Well, it took long enough. But we finally got our first killing frost along with a light snowfall. So fall is here. The conditions this year created an unusually warm October. Apparently the trees were confused by the weather, since they made a disorderly retreat from leaves to bare branches, each one seeming to turn …
This week Rachel and I were herding turkeys out of their pasture onto the farm lane when we came under attack by helicopters. Or at least that’s how the turkeys would tell the story. We were working with the flock and had them all moving in the same general direction when four slow-moving, evenly-spaced sorties …
Last year we started an experimental project using our chickens to help us plant crop seeds. The idea came from the observation that sometimes seeds from spilled chicken feed would germinate in the pasture a week or two after the chickens moved on to a new spot. So we’ve been broadcasting seeds as we move …
I was in the garage welding angle iron when a neighbor pulled up to tell me he was missing six calves. He’d gone out to check on them and, not finding them, looked across the fence to see his little red guys hanging out in the middle of my mostly black herd. Rachel had been …
The title of this week’s post comes from one of the shorter works by Wallace Stegner, an author who wrote a number of books that have lodged themselves individually into my memory. Among other themes in All the Little Live Things, there’s a clash of outlooks between an embittered gardener fighting diseases, insects, gophers, and …
Turkeys are surprisingly dedicated diggers. I’ve written before about how they need to eat pebbles to maintain their digestive system, so it makes sense that they have this instinct to excavate. In dry weather, they also wallow in loose dirt after scratching up a divot to make a dust bath. A powdering of dust sifted …
For this month’s recipe Chef Katy created a satisfying beef sandwich using our thin-sliced minutes steaks (sometimes known as shaved steaks or cheesesteaks), served on a bun with homemade zucchini chips. Also pay attention to the roasted red pepper mayonnaise recipe – we liked it so much we made extra for use as a topping …
There’s an oft-used visual representation of farmers depicting them chewing on a stem of grass. The wardrobe managers for films and photoshoots depend on old tropes, probably under the assumption that the audience is too dense to recognize the hayseed farmer character without a well-gnawed stalk planted firmly in the middle of a wrinkled face. …
We’re glad to announce that we have ground chicken made with our Certified Organic, pasture raised chicken. Some of you have been patiently waiting a long while for this, so we’re excited to share it with you for your enjoyment! Months ago we surveyed our customers about our poultry offerings and we received helpful feedback. …
This spring I built a new turkey shelter starting from a forty foot long mobile home frame. I purchased the frame from a Craigslist seller over a year back in anticipation of this project, but I wasn’t able to get everything together until a few weeks ago. As the turkey flock has grown, I knew …
