What a great forum, I have come to visit a number of times now and enjoy everyone's posts. My name is Shannon, I am 42, Mom of two teenage boys, living in Alberta, Canada. My soon-to-be-ex and I have established an organic farm, with certified organic cattle, hay, vegetables, herbs, wildcrafts, as well as free range poultry, eggs and rabbits. I have horses, in the past have raised bottle lambs, milked a beautiful brown-eyed jersey cow (and then her challenging 1/2 beef daughter), and currently have a couple of pet porcupines.

I will be keeping some aspects of our farm going, though on a smaller land base. I am an Artist and plan to spend more time on my Art career over the next while. Also, I am very involved with hunting, and breed and train versatile hunting dogs.

I am excited to find a place where I can learn more about farming/homesteading on my own.

On a white winter day,

Shannon

-- Shannon Ford (huntress_609@hotmail.com), March 15, 2002

Answers

Hi Shannon!! I do belive this is the first time I've heard of someone having a pet porky-pine! That should be most interesting. Certainly not the most cuddly critter around. Care to say more about your porky's?

-- Jim-mi (hartalteng@voyager.net), March 15, 2002.

Shannon welcome! I trained and showed field dogs for 8 years. I really miss it but time doesn't permit me to do this any more. What breeds of dogs do you train? Your farm sounds interesting. I'm glad you will be able to keep parts of it going.

What is you art interest? I agree with Jimmi tell us more about your porcupines! The other Susan would probably like to know how you tamed them so she can keep hers alive and off her trees.

Susan

-- Susan in MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), March 16, 2002.

Hi Susan and Jim-mi, Thank you for the warm welcome!

I have Griffons, Susan, what breed did you have?

As far as keeping the porcupines off trees, I have no suggestions for anyone. I still have problems with porcupines as they can climb any fence and certainly are drawn to eating the things that we grow.

There is a website for a product sold to repel porcupines... http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page554.html I have no idea if it works or not.

Maybe I should offer to product test items with our gang...

Shannon

-- Shannon Ford (huntress_609@hotmail.com), March 16, 2002.

Shannon, I trained Labs, Clumber Spaniel, and an Irish Water Spaniel. I ran hunting tests,Field trials, conformation shows, and obedience competition. I started getting into tracking too, used the kids as lost children, the dog loved it.

Susan

-- Susan in MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), March 16, 2002.

Susan, what wonderful breeds to work with, you must have had a lot of fun. So nice to know that you had your kids helping out, makes the "dog biz" so much more fun for them when they are involved. Do you have dogs now?

As far as Art goes... I create pretty well anything I feel like Art- wise. Painting oil and watercolour, drawing, pen & Ink, sculpture, metalsmithing, I have illustrated books, provided graphic arts (logos, ads, letterhead etc.). Anything that "feels" like it has to be created. I have taught art lessons to kids and sometimes to adults.

Cheers!

Shannon

-- Shannon Ford (huntress_609@hotmail.com), March 18, 2002.