Monday, November 11, 2013

...and on Sunday...no less...

Dead and/or dying animals first thing in the morning kinda takes the old “joi de vivre” right out of everything, “doncha know”?

…and on Sunday…no less…

That really makes it worse.

But, hey, that’s life on the farm.  And some days farm life is a bummer…big time!

Today was one of those days. When I went out to do morning chores, something didn’t look/feel quite right.

A quick glance around revealed a down sheep.  As in, (oh crap!) I think she’s dead, kind of down sheep.  ARGH!  I yelled and swore and tried to get her to get up without going in with the animals.  She moved, so she wasn’t dead…but, things looked grim.  OH…I swore a little more, threw a few things and went tearing in with the sheep, only to realize that the ram was behind me.  Ack!  Three hundred plus pounds of testosterone wasn’t going to be helpful, so I went screeching toward the barn for a feed bucket.  The Boss arrived on the scene, wondering aloud at my frantic actions and general loudness on a Sunday morning.

With the flock eating, I could go ascertain the issue with the downed ewe.  I pulled and tugged and got her on her feet.  Her face looked odd, she was incredibly unsteady, but she was standing.  What the?

A diagnosis was in order…quickly.  A call to the vet was ruled out…too expensive on a Sunday…and he’s told me in the past that I’m pretty good at diagnosing sheep ailments.

Running the symptoms through my mind, I was coming up empty. It seemed that I might have forgotten the information in all those vet books I read at lunchtime over the years. Rabies? Scrapie? Johnnes? Tetanus?

 No….symptoms didn’t match.  Come on, think!

Regardless of the diagnosis, the sick ewe would need to be isolated, which meant that every single sheep on the place was going to have to be moved.  While ours is a small operation, the logistics for a big move were going to take awhile. Breakfast was a real necessity, so we headed inside.  I gave up on breakfast and kept thinking and researching.

The round-up and relocation was fairly un-eventful and she was put in quarantine in the barn.  This will enable us to observe her closely and medicate as necessary.  Despite the fact that it’s pretty much a lost cause, we will do everything we can to provide for her care and comfort.

It wasn’t until after 10 o’clock that I remembered I still hadn’t had any coffee! …and forget the laundry…as for any relaxation and that movie we were going to watch…ha! I spent some real quality time disinfecting all the buckets and feeders she had come in contact with…while worrying over the rest of the bunch.

Some further observation revealed a few more symptoms. She was drooling, her head was cocked sideways, her lips looked crooked, it appeared that her cud was “stuck” in her cheek, her ears were drooping, and she kept wandering around in circles.  Circles, circles…a bell started ringing in my head…circles…oh my goodness…”Circling Disease”!  Listeriosis.  Yep, the symptoms were classic.  But…the prognosis was not good.  Death is a very real probability. But, there is about a 30% chance of survival.  We’ll try to focus on that.

The biggest problem of being such a small operation is the fact that every loss is a big loss.  Not only will we lose this ewe, but any lambs that she might have been carrying will be lost as well.  There’s no way around it…this is a big, bad deal.


…and the kicker is…there’s not a thing we can do about it, except pick up the pieces.  I’m not even sure how she contracted the ailment.  It was in something she ate (or possibly drank), but the source remains a mystery. The bacterium lives in all sorts of environments, particularly the soil. (great…) So, that means right now we don’t know if any of the other sheep will sicken as well.  Oh, yeah…something else to worry about.

Since we are dealing with a neurological disease, we have to rule out Rabies. (Our area has a real issue with rabid varmints.)  This means that the sheep’s brain will have to be examined (after she dies…if she dies) …and that means we will have to spend some time hauling the dead animal to the State Lab for examination and talking over the situation with the State Veterinarian.   Not a fun way to spend at least half a day, I am here to tell you from personal experience.

But, what are ya gonna do?

That’s just the way things go sometimes.  That’s when you stop cussing and sighing, take a deep breath, say a little prayer (or a big one) and sing along with Luke Bryan…and “keep chuggin’ along”.

Bottom ofSome days you got it all together
You swear you have it figured out  
 Other days you're stumbling and a wondering
What the hell it's all about

Life's kind of funny like that
Sometimes you're the dog sometimes you're the cat

All you can do is just keep going
And thank God for what you have
Keep chuggin' along
Keep singing your song

Put the plow in the ground till the daylight’s gone
When you look back over your shoulder
At everything you've done

Put the good times in your pocket
Let the bad ones make you strong
And  Keep chuggin' along!


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Sunday, November 10, 2013

Sunday Walkabout 11-10












Things slow to a snail’s pace around here in November.  It’s really hard to find motivation some days, although there is still plenty to do.

But, the garden clean-up and the paperwork that are awaiting our attention are not the most pleasant of jobs. (okay, if I would keep up with all the computer input work, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad)

















I'd really rather wander around the farm and take pictures of the odd and random...anything but the paperwork...
gorgeous gum leaves on the lane


some pretty ewe lambs


a milkweed pod

















It’s been cool and dry of late. We haven’t had any measurable rainfall all month.  But, we’ve had a few cold fronts roll through which made for some beautiful skies.







The hoophouses are all planted and growing (albeit it slowly) for Winter production.  When the Market ends in a little less than two weeks, we’ll take a week off and then start offering produce, meat and eggs to our Winter customers on a weekly basis via the internet. (ah, the wonders of the 21st century!)

These pretty greens are just some of what we will have to offer our customers this Winter. 





We’re processing the last batch of broilers on Monday. It’s always a gamble this time of year, but it looks like we are going to have a good weather day!  Just another job that we won’t be doing again until Spring. Can’t say either one of us will miss that one too much.








Saturday’s Market started out very cold.  But, it warmed up and we sold a lot of stuff as folks began to stock up for Winter.  
After years and years of suffering through cold Market mornings, we finally bought a heater! We owe our newfound “warm-ness” to a fellow Market vendor for having the idea first.  Thank you, John!  No more frozen greens...or icy fingers








…with the end of the Market came the end of another work week…

...and a pretty evening sky.  It pays to be patient with sunset shots...

1st sunset shot

10 minutes later

and 10 minutes after that


....on to Sunday and a little re-charging…


Thanks for stopping by!


Happy Sunday!

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Saturday, November 9, 2013

Some Serious Shopping

When a grown daughter asks her mom to go shopping…it’s real nice.

When a grown daughter asks her mom to go shopping and adds “bring the farm truck”…that’s when you know some serious shopping is about to take place.

WHY?  You may ask…do you need a truck to do serious shopping? Well…you see…my family spends far more money in barns that we ever, ever will spend at any mall!

Last week, Toughchick noticed an ad in the local Craigslist for some goats, but she thought the price was too high.  Apparently the seller got a little anxious because he nearly halved the price after just a couple of days…and well…you know what happened next.  Yep, we were headed on an expedition that was going to involve a little goat hauling.

I should interject here that Toughchick and her husband have a little homestead over in the Draft.  Their menagerie includes chickens and a couple of goats, bunches of quail and a pair of ducks.  (I love that the ducks are named Wilma and Gunther.)  There are also two dogs and a cat.  All the poultry is raised for either show or sale.  And, they’ve been selling hatching eggs on Ebay for years.  (pretty cool, huh?)  
Wilma, Gunther and some of the chicken pens

Back to the story.

Since the racks were still on the dodge from our lamb hauling earlier in the week, it was just a matter of hopping in the truck after lunch and heading out in search of the “goat farm”.  I made sure my MP3 player was fully charged and cranked up loudly, too.  The MP3 player is critical when driving the farm truck. (to my mind, anyway)  A ’95 model, the truck has more than one rather geriatric issue.  The dashboard is cracked and it moans and groans on occasion. The radio doesn’t work worth a lick. The truck has a couple of weird whines and clunks for good measure.  The cattle racks are just about as old, so they squeak incessantly with every bump in the road. (and for the record, there are NO smooth roads in Augusta county…or straight ones, either…meaning the squeaking/creaking/moaning/groaning gets more than a little loud) So, to keep from losing my mind with all the groaning and squeaking as I drive…I just crank Chris Ledoux (good driving music to my mind) a little louder and cruise on down the road.

After I did a few errands and picked up Toughchick, we headed toward the “goat farm”.  As we drove further into the countryside, we discussed possible scenarios. (repeating ourselves often to be heard over all the cattle rack squeaking and truck noises) We were making all sorts of guesses about the goat guy and his farming operation.

When we pulled into the driveway, it became obvious that this wasn’t the kind of “goat farm” we were expecting…or even the kind of…well, anything we were used to.
                                                                         Wow! 

Did we look, feel and sound like the Beverly Hillbillies as we squeaked and rattled up to the barn? You better know it! I was kind of glad that I hadn’t worn my really dirty jeans and my worn-out work boots with the holes in them. My coat was dirty and smelly enough. But, the goats didn't seem to mind.


Long story short…the five goats hopped in were shoved into the back of the dodge, the noisy cattle racks closed and we headed away from the “goat farm”…squeaking and groaning as we went.  Of course we giggled a little as we drove along, talking over our latest shopping trip adventure and the funny looks the goats got at stoplights when they stuck their heads through the racks and went “baaaaaa!” at the passersby.

this may be the cutest goat face ever
and I'm really a sheep/cow person!


Now, that’s what I call a shopping trip!
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Friday, November 8, 2013

Lookin' Out for the "Little Guy"

I know I’ve written about this before, but…BIG changes are coming to small farms…and they are not changes for the better.

The open comment period for the Food Modernization Safety Act (FMSA) ends on November 15, 2013. Another draft of the regulations is set to come out by the 30th...so time is of the essence.

If you value food choices…if you like shopping at a Farmers’ Market, CSA or pick-your-own, you owe it to yourself (and the farmers who provide those services) to pay attention and take some action prior to that date. Really.


I wrote about this issue in detail here.http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2013/10/at-risk-of-sounding-like-chicken-little.html

When you hear that small farms are exempt, don’t be lulled into a false sense of reassurance. The government definition of “very small farms” is those making less than $25,000 annually. Farms making $25,001 in total sales would be subject to the same regulations as facilities making millions of dollars. However, they would be given up to four years to comply.  Personally, I don’t think “one-size-fits-all” ever works, but definitely not in this particular case.


While safe food is a concern and priority of anyone who grows or produces food, these new regulations are costly and oppressive, not to mention redundant and in some cases, contradictory as to what is already being done (that is working…and approved) . For the record, there are forms of oversight in place already.

It is feared that many small producers may go out of business.  The fresh, local food that so many folks desire may become difficult, if not impossible, to get at some point in the future. The food choices that we all take for granted may well become a thing of the past.
a sampling of one week's market goodies

If you appreciate food, farms and the rural way of life, please at least sign the petition. http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5735/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=8636

 If you’re really concerned…write the FDA. http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FDA-2011-N-0921-0199

Act now…November 15 is right around the corner.

Let’s ALL look up for the “little guy”.



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Thursday, November 7, 2013

A Thursday Thankful: FOOD

Food?
homegrown goodness
TLWomack photo

I know…it sounds sort of lame.  You might think I really didn’t try hard enough to come up with a topic…but, read on.

While each of us who has food to put on the table should be grateful that we can eat and feed our families, my appreciation for food runs much deeper.  Food (and the growing and selling) is what we’re all about here on the hill. For the past sixteen years, food has not only graced our table at every meal and filled our stomachs, it has also allowed us to raise our children in a beautiful setting, pay the other bills, have life-changing experiences and meet some amazing and interesting people.

I’ve written about food repeatedly over the years.   I’ve even claimed that FOOD is my life. You might want to read these.
http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2011/11/power-of-food.html
http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-whole-world-needs-kitchen.html
http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2012/11/gathered-round-table.html
http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2012/11/food-is-my-life.html


Growing food has been a way of life for almost as long as I can remember.  Many life lessons were learned while picking rocks in the garden or putting up food for winter.

When we began growing on a scale to offer food for sale, our world expanded exponentially. We discovered new varieties, new growing methods and found ourselves learning daily from all sorts of folks and all sorts of situations.


No, we’ll never be able to claim that we feed the world.  We can only do so much on our little bit of God’s creation here on the hill.  But, the food that we bring to our customers is the tangible result of hard work, prayer and faith…and it tastes good, too!







 I can’t say that either of us ever predicted that this is where we would be at this stage of life, nor did we ever dream that this is what we would be doing.  But, here we are, working together on the hill to produce some outstanding farm products…and loving what we do. (most of the time) Any measure of success that we enjoy is directly related to...you guessed it...FOOD.



                                 …so, lame or not…today I am thankful for FOOD.




Links to the 30 days bloggers:


  • Confessions of a Farm Wife: 30 Days, By the Numbers
  • Janice Person: 30 Days of Giving Thanks
  • Beyer Beware: 30 Days of #farmsmatter
  • Pinke Post: 30 Days of Women in Agriculture
  • Homestead Hill Farm: 30 Days of Views from the Hill
  • Thoughts on Life: 30 Days of Ranch Life Memories
  • farmgirldays: 30 Days of Farm Related DIY Projects
  • Snapshots of a Kansas Farm: 30 Snapshots of a Kansas Farm
  • Life on a Real California Dairy Farm: 30 Days of Thankful
  • Morning Joy Farm: 30 Days of Family Agriculture
  • Minnesota Farmer: 30 Days: After the Harvest
  • From My Front Porch: 30 Days of Live.Laugh.Farm.
  • Rural Route 2: 30 Days of Farm Girl Memories
  • Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom: 30 Days of Blogging
  • The Field Position: 30 Days of Family, Food & Fun
  • Sounds Like Home to Me: 30 Days of Randomness with a Pig Nutrition Grad Student
  • Carolyn Cares: 30 Days of Thanksgiving
  • Kelly McCormick Photography:  30 Days of Simply Being
  • Wag'n Tales: 30 Days of Thinking
  • Ag Tech Talk: 30 Days of Ag Tech
  • Life of a Future Farmer: 30 Days of Life Through the Eyes of a Future Farmer
  • Anna-Lisa Smile: 30 Days of Life in Rural Nevada
  • Pannill's Gate Farm: 30 Days of Vivacious Redheads
  • Oskee 97: 30 Days: All in the Name of Good Fun
  • PVF Posts: 30 Days to a Sale
  • Willow Lea Stock Farm: 30 Days of Life on our Northern Illinois Farm
  • My Cows and Pigs: 30 Days of Cows
  • Dark Creek Farm: 30 Days on Dark Creek Farm



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    Wednesday, November 6, 2013

    A Wordless Wednesday










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