Thankfully it is May!

May 17, 2013

Wow it’s May!

This past couple months has been an emotional roller coaster on the farm.  We are committed to compassionate humane treatment of our animals but in spite of heroic efforts we have lost a few…a couple ewes and a few small lambs.  At the end of lambing we have a total of 19 now, 8 ewes and 11 lambs all born since January.

Miss Celia (See previous Blog) is doing well and is quite active.  She is still being bottle fed twice a day and is quite the jumper.  Watch this video!

We have 6 bull calves thanks to the Dix Family farm that are one of the Snowville Creamery Dairy farms (if I have my facts straight).

We have 27 new month old chicks in the far pen of the barn.

And still have the 30 plus hens still laying regularly.

The guinea fowl that usually hang out together are now going three in one.  I

am constantly looking around for a possible nest.  But so far am coming up with nothing.  I guess they will surprise us if there is really a hidden cache of eggs somewhere.

The Luna Moths are out now and I find them all over in the mornings as their wings dry out from the dew.   It is always a cheerful site.

The weather has started to cooperate a bit and we are slowly getting a few crops into the ground.  Tomatillos, Eggplants, Green Beans, Peas, corn, and potatoes are in so far. The Blueberries and Asparagus should be ready next year but are looking great.  The garlic and red raspberries are weeded and should be ready in a few weeks.

The three hives seem to be doing well after losing the bees in one of the hives this winter.  There are so many causes for the death of bees we are just grateful for new queens and a chance to keep up.  I constantly feel overwhelmed with so much to learn. It is a complex science that keeps changing.

Gratefully the frost has stayed minimal and the fruit trees look loaded…with only two peach, and pear trees we will try to get what we can to market but I have to admit they are my favorite.  Lots of apples will be on the way from our older trees.

Last weekend I skipped the Athens Farmer’s Market when went to New Brunswick Canada to support Scott in his bucket list of running half marathons in each of the Canadian Provinces.  Two down and a few more to go!  We gratefully had his cousin Tom Culver with us and got a chance to visit Fredericton Farmer Market.  Seeing fiddle heads and lobsters for sale at a farmers market was quite the treat.

See you Saturday at the Athens Farmers Market, 10-1.