Recently our milk cow, Blossom, decided to wean her son, Joey. She began butting him away when he tried to nurse. She wasn't overly aggressive, just decisive and clear. I was impressed by her sudden decision. The next morning when it was time to milk she was not eager to come into the milking parlor. I led her in by [...]
Let’s begin with the definition of love: noun. 1. a deep and tender feeling of affection for or attachment or devotion to a person or thing. 2. an expression of one's love or affection — Collins English Dictionary It is easy to experience love if your farm includes animals, as our hearts naturally connect with warm blooded creatures who can [...]
Today, Martin Luther King, Jr Day, I attended a gathering to celebrate King’s Beloved Community. The theme was “An Inescapable Network of Mutuality” referring to a passage from a speech he gave a few months before he died. "All I'm saying is simply this: that all mankind is tied together; all life is interrelated, and we are all caught in [...]
We are always thrilled when our granddaughters arrive from Alaska to spend two or three weeks with us on the farm. They are a big help. We happily share our love of farming, the animals and the land with them. They are enthusiastic about everything: caring for the calf, fencing pasture, feeding the hens, spreading the biodynamic preparations, harvesting beets [...]
When I was five years old and received my first box of crayons in kindergarten (a set of the primary and secondary colors of the rainbow) my senses were awakened to the magic of color. Then when I was ten, I somehow acquired a packet of zinnia seeds in mixed colors. I planted them just off my front porch. These [...]
Depending on where you live, winter can be a time of dormancy or growth. In our part of the northern hemisphere the ground is frozen and covered with snow and spring seems far off. We are happy to have the slower quieter days. Gardens are planned, potting soil prepared and seeds ordered. All these are engaging, creative activities that make [...]
That is the question I ask myself each fall, (the traditional time for animal harvest) as my husband and I we prepare to harvest a cow, or a pig, or a chicken on our farm. We have a micro-dairy, Callie’s Creamery, and provide raw milk and wholesome, grass-fed, organic yogurt for our local community. It is a wonderful thing to make [...]
Asian Jumping Worms are a relatively new invasive species of earthworm, that can wreak havoc on your yard and garden, and forest ecosystems, by stopping plants growth and degrading the soil. They are rapidly spreading across the United States. Asian jumping worms are smooth, glossy gray or brown and 1.5 to 8 inches long. The clitellum (the band around the body [...]
