Winter Work
Keeping a farm running all year means getting outside in even the worst weather. But preparing and planning keep everything running smoothly. And a great beard helps! #farmersyouknow
Explore the importance of local food
Help us build the local food system together.
National Farmers Market Week 2021
This week just happens to be National Farmers Market Week 2021 so I thought I'd take some time to explore markets and what makes them so important to the local food system. Having worked at farmers markets for over 10 years I'm still a market junkie and often try to visit a local market even when on vacation. There are very few other places where you have the opportunity to connect with the actual folks that produce something that you use every day. The ability to speak directly to local producers and learn about their life and their products is such a gift.
Rotational Grazing
It’s important as a farmer to think about how everything works together for your particular farm: the land, the animal, and yourself. You live through dreams of what could be while practicing the reality of now.
Soil Mates
Pasture-raised animals produce better soil, this is how we do it!
Mother's Day on the Farm
We sure have baby fever here around the farm and how fitting it is with Mother's Day on the horizon! The baby chickens arrived first, and are enjoying their time among the pastures. We were a bit nervous to welcome them to the farm during a misty, cold, rainy day. Whenever an animal changes their environment, you want it to match as much as possible to the previous location to prevent shock and disruption in their quality of life. The baby chicks were used to a warm and dry barn. Luckily, our new chicken tractors kept the grasses below the tarps dry, and trapped in the warm air from the ground and sun to promote a warm, dry climate for them. We did lose a couple chicks to hawks throughout their first days, but our farm dog Tig will help chase the predators away sporadically. Our mama sows are busy birthing some pretty healthy litters in the fields. A good group of piglets born would average between 12-15 per mamma. The best sows are the ones who have given birth 1-2 times prior, and tend to keep a nice consistent weight in the fields. Another promising attribute for a mama sow is their protective instincts. If they grunt at us, chase, or give us problems within the first week of giving birth whenever we are around their young, it is a good sign that they will protect the piglets at all costs from predators like coyotes, raccoons and foxes. Here is a video showing you a 15 piglet litter, and a mamma sow's grunt: https://youtu.be/AZF9ImCKYls The final group of mamma's to showcase this week is our cows. This group of cattle have been enjoying the new Spring pastures since last week, and found them to be the perfect place to give birth. The first was one of our pure-bred Scottish Highlands. This is the second calf she has birthed, and she is doing a great job feeding and protecting it. The second was an Angus-cross. Do you notice her horns? One was injured when she was young, which caused it to grow differently than normal. It causes her no harm, and she's adapted to it. Her little calf is thriving as well. Happy Mother's Day from all of us at the farm!
Chicken Tractors
A couple weeks ago we dealt with some freezing temperatures on the farm, and were concerned of frost damage on our fruit blossoms. We are happy to report minimal damage on our trees as of today and are looking forward to stocking the farm market with our own fruit in the future.We are also prepping our pastures for the first round of chickens to forage the ground this year. Our new chicken tractors are built to keep our animals shaded and protected during inclement weather conditions, as well as provide a level of comfort for us as their caretakers. Last year, our chicken set-up required us to crawl underneath the structure in order to complete our chores. With a decent height built into our chicken tractors, it will eliminate the need to crawl around, allowing us to stand upright while completing our tasks. This will encourage us to do our very best at caring for our flock. The new tractors are also portable and will be moved to fresh pasture daily. Each tractor should supply enough shade, food, water, and comfort for around 300 chicks. Why do we spend so much time figuring different ways to raise birds outdoors? Giving our chickens the ability to act as naturally as possible foraging for fresh bugs and grass during their lives is better for the chick, for us, and the land. The chickens really do enjoy the fresh grass and are curious animals if given the ability to roam. We enjoy caring for animals while working outdoors; the great outdoors eliminates any need for ventilation systems for strong odors, and gives us the ability to soak up our vitamin D for the day. The land also benefits from the chicken manure, as it provides an excellent fertilizer for our grasslands, encouraging healthy soil beneath the surface.
Spring Break
Spring break...when you hear these two words what comes to your mind?