The Farmer's Husband

Baby parade 2013

April 24, 2013 — 3 Comments

Sorry you haven’t heard from us much lately. We don’t have internet access at our new farm yet, and we’ve had lots of babies to squeeze. Lots and lots of babies. To date, our gals have produced 26 lambs and kids. Here is a photo list of who’s given birth to what on the farm this year. We will update as more kids hit the ground to help us keep them all straight, and to provide some cute babies for you to enjoy.

Goats

March 15, 2013, Gertie the Toggenburg doe gave birth to twin girls, sired by the Guernsey buck, Brady. Dolly, is a flaxen blond color and polled, and Deloris is a dark Sundgau color with gold markings and is disbudded.

March 24, 2013, Esther the Toggenburg doe had triplet girls. Dottie is a dark Sundgau pattern, with gold marking, and a white spot on her head, and is polled. Daisy is almost white with a bit of blond, and is disbudded. Daphne is almost white as well with a touch of gold, and is disbudded.

March 31 (Easter day), Trixie the Sable Saanen doe had one boy and one girl. The boy was sold shortly after birth. The girl, Dixie, is very light blond in color, and is polled.

April 3, 2013, Bramble the Guernsey (well mostly Guernsey) doe produced a boy and a girl, from Brady, the Guernsey buck. Dick is blond at the head, fading to red at the haunches, and is disbudded. Dorcas is solid ginger red from head to tail, and is polled.

Dick and Dorcas, offspring of Brady and Bramble.

April 5, Banbury the Guernsey (HB2) doe had twin boys, from Brady, the Guernsey buck. Dudley is an even blond with small white spots on his face, and is disbudded.  Dexter is an even ginger red with white spotting on his face, and is polled.

April 6, 2013, Vapors, the Sable Saanen doe had twin boys. They were sold a few days later for pets/meat. They were both white.

April 9, 2013, Aggie, the Toggenburg doe had one boy and one girl. The boy was a flaxen gold color, and was sold for a pet or meat. Dusty, the girl, is a light flaxen color, and is polled.

April 17, 2013, Millie, the Nubian mix doe gave birth to twin boys. One boy is a medium gold color and has gone to live with our friend Meagan, and the other is a black and white cou blanc pattern with floppy ears. He is available for a pet/meat home.

Sheep

March 27, 2013, Michelle, the East Frisian ewe had two ram lambs by our Katahdin ram, Cranston. They are both white, and are growing rapidly.

March 31 (Easter) 2013, Maggie the Katahdin had triplets, sired by Marvin, the East Friesian ram. One boy and one girl (Wanda) are being raised by Maggie, and the other girl (Wendy) is being bottle fed, as she was rejected by her mom.

April 3, 2013, Aster the Icelandic ewe had twin boys from Marvin, the Frisian ram. They are very fast growers, and are already looking delicious.

April 13, 2013, Coco, the Icelandic ewe had 2 ram lambs from Cranston, the Katahdin ram. It will be hard to eat them, they’re so cute.

We have a few more does due to kid in June, and will update this list as babies are born. The pure Guernsey boys are for sale. The ram lambs could also be for sale if they are of interest to anyone, but will most likely be finished in our pastures and sold as meat this autumn. All girls, both lambs and kids, will be kept for breeding purposes. A few older does may be available this autumn.

Orka

April 24, 2013 — 5 Comments

Orka, one of our Icelandic ewes, began to show signs of lambing two Sundays ago. Her bag (udder) was full and she was becoming restless and aloof. A total of nine goats and sheep had successfully given birth so far this season, and she was to be the tenth. Well they say that one out of every ten births proves to be problematic, and if you are at all squeamish, I suggest that you NOT scroll down any further.

WARNING: RATHER GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW

Sheep really don’t require any intervention during the lambing process. We do not separate the lambs at birth, as we do with the goat kids, and it is best if the ewes can do everything out on pasture without the stress of us hovering over them.  I went out to check on her after evening chores and everything seemed fine. Her water broke while I was shining my flashlight on her vagina. “Great,” I thought, “We’ll have some more lambs in the morning. Good luck, Orka.” And we went to bed.

The next morning, there were no new lambs. We found Orka lying in the sheep house, exhausted and in pain. She was having contractions but was hardly dilated. Because of last year’s tragic lambing and kidding season, we know exactly what to do in these situations. We reached in, expecting to find a (preferably live) lamb in need of some assistance getting out. But neither of us could feel much of anything. Something wasn’t right.

Her bag was big, purplish blue (not normal), cold (definitely not normal), and very firm. We wanted to relieve some of that pressure in order to make her just a little more comfortable. But when Bailey went to milk her, a foul-smelling, chunky, cloudy, bloody liquid squirted out. We immediately called our friend Cindi, who is not only a goat and sheep expert, but also a professor of animal sciences at the local university. She explained that Orka had gangrene mastitis, that the unborn lambs were probably dead, that the only way to save Orka was to slice open and drain the udder, that if she didn’t die from the whole ordeal (which she likely would) that she could never be bred again, and that we needed to call our vet right away.

Our vet echoed all of that, but told us that if we wanted to bring Orka in to the clinic, she would be able to see her in 3 hours or so. We had two options: 1) Make her suffer for a few more hours before loading her into the back of the pickup and spending hundreds of dollars at the vet, where her udder would be sliced open, her lamb fetuses extracted, and then she’d be put on a serious course of antibiotics, which would likely not keep her from dying anyway; or 2) put her down.

We have a gun, but it’s not the right kind of gun for shooting a sheep. Plus we have no idea how to use it. So we called a neighbor friend who kindly came right over and put her down for us. When we called the vet to cancel the emergency appointment, she told us that we had made the right decision.

We then called Cindi, just to follow up and let her know how everything had transpired. As it turned out, she was teaching an Animal Sciences Lab that afternoon, and asked if we would be interested in bringing in Orka so that she could conduct a necropsy with her students. So sure enough. We loaded up the carcass after brunch and headed to campus, where, under the sun on a beautiful Spring day, Cindi disassembled Orka in front of 25 or so students. Not only was it a very rare opportunity for them to see gangrenous mastitis, but she also had two unborn lambs that had come to full term.

The first thing Cindi did was remove the udder, seen in the above photo.  The little light pink patch is what healthy udder tissue looks like, everything else is toxic gangrene. On the bottom of the udder, she found a deep cut. Orka was short-legged and her udder nearly dragged on the ground when she walked; she had apparently punctured it on something–likely an unnoticed piece of wire sticking out of the ground–the wound became infected and gangrene developed very quickly.

 

The two unborn ram lambs were big boys (nearly 12 pounds each). We got to see all of Orka’s stomachs, her reproductive system, and well, everything else.

We are so happy that she was able to be used for educational purposes and feel really fortunate to have been able to experience something like that. There happened to be a butcher taking the class; he was able to comfortable and cleanly remove the legs and head. The legs and lambs were put in the freezer for our dear Beth at Diamond Tooth Taxidermy. Maybe she’ll make some more hoof candleholders or fetus hats? And we are going to have the head mounted for our dining room. She was so beautiful, and now her beauty will live on forever.

 

 

Unless it’s a peacock

March 12, 2013 — 2 Comments

“Um. Ok don’t be mad. So, I may have put a deposit down on a couple of goats.”

Almost two years ago, Bailey sheepishly broke this news to me. At that point, we were living in a row home in downtown Philadelphia and I had just accepted an exciting job offer. We had been discussing a mutual desire to someday move out of the city and try our hands at farming, but that was about it.

But after the initial shock and anxiety faded away, I was just as excited about our new goats as he was, and it was all the motivation that we needed to really get the ball rolling on our initial farm hunt.

Over the next few months, though, I began to notice a pattern: Bailey and I would chat about a particular breed of goat or sheep, and a few days later he would tell me that he had found a too-good-to-be-true opportunity and had committed to the purchase of another animal. It was cute at first, and his enthusiasm was contagious- we made the majority of our livestock decisions and purchases together. But I’m a worrier and he’s a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of guy, so we often have different definitions of “practical”.

A year later, I finally asked Bailey to stop buying animals without first discussing it with me. A perfectly valid request, I’d say. But then he would pick up a few ducks on his way from work. Some fertile chicken eggs would arrive in the mail. A couple of new goats, some rabbits, and then finally, Cordelia. You may recall that for my birthday last year, Bailey got me a surprise spotted Nubian goat. It was so thoughtful and I love her. But I wasn’t very happy at first. In fact, I was furious. After a long, silent, passive-aggressive drive home, I made him promise me that he would no longer, under any circumstances (even birthdays) buy any livestock (including poultry) without running it by me first. “Well,” I said, “unless it’s a peacock. I mean, if you find a really good deal that you just can’t pass up, then it’s OK.”

Well, you better believe that he took full advantage of that little loophole. And when he came home from a recent trip to Philadelphia to once again take part in the Philadelphia International Flower Show, he had two pair of India Blue peafowl in tow.

But how could I be upset? They are quite possibly the most beautiful creatures in the world. Plus, I gave him full permission.

These beauties are only a year old; the peacocks’ tails won’t be fully grown for another two years or so. And after that, they will live for up to 50 years!

We have already been discussing other colors of peafowl that we would like to someday own. I’m just counting the days until I come home to find some in the coop.

Movin’ on up

January 18, 2013 — 5 Comments

We’ve started a new chapter, and it’s a good one.

We are officially all moved. But while the move went much more smoothly that we could have even imagined, it was perhaps the four most physically and emotionally demanding days that either of us have had. Late last Tuesday night, though, when we unloaded the final truck load of poultry, we weren’t thinking about our tired bones, wind-burned cheeks, or soggy boots. For the first time in quite a while, we felt at home. All of our household belongings had been moved, unpacked, and put away weeks beforehand, but it’s wasn’t until then, once the last of the animals had joined us, that it began to feel like home.

There were a couple days of building and a couple days of moving. The big move day was last Sunday, when our friends Mike and Cindy brought over their big truck and livestock trailer with which to transport the goats, sheep, and pigs. I don’t know what we would have done without their help. Our friends Dave, Jillian, Aaron, Paul, and Paul Jr. also kindly showed up, and were quickly put to work. The goats will follow a scoop of grain anywhere, but loading the sheep onto the trailer took some herding. Our main concern of the day was how to move the pigs. Well, we may or may not have given them some beer to calm their nerves. Then we shoveled a little path, did a little coaxing, and were ultimately pretty pleased with how well they followed direction and hopped up into the trailer.

Bailey and I aren’t the only ones that received a serious housing upgrade with the new farm. The sheep, pigs, and poultry also got some new digs. There was plenty of room in the new barn to set up a nice big area for the goats, as well as a warm home for the bantam chickens, but we don’t have any outbuildings, as we did at the old farm, for everybody else.

We came up with a simple plan for some 8×8 ft. hoop houses using pressure treated lumber, two 16×4 ft. livestock panels, and heavy duty tarps. And after brainstorming and drawing up some sketches, we found that we weren’t the first to think of this design. We were able to look online, compare other plans for similar structures, and figure out what would work best for us.

We plan to someday have 10 or so of these hoop houses around the farm. They are relatively easy and inexpensive to make, they hold up to the elements, and they are lightweight enough for the two of us to move. The uses are pretty much limitless; farrowing hut, goat and sheep run-in, chicken coop, broiler pen, breeding pen, cold-frame for starting tomatoes, etc. But for now, we only have 5. One for the pigs, one for sheep, and three that we pushed together for the poultry.

Ramshackle shacks are a thing of the past.

So far, the coop is working quite well. We open the door first thing in the morning so they can spend the days running around outside. But when they head back in to roost at night, we lock it up and protect them with a perimeter of electric fencing. We don’t yet know what the predation situation is around here and we don’t want to take our chances.

Of course, there are at least a dozen new projects on the horizon. This weekend we are building some brooding pens and a rabbit hutch. Soon everyone is going to start having babies. And then it’ll be garden time.

But before we get too caught up in all that needs be done, we’re going to try to slow down and appreciate all that we’ve already accomplished. This was a good move. It’s where we’re supposed to be. We hope that you can come visit us soon.

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And on an unrelated note, for those of you that have reserved pork for the fall, you’ll be happy to hear that it’s in utero. If you haven’t, but are interested, click HERE.

New Year, New Farm

December 29, 2012 — 7 Comments

We found a farm!

After a month or so of farm hunting, we got a message from a friend of a friend who had met a gentleman in search of some tenants. This gentleman had purchased a run-down farmhouse on 175 acres, beautifully restored it, and was passionate about seeing the farm brought back to life. Not a farmer himself, the friend of a friend directed him to our ad, which outlined all that we were looking for in a rental property. Sensing a good fit, he reached out to us and we scheduled a time to tour the farm.

Truthfully, I wasn’t thrilled at the idea of it all. It was a little too far away, a little more than we were hoping to pay, a little too much land, etc., etc. But my stick-in-the-mud attitude was no match for Bailey’s enthusiasm (while I’m often painfully practical, he is able to dream unreasonably big; we’re good at meeting in the middle), and we headed to the farm one Friday afternoon.

Long story short, it was the one. I assume that the feeling we had stepping out of the car is similar to what a young bride-to-be feels when she slips on “the dress” for the very first time. The farm tour seemed to go by very quickly and the whole thing was kind of a blur. And on the drive home, it all seemed too good to be true. I tried as hard as I could to find something wrong with it, but I couldn’t. Unlike any of the other farms that we had looked at, we were able to visualize our animals grazing those pastures, our furniture in that house.  The garden, the pigs, the poultry; not only would everything thrive there, but there is unlimited room for growth. The money making opportunities seemed endless.

We spent two days talking about and literally dreaming about the farm, so we called and scheduled a second visit. After another tour of the barn, the house, and the property, we knew that it was where we were supposed to be.

“This is it.” “This is the one.” “This is the farm we’ve been waiting for.” “We have to take it.” “We have to make it work.” “We just have to find a way to make it work.”

And we did.

We got a key and moved most household things last week. The lease formally begins on January 1 and we told our current landlord that we’d be gone by January 15. Some friends with a big horse trailer have graciously offered to help us move the goats, sheep, and pigs on January 6. Between building housing and setting up fencing at the new farm, disassembling housing, taking down fencing, and mucking out everything at the old farm, we have a busy couple of weeks ahead of us. But it’s all so exciting and everything is continuing to fall right into place.

Here’s the new farm at a glance:

• 175 acres, a good balance of pastured and wooded areas
• There is some preexisting electric fencing
• On a dead-end road
• Huge 1933 Sears & Roebuck catalog barn
• The big, beautiful 1844 farmhouse was stripped down to its frame and has brand new insulation, plumbing, electrical, everything. But while it is basically all new construction, it has retained all of the charm and character of an 1844 farmhouse
• The kitchen is a dream. Granite, stainless steel, dishwasher, all of it.
• A large stream runs through the property, we have access to both sides
• You have to cross a magical little bridge to get to the farm
• The owner is passionate about good food and sustainability, he is communicable and does not live on the property
• A neighboring farmer fellow makes very nice hay that we’ll be able to buy. Incidentally, he stores his hay in the hay loft of the barn we’ll be using.
• It’s perfect

Word has apparently spread of our upcoming arrival, and we recently learned that a group of local farmers and farmy types are planning a soirée for the near future so that we can get to know all of the like-minded folks in the area. We’re really looking forward to it.

We will have many more photos to share once we and the animals are all moved in. We’re also looking forward to sharing some of the construction projects we’ll be taking on in the coming weeks. We have drawn up plans for some multi-purpose hoop houses that we will be able to use for chicken coops, broiler and brooding pens, sheep shelters, pig houses, as cold frames for starting the garden early, and much else. It should be a fun project.

If we had found this farm last fall, we wouldn’t have known what to do with it. But now we’re ready. We have the skill set, the know how, and the drive to make this dream work. This property is exactly what we need to take our farm to the next level, from serious hobbyists to the real deal. The opportunities are all out there, we just need to take advantage of them and not let anything keep us from following our dreams.

Farmers in search of a farm

November 18, 2012 — 11 Comments

Knowing when to move on is a vital skill, one which Thomas and I have both learned well. It’s good to know when to politely duck out of a cocktail party (generally just before Twister comes out). It’s good to know when it’s time to dump your fish to look for another fish in the sea. It’s good to know when the misery of your low wage job is no longer worth the money. And it’s good to know when you need to leave your much loved rental farm for a farm of your own.

When we moved up here just over a year ago our plan was to rent for a year or so while we figured out how to keep a large group of animals alive. We quickly felt at home, and settled into daily life here on our farm. What we knew all along has become more evident recently. “Our” farm is not ours, and never will be. We have over-stayed our welcome at this location, and are now actively searching for a new farm. Despite the large size of our current rental farm, we don’t have access to enough pasture for our growing herd of goats and sheep. Our poultry are no longer welcomed to roam freely outdoors. Our pigs have been asked to move indoors as well. To keep the peace, we penned up the chickens and ducks in a large indoor/outdoor pen, where they do seem ever so slightly miserable despite the fact that they easily have 10 times the space as the supposed “cage free” and “free range” hens that supply your better grocery store eggs. Rather than confine them indoors, the pigs have been moved over the hill into a ditch/ trash dump area, which was the only other option we were given besides indoor confinement. We cleaned up the area quite well, built them cozy shelter, and created a rather large paddock area in which they will winter in peace. It’s neither easy nor convenient for us to tend them in their new location, but they’re happy, and that is truly what matters to us. Animal welfare is not a negotiable matter. The animals sustain and nourish us, and we must do the same in return.

We are thankful for the time we have had on this beautiful farm, and all we have learned from the farm, its owner, and those we have met in the area. But it’s time to move on.

Land ownership is the biggest hurdle in becoming a farmer. We moved to this particular area because there are still affordable farms around. Granted we are not in a position to buy one of these affordable farms at the moment, but in terms of farm land pricing, there are still some deals to be had. We don’t have a down payment, and don’t care to become indebted to a mortgage company or pay realtors money we could spend on hay or boots without holes in them.

So, we’re looking for a farm to call our own and don’t have the qualifications on paper to obtain the proper debt to obtain such a farm. But this whole thing started as a dream, so we’re dreaming big once more, and have confidence that we’ll find the perfect situation. At least we’ll find the most perfect situation $1,000 a month (or less) can offer. Ideally we can work out a lease, rent-to-own, or land contract situation. We have energy, motivation, good grammar, charm (that’s all Thomas), and a bunch of critters.

There is a great span between what we need in a farm and what we ultimately want. We will be happy with anything in the middle. Below you will find a list of required features of our new farm, followed by a list of features of our ideal dream farm.

Requirements

• The humans need at least a one bedroom house/cottage/cabin/trailer. Pets will live in the house. A solid roof and good insulation are key, and a wood stove is preferred.
• The neighbors must be nice or live far away- ideally both.
• A barn or other structure for animal shelter as well as hay storage.
• Goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, turkeys, guinea fowl, peafowl, rabbits, geese, dogs, cats, alpaca and cattle will live on, feed on, poop on, and make all manner of noise on the property. They will be minimally contained, only to keep them out of gardens, neighboring property, and the road.
• 5-10 acres is minimum, with the majority open for grazing. Brushy areas are fine, as pigs and goats will turn them back to pasture in short order. Fencing is helpful, but not crucial.
• Plentiful, free, or cheap potable water for humans and animals is preferred. Wells, springs and ponds are helpful. Fracking the area is not welcomed.
• The location needs to be within an hour commute of Albany, NY for the sake of employment, unless the farm comes with it’s own source of immediate income.
• A location in Schoharie county or some county west of Albany is preferred, but not necessary.
• The property needs to be available for long term or indefinite rental.
• Rent or monthly payment can be no more than $1,000.
• We would like to relocate this winter, so we are settled before lambs, kids, piglets, and chicks are born in the springtime.

Dream Features

• Large Victorian farmhouse with wraparound porch.
• Potential to become bed and breakfast/ agritourism destination.
• 100 or more acres of pasture, tillable ground, woods, and ponds/lakes.
• Extra housing onsite for interns and others looking to start farming careers.
• Existing dairy barns and cheese making facilities.
• A quiet and peaceful location, free of light pollution.
• Large historic barns suitable for hosting weddings and other events.
• A large kitchen that could become a commercial kitchen.

We ask our friends and families and other readers to circulate this post, and our Craigslist ad we have currently posted.

http://albany.craigslist.org/hou/3386452626.html

We are also open to other creative financial suggestions. We don’t have to own the farm right away, or own 100% of it. We just need to be the stewards of a piece of land that will give us the freedom to treat our animals well, and to grow our farming business to a point where it stops financially draining us, and starts (at least partially) sustaining us. And when we our work is done, we will hand the farm on to someone else who can respect it, and love it, and tend it, and keep it a farm.
Thank you for your continued positive thoughts and energy, kind words, and prayers.

Thank you, Meat and Lambie

November 17, 2012 — 1 Comment

Meat the Pig and Lambie the Lamb have come home after a week at “camp”.

Last week, a gentleman came to the farm, killed them, and then whisked their carcasses away to his meat processing facility. We found this guy through a friend of ours, and were initially drawn to him because he has a mobile processing unit. That is, a refrigerated truck rigged into a certified animal processing facility.  It’s something that a lot of folks are using these days.

It was most important to Bailey and me that the animals be dispatched/harvested (killed) here on the farm.  For many large animals raised for meat, the last several hours of their lives involve a traumatic trailer ride to a processing facility where it is noisy, stressful, and smells like death. Often, this is after they have been sold at auction, where they were kicked, prodded, and hollered at for an afternoon.  All of this unnecessary stress is bad for the animal and bad for its meat.

Unfortunately it just wasn’t practical or cost effective for him to bring the whole refrigerated truck out here to process only two animals, but he was happy to come to the farm to harvest them for us.

We weren’t entirely sure what to expect, but we had a pretty clear idea. And when the processor arrived, he kindly explained everything before we began. It was all very quick, easy, respectful, and stress-free. Lambie was first, and all it took was a sharp knife. And for Meat, a pistol and a knife. It wasn’t at all gruesome or saddening in any way.  In fact, it was sort of peaceful and nice.  As with any animal, electricity is still pumping through the body after it is dead. And while they were finishing up their post-mortem kicks, we took that time to kneel down, lay our hands on their bodies, and thank them for their life, the joy that they brought to us, for their death, and the sustenance that they will provide.

You may think that sounds hippy-dippy, but it means something to us. We knew from the day they were both born that this was their fate. Everything they ever ate, we provided. We gave them shelter and friends. We spent considerable time, energy, and money ensuring that they were happy and healthy every single day. And when the time came for them to fulfill their purpose here on the farm, we were truly grateful for everything that they were giving to us in return.

Once we loaded the carcasses into his pickup, our guy sat down with us and went through all the parts of each animal one-by-one. Ham, butt, picnic, tenderloin, ribs, spare ribs, chops, belly, innards… the amount of customization is all very exciting (and slightly intimidating). Thickness of cuts, number of cuts per package, amount of fat left on, how much sausage, what kind of sausage, bone-in or boneless, etc.; most of the meat is so versatile.  Thankfully our guy was very nice, and he patiently explained all of our options. Turning a whole 250+ pound animal into beautifully cut pieces is really an art and I have a new found respect for those that do it well.

Next year we will be raising pork and lamb to sell, but this round was just for our freezer. We haven’t picked up any of the smoked meat yet, so I can’t say for sure, but I estimate that we will end up with about 170 pounds of pork and lamb altogether. With that, in addition to the 30 some chickens and ducks that we processed last month and the four rabbits we’re doing next weekend, as well as the pantry full of canned garden goodies and the unlimited supply of milk and eggs, I’d say we’re ready for anything.

It’s difficult to describe how good it feels to be this self-sustaining. We’re independent, safe. No matter what happens, we know that we’ll be OK. And best of all, we know exactly what we’re putting into our bodies. We know the names of all the goats that pooped out the fertilizer that we used to grow the tomato plants that turned into the sauce in our cupboard. We even know the guy who grows the grains that turn into the feed that we give to those goats. We know how Meat and Lambie lived—everything they ever ate, the size of their paddocks—and we know how they died. It all just makes so much sense. Treat animals and the planet with respect, eat well and be happy.

All we need now is our own distillery.

So far, we have had some chops and some breakfast sausage, and it is by far the best pork that either of us has ever eaten. Not only does it taste incredible, but it’s good for the soul.