Yearling Heifer on the Lamb
Monday, May 17, 2021
Hello friends,
Rain, and more rain. I think we have been dodging the major portion of it, but we still got 1.3” this morning. I hear reports of much more than that, so I’m thankful. Looks like there is more rain in the forecast for the rest of the week too.
We had a yearling heifer on the lamb since last Thursday. Just all of a sudden disappeared. She has had a terrible habit of getting through the front pasture fencing and joining the big cows. Annoying, but not serious since we just put her back. This time, she wasn’t with the big cows, and there was no sign of her. She is just 14 months old and about old enough to breed, but the deed has not been done yet so she could have come into heat and gone looking for company. Actually, I wouldn’t have been overly upset about that. Would have saved me the trouble of AI-ing her. It was the not knowing if something happened to her. We called our neighbors to the west and farther west and down the street, then east, but couldn’t get a hold of the neighbors to the north who don’t actually live on that property. Well, low and behold, we finally got through to them this evening and Reagan is with their Angus herd. Stinker. Tomorrow we will have to get her and figure out what to do to keep her on our side of the fence! Anyone want to buy a Jersey heifer?….
The Garden is Planted
Monday, May 10, 2021
Hello friends,
Hope you had a Happy Mother’s Day! I certainly did. Got to see all my children and grandchildren, as well as my own mother, all around one table. It was kind of crowded, but cozy. It’s a great holiday when you can appreciate those who have done so much for you. Even those with imperfect moms (say everyone) at least they chose life. Parenting is challenging, and motherhood is a 24/7 responsibility for a long time. Thank you to all the mothers.
The garden is planted. Last week we worked very hard when the soil was not wet, and the weather was conducive. Nothing like the threat of rain to motivate you to get those gardening projects finished. Bill even brought some hay for mulching, so the paths are nice and dry to walk on. We picked the first strawberry and pulled the first radish this evening. I guess we’ll have to take tiny bites, but they will be delicious. All the peppers and tomatoes that I started from seed are out, all the flowers have been transplanted and the empty trays are going back down in the basement. Sigh. A big job done. Now we watch things grow, or not, and pluck those small pesky weeds before they anchor their roots in the earth’s crust!….
The Peonies are Blooming!
Monday, May 3, 2021
Hello friends,
I’ve checked the forecast from two different sources, and other than a chilly Tuesday evening, I think I’m okay to plant out those “after all danger of frost” plants in the garden. The tomato plants are all out. We have quite a large variety of experimental plants this year. Purple, Russian heirloom, oval salad, San Marzano as well as the standby’s Early Girl, Whoppers, and Celebrity. I saved back a couple of each kind for just in case something happens to some, then I have some spares. If I don’t need them, well, good. I’m out of room for tomatoes.
The peonies are blooming! As some of you know, my mom is a peony hybridizer, and has been making crosses by pollinating different varieties for many years. If you see little bags on a stem, that’s where she has carefully opened a flower and gathered the pollen, then forced open another bud from the receiving plant and made the cross. The little bag is to keep the bees etc. from confusing the issue. Then in the fall, she will collect the little seeds and baby them until she has a new plant. Lots of things can go wrong so its pretty exciting when she finally gets a blossom from one of “her” crosses, and it’s a desirable flower. Right now, she is mainly working on the plants she has given me over the years, but this fall we will be bringing more of her parent plants……
“I have to mow the lawn before it snows”
Monday, April 26, 2021
Hello friends,
The snow melted quickly, rain came soon after that, but warm air came RUSHING in today, so everything is dried out again. Bill actually said, “I have to mow the lawn before it snows.” Isn’t that a strange thing to say? That’s Kansas. And quite a few other states for that matter. I have quite a few plants growing under the light table in the basement, waiting for a favorable time to transplant out. Not yet, little babies!
The peonies in the creamery flower bed have begun to bloom! The gale force winds didn’t do them any favors, but they are still looking lovely. Check them out when you come to the creamery. You may have to wade through all the little elm tree seeds that came pouring down today like a familiar recent snowfall. I sure hope they don’t all sprout!…..
Cold Snap!
Monday, April 19, 2021
Hello friends,
This is actually a late start on the newsletter tonight. After chores I normally sit down and write until it’s dark enough to go shut in the hens. They can’t be rushed after all. But this evening we ran around with row covers, rocks, bricks, tablecloths, old sheets, and grass clippings, trying to cover fruiting plants in the garden. We focused on the asparagus, strawberries, and blueberries that were blooming. The wind has picked up so I hope the rocks and bricks will hold the covers down. Always an adventure!
Bill and I have been working very hard to process (make cheese etc. with) all the abundance of milk. Wow! Hard cheeses are the one thing we make that use up the most milk at 75 gallons a batch. That will usually make 8 rounds of approximately 8 - 9# cheeses. Yogurt is next at 16 gallons to fill the vat pasteurizer. We are making a lot of yogurt lately, most of which goes into the Jersey Silk strained yogurt. So good, and people are discovering it. Then I made a 16 gallon batch of Feta which is 4 gallon jars filled with cubes. Tomorrow I will work on a 16 gallon batch of mozzarella and sneak in a 2 gallon batch of buttermilk in the house. That may be a bit ambitious. Meanwhile, Bill will be smoking 4 rounds of Gouda next to the garage. Yes, we are working very hard to utilize this beautiful golden spring milk. If you want to help us out, drink more milk!…..
More Signs of Spring!
Monday, April 12, 2021
Hello friends,
More signs of spring! The red bud trees are blooming. And tulip trees, and dogwoods, and magnolias, and lilacs! The bees are so busy in the orchard right now because the apple, peach, and pear trees are all blooming. That’s an encouraging sign, but not a guarantee of future fruit. Asparagus is beginning and the dandelions are in full swing! Bill even mowed the lawn, in particular there were some lush spots where the chicken tractor traveled, and they left a concentration of fertilizer in the corner where they slept.
You will notice the milk getting much yellower this time of year. That’s the beta carotene from the green grass coloring the butterfat. It’s also rich in CLA’s! This is the healthiest milk of the year so drink up. All this lush green grass also increases the cows’ milk production. Two weeks ago, we were averaging 28 gallons a day for 8 ½ cows, and now we are up to 34 gallons a day. (The half cow is actually one cow that we milk once a day instead of twice.) An abundance of milk, actually. I’m skimming cream for those of you who would like to make some butter……
Happy Easter!
Monday, April 5, 2021
Hello friends,
Happy Easter! I hope you enjoyed the beautiful day that the Lord provided. We were in Atchison with the family and we also celebrated Xavier’s first birthday. Yes, it has already been a whole year. What a cutie! I noticed lots of families hanging out on their porches, taking walks, and playing in their yards. Tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils are in all their glory. Spring is here!
A pair of geese have been hanging around a lot in lane 4 pasture. Then last week Bill went back to the pond to put a heat lamp in the pump house. Yes, the water system is on, but there were freeze warnings, so we had to protect the pump. While he was back at the pond, one of the geese was out in the water making a big rukus. I suppose it was a distraction away from a nest somewhere. We are looking forward to maybe observing some goslings in our pond. Chicken eggs take 21 days, ducks are 28, and apparently goose eggs take 28 to 35 days. That’s a lot of sitting!….
Windy!
Monday, March 29, 2021
Hello friends,
Did you blow away today? Hold on to your hats! Yesterday we were driving down the highway with a 26 foot U-Haul with my mom’s furniture, and that high profile vehicle would have been difficult on a day like today. Yes, we worked hard all day, including Stephen and family, and buddy helper. Her house isn’t empty yet, but I think all the furniture we need has been moved. Now to get settled in and try for some normalcy before going back to tackle the kitchen cabinets full of dishes etc.
Bill has been working on the getting the pond water system ready to turn on for the year. He added a water line and a hydrant down by the sign. That will be so nice. I have been having to carry a watering can full of splashing water down the hill to the flowers. Of course, I only make one trip so the flowers are not fully watered, just barely alive and therefore not as vigorous as they should have been. Now I will only have to go about 10 feet! Thank you, Bill!…..
Spring is Here!
Monday, March 22, 2021
Hello friends,
We just had several days to dry out and the threat of rain is back again. Lol. Would have been nice to get potatoes planted, but it was still too wet in the garden. We took our window of opportunity to move the hens while the pasture is a less soggy. The cows are spending more and more time looking for those tender sprouts and less time eating that hay. Soon they will have plenty of grass to eat without the hay and milk production will increase! We must get ready!
The flower beds are looking a little shaggy as those pesky purple flowered Henbit weeds thrive in this weather. The back yard is a little splotchy with some really lush spots that mark where the young pullets were moving with their chicken tractor. If only we could spread that out, we would have a decently fertilized lawn. As it is, whatever grows, we mow. No dandelions yet, believe it or not. The daffodils are blooming, and the peonies are sprouting. It won’t be long now…..
It Rained and Rained!
Monday, March 15, 2021
Hello friends,
Do we need an ark? My heavens! It rained and rained yesterday! The pasture had standing water all over. There is water still running in the ditches and all the normal low lying problem spots in town are a problem. The sump pumps in our basement and in the cheese cave have been running almost non-stop. Thank God the power stayed on. Our septic system drain field is super charged and every so often the toilets glug. Gravel from the driveway has washed out into the road again. But the sun came out today and the air seems crisp and clear this evening. No sign of tornadoes here.
Remember my experiments with pasteurizing milk for mozzarella? Remember what I called the result? Farmer’s Folly. It was totally the wrong texture, a complete fail. Well, I have a new recipe from a respected cheese expert, Peter Dixon. I know I can do this! So today I tried a small test batch in the kitchen, and so far so good. Much better than my previous attempts. This will allow me to legally sell mozzarella for CSA’s, Food Hub, and other places. Trial and error, trial and success! Tomorrow I will check the flavor…
Gorgeous Weather!
Monday, March 8, 2021
Hello friends,
Oh my, what gorgeous weather! We had the whole family out at the farm yesterday to celebrate three birthdays and a little bit of Christmas (long story) and it was so nice to be able to get outside. After a big meal, we went out to the pond and tried out the fishing poles. Carl gets a big kick out of “catching” the fish in the net when someone reels one in. He gets braver every time he visits and likes to touch the fish now. The dock was sturdy enough for all 10 to be on it at once! I’m glad we added it last summer.
Farmer’s markets are getting organized this time of year but remember that we are focusing on our farm store for the next season. Upgrades are coming but first we have to finish a project. My mom is living with us now and we have a transition to accomplish to get her stuff here, and some of our stuff out of the way. When you haven’t moved a piece of furniture for several years, it’s amazing the amount of dust that accumulates under it. First, we are sorting through our stuff as we move it out of the way, and next we will be sorting through her stuff. So, pray for grace in this season!….
March is Here!
Monday, March 1, 2021
Hello friends,
Yes, March. February seemed rather surreal. Enduring the weather and waiting. Now I turn around and it’s time to plant tomato seeds inside. My seeds arrived Saturday, just in time. Whoo hoo! The birds are singing, the squirrels are chasing each other, and the daffodils are poking their little blades up. It won’t be long now.
The cows are spending more time searching for little green sprouts in the pasture. I wish they would wait and let them grow a little first, but they LOVE the green grass. The air is a bit smoky as some farmers start their annual pasture burn. Hopefully they keep everything under control, but you know what they say. It’s not a good burn unless you accidently burn something you shouldn’t have. Yikes! I have heard stories. The fire department hates this time of year. But the ranchers swear that removing all the annual residue stimulates the perennial grass growth, so they continue to burn. We tried a section one year and we ended up melting some of the water line that delivers pond water to the paddocks. No, we won’t be burning…..
The Big Thaw!
Monday, February 22, 2021
Hello friends,
A whole lot of melting going on today! The ground is still frozen underneath so the water just kind of puddles on top or runs off. Maybe tomorrow it will begin soaking in. Then we will have some mud to deal with, argh! I’m just very thankful that the temperatures are trending UP!
The cows are still enjoying their hay and producing lots of milk. They really don’t like walking on the refrozen ice patches, but they won’t like the mud either. It’s just something we have to deal with. Our indoor cat has finally decided that it’s okay to venture outside. That’s big. The chickens have been able to get outside the last couple of days too, and today they had more ground without snow to explore. I’ve been getting more eggs as more of them have begun laying. Even a huge double yolker here and there, poor chicken. It happens with pullets sometimes that they lay an egg with two yolks. Winner for us!….
Cold Blast is Here!
Monday, February 15, 2021
Hello friends,
Last week I spent a considerable amount of space in the newsletter on preparing for the cold. It is now upon us! Currently the unofficial thermometer says -2 and the moon is visible so that means it has cleared off and the insulating clouds are gone. We are bracing ourselves for presumably the coldest night of the winter. At least I hope this is the worst of it. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but we are hoping the light is not headlights on a train!
Lots of snow today with blowing and drifting. The cows have snow on their backs and frost on their whiskers. That snow is actually a good sign that they are not losing a lot of body heat. With the threat of rolling blackouts, we are hoping they skip over us. I know we have to use more electricity to keep the stock tank heaters running, but it’s too dangerous to risk them falling through the ice on the pond. I did see some of them licking the snow, but for a producing dairy cow, it would be difficult to get enough water that way to stay healthy.
Last week we procured a big round bale of straw and put it right in the middle of the loafing shed. Very convenient…..
It’s Cold Outside!
Monday, February 8, 2021
Hello friends,
We thought that January was the coldest month, but not this year! Every time I check my hippy dippy weather app on my phone, it gets worse and worse, then better, then worse again. And it’s still snowing! It has accumulated to about 2 inches so far and probably not done. I wear my layers upon layers of outdoor gear for chores. It takes about 5 minutes to layer up, but then I’m not cold, except maybe toes and fingers if I stand still too long. No, this is the coldest month of the year.
The cows are enjoying the fresh straw and loafing shed. We are not letting them drink from the pond right now for safety reasons, so they get the easy water from the stock tank beside the creamery. It collects the water from the sump pump at the bottom of the cheese cave. Since we recently had a good amount of rain, it has been full to overflowing which keeps the water moving and not frozen. The other calves have a heater in their water. A necessary but unfortunate energy sucker. Someday we’ll get a more efficient system. The chickens are staying close to their egg mobile but have been coming out and scratching around under their house. I suppose they may want to stay in when the temps get below zero, if it actually happens. I have been making extra trips out to collect eggs, but I still had three of them frozen and cracked today…..
Super Bowl Cheese Sale!
Monday, February 1, 2021
Hello friends,
…….In case you didn’t realize it, the Chiefs are in the Super Bowl this Sunday. You are going to need cheese. Therefore, in honor of the event, we are running a sale: three cheeses, any variety, 20% off. Quarter rounds are already 20% off, but you can take an additional 10% off that. Yogurts are not included…..
Cheese Making Class
….There was a good response to the cheese making class idea so I will set the date for February 27th (Saturday) from 11 to 1:00 or there about. My plan is to go over some basics, offer some resources, and then make a couple of cheeses, probably mozzarella and something else. Mozzarella is the one that beginners are most likely to actually do since it requires less equipment than some other types. I’m not saying that it’s the easiest though. But I’ll save all this for the class. $30 non-refundable saves your space, unless I cancel because of bad weather. You never know. Bring something to take notes. You are welcome to take a tour afterward, and of course pick out some cheese!
I’m planning on making a trip to the city on Saturday (the 30th) and I would be happy to bring any pre-ordered items (except raw milk, which would be illegal) if you let me know by Friday noon. It will be cold, as a January day should be, so I plan on being in the Matt Ross Community Center parking lot from 11 to 11:30……
Plans for 2021
Monday, January 18, 2021
Hello friends,
……Actually, 2020 wasn’t too bad here. There were quite a few new visitors after the post on the Shop Kansas Farms page, and we had local people come who didn’t even know we were here. We made a LOT of cheese from the abundance of milk our 12 cows produced on the lush spring grass. It aged all summer and quite a bit of it was sold to our new distributor Paris Brothers. That means you can find our cheese in stores and restaurants now. We are not planning on doing the farmer’s market next year. It’s a lot of work and there are quite a few uncertainties at the OP market right now. Instead, we are planning a few improvements to the on-farm store and hope to draw more customers here. Bill will be taking Social Security so some of the pressure for income will be eased. Selling raw milk will still be a priority, but we hope to add other items in the store as well. I still plan on making trips to the city and will still bring pre-orders to a future location.
I am thinking about teaching a cheesemaking class some time in February. We could comfortably have about 8 people in my kitchen. I could probably do about 2 hours give or take, and it would cost about $30 per person. Let me know if you are interested and when would be a good time.
I’m planning on making a trip to the city NEXT Saturday, January 30. Not this week, but next. Be thinking about what you might want….
The Days are Getting Longer
Monday, January 11, 2021
Hello friends,
Believe it or not, the days are getting longer! Any day in January that is above zero is a good day. Sunshine always warms my spirit, even when it’s chilly. The Christmas decorations came down today and I dusted (thankless job) and we put the furniture back where it was. Something comforting about back to normal…..
Milk production is limited right now. The cows are eating mostly hay, and a little grain when we milk them, but the green grass is now dormant and that is what really helps them produce more milk. We have enough fresh milk for everyone if we just spread pick up days through the week. We’ve had some shortages when there were too many needing milk on Saturday. If you can pick up Monday through Thursday, we are more likely to have plenty. Also, it’s always a good idea to call or text before you come to make sure. If we have more milk than orders, we’ll make cheese. Thank you for your patience. Two cows are due on February 1, so it should only be a temporary issue….
Wintery Mix
Monday, January 4, 2021
Hello friends,
Whew, what a week! I can’t say they didn’t warn us about the ice and “wintery mix”. That sounds more like a snack than a weather event! We had quite a bit of ice on the trees and lost several significant branches off a couple of trees. The snow melted off the ground yesterday, then all of a sudden, the sun came out this morning and the ice was falling off of the trees like hail, piling up underneath. Now all the ice and snow has pretty much gone….