The week didn't start off too good. First thing Monday morning I had to dispose of a dead calf which is never fun. All indications are that the calf was born dead, although it looked perfectly normal. I will never get used to removing a dead baby anything from it's mama who just doesn't understand that despite all her efforts that baby is not going to stand and nurse. This year I had to do that with a foal, and now with a calf. All farming activities are not fun, but that's part of it.
We sure have had a weather reprieve this week which has been super! We finally got some much needed rain and the temps in the 70's are awesome! I hope this trend continues for a few more days.
Farmers Markets are definitely keeping me busy...Tuesday evening in downtown Corbin, Saturday mornings at Goldbug and the newest market on Thursday evenings in Knox County. There are plenty of opportunities for folks to purchase USDA Certified Grass Fed Beef, Natural Pork, and Free Range Chicken! I am getting some really good feedback on the chicken. I actually did a taste comparison this week and will be reporting my findings soon so stay tuned! Thanks so much to all of my customers!
I hope everyone has a good rest of the week! Til later...
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Itty Bitty
A couple of weeks after I got the meat chickens I found one of them not acting quite right. It was acting like it didn't feel good...just laying there, not wanting to stand up. So I brought the little chick into the house and fixed a box in the living room for it to live in. Several weeks went by and this liitle chick stayed alive but didn't grow and was slow to be steady on it's feet. However after a couple more weeks it began acting pretty normal although it was still tiny, and where all the other chickens were getting their feathers, this one was still covered in fuzz. I started taking the chick outside to be with the other chickens and it would mingle with them during the day. Any time I would go outside, this little chick, still covered in fuzz would come running as hard as it could to greet me! Needless to say this little chick won my heart so Itty Bitty was named. I left Itty Bitty outside in a mobile coop a couple of nights but I became afraid that the little one would get smothered because all the chickens tended to pile up in a heap. So again, I fixed a box in the house and now Itty Bitty comes inside to sleep at night! As long as I start before it gets too dark, all I have to do is call for him/her (hopefully her!) and Itty Bitty comes running. If I leave the farm, upon my return, Itty Bitty greets me at my car door! Itty Bitty loves to wander around inside the house and eat whatever she can find on the floor! While I was recuperating from surgery, Jane would bring Itty Bitty in during the day so I would have "some chicken company!"
On Monday, John took my truck and the stock trailer to Knox Co. to pick up some shavings in preparation for loading the chicken masses that nite. When he got there, he opened the back door of the trailer and guess what was there....Itty Bitty had hitch hiked along for the ride. John assured me that he would make sure that Itty Bitty would have a safe return to the farm later!
I can assure you that Itty Bitty did not go to Lancaster Tuesday morning long with all the other meat chickens...although Itty Bitty has at times been referred to as Nugget LOL!!!!
On Monday, John took my truck and the stock trailer to Knox Co. to pick up some shavings in preparation for loading the chicken masses that nite. When he got there, he opened the back door of the trailer and guess what was there....Itty Bitty had hitch hiked along for the ride. John assured me that he would make sure that Itty Bitty would have a safe return to the farm later!
I can assure you that Itty Bitty did not go to Lancaster Tuesday morning long with all the other meat chickens...although Itty Bitty has at times been referred to as Nugget LOL!!!!
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Random Thoughts
Well tonite I did the last routine meat chicken feeding! What a relief! Tomorrow night the chickens will all be loaded into the stock trailer for the night in preparation for the trip to Lancaster Tuesday morning.
Good news! The natural chicken cold medicene has definitely helped my girls (Laying Hens!) Not near as much sneezing and watery eyes. Whoo hoo!
I am so thankful for the much needed rain that has fallen on our farm the last couple of days. Hopefully the grass will begin to green back up and start growing again :-)
Tomorrow starts off with a fun activity...yours truly will be talking on the radio with my friends Sandi Curd, and Rachel West and Thor Bahrman! (99.5 KDCountry and T107 at 9:00) We are kicking off an awesome Farmers Market Program that will allow EBT participants to receive $10 extra farmers market dollars when they spend $10 at every market they attend. We are already doubling the value of all WIC and Sr Farmers Market Vouchers! This helps so many people in so many ways. I just wish more people would take advantage of it.
I REALLY need to get back on my horse!
Good evening friends!
Good news! The natural chicken cold medicene has definitely helped my girls (Laying Hens!) Not near as much sneezing and watery eyes. Whoo hoo!
I am so thankful for the much needed rain that has fallen on our farm the last couple of days. Hopefully the grass will begin to green back up and start growing again :-)
Tomorrow starts off with a fun activity...yours truly will be talking on the radio with my friends Sandi Curd, and Rachel West and Thor Bahrman! (99.5 KDCountry and T107 at 9:00) We are kicking off an awesome Farmers Market Program that will allow EBT participants to receive $10 extra farmers market dollars when they spend $10 at every market they attend. We are already doubling the value of all WIC and Sr Farmers Market Vouchers! This helps so many people in so many ways. I just wish more people would take advantage of it.
I REALLY need to get back on my horse!
Good evening friends!
Friday, June 27, 2014
Back To Work
Hello friends!
Today was my first real day back to work and it was a doozy! I spent the better part of yesterday getting the splints removed from my nose. Boy was that not a fun process but it was quick and the relief was immediate. I won't elaborate any further here :-)
Ya'll are probably getting tired of hearing about chickens but they seem to be taking up a good bit of my efforts lately. Many of my chickens have colds :-( So what is a chicken cold like you might ask? Well, it is much like a human cold...they sneeze, have runny noses, puffy eyes, and make these gurgley noises like they need to blow their noses!!!! I wish I was kidding but I'm not. I am trying to treat them with a natural remedy that is in no way harmful, but if I can't get it under control I might have to resort to antibiotics. I won't use antibiotics on the meat chickens. If I do have to go this route on the laying hens I will of course be withholding the eggs the required amount of time. I really don't want to do this but I hate it that my girls aren't feeling good :-( Of course they aren't laying good right now because they don't feel good and that is really not good! I'll keep you posted!
Tonite John and Bryce went to the Knox County Farmers Market for the second week and although John thought the crowd was much less than last week sales were actually better! That could be due in part to the fact that I am fully stocked up on beef items right now :-) I suggest that everyone stock up on their favorite cuts! We will continue going to the Knox County market on Thursdays!
I attended my monthly Whitley County Cattlemen's Association meeting tonite. There was a representative there from the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association. It was a thought provoking meeting for sure. The national beef industry as a whole is struggling to regain their market share of meat sales. Let's face it, beef really got a bad wrap a few years back and it is my job as a Cattleman to help regain public trust and correctly educate the buyers as to the merits of beef. I am actually working through a national program online to become a Master of Beef Advocacy. Where I struggle is that I choose to provide beef that is very unconventionally raised and fills the needs of a niche market that I truly believe in. That doesn't mean that I think beef raised in more conventional ways is all bad. I am working to come to terms with all this. Actually I am even wondering if I can really help the beef industry (in my small, local way) more than they or I realize. I am planning on calling the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association soon to discuss this!
The horse shoer was here today putting new shoes on Sender, Twister and Blue! This happens every 6 weeks. They are ready to go and I need to be riding more!
If I don't post tomorrow I will be at the Whitley County Farmers Market on Saturday morning at the extension office in Goldbug!
Happy farming!
Today was my first real day back to work and it was a doozy! I spent the better part of yesterday getting the splints removed from my nose. Boy was that not a fun process but it was quick and the relief was immediate. I won't elaborate any further here :-)
Ya'll are probably getting tired of hearing about chickens but they seem to be taking up a good bit of my efforts lately. Many of my chickens have colds :-( So what is a chicken cold like you might ask? Well, it is much like a human cold...they sneeze, have runny noses, puffy eyes, and make these gurgley noises like they need to blow their noses!!!! I wish I was kidding but I'm not. I am trying to treat them with a natural remedy that is in no way harmful, but if I can't get it under control I might have to resort to antibiotics. I won't use antibiotics on the meat chickens. If I do have to go this route on the laying hens I will of course be withholding the eggs the required amount of time. I really don't want to do this but I hate it that my girls aren't feeling good :-( Of course they aren't laying good right now because they don't feel good and that is really not good! I'll keep you posted!
Tonite John and Bryce went to the Knox County Farmers Market for the second week and although John thought the crowd was much less than last week sales were actually better! That could be due in part to the fact that I am fully stocked up on beef items right now :-) I suggest that everyone stock up on their favorite cuts! We will continue going to the Knox County market on Thursdays!
I attended my monthly Whitley County Cattlemen's Association meeting tonite. There was a representative there from the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association. It was a thought provoking meeting for sure. The national beef industry as a whole is struggling to regain their market share of meat sales. Let's face it, beef really got a bad wrap a few years back and it is my job as a Cattleman to help regain public trust and correctly educate the buyers as to the merits of beef. I am actually working through a national program online to become a Master of Beef Advocacy. Where I struggle is that I choose to provide beef that is very unconventionally raised and fills the needs of a niche market that I truly believe in. That doesn't mean that I think beef raised in more conventional ways is all bad. I am working to come to terms with all this. Actually I am even wondering if I can really help the beef industry (in my small, local way) more than they or I realize. I am planning on calling the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association soon to discuss this!
The horse shoer was here today putting new shoes on Sender, Twister and Blue! This happens every 6 weeks. They are ready to go and I need to be riding more!
If I don't post tomorrow I will be at the Whitley County Farmers Market on Saturday morning at the extension office in Goldbug!
Happy farming!
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Chicken Countdown....
It's only one week....that's seven days...until the meat chickens go to be processed! Can you tell that I am looking forward to it?! This chicken adventure has been much tougher than I thought it would be, but I am planning to prevail! WE WILL HAVE CHICKEN FOR SALE AT THE WHITLEY COUNTY FARMERS MARKET IN CORBIN ON TUESDAY, JULY 8th!!!!
Jane left tonite and I was sure sad to see her go :-). Not only is she the BEST sister in the whole world, she is also the hardest worker that I know. She kept all my chores done all week which is no easy task and I feel so caught up right now that I am almost scared to go outside and mess things up! I am truly blessed to have her! She will be returning next Monday night so she can help load the chickens and should be with me at the market in Corbin on Tuesday :-). Then we are actually leaving Wednesday to go on a small vacation to visit some family in South Carolina!
So...John is planning on taking the trailer to the Barbourville Farmers Market again this Thursday night. He and Bryce did well there last Thursday :-). I can't go because I have a Whitley County Cattlemens Meeting to attend. Then I plan on being back at the Goldbug market on Saturday morning. Then Corbin on Tuesday night!
I hope everyone comes out and gets their USDA CERTIFIED GRASS FED BEEF for the holiday! I am picking up a steer tomorrow so I will be fully stocked up on all cuts!
And did I mention the chicken.....
Jane left tonite and I was sure sad to see her go :-). Not only is she the BEST sister in the whole world, she is also the hardest worker that I know. She kept all my chores done all week which is no easy task and I feel so caught up right now that I am almost scared to go outside and mess things up! I am truly blessed to have her! She will be returning next Monday night so she can help load the chickens and should be with me at the market in Corbin on Tuesday :-). Then we are actually leaving Wednesday to go on a small vacation to visit some family in South Carolina!
So...John is planning on taking the trailer to the Barbourville Farmers Market again this Thursday night. He and Bryce did well there last Thursday :-). I can't go because I have a Whitley County Cattlemens Meeting to attend. Then I plan on being back at the Goldbug market on Saturday morning. Then Corbin on Tuesday night!
I hope everyone comes out and gets their USDA CERTIFIED GRASS FED BEEF for the holiday! I am picking up a steer tomorrow so I will be fully stocked up on all cuts!
And did I mention the chicken.....
Monday, June 23, 2014
It's Almost Chicken Time!!!!
The meat chickens are now 10 weeks old and I just made an appointment with the processor!!!! They will be going away next Tuesday morning!!!! I am so ready for this to happen. There has been a HUGE learning curve with these birds. I will take them to the processor on Tuesday morning and pick them up the following Monday morning.
MEAT CHICKEN WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT THE WHITLEY COUNTY FARMERS MARKET IN CORBIN ON TUESDAY, JULY 8TH!!!!!
Sunday, June 22, 2014
True Partner
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Surprise Surprise SURPRISE!
A couple of weeks ago one of my Light Brahma hens disappeared. I decided she had been a midnite snack for a predator :-( however I was pleasantly surprised when John found her sitting on a nest under a tractor! We had to use the tractor so after marking the eggs so I would know which ones they were I just shoved them under one of my other hens in the chicken coop that has been determined to be broody. Well, this little one hatched!!!!! It's actually the first baby chick to be hatched at Moonlight Farm! Whoo hoo!!!!
Friday, June 20, 2014
Farmers Markets
The Farmers Markets are in full swing now! Moonlight Farm beef and pork can be be found regularly at the Whitley County Farmers Market on Saturday mornings at the extension office from 8-12. I am also selling in downtown Corbin on Tuesday nights from 5-8! In Corbin I am offering my famous Walking Tacos made with delicious grassfed ground beef for dinner! Come check it out!
Although I wasn't able to go, John and Bryce made their first solo Farmers Market run last night for the grand opening of the Barbourville Farmers Market! There were lots of folks who showed up for this event and sales were good so I expect we will be going back. Maybe even offering the Walking Tacos?????!!!!! The Barbourville market is on Thursday evenings from 5-9.
My chickens are running a tad late, but should be available within a couple of weeks!
I sure do appreciate all my regular customers and look forward to meeting lots of new customers in the coming weeks!
Although I wasn't able to go, John and Bryce made their first solo Farmers Market run last night for the grand opening of the Barbourville Farmers Market! There were lots of folks who showed up for this event and sales were good so I expect we will be going back. Maybe even offering the Walking Tacos?????!!!!! The Barbourville market is on Thursday evenings from 5-9.
My chickens are running a tad late, but should be available within a couple of weeks!
I sure do appreciate all my regular customers and look forward to meeting lots of new customers in the coming weeks!
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Spring is Springing!
Hello friends!
I can't believe it has been over a month since I have posted anything here! Time is flying so much faster than I can run trying to keep up! It has been a really busy month on the farm...
In late February John and I attended a conference in Bowling Green focusing on Alfalfa...the queen forage! We have tried to grow this grass twice with no success but I am not giving up. However, I am going to work on getting my soil amended to the proper PH level before I make another attempt. Simply put, alfalfa has a very high protein level and is so good for all animals. Also, since it is a legume, it actually adds nitrogen to the soil naturally so the additional of chemical fertilizers is not needed as much. We will get there!
Also in late February I participated in a two day workshop that was here in Corbin to start the planning process for the Whitley County Farmers' Market to become a year round market! Planning for this is continuing and it will be a slow process but needless to say it is an awesome goal for our community!
As March happened, the pace has quickened and I turned my focus to chickens!!!! First of all, my existing chicken coop is in bad need of repair, albeit not big enough to house the number of laying hens that I would like to have. I decided to purchase a prefab barn structure to add to the chicken community and increase the size of their outdoor fenced run. Since I did not want to relocate the chicken kingdom, all modifications are being done around the old structures so the girls can remain secure during renovations! Progress is happening! The new coop is in place and hopefully after today, the expanded outdoor run will be secure. The girls will remain roosting and laying in the old coop for now until I can get the new indoor furniture (i.e. roosts and laying boxes) built. In the meantime, I have the first new babies of the season on order!
Now here is the big chicken news.....
I HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO ADD MEAT CHICKENS TO MY OFFERINGS!!!!!! 200 Heritage White chicks are due to ship to me on April 15th!!!! These chicks will be raised on pasture completely separate from my layers. I will tell you more about this process later!!!!!
John is working on getting some fescue seed planted in two of our fields that will hopefully provide some good winter forage for the cows next December and January! We are down to 2 bales of hay so the grass needs to really come on! Looking like we really planned things right this year LOL!
Til later and I promise I will add some pictures so you can actually see some of the things I am telling you about!
Happy Spring!
Anne
I can't believe it has been over a month since I have posted anything here! Time is flying so much faster than I can run trying to keep up! It has been a really busy month on the farm...
In late February John and I attended a conference in Bowling Green focusing on Alfalfa...the queen forage! We have tried to grow this grass twice with no success but I am not giving up. However, I am going to work on getting my soil amended to the proper PH level before I make another attempt. Simply put, alfalfa has a very high protein level and is so good for all animals. Also, since it is a legume, it actually adds nitrogen to the soil naturally so the additional of chemical fertilizers is not needed as much. We will get there!
Also in late February I participated in a two day workshop that was here in Corbin to start the planning process for the Whitley County Farmers' Market to become a year round market! Planning for this is continuing and it will be a slow process but needless to say it is an awesome goal for our community!
As March happened, the pace has quickened and I turned my focus to chickens!!!! First of all, my existing chicken coop is in bad need of repair, albeit not big enough to house the number of laying hens that I would like to have. I decided to purchase a prefab barn structure to add to the chicken community and increase the size of their outdoor fenced run. Since I did not want to relocate the chicken kingdom, all modifications are being done around the old structures so the girls can remain secure during renovations! Progress is happening! The new coop is in place and hopefully after today, the expanded outdoor run will be secure. The girls will remain roosting and laying in the old coop for now until I can get the new indoor furniture (i.e. roosts and laying boxes) built. In the meantime, I have the first new babies of the season on order!
Now here is the big chicken news.....
I HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO ADD MEAT CHICKENS TO MY OFFERINGS!!!!!! 200 Heritage White chicks are due to ship to me on April 15th!!!! These chicks will be raised on pasture completely separate from my layers. I will tell you more about this process later!!!!!
John is working on getting some fescue seed planted in two of our fields that will hopefully provide some good winter forage for the cows next December and January! We are down to 2 bales of hay so the grass needs to really come on! Looking like we really planned things right this year LOL!
Til later and I promise I will add some pictures so you can actually see some of the things I am telling you about!
Happy Spring!
Anne
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Happy Valentine's Day
Hello from Moonlight Farm!
I went outside this morning and the sun was shining brightly and the birds were really chirping loudly and I was filled with happiness knowing that spring must be just around the corner! For the first time in a long time I actually started to feel like it is really time to start getting that springtime work started rather than just getting the minimum winter chores done. This is good!
I am getting ready to start pulling soil samples from all of my fields to get the soil tested so I can know what nutrients need to be added before the spring planting starts. It is a real process to get all the samples gathered, appropriately dried which will take forever, labeled and bagged so I can take them to the extension office. Whitley County farmers are so lucky to be able to get soil and hay samples done at no charge! You might get tired of hearing me say this but first and foremost I must think of myself as a grass farmer and take the best care I can of the soil first so that I can grow the best forages I can. The end result will be happier and healthier livestock which will produce better beef and pork and eggs, and healthier and stronger horses!
Speaking of horses, I am just 2 months away from the babies starting! That will be a busy and stressful time as I have never had this many mares pregnant at one time before. We are looking for baby cows everyday now, too!
The girls topped there 2014 record again today with 16 eggs! That makes me smile :-) There is so much to be said for the simple pleasures in life
I went outside this morning and the sun was shining brightly and the birds were really chirping loudly and I was filled with happiness knowing that spring must be just around the corner! For the first time in a long time I actually started to feel like it is really time to start getting that springtime work started rather than just getting the minimum winter chores done. This is good!
I am getting ready to start pulling soil samples from all of my fields to get the soil tested so I can know what nutrients need to be added before the spring planting starts. It is a real process to get all the samples gathered, appropriately dried which will take forever, labeled and bagged so I can take them to the extension office. Whitley County farmers are so lucky to be able to get soil and hay samples done at no charge! You might get tired of hearing me say this but first and foremost I must think of myself as a grass farmer and take the best care I can of the soil first so that I can grow the best forages I can. The end result will be happier and healthier livestock which will produce better beef and pork and eggs, and healthier and stronger horses!
Speaking of horses, I am just 2 months away from the babies starting! That will be a busy and stressful time as I have never had this many mares pregnant at one time before. We are looking for baby cows everyday now, too!
The girls topped there 2014 record again today with 16 eggs! That makes me smile :-) There is so much to be said for the simple pleasures in life
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Mud, Hay and Eggs!
February 11, 2014 was a good day on the farm. That's farm lingo for a "productive" day when nothing, animal or human, got injured or sick!
The first task of the day involved getting my big truck unstuck from the field. Now this adventure actually began a few days ago when John and I were attempting to get hay that we are selling loaded on a trailer and delivered to a neighboring farm. We were successful with the first load of 14 bales (that's 14 - 1000# bales!) which is a pretty big load on uneven pasture ground that is pretty darn slick! Apparently the ground had thawed enough by the time we got the second load ready to pull out that it wasn't gonna happen. We used the tractor to push and pull but had to finally give up and leave the truck and loaded trailer "stuck" in the field. I hate it when that happens!!! So anyway, John and I both decided that yesterday morning, if we got a very early start, the ground would be cold enough to try to get the truck unstuck and complete the task of delivering the 50 bales of hay. We did get the truck unstuck and delivered two more loads of 14 bales each and both the neighbor and us decided to call this job complete for now! Of course it was not before the FEDEX man ended up in a ditch when he rounded a curve obviously not paying attention and going way too fast to stop since the roads we were traveling on are not big enough for me to pass even a bicycle when I am driving the truck pulling the 25' trailer! All I could do was grip the steering wheel, close my eyes and pray while he swerved off the road to avoid me landing in the very muddy ditch. I did stop to make sure he was ok and make the call to the neighbor with the 4-wheel drive tractor to come pull him out of the ditch!
John still had to put hay out for our animals and I needed to get all my daily feeding/watering done so we separated for our respective chores. After this was all complete, it was way past lunch time and both John and I were starving so we headed into Williamsburg to eat at our favorite place...G & E Drive In! While in town we made egg deliveries to a couple of my WONDERFUL regular egg customers. I can't tell you how nice it is to have customers who stick with me throughout the winter after the close of the Farmers Markets and who also understand when I can't supply them as well because my chickens decided to take a break during the winter!
The last stop for the day was at Singing Hills Goat Farm where I picked up a couple of bags of High Magnesium minerals for my cows. Nancy was nice enough to pick these up for me on her feed run to save me a trip. It is very important to "beef up" (pun intended!) the magnesium levels for the cows before all the new spring grass starts growing. We keep loose minerals available to our cattle on a free choice basis at all times. It's always nice to end a workday with good conversation with a farmer friend...especially when it has been a GREAT farm day!
Oh and yesterday the girls set a new 2014 on farm record...12 eggs for the day! Go girls go!!!!
Spring is on it's way, I know it is!!!!!!
Anne
The first task of the day involved getting my big truck unstuck from the field. Now this adventure actually began a few days ago when John and I were attempting to get hay that we are selling loaded on a trailer and delivered to a neighboring farm. We were successful with the first load of 14 bales (that's 14 - 1000# bales!) which is a pretty big load on uneven pasture ground that is pretty darn slick! Apparently the ground had thawed enough by the time we got the second load ready to pull out that it wasn't gonna happen. We used the tractor to push and pull but had to finally give up and leave the truck and loaded trailer "stuck" in the field. I hate it when that happens!!! So anyway, John and I both decided that yesterday morning, if we got a very early start, the ground would be cold enough to try to get the truck unstuck and complete the task of delivering the 50 bales of hay. We did get the truck unstuck and delivered two more loads of 14 bales each and both the neighbor and us decided to call this job complete for now! Of course it was not before the FEDEX man ended up in a ditch when he rounded a curve obviously not paying attention and going way too fast to stop since the roads we were traveling on are not big enough for me to pass even a bicycle when I am driving the truck pulling the 25' trailer! All I could do was grip the steering wheel, close my eyes and pray while he swerved off the road to avoid me landing in the very muddy ditch. I did stop to make sure he was ok and make the call to the neighbor with the 4-wheel drive tractor to come pull him out of the ditch!
John still had to put hay out for our animals and I needed to get all my daily feeding/watering done so we separated for our respective chores. After this was all complete, it was way past lunch time and both John and I were starving so we headed into Williamsburg to eat at our favorite place...G & E Drive In! While in town we made egg deliveries to a couple of my WONDERFUL regular egg customers. I can't tell you how nice it is to have customers who stick with me throughout the winter after the close of the Farmers Markets and who also understand when I can't supply them as well because my chickens decided to take a break during the winter!
The last stop for the day was at Singing Hills Goat Farm where I picked up a couple of bags of High Magnesium minerals for my cows. Nancy was nice enough to pick these up for me on her feed run to save me a trip. It is very important to "beef up" (pun intended!) the magnesium levels for the cows before all the new spring grass starts growing. We keep loose minerals available to our cattle on a free choice basis at all times. It's always nice to end a workday with good conversation with a farmer friend...especially when it has been a GREAT farm day!
Oh and yesterday the girls set a new 2014 on farm record...12 eggs for the day! Go girls go!!!!
Spring is on it's way, I know it is!!!!!!
Anne
Monday, February 10, 2014
It's Monday...again!
It's Monday again and there is another dusting of snow! We had our second blogging class last night and I learned some cool things like how to change the background...and the color of the text!!! I can actually even insert a picture now! Whoo hoo! I realize that this is not very interesting stuff but I am trying to incorporate blogging into my routine.
Today will be a normal winter day on the farm, with feeding and checking water everywhere. I also need to give a couple of shots to a couple of my pregnant mares. This will be their last rhinopneumonitis vaccine before they foal. I know they will be glad!!!!
I am intending to put in lots of computer time today working on my website and adding pictures to my cattle records. I have a midday farmers' market meeting and then there is yoga tonite!!!!
Let's try that picture thing....
Too cool!!!!
I hope everyone has a great day!
Anne
Today will be a normal winter day on the farm, with feeding and checking water everywhere. I also need to give a couple of shots to a couple of my pregnant mares. This will be their last rhinopneumonitis vaccine before they foal. I know they will be glad!!!!
I am intending to put in lots of computer time today working on my website and adding pictures to my cattle records. I have a midday farmers' market meeting and then there is yoga tonite!!!!
Let's try that picture thing....
I hope everyone has a great day!
Anne
Sunday, January 26, 2014
I'm a GRASS FARMER!
It's been a busy week! It started off with the Heart of America Grazing Conference. It is so fun to study and learn new ideas about...you guessed it....grass and grazing!!!! It is very important for me to never forget that first and foremost I am a grass farmer. If I manage the forage on my farm correctly my animals will be so much better. John and I both are seriously trying to do whatever we need to to graze at least 300 days next year! Of course we will feed only hay for the other days because it is important to us to be a grass fed operation. This is not an easy goal but we can do it!
I spent a lot of time the rest of the week working on Whitley County Farmers Market business. It is great to feel like we are so far ahead of planning for the 2014 season which will kick off the last week in April! I sure hope the ground dries up enough so that I can get my trailer into the field to pick up a steer and get it to the processor. I want to start off the season with beef, pork and eggs!
The weather is tough right now but it is winter!!!! So far all the critters are doing good, and the chickens are starting to lay better which gives me hope that spring is just around the corner :-). I am less than three months away from baby horses!!!! I am excited and nervous all the same. Five (maybe six) babies will be tough. I pray for all healthy babies and mamas :-)
It's supposed to snow AGAIN tonite.....
I spent a lot of time the rest of the week working on Whitley County Farmers Market business. It is great to feel like we are so far ahead of planning for the 2014 season which will kick off the last week in April! I sure hope the ground dries up enough so that I can get my trailer into the field to pick up a steer and get it to the processor. I want to start off the season with beef, pork and eggs!
The weather is tough right now but it is winter!!!! So far all the critters are doing good, and the chickens are starting to lay better which gives me hope that spring is just around the corner :-). I am less than three months away from baby horses!!!! I am excited and nervous all the same. Five (maybe six) babies will be tough. I pray for all healthy babies and mamas :-)
It's supposed to snow AGAIN tonite.....
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Day One in Blog World
So...at church tonite there was a class on blogging which is something I thought I would like to learn. So here I am and less than an hour into the class I am writing my first blog! I am not too sure that I know what I am doing but I am doing it and that is a really good thing!
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