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About Our Family

Hi, we are Sarah & Peter Milcetic of Better with Thyme Farm! On our farm we focus on working with Creation and the wisdom of God’s design. Stewarding our land and animals for God's glory gives us hope and freedom for the present and eternity.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. -John 15:4

The Hub

Introducing the Holistic Homesteaders Hub! Our mission is to create a network of breeders, buyers and service providers dedicated to stewarding our animals for their optimal wellbeing, rearing our animals as close to nature as possible and incorporating natural remedies only as needed.

Please join us inside the Hub!

We Love Thyme

We love thyme. With seemingly endless varieties of this aromatic, delicious, medicinal, flowering evergreen ground cover we thought it was a perfect namesake for our farm. We especially loved creating a play on words that reflects hope, regeneration and abundance.

Homestead Cleanup!

Are you frustrated with greenwashed cleaning supplies? Or maybe you're not sure where to begin with cleaning your home and homestead naturally? Learn more about the ONLY cleaning supplies that meet our holistic standards for our homestead!

Learn more

Our Favorite Herbs & Spices

Any herbs & spices that we need but don't grow ourselves, we buy from Mountain Rose Herbs! The first time we smelled their garlic powder, we realized they offer the best bulk herbs you can buy and we've loved every herb and spice we have purchased from them - both for ourselves and our animals!

When you order your herbs through the link below, we get a 10% commission (and there's no extra cost to you). We can also help you create your own link so you can get commission too, just ask us how!

Shop Our Favorite Organic Herbs & Spices
The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.
-Psalm 85:12

Great Pyrenees Livestock Guardian Dogs

About our Dogs: Why Great Pyrenees Livestock Guardian Dogs

About Our Puppies ~ Available Puppies ~ Previous Puppies ~ Puppy Questionnaire

Natural Rearing Resources: Resources for your dog’s health and longevity

Shop Wellness for Livestock & Guardian Dogs

Puppy Testimonials

Ron has been the absolute best blessing we could’ve asked for in a dog. He really has been such a wonderful addition to our family and we thank you so much for raising such an amazing pup in a child friendly house.

― Caitlyn

Most of the photos and videos are of us on adventures. She is a dream come true and I love every second with her. 

― Katherine

Apollonia has surpassed any of our expectations.  We love her so much and could not imagine being without her!!! We continue to feed her a raw food diet. She has had zero health issues!

― Niccole

Appa has been perfectly healthy since we’ve had him and I attribute that to the raw diet! We can’t thank you and your family enough for trusting us to take care of him! As well as being an inspiration for a healthier and more wholesome life.

― Zach

Our Heritage & Rare Breed Poultry

Ameraucana ~ Bresse ~ Cream Legbar ~ Splash and French Black Copper Marans ~ Lavender Orpington ~ Silkie ~ Silverudd’s Blue

Recent Reviews

  • The Holistic Homestead Course
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Kaitlyn W.
  • Lavender Orpington Hatching Eggs
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Mike
  • The Holistic Homestead Course
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Brooke
  • The Holistic Homestead Course
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Alina
  • Silkie Hatching Eggs
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Tiffany
  • Silkie Hatching Eggs
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Deems M

Hours & Info

Located in Shepherdstown, WV

Phone: (240) 805-3618

Email: send us an email

Hours: by appointment only

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Latest Blog Posts

  • Cutting our chicken feed bill by 65%September 26, 2023
    When we first started with three hens in our urban backyard, we bought the best feed we … Read more
  • New cow arrived with a highly contagious infection, here’s what happened…August 14, 2023
    In this post you'll learn all about pink eye in cattle, how to recognize it, how to treat it naturally and how to hopefully prevent it from occurring in the first place. We share the full story below of how we went from very distraught about the potential damage to our entire herd to thinking about pink eye holistically.
  • Monthly News July 2023July 7, 2023
    July 7, 2023 It’s July! And my last update was in March! Typical that spring and summer … Read more

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What would you pick for a shade tree in front of a What would you pick for a shade tree in front of a house - a fruit tree or a flowering tree? When construction wrapped up in 2018, we chose two plum trees to flank our front door and provide dappled shade to the front of the house, hoping they would stay small enough to not drop leaves on the roof or cause any damage to the house in storms. The trees struggled to survive in the post-construction backfill soil and hot southern exposure. By year three the cultivars were tiny twigs but the rootstock took off and was providing the shade we wanted. We planned to phase out these trees little by little after planting new trees later this fall. Now we have a hole to fill right away since one of them broke off at the base after back to back severe thunderstorms. We’re thinking to try either apple trees or flowering dogwood trees and hoping they’ll survive since we’ve made a lot of improvements to the soil! Which would you choose?
Coming and going! This is my view when I go out Coming and going! This is my view when I go out to the cows and when I let them through to the next paddock. Thankfully Micah bred both cows before I gave Orion some pruned mulberry branches to munch on, since he managed to pin his hot wire to the ground with one. Of course he made a beeline for the girls that had the other bull with them annnnnd their fence was off. 😑 So most of the cows are back together and the three bulls (ages 1 1/2, 1 and 2 months) are all getting along just fine. (We expected they would since the mini bulls in the bigger herd our cows descended from have always gotten along. There is a clear order but no aggression.) Now we just need Starlight to catch back up and we’re still TBD on when to reintegrate Mint Leaf, who joined us at the beginning of July. There’s a story behind her being separated for another day… 😅
We’re doing something slightly crazy! We have tw We’re doing something slightly crazy! We have two cows in milk right now but we started a Whole 30. We were dairy free for 8 years but once we started milking our cows we never looked back and it feels very strange to have no fresh milk in our fridge after 3 years. We did take a break from milking the winter before last but had saved up butter and cream. This time we’re going completely dairy free, as well as going back to grain free and sugar/sweetener free. The grains and sugar are a much smaller part of our typical diet but still an adjustment. I’m kind of pumped for a reset since it’s been years since the last time we did one. Every time we’ve done a Whole 30 in the past it starts out with a lot of hunger the first couple days until we adjust to getting enough calories elsewhere (we add in more broth and more fat with foods like avocados and ground beef to help with that.) Next around day 4 comes the phase where you get angry super easily as our bodies are begging us for just a little bit of something sweet! 😅 Once we get past that it gets easier and we start feeling the benefits of the reset. Some things I’ve experienced in the past: - Stubborn fat disappears effortlessly - Mood and energy are more stable throughout the day - I feel like I have the patience to handle anything the kids can throw at me - Teeth feel super clean all the time without brushing I definitely want to reintroduce dairy from our cows when we’re done but I hope to try to stay off of grains and sugar in general. It will be interesting to observe any changes in any of our family members and what happens when we reintroduce dairy. When I mentioned this in my stories the other day the majority of people said they would not give up raw dairy or homemade einkorn foods. Would you do it even temporarily if you had the same benefits I have had before?
The cows ate enough of the hay bale we gave them f The cows ate enough of the hay bale we gave them for Rainbow to start climbing and playing on it! Also check out just how content Blackberry was without his mama for the first time yesterday. He quickly figured out that Moonbeam will let him have milk too and he grazes along with all the others. I knew I wanted to include hay in the paddocks this summer because of the slow growth we had without enough rain plus the two additional cows but I wasn’t sure how it would work to balance letting them finish most of the hay so we don’t waste a lot but not leave them in one place too long. It’s been just shy of a week, so it looks like it’s going to work out well to move them about once per week!
During Mulberry’s first lactation we did not hav During Mulberry’s first lactation we did not have her calf and we got all the milk, but since it was her first lactation it was around one gallon per day. Her second calf was born in December and he nursed without us milking for four months. When we started milking in the spring we realized Mulberry was making 2 gallons per day. She also started off the grazing season already thin and we had to work to keep her weight up most of the lactation. A year and a half later, she had her third calf in May. She’s making just shy of three gallons of milk this time around and she’s keeping her weight up beautifully on grass and hay. I also take her for a walk every day before milking and she grazes areas that are hard to fence in. It’s much more relaxing than mowing and puts the grass/plants to good use!
Happy Independence Day! We were spared the storm Happy Independence Day! We were spared the storm that was forecasted yesterday and got a nice rain and a double rainbow instead. Last year on the 4th of July weekend we did get a big late afternoon storm - it even took out our electric pole. We were very thankful for the men who came and set a new pole while we slept!
Our mama cows learned a new “command” recently Our mama cows learned a new “command” recently! The calves are about 6 weeks old and we’re still getting enough milk for now that we have not needed to separate them to let their udders get more full prior to milking time. There has been the odd day a calf nursed just before we were ready to milk and there was a lot less milk, but overall there’s still plenty for both of us without separating. We also have the mamas and babies in sheep net fencing since a single strand cattle fence doesn’t contain the calves. When I let one of the mamas out to be milked I have to stay for a second and fiddle with the fence to get it back in place and not let the calves follow her out. I started saying to the mama “wait for me” while holding the lead firmly before trying to fix the fence. I realized after a few days I could just say “wait for me” and she would stop walking until I told her I was ready. How cool is that? 😄
During the month of June I bought a few new-to-me During the month of June I bought a few new-to-me things recommended by friends here on Instagram that I’m so pleased with! If I could return the favor and recommend one thing that I think you will love and get so much out of, this would be it… My story with this product goes way back to when I was a brand new wife and homemaker, and I struggled with sensitivities to cleaning supplies and constant headaches. (Eventually I switched to cleaning with nothing but vinegar or baking soda because they were the only options that didn’t bother me, but I didn’t enjoy cleaning that way.) Even if you don’t notice any protest from your body, I promise most cleaners are not good for you to be breathing in. A few years ago I decided to give Thieves cleaner a try and I never looked back! Here’s why: - No frustrating negative symptoms/reactions - Concentrated so one bottle you buy makes about 30 bottles of cleaner - Pure plant ingredients plus quality essential oils that are great for cleaning surfaces and the air in your home - Rich, appealing aroma - Multiple uses all around the home and homestead During the month of July I’m challenging myself to share a new way to use Thieves every day (will be in stories). Whether you’ve never tried Thieves or you’re a raving fan like me, I hope I can share some helpful tips for your home and homestead. Today and tomorrow only Young Living is offering free shipping and I’m offering a $10 account credit for anyone who orders 100pv with my link. If you want to grab the Thieves home bundle it will qualify you and you’ll get the spray bottle like I’m using in the photo to make your cleaner in plus dish soap, laundry soap, scrubbing powder, hand soap and more for a Thieves clean home makeover! My link is in my bio or feel free to DM me with any questions etc. ❤️
We recently picked up the third ram that we plan t We recently picked up the third ram that we plan to use for our breeding groups. We hope to maintain a closed flock going forward and to get some white lambs from him. 🤞 We crossed two state lines to pick him up and had a wonderful day visiting another homestead with a very sweet and welcoming family who showed us all around their homestead! One of my favorite things about buying and selling livestock is the two way learning that happens every time we get together with other homesteaders. 🥰 One thing I learned was that you can plant asparagus right in your lawn and mow it every couple weeks to have fresh young asparagus all spring and early summer! 😮
Reason number one NOT to get a mini cow… DEBUNKE Reason number one NOT to get a mini cow… DEBUNKED! I spend a lot of time on education and I have noticed many people who teach about milk cows say you should not buy a mini milk cow. I’m so glad I didn’t start learning this perspective until long after we had our first mini cow! 😅 I have a big long list of why I prefer minis on our website but I thought I would start sharing here the reality of my experience with all those reasons they say not to get a mini! One common reason is that “you can’t fit a bucket under a mini cow.” Well here you you see one of our 40 inch tall mini cows with a milk bucket under her, and her udder is on the low side of what I would look for - they are not all this low! I love the way the bucket tucks right under her udder because I can hold it in place with my wrists while I milk if needed ( for example if she shifts her weight) and also because there’s not much space for flies or dirt or anything else to find their way into the milk! This week I added a lot of information to the holistic homestead course on udder conformation and choosing a cow with an udder that will serve you and her calves for many years to come, as well as information about how we holistically manage udders to prevent injuries and mastitis etc. If you want to know more about this check out the link in my bio for the holistic homestead course. 🥰
The mama cows and calves are currently being rotat The mama cows and calves are currently being rotationally grazed in sheep net since a single (or maybe even double) strand won’t contain the calves. Yesterday one of our ewes thought I was setting up the new adjacent fence for her flock and snuck in. She spent the day grazing with the cows and calves and everyone got along just fine. Mulberry (the mini jersey cow in the video) is about 40 inches tall. Babydoll sheep are between 18-24 inches but I have not yet measured Violet (the ewe in the video) to know exactly how tall she is. I’m guessing she’s about 20 inches. I should measure all our ewes!
We’re finally getting rain but the damage has be We’re finally getting rain but the damage has been done since we went over two months with almost no rain, during what is usually the wettest time of year here. Nothing grew back after the cows moved through their paddocks and we’re about to move them to the last paddocks in the rotation too. Every year sure is different.
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