Tuesday, November 5, 2013

On the Road Again

On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can't wait to get on the road again
–Willie Nelson


We are hauling lambs…again.


I really don’t know why hauling lambs always reminds me of Willie Nelson, but it does…and the Boss is always more than a little glad when I stop with the lyrics.  I know I don’t sound like Willie at all…but, on the positive side---I don’t LOOK like Willie either.  But, I digress.

When a lot of operations speak of hauling they are referring to tractor trailer loads.  Huge quantities of animals.  Not so much here on the hill.  The lambs are loaded in the back of the pick-up and we head off down the interstate.  I told you we were small!


In order to sell retail cuts of lamb, it must be processed in a USDA-inspected facility.  These facilities are few and far between in our area. (anyone interested in becoming a butcher?) We particularly like the folks at the facility in Edinburg and they do an amazing job cutting and packing.Their commitment to quality and the great end product make up for the fact that they're about 75 miles north of M'brook. They prefer to have us bring only 6 at a time, as they also have other processing jobs to do for other folks.  That works well for us (as storage is an issue on this end); we just make several trips during the season.

The hour-long trip on the interstate can be by turn, interesting, amusing, maddening, frightening, and monotonous. Usually, it passes without incident, but it’s always nice to turn off onto the small country road heading back to the processor. The drive takes us through the heart of the Valley and there are always interesting things to see along the side of the interstate.

I’m always amazed at the funny looks we get while driving.  Haven’t these people seen sheep before? Considering all the other things on the road, you wouldn’t think we would get a second glance. 

a load of chips for animal bedding

a huge crane

a Peterbilt being towed

an Army tank
 We’ve seen boats and carnival rides, truckloads of turkeys and chickens, once we even saw an Army battalion complete with soldiers, tanks and weapons! Last trip, we saw loads and loads of ONIONS! (that must be a blog post at some point)


After the lambs are penned, we consult with the butcher, giving our specialized requests and answering any questions.  Then, we head for home. We generally pick up lunch somewhere along the way since this little trip is as close to “date-night” as we ever get. (nope, not complaining...that's just how we roll)

In about two weeks, we will head back to pick up all the tasty chops, roasts, stew meat, and ground lamb.  We even get some of it made into sausage! (YUM) We take the frozen lamb to the Market (in the freezer inside our market trailer) every week during the season.  We even have lamb available in the “off season” for our Winter Sales customers. The Boss and I love lamb and it makes our own menu about twice a week.

It’s really too bad that most folks have never even tried lamb.  It’s delicious, nutritious and there is really no mystery to its preparation.  You can use it just like you would beef, just don’t cook it quite so long…and serve it HOT.  We have plenty of recipe booklets that are made available by the American Lamb Board. (We pay a small fee per head as a check-off and in return we get access to some great literature promoting LAMB.)

…and before you say it…yes, it is price-y.  The cost of processing a single lamb is fairly high (considering the amount of meat) and then there are all the costs involved with raising the lamb.  A small operation (like ours) cannot compete on price point…and we don’t try.

We can assure our customers  that unlike Australian/New Zealand lamb, our lamb hasn’t travelled approximately 10,000 miles to the plate. We have been there through the entire process (except for the actual butchering) and can answer any questions you may have regarding care, feeding and health.


If you want to know your farmer, know your food…then our lamb is for you! 
               (and I promise…I won’t sing)

Follow along with the 30 days bloggers...

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Monday, November 4, 2013

...and then THIS happened...

Folks are always commenting on what great views we have here on the hill. So, last month, I had this great idea for a long term project. 

If I went to the high spot of the farm once a month and took a photo, I would have a detailed pictorial journal of the seasons here on the hill.  I would be able to see how things on the farm changed in the course of a year and perhaps get some ideas for future garden projects. Maybe I could continue the project and we'd be able to see the changes years made...  It seemed a simple enough project.

So, I headed up the hill, camera in hand.

I found the spot.  Took the shot.

Then, I noticed some commotion.

I had been spotted by the ewe lambs.

Because the ewe lambs LOVE me like their mother…see me as their only source of food on the planet (yes, they are surrounded by green grass 24/7, but they are sheep) my movements anywhere on the farm signal that it must be time to eat.

So, I’m thinking the “sheep conversation” went something like this.

Hey, lookee…there’s Mama!  Whatcha think she’s doin’?



I dunno, but…I think she’s got somethin’ in her hand. Come on, hurry!


                             MAAAMAAA….feeeeeed us! 



Hey, wait a minute.  She don’t have no bucket....I thought you said she had a bucket.


Forget this!


…and they tromped off toward the feeders, hoping that maybe I already served supper.

Wrong! (it was the middle of the afternoon) They set up a boisterous protestation by the feeders for a while.  Eventually, they lost interest or gave up hope and headed back out to graze.

Now …what was I doing before this happened?


Oh yeah, my photo journal project.  Well, one month down…eleven more to go!

I hope you're following along with  Holly Spangler and the rest of the 30 day bloggers!

30 Days Bloggers






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Sunday, November 3, 2013

Sunday Walkabout 11-3

WHAT a woodpile!
It’s time for our little Sunday virtual farm tour once again.

I’m sorry to say that this week was not the most productive around here…nor was it the most pleasant.

 The Boss got sidelined by a horrible cold that had him spending some quality time with a box of tissues on the couch while having an Andy Griffith marathon.  He spent the better part of the week sounding like a cross between Barry White and a Great Dane.  Poor thing! That meant chores fell to me for a couple of days.  Unfortunately, I’m still getting used to this new medication, so I have very little energy and have to fight the urge to nap anywhere, anytime.  The combination made for a pretty slow work week.  Thankfully we weren’t in the midst of any major projects! (for the record, I am glad to report that we are both doing much better)

But, we were able to get our act together for Friday’s harvest. I am pleased to report that Saturday’s Market, while not a record, was quite good. (particularly considering that it is November)

So, this week, I’ll just share a bunch of photos of the odd and random around the farm.
astounding sunrise

beautiful Bright Lights chard

frosty morning

Ellie in the orchard

ewe lambs on a fall evening


Good news for 2014...
the first garlic has sprouted!

a striking couple

Gus met a praying mantis
it did not end well for the mantis

the hens are still cleaning the lower garden

fall colors
always glad to see ladybugs
they're the "good guy" bugs!

the layer chicks have definitely lost their cute-ness
they could be mistaken for baby vultures at this point

the lettuce crop is GORGEOUS!

don't let her innocent face deceive you
Tess chases the other kitties AND the dog!


…and then I want to take a minute to thank our kids (on Papa’s behalf) for the gifts, the home-brew, the bush-hogging and the firewood stacking that were all part of his birthday celebration on Saturday.  THANK YOU, kids!
my five favorite foks

We’re hoping to get back on track in the upcoming week.  The last batch of lambs is heading out to the processor and there are still a couple of outdoor projects that need attention before the cold weather settles in for winter.  ...and there are THREE weeks left of the Farmers' Market season.



Thanks for stopping by!
Hello to our neighbors out Cherry Grove Road
Happy Sunday!
Do you need some more Sunday reading?  Here's a list of all those bloggers taking part in the 30 day challenge.  This is a great project and there are some amazing folks out there.  Enjoy!

30 Days Bloggers
Oh, hey…have you “liked” the farm on  Facebook??  We would really appreciate it if you would!





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Saturday, November 2, 2013

We Might Just Live in "Opposite World"

After “dress-down” Friday

               It’s time for drinks after work

                     And a night on the town

                         Then  a “sleep-in” Saturday morning

                                Maybe a late brunch before going to the Farmers’ Market…

Wait a minute!

Whose life is that?

Certainly not MINE! 

Our life is the opposite…except for the Market part…and maybe the dressing down, too. (mostly because we never dress UP!)

For the past 16 years, we have made our living selling farm products at the The Staunton/Augusta Farmers' Market. (no matter the weather!)  That means that when everyone else is winding down the workweek on Friday, we’re just gearing up.  Friday is our big harvest day, thus assuring our customers of the absolute freshest produce. A big day of harvest is followed by an early night so we can be somewhat coherent for the morning market.

Saturday mornings, when most folks are sleeping cozily in their beds, we’re already up and packed and headed to town.  Our Saturdays start at 4:30 (yes, AM) every week from the first of April until the week before Thanksgiving. The Market doesn’t actually open until 7am, but there is the packing up, the drive to town and the set up time.



Not that I am complaining (okay, I admit it…there are occasionally some complaints as I make the Boss a sandwich before he heads out at about 5 to set up the Market). Growing food and selling it at the Market has enabled us to make a living off this small piece of land and support our family all these years.

Most of our customers have no idea how early we get up, what it took to get all that stuff prepared and down to the Market and how we kept it looking so nice, or what a challenge it is to make change and small talk all morning when we’re sleep and caffeine deprived.  Only occasionally does it seem to occur to anyone that we really do live in “opposite world”. That’s okay, I guess, because they do indeed appreciate the product!

Now, you must excuse me…I’ve got a sandwich to make and chores to do before I head to the Market as well.  If you’re in town, stop by and visit…we’d love to see you!







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Friday, November 1, 2013

30 Days: Oh, the View!


Nearly every visitor to the hill comments on the view.  It’s gorgeous! Wonderful! Extraordinary!  Or just plain “WOW!”

But, I’ve got a confession to make.  The view wasn’t what made us decide to purchase the little bit of farm here on the hill…not at all.  I’m ashamed to say we didn't even notice the view.  We were looking at the land to decide we could somehow make it into a home/a farm…we needed to see if there was a spot for house, barn and garden. There was perimeter fence, a septic system and a fast flowing stream as a possible source of water. The rest was going to be up to us. We were looking for a place to put down roots, not look at the view.
One of these days, when I am feeling particularly brave, I will tell the entire story of how we got here.  But, that’s not today…

Over the years, we probably haven’t taken the time to appreciate the view like we should, either.  We got caught up in the business of well…being busy.  There was the farm to start, gardens to till and seed, kids to raise, cows to milk, eggs to gather, vegetables to harvest…you get the picture. But, the view was still there and any time we needed a break or reassurance, it was just a matter of taking a minute to look around and appreciate.


It occurred to me that the view somehow affect my views on a lot of other things…like Agriculture.

Perched here on top our hill, we can see all sorts of farms. 

There’s a registered Angus farm across the way. We can see the cattle grazing, the grain crops growing and being harvested and even smell the hay when it is freshly cut.  Out the other direction are large poultry houses, a goat farm and more cattle. Just over the fence is the tiny village of M’brook, with its Post Office, store and doctor’s office.  On the outskirts of M’brook are more crops and cows (and that is my very favorite view)…one nearby neighbor just runs a few horses and mows grass religiously, the other neighbor is growing Christmas trees…and his brother’s sheep graze his other fields on occasion. In a word, the view is awesome and expansive. (okay, that was two words)






This is our community, no two operations are quite the same and I don’t think anyone would want them to be.  What works for the Angus farm would never work for the poultry houses and what works for our small operation would never do for the cattle farmer south of town who has cattle on several acreages around the county and over six hundred acres on his home farm.  …and you know what?   We’ve never tried to change anybody and nobody has ever told us to do things differently (although I know for a fact that they used to talk about us when the hardware store was still opened down in town). Read this.

Maybe it’s the beautiful view that made me appreciative of those who work the land, or maybe it’s because I, too, work the land that I can be appreciative of the farms that make up the view. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. We are blessed to live in a beautiful place, make a living growing food and have good neighbors who value that way of life and look out for one another.  We have learned a great deal from many of the neighbors, many of whom do nothing like we do.


Just like we take our VIEWS for granted, a lot of folks take Agriculture for granted. Caught up in the busy-ness of life, they never give the source of life's necessities a second thought.  That needs to change.

(and while this is not where I thought this was going when I started typing…)

Maybe that "30 days of Ag" blogging challenge  is just the ticket to renew my own resolve to agvocate and perhaps provoke someone else to appreciate the many aspects of our lives affected by Agriculture
.
I hope you’ll join me for the rest of the month!

Check out all the blogs that are taking the 30 day challenge:
http://farmprogress.com/blogs-30-days-five-things-five-things-7778
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