September 2026 Meeting Minutes
Presentation on Sewing (2 Presentations in this meeting)
The seamstress presenter learned everything from youtube and making mistakes. Once you learn the basics, you can make basic repairs and be creative and can become a better steward. In order to get into sewing, you need the vocabulary to talk about it.
Verbage
- Seam allowance (variance between raw edge of fabric and stitching)
- Finishing edges (zigzag, french seam, serger)
- Right side (matters with printed fabric)
- Bias tape (method to finishing arm/neck bands or anything that needs some stretch)
- Interfacing (fusible adhesive that stabilizes the garment such as with buttons, cuffs or collars)
- Backstitch
- Selvage edge (bottom of fabric)
- gathering
Supplies needed
- Any basic sewing machine
- Fabric scissors (don’t use to cut paper – it will dull them)
- Seam ripper
- Fabric pencil/chalk/marker
- pins/clips (clips will be more kid-friendly)
- Measuring tape (fabric, not structured)
- ruler/sewing gauge
- Cutting mat/rotary cutter
- Iron + ironing surface
- Thread (polyester will be stronger than cotton)
- Needles (replace liberally)
Another good supply to consider is an apron to wear items for which you constantly reach.
A ballpoint or universal needle is best for knit fabrics. For needles, the smaller the number on it, the smaller the weight of material. A ballpoint needle also won’t cut your fabric.
Keep your sewing machine instruction manual handy. Many machines comes with a plethora of stitches but in practice you generally only use a straight or zigzag stitch.
When you start stitching, use the backstitch to lock in the stitches.
In terms of fabric, start with what you already have. Go to your closet to see what you have and don’t use. You may have many options available before you need to purchase fabric. When you do have a pattern you need to purchase fabric for, natural fabrics are better. Cotton is best for beginners. Stick with woven fabrics.
In woven vs knit fabrics, the latter will have more stretch. There are different types of cotton (quilting – which won’t lay neatly for apparel- , linen, lawn, etc.). Choose natural over synthetic fibers. Consider repurposing linens at home like curtains, tablecloths and bedsheets for projects if you aren’t using them.
You can trace tissue patterns on parchment paper to help get more use from the patterns.
Independent patterns that can be printed at home may be a better choice to use as tissue patterns are delicate and sometimes single-use.
Start with repairs and alterations from your own clothing to master small skills slowly. Some easy repair and alter projects include hemming, taking in the waist, shortening straps, adding buttons and raising the neckline.
Threadloop.app is a good resource for patterns, reviews and sewing research and there are often many free patterns on blogs.
You can make your own bias tape with fabric.
Elastic thread is best for shirring since it’s stretchy. You can also buy pre-shirred fabrics for ease.
(Smocking vs shirring … smocking isn’t stretchy)
Don’t be afraid to sew for 5 minutes (sew a button, etc). Over time, you’ll finish. You don’t need much space for projects. If you can have a nook of stuff, you can accomplish more. Look at your family’s body characteristics – what typical alternations do you do for them? Little things will build confidence in sewing. Pick a project to make that you’re excited about.
Ask: What do I want to make? What do my clothes need? Why don’t I wear this? Remake it!
Sewing is just a life skill. And an example of one of those skills that everyone should have is to sew on a button.
Use embroidery thread for darning.
You can use a projector to cut your fabric rather than laying a pattern on top of it.
Presentation on Backyard Poultry
Why have backyard poultry? You can use them to transform garden scraps into eggs. Can also transform chicken and garden waste into resources.
Best breeds are dual purpose (ie. Rhode Island Red, Delaware, New Hampshire, Australorp, etc). Males would get large enough for a meat bird and retain females for eggs. Hybrid breeds come at risk of quality (blood spots and broken eggs). These are less resilient and docile.
Best way for chicks is online through mail. Hatcheries know how to ship chicks (McMurray hatchery is among the best). Spring/summer is the best time for chicks as the pullets will lay eggs as daylight lessens.
Ready to lay pullets are very expensive. Can look into local buy, but chicks are best to start from scratch. Feed stores are selling chicks, not chickens and won’t always be best for your needs.
Lowest cost feed (energy standard) vs. highest quality feed. The lowest cost might cost least in money but costs more in diseases. Look at the feed in the middle. Still prefer low cost feed that’s fresh vs. highest cost feed that’s rancid. Feed is important but it gets mitigated by garden scraps.
Chicks ship on the 1st day. Give them water right away by dipping beaks in water.
90-95 degrees for chicks. Decrease that temp as they get older. Adjust location or type of heat as chicks need. Chicks also need fresh air but not drafts.
Starter ration when they’re young and a slow transition to layer feed. Chickens will also need grit as they don’t have teeth. Chickens will need 2 lbs of grit per year.
If you don’t like any of the feed options available, ask feed stores what they can order in for feed. Can also order online from places like Chewy.
Transition chicks to housing. Laying starts around 20 weeks. This depends on when you start chicks and time of daylight. Make sure to increase protein during molt.
Chickens steal pigment from eye ring, beak, feet and shanks to put into eggs. About every 2-4 years, reintroduce new layers, cull old ones. Consider costs of maintaining chicks (time, feed, etc) and egg production.
Ideals of shelter.
Rest + sunshine pasture model (moved onto fresh ground everyday). UV exposure kills pathogens.
Vibrant decomposition – have chicks on top of compost pile. Greens are poultry manure and brown is the bedding. Laying chickens need to stir their bedding. You can tell when you need bedding (by smell, carbon). For a few birds, you’ll need supervision for pasture from aerial predators.
Greenhouse for chickens (captures heat for winter)
Nest boxes have to be above chickens’ eye level so they can’t look in or eat eggs. Need a 6 inch lip on top so they can nestle inside. Don’t allow chickens to have access to nest boxes during night. Fill nest boxes with uninteresting bedding so they don’t go in to play. The boxes should be dark. Have 1 nest box per 10 layers. Provide access to nest boxes in morning and restrict access at night. Daily chore along with feed/water.
Diseases stem from unhealthy environment. Chickens need clean air, water, feed. Apple cider vinegar in water and critical mite relief in a dust bath (1 part soil, 1 part sand, 1 part wood ash)
Small scale poultry flock book
Everything should be covered to reduce moisture
Ducks forage better than chickens. They love water for bathing. Provide water so they don’t just make a mess in their pen. Metzer Farms is best source for ordering ducks.
For layers (chickens), provide free choice oyster shell or aragornite (this is the gold standard for calcium supplement). They need calcium supplement for shells so they aren’t too thin. Also need sun exposure for vitamin d.
Roosters can detour some predators (usually are 20-30% larger or more than hens) and help with pecking order problems too.
May 2026 Meeting Minutes
Presentation on Rendering Lard and Tallow (2 Presentations this meeting)
Lard is merely pig fat. In 1918, Crisco was invented. Prior to that, lard was used. It is used to season cast iron, make soap and cook.
Rendering is simply melting. Lard comes in big strips from the butcher. Get fat into pieces as small as possible. When half frozen is the best time to cut. Could also put through a meat grinder. Butcher might even ground for you.
Lard rendering takes 3-4 hours from start to finish and is done in a small saucepan. This particular source was a Kune-Kune pig (a good homestead pig which gets its food from surface, doesn’t root). Kune-Kune pigs take longer to raise and are good for clearing but not meant to be pets. They are good for the land and a good family breed but don’t produce good meat. Of the homestead animals (ie. cows, chickens, goats, etc), pigs are the easiest. Pigs store vitamin d in fat but they need to be kept outside in order to have rich vitamin d lard. Same with the tallow. Lard/tallow stays good for up to a year. Out on the counter, it lasts about a week.
Make sure the lard is completely cleaned before cooking. If it turns out to have too much pig flavor, use for soap. There are no strong odors while rendering.
First, chop your fat into small pieces (roughly 1×1)
Second, layer the button of a cool pot with chopped fat and turn the pot on LOW, stirring constantly until the pot has a thin layer of melted fat across the entire bottom.
Third, add the rest of the fat and stir… continuing to cook low and slow, stirring occasionally. Can do ¾ pot full. Don’t rush through. (There are crockpot recipes but you have more control over heat on the stovetop)
Fourth, Very Important. Continue cooking and stirring until there are no longer any bubbles and the cracklings (leftover chunks) are a nice golden brown. (The bubbles are the moisture coming out) (don’t use the water method – it allows more chances for bacterial growth)
Fifth, Scoop out the cracklings with a slotted spoon onto a plate covered with a paper towel to drain. Salt to taste and enjoy warm as a snack. Store cracklings, once completely cooled, loosely packed in a ziplock bag in the freezer.
Sixth, have a sterilized canning jar and lids ready. Set the canning funnel in a jar and the metal strainer in the canning funnel, and line with a clean cotton cloth, muslin or a coffee filter. Always use metal, not plastic as it will melt.
Seventh, Ladle the very HOT melted fat into the jar through the cloth and strainer to remove any remaining bits of cracklings. Color will be yellow in can, if it doesn’t turn pure white, it was cooked too long.
You know it is done when there are no bubbles and cracklings are present.
Eighth, Fill the jar to the top and immediately cap each jar. Wipe rim with vinegar before capping. This step is MESSY. Temp change will help vacuum seal it.
Ninth, Set jars to cool. 16 hours to overnight.
Tenth, Store lard in a cool, dark pantry or in a refrigerator or a freezer. Once open, it is best to use lard within a week if left at room temperature, but will remain good for up to a year, open, in the fridge
Presentation on Maintaining our Spirituality in a Busy (even Homesteading) Life
I’m going to start this talk by caveating all of this. I am not a priest, I have no authority, and my training is minimal. So by all means consult your pastor if you have any issue with anything I say. I didn’t cite anything as that would have taken longer than the two hours I had to spare to write this. But if you want to learn more about where I’m getting my points, I’ll be happy to point you to various books, but a good chunk of it is St. Alphonsus Liguori, particularly his Uniformity to God’s Will
To know, love and serve the Lord in this life and to be happy with Him in the next. This purpose in life from the Baltimore Catechism applies to us whether we’re working in an office or on a homestead.
To know: the study of God is important in as much as it helps us to love Him. This does not mean that we need to be theologians or to study for the sake of pride. Rather, we are to get to know the person that we hope to spend eternity with. Scripture obviously is a good place to start, particularly the daily readings for mass, but so is learning from those who loved Him best, namely the saints.
Practically, what this can look like is reading to your family during or after dinner or before bed. It doesn’t have to be long. 15 minutes would be a good goal. Butler’s Lives of the Saints, the unabridged version, would be the largest, most comprehensive guide of the saints’ lives and the highest quality. It even includes little meditations on the qualities of the saint. Some saints have written their own bios such as Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux, and Faustina; some saints have written bios of other saints such as St. John Bosco who wrote about St. Dominic Savio. But it is not just the knowledge of God through secondhand means that is necessary. To really know someone, we must spend time with them. By this of course I mean prayer. Prayer is not only a recommendation, it is necessary for your own salvation. Many saints speak about the necessity of spending time in meditation lest you be damned. In the secular life, this doesn’t look the same as in a monastery but we need to be speaking to God for a scheduled time (20-30 min) each day. This is particularly true for fathers. As the head of the household, they need not only to lead and set the example but they are to form their children’ s view of God. And as such they have a greater obligation to know and model themselves after Him. We should train ourselves through practice, to have our minds turn to Him whenever we aren’t occupied by responsibilities. Even those responsibilities should be couched in the understanding that they are an offering to God. This produces a tranquility that is firm, and untroubled by the day to day cares, allowing us to maintain patience and a mind open to God’s will. Our mind then will turn to God in times of free time instead of our phone, the news, or unnecessary conversation.
To love: To love means to sacrifice for the good of another; in particular this means yourself. You sacrifice your own desires, your time, your dreams, your very will for the good of someone else. This is easiest to understand in our relation to God as we conform our will to His. There is a joke with farmers that it is always too wet or too dry – the weather is never perfect for them. For the Catholic, for someone who loves God, the weather and everything else is always perfect for it is as God wills. This is why when good or bad comes our way, we are to accept it with holy indifference. This doesn’t mean that we can’t pray for changes in our – particularly our neighbor’s –circumstances. But it does mean that we are to accept whatever happens. And patience and frustration are signs that we need to grow in this area. For the homesteader, in particular, there is a temptation to set up future plans as an idol. That property you’re waiting to buy, those cattle you’re trying to raise: all these expectations you have… will you accept God’s Will for them? This is a test of our love for Him.
To serve: At a minimum, to serve God means to be obedient to His church. As we grow in our knowledge and love of God, His Will becomes more sensible/ knowable. This gives us more opportunity to serve Him as we better understand what His Will for us is. This of course still has to be in accordance with the church teaching and in obedience to our pastor. Our state in life also dictates how we are to serve God.
Again, our day to day responsibilities should be worked with their supernatural ends in mind: ours and others’ sanctification, and for the love, honor, and glory of God.
I will place Trust in God under Serve, since it isn’t specifically called out. I already spoke about accepting God’s will which is inherently tied to this, but I think trust in God belongs more to our service to Him than our Love that is owed Him because our service depends inherently on Him. A big temptation of homesteading. or even desiring to, is stressing over the future. How will I pay for the farm? Another baby? Deal with this injury or illness? Help this relative? It can make prayer, much less our lives, difficult. We need to entrust the future, and even the current moment, to God. We can’t let ourselves obsess over these things and have them turn our hearts from God. We have to trust that He will provide the funds, time, healing, and grace that we need and work on being ready to receive it.
In short, if we don’t live our lives now to be with God in our thoughts and our actions, so too will we be absent from Him in Hell in the next.
January 2026 Meeting Notes
There was a presentation given on pig farming and a handout on funding from USDA.
Pigs are more efficient than cows due to quicker growth and meat processing. 10 months after bred, the owner could have 10 finished pigs. While bigger animals like cows take 22-24 months. Therefore, more pigs in less time.
Comparing a steer to pig meat yield is roughly 1400-1500 lbs for a finished steer and 5 pigs are about the same size, but those 10 pigs will mean twice as much meat as a steer.
12 months for a feeder calf vs. 6 months for a feeder pig.
Pigs are recyclers like chickens. They can be used in the garden for crop digging after harvesting. While there are complaints about the stink, pigs are one of the cleanest animals – they don’t want to mess up their feeding and sleeping places. The stink comes from the mismanagement of manure and making sure it doesn’t get too wet. Good drainage is needed for the pen. Mud is the easiest way to keep pigs cool since they don’t sweat. They need shade and sprinklers and the smell can be mitigated with fans.
It is important to make sure fences are set up well as pigs like to escape. They need to be kept calm/ not stressed and they’ll stay. Pigs do like to stay put but the easiest way to make them move is to motivate them by food. Plywood on sides to make a funnel for moving facilities.
Certain pigs can have a high parasitic load but it comes down to proper cleanliness management and pasture rotation.
Some pork products do require more know-how like curing bacon.
Pigs may have been frowned upon in the Old Testament because they are recyclers (can be seen as dirt) if not managed well and they look dirty.
Some great resources for pig raising:
Storey’s Guide to Raising Pigs
Practical Farmers of Iowa
Iowa State University Extension (Iowa is the hog state)
https://www.usda.gov/farming-and-ranching/financial-resources-farmers-and-ranchers/grants-and-loans
Farm Loans
Housing Assistance
Rural Development Loan and Grant Assistance
Loans for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
Livestock Insurance
Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
Farmers Market Promotion Program
Organic Cost Share Program
Loans for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
https://www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/beginning-farmers-and-ranchers-loans
USDA Notes
https://www.fsa.usda.gov/tools/informational/fact-sheets/loans-beginning-farmers-ranchers-2025
Offers various loans to buy property (up to $600k), cover operating costs (up to $400k), micro-loans (up to $50k), and others.
• Has not operated a farm for more than 10 years;
• Substantially participates in the operation;
• For farm ownership loans, the applicant cannot own a farm greater than 30 percent of the average size farm in the county, at time of application.
• If the applicant is an entity, all members must be related by blood or marriage, and all entity members must be eligible beginning farmers
The Downpayment Program requires:
• Cash down payment of at least 5 percent of the purchase price.
• Loan amount limited to 45 percent of the least of:
– The purchase price of the farm;
– The appraised value of the farm; or
– $667,000 ($300,150 maximum).
– 20 years loan term.
– Interest rate is 4 percent below the direct farm ownership rate, but not lower than 1.5 percent.
Rural Development Loan and Grant Assistance
Various grants and loans. Can search by state and program: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs
Nebraska:
Value Added Producer Grants in Nebraska: Bring a new product to market and they’ll help you fund the production.
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/value-added-producer-grants/ne
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program in Nebraska: This one is a bit confusing, but it seems like you could use it to get training or buy equipment, or even pay of debt up to $100k, but requires 15% down.
In general, there are several programs for housing, but they seem to apply to only low or very low income families.
There are various water and waste water programs.
October 2025 Meeting Notes
A member shared her herbal remedies for cold/flu season. She recommends using Homegrown Herbalist for supplies and online classes. Reference books are best used for herbs/remedies and growing one’s own herb garden is a bonus. Herbs can be mixed with apple juice to make them more palatable, especially for kids.
No bulls or goats are owned and family is learning to recognize when cows are in heat. Flies are a big issue with cows. One place to purchase cows is from a creamery. Mature cows will continue calving for about 12-15 years and there are generally 15 years of milking for a cow. Biggest maintenance for them are their hooves. Since there are two cows, the bossy one goes to be milked first. Cows can back up, but cannot go down stairs. They are herd animals and any homestead considering a cow will need to account for two. They take about an hour to milk, but most of this is sanitizing the bottles, equipment and cow in order to keep the milk clean.
For free ranging chickens, investing in black breeds can detour birds of prey since the black chickens look like crows to them. Chickens will eat snakes and mice. A recommended quality feed is Wagon Wheel.
June 2025 Meeting Notes
Meeting began with a prayer to St. Isidore. An intro to the Catholic Land Movement and its purpose was given and followed by an introduction of the members present.
There is a need to make it simple for people to find land, resources for grant money, etc. Could seek help from Catholic realtors at church. Are there any families in the movement that would parcel land?
Perhaps land could be found by people in town and we would want to establish a personal network to do that. There are also government programs for buying agricultural land. But, in order to make a living off of the land, there is a need to do something unique that is non-industrial. One family bought land through a lawyer and made an agricultural shop where local things were sold.
When trying to make connections, we have different skill sets to use. When we’re starting, we need to be a grassroots movement and recognize what we can’t do. This movement needs a network of those we can talk to and need to connect no matter what we’re doing. Goal is to buy rural land, but still want access to TLM.
There is a need to regenerate soil after bio-engineered crops and to return to rotational farming.
Weston A. Price Foundation https://www.westonaprice.org/#gsc.tab=0
A member with land volunteered to provide space to meet in the future. Details to when the next meeting and its focus will be forthcoming. Discussed having meetings/workshops quarterly.
Members discussed some of the things they would love to see from the group which included: learning about old, durable technology (stick shift, old cars, short wave radio), horseback riding, tours (like a blacksmithing shop in Omaha), make real root beer.
Could be open to small Catholic businesses. Learning to farm and grow produce seems to remain the basis of the movement.
On the website, there is a goal to have local events posted, a monthly theme and skills/resources for it.
There is lots of talent in the group and we have a good starting point. Homeschoolers and CLM folks are more independent and not shy about sharing.
We want to bring in someone from the Nebraska Extension Office. One of NEO’s great resources is The Backyard Farmer show. Kimmel Orchard has gardening/pruning classes. If you call NEO, they can answer basic gardening, etc. questions.
Omaha Public Library has seed sharing (15 seeds to order per month) and they are heirloom seeds. The Extension Office will have similar.
Resource page will be on the website. Please send local things to nebraskacatholiclandmovement@gmail.com to be shared.
Meeting concluded with The Angelus.
