefore, they tend to be dominant.

For this reason, it is critical that training is done correctly from an early age. To be blunt, to ensure safety, your Pyrenees must understand that you and your family members are the dominant, or Alpha, members of the pack. You must not tolerate any show of aggression or dominance, such as growling, snarling, baring teeth, etc. A stern correction and temporary (10 minutes) removal from the pack is very effective. This is obviously easier to achieve with a puppy. This breed grows extraordinarily fast, so training must begin early. Do not allow any signs of food aggression. Teach the puppy that it is acceptable for any member of the family to reach into and to take his food.

Great Pyrenees naturally want structure and boundaries. It is important that they understand their ranking among their pack. Rules must be clear and consistently implemented. Keep in mind that this is a very large, very strong dog. It is important that they respect your place as the Alpha member of the pack. Treating your dog with care and respect is the surest way to achieve this. This does not mean that you should not be stern when necessary. But, it does mean that the majority of your interactions need to be very positive. It is vital that you understand your dog and yourself. Be honest with yourself as to whether you are assertive enough to command this strong, intelligent dog. Nationally renowned dog trainer Cesar Milan's philosophy of "natural dogmanship" works well with this breed.

When training your puppy, it is also important to decide in advance what your Pyrenees' function will be. Will your puppy be a family companion or a livestock guardian (LGD)? Changing environments is very confusing to a guardian breed. They protect their territory and those within the territory with whom they have relationship. If you want your livestock guardian dog (LGD) to protect your livestock, he needs to grow up with your livestock. Great Pyrenees were also bred to work in pairs. It is best not to expect one to assume the guardian role alone. If you would like your Great Pyrenees to be with your human family, it is best to raise him within the family.

There are characteristics of the Great Pyrenees that one needs to be aware of when training their dog. Great Pyrenees are very intelligent. The good news is that they learn very quickly. The bad news is that they also get bored quickly. Vary your techniques and lessons.

Great Pyrenees are very independent. It is said that they obey very well... when they want to. Your job is to make them want to. You must win their hearts. Make your training as unemotional as possible. Most Great Pyrenees are very calm. They spend most of their time calmly watching. Yet, are capable of springing into immediate action. They do not typically have a retriever instinct. If your Pyrenees does, you probably want to foster it.

In summary, the Great Pyrenees is an exceptional breed of dog. Due to the combination of their intelligence, size, and stubbornness, it is best to start training when they are puppies. A rescue is not out of the question. Just be certain that you have the skills to train this breed before you adopt a rescue dog. Try to get as much of the dog's history as possible. Although the ownership of a Great Pyrenees should not be taken lightly, if you take the necessary steps to train them correctly, he will be an asset to your home and farm.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7338658

Training the Great Pyrenees Puppy

2012-11-02T14:57:00.001-07:00

When training your puppy, it is important to know what your Pyrenees' function will be. Will your puppy be a family companion or a livestock guardian (LGD)?

Changing environments is very confusing to a guardian breed. They protect their territory and those within the territory with whom they have relationship. If you want your livetock guardian dog (LGD) to protect your livestock, he needs to grow up with your livestock. Great Pyrenees were bred to work in pairs. It is best not to expect one to assume this role alone. If you would like your Great Pyrenees to be with your human family, it is best to raise him that way.

There are characteristics of the Great Pyrenees that one needs to be aware of when training their dog:

Great Pyrenees are very intelligent. They learn very quickly. They also get bored quickly. Vary your techniques and lessons.
Great Pyrenees are very independent. It is said that they obey very well...when they want to. Your job is to make them want to. You must win their hearts. Make your training as unemotional as possible.
Most Great Pyrenees are very calm. They spend most of their time calmly watching. Yet, are capable of springing into immediate action. They do not typically have a retriever instinct. If your Pyrenees does, you probably want to foster it.
Keep in mind that this is a very large, very strong dog. It is important that they respect your place as the Alpha member of the pack. Treating your dog with care and respect is the surest way to achieve this. This does not mean that you should not be stern when necessary. But it does mean that the majority of your interactions need to be very positive.

Why chickens are the perfect pets

2012-02-13T06:08:00.001-08:00

This morning on The Today Show they were talking about backyard chickens. They are becoming more and more popular. You might want to peek in your neighbor's backyard. Since they are so easy to keep and hens are so quiet, you never know.

You have chickens?

That's what nearly everyone asks next, after they find out about our family pets. They just need to make sure they heard me correctly. Perhaps it's because I don't come across to most as a rural loving farm girl.

But you don't have to live on a farm to have chickens, in some places, you just need a little bit of green space and a tidy chicken coop.

To me, they're nearly ideal pets. They feed us, more often than we feed them! We have 2 chickens, Goldie and Paprika, and they each produce 1 egg a day, sometimes more.

Because there are just 2 of them, the chicken poop is not too bad, and we just sweep it into our flowering beds for extra fertilizer.

And best of all, because my oldest daughter has several pet allergies, they can't come in the house - they have their own!

They're really beautiful to watch roaming around the yard and they both run up to us nearly every time we go outside. The kids love them and can't wait to check for eggs every morning.

TODAY anchor Amy Robach likes her eggs over-easy.

http://animaltracks.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/10/10376856-amy-robach-why-chickens-are-the-perfect-pets

Winter Gardening

2011-09-19T08:53:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not.. it is planting time!! Time to plant your winter garden. It appears that the 90 degree days are behind us. So, it is time to plant your winter garden.

Winter gardening is a great first step for the novice gardener. There are many vegetables that grow best in the winter. The flavor and the quality of dark green, leafy vegetables (such as collards, kale, swiss chard, mixed salad greens, cabbage, and spinach) actually improve after a few frosts. Broccolli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and garlic are also vegetables that produce best in the winter months.

One of the best things about winter gardening is the ease of maintenance. There is little to no weeding necessary. Watering needs are also much less since less water evaporates without the heat of summer. Pests problems are close to nonexistent. It is such a pleasure to see yummy veggies growing in your yard when so many other plants are dormant.

All of your dark, green leafy veggies grow well and quickly from seed. Broccolli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts can also be planted from seed. But, you may want to plant both seeds and young plants to better ensure a good harvest. I also stagger the planting of the greens. I am sowing some seeds now and I will sow again a month from now. This ensures that I will have a continuous source.

Puppies will be 3 weeks tomorrow!! So fun to see them begin to play!

2011-07-31T18:09:00.001-07:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

Pictures of our Pyrenees!!

2011-07-30T09:54:00.001-07:00

Great Pyrenees Puppies

2011-07-30T09:44:00.001-07:00

We have beautiful Great Pyrenees puppies that were born on our North Georgia farm 07/11/2011. They will be ready to go on 09/05/2011. They will be current on their shots and wormings unless you request otherwise. We are now accepting deposits of $100.

Males grow to 110–120 pounds and 27–32 inches, while females reach 80–90 pounds and 25–29 inches. On average, their lifespan is 10 to 12 years.

If you would like to place a deposit or visit the puppies, please contact me at donnabyers61@gmail.com.

Summer Recipes

2011-07-01T08:37:00.001-07:00

Summer is a great time for entertaining family and friends!! It is especially fun to incorporate fresh ingredients from our own gardens.

I also like to ensure that the foods that I provide don't include refined sugars. My favorite substitutes for refined sugars are Agave Nectar and Xylitol.

Both of these products are all natural and have low glycemic indexes and work great for baking and cooking. They are a little sweeter than sugar, so I use less of them. Xylitol has anti-bacterial benefits, including dental benefits. It has even been proven to decrease the incidences of ear infections.

Possibly the one of the best benefits of both of these sweetners are that they taste great!!!! There is absolutely no aftertaste. I guess the best endorsement that I can give is that my kids and my husband love both of them and willingly use them instead of refined sugar.

I have some of my family and friends' favorite recipes on my website, thebackyardfarm.com:

http://thebackyardfarm.com/recipes.php

Buy a ticket to Transformers and be entered to win an IPAD 2

2011-06-30T12:25:00.001-07:00

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2011-06-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

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How to Prevent and Stop Blossom End Rot

2011-06-15T19:58:00.001-07:00

It is very discouraging to reach out to pick your fresh squash or tomato and discover that the bottom has begun to rot. Blossom-end rot is a "disease" that affects tomatoes,melons, squashes, peppers, and cucumbers. It starts as a water-soaked spot on the blossom end of the fruit which turns leathery and dark brown. The area will eventually rot. Blossom-end rot is caused by the plant having a calcium imbalance. It can also occur in melons, squashes, peppers, and cucumbers.

There are different factors that can lead to a plant not being able to absorb enough calcium, including soil that is too wet or too dry, too much nitrogen in the soil, root damage, too-high or too-low soil pH, soil high in salts, or soil that is too cold. Prevention of blossom-end rot includes keeping the moisture level constant during the growing season, watering once or twice a week in dry weather, using mulch to lessen evaporation, keeping the soil pH near or at 6.5, and allowing the soil to warm before planting. In our area, the primary cause of this calcium deficiency is the severe moisture swings inherent in the Georgia summer. We are usually very hot and dry and then experience drenching storms. This washes the calcium out of our soil.

Adding a tablespoon of bone meal to the bottom of the hole when planting, can give you a head start in blossom end rot prevention. But usually we are not aware that we have a problem until we go to pick our fruit and discover that it is ruined.

Fortunately, there are affordable products that can really help with blossom-end rot Tomato Rot-Stop, 32 Oz.. Tomato Rot-Stop, 32 Oz. is an all-natural product which will prevent calcium deficiency. It is a spray that comes ready-to-use and is absorbed quickly by the plants.

Enz-RotTM Blossom End Rot Concentrate Spray is another great product that will rescue your fruit yield.

Another product to help your tomatoes is Blossom Set Spray, 8 Oz.. Blossom Set Spray, 8 Oz. can double your tomato harvest and allow for an earlier harvest of up to 3 weeks. It is a natural plant hormone which helps the blossoms set fruit even with poor weather. Blossom Set Spray will help almost every blossom to bear fruit. It produces meatier, bigger tomatoes with less seeds. It is all-natural, and can also increase the fruit set of melons, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, and strawberries.

Using the links below will get you great savings on these garden saving products!!

Great Story about Backyard Farms

2011-05-08T13:08:00.001-07:00

Check out the great story in today's Rockdale/Newton Citizen. Thanks Karen, For informing more people about the benefits of a backyard farm.

http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/eastmetro/headlines/Garden_guidance_Rockdale_woman_helps_others_grow_own_food_121455544.html

The Backyard Farm is in the News Again!!

2011-05-06T15:41:00.001-07:00

The Backyard Farm will be a feature story in the Sunday addition of the Rockdale Citizen and the Newton Citizen. Anyone can achieve a more sustainable lifestyle. The word is spreading!!

http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/newtonhome/headlines/Coming_in_East_Metro_Sunday_121382199.html

Organic Pest and Insect Control

2011-04-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

Organic insect control is possible. It usually involves a means other than poisoning the insect. One method is to capture the insect. For example, an effective means for dealing with slugs is to bury an open beer in your garden. Slugs will be attracted to the beer and will crawl into the beer and drown.

White flies are common pest in the Southeast. Whitefly Traps will attract and capture whiteflies, fungus gnats, thrips and other pests in gardens, greenhouses and potted plants. Once the card is covered with insects, replace it with another.

Diatomaceous Earth is made from the mineral remains of single-cell aquatic plants. This low cost, effective product is a super-fine dust that kills by abrading and dehydrating crawling insects. It controls slugs, ants, cockroaches, earwigs, fleas, and other crawling insects without the use of chemicals. For dry application of Diatomaceous Earth use a duster and cover the entire plant. You can also use a flour sifter. Apply to both the top and bottom of the leaf. Applies best when there is dew or after a light rain. It is a long lasting, effective powder. Insects can not build up resistance. This is also effective to control parasites on pets and livestock. (Wear a dust mask when applying large amounts of it.)

Of course, there is a concern about its impact on bees. It can kill bees just like any other powder designed to kill insects. If the bees get in it, it will stick to them like pollen and be used in the hive with the pollen and kill the bees that are exposed to it. But, this doesn't mean that we can't use Diatomaceous Earth. Just be careful with it. Only use it when necessary and use a pesticide applicator. Don't use it on plants that are blooming unless you are willing to either cover the plants or keep the bees in. If you provide clean drinking water for the bees that is easy for them to reach, they won't drink the water off the dirt.

More Backyard Farms With This New Deal!!

2011-04-18T07:44:00.001-07:00

The Backyard Farm is running another deal!! Only $29 for a backyard consultation at HomeRun.com. Novice and seasoned gardeners all over Metro Atlanta have already benefited from their backyard consultation. They are on their way to a more sustainable life!!

Backyard Chickens are Growing in Popularity!!

2011-04-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

The Today Show ran a story today about backyard chickens' surge in popularity.

Contact The Backyard Farm today to start your own flock of backyard chickens.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Backyard Chicken Housing Solution

2011-04-10T07:47:00.001-07:00

I have been in the market for a spacious, 6 foot tall dog kennel because our female Great Pyrenees should be going in heat soon. The more I shopped the more I became convinced that this would be a big expense. When I was able to find them on craigslist, they also wanted top dollar. Finally, I found a great one with 84 sq ft and 6 ft high at dogkennels.com for only $250. The lowest price that I found for a rusted one on craigslist was $160. With $5 shipping and no sales tax, this is far better that I can get at any local retailer. I ordered on Saturday and it is promised on Wednesday. Not bad.

As I began to think of ways that I can use the kennel for more than a couple of weeks a year, I realized that this is a perfect set up for a small chicken flock. The 6 ft height will minimize your hens flying over it and bothering neighbors and will offer great protection from predators. The 84 sq feet area offers plenty of room for free ranging.

I have found that four hens can live quite comfortably in a large dog house. They will utilize it for laying eggs and shelter during inclement weather. When the weather is good, they will roost on the top. I have found good prices on dog houses at Walmart and Big Lots.

The added benefit of using the dog kennel for chicken housing is that in the event that you decide chickens are not for you, you can use the kennel and house for other purposes. You could even put it around your garden with netting on top to keep critters out. And as I discussed earlier, you can recoup most of your investment on craigslist.

Blueberries - 4 Pints a Day!

2011-04-07T21:32:00.001-07:00

These plants will produce 4 pints day--and they are not hybrids!! I am getting them!!

Food Growing on Her Deck!!

2011-04-04T12:11:00.001-07:00

Cary Lyn Quinn of Decatur now has a garden on her deck! After consulting with The Backyard Farm, she has been able to do what she didn't think possible!! Cary Lyn is very busy with OrganizeAtlanta, a professional organizing business. So, she doesn't have a lot of time to spend maintaining her garden. Fortunately, her raised bed is easy to maintain.

Thanks for the help, Brett!

Here is the link to our clip on 11 Alive news story!

2011-03-30T14:30:00.001-07:00

Here is the link to our clip on 11 Alive news story!

http://www.11alive.com/Money/waystosave/185179/289/Backyard-Farmers-Save-On-Food-

Why Won't My Garden Grow?

2011-03-29T16:19:00.001-07:00

Sometimes it seems you are doing all the right things and your garden just won't produce. If you have properly placed your plants, amended your soil, watered consistently, and fertilized and are still not seeing an abundant harvest, you need to consider other factors. Soil testing is available to determine the pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium balance of your soil. The nutrient levels in your soil greatly effect plant growth and crop production.

You can get a good soil testing kit at Gardener's Supply Company.

Garden's Alive also has a good kit. They will analyze the soil and give specific recommendations.$20 FREE off your first order at Gardens Alive!
There is another, often overlooked factor that might be affecting your crop production. This is the absence of bees and other pollinators. Usually if someone is reporting poor production from their garden, they also report an absence of bees. Bees are vital. Without them, fruit and vegetable production will be very limited. A way to address this is to provide bees with a reason to visit your garden. Bees are looking for nectar and pollen. The plants that are often purchased today are hybridized. This is done to make plants more disease resistant and to alter flower color and size. The problem is that frequently when a plant has been hybridized the production of nectar and pollen are reduced and often leaved the plant sterile. At this point, the plant is useless to bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies. Temperature, humidity and soil moisture can also impact the production of nectar.

A simple way to address this problem is to plant with the idea attracting bees and other pollinators to your garden.

To attract pollinators, you want to plant different plants that will bloom at different times throughout your growing season. Seek out indigenous plants, such as aster, blackeyed susans, purple coneflower, to attract native bees. Many garden plants are good sources of nectar or pollen. It is good to seek out older, heirloom varieties. Perennials, such as strawberries (yes, they are perennials and will be more prolific every year) and herbs, such as bee balm, boneset, basil, rosemary, and English lavender attract pollinators.

Here are other tips that will increase your bee and butterfly visits:

    * Don't use pesticides. When you use pesticides, you kill beneficial bugs as well as pests. Seek out nontoxic pest solutions.
    * Plant flowers of different colors and shapes. Bees have different sizes and tongue lengths so they feed on different flowers. Different flowers will increase the range of bees that you will attract. The colors blue, purple, violet, white, and yellow are particularly attractive to bees.
    * Grow plants that flower at different times.
    * Grow native plants. Research shows that bees are four times more attracted to native plants than exotic varieties.
    * Plant where bees visit, such as sunny spots and places sheltered from strong winds.

For more information, visit The Backyard Farm and Heaven on Earth Mini Farm.

The Backyard Farm is on the local news!!

2011-03-29T05:42:00.001-07:00

We were on 11 Alive News in Atlanta last night and this morning!! The Backyard Farm was the featured segment on Valerie Hoff's Ways to Save. I will post the link when it is online.

Heaven on Earth Mini Farm is getting famous.

More Raised Bed Gardens and Backyard Chickens

2011-03-27T09:44:00.001-07:00

I am thrilled with the response to my mamapedia ad. How exciting to see more people enjoying backyard farming! I wonder if they will get only raised bed gardens, or if they will also raise backyard chickens. I would love to assist some of them in establishing an urban chicken flock.

$29 for One-Hour Gardening Consultation from the Backyard Farm ($60 Value)

http://deals.mamapedia.com/deals/the-backyard-farm?ref_id=216797&utm_source=share_link&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-backyard-farm&utm_term=216797&utm_content=gmail

More People Are Moving Towards a More Sustainable Life!

2011-03-26T05:50:00.001-07:00

I am getting a great response to the deal on mamapedia! How exciting that more and more people are embracing the truth that they CAN live a more sustainable life right where they are!!! Raised bed gardens and backyard chickens really do make a difference!

If you haven't checked out our mamapedia sweet deal, use the link below:
http://heavenonearthminifarm.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-thought-you-like-this-mamapedia-sweet.html?spref=fb