Late Winter Update
It seems like it gets busier at the farm every year! I suppose I should consider the fact that we’re growing, both in our farming ventures and in our family size, so of course it follows that we ought to be busier! In fact, we’re counting down the days until Cad-baby #5 arrives! I’m officially due in about 3 weeks, so it won’t be long! Unless this baby follows the pattern and comes 10 days late like all his/her siblings, ha! We’ll definitely keep you posted!
Tevka practicing her silly faces!
Calving Season Begins
Speaking of babies, it’s certainly that time of year! As our local fans know, it’s been a particularly brutal winter this year. It got down to 8 degrees here in January, which is certainly a record for us! Matt has been diligent doing his cow-midwife duties, but thankfully no one has had trouble calving so far this season, in spite of the fact that most of the mommas so far have been heifers (first-timers).
Newborn calf being cared for by momma!
We did lose one calf, sadly. She just got too cold with all the wind and rain. We tried to warm her and bottle feed her, but she was too weak to recover.
Doing our best to warm this unfortunate little heifer calf.
An Unusual Chore
On a lighter note, I just wanted to share this next photo that shows the wide variety of daily tasks a farmer might encounter. We have a small clowder of cats to help with mouse and mole control. They add joy to our lives with their silly antics. Sassy, here, decided to get a better view of the farm, but couldn’t figure out how to get down on her own! Matt, being a softie at heart, and being very tall as well, attempted a rescue, but Sassy wouldn’t have it. She eventually found her way down, but it made for a sweet picture!
Matt tries to rescue Sassy from the roof!
New Puppies!
Meeka (the Pyrenees guardian dog) had puppies in early January, and they are doing great! They have begun exploring outside their nest and will be ready for new homes within a couple of weeks. We will be rehoming 3 of them, so let us know if you want more information! Their parents (Zeke and Meeka) are fabulous guardians for any type of livestock (we use them mostly for poultry), and we are excited to have a little from a set of parents so well-suited to their jobs.
Meet Meeka, a young female Pyrenees who just became a mom!
Here is Zeke, a faithful guardian of farm poultry!
Meet Snowball, a future farm guardian!
Farm Store Construction Progress
Most of Matt’s time these days is spent fixing stuff, coordinating production schedules, and working on the farm store! It’s really coming along now that the weather is warming up and days are getting longer. The wood is all being harvested from the farm. Many of our big pine trees were damaged during the drought in 2011 and are dying, but they are perfectly salvageable for the giant columns and beams we need for construction. It’s pretty exciting to see things coming together out there! We don’t have an opening date scheduled yet because it’s hard to predict progress rate with such a dynamic task load otherwise, but our hope is to open it sometime in early summer.
Every good felled tree needs a little climbing!
[Naturally I don’t have any photos of the actual store construction… but you can visit our YouTube channel to watch some cool videos of Matt’s mad engineering skills as he figures out how to work with really huge beams made from really heavy trees!]
A New Toy… I mean, Tool!
I have always remarked that it is neat to be in an industry where the whole family is really involved, and so many of you regularly ask after the children, so of course, I wanted to share a little about them as well. The kiddos were excited about a new tool we purchased to help efficientize egg packaging a bit. It’s nothing fancy—just a date label gun, but it sure beats the wet-ink stamp pad and hand-cut stickers we were using before! At least a few times a week, all the kids help collect the eggs. Well… baby Matthew usually practices “driving” the ATV. But it won’t be long before he’s out there with his own little egg collection basket!
The “old” system was labor-intensive, messy, and the kids couldn’t do it alone!
Such a simple machine… and yet so life-changing!
The new date stickers–ink, cut, and attach, all in one motion!
They even stick on noses!
Success!
Matthew Jr. practicing his driving while the other kids help Dadda collect eggs.
Order Easter Ham early this year!
Just an early reminder: Easter falls really early this year (April 1!), so if you’re looking for a special centerpiece meat or some real farm eggs, be sure to nab them during our March deliveries. Smoked hams (quarters, halves, and wholes) are available to order now. We’re well-stocked on eggs, particularly larger sizes (better value per ounce!). And we have some yummy lamb cuts if you want to try something different this Easter.
Try one of our delightful smoked hams this Easter. So simple and so clean-tasting!
That’s our update for now! Thanks for your support and encouragement. We really work for a fabulous group of folks and it is our pleasure to provide you with the high-quality food you need and expect.
Hope to see you soon!
