| Lighthouse Farm |
Fencing in more pastureIt didn't take long for our flock of sheep to eat down our pasture. God's "lawn mowers" certainly do a thorough and speedy job! For about a week we have been working at fencing in some more pasture for them, a much larger area that should keep them busy for a while. Eventually, we will like to establish more of a regular rotational grazing program with set pastures. Since we are still taming the land and cleaning up and establishing the seasonal rhythms here, we will fence in what needs to be fenced in a parcel at a time.Yesterday, we finally finished the fencing. What a great lesson in electricity this is for the children. It also took teamwork to finish the fence. The oldest cut enough flags out of scrap fabric to tie to the top wire of the fence. Each of the girls had jobs of placing two insulators on each of the posts and space them appropriately as well as to tie a flag on the top wire. Once we were finished, John led the sheep to their new and greener pastures. Once one followed him, the rest joined in. It sure was a beautiful sight to watch that flock partake of their provision. Now to work on weeding the pumpkin patch... 08:55 - 2006-Jun-30 - comments {0} - post commentThree months on our new place....Three months ago, we packed up and moved north to our new farm. Three months ago we had no water, no electricity, no sewer, no phone. Now, we have that and more thanks to my hard-working husband. We have put a temporary roof on top of the old farm house, plowed and planted 5 acres to field corn, mulched and weeded our large garlic patch, planted a good-sized garden as well as a large area to sweet corn, pumpkins, gourds, squash and decorative corn (for the farmer's market), mulched and are still weeding those gardens, cultivated the field corn, raised 70 chicks for egg laying, almost raised 100 chickens for butchering (a mink slaughtered over 90 of them before they made it to our freezer), bought a flock of 25 sheep, sheared them and fenced in pasture for them, bought a pregnant sow and now have 13 3 week old piglets, castrated the boars, bought 2 heifers, are still milking 3 of our goats does, weened two goat kids, scrapped metal to make ends meet financially, baled 34 acres of hay, mowed the front yard of the old farm house for the first time in many, many years (it was the dustiest mowing experience I'd ever had!), chain-sawed trees down that were leaning on top of the old pole barn, old machine shed, old hog barn and the large old hay/animal barn (to try to help them last a little longer) and listened to many, many delightful and entertaining stories from Grandpa and John about the farm.We are leaner, more brown, have more muscle and sleep deeper slumbers compared to three months ago. We've never worked harder in our lives, yet never experienced such fulfullment. Friends from Indiana encouraged us and sent us off with this verse, "The land now desolate will be tilled, instead of lying waste for every passer-by to see. Everyone will say that this land which was waste has become like a garden of Eden" (Ezekial 36:34-35). While it is not a garden of Eden, we sure are enjoying tending the land. The Farmer's Wife 10:00 - 2006-Jun-28 - comments {2} - post commentBlood suckers in Minnesota :(We have now personally met most of the blood-sucking types of varmints that can be found in Minnesota. Shortly after moving here three months ago, my youngest itched the back of her scalp and to her horror found a lump which turned out to be a tick. She bravely grabbed it, pulled it out, looked at it long enough to notice its wiggling legs, threw it on the ground and immediately reported to Mommy and Daddy in a rather excited, yet horrified tone, I might add. Ticks were our first blood-sucking encounter. Remembering something I'd read about garlic repelling ticks, I did some research. Yes, raw garlic can repell ticks. So, daily we eat a clove of raw garlic with our meals and haven't had any tick problems. It isn't unusual for the girls to remind me to get the garlic out daily. They don't mind removing ticks from the dogs daily, but don't relish pulling them off their own bodies.Encounter number two with blood-sucking critters in Minnesota is one that was no surprise. The mosquitos quickly followed the tick incidents. They are pretty much relentless. What is a blessing, however, is that we are on top of a hill which gives us a pretty good breeze which deter the mosquitos somewhat. Due to the nature of our work, farming, we are outside most, if not all, day. This gives us plenty of exposure to mosquitos. In the pole barn, the woods, or down at Grandpa and Grandma's or prior to a storm or during breezeless days, we are targets. It is not unusual to see us working outside with a cloud of black bugs around each of us with us swatting and swinging our arms around our bodies while trying to do jobs (such as putting up electric fencing, weeding the garden, baling hay, feeding our animals, you name it - it's called multi-tasking). We have found it is pretty much impossible to multi-task (swat mosquitos AND get something else worthwhile done) after the sun goes down. Occasionally, the pests manage to sneak into our home only to show up in the middle of the night once we hit a deep, much-needed sleep. A mosquito buzz close to your ear in the dead of night is not a comforting sound to the bone-tired. Our one clove of garlic a day is not enough to deter them. However, I did discover a natural, chemical-free alternative that works and has been a worthy investment. Herbal Armour is very effective for four hours and is on supply in our household and has occasionally been used prior to bed time. Blood-sucker number 3 is one we have heard of and read of, yet have not experienced. Grandma and Daddy told us of their experiences with leaches after swimming in lakes in Minnesota. You know, the slimy worm-like creatures that stick to your body and, well, make a meal out of your blood? We also read of Laura and Nelly's experience with leaches when they waded in stagnant Minnesota waters in "On the Banks of Plum Creek" and were pretty much grossed out. Not sure if these things can be repelled. We'll just stay away from stagnant waters. Blood-sucker number 4 is what wiped out 92 of our meat chicks and we have yet to catch the weasly, persistent, sneaky slaughterer. Mink are common here in Minnesota and are not friends with poultry farmers. Mink are not on our admiration list currently. There you have it - blood sucking critters from the land of 10,000 lakes. Anyone want to come visit???? :) The Farmer's Wife 03:55 - 2006-Jun-27 - comments {1} - post commentMiss Bacon and Rocky Mountain OystersA pregnant sow produces a lot of bacon. We purchased a pregnant sow 2 1/2 months ago and we now have 14 pigs. 14 sources of bacon. Amazing. We would have had 15, but Miss Bacon (the sow) accidently laid on top of one of her many piglets and it died (a common occurrence). I have never raised pigs. My husb�nd is quite familiar with them.The expression, "Eating like a pig", has taken on a whole new meaning now that I have witnessed both visually and auditorily what exactly that means. One can never fully appreciate that expression until one has experienced it! When I bring Miss Bacon (the name our girls gave the sow) and her 13 2 week old piglets their grain mixed with goat's milk, I call them, "Little pig! Little pig!" and they come running. They know what they are going to be getting. I pour their slop into their pans and they almost inhale it! Hearing 14 pigs loudly chomp their slop with their mouths open with slop dripping out the sides of their mouths as they step into their food (I guess they want to experience as much of it as they can!) is such a great teaching tool for any children (or adults for that matter!) who have a hard time remembering to eat with their mouths closed. We have enjoyed watching pigs. They are fascinating creatures. We have appreciated the power found in their snouts. They are capable of "plowing" up the ground as well as or even better than any manmade plow. Their snouts are so powerful. My husband says if you can control the snout, you can control the pig. The top of the snout is very firm like thick cartelege. The bottom part is very soft. When the sow roots up the ground she is capable of easily moving large logs that I am incapable of budging. I've seen her roll large stones that I cannot budge. I've even seen the little pigs move stones that are heavy for me to lift. We are considering utilizing their powerful snouts to plow up a field we wish to use for planting field corn for next year. Not only will they plow it up but they will fertilize it as well. What fascinating creatures God made! Our pigs are tame for the most part. When Miss Bacon was pregnant, I scratched her underneath her neck and along her sides and she would almost immediately drop to her side and roll over to let me scratch her tummy while she grunted contentedly. We joked that I was the "hog whisperer"! Anyway, the piglets are much the same way. We scratch them underneath their chins and their sides and they drop for more. A couple of days ago, I helped my husband castrate the 5 boars, which are now referred to as barrows. It wasn't at all as bad as what I thought it was going to be. My husband's father walked us through a couple. I held the piglets while my husband performed the surgery. One daughter video-taped it while the youngest watched through her fingers which partially covered her eyes. One of our daughters expressed interest in eating the Rocky Mountain Oysters, but we hadn't thought about that beforehand and weren't too keen on the thought of eating them off the ground. To be honest, a little bit of the "city" crept back up and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. So, the chickens made a meal of those Rocky Mountain Oysters - they actually fought over them. Apparently, they are to be coated with egg and flour and then fried. Maybe in the future... maybe... We definitely are looking forward to having some fresh pork in our freezer this winter. We will also have some to sell. Plus, we have some gilts (female pigs) which can be bred to produce more b�con. The parable of the talents takes on a new meaning as our livestock begins to multiply! 09:06 - 2006-Jun-27 - comments {5} - post commentSheep without a shepherdThere they stood. - bedraggled, dred locks of wool, mud and manure caked into wool, standing in a mud lot without a green thing for them to eat, hooves in terrible need of trimming, smelling like, well, smelling like dirty animals.A few weeks ago we purchased a flock of sheep. We noticed the ad in the paper and the price was right. We hooked up the livestock trailer and drove over an hour to the place to take a look and the description above is what we found. The folks who owned them obviously didn't have time for them. From the looks of the place, their priorities were elsewhere. We knew we wanted to purchase sheep eventually. This was ahead of schedule, however, yet the price was right. We knew we wanted Icelandic sheep for they are a multi-purpose breed - great for meat, wool and milk. Plus, they are hardy and perfect for pasture. Supposed to be great at lambing on pasture. This breed has been around for about a thousand years. Iceland does not grow grain, therefore their sheep are on pasture. We took a good, hard look at this flock of sheep. We knew we would have our work cut out for us to get this flock in tip top shape. We are familiar with getting animals into good shape however. Years ago when we purchased our first goats, we worked at getting them into good shape. Now, most folks would say they were in good shape to start with. We are more picky. Getting minerals into b�lance and giving them food the good Lord intended them to eat is all part of the process. Our goats do not smell. They get all the brush and grass they would ever want, plus they are in the sunshine. We feed them kelp ad lib. They are healthy. We have never sheared sheep and we knew this flock would be a tough one to cut our teeth on, yet this was the Lord's provision for us. So, we loaded the flock onto the trailer and brought them home. We took them off of the junk grain they had been on and gave them all the good hay they could want. We put out kelp which they eat and eat and eat. We can't put it out fast enough. They obviously need the minerals and iodine. We let them out to pasture and they grazed and grazed as they partook of that which the good Lord intends them to eat. They no longer smell. As I read the instructions, my husband sheered them one at a time over the course of a week. The wool was matted together, filled with sticks and debris and dirt and manure. There were some parts the clippers just couldn't get through, so we resorted to scissors. Thankfully, none of them had been fly struck. We chose to use the wool as mulch this year for the manure would be beneficial to the garden. However, for the future our girls have dreams of felting, spinnning and carding wool. I also plan on checking into the use of wool as wall insulation in the future. The sheep look so much better. They already view us as their shepherd. So trusting. We have talked of the many analogies found in God's Word. Matthew 9:36, "And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd." We read that verse with new eyes for now we do know what a sheep without a sheperd looks like. Christ then says in verses 37-8, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." Being a shepherd, a good sheperd takes a lot of work. Good shepherds are workers. Work is not a popular word these days. These days we have been brainwashed into believing we deserve a break today. However, the only break we are commanded to take is on the Sabboth and that is a break the Lord has extended to us because He is very gracious, not because we deserve it. In all truth, we deserve death. We truly do need to renew our minds in our attitudes toward work. It is a privelege and an honor to participate with the Lord in caretaking! It is exciting to take a not-so-good animal and bring it into tip top shape! The sheep are no longer without a shepherd and we look forward to the wool and meat we will be harvesting from our flock! Shepherding for Him, The Farmer's Wife 08:30 - 2006-Jun-19 - comments {3} - post commentHaying with my man!Some married couples take trips to Hawaii together, some couples go on cruises together, some schedule regular weekly dates together, some go see all the latest movies together. My husband and I make hay together!!! Yesterday, we spent time together taking turns driving the baler and loading the wagon with bales of hay from 20 acres and, oh, what fun it was! I would readily and eagerly choose to spend time with my husband helping him do something productive over sitting in some old theater paying exhorbitant money to watch a movie that dulls our minds, compromises our values and supports a godless system anytime!We put away hay for the winter to provide for our animals. We were productive, active, enoying the sunshine, fresh breeze, getting a good workout without having to pay for it at a gym. The girls are too young to lift bales. We didn't cart them off to a sitter. No way would we let them miss this experience. No, they were able to ride on top of the mounds of hay (and thoroughly enjoyed it!), observing how to bale hay, watching their parents working together, encouraging us, bringing us water and singing praises to the Lord thanking Him for His provision as we harvested our first crop of hay from our farm. We experienced life together. There is more to this story. We also experienced a multi-generational approach to baling hay as well. Grandpa was such a blessing in that he raked the hay into tighter rows which made baling go a little more quickly, plus last night he pulled the wagons into the poll barn to bring them undercover and out of the rain that was prodicted to come today. Grandma drove the truck and trailer around the field as we loaded loose bales late last night to help us finish up. And when we finished bringing the last of the hay under cover last night, I do believe the folks in town must have heard our hoots and hollars of rejoicing! I wouldn't have traded yesterday's experience for anything! Thank you, Lord, for granting it to us! Proverbs 31:17, "She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong." Eve was made to help Adam keep and cultivate the garden. It is a privelege and honor and the core of our calling as women to help our men. May we embrace who the Lord made us to be more and more as we "make hay" with our men. Loving my man, The Farmer's Wife 10:56 - 2006-Jun-15 - comments {3} - post commentMink solutions, anyone?We have lost over 80% of our Cornish Roaster chickens due to a mink. We have tried trapping it with a cage. We have tried leg traps. We tied our 6 month old puppy by the portable chicken pen. All without succes. Has anyone had any success with getting rid of mink? If so, please let me know.The worst night was when the mink killed 40 of our chicks. What a waste. The next night my husband stayed outside all night ready for combat with the chicken slaughterer. He caught a glimpse of the mink, which saw him and deaprted before he could end its life. The farmer's wife 04:09 - 2006-Jun-13 - comments {1} - post commentGoat meets pig...Shortly after moving to our farm, we purchased a bred sow (pregnant pig). Since we had been here less than two months, we put the pig in the pasture with the goats. The reactions were quite comical as we observed. Two of our goats were absolutely terrified by the massive hog. One of them jumped the electric fence and took off across the pasture to the other side of our farm (her milk production was down that day).However, the lead goat acted as if that pig was no big deal. She is in charge, always, especially when it comes to food. We fed the goats in their trough and scattered the pig's food on the ground. The lead goat observed that good food on the ground and left her trough to let the pig know that the food belonged to her and her alone. She coolly approached the pig who is three times her size and did what she frequently does when she wants to put others in their place. She butted that pig in the head. The pig continued eating as if nothing happened. The buting incident didn't even phase her. The lead goat, however, shook her head. We could almost see the stars circling above her head as she stood dazed for a minute, then she promptly left the pig, returned to her feed trough and never challenged the pig again! 09:20 - 2006-Jun-13 - comments {0} - post commentFencing in more pastureIt didn't take long for our flock of sheep to eat down our pasture. God's "lawn mowers" certainly do a thorough and speedy job! For about a week we have been working at fencing in some more pasture for them, a much larger area that should keep them busy for a while. Eventually, we will like to establish more of a regular rotational grazing program with set pastures. Since we are still taming the land and cleaning up and establishing the seasonal rhythms here, we will fence in what needs to be fenced in a parcel at a time.Yesterday, we finally finished the fencing. What a great lesson in electricity this is for the children. It also took teamwork to finish the fence. The oldest cut enough flags out of scrap fabric to tie to the top wire of the fence. Each of the girls had jobs of placing two insulators on each of the posts and space them appropriately as well as to tie a flag on the top wire. Once we were finished, John led the sheep to their new and greener pastures. Once one followed him, the rest joined in. It sure was a beautiful sight to watch that flock partake of their provision. Now to work on weeding the pumpkin patch... 08:55 - 2006-Jun-30 - post commentThree months on our new place....Three months ago, we packed up and moved north to our new farm. Three months ago we had no water, no electricity, no sewer, no phone. Now, we have that and more thanks to my hard-working husband. We have put a temporary roof on top of the old farm house, plowed and planted 5 acres to field corn, mulched and weeded our large garlic patch, planted a good-sized garden as well as a large area to sweet corn, pumpkins, gourds, squash and decorative corn (for the farmer's market), mulched and are still weeding those gardens, cultivated the field corn, raised 70 chicks for egg laying, almost raised 100 chickens for butchering (a mink slaughtered over 90 of them before they made it to our freezer), bought a flock of 25 sheep, sheared them and fenced in pasture for them, bought a pregnant sow and now have 13 3 week old piglets, castrated the boars, bought 2 heifers, are still milking 3 of our goats does, weened two goat kids, scrapped metal to make ends meet financially, baled 34 acres of hay, mowed the front yard of the old farm house for the first time in many, many years (it was the dustiest mowing experience I'd ever had!), chain-sawed trees down that were leaning on top of the old pole barn, old machine shed, old hog barn and the large old hay/animal barn (to try to help them last a little longer) and listened to many, many delightful and entertaining stories from Grandpa and John about the farm.We are leaner, more brown, have more muscle and sleep deeper slumbers compared to three months ago. We've never worked harder in our lives, yet never experienced such fulfullment. Friends from Indiana encouraged us and sent us off with this verse, "The land now desolate will be tilled, instead of lying waste for every passer-by to see. Everyone will say that this land which was waste has become like a garden of Eden" (Ezekial 36:34-35). While it is not a garden of Eden, we sure are enjoying tending the land. The Farmer's Wife 10:00 - 2006-Jun-28 - post comment
Blood suckers in Minnesota :(We have now personally met most of the blood-sucking types of varmints that can be found in Minnesota. Shortly after moving here three months ago, my youngest itched the back of her scalp and to her horror found a lump which turned out to be a tick. She bravely grabbed it, pulled it out, looked at it long enough to notice its wiggling legs, threw it on the ground and immediately reported to Mommy and Daddy in a rather excited, yet horrified tone, I might add. Ticks were our first blood-sucking encounter. Remembering something I'd read about garlic repelling ticks, I did some research. Yes, raw garlic can repell ticks. So, daily we eat a clove of raw garlic with our meals and haven't had any tick problems. It isn't unusual for the girls to remind me to get the garlic out daily. They don't mind removing ticks from the dogs daily, but don't relish pulling them off their own bodies.Encounter number two with blood-sucking critters in Minnesota is one that was no surprise. The mosquitos quickly followed the tick incidents. They are pretty much relentless. What is a blessing, however, is that we are on top of a hill which gives us a pretty good breeze which deter the mosquitos somewhat. Due to the nature of our work, farming, we are outside most, if not all, day. This gives us plenty of exposure to mosquitos. In the pole barn, the woods, or down at Grandpa and Grandma's or prior to a storm or during breezeless days, we are targets. It is not unusual to see us working outside with a cloud of black bugs around each of us with us swatting and swinging our arms around our bodies while trying to do jobs (such as putting up electric fencing, weeding the garden, baling hay, feeding our animals, you name it - it's called multi-tasking). We have found it is pretty much impossible to multi-task (swat mosquitos AND get something else worthwhile done) after the sun goes down. Occasionally, the pests manage to sneak into our home only to show up in the middle of the night once we hit a deep, much-needed sleep. A mosquito buzz close to your ear in the dead of night is not a comforting sound to the bone-tired. Our one clove of garlic a day is not enough to deter them. However, I did discover a natural, chemical-free alternative that works and has been a worthy investment. Herbal Armour is very effective for four hours and is on supply in our household and has occasionally been used prior to bed time. Blood-sucker number 3 is one we have heard of and read of, yet have not experienced. Grandma and Daddy told us of their experiences with leaches after swimming in lakes in Minnesota. You know, the slimy worm-like creatures that stick to your body and, well, make a meal out of your blood? We also read of Laura and Nelly's experience with leaches when they waded in stagnant Minnesota waters in "On the Banks of Plum Creek" and were pretty much grossed out. Not sure if these things can be repelled. We'll just stay away from stagnant waters. Blood-sucker number 4 is what wiped out 92 of our meat chicks and we have yet to catch the weasly, persistent, sneaky slaughterer. Mink are common here in Minnesota and are not friends with poultry farmers. Mink are not on our admiration list currently. There you have it - blood sucking critters from the land of 10,000 lakes. Anyone want to come visit???? :) The Farmer's Wife 03:55 - 2006-Jun-27 - post comment
Miss Bacon and Rocky Mountain OystersA pregnant sow produces a lot of bacon. We purchased a pregnant sow 2 1/2 months ago and we now have 14 pigs. 14 sources of bacon. Amazing. We would have had 15, but Miss Bacon (the sow) accidently laid on top of one of her many piglets and it died (a common occurrence). I have never raised pigs. My husb�nd is quite familiar with them.The expression, "Eating like a pig", has taken on a whole new meaning now that I have witnessed both visually and auditorily what exactly that means. One can never fully appreciate that expression until one has experienced it! When I bring Miss Bacon (the name our girls gave the sow) and her 13 2 week old piglets their grain mixed with goat's milk, I call them, "Little pig! Little pig!" and they come running. They know what they are going to be getting. I pour their slop into their pans and they almost inhale it! Hearing 14 pigs loudly chomp their slop with their mouths open with slop dripping out the sides of their mouths as they step into their food (I guess they want to experience as much of it as they can!) is such a great teaching tool for any children (or adults for that matter!) who have a hard time remembering to eat with their mouths closed. We have enjoyed watching pigs. They are fascinating creatures. We have appreciated the power found in their snouts. They are capable of "plowing" up the ground as well as or even better than any manmade plow. Their snouts are so powerful. My husband says if you can control the snout, you can control the pig. The top of the snout is very firm like thick cartelege. The bottom part is very soft. When the sow roots up the ground she is capable of easily moving large logs that I am incapable of budging. I've seen her roll large stones that I cannot budge. I've even seen the little pigs move stones that are heavy for me to lift. We are considering utilizing their powerful snouts to plow up a field we wish to use for planting field corn for next year. Not only will they plow it up but they will fertilize it as well. What fascinating creatures God made! Our pigs are tame for the most part. When Miss Bacon was pregnant, I scratched her underneath her neck and along her sides and she would almost immediately drop to her side and roll over to let me scratch her tummy while she grunted contentedly. We joked that I was the "hog whisperer"! Anyway, the piglets are much the same way. We scratch them underneath their chins and their sides and they drop for more. A couple of days ago, I helped my husband castrate the 5 boars, which are now referred to as barrows. It wasn't at all as bad as what I thought it was going to be. My husband's father walked us through a couple. I held the piglets while my husband performed the surgery. One daughter video-taped it while the youngest watched through her fingers which partially covered her eyes. One of our daughters expressed interest in eating the Rocky Mountain Oysters, but we hadn't thought about that beforehand and weren't too keen on the thought of eating them off the ground. To be honest, a little bit of the "city" crept back up and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. So, the chickens made a meal of those Rocky Mountain Oysters - they actually fought over them. Apparently, they are to be coated with egg and flour and then fried. Maybe in the future... maybe... We definitely are looking forward to having some fresh pork in our freezer this winter. We will also have some to sell. Plus, we have some gilts (female pigs) which can be bred to produce more b�con. The parable of the talents takes on a new meaning as our livestock begins to multiply! 09:06 - 2006-Jun-27 - post comment
Sheep without a shepherdThere they stood. - bedraggled, dred locks of wool, mud and manure caked into wool, standing in a mud lot without a green thing for them to eat, hooves in terrible need of trimming, smelling like, well, smelling like dirty animals.A few weeks ago we purchased a flock of sheep. We noticed the ad in the paper and the price was right. We hooked up the livestock trailer and drove over an hour to the place to take a look and the description above is what we found. The folks who owned them obviously didn't have time for them. From the looks of the place, their priorities were elsewhere. We knew we wanted to purchase sheep eventually. This was ahead of schedule, however, yet the price was right. We knew we wanted Icelandic sheep for they are a multi-purpose breed - great for meat, wool and milk. Plus, they are hardy and perfect for pasture. Supposed to be great at lambing on pasture. This breed has been around for about a thousand years. Iceland does not grow grain, therefore their sheep are on pasture. We took a good, hard look at this flock of sheep. We knew we would have our work cut out for us to get this flock in tip top shape. We are familiar with getting animals into good shape however. Years ago when we purchased our first goats, we worked at getting them into good shape. Now, most folks would say they were in good shape to start with. We are more picky. Getting minerals into b�lance and giving them food the good Lord intended them to eat is all part of the process. Our goats do not smell. They get all the brush and grass they would ever want, plus they are in the sunshine. We feed them kelp ad lib. They are healthy. We have never sheared sheep and we knew this flock would be a tough one to cut our teeth on, yet this was the Lord's provision for us. So, we loaded the flock onto the trailer and brought them home. We took them off of the junk grain they had been on and gave them all the good hay they could want. We put out kelp which they eat and eat and eat. We can't put it out fast enough. They obviously need the minerals and iodine. We let them out to pasture and they grazed and grazed as they partook of that which the good Lord intends them to eat. They no longer smell. As I read the instructions, my husband sheered them one at a time over the course of a week. The wool was matted together, filled with sticks and debris and dirt and manure. There were some parts the clippers just couldn't get through, so we resorted to scissors. Thankfully, none of them had been fly struck. We chose to use the wool as mulch this year for the manure would be beneficial to the garden. However, for the future our girls have dreams of felting, spinnning and carding wool. I also plan on checking into the use of wool as wall insulation in the future. The sheep look so much better. They already view us as their shepherd. So trusting. We have talked of the many analogies found in God's Word. Matthew 9:36, "And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd." We read that verse with new eyes for now we do know what a sheep without a sheperd looks like. Christ then says in verses 37-8, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." Being a shepherd, a good sheperd takes a lot of work. Good shepherds are workers. Work is not a popular word these days. These days we have been brainwashed into believing we deserve a break today. However, the only break we are commanded to take is on the Sabboth and that is a break the Lord has extended to us because He is very gracious, not because we deserve it. In all truth, we deserve death. We truly do need to renew our minds in our attitudes toward work. It is a privelege and an honor to participate with the Lord in caretaking! It is exciting to take a not-so-good animal and bring it into tip top shape! The sheep are no longer without a shepherd and we look forward to the wool and meat we will be harvesting from our flock! Shepherding for Him, The Farmer's Wife 08:30 - 2006-Jun-19 - post comment
Haying with my man!Some married couples take trips to Hawaii together, some couples go on cruises together, some schedule regular weekly dates together, some go see all the latest movies together. My husband and I make hay together!!! Yesterday, we spent time together taking turns driving the baler and loading the wagon with bales of hay from 20 acres and, oh, what fun it was! I would readily and eagerly choose to spend time with my husband helping him do something productive over sitting in some old theater paying exhorbitant money to watch a movie that dulls our minds, compromises our values and supports a godless system anytime!We put away hay for the winter to provide for our animals. We were productive, active, enoying the sunshine, fresh breeze, getting a good workout without having to pay for it at a gym. The girls are too young to lift bales. We didn't cart them off to a sitter. No way would we let them miss this experience. No, they were able to ride on top of the mounds of hay (and thoroughly enjoyed it!), observing how to bale hay, watching their parents working together, encouraging us, bringing us water and singing praises to the Lord thanking Him for His provision as we harvested our first crop of hay from our farm. We experienced life together. There is more to this story. We also experienced a multi-generational approach to baling hay as well. Grandpa was such a blessing in that he raked the hay into tighter rows which made baling go a little more quickly, plus last night he pulled the wagons into the poll barn to bring them undercover and out of the rain that was prodicted to come today. Grandma drove the truck and trailer around the field as we loaded loose bales late last night to help us finish up. And when we finished bringing the last of the hay under cover last night, I do believe the folks in town must have heard our hoots and hollars of rejoicing! I wouldn't have traded yesterday's experience for anything! Thank you, Lord, for granting it to us! Proverbs 31:17, "She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong." Eve was made to help Adam keep and cultivate the garden. It is a privelege and honor and the core of our calling as women to help our men. May we embrace who the Lord made us to be more and more as we "make hay" with our men. Loving my man, The Farmer's Wife 10:56 - 2006-Jun-15 - post comment
Mink solutions, anyone?We have lost over 80% of our Cornish Roaster chickens due to a mink. We have tried trapping it with a cage. We have tried leg traps. We tied our 6 month old puppy by the portable chicken pen. All without succes. Has anyone had any success with getting rid of mink? If so, please let me know.The worst night was when the mink killed 40 of our chicks. What a waste. The next night my husband stayed outside all night ready for combat with the chicken slaughterer. He caught a glimpse of the mink, which saw him and deaprted before he could end its life. The farmer's wife 04:09 - 2006-Jun-13 - post comment
Goat meets pig...Shortly after moving to our farm, we purchased a bred sow (pregnant pig). Since we had been here less than two months, we put the pig in the pasture with the goats. The reactions were quite comical as we observed. Two of our goats were absolutely terrified by the massive hog. One of them jumped the electric fence and took off across the pasture to the other side of our farm (her milk production was down that day).However, the lead goat acted as if that pig was no big deal. She is in charge, always, especially when it comes to food. We fed the goats in their trough and scattered the pig's food on the ground. The lead goat observed that good food on the ground and left her trough to let the pig know that the food belonged to her and her alone. She coolly approached the pig who is three times her size and did what she frequently does when she wants to put others in their place. She butted that pig in the head. The pig continued eating as if nothing happened. The buting incident didn't even phase her. The lead goat, however, shook her head. We could almost see the stars circling above her head as she stood dazed for a minute, then she promptly left the pig, returned to her feed trough and never challenged the pig again! 09:20 - 2006-Jun-13 - post comment |
Description Sharing our thoughts, events, ups and downs, as we restore a once profitable farm to its former greatness as a Christian agrarian family. Home User Profile Archives Friends Lighthouse Farm Our DVD's for homesteader's Homestead Series e-books Lighthouse Farm Podcasts No NAIS Recent Entries - Pig-headed or chicken-hearted???? - Health care - the way it used to be - The Egg Hog - Back in blogdom after chasing sheep - Ode to Winter 2007 - Chicken and Hog DVD's are now finished!! - Video clip of the birth of a piglet - News about Haitian friends!!!!! - Authentic AgricultureTM - Welcome! - A Peaceful Night in the Pasture - Big Sale at The Old Schoolhouse!! - Rendering Lard - Hog Butchering Time - John Ray - Founder of Biology - A Breath-taking Field Trip - Fat and Sassy - Real Men Eat Quiche - Green Tomato Recipes - Harvest - Two Cents Worth on Pinching Pennies... - Cockle burrs and stinging nettle a blessing? - Gourmet Meals At The Farm Table - Seeds Worth Saving - Sweet cartoon - Commercial rice supply has been contaminated - Spermicidal Corn - Agricultural Science Fiction Horror Flick or Truth? - SImple Entertainment - "Gardening is like a treasure hunt!" - Pigs don't stink - Diggin' For Gold!! - Rain - a Blessing or a Curse? - My Sheep Know My Voice - er - Chain Saw... - The Old Farm Dog - An Alarming Nightime Visitor - Farming Magazine - A Pig's Nest - Meager chicken harvest - Bacon + Garlic = Piglets? - A Rare July 4th Tribute to Farmers - Fencing in more pasture - Three months on our new place.... - Blood suckers in Minnesota :( - Miss Bacon and Rocky Mountain Oysters - Sheep without a shepherd - Haying with my man! - Mink solutions, anyone? - Goat meets pig... - I Smell a Skunk... - URGENT!! Please forward!!!! - Did Adam Smell Like That? - Minnesota!!!!! - Problem solved - God is good - The Rat Trap and One Happy Girl - New Podcast - Farm Restoration - The Beginning - An Honorable Gentleman Has Died - Why teach our children about agriculture? - Cheap, Safe Food??? - New NAIS links worth reading - Old Tractors Never Die - A Lawyer comments on Constitutional Rights and NAIS - Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks - Big Bellies and Big Bags - Hosting Haitians on the Homestead - Minnesota, Here We Come (after we sell our house) and "the Chip" - And God saw that it was good - Greetings |