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 Happenings

Summer is rolling right along here on the farm.  Beans, Peas, lettuce and hot peppers are all producing great, and the goat keeps filling up the milk containers for delicious cheese and miscellaneous cooking needs.  The garlic should be ready for harvesting this weekend or next, and then I will replant that area with lettuce and Brussels sprouts (and maybe a zucchini plant?).

Also this weekend I plant to walk down the pond at the back of the property and see whether the elderberries are ripening yet.  I have to try making some elderberry wine this year after reading about all the good medicinal and health benefits of it.  And because I love wine : )

Speaking of wine, a have a few gallons in the basement that will need to be racked this weekend, and fresh water solution has to be put into the air locks as well. 

I might be picking up the baby pig that I ordered for September's pig roast, but I think waiting another week would be wise, in the hope that it is weaned enough and won't die on me.  Speaking of dying, I lost five turkey poults in the last 24 hours, most likely due to ingesting mold spores, and that is all I can figure it was because they were showing signs of neurological problems right before they died.  I hate turkeys.  I think I've given up on them for now.  I swear they all try their hardest to die in some way or another. 

Anyway, the weekend looks to be nice and there is never a shortage of things to do around the farm, thankfully.  Have a lovely Friday. ~A

What (almost) a year can do...

A little flashback to some of the farm babies, showing how they've grown over the past year (or less).

June 2013 (We're focusing on the little yellow guy here)

Remember that little yellow guy?  Here he is in December of 2013

 

And how about this cute little man back in March of 2013...

 Here he is now in December of 2013.  (With a suspicious turkey watching from behind....)

Affirmations

Today's post isn't really about "farm" stuff, but rather a way to get the farm in the first place.  Yes I know, it takes money to buy a farm, unless you were one of the lucky ones who inherited the family farm from your parents, who inherited it from their parents, and so on.  I didn't inherit my farm.  And I'm glad for that actually, because I can only imagine that having a farm handed down to you from your parents creates a whole other set of expectations and issues that I'm not certain I would want to contend with. Or maybe not.  I can't really say, I suppose.  Anyway, back to "getting" your farm...

Aside from money, it also takes desire, and a plan. I am a true believer in affirmations and goal setting, or as another way to put it, "write the shit down and make it happen."  When I was looking for a farm, I had a firm list of criteria for the kind of house and property I wanted.  So I made a list that looked something like the following one, and my search began.

• Newer house that didn't require any upfront repairs, with in-law suite, or something that would suffice as an in-law suite
• A good-sized house - 2300 sq. feet or more
• A water feature on the property (creek, river or pond)
• Fenced in pasture - ready to put horses on
• A nice barn with at least 6 stalls
• A minimum of a three car garage
• Relatively flat pastures
• Some woods
• A nice, big covered porch
• A walk-out basement
• A fireplace
• A huge eat-in kitchen with room for an island
• Commute distance from my job of an hour or less

So what happened?  I found the property with all those things and more, and I got it!  But it also took one year and forty-eight days to close on the property!  It was a "short sale" and banks are slow. And there was a lot of negotiating. But I wanted that farm damn it; so every day I would take out a picture of it, visualize myself owning it, what animals I would have running around on it, and what vegetables I would grow in my garden. And I believe that much of getting my farm was due to the constant daily affirmations and visualizations (and a TON of paperwork and patience).  Two good books on this subject are "It Works" by RHJ, and "Write it Down, Make it Happen" by Henriette Klauser.  I own these books myself,  and refer back to them often to reinforce my belief in their theories.  Now get going and get yourself a farm!

The benefits of keeping a Monthly Farm Journal

 

Humans forget stuff.  It’s a fact. Personally, I try really hard to keep track of all the many “to-do lists” of my life.  My job, my husband’s job, our grocery list, our housekeeping needs, auto maintenance schedules, our health (vitamins / exercise, etc.), it’s a wonder I ever manage it all.  If I didn’t keep lists and goals and records, I would never accomplish anything, I ‘m sure.  And because of my seriously selective, short term memory, I quickly figured out the importance of keeping a monthly farm journal right after I acquired my little farm and began building it.      

In simple form, a farm journal forecasts.  It allows you to plan and manage weekly, monthly, seasonally, or yearly, your time and workload, and highlights needs or issues before they pop up like another weed in the garden.  The journal can be as meticulous or laid back as you like, so long as it keeps you on track and works for your personal style. 

I like to keep my journal simple.  I set it up in an Excel spreadsheet with two tables.  One side I list everything that has to be done for the month (and also things I’d like to be done), and on the other side I list things to reference.  Here’s an example of mine in all its simplicity:

 

If I had more time and was more dedicated, I could go as far as listing the daily rainfall, temperatures, what I harvested, what I did, how many eggs were collected, etc., etc., etc.   I am certain my journal will grow and change as I learn more, but for now this serves for me as a good starting point.  And I did I mention I like simple?

Each January, I can look back through all past monthly pages and prepare for the New Year.  Some of the things I want to add to my journal this year are what crops worked, and which ones failed miserably. The same with my livestock – what worked; what didn’t.  I should also list feed prices so I can compare to next year and decide what animals are cost effective and which need to go.

My journal tells me when it’s time to cut the fields, worm livestock, trim hooves, plant garlic, or when it’s time to pick blackberries. It also tells me when the tractors and other farm equipment need servicing.  In short, the journal serves as a priceless, simple reference that saves me time, money and a few headaches along the way.  Do you keep a farm journal?  If so, please share your thoughts!