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
Saturday, February 15, 2014
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)