Saturday, November 23, 2013

Braggin' Rights




There’s just nothing like a county fair! 




 …and Rockingham County Fair is one of the best. 

 They’ve got the awards to prove it.

Check this out.








Harrisonburg, Nov. 22, 2013 - The Rockingham County Fair has been selected to receive three Awards of Distinction from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE) headquartered in Springfield, MO. The competition involved more than 1,100 Fairs around the world.
The John Deere Excellence in Agriculture Awards will be presented December 10, 2013 during the 123rd annual IAFE Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Winning entries for the Rockingham County Fair include:
  • 3rd place - Overall Program for Competitive Agricultural Exhibitors
  • 2nd place - Fair Agriculture Photo
  • 2nd place – Special Agriculture Educational Event                                                                                (Sunshine Class Goat Show)
Congratulations to General Manager, Jeff Ishee, and all the good folks involved with the Fair! 

 I’ve seen some of the “behind the scenes” stuff and it is an amazing operation.
 5-yr. old Cole Swope, son of Wayne and Rhonda Swope of Dayton, Virginia
TLW photo


You may wonder why I’m posting about this.

Well…guess who took that second place Agriculture Photo?

THE BOSS!
 
Crabtree Falls 2002















Photography is among the Boss’ many talents and  I think it’s incredibly cool that one of his photos was picked in this competition. I have always thought he was good…but, he seems to think I might be more than a little bit biased. This was the second year that he had been invited by the General Manager (our good friend, Jeff Ishee) to photograph the fair.
2012 fair
He does the photos for the Staunton/Augusta Farmers' Market site and Facebook page as part of his Market Master job.  Follow the links to view some of his work.

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=staunton+augusta+farmers+market
http://www.flickr.com/photos/t_leighton_womack
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94465168@N08 

So, congratulations to the Boss, too! 

…and a big THANK YOU to our long-time friend Jeff for giving us the opportunity to share a little in the Fair experience!

Here is the link to some fair memories on flickr.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockinghamcountyfair/sets

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Friday, November 22, 2013

End of the Season

It’s the end…it’s over…it’s kaput…that’s all she wrote folks. 

 Tomorrow is the final Market day for the 2013 season. 


Final Market of 2012


It’s time to stock up and hunker down.   An opportunity to reflect and review. Or, possibly celebrate wildly. I mean, the holidays are fast approaching.

Yes, those cabbages ARE frozen at the Market
Anyone who has done any kind of direct-marketing at an open air market can understand the reason the Market closes for the winter months.  IT’S COLD! Anyone who has done any gardening can appreciate how hard it is to have fresh produce during those months as well. IT’S COLD!
as long as it's above freezing we can pick lettuce

So, today as we head out to pick and process all that farm goodness for the last week of the season, it is with a deep sense of gratitude…for our customers…for another good year…and that it’s not SNOWING like it was last year!
see the snowflakes flying?

The Market offered us the Opportunity of a Lifetime many years ago and we like to think that we are an important part of the Market’s continued success.  I hope you read this one from last year.
  http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-opportunity-of-lifetime.html 

For those of you who may be wondering…we’ll take a little break for Thanksgiving and be right back at it the first of December.  (in a slightly altered version) 

Oh, but that’s next week’s post!






Happy Friday!


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Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Thing Sheep Do Best...



                       …is die.

Seriously.

That’s what a lot of my shepherd friends say and I cannot point to any evidence to the contrary.  It’s a little discouraging sometimes.

When a sheep becomes ill or gets injured, there is a very good chance that it will not recover.  And, that was the case for the ewe from last Monday’s post.

We isolated her, medicated her, provided her with the best care we could, but to no avail.  She hung in there for quite some time and at one point I truly thought she might actually recover.  But, when she couldn’t maintain her balance, moaning continuously and then began to spasm violently, it was evident that she was suffering.  So, the Boss had to put her down. (we are now waiting for the necropsy report as to the cause of her ailment)




It’s sad.  It’s a bummer. It’s costly, frustrating, discouraging…

But, after the whole “what-if  I woulda, coulda, shoulda” thought process, I’m finally able to say:  That’s just the way things go.  The other ewes will lamb, they’ll grow and be harvested, and the cycle will begin again.

Being a shepherd forces me/us to see things from a slightly different perspective…to learn new things…to understand…

So..really, the thing that sheep do best is…get this…

Teach.

Seriously?  The stupidest creatures on the face of the earth?  Teach?

Yep, I think so.  And, lessons of all sorts, too.

I can honestly say that in the 10+ years we have been shepherds, I have learned more than I would have ever thought possible. Hands-on learning beats book knowledge by a long shot.

We went from knowing nothing about sheep to feeling confident in diagnosis and treatment options.  We rarely call the vet anymore. (One of the old-time vets even told me that we knew what we were doing. Considering the source, this was high praise.)  

One of our very first ewes ended up with ketosis prior to lambing. (who would’ve thought it would be 13* right after we sheared in March?  Or that she was pregnant with triplets?) I sat with her for hours/days (at the vet’s advice) force-feeding her a mixture of yogurt and molasses in order to allow her the strength to lamb. Yes, they all survived! Once, the Boss and I performed a post-mortem C-section before breakfast.  …and saved the lamb.  A broken leg, a prolapse, bottlejaw, mispresented lambs, genetic issues, rejected lambs and bottle babies…we’ve seen a lot in the barn.


Our success stories actually outweigh the disaster stories. (obviously, or we wouldn’t keep doing this)

Here are just a few stories from the barn.
http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2013/01/even-when-things-go-dreadfully-wrong.html
http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2012/01/just-one-of-em-days.html
http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2013/02/project-lamb-mama-continues.html


From the very first lamb, shepherding taught our girls a lot about responsibility and animal husbandry.

1st sheep at Homestead Hill
















caring for newborn lambs

WIN! 








But, the sheep have taught me some real lessons in thoughtfulness, care, hope, determination, perseverance, creative problem solving…and above all, faith.  The whole concept of the Good Shepherd has become far more meaningful after spending some serious time with the  woolly creatures.



A very dear old woman (who grew up raising sheep) says that she often finds herself thinking, “oh, dear Lord…why did you have to liken us to sheep?  They’re just so stupid!”  But, she also says the fact that sheep are so stupid and we are likened to them only proves (You could say teaches---just to prove my point) how much the good Lord must love us…and is still ever so patient with us.  To that I must say… Amen, Miss Frances….Amen!

Today, I’m thankful for sheep…and all they’ve taught me.






















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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Weird and Wacky Wednesday

As if anyone needed proof that this place is more than a little odd…take a look at the recent backyard happenings.

Gus has apparently decided that he loves Squeekie…really LOVES her. She can’t walk anywhere near him without getting licked in the face.  He even licks her when she’s sleeping.  The oddest thing is…she doesn’t seem to mind!

But, her little kitty hair is almost always kind of soggy or looks like it’s been moussed up in little spikes thanks to the dog drool. (ew, blech)


Then, there’s Tess.  She climbs in the maple tree outside the kitchen window every morning.  I think she’s flossing her teeth.

…and why is she flossing her teeth?  That’s probably so she can bear them at Sissie who is terrified of the tiny ninja and spends long periods of time futilely attempting to avoid attack.


Then, there is this…

Words fail me.


Hope you’re having a great Wednesday!

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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

When Did Gus Become a Farm DOG?

just two months ago!
Gus is no longer the sweet, roly-poly puppy that came to live here on the hill just a couple months ago. Why it seems like only yesterday that he looked a little like a teddy bear. While he still has a long way to go both physical growth and maturity…he is definitely a farm dog.

What happened?  When did he become a farm dog?

Was it when he finally learned to sit somewhat still and watch over things?

Was it when he got big enough to carry a bucket through the backyard? (no, that’s not at all helpful…but, it is funny)

When he started eating shrews and rats? (ewww….now, this IS helpful! …but, gross)

When he started sleeping in the daytime like big dogs do?

Maybe it was when he started going up to the gate to wait with Ellie Mae while I walk to the mailbox.

Maybe it was the mud and burrs that he seems to find no matter how we try to keep him clean.

No…Gus officially became a farm DOG the last time he went to the vet.
isn't this pathetic?

Not only was it a real feat to get him into (and out of) the dog crate (we definitely need something different…read BIGGER… before the next visit). He became completely immobile and had to be carried into the clinic, to the exam room, to the scale, back to the exam room, back to reception to pay our bill (and get his rabies tag) and then back to the vehicle. The vet tech suggested that next time I bring a wagon, a hoist, or a “big, strong helper”!  It was more than a little embarrassing to have to carry our guard dog. (even if he is technically a puppy)…not to mention, he’s heavy! (forty pounds of completely immobile dog...and he's only FOUR months old)

Because…yep…you guessed it…Gus must have decided he is a FARM DOG! I guess it took him a couple of trips to figure out that there’s no place like home.  Forget that riding in vehicles thing…get him back to the farm!


He did indeed regain all his normal abilities the moment we got back to the farm.  
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Oh No...vember

November is hard. 








It’s usually cold and dreary…








The days get markedly shorter and the switch back to Standard time only makes it darker earlier. It’s so dark by the time I’m making supper that the kitchen seems cold and lonely.

It’s only a matter of time before the ewes eat the last of the grass and it’s time to head to the barn and hay.

The hens have nearly finished their job of cleaning up the garden waste and soon they will be confined to their winter pen as well.


There are a few things still producing in the garden, but it’s time for the big clean-up out there, too.

The Boss mows the grass and trims the orchard one last time before washing the mower and putting it in storage for the winter.

As the cold winds blow, we know it won’t be too long until snowflakes are swirling.  The long-range forecast gives credence to this concern…next week is looking a little dicey weather-wise.

The Market season will be closing for the season as well.  One more Saturday…

With so many things ending, sometimes it’s a little hard to keep focused and feel motivated. Winter hibernation seems like a real good option.  

But, if we start to waver even slightly in our motivation toward next season, we only need look in the mailbox…


The 2014 seed catalogs are starting to arrive!
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Monday, November 18, 2013

You Don't Look Like a Farmer!

You sure don’t LOOK like a farmer…
this is NOT me!
(Mr. Green Jeans from the Captain Kangaroo Show)

Okaaaay…

(I mean, really…what would you say in response?)

This comment usually comes as the speaker is peering at me with an odd sideways glance.  Maybe they heard me wrong and thought I just said I was from Mars…or maybe I suddenly spoke Swahili (now, that would surprise me, too!) maybe I forgot to answer the question and they are wondering why I am standing there looking dumbfounded.   Honestly, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard it.

I finally wondered what it meant and began to ask just WHAT I did look like.  Oh, the answers…

Apparently, I look like a teacher, a nurse, maybe a horse trainer…or was that dog trainer?  One lady told me that I looked like I was from New Jersey (yep, Roy…that one’s just for you) Seriously?  How do you look like you’re from New Jersey?  Somebody thought I worked at a bank…maybe I “did computers”.  Nobody ever guesses farmer. (well, almost never...the one time I figured I looked like a "horse/dog trainer-nurse-teacher-computer-banker from NJ", a lady was SURE that I was a farmer!  ...I was even wearing flipflops!  go figure)   

I must point out that whenever I have heard this comment, I been have wearing my relatively clean “town” clothes and was completely out of my usual element. No one said anything like that the time I found myself in the middle of the mall contemplating how the cow manure got smeared down my clean jeans.  Or the time I was sitting in the dentist chair and realized I wore my barn boots to town and there was sheep poo wedged in the cleats.  Then, there was the time the farm truck lost its brakes in town and I had to explain to the repair guys that…no…we didn’t start our truck with a key…you needed to use that little switch the Boss installed.(they were right impressed with that one).  I guess those were just proof that you can take the farmer off the farm….you can’t take farm out of the farmer.  And, farming has been our occupation for the past 16 years…no matter what I look like.

Granted, these folks have never seen me when I’m vetting sheep with muddy boots and mucky overalls.  Maybe they would see it if they watched me deliver a lamb or two, diagnose and treat a few sick critters, feed a few bottle babies, or listen to me talk to the vet. Maybe they would understand if they saw us processing broilers, hauling hay, reading reviews of various crops,discussing food issues with customers, scratching through the dirt for potatoes or any of a million other things that our occupation requires us to do on a regular basis. Maybe they should ask the vet or the feedstore folks, maybe the county government, or even the IRS.  They all consider us…me…a farmer.








When some folks hear the word “Farmer” they imagine some old guy with overalls and a straw hat driving some enormous farm equipment. Uh…no.
When I say vegetable farmer, they imagine that we’re young folks with tie-dyed shirts, sandals and dreadlocks, eschewing modernity and embracing the whole “organic, alternative, sustainable” thing.  Uh…no.
It would be so nice if people could get beyond their need to pigeonhole everyone, to slap a label on others and think that they understand.  …’cause they don’t.

Obviously, I’m not an old guy, I can’t stand hats, don’t generally wear overalls, and the Boss does all the driving of our very small farm equipment.  On the other hand, we’re not young, couldn’t do dreads if we tried and are fairly open-minded toward new varieties and methods because they may very well enable us to be sustainable in the long run.

I’m really okay with the fact that we are a small, very small, okay…minuscule farm (by some standards). But, we are also a thriving farm entity that produces some excellent products. While we will never be able to lay claim to feeding the world, (honestly, that’s a big claim…and I don’t know if I want that kind of responsibility…) we can say in all truthfulness that we do provide fresh food for our customers all year long…and have for quite some time.

So, in the long run, it really doesn’t matter what I look like, what the Boss looks like…and it doesn’t matter if we don’t fit neatly into some little category that someone else made up. There are all kinds of farms and farming practices...no two looking exactly alike.


...and personally, I think that's a good thing!











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