A stream flows out of the cattail marsh next door bisecting our land. There have always been signs of muskrat activity in the marsh, but never on our side. This year we have two new muskrat structures built in our part of the stream. Muskrats aren’t true rats, although they look like swollen, long haired rats. They …
Proponents of diversified family farms like to talk about “stacking” farm enterprises. Stacking refers to the possibility of adding profitable new farm ventures to an existing operation with minimal added cost. A popular example is adding laying hens to a beef or pork operation. The hens don’t require any extra space since they follow the other livestock …
Some winter mornings the chore routine is a brutally cold experience, something to be pushed through as quickly as possible. But not today. This morning everything was covered by a thick ice coating, transforming each object into a sparkling alternate of itself. There was a little snow under the crust and as long as I stuck to …
In the middle of October we bought five yearling Angus-Devon cross cattle – two steers and three heifers. They were sold at auction for a retiring farmer. We’ve met the farmer and we know that his cattle program is well aligned with ours. As a plus the Devons are from the same line as our bull …
In the forest someone’s whispering to a tree now This is all I am so please don’t follow me And its your brother in the shaft that I’m a-swinging please let the kindness of forgetting set me free – Kristian Mattson, The Tallest Man on Earth Yesterday was a perfect day for working on logging …
