Farm Buildings

October 9, 2012

Farm Changes

Wow where does time go? The frost is literally on the pumpkins this morning!

We took a break blogging about the time Amanda took a much needed vacation to Canada, Daniel started back to college and the construction began on the farm. I took a few days off and we also hosted a few painters from the Ohio Plein Air Society who were in the area one weekend in September. The vistas continue to take our breath away regularly as we work and walk the dogs around the fields.

In the big barn we now have a beautiful cement floor, windows, a second small chicken coop, and stalls to bring the animals in as needed.  Doors and windows are being installed, with a new coat of paint to the roof. 

Additional work completed thus far is the reinforcement of all the perimeter fences and the wall of the dam of the farm pond. We took down the lean-to that held our extra tools, hay, woodpile, Scott’s car and more.  It was moved and all the metal was recycled to create an even larger one in an area closer to the barn. 

In its place is going the final building we have been dreaming of.  Scott is getting a real garage for his car and truck, then the office and bunkhouse for the farm hands, freezer/cooler and the dream of a lifetime a heated greenhouse.  We hope to be able to offer kitchen herbs year round as well as getting an earlier start on the summer gardens.

Additional items will be a wood burner to heat new office and greenhouse, and a cistern to catch and filter rain water, to water our gardens catching the rain from the house, barn and all the other buildings we now have.  We are finally getting off the grid….at least  a bit. 

Our two bee hives have been inspected and deemed healthy by the state agriculture bee inspector.

We hope to be selling some honey next spring.

The two surviving Guinea Fowl are now free ranging and enjoying surveying the construction and harassing the construction workers.  Guinea are great for eating bugs (esp. Ticks!) and being sentries for other animals for predators.  Their calls are hard to explain, except loud and obnoxious...

The portable solar electric fences are doing well as the sheep and cows are now being moved regularly to keep them in healthy greener areas for their best nutrition.

We have started going to the Wednesday Farm Market as well as Saturdays.  Our mixed salad greens are doing well, we have small decorative pumpkins, green peppers, turnips and more.  We have set a date for the butchering of the lambs and bulls in the next few weeks.  Fresh lamb meat will be available by Thanksgiving and the beef will be coming in December after it ages a few days.  We appreciate your support and are looking to offering even more pesticide free food to you in the coming years.

If you cannot make it to the market please feel free to call me at 740-541-4190 and arrange a time to come to the farm and get your food or we can also deliver. 

Wishing you all Sunshine and Happiness, Judy