November 8, 2011
We have been at New Heritage Farms for five weeks and some change now, living and learning, and I'm starting to think life would be boring without so many farm animals to talk to. We enjoy our daily chats with the pigs, turkeys, and the horses of course. And you'll always get a go flip of the tail when you talk to the cows as they are eating a new patch of grass we expose on the pasture these days.
These past several weeks, theres more than the rain thats happened, believe it or not in southwest Washington. We have planted oh so much pasture, that is growing growing growing green. I've been watching the way the herd of cattle look at it as they trot by, wishing they could get a piece of that, but know better than to get too close to that hot wire fence. At the grove, we planted oats, peas, and kale that are inches and inches tall now after three weeks or so. We spread seed thickly through the whole patch, and then harrowed to sow in the seeds. In the spring, the pigs will get to rotationally graze all of it! At the house, we have planted wheat, oats, peas, beets, buckwheat, and kale throughout several paddocks, that is shooting up through the soil, stretching out its leaves to the little bit of sun in the heat of the day. In raised beds, we planted garlic and beets as well, after we harvested the potatoes. We covered the beds in straw to keep it warm, like a blanket, for the winter months.
Once winter rolls around there is always work to do with keeping plants warm as the weather gets colder. We have spent weeks winterizing berries and fruit trees, which consists of weeding, laying down straw and leaves to keep down weeds and hold in warmth, and making field fence cages which protect them from animals. There are several fruit trees - apples, pears, plums, mulberry, and cherry - and nut trees - chestnuts, butternuts, oaks, and hazelnuts. There are thirty or forty planted berry bushes - marionberry, currants, gooseberry, elderberry, and blueberries - and of corse black berry bushes that are still fruiting in November. When Vickie used to have sheep, she would place the wool around the base of the berries and it would prevent any growth of weeds. Great tip to remember for the future when I have fruit trees of my own :) In place of wool, layers of cardboard and then straw and/or leaves work great to keep away weeds and helps to keep the soil warmer directly under the plant, so it will continue to grow during the winter months. All the currants, for instance, have nice buds of new leaves and fruit that will continue to grow and when the spring weather arrives, so will the blooming leaves of every fruit tree and bush.
Since the whole property is fenced in, Vickie likes to let her horses, or the three heifers currently at the house, roam around the yard and mow the lawn for her ;) It is great to see free-range horses just moseying around the property. Of corse, there are fenced off parts, so they can't get where we planted or where there are baby pigs. McClure the horse has a history of squishing a baby pig, but don't worry the injured baby pig, Gee-Gee, healed and is now fully grown and pregnant with her second litter!
We have been at New Heritage Farms for five weeks and some change now, living and learning, and I'm starting to think life would be boring without so many farm animals to talk to. We enjoy our daily chats with the pigs, turkeys, and the horses of course. And you'll always get a go flip of the tail when you talk to the cows as they are eating a new patch of grass we expose on the pasture these days.
These past several weeks, theres more than the rain thats happened, believe it or not in southwest Washington. We have planted oh so much pasture, that is growing growing growing green. I've been watching the way the herd of cattle look at it as they trot by, wishing they could get a piece of that, but know better than to get too close to that hot wire fence. At the grove, we planted oats, peas, and kale that are inches and inches tall now after three weeks or so. We spread seed thickly through the whole patch, and then harrowed to sow in the seeds. In the spring, the pigs will get to rotationally graze all of it! At the house, we have planted wheat, oats, peas, beets, buckwheat, and kale throughout several paddocks, that is shooting up through the soil, stretching out its leaves to the little bit of sun in the heat of the day. In raised beds, we planted garlic and beets as well, after we harvested the potatoes. We covered the beds in straw to keep it warm, like a blanket, for the winter months.
Once winter rolls around there is always work to do with keeping plants warm as the weather gets colder. We have spent weeks winterizing berries and fruit trees, which consists of weeding, laying down straw and leaves to keep down weeds and hold in warmth, and making field fence cages which protect them from animals. There are several fruit trees - apples, pears, plums, mulberry, and cherry - and nut trees - chestnuts, butternuts, oaks, and hazelnuts. There are thirty or forty planted berry bushes - marionberry, currants, gooseberry, elderberry, and blueberries - and of corse black berry bushes that are still fruiting in November. When Vickie used to have sheep, she would place the wool around the base of the berries and it would prevent any growth of weeds. Great tip to remember for the future when I have fruit trees of my own :) In place of wool, layers of cardboard and then straw and/or leaves work great to keep away weeds and helps to keep the soil warmer directly under the plant, so it will continue to grow during the winter months. All the currants, for instance, have nice buds of new leaves and fruit that will continue to grow and when the spring weather arrives, so will the blooming leaves of every fruit tree and bush.
Since the whole property is fenced in, Vickie likes to let her horses, or the three heifers currently at the house, roam around the yard and mow the lawn for her ;) It is great to see free-range horses just moseying around the property. Of corse, there are fenced off parts, so they can't get where we planted or where there are baby pigs. McClure the horse has a history of squishing a baby pig, but don't worry the injured baby pig, Gee-Gee, healed and is now fully grown and pregnant with her second litter!
We're going to miss Peter Bo' Beter!
In one paddock with planted buckwheat, beets, kale, oats, and wheat - Now that is diversity! Above is buckwheat (triangular charcoal-colored seeds) and beets (funky golden yellow seeds).
Heirloom winter wheat seed planted in several paddocks
Winter Oat seed planted in several acres at the oak grove
Need pictures of growing plants far away and close ups
At this point, Vickie thinks of Mike as a miracle worker with mechanics. Besides many fixings of the tractor, Mike continues to do work on all three of her cars, and has really helped her out instead of paying a hefty amount to a mechanic. I'd say its been a good trade - a helping hand for a warm home with good friends and conversation..and cheesecake!
Petey!
Sweety!
New mama hen with her baby chicks
Newborn chick..scratchin' around!
The baby pigs are five weeks old this Friday, and my have they grown, from being these scrawny little things to being at least two feet in length and a foot tall! We have watched them grow into their bodies and into their unique personalities. Its fun to jump into their area and take a seat. Their curiosity and their fear is high, so they'll strut over to you and nudge you with their big snout and then if you make a move, the pigs run back over to mom. We never knew pigs could run so fast before coming here!
Last Monday, we were in for a real treat. It was castration day. Yeah. Alan Sparling, from the local mom and pop veterinary clinic, makes farmstead house calls. He came out that morning, and we had an idea what we were getting ourselves into..The intensity within the experience was more than we expected. Don't you want to know how it was? With castration, the first thing that comes to my mind is cautery, which is burning and you get the rest of the picture. Thats not quite the farm approach - there is no pain numbing, no stitches, and no cauterizing the stop the blood. We grabbed each of the males at a time, by their back feet, hung them upside down, and held the rest of their body between our legs. Then doc takes his scalpel and makes an incision, reaches in and pulls out each testicle one by one, and cuts the cord each is attached to. After a sprinkle of medication to stop the blood and prevent infection, the pig runs away freely, and expresses very little reaction to the experience. There are no stitches, it will heal in a week. The pigs were up and jumping around again. What an experience for us. But all males can't be bores, in the farm world.
All in all, there is the daily conversations with the animals in the barn - check in, making sure everyone is fed and lively.
In another month and a half, Ruby is due to farrow again! There will be more pigs to come! A piece of the farm that we are continuing to feel connected to is the constant cycle of life and death, birth and growth - and our society used to be more connected to birth and death as one in the same to sustain yourself and to raise our food. We are home, where the food is grown, raised with compassion, and then eaten with respect for all we learned and loved about their presence in our lives.
All in all, there is the daily conversations with the animals in the barn - check in, making sure everyone is fed and lively.
In another month and a half, Ruby is due to farrow again! There will be more pigs to come! A piece of the farm that we are continuing to feel connected to is the constant cycle of life and death, birth and growth - and our society used to be more connected to birth and death as one in the same to sustain yourself and to raise our food. We are home, where the food is grown, raised with compassion, and then eaten with respect for all we learned and loved about their presence in our lives.
Free-range pig strutting his stuff (3 weeks old)
Full nose immersion into the delicious dirt
Running around in the mud! (4 weeks old)
Check out that mud-covered nose! That is a face of curiousity
Mama is taking a cooling mud bath
Mud-comfortable
Smiling through the hog panels!
Fence line, to the right has been left to grow since May. To the right, this pasture is grazed continuous, so by November, there is very little growth and the farmer has to supplement with large amounts of hay. Vickie will strip graze her cattle on the pasture to the right - 11 acres from November through April, and will avoid having to supplement feed at all, because the cattle will get all the nutrition they need in this diverse pasture.
11 acres before we started fencing hot wire and mob grazing
Vickie and her happy, hungry herd
Looks tasty doesn't it?
To a grass farmer, the grass is just as interesting as the cattle, and Vickie has taught us a new appreciation for it.
Mama with her five day old calf, joining back up with the herd three days after birth and already running crazy fast
Oh so nervous of these new faces
I am in love with her guernsey hair do
Action shot!
Is this too many pictures of cows? :)
One afternoon off, we decided to go visit part of the family property that joins the Cowlitz River. At one point, the Hinkley family owned hundreds and hundreds of acres, but over the last hundred yearsproperty has been sold and divided between siblings. We decided to bring Petey, and it was then we learned that he had never been taken for a walk before. In the country they run around the acres of lan, what is the need for walking like us city folk do? Well it was fun working on a little training to stay by our side. I forgot what its like to walk a two year old pup, and that really turned up the pace of our adventure. We walked a mile down country roads, passing more moo cows, until we reached the dead end. To the left is the old farm house, where Vickie's husband grew up. Straight ahead is another road that will lead for miles into more family property, and eventually reaching Vickie's other property of 10 acres of lush forest as well as prairie. At the barbed wire fence, we were told to walk around to the other side and follow the dirt road until we reached the river bed. We followed the trail that went on for miles more. Right near the river was an old pear tree, and we picked a few small ones still left over from the fall harvest. We walked through the woods, finding our path to the bank. We sat and enjoyed the soothing sounds of the river, while Petey ran back and fourth in every direction. It was beautiful down there. We fought the setting sun our whole way home, in the brisk cool air of the night.
Our view of Mount. Rainer at sunset
(While it has been raining here, it has been snowing there!)
Our view of Mount. St. Helens at sunset
Our next learning experience will be "farm sitting" at the end of the month. We will manage the farm for 11 days while Vickie visits family in the Bay Area. It feels good to know that she will trust us with her life, her animals. And we are heading towards a large transition. We will be road tripping south then across the country by train to visit family, and when we find ourselves traveling back west again, we will start the phase of our journey, another farm with an entirely different focus and way of life. We are unable to know what to expect, but we will work our mind and bodies hard, learn, and become part of a new community...
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