the cattle

Last night we went out to check on the cattle with Noah. He goes out every night after work and we wanted to join him.  As we walked into the feild, Lyra said "it's like a treasure hunt".  It is exciting, they aren't tame like our Fifi, I'll blog about her sometime. The day before, three of the five, cattle were out on the other side of the fence.  Noah said they didn't look very happy to be there. We also spotted fresh wolf scat on the cow trails. I'm guessing the wolfs had some fun with them and they jumped the fence. Good thing we have five cattle and they are a good size. Our cattle are proper grass fed cows, raised for their first year way out in the back feilds of the Obexer farm in Black Creek. All five bulls are an angus, hereford cross. We still have a few sides or quarters of grass fed beef for sale.  Grass fed meat is often leaner and contains only natural fats, it healthy and full or flavour. As in all grass fed animals the cattle are more nutritious and significantly higher in omega 3 fatty acids, CLA (conjugated linoleic aid), Vitamin E (up to 4 times higher), Beta Carotene and vitamins A&D. If you would like to get on the beef prebook list write me an email or give me a call or if you would like a small amount of beef contact me to get on the other list. 

the day our tomatoes grew an inch

When I asked Lyra before bed if she wanted to sleep in on saturday morning or go to Mayday she told me to wake her up by calling really loud "it's the parade, it's the parade!!!" What a beautiful warm sunny Mayday.  She got her candy during the parade and we spent the rest of the day picnicing and visiting with friends. Lyra played in the water for hours. Other than the regular chores, watering and an early morning dose of Noah's very special compost tea. Nothing got done around the farm that morning.

                                                                                  Mayday 2012 

Liam makes it half way up the greased pole 

In the afternoon I headed back home to sell my mom's miniture horse to a carting family from Salt Spring Island. And I have to admit I was a little sad to see that fuzzy face loaded up into the trailer and off to his new home. Adios my little friend.

Evening found us driving north to Granite Bay bringing wood to Noah and Sam who are starting to make our chicken tractors. Our meat birds are arriving in a few weeks to fertilize our feilds and feed our family and friends. If you would like to get on the chicken list please email me or give me a call.   Good things always get made in Granite Bay last time Noah headed up there he made our kitchen with Sam. And look at this lovely baby who was made in Granite Bay!  I got to have a first visit with the beautiful Jarri and his mamma.  

          Working in the shop with the guys

Rocking Jarri to sleep in the kitchen. I wonder how long it's been since this restored farmhouse last had a baby filling the house with light & love. 

The Escape Chicks and the Green Thumb

Friday morning I went out to feed the chicks to find their was only one chick left in the chicken nursery.  I looked around for the cat or any small feathers littering the ground. A few moments later I heard them they were about ten feet away stuck in the milking stanchion trough. They couldn't figure how to get out.  I quickly called Lyra over and she got to hold each and every one of them. That night the last thing I heard before I  feel asleep was cheeping, as Noah carried them over to our proper chicken run.

this is greyie, goldilocks was the only good chick who stayed behind 

In the afternoon I got have a 2012 tour of Dirt Co Farm. When I was about eight years old I become good friends with my neighbour, Kate.  Kate had two way older brothers who were always moving through the house in a loud fast pace. I remember one time Kate looked up at me from her pile of Barbies to tell me her older brother had a green thumb, something she seemed really proud of. I remember thinking if one of my sisters had a green thumb I don't think I'd tell anyone.  I actually remember looking for his "green thumb" but I never actually saw it. 

  

The beautiful Mrs Dirt Co & Company 

And if anyone ever tells you they know a guy with a bigger row of carrots, it's most likely this guy. 

Happy 40th Birthday Mike. Thanks for the great party and continued gardening inspiration and information.

which thumb is the green one?

eagle acres

The last few days the eagles finally found our un-netted hens out back in winter cow pen. We had 10 layers back their doing a great job of cleaning the pen. I looks like someone has raked it all clean and tidy.  The eagles and ravens arrived in the same week, first no eggs, than dead hens. They don't take them, they just eat the middle out and leave them for me to burry. When my sister was here about a month ago she suggested I forgo this whole farming thing and bring in about 50 chickens to start an eco tourist  business " 100% guaranteed eagle  & raven sightings".  I have to say I was impressed by the size of one eagle,  he's taller than Lyra by a good 6".  It's really entertaining to watch her tribal way of scaring the eagles away, it works. She gets a good strong stance and just yells a low roar that get's higher pitched in the end.  Yesterday morning before  Noah left for work said he's just spent an last half hour trying to catch the chickens and could I please move them into the house. Watching Noah catch chickens is like watching a fox in the hen house (something I have only seen in cartoons) but it's about the same.  My way in a lot less work intensive.  A small bowl of scratch and a here, chick, chick in the house they go.  For some reason this doesn't work for Noah.
This post was going to post about our beef cows, but due to the rainy evening hour I'm guessing they where out chewing their cud under one of the big spruce trees way out back. Here are some photos of their idyllic home.

right before it started to rain 

Yesterday was full of the usual plant, rake, come in from the rain, clean animal pens, come in from the rain, transplant, stay out in the rain. I went and treated my moms ten year old gelded rams eye again, he is having a hard time with an eye infection. Sheep really are delicate and after a winter of dealing with hoof rot, I understand why they are from the dessert. 

Lyra makes "mucka" in the rain with no shirt, as Noah preps the green house

a little rain

At about 9 p.m last night I went looking for my daughter who was still working in the garden with her dad, what a great help she was this weekend. At 9:30 am this morning she is still sleeping. From digging in the garden, shoveling sawdust, making rows and moving sheep she is our strong worker. We moved our sheep to greener pasture herding them a few blocks up the road on sunday afternoon.  I decided just to have our head ewe, Fancy, on the lead and the rest would follow. Our new southdown sheep don't follow as well as the rest, so we put Lyra  back in the rear shouting, c'mon southdowns, good southdowns, c'mon sheep. I wish I could have gotten a photo of our little shepherd.  If you see our sheep say Hi, but please do not feed them.

  the newly sheared Southdowns

 The rains came as promised this weekend. Etienne and Noah choose a great window of sunshine to make hay in. We turned our focus to the garden. It's a good thing we have a fairly long growing season here in B.C as we are behind. It was nice cool rainy weather to transplant in (which was my low impact job) and Noah, Lyra and Ryan dug and dug beds and made paths.

getting ready for the sawdust in garden #1 

working hard 

 It was to dark last night to take photos of all the hard work in garden #2 so I went out this morning 

We moved the hens and their chicks into the chick nursery yesterday. I went over this morning to check on them and the one named, Stripey, was out. I put him back in 3 times, I'm pretty sure it's going to be a rooster. May he live through the day with Thomasina the cat on the loose. All the other chicks are good little chicks who stayed with their mothers... reminds me of a story I read before bed last night. We should rename them, Flopsy, Mopsy Cottontail and Peter. 

Massey or Ferguson?

We drove up to Open Bay Farm bright and early,  as the weather forecast was calling rain, to shear Mimi's sheep. The sheep were out on the field, we got the genorator in the truck and headed over.  Noah decided to start out with the purebreed cotswold ram, Lewis. He is a good size and Noah got a nice morning jog catching him.  

Lewis realizing the oats were just a hoax  

navigating through the nettle patches 

Lyra quickly got bored, as sheep shearing has been the norm this week and she can't be very involved. So she went off and found a new friend, Emma, who was in the kitchen making crepes for all their company coming from Vancouver that morning. Thank you Emma for being so great and involving  Lyra and giving her a job. 

 Half way through shearing the first sheep Noah looked up to realize that a few mini vans of Vancouverites were watching him with camera's set. I think we should have passed around a hat afterwards for the rural experience.  Noah sheared five sheep by the early afternoon.

Mimi and Noah inspect Lewis's silver lined fleece

you can find Mimi's blog @ http://openbayfarm.blogspot.ca/2011/01/open-bay-farm.html

Later that afternoon we headed south to Disco Thistle Ranch to help plan the Fall Fair Float for the Mayday parade this weekend. I'm not giving away any surprises, you'll have to come on on Saturday morning to the parade. I couldn't help photographing the Disco Thistle piglets.  They a Tamworth, Brerkshire cross and  a very nice and tasty pig. We raised a few over the winter and I have to say they were the healthiest pigs we have ever raised and it's great they are now available right here on Quadra Island. 

Heading even further south, Noah picked up on acquired piece of broken farm machinery... The Baler! Noah is so excited about this piece of farm equipment,  I'm really hoping I don't have to talk him out of naming our next child massey or ferguson in honour of this machine. (after  reading him this blog entry his reply was "Ferguson is cool") Help.

     And Disco Thistle Poppy just because 

Longer days = more time to work

Yesterday Noah got to shearing the half sheared sheep. The clippers broke half way through shearing "Cozy" and she had to go two days looking very Skafest. All the sheep are sheared and soon to be moved to again greener pasture.

The long weekend looms with about a week of work to fit into three days. Noah will be out tonight tedding hay. Etienne has friends coming up and help bale hay, so that Noah and I can get going on "the garden". We have two gardens going this year and our many starts in the green house are ready to move out, like hungry teenagers overspreading their bounds.  We are also heading up to Open Bay Farm tomorrow morning to help Mimi shear her ten sheep. Welcome mid-spring, I think maybe I should have rested in winter.

 Lyra gets her summer feet 

 Aaahh isn't it cute... free starter eater to good home or at this point stock pot. I'll catch him, if you take him away. 

A Birthday Surprise

It's midweek and I've almost finshed weeding the long forgotten raspeberries, my arms look like they used to in the days when I dressed up my kittens in baby clothes. If you were ever an eight year old girl you get how cute a kitten is in a baby bonnet. Lyra and I moved the chicks outside today and it's been a challege keeping them in the shade today.
Noah and Etienne brought in about 100 bales of hay last night. I don't think any one has ever been happier to hay than those two. The accomispment of a life dream for Etienne ,who turned 27 yesterday. Last night and we were going to celebrate in the hay feild but our five red angus cows had other plans for us. Yesterday evening in the same 30 seconds,  the phone rang so I anwered it, the smoke alarm went off (due to me browning a roast chicken) and Lyra woke up from a nap and was crying on the stairs. It was Keith on the phone telling me the cows where out. I didn't have a very exciting day but I did have an intense 30 seconds. I got ahold of Noah and they went and got the cows back before I arrived.  We ended up having a really delicious picnic dinner in one of the cow pastures. We still have a few sides of grass fed beef for sale.  I think they will have an adventurous flavour: )

                          This is the kind of cake that makes pies wish they were cakes