Our Journey: 2010

Thursday, October 7, 2010

The Oak Grove

We spent some quality time at the Grove the past few days, working on preparing the soil for seeding as well as taking down and putting up hot wire fencing to expand the pig pasture by several acres. Now the pigs will have more oak trees to graze acorns under, more medicinal plants, and I hope the pigs look forwards to so many fresh oats, peas, and wheat greens to graze in a couple months! These crops will grow alongside all the wonderful native plants in the pasture - comfrey, nettles, thistle, plantain, clovers, dock, and so many more.

Mike and Petey!

Shade from oak trees at the grove

Did you know the only time you call a cow a cow is when an adult female has had a calf. Otherwise, young cattle of both sexes are called calves until they are weaned. A young female who hasn't had a calf of her own and is under three years old is called a heifer. A bull is an intact adult male, while a steer is a castrated adult male. Usually there is only one bull, for breeding, in a domesticated herd. An ox is usually a castrated male used as a draft animal. A springer is a heifer close to calving, and a cow close to calving is said to be freshening, which a dairy cow must freshen in order to keep producing milk. The gestation period of a calf is 9 months, just like us. And both sexes can have horns, long and short, it just depends on the breed.

The herd traveled up to visit us in the afternoon.

Here is the bull - the breeder, the protector
(and the only cow who still has his balls!)

Daisy

Calfs and their moms grazing in the highest North-west point of the pasture

This cutey is the calf of Daisy

Playing in the freshly tilled dirt!

In between the pig pasture sits this shed from the beginning of the twentieth century, which has a history. The first resident on this property lived in this small homestead, and logged the land. Built from the wood that stood here, it was in almost perfect condition up until 10 years ago, but the pigs and the cows have done a number in the remaining structure unfortunately. Back in the early 1900's, when all of the west coast was still forest, it was common for loggers to live on the land, alone, and drink too much, in small homesteads like these. I'm intrigued, and I wish I could learn more about the person who lived here and what it looked like inside.

Yesterday, Mike and I cleaned up the outside fallen wood and unscrewed a couple boards to create the front entrance you see in the first picture. I built a hot wire fence around the outside structure of the shed, raked out the entire inside, and then with a fork lift, we placed all the apples, chestnuts and kiwi for the pigs as well as tools for us while we continue constructing fences. We will try to protect it from this point on, and utilize it.

Gee-Gee and Joe grazing away at the grove

Sunset beneath the oaks

The piglets have arrived!

   In the mist of Friday morning, we awoke to the squealing of piglets. Instantly, we jumped out of bed, and saw that Vickey had walked inside holding two piglets, who were about to get a warm bath to raise their temperatures. Vickey had been checking every couple of hours throughout the night on the sow to see the progress of the birth, because we could tell the night before she was getting ready to go into labor. Around 6 am, Vickey went outside to find that five piglets had been born and the placenta already passed. On average, labor lasts up to 6 hours and each piglet will come every 20 minutes. Deep mud puddles, built by mama to cool off during the hot days, became a dealth trap for the newborns. Three had traveled into the mud and their temperatures dropped significantly. One piglet died before we could save them. The rest of the piglets ended up inside with warm baths and bottles, until we could try to feed them on mama again when they regained their strength.
   The first litter of tamworth pigs is adorable, with fuzzy, orange peel colored fur. Since the soil in Washington tends to be low in selenium, which is important for bone and cartilage growth, the mama and the piglets tend to be deficient. We gave them each the tiniest shot of selenium, and after a day, saw a dramatic improvement in the strength in their legs. In this litter, there is Princess Black Ear, Nosey, Two spot, and Blondie. Each have unique personalities, and after a few days now, are doing well, all nursing on mom. The piglets and mom will remain in the barn for about a week to 10 days. Then we will take them out to a paddock that was planted with austrian peas and oats for their grazing delight! By that time, the piglets will have already quadroupled in size. The piglets will nurse for up to 8 weeks, while experimenting with eating soil, grass, and grain. Dirt is a necessary source of iron for the pigs.
   As the morning went on, and we were bathing and bottle feeding babies, the four piglets had started to settle down. When we went out to the barn to check on the two mama pigs, their was a baby piglet walking around in the second stall. The second sow started giving birth that afternoon, starting at about two. There is no real way to tell if a sow is in labor - their grunting still sounds the same, and perhaps there is heavier breathing. We spent the rest of the afternoon in and out of the barn, helping birth the four piglets, and we watched them all come out, instantly start walking around and climbing on mom to nurse. Piglets' instinct is to crawl and lead their nose around while nibbling until they find a teat to nurse on, and that is all they want to do when you hold them! In this litter there is #1, Peanut, and the other two never really got named. Everyone got to be nursing on mom, instead of in the house for long, and remained healthy and happy the next few days.
   Each sow has the potential to have fifteen piglets, because each sow has fifteen teats. Both litters were small, which can be unfortunate for the farmer, depending on how many they are hoping to get. Vickey primarily raises pigs to be breeders first, and pork second. The pigs live for years out in the oak grove, if they weren't already sold to be bred.
   Peanut, which was the smallest piglet ever, had been struggling since day one. He was the third piglet from the second litter, and couldn't ever compete with his brothers and sisters for milk on mama pig. We brought him into the house on the second day and had been bottle feeding him and nursing him every hour. He has been up and down, and near death several times. To be honest, we were astonished how long he struggled the stay alive. When an animal is sick, they won't eat, which is unfortunate because that is what will aid them in getting better. Peanut was a struggle to feed, but we did everything we could, and finally he passed today in the evening. His body couldn't hold on anymore. Bless his little heart. He was a fighter.
   Taking care of a dying piglet was really hard on me, and I know it was hard on everyone, feeding after feeding, hour after hour, and hoping that such a frail, weak baby could keep on going. So goes life on a farm. I have a hard time with death, particularly natural death, but that is part of life. There are still seven thriving piglets that will live happily, able to graze on grass and acorns.
   Princess black ear is another story, but the ending is that she is a healthy house piglet! Since she was a little smaller and slower than her brothers and sisters, she had a harder time nursing on mom, and staying out of her way. This sow is a fantastic mom, and a huge way to tell is that she is cautious of all of her babies around her - when she gets up, lays down, and just plain moves around. However, every now and then a piglet gets in the way of those actions, and the result can be tragic when the mom weighs 600 pounds and the piglet weighs 2 pounds. Accidentally, Princess got squished somehow by mom, and we found her weak and limping in the barn. We brought her in and nursed her back to health. She is strong and very lively. Unfortunately, once a week goes by several things change between mom and piglet. Eventually, each piglet returns to the same teat every feeding to nurse, and when this happens, all the other teats dry-off and stop producing milk. The sad news is Princess will never be able to be reintroduced back in with the piglets and mama. Both the mama and the piglets wouldn't think she belonged, and this could even lead to the mama killing the piglet, in defense for protecting her babies. In a larger-scale farming, Princess would have been killed because she was not good enough. Vickey does not think or act in this mindset, therefore Princess is living and beautiful, and will remain in the house until she is old enough to graze on pasture at the grove in a couple months. Having a bottle-fed pig is a lot of work and commitment, but here, it is another pet in the house along we the rest! Our house sounds like bark, sneeze, meow, snort, squeal :) And in the morning the roosters add wonders!

Princess Black Ear!

Petey lets them crawl all over him! Can you tell he has taken care of pigs before?

Blondie!

Pig butt!

Princess is our house piglet

The first day we nursed each piglet

Playing in the barn

Survival of the Fittest!

psst. We have taken several videos of these little piglets, and we hope to post those soon, so look for an addition!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Our First Days at New Heritage Farms

Where to begin but with new beginning. Mike and I have packed up our life into a car and have taken it on the road, leaving behind the energy of the city, and instead waking up to the squealing of piglets and the call of roosters and turkeys. Moving to the stillness of Toledo, Washington has been an exciting transition and a breath of fresh, calm country air. And we feel so comfortable here already, in the home of Vickey Hinkley, an inspiring amazing woman who has so much energy and radiates with kindness, even after no sleep! Our journey has just begun with a week under our belt, but we don't want to leave here for a while, with good company and all kinds of projects to get involved in, as well as babies to take care of.

The chaos of leaving Olympia felt rushed, but we were ready. It was an interesting time to leave, with new friends of the summer and old friends returning with the vibrance of summer on their faces, and of course, the energy of fall in the air. Last Tuesday was the day we finally left, and we could of driven for hours and hours, because we love to be on the road - thoughts drift by you in the wind, and the only constant is change. However, we decided to start our journey only an hour away, staying within the farms of our local communities. Vickey welcomed us into her home and we are going to have the opportunity to help with the birthing and caring for two litters of piglets and help her transition to rotational grazing of her herd of cattle.

The first few days we were able to start our routine, and we have been working everyday ever since. On Vickey's property she owns 8 acres, which has been converted entirely to pasture, barn, and log home, which she designed herself. Every morning we wake up to feed and greet the animals. On this property there are eight heritage breed turkeys, which are two months old now and getting bigger everyday. These birds have their own pasture, although the turkeys love to escape by flying over their fence to graze in another pasture throughout the day. As you enter the barn, you are greeted by fifty free-range chickens. Their nests are set all over in every part of the barn, including the haystack. Finding eggs is always an adventure, but worth it! I have never seen a more vibrant egg - visualize the deepest orange sunset when you crack it. Delicious. And the diversity in age and breed is amazing. There are hens setting; their ages vary from day old chicks to six year old hens. To the right, there are two mama pigs -sows - who have been in pig pens for the last two weeks before and after giving birth. The pigs get fed well - cracked corn, oats, barley, apples, comfrey leaves, and fresh eggs - and play well in the mud bath they have made. And to the left, you are greeted by two mustang horses - Bell and McClure, demanding hay for their hungry bellies. Everyone gets fed, grunts or chirps, and the morning has begun.

In the afternoon, we travel to "the grove," which is 60 acres Vickey leases just a mile down the road. On rotational grazing, there are a total of five 500-600 pound tamworth pigs, who come running when they hear you coming. We supplement their grazing with grain and fruits. On Thursday, we went to Burnt Ridge Farm in Onalaska and gleaned 600 pounds of apples, which had fallen from the trees and could not be sold. Pig food now! And the owner, Michael, was generous enough to give us pounds and pounds of chestnuts and kiwis that couldn't be sold as well. The pigs have a feast right now! Past the pig pasture, you'll find a herd of 30 cows. The cattle live naturally in their prairie and forest, roaming wherever they want and grazing whenever they choose. There is diversity in age and breed here too, living together as a community in the wild and relying on their instincts. Their are young heifers nursing on their mothers, many 2-4 year old cows, and there is an old, temperamental bull. With us at the house, there are two australian shepard dogs - Sweety, 14 and Petey, 2 - and two indoor/outdoor cats - Paisley and Maxeen. There is never a dull moment! As days went on, we realized that there is always an animal to take care of.

   Our top priority right now is tilling and planting in the paddocks of 8 acres and at the acres of pig pasture at the grove. Vickey tries to primarily feed through rotational pasture grazing. She wants to build more fertility and revitalize soil that has been stomped on too many times by horses and sheep in the past. For the next few years, she will continue to build up the soil and diversity. With continuous planting and strategic rotational grazing, there will be no need to till, and the pastures will sustain perrenial polycultures of a diversity of food for the cows, pigs, or horses.
   On Wednesday, Mike and I were on the tractor rotatilling to prepare several paddocks for seeding, which will start next Thursday. Vickey plants by the moon, and Thursday through Saturday will be fertile days recommended for planting. We are reworking soil and planting wheat, rye, oats, austrian peas, and possibly wild garlic. Existing in the soil are many nutritious native plants, like chicory, comfrey, plantain, clovers, thistle, trefoil, poor man's alfalfa, and more. We had fun on that tractor! It was the first time for both of us, and it felt pretty bad ass diggin' up the dirt on the kubota. We dug up about an acre or more in three different paddocks. I'll have to draw a map of the property and post it!
   We worked from 9 am to 6 pm that day, and most days to follow. We are really enjoying it though! We feel in our element, and eager to be doing something all day long. As the events with the pigs unfold, the most exciting events and responsibilities were coming our way....