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
Stacking Up versus Piling On Read More »
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
The Prodigal Steer Read More »
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
Update Jan 2016: We moved the trough and made some plumbing improvements in this follow-up post. Last week we set up a new water trough for the cattle in the area where they’ll be bale grazing this winter. We started building drinking troughs out of heavy equipment tires two years ago. Tire tanks are heavy enough
Cattle Proof Water Trough Read More »
We like to transition weaned piglets with clabbered milk before giving them the whey that the rest of the herd drinks. Piglets do better with the extra fat provided by whole milk. After a few weeks on milk they can make the switch to whey without a hitch.
Transitioning Piglets Read More »
Saturday we got the old Ford truck back up on its feet again. It had gotten into a bad habit of coughing, bucking, and backfiring whenever we asked it to move. In the end, the main problem was a faulty oxygen sensor. 19 years and 222k miles on the original one, so there’s nothing to
When is enough enough? Read More »
The ash trees in our part of NY are dying. Emerald Ash Borers (EAB) have been killing them. Since the unintentional introduction of the Emerald Ash Borers from Asia in 1990’s, the infestation has spread rapidly. Many foresters believe that a total irradication of the North American ash species may result. During our first summer on
