This Past Week

Although the calender disagrees, it is officially summer over here. The weather has been mid 80's and we are getting quite a few pop up storms and heavy rain showers every week. Thankful for the rain.

The main pasture is ready to be cut for hay, we are just waiting for a dry spell of a few days. We have a farmer friend up the road who always cuts and bales the hay. Thankful for him and everything helps us do.

The beehives have built up quickly and we put a third hive body on each hive two days ago. Early spring and a heavy nectar flow all contributed to their quick build up. Hopefully they will continue to thrive here in my new blueberry orchard.

Here are a few pictures from the week that I snapped and want to share, a glimpse into my week here.

Devin helped me build dice for a yard Yahtzee game. Have you seen them on Pinterest? He used a drill press to make the dice holes. I painted them in black and then sanded and used poly on them. I made a set for us and a set for my sister. We played it yesterday and it was fun!

I have been sorting and washing Flickas's fleece. I am planning to lock spin it all and knit something with the yarn. Stayed tuned :-)

I have had several days with none of my teens here to help. I have been getting up early to take care of the chickens and pigeons and ducks first. I then come inside for coffee before going back out to milk. Two mornings ago I came in to find Rose feeding the baby chocolate pudding! You can say he was very happy!

My milking chores happened with the baby on my back. I like taking him outside so he can get some fresh air, sunshine and some experience with livestock. The milk cows are gentle and he really likes to be around them. My legs got a good workout too because I cannot bend over with Ace on my back. I must squat! My thighs were a tad sore after several days of squatting with that heavy baby on my back.

Devin's little dog, Luna, likes to jump on the bed and sit next to the baby. The baby likes to try and roll over to pull on Luna's fur. I like to take pictures of them together and send them to Devin when he is at work.

I bought two hanging ferns for my front porch this year and both have nests. Finches have taken up residence in both ferns. One has eggs that just hatched while the other just starting laying eggs.
I carefully take the plants down every other day and water them..and take a quick look at the developments.

Quinn is so busy with school and work that I literally only see her about an hour a week. She was off Memorial Day so I was able to catch up with her some. I also snapped a picture of her with the baby since I seem to have pictures of everyone holding him except her.

We went to my sister's house on Memorial Day to cook out and swim. It was the first time the baby has been in the pool. Indiana held him and he liked it until we put him in a baby float. Next time we will just hold him.

I hope everyone had a great long weekend!

Happy Tuesday Ya'll!

Mama Tired

The last 3 weeks have been exhausting for me. Literally. Exhausting.

Aside from the typical spring farm chores, I have spent a good deal of my energy cleaning up the front porch and attempting to sort fiber projects.

The porch is clean and ready for some serious and not so serious conversations and board games and the occasional reminiscing of happy memories.

New laying hens are officially moved into the egg mobile and the meat chicks are about to move to pasture.

We have cows happily grazing long blades of grass, a summer pasture area planted and wildflowers in the ground for the honey bees.

Did I mention that I am exhausted? This sweet baby has not been sleeping well which means I don't sleep hardly at all. I am typically a very upbeat and optimistic person but there is no tired like mama tired.

Mama tired makes you see your home as total disarray and forces you to question your very being. Isolation makes it all seem worse too. Why am I doing this again? What was the point of farming?

(sigh)

Mama tired. It literally drains the life and motivation from you. 

There was a short break in the mama tired yesterday evening. It was a reminder to "hang on."

There was, after a few days of heavy rain, a beautiful reminder that the sun will come out and the rain will dry up.

Why am I doing all of this?

Maybe because this boy and his siblings love it and need it. Maybe because being able to walk the land and raise animals is something we all need, really.

For just a few minutes the mama tired left me and I was able to appreciate the joy and beauty of family and farm.

Perhaps like me you are frustrated and weepy and ready to quit. Perhaps you too are exhausted. 

Mama tired.

Go ahead and cry and validate your sorrow, frustration and pain. You ARE exhausted. 

This life is not easy.

This life, however, is worth it.

Hang on.

Peace,

Sami

Doing the Best I Can

If I was a busy person a year ago I can honestly say that I feel busier these days but with less to show for it, except this little guy counts for 99% of my time.

          *Ace is wearing a sweet beanie knitted by my good friend Martha. It's made from angora yarn she spun from her bunnies.*

I had honestly forgotten how much time babies consume, and this guy is no different. Warm weather is on its way though and Baby Bear loves to be outside. The last 2 weeks have been busy here as we start the post winter, clean the crap from the yard and get ready for baby animals process.

We sent the remaining of our pigs to process and then started the much needed clean up of fencing. These pigs challenged fencing every single day. We had a mess of barbed wire and pallets. 

Once the pigs left we spent a day pulling up electric wire fencing from the woods and pulling up pallets. We plan to clean it all up and allow it to recover. We will not run pigs again until fall so that will give it time to recover and us time to run new electric wire.

We did have sad news when we discovered a heifer, who was due in April, had miscarried her calf.

Of course these things always happen in the dark, so finding her dead baby was nearly impossible. We discovered the heifer, Chance, with membranes dangling when we took hay out for the cows. 

Because I feared she might have a calf inside we called the vet, only the vet was on vacation. I was able to call another vet out and he confirmed she had miscarried. 

We gave her a shot of lutalyse to try and get the membranes expelled.

I was disappointed that we did not get a live calf but happy Chance was okay.

The next day we did find her dead fetus in the 20 acre field we rent. On the upside, she is milking well.

Her membranes finally expelled after 5 very smelly days.

The day after Chance lost her calf I woke up and decided to move Molly closer to the house. Molly was due any day and I was worried she might suffer same fate as Chance. 

I was happy to walk out and find Molly had calved during the early morning hours. She had a healthy bull calf, a wagyu cross, at her side.

We did move them both closer to the house, but Molly has been a great mama cow and her calf is doing great.

This is the first official start to my beef herd.

Between these happenings we had two birthdays to celebrate!

Quinn turned 19 years old! 

Indiana turned 17 years old!

We celebrated with a huge family dinner/party.

This week I am finally catching up and taking a deep breath. I am getting our lives back on a routine, no thanks to the daylight savings time change, and I actually went grocery shopping yesterday.

I cleaned out my fridge and was feeling good about my day yesterday. Have you ever just really felt like you had it all together as a mom? That was me yesterday......until this happened.

That is Zeb wearing overalls that are about 3 sizes too small. He refused to take them off too. 

When my girls were all little I was really good about keeping their clothes folded and tucked neatly in their drawers, and I was always good about switching out clothes seasonally and taking out clothes they had outgrown.

I don't know what happened when I had the boys. I honestly try not to enter their rooms for fear I will see something that needs purging or cleaning. Apparently I am past due needing to remove clothes they have outgrown.

Mom fail.

I redeemed myself by ordering both boys a new pair of overalls though.

Thank you Amazon Prime.

                                                     *Valentine soaking up some sun*

                                                   

It has been freezing cold here the last few days, but I am confident spring warmth will return soon, hopefully, because we are very low on hay. 

The cows are starting to shed their winter coats and the grass is really trying to grow.

Just a few more good days working outside and I think the yard will look decent again :-)

Now to spend the remainder of my day tending to this guy.

Happy Thursday Ya'll!!

Sami

The Atlanta Farm Store

This week I was able to venture out with some fellow lady farmer friends to Atlanta (with my baby in tow, of course.)

What is there to see in Atlanta? Well, lots of things, but we specifically wanted to visit Trader Joe's, the Dekalb Farmers Market and IKEA. 

We started the morning with a good breakfast at Cracker Barrel and then made our way south about an hour.

Trader Joe's is a store I really wish we had up here, of course I bought nothing but sweet foods so maybe I should rethink that desire. 

By far my favorite item there is the large container of ginger snap cookies. A friend this summer introduced me to the delicious cookies and I have craved them since! I bought 2.

The Dekalb Market was a new experience for all three of us ladies. It was very large and very crowded. It is a hot spot for any ingredient needed for any international dish. It was a treat to shop there, and I came home with some blue cheese, goat cheese and dark chocolate covered cashews. These are the main 3 food groups, by the way. 

Of course there is no store that can quite compare to IKEA. 

What happens when you send farm girls into IKEA? Well, we find uses for several items.

For example, this kitchen model would be great for processing chickens outside. Granted a lady or two looked at us like we were crazy while we discussed how useful this would be, but it would be nice.

If you are looking for a simple set up to process birds for your own freezer, check out IKEA. I think this set was $112.

The absolute best purchase of the day, however, was the milking stool. Who knew IKEA sold milking stools?

It was such a fabulous buy that we both, Laura and I, bought one. It came in several colors, but we both loved the pink.

It really spruces up the barn, right?

So if you are in the market for some farming essentials, don't forget to check out the nearest IKEA.

We had so much fun, and Ace was a fantastic passenger, that we are already planning another trip in a couple months.

Speaking of Ace, the boy is 4 months old today. He weighs in at 17.2 ! 

It's a nice day here and will be spring like all week. I am hoping we can get some outside chores done!

Happy Sunday Ya'll!

Greener Grass

I have found Fridays to be my one day to sit and enjoy the morning. Because of the many projects I am wrapping up before starting school and having this baby, I have been extremely busy.

One major project I started was to write up a junior entomology curriculum for the younger kids. I searched high and low for a bug program for the boys to no avail. Everything was geared for much younger kids, and Zeb is especially ready for something with more detail. I will post an update once I am finished.

                        ****One of many bugs Zeb has found around the farm and admired****



This was also a summer of no rain. It was very dry and hot until late July. We finally started getting some rain and the grass finally decided to grow.

In fact, it was too dry for a cutting of hay in June, but we should get a good cutting in a week or so. This should, along with all of the pastures, give us enough food for the cattle this winter.

A couple of days ago we moved all of the cows into the yard around the house.

                                   ****Valentine and Molly****


No fancy landscaping over here. I use cows to mow the lawn and I honestly do not care if they munch on bushes.
Not to offend anyone with beautifully landscaped yards, but I truly find more peace in watching my cows graze the yard. Grass based farming has so many advantages and we are blessed to have the ability to farm in this manner. Thank you Joel Salatin for all of the inspiration!

                       ****Baby Chance, who is not so much a baby any longer****


They were very excited to move to fresh grass and spent a good part of the moment jumping and bucking their way across the yard. We will let them graze a few days before moving them again.

Journee's elderly goat has spent each morning, now that they are cooler, basking in the morning sun on the drive. I have washed the drive twice this week of goat droppings, but it is a lost battle.

                   ***Brownie. One of the steers ready to process this fall***


Our next big project is too get a blueberry orchard planted. This would be an easy task, except we must fence the orchard to keep the cows from chewing down the bushes. Devin will be better able to tackle the project once Dragon Con is over.

We spent a good deal of time Tuesday sewing the finishing touches on some cosplay costumes for the Dragon Con event. I know it will be  great time for everyone attending.

Moving the cows, cutting hay and prepping school supplies must mean one thing: Fall is almost here.

It's time to soak up these last few days of summer and that is exactly what I plan to do this weekend.

Happy Friday Ya'll!!!

Sami

How Does Your Meat Grow?

Oh beef! Do you know what's in your beef? Unless you buy locally from a farmer, there is a good chance your beef has more in it than you want.

There is a new Consumer Report hitting the stands next month, and it contains results from samples of ground beef from all over the US. The findings are not all that shocking to those of us who raise grass fed beef, but there are some surprising elements to the article.
You can read the article online HERE!

This has brought back to the surface many questions and debates regarding grass based farming, organic beef and vegetarian diets. I have joined in some of the discussions and have been answering some emails regarding all of these topics.

I think there is a HUGE disconnect in this country between ourselves and the foods we eat. As long as the food is packaged pretty and readily available at the store, we don't give much thought to the actual process required to supply the food.

If someone discusses home butchering or processing of an animal, many people get squeamish and grossed out.  In general, folks just don't want to know how their food was raised or how it is slaughtered.

How is this picture even legal? If you buy pork from a store, there is a very good chance that this is the farming model you support through your dollars. This is NOT humane.
We are accustomed to not thinking about the life of the animals we consume.

Imagine that we all decide not to support this farming model and decide we want to buy from local farmers. This would require that more people farm, that more people get back to the land. There is plenty of land for more farmers too if we only utilize it.

American Meat is a documentary worth watching regarding the American farming system and how we can change it for the good of the consumer, the animals and the land.

I realize that not everyone can farm or even wants to farm, and that's okay. I am not insisting that everyone move out to the land and start raising their own food, however, I do think we all need to step back and consider the implications of supporting a commodity farming model. Take some time to find a local, grass based farmer and support a sustainable farming method.

It's time we take responsibility for our health, the health of our children, the well being of farm animals, and it's time to take care of the land.

Here is a video soapbox regarding the topic!


Happy Tuesday Ya'll!

Buy Local and Grass Fed

You can read the Consumer Report article HERE.

Under Pressure

The last two weeks here have been filled with baby chicks, foster dogs and constant attempts to keep chores caught up. Add some homeschooling into that mix and you have very full days.

My favorite ewe, Lila, has been also expecting to lamb any day now. I was not planning to have any lambs this year, but Lila snuck into the ram paddock back in December. I love Lila and her fleece is so fabulous, but she has this one issue that makes lambing difficult. She's not a very attentive mother.
Lila typically has triplets, but she will just drop them on the ground and walk off, hence House Lamb Flicka.
The last couple of weeks have been spent walking outside throughout the days and nights to check on her, to watch for signs of labor.
Lila is huge!! Her belly protrudes out incredibly from the pressure of growing lambs, and each day I think she will labor at any moment.

Just when you think things couldn't possibly get any more crazy, well, things get crazier.

Lila presented with a vaginal prolapse yesterday, no doubt caused by the incredible pressure of the lambs. Sorry for the graphic picture, but it is what it is and farm life can be quite graphic at times.

I called the vet and then proceeded to rub sugar all over it to keep it moist and to shrink the swelling a bit.

Lila didn't appear to be in pain, but she was straining and pushing.

The only thing to do is put it back in and sew her up so it cannot come back out.
I love my farm vet and he promptly came out with an assistant and a new vet grad. Together we got Lila restrained and fixed back up.

Yes, we are smiling. This type of issue isn't a life or death emergency, but rather just something that must be fixed. The youngest kids were standing by watching the vet and also had some lively comments about the procedure.

He used strong cotton tape/string as a suture material. He got it closed up very tight. Nothing will be coming out. NOTHING!

The problem is that she is pregnant and due anytime. (sigh) She has 3 lambs that will need to come out of there. This, of course, can only mean one thing!
I must check on Lila every couple of hours, day and night, to watch for any signs of labor. Mostly I am looking for mucus. Once I decide she is in labor I will remove her sutures.
No big deal, right?

Sleep and sanity are overrated.

Happy Friday Ya'll!

Farming Realities

Today is officially a snow day. We only got a light dusting, but it is enough to excite the children and increase the farm chores just a bit.

Food and water are the two major requirements to keep livestock warm, and we spent a good part of the morning handing hay bales out. Tomorrow is supposed to be frigid, and so we will be well prepared.

I unexpectedly received a call from my meat processor this morning that he was on his way over to get my steer. Like the gusty, cold winter air this phone call hit me smack in the face.

                                               ***The ducks on the frozen pond***

I knew this day would come soon. Yum-Yum, the steer, was our first calf to be born here. The last two and a half years we have fed him, cared for him and allowed him a chance to live on open pasture with lots of grass. We knew from the start what his fate would be, but it is still difficult.

This is the most difficult part of farming. When I first bought my dairy cow, I accepted the fact that there are only two fates for a bull calf.

1. Sell him as a baby and he will likely be living a less than humane life before being processed.
2. Keep him and allow him a nice, humane life before processing.

We opted for #2. As with all of the animals we raise, humane treatment is a top priority.


There is simply no other way.

                                          **Free ranging hens enjoy a treat of scratch grains to stay warm**

Today reality meets farm life. The full cycle of life continues to show itself, as it always does when you raise farm animals.

I am trying my best to not get emotional or attached. I am reminding myself why we chose this life. Our freezer will be full with clean, organic beef in a few weeks.

                                       **Zeb carries this block of ice around and pretends it is a big diamond!**

Some days are pure bliss and some days are just tough. Time to focus on the good. There is no sense is dwelling on the sad.

The cows were wasting too much hay because we have been placing the bales on the ground. Devin built a corner hay feeder over the weekend and it is working nicely.

We still have several weeks of winter and even longer before decent grass starts growing. This hay feeder should help us waste less hay, since we do have a limited amount to get us through until spring.

I hope everyone is staying warm and safe! Winter will surely be over soon and then we will have tornado weather:-) Of course that only lasts a little bit and then summer will here. I am ready for warm nights and cookouts with friends.

The meat chicks for pastured chicken will soon be ordered for an April delivery, and I really hope to get my raised garden beds back into shape!

Happy Hump Day Ya'll!