Florida Panhandle Homesteader

About Tim

Trying to have as much fun as possible with life! I'm originally a sales engineer from the upper Midwest. My wife and I relocated to the Florida panhandle to homestead away from the snow and cold. We started TnF Farms as a hobby to sell the excess food we produce.

Entries by Tim

A well-deserved ribeye

11/17/2023/in Foodies, Let's Do Something/by Tim

Today was a good day. We sold some livestock and we’ve been doing some improvements to our property and construction for some of the new livestock we are getting. All this work makes for long days and fast moving weekends that are over too quickly. Today was no exception. We wrapped up a project by the outside lights of our garage and came in for the evening meal. I was pretty excited for a steak dinner. Faith was done and decided to just turn in early. So tonight I’m going to do a modified version of a great meal for 2 for less than $30. Instead, it’s a well-deserved ribeye dinner for one for less than $15.

Piglets born at TnF Farms

11/11/2023/in American Guinea Hogs, Farm Animals, Florida Living, Homesteading/by Tim

To our surprise, early this morning, she released her hostages. “Minnie” is a very stout female named for very short legs and when she’s not being instinctually protective of her babies, she is a sweetheart. Her past piglets have been very healthy and grow into muscular linebackers that integrate well into our herd. If you are interested in getting registered or unregistered piglets to start your own pig farm or to grow out, piglets should be ready for purchase as soon as mid-January of 2024. Please contact us to start the conversation of how you want your pig(s).

TnF Farms Backwoods Flapjacks

11/11/2023/in Foodies, Let's Do Something/by Tim

Today we will be working all day on the far part of our property. We’re going to load up our side by side with Dobby the farm dog, fencing materials and some water. We plan to make the most of our day and “call it” around supper time. So we are going for a breakfast that is very filling and nutritionally dense. Sounds like TnF Farms Backwoods Flapjacks are a perfect fit.

The Cluck-Worthy Truth

11/09/2023/in Farm Animals, Farmer's Market, Homesteading, Poultry/by Tim

It occurred to me when we were restocking our chicken feed that nobody has ever asked us for “proof” that we are feeding our chickens non-GMO feed. There is no regulating body that comes out and periodically checks and we’ve never had to send our eggs off for analysis. Non-GMO feed costs more. Non-GMO eggs can call for a mark-up over regular eggs.

What’s in the Pork You Eat?

11/06/2023/in American Guinea Hogs, Farm Animals, Farmer's Market, Homesteading/by Tim

At TnF Farms, we believe what you feed your livestock has everything to do with what you get in return. We can taste the difference in our pork especially over commercially raised pork. Quality in means great animal health. Our pasture and forest raised pigs finished out are healthy weight with muscle tone and seem to have an overall energetic or spry take on life. Not just big, fat and lethargic.

You need one of everything

11/04/2023/in Farm Animals, Florida Living, Homesteading/by Tim

Then the farm bug bit my wife and really sunk its teeth in. One of our neighbors really inspired her to farm way more than I ever imagined. All that existing farm stuff now needed to be repaired and modified to work with the new plan. Then we were off and going. Almost daily trips to Tractor Supply, Home Depot and Lowes, not to mention all the things being bought on Amazon. My dad and his brothers grew up on a farm. When one of my uncles came to visit and see our progress, he chuckled and said “You’re new farmers. You’re going to need one of everything.”

Firewood as a low cost heat source

10/19/2023/in Florida Living, Homesteading, Let's Do Something/by Tim

Last year we tried using our farmhouse fireplace to heat our entire home with our thermostat set in the 50s. With the exception of really cold nights, we made it without the use of our home’s electric heat. With our fireplace getting started in the morning and burning into the night, we consumed a lot of firewood. I really wasn’t prepared for how much we would use. This year, I’m way more prepared!

Non-GMO Free-Range Eggs

10/13/2023/in Farm Animals, Farmer's Market, Florida Living, Poultry/by Tim

TnF Farms is located just outside the idyllic town of Havana, Florida. Local residents and visitors are embracing a healthier and more sustainable way of life by seeking out non-GMO, free-range farm-fresh eggs. In this post, we’ll explore the quest for these premium eggs, highlighting the benefits of non-GMO and free-range practices, and where you can find these exceptional gems in Havana.

Florida gets cold too

10/11/2023/in Florida Living, Homesteading/by Tim

When Faith and I decided to relocate to Jacksonville, Florida, we donated most of our winter gear instead of packing it. We both figured most days we’d be in shorts and soaking up the sun at the beach. The first year we were in Florida, it was a pretty mild winter and there were a few jeans and light jacket days. Then we acclimated and understood our second Florida winter, why we saw people in quilted coats. But we still spent Thanksgiving at Key West and Christmas on the beach.

TnF Farms Jambalaya

10/08/2023/in Florida Living, Foodies, Let's Do Something/by Tim

I have had jambalaya a number of times since moving to the south. I think it’s pretty good. I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making some of my own. Porterhouse Meat Market has been featuring alligator crab boil bratwurst. In my experiments to really get this jambalaya dish to pop, I’ve had to visit Porterhouse a few times as my previous attempts have not measured up. Fawzi, the owner of Porterhouse has been kind enough to set a few packages of the alligator crab boil bratwurst aside for me as it seems to sell out fast.