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