Hiding

I've been hiding out for a month.  I broke my arm four weeks ago, and injured some ligaments and tendons pretty bad as well, in both arms.  A bad time of year for this to happen.  But I supposed any time of year would be bad for breaking bones, wouldn't it? 

Horses.  That is how it happened and that is all I will say about it... 

The garden is in.  Planted by my mother while she was visiting, thankfully.  If it were left to me it would have never happened in my beat up condition.  And that would have been horribly depressing. It is full of weeds, but this weekend I will finally feel good enough to pull some I think.

So that is where I've been, hiding.  But now, I'm back...

New Arrivals, Part 2

In the last post I mentioned that I had gotten two new pigs.  Maybe you were wondering why I didn't show any pig photos? Wonder no more.  I still do not know which is the boy and which is the girl, because I haven't even given it a thought.  Too busy of a weekend!  I was preoccupied cleaning and trying to get a make-shift pen set up for the pigs, who will be staying inside the mudroom until the weekend, when the weather warms up.  I was also busy separating the Marans chicks from the Barred Rock chicks.  Which also confirmed my theory, that the one chick I did loose was indeed a Marans.  One of the expensive ones.  But of course!

Anyway, here are the pigs.  And Larry. He is trying to string bales of hay together to keep them in.  Which didn't work.  Which is another story...

 

 

Bacon

Last Saturday the meat locker called to let me know my pig was ready to be picked up.  I had already prepared by emptying my little freezer in the weeks before.  I ended up needing my other freezer as well, which had to be cleaned out fast.

I must admit I was shocked (and tickled), when I saw how many boxes there were!  A man standing in line at the locker thought I was bringing home a cow.  And then he was really shocked to learn it was a pig - one pig.

280 lbs. of meat, all neatly shrink wrapped and labeled, ready to go home.  And a nice size bag of lard for rendering and also for feeding the wild birds. And of course I had to take everything out of the boxes and do inventory when I got it home.  It's the nerd in me...

So yes, I've been indulging in bacon and other pork goodies this week.  ~A

Nine Days

Nine days until twenty-some family members (and a few dogs) arrive for our annual Christmas gathering at the farm.  I'm not panicking.  Not me.  Not one bit.  I'm used to hosting visitors now. 

A fellow farmer friend once told me that if I ever have a farm, be prepared for visitors.  Many visitors.  Announced and unannounced.  He also told me that anyone who ever owns a farm should be very grateful because not many will ever have that opportunity, and in his opinion, its a farm owner's duty to show their gratitude for their precious gift by sharing their farm, its beauty, its animals and its bounty with family, friends, guests and visitors as often as they are able.  A very wise man, no?...~A

Farm Updates

It looks like the last of the last of the good weather will be leaving the farm this week.  Tomorrow will be in the 60's, and then it dips into the low 20's by next Tuesday.  The heat lamps are going to have to be put into place in the barn this evening to keep the water pump from freezing.  I'm already having flash-backs to last winter's polar vortex frozen hell.

It makes me cringe knowing bigger electric bills are on their way, especially since I neglected to order wood for the winter and call in a chimney sweep to make sure the fireplace was good to go for another season.  But whose fault is that?

Two of the breeding does are due to birth bunny babies sometime around November 24th.  I love baby bunnies.  But then who doesn't?  I love them even more when they reach about five pounds and make a lovely dinner.

Today I called Mahan Slaughterhouse and Trumbull Locker (the packaging company) to schedule a day to bring in the pig for his "big day."  The appointment they gave me is about a month later than I had hoped to have him processed, but due to the large amount of deer processing that Trumbull Locker handles, it was just too booked up for them to take him.  They claim they are the third largest deer processing place in Ohio.  Mahan company slaughters the animals, Trumbull Locker does the processing.  For some reason or another, Trumbull is unable to slaughter.  So Pig's big day is January 2, 2015. It should be a real treat trying to coax him into the trailer...

Sometime before November 16th, two racehorses will be returning from the racetrack back to the farm, for a little break from the racing life.  There are two horses on the farm already, along with the goat, and only three stalls available.  Another stall is going to have to go up fast.

Garlic still has not been planted.  I've been a terrible farmer this year... So I've decided to make sure I get it in the garden not later than October 15th next season (fingers crossed).  I've also discovered I need to plant at least two hundred cloves just for personal consumption, and two hundred more if I ever want to sell any!

On a good note, the turkey-sized, poultry shrink wrap bags arrived from Nadya's Poultry. Now I can  butcher the turkeys and freeze them as I get time.

I'm also considering getting some outdoor lighting installed to light up the round pen so that I can keep working with the horses in the dark of the winter on weeknights.  By the time I get home from work, its as dark as it gets!  I hate letting the horses (and myself) do nothing and get so out of shape over the winter months and this could be my solution to the problem.  I'll check into the cost sometime next week.   Forgive me for all the long farm updates. Happy Tuesday ~A