Preparing for winter and breeding season
Preparing….. As fall approaches, we are busy stacking hay and getting ready for the upcoming breeding season. For our northern climate, we’ve found that feeding
Preparing….. As fall approaches, we are busy stacking hay and getting ready for the upcoming breeding season. For our northern climate, we’ve found that feeding
The shipment of sheep pelts has just arrived at the tanner which signals the close to harvest and preserving for 2022. I have such an appreciation for the artisan trades and traditions. They understand how to bring out the complete beauty and heirloom qualities of the wool pelts. I admire that.
I thought lambing was done the end of April. We had a great lambing season, with mostly twins and one set of triples. There were two ewes that didn’t lamb, but I knew I was pushing my ram with the number of ewes I had this year, so I was not completely surprised. In June Copper was starting to look quite round. Was she finding all the prime grazing spots on our place…?
We are on the count down with the last two ewes to lamb. The field is full of bouncing, wooly babies. Who needs any other type of entertainment when you have lambs full of shenanigans all day long?! I feel humbled and blessed to be the shepherdess of this flock. They know my voice as I call them in the morning with a “hey girls”!
We have forgotten that our deepest selves wait for us quietly. Solitude is when you touch the hem of your soul. Excerpt from Cee Denney, Poem; Solitude.
There is a quietness to the farm when winter arrives and the snow is sparkling in the afternoon sun. Not to be mistaken for a rawness of survival. Keeping the livestock warm with fresh, dry bedding and water troughs that won’t freeze.
Miss Magnolia was born on a beautiful day in early October. It fills our hearts with much thanks and amazement every time a new life is born on our farm. The miracle never gets old. She is independent and quite spunky at her young age. I hope that as a future milk cow she grows to enjoy hanging around people as much as she does the sheep!
As the seasons change from summer to autumn, I find my mind taking time to reflect. Reflecting on the intensity of the summer days, the labor, the growing and harvesting and now preserving for the future. We plan all year for the harvest, the taste of a juicy red tomato and the sweetness of the bartlett pears. There is much to look forward to and more to be thankful for!
Circling the Barn: A gathering together to share in community, connection, and story because of life within the barn. Through the years I have experienced
As a farmer, the days of observing and sometimes helping bring new life to the farm are what we live and plan for all year!
With the growing number of Farmers Markets and Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSA) it is easier to have a farmer or two that you can