Sunday Walkabout 2-21

Wow! This week has been something…

snowy morning

The weather has been “interesting” to say the least. We started out with a Winter storm that dropped at least 8 inches of snow. That wasn’t too bad, but it quickly turned into sleet, then freezing rain...then just rain. Lots of rain. About 2 inches of rain. This caused the snow to melt and the whole area was under a flood watch.

creek paddock 2-16

Now, it would take a flood of biblical proportion to cause any sort of issues here on the hill.  The lower lying areas of the county had some serious problems with road closings and so forth, but we just watched the creek rise (and rise) until the lower paddock, that we refer to as the “creek paddock”, began to look more like a river. 

However, by the end of the week, the creek had pretty much returned to its normal size and path. We do still have some snow in the shady spots despite the fact that Saturday’s temperatures reached into the SIXTIES.

creek paddock 2-20

After the winter storm blew through, the weather turned warmer. Much warmer. It was the kind of weather that lets you know Spring is truly just around the corner and it is time to get cracking on all those early season projects so we can get back in the swing of things. 

It certainly doesn't look like much this time of year!
(look closely, there is still snow along the hoophouses)

Because Opening Day of the Market is just 40 days away.

YIKES!

I hadn’t really thought about how soon it was until I typed that.

It is about this time of year that I always find myself panicked and slightly frustrated that I didn’t get all sorts of things accomplished during the “off season” and I feel unprepared for another Market season. My “to-do” list is always incredibly long and more than a little optimistic. The Boss points out that I indeed feel this way every year so just go on with it...because it always works out fine.

So, in the spirit of “going on with it”, I started working on the freezers. I got one completely empty and cleaned out. I inventoried and organized three more and will work on the rest this week. When we harvest the first broilers and lambs, we will need freezer space to store the meat. And, by the time the garden produce is rolling in, all the inventory from last year will be gone and we will be ready to freeze all sorts of things for Winter Sales of ’16-17.

Speaking of Winter Sales, it felt more like spring making our deliveries this week. It was great!  Last week, it was 23* inside the trailer and the wind was blowing. It was not pleasant at all. But, our faithful and intrepid customers came out anyway!

making deliveries 2-13

 It was far more pleasant this week, although sales were off considerably. But, that’s to be expected this time of year. Our inventory dwindles and we have no fresh produce. It's time to think SPRING and focus on Market preparation.

In hopes that we will indeed have fresh produce for the Market, I began seeding. It took me the better part of two days, but both greenhouses are now filled to capacity with flats. There is broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers, lettuce, spinach, chard, arugula, mache and kale...among other things.

                                  ...and...we have GERMINATION!

first signs of germination

That’s always exciting.

While I seeded (and seeded) the Boss worked on some projects that had been delayed by the weather.

First, he re-wired all the cords and plugs for the greenhouses. Over time, they wear out and need replacing (wouldn’t want to have a fire hazard). And, since it can still get cold at night, we need the heaters in working order.

Then, he worked on re-purposing the “lion cage” into a “ram hauler”.

Years ago, he built this little pen-thing to put on the back of the truck to haul Blondie’s show lambs. Since Blondie’s show lambs are now just memories here on the hill, the “lion cage” sat idle out back. (if you’re wondering about the “lion cage”...one of our more colorful friends insisted it looked like it should haul lions for the circus. However, he calls them l-iiiiiiiiiiiiines, it gave us a chuckle and the name stuck). The lion cage is small, secure and can be moved with the tractor.

nearly finished
(it's upside down here)

With the new compact ram hauler, we can get Angus back to his summer home without using the trailer and without having a ram rodeo (which I am certain would end badly for someone). 

Angus in the early morning

Although he seems to be quite content in his special accommodations at the barn where he can knock on the wall and demand his feed when he hears me in the barn, he needs to get out on grass once more. I reckon he will head out toward “greener pastures” sometime in March.

Not that anything is very green this time of year...but, with all the lambs growing so well, it was time to allow the sheep to go out into the Winter paddock. After spending a couple of weeks at the barn, they seemed quite happy to go somewhere...anywhere. There’s not much to eat out there, but it does give the lambs a place to run and the ewes seem to enjoy eating their hay “al fresco”. The warmer weather also meant that I could remove all the lamb sweaters. The little guys are getting big!

last day of "sweater weather"

As another sign of the impending growing season, the Boss cleaned out the brooder house. I must say, I didn’t envy him that job at all! After housing the layer chicks for months, it was pretty gross and disgusting. But, he hauled all the waste bedding to the compost pile, hosed everything down and it is all clean and tidy and ready for the first batch of broiler chicks that are scheduled to arrive this week.

THIS WEEK!

That means we are just 8 weeks from fresh chicken!

Time truly does fly. We need to get serious about getting ready for Market season.

Another part of Market season preparation is to gather new recipes for our customers. That task falls to me. The Boss is the official “taste tester”.

The American Lamb Board has all sorts of pretty recipe pamphlets that we offer, but the internet offers recipes from around the world.  This week we tried a lamb riblet recipe from Australia that was DELICIOUS! For some reason, lamb ribs are particularly hard to move. So, I am always on the lookout for good recipes to recommend. So far, this is our favorite.  Check out  Balsamic Glazed Lamb Riblets.

    

image credit: Ian Gillespie

...and that was the week on the hill.

greenhouse in the early morning light

The upcoming week will be all about keeping the greenhouses warm, but not too warm...and the little seedlings watered. That can be a time-consuming job...and since my perfect little watering can finally broke beyond repair, I am hoping that I can find something that works as well as the child's toy that has served me well for so many years. I am guessing that the search for the new perfect watering can will become the focus of my life for a while. (I’ve got THREE on order)

Thanks for dropping by!

Hope you have a Happy Sunday! 

Come back and “visit” again real soon!

The Hardest Thing

no finer view for a shepherd

Raising livestock for food has to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Well, raising children is actually far more difficult, and the parallels are numerous…however, children have never been a portion of our livelihood…and were never, ever on the menu. (promise!)

We’ve raised food for a long time and we’ve raised a number of species. Over the years we have learned a lot and have become fairly self-reliant. We can diagnose and treat most problems without a call to the vet. We have firsthand experience with a whole lot of things, and don't have to consult all the vet books very often anymore, either. So, you might think that we’ve seen it all, know it all and everything rolls along without the slightest mishap.

…and you would be wrong. Oh, so wrong.

one of the most peaceful sights on the farm...
grazing sheep

Over the years, I often wondered why David, slayer of the giant Goliath, the author of Psalms and Proverbs, and later King of Israel was referred to as “a man after God’s own heart”. Then, I remembered…David was once a shepherd boy. Learning to be a good shepherd and protecting a flock teach you much about the care of the Almighty for His creation. Then, there’s all the praying…

I can honestly say that shepherding has driven me to my knees more than once. And, perhaps I have learned more from being a shepherd than from any other experience in my life. 

…except, again, parenting…

2015 was one of those years when our skills were tested…and perhaps even our resolve. ...and we found ourselves doing a lot of praying. But, ultimately, we came out victorious. Sales have been incredible…and the present flock is looking great. …although once more we can say  "learned a lot on that sheep!"

1st lamb -2015

Lambing season was like no other in our 15 years of shepherding. Ordinarily, I love lambing season. But, I won’t lie, this year…it was hard. It was physically taxing and mentally draining. We had more than one ewe end up in our make-shift hospital pen. Ovine Intensive Care, if you will.  And, the care was indeed intensive and constant...and not entirely successful. In one case, we saved the lambs…although we lost both ewes.

Losing a livestock animal is different than losing a pet. While there is some sense of personal loss, it is coupled with an unexpected financial loss, which often has far-reaching repercussions. In the case of the lambs, there was the added work and frustration of raising bottle babies. Not to mention, what do you do with a couple hundred pounds of dead animal…?

But, speaking of lambs…2015 one for the record books...

In 2015, we had the most lambs ever

And, we ended up with SEVEN bottle lambs. SEVEN. It was total chaos. The Boss even built a special lamb-feeding bar. Did you read this one? (there are only five lambs in the video, the others came later)

However, we did indeed prevail. Despite the loss of one lamb, the rest did indeed make it to their intended destination. In most cases, their growth performance was remarkable. But, quite honestly, I hope to never, ever repeat that scenario!

out on pasture

Just when we thought we had shepherding back on track, the issues of a warm, wet summer made themselves known.  Sheep have real problems with internal parasites. This is due to the way they eat grass (they nip it off right at the ground level, often actually biting the dirt) and the fact that they do not have the body mass to protect them from the ravages of parasites.  More than once, we found ourselves vetting lambs that looked fine one day and the next were fighting for their life.  

Again…a loss, but we again prevailed.

So, it was time to turn the ram in with the ewes to continue the program. By turning the ram in with the ewes in August, we get lambs in January/February that are ready to go out on grass in early April and the cycle continues.

"flehmens response"
ram with ewes

We’ve done this for years. The ram was experienced. The ewes (for the most part) were experienced.

This should be a piece of cake.

Nope.

Not this year.

Everything was going along just fine…until it wasn’t.

The ram went lame. He was no longer putting weight on one of his back feet. Without the use of his back leg, he couldn’t jump, and if he couldn’t jump, he couldn’t mount the ewes, and it he couldn’t mount the ewes…well, he couldn’t…well, you know…

There was a very real possibility of NO lamb chops for 2016.

This was a serious problem. A potential game-changer. A very real disaster. And the timing couldn’t be worse. You don’t just run out to Rams-R-Us and get another breeding animal.

We decided to pull him out in order to diagnose the problem. Maybe a little vacation would give him time to heal. Problem was, we could find nothing wrong with him. And, his “vacation” made him depressed. As in, so depressed that now we had 300 pounds of sheep that wouldn't get up and eat.

I snapped. I really thought that I couldn’t do this anymore. I didn’t even know if I wanted to. I carry a lot of baggage and it finally all came crashing down and I lost it.  I really did. A solution, any solution escaped me…completely and I could see failure looming large on the path ahead.

However, the boss wasn’t going to take it lying down. He’d figure out something…we’d fix this.

…and he did.

We found a new ram, at a new farm (with some beautiful animals…keep that in mind for future purchases) for a reasonable price and within days we were “back in business”. The story is here.  ...making me wonder why I ever worried about the whole thing.

one handsome ram

The sheep story was far from resolved and as of today, we are still waiting to see if our new acquisition was actually a good solution. Lambing for 2016 will be spread out over more of the calendar than I would like...but...it is what it is...

and that is a never-ending cycle of work and learning. 

And sometimes I wonder why we continue on with shepherding…

...the hardest thing…

…and then I remember that LAMB is delicious! 

lamb steak

stuffed lamb meatballs
(recipes can be found on our website)

Asian lamb with broccoli

...and our customers LOVE it!

Not only does raising livestock add to our income, the meat we raise truly completes our menu in the most amazing way.

And it’s all worth it.  

Here’s to successful shepherding in 2016! 

and the sheep truly add to the beauty of our surroundings

Sunday Walkabout 8-24

While the calendar still says August, there is a difference in the air and the light that lets me know FALL is right around the corner.

The heat and humidity gave way to fog and cooler temperatures and we got THREE inches of rain in twenty four hours on Saturday! But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

bush hogging the spent crops

It’s the time of year when the gardens look tired and overgrown.  The grass for grazing looks tired and somewhat overgrazed. And, quite honestly I’m feeling a little tired and over…something. It’s really hard to be enthusiastic this time of year. 

Is this Gus' first tractor lesson?

The Boss can bush hog in the gardens, but there’s not a lot we can do for the paddocks, except pray for rain.  This rain will really help the outlook for fall grazing. It helps our (my) attitude, too.

the hens enjoy the garden waste

 

There are other signs of fall.  There are lots of garden spiders spinning intricate webs in the spent plantings.  While there are lots of folks who find spiders creepy, I have always liked them…well, except for walking into spider webs, can’t say I enjoy that.   Did you read "Rock on, Charlotte"?

I guess I should feel bad that there are so many thistles...but, the butterflies and bumblebees (and goldfinches) are enjoying them.

each little "nest" is only about the size of a pencil eraser

As I picked beans (for at least the eleven millionth time) I noticed a lot of little birdnest fungi in the dead and dying leaves that litter the ground of the bean bed. Part of the fungi family Nidulariaceae these unobtrusive little plants actually help break down old plant matter in the garden.  …and they’re just kind of cool. You can read more about them HERE.

Checking the onion harvest

The Boss and I finally got all the onions trimmed and sorted and stored for winter.  That was a pretty

big job and took us the better part of two days to complete it.  It’s a good thing we like each other and get along well…we spend most all of our time working together!  Now that all those drying onions are out of the barn, the Boss can focus on getting the rest of the barn cleaned out before the ewes come in for the wintertime. 

trimming onions

cleaned, sorted onions

some of the onions in storage

The shift in light means there is also a shift in the crops for harvest this time of year. There are BUNCHES of tomatoes.  And, the peppers are FINALLY coming in along with broccoli and chard.  Actually, we have managed to have broccoli and chard all summer, but this harvest looks especially pretty.  And, the fall potatoes look to be the best (or at least the nicest plants) that we’ve ever grown.  Just another month or so and we will see what lies beneath the surface.

Kennebec potato blossom

healthy potato plants

Bright Lights chard

beautiful peppers

red cabbage

pepper blossom

gorgeous broccoli

All the fresh produce gives us an opportunity to work on some new marketing ideas. Presently, we are working on photographing some of our lamb recipes. It's a real team effort. I make the recipe...and he takes the photographs. ...and we both enjoy supper!

Then, we can post pictures and recipes (check out the recipe tab at the top of the page). The photos are used as part of our Market set-up. This week,we took advantage of the prolific tomato crop and followed a customer's advice for a new type of home-made pizza.  Instead of sauce, we sliced San Marzano tomatoes and topped with lamb sausage, red onions and cheese. 

 It was superb!  

-TLeightonWomack Photo

I’ve started more seeds for transplants and the hoophouses are nearly filled to capacity. It looks like we should have lots of greens for fall sales. It’s a toss-up as to which is more popular…kale, lettuce or spinach. And, I am still wondering just how much spinach we could grow and sell. As of yet, we have not found a limit. Yes, I did start more, more, more. I’m going to need more hoophouse room. (just kidding, Boss)

Saturday was a great day.  We woke up to 1 and ¾ inches of rain in the gauge (and it was still raining).  The rain let up for Market, The Findells provided some great music (and quite possibly caused the rain), and we had a tremendous sale day. Then we took the whole family out for a delicious lunch at the Depot.   After we got home, un-packed, did chores and started to relax...it rained, AGAIN.  Over 1 1/4 inch this time!  Wow! a summer's worth of rain in one day.

That pretty much sums up our week. Certainly doesn’t seem like much…

…oh, wait.

There was a big, really BIG, announcement in the family this week.

For those of you who don’t know…this is our daughter and son-in-law’s dog, Savannah.

And, yes, her “announcement” means that we are going to be grandparents!

Now, that news makes for a very

               Happy Sunday!

Thanks for stopping by.  Come back and visit us again real soon.