Farm Vlog – Candling Chicken Eggs and Waiting on Puppies!

Welcome back to Andersen Acres! In today’s farm vlog, we enjoy a beautiful spring day under blue skies and fluffy clouds while diving into a few homestead updates. It's not a super busy day on the hobby farm, but it's full of meaning and anticipation. We talk a little about why I make these videos—mostly to preserve the memories of all the amazing animals who have shared their lives with us over the years.

We candle our developing chicken eggs to check on the growth and viability of the embryos, a key part of raising backyard chickens and incubating eggs on a small farm. And all day, we’re keeping a close eye on Tequila, our sweet dog who is almost ready to have her puppies. (Spoiler: not today!)

Whether you're into homesteading, raising animals, or just love watching everyday life on a small farm, this video brings a peaceful look at real life on the homestead.

#HobbyFarming #FarmVlog #HomesteadingLife #BackyardChickens #CandlingEggs #RaisingAnimals #FarmDogs #CountryLiving #TequilaTheDog #AndersenAcres #HomesteadLife #LifeOnTheFarm #WaitingForPuppies

When the Garden Takes Over—A Hobby Farm Reality Check

Every year, I tell myself the same lie: “I’m just going to plant a few things this season.” A modest garden. Some tomatoes. Maybe squash. Just the essentials.

Then seed catalogs arrive, and suddenly I’m planning for pumpkins, beans, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, cantaloupe, herbs I won’t use, and five different types of lettuce that will all bolt before I touch them.

Welcome to the annual garden explosion—that magical time when your starter trays multiply, your ducks think the mulch is a snack bar, and you find a seedling in your boot.

This week at Andersen Acres, the chaos is in full bloom. The squash are already trying to crawl out of their raised bed, the cantaloupe have declared war on the onions, and the goats keep giving me judgmental side-eye from the pasture like, “You sure about this, human?”

But honestly? I love it. Every wild, weedy, bug-nibbled bit of it.

Because hobby farming isn’t about control. It’s about dancing with nature, even if you trip over a cucumber vine in the process.

Fiber Goats - Cashmere and the Goats It Comes From

Curious about where luxurious cashmere comes from? In this video, we explore cashmere fiber and the goats that produce it—and you might be surprised to learn that many common goat breeds can grow this soft, valuable undercoat! Join us here at Andersen Acres as we dive into what makes a goat a "cashmere goat," how cashmere fiber is measured in microns, and why it's one of the most sought-after animal fibers in the world.

We’ll cover when and how cashmere grows, the best methods for harvesting it (combing vs shearing), and which goat breeds—including Spanish, Boer, meat, and dairy goats—can produce fiber worth saving. Whether you’re raising goats for fun, milk, meat, or brush control, this episode will show you how cashmere can become a profitable secondary cash crop on your homestead.

Perfect for small farmers, homesteaders, and anyone passionate about sustainable animal care, this video breaks down everything you need to know to get started with fiber goats.

Don’t forget to comment below if you’ve tried harvesting fiber or think your goats might be secret cashmere producers!

#hobbyfarming #homesteading #cashmere #goats #fibergoats #cashmeregoats #livestock #farmanimals #homesteadlife #raisinggoats #smallfarm

Farm Vlog – Chaos Gardening, Homemade Bread, and LGD Puppies on the Way!

Welcome back to Andersen Acres! Today’s farm vlog is packed with homesteading goodness. The weather was just right—sunny and mild—perfect for getting our hands in the dirt. We planted pumpkins, squash, cantaloupe, and eggplant, and tried our hand at chaos gardening by mixing up a bunch of flower seeds and scattering them in the beds. Who knows what will bloom? That’s half the fun!

In the kitchen, we made fresh homemade bread and churned our own butter—because nothing beats cheese toast on warm, rustic bread paired with a simple salad. It’s all part of our homesteading lifestyle.

And the biggest news of the day? Tequila, our beloved Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dog, is about to have her puppies! She lost her mucus plug yesterday and is dripping milk today—puppy watch has officially begun.

Whether you're here for gardening tips, homemade food inspiration, or updates from life on a hobby farm, this vlog has something for everyone who loves animals, self-sufficiency, and the rhythm of rural living.

#hobbyfarming #homesteading #gardening #chaosgardening #homemadebread #buttermaking #greatpyrenees #livestockguardiandog #puppies #farmvlog #andersenacres #raisinganimals