Spring 2014

June 18, 2014

Where does the time go?

Wow I started this entry a month ago today and am just getting back to my computer to finish it.

Spring is nearly over and we waited for the final frost to start getting our summer vegetables in the ground.  the potatoes (Blues, Reds, purples) are planted on the hillside above the blueberries and below the red Raspberries this year, as we regularly rotate our crops. 

Last years Garlic patch has most of our cold weather plants- cabbage, brussel sprouts, brocolli, and Onions.

The Sweet potatoes and pumpkins are going above the Bee Hives where we had peppers, basil and others last year.

The Open House April 28 was a huge success with 70-80 VISITORS coming by in a FOUR-HOUR window.  Scott was able to show off his woodshed and outdoor WOODBURNER, WHICH heats our new buildings.   A few folks did hike to the pond and back.  Most enjoyed the barn with the lambs and new calves. 

We now have nine bull calves, Holsteins and Jerseys from local Dairy’s that work with Snowville Creamery.  Four just finished their daily formula, the other five are already in the pasture and doing well.  We sent our last two bulls from last year to the butcher this week.  So our beef will be limited again in a few MONTHS…SO purchase it early!

We had an Eighth lamb the evening of April 28, after everyone left.  Miss Cecilia, the runt lamb that we hand fed last year because her mother did not have enough milk gave birth in the evening.  Because she really was not mothered she had no idea what to do. 

I found the lamb the next morning in the barnyard all cleaned and looking for its mom, following the dogs around. Jasper and Jade, the Pyrenees had taken care of the newborn and she was literally sucking on their long hair looking for milk. Once I assessed the situation and called in Celeste Taylor again and she helped me to connect Mom and Baby.  Cecelia was put on a halter in the barn and the baby quickly learned to Suckle when Mom is standing still and eating.  After a few Days the Mom realized the baby was hers, and the relief to have her milk suckled regularly and both Lamb (Miss April) and Cecilia are in the field with the rest of the flock.

Our beehives were checked a few weeks ago by the local state inspector.  The bees survived the winter but swarmed and left.  Then Robber bees came through and actually stole the honey. I have no bees and no honey. I have so much to learn about Bee keeping. I feel like this is my weakest link on the farm, though I have lots to learn in all area.

Gratefully all of our perenials survived- Blueberries, Raspberries, Asparagus and horseradish-the winter was tough, but they are tougher.  The fruit trees seem to be in good shape with a few apples and pears, but no peaches this year. So we are so glad to get the winter over and on with life. We have already harvested the cherries, a couple pies, a couple batches of Jam, and some in the freezer and extras going to workers and friends who dared to climb the tree and or ladder! 

Hope everyone is having a great summer and enjoying this warm weather while we have it. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Athens Farmers Market Saturday

9-12noon.   We will be starting to go to the Wednesday market soon, and will be at the Thursday Evening Market starting in July. 

Thanks again to everyone that came to the open House. 

Judy

After Eighteen Months of Construction...

the buildings are almost finished.

In the photo below you can see the changes and additions made.  Left to right, The barn was painted brown and Roof repainted a lighter color, to reflect the light and cut down on the rust.  Recycled windows were put in to give natural light.  Electric and second had Gymnasium lights were put in the barn to light it up in the dark of winter. Doors were put on East and West ends.  A new chicken coop was added to start pullets.  The floor was cemented and divided stalls were put in with doors to each area.

To the right of that is the Wood Shed.  A former cement pad was used and extended, and metal was recycled from the lean to storage areas next to the garage. These were all repainted the brown to match the barn with a new light colored roof.  Next there is the outdoor woodburner which heats the greenhouse, a two story classroom/gallery including a kitchen, office, bedroom, bathroom and Scott’s two-car garage.  Gratefully Scott likes to cut wood and we still own property full of hardwoods.

Continuing to the right is the 1000 Sq foot greenhouse, which is more of a florida room. At this time only half of the greenhouse has plants and the other has tables for workers to enjoy the warmth and natural light in the winter while planning for our next season.

Attached to the Greenhouse, also wheelchair accessable is the two -story classroom/gallery, and kitchen and bathroom. A space for a future walk in Freezer and cooler.  Upstairs is an Office, lounge area and bedroom. Again we used as much second hand/ recycled appliances, windows and doors as possible.

Scott has been enjoying the heated two -car garage this winter for his cars and the pick up.  He is still debating putting some gym equipment in this area in the future as it has a great view of the pond and an attached patio where the back up Generator is.

The final big addition is seen as basically a large concrete pad, but in fact is a 23,000 gallon cistern collecting and filtering the rain water from the roofs of all the buildings including the house.  After the Derecho and Drought of 2012, we felt this was a necessity, as we used at least 23,000 gallons of water one month that year for the animals and to irrigate our plants.

I think I am most proud of being able to serve this Multi filtered water to our guests, use it on our plants and to water our animals. Its analysis is

·      Hardness 0.23 gpg (3.5 wastes SOAP, causes scales to clog pipes and heaters);  PH 7.1 (indicates slightly alkaline);   Iron, Magnesium, Tannins:  0.00 ppm;  Sodium Salts 39 calc ppm (over 250 ppm affects taste);  Total Dissolved Solids 43 ppm (EPA suggests a 500ppm as a maximum contaminant Level);  Everything else: Turbidity, Color, Suspended Matters, Iron Bacteria, Odor are all at 0.00 levels.

Final touches of lights in the classroom/gallery and kitchen are to go up this week.  Odds and ends will be finished and we can move to continue to have classes.

Please mark your calendars for some up coming activities.

·      March 20- Thursday ‘s, 10-12noon, Painting classes with Jeff Risner  $15 per Class.

Lunch will be available for a $10 fee usually including a soup, salad and savory. Feel free to bring a bag lunch if you prefer.  The green House is quite warm and balmy at this momment and will be where we will have class during inclement weather. Park in Front of Green House & Barn if you can. 

·      Open House- Saturday April 26, 12-4 pm. Come see all the babies!  The lambs will be in the barn by then.  We are also getting some new Bull Calves that are always adorable.  Tours and hiking around the farm and pond encouraged.  It will be a great time to get out and hopefully enjoy some spring weather in the country.  I will try to have my staff there to explain all that we have done.

My goal for this year is by harvest season to have regular Classes re: canning and Freezing vegetables and fruits. And by September go into some craft classes and sewing classes to go back to the basics.  When I was growing up Canning and Freezing was a big part of my family experience. I also used to make all my own clothes while in High School.  I want to start doing that again.  I will keep you all informed. I am also looking for people that would like to do some teaching…crafts, cooking, basket weaving, woodworking, etc.  With the current economy I want to offer classes to people to save Money and be more self sufficient.

Gratefully we have survived the 12 snow storms of the winter.  So far lamb count continues at 7, three ewes and four rams.  All Moms and lambs are healthy and doing well.  Last year we lost at least two Moms and their babies just during lambing, it was hard to deal with. Check out the following videos of the lambs and their energy.

This week we learned that Sheep like Humans can have lack of protein affect their wool.  The wool was coming out in large clumps, similar to hair falling out. With all the ewes either pregnant or lactating, the fields covered with snow, and continued cold some of their wool is coming out in clumps.  We are now giving them more grain to maintain their protein levels as they continue to get through this winter.

We are down to three bales of hay from 2013, our freshest and most nutritious that have been kept in the barn.  I have a few bales from 2012 that the tarps have blown off but we can still have the dry hay in the middle. Again this will be lower on the nutrition scale and we will be continueing to give high protein grain to supplement their needs.

We are still planting seedlings in the greenhouse for spring planting and to sell at the Athens Farmers Market.  The Executive Committee there is still trying to make a decision to where we will be moving to as of April 1.  There are some very hard decisions that must be made.  I trust their judgement as this is not an easy decision, and there are many pros and cons to each possible new site.

I am just looking forward to getting out to see all my customers again after two months post knee replacement.  It is going well but I do not seem to get my stamina back as much as I did when I was younger.

We will have beef for sale again March 15 at the Athens Farmers Market.  All Pasture fed here at the farm.

Please mark your calendars and keep and eye out for further classes available.   I will be assisting with a number of Saturday classes for a few weeks but will have my staff there with Eggs, Beef, garden plants and fresh herbs to sell.  Enjoy!

February 7

It’s a girl!

January 26 we had our first lamb of the season born on a Sunday afternoon.  

Mom is Goldie One Ear, one of our oldest ewes.  Mom and Lamb seem to be doing well until monday evening, just as the sun was setting when I saw Jasper the houdini pup playing with the lamb like it was his personal toy.

The next day, we put Jasper into the barn to give the Mom and Baby a rest.  We started giving mom some extra feed, minerals and a mixture of molasses with stinging nettle tea to help with Anemia problems, increase the immune system and help her to increase her milk production. (Stinging nettle tea is great for everyone.  I have been drinking it the last few weeks myself.)  Everyone seemed to be doing well; even with the -17 degree temps last week. 

We continue to keep extra bales of our freshest hay near the shelter area to help as wind breaks and give the sheep a chance to eat the hay when the ground is covered with snow and ice.

Monday morning this week with at least 7 inches of snow on the ground all of my help were stranded by the weather and I am not steady enough on my feet yet, after this knee replacement to go out into the field without a chaperone.

By 5 pm I made it to the barn to feed the chickens, check on the cows and guinea fowl, then prepared food for the sheep and the two pyrenees.  Scott came in just as I was going to the field. 

We made it to the field but the baby lamb was nowhere to be found.  Feeding the adult sheep and the dogs as a distraction I found the lamb resting in the hay in the lean to shelter.

It was weak, thin and limping a bit in the back right leg.

I called my Sheep expert, Celeste Taylor who came straight over with her medicine bag and expertise.  She examined both Mom and Baby and acknowledged the Mom has limited milk production and the baby maybe showing signs of hunger and muscle weakness.  We put a warming jacket on the baby, gave it a dose of selenium, some B vitamins and a supplemental bottle.  Mom got a drenching of molasses and Stinging nettle tea. 

Tuesday morning Jasper, who had been allowed back in the field over the weekend, was taken back to the barn.  HE had quit playing with the lamb, but seem to be focused on herding them, almost to the point of stalking, as Mom and Lamb would try to have some quiet time.  I am sure that was not helping things.

Baby Lamb and Mom have really done well the rest of the week. The bottle supplement and warming coat seem to be helping also.

It seems like a really long winter already, esp being pretty much confined to the house with the knee replacement.

Scott has been great with extra chores and keeping me in ice for the knee.  Gratefully his employees gave him the box set of the BBC/PBS series “Doc Martin” and we are almost up to the fourth season…enjoying the sunny countryside of Cornwall, England and a General Practitioner that has horrid bedside manner.

 JJ spent a few days helping me when I got out of the hospital and we started the HBO Series “Game of Thrones.” I read the five book series starting the end of August, and at least have a clue to what is going on in this complex show.

I am looking forward to getting back to the Farmers Market on Saturday.  Missing the month of January recovering from the knee replacement has been great but I miss seeing all my friends and Customers.  Gratefully I have progressed well enough to get driving privileges at 24 days post op, as to the usual six weeks.

For the Market we have a few bulbs we have started that will be available for sale, as well as some pots of Arugula, cilantro and parsley for your kitchen to have fresh herbs at home. 

Our meat products are limited and are at half price at this time as we will be butchering again in a few weeks and need some freezer space.  We have some beef, lamb and mutton all sealed and frozen.

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday!   Judy

PS: To all the Artists out there we will be resuming our Painting classes and Lunch in March on Thursdays.  Jeff Risner has agreed to teach again. We have a cook and the green House is already set up with Tables for Rainy days and/or warmth as needed.  We are just waiting for the ice and snow to clear as well as the final work completed on our farm improvement project.  I will have more information as soon as possible.  J

January 24, 2014 Are you keeping warm?

January 24, 2014

Are you keeping warm?

I hope your Holidays were happy and you have good memories now that we have moved into the new year.

We celebrated Thanksgiving with Family in Lancaster and had a quiet Christmas and New Year on the farm. We entertained a few friends and relaxed with Family that could be with us.

I did minimal decorating this year.  I had planned on purchasing a live tree and planting it after the holidays but the time flew by and it did not happen.  We have several such trees between our two properties and it is fun watching them grow.

WE have a small table in the living room that i decorated with a basket of large pinecones and a holiday silk flower centerpiece.  In front of them on a red mirrored scarf that was a recent gift from family visiting India, I set up a nativity scene that my father-in-law carved and gave us when the children were young.  Next to it was a small bowl of white stones.

The white stones were in memory of Nelson Mandela who died in December.  When we purchased the farm in the early summer

of 2009 I had already planned a trip to South Africa.  We literally moved in and ten days later I was off for three weeks in South Africa with a group of Artists, sightseeing and visiting South African Artists from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

During that trip I visited Nelson Mandela’s home in Soweto, a few blocks from Desmond Tutu and later in Cape Town went to Robbin Island with my Travel buddy.  I stood in the cell where he had been held as a prisoner 27 years, walked the halls and yards.  The bus took us to the quarry where he and other prisoners were made to quarry White Granite.  I for some reason chose not to make the trek to the quarry but my friend and traveling buddy picked up a small piece of the quartz for me as a gift.  I was touched and brought it home and put it on my bedside table.

WE were still moving in and one day the stone disappeared.  I looked everywhere for it.  I was frustrated and upset. I blamed the workers who probably thought they had brought it in with the cuffs of their pants or shoes and simply threw the stone into the driveway.

After a few days I realized the futility of my anger. It would not bring that stone back and it was just a stone.  It represented a man who could forgive so many horrible wrongs.  It was just a stone.

I ended up collecting white stones from my driveway.  They fill the small bowl and remind me to not take life so seriously and forgive.  Life is too short for anger.

Yes, I still get upset but the stones remind me of so much.

WE lost a world renowned leader who taught us to forgive and take the high road.  There are so many amazing good people in this world who rarely if ever get acknowledged for doing the right thing.  We seem to hear only about the bad in the world.  We need to remember all of the good things in life.

In early January I lost another one of my Aunts.  My Mother’s younger sister, Kay.  She has always been a mentor. raising three sons and adopting two of my girl cousins.  She and Uncle John raised chickens, usually a small beef calf each year for butchering later, had a garden and canned and with the boys hunted with bows and musketloaders on an acre of land on the edge of a corn field.  She was always so upbeat and encouraging. She is missed.

On the way home from the funeral that friday I heard the news of the “polar Vortex” coming with the coldest temperatures we have had in 20 years.  I made it home and gratefully the ground was frozen enough to get my tractor in the fields to move fresh hay Bales into the fields to act as wind breaks to be rolled out later for the sheep.

The five bulls had been grazing in the front hay field but had no overhead structure for wind and weather protection.  I spent the next few hours preparing the barn stalls to put the bulls in. the cows are more susceptible to the cold weather than the sheep.

By the time the cold weather arrived Tuesday January 7 I did what I had been preparing to do for several months.  I entered the hospital for another knee replacement: The temps that morning were -8 that morning with wind chills to -16.

Gratefully the animals all survived the temperatures and we are prepared for the continuous cold weather.

Daniel is still going to the Farmers Market on Saturdays.

Eggs and dried basil are available.  The lamb we butchered in the fall has been all sold, but after checking with the health Department we will be selling lamb that was butchered late 2012 and is still in sealed packages.  That lamb will be half its original price as we would like to move it along. Usually any meat goes to half price after six month from butchering date at least for us. We also will soon have pots of herbs: Cilantro, arugula, basil and more. 

We will be butchering the bulls in February.  The spring crops of cabbage, kale, brocolli and more are coming up in the green house.

Stay warm and thank you all for all the calls and notes.  Judy