A wonderful thing happened right after our great luck in finding our 10 acres. My folks, who were out of the country for the following 5 years, were able to buy the section next to us. After their retirement, they built a house with a view. We had double stairs, (stye) that allowed us to take a short cut between the two homes. It has been one of the best experiences in our life, having them grow up with my kids, being a part of our family and being right next door.
In the next 30 years we were blessed with four more healthy beautiful children, we managed to plant an orchard, fence and cross fence for animals, build a house, a barn, a couple of bike and garden sheds, put in an above ground pool and had a great big back yard. The kids had a horse and a pony, a quad and golf cart; we grew pigs, had a milk cow, chickens and a 3 or 4 beef cows.
As the kids became more involved in activities, we racked up miles on the car, had less time to manage the the ranch chores and became huge supporters of the pizza parlors. Then a new business, graduations, weddings, retirement, going to sea, and the Army, had influence over our "disposable time". The pastures became weedy and overgrown, the orchard trees died, the pool was removed, the animals and kids all moved on.
And now it 2012 here and we are looking at last year's efforts, the orchard has been replanted, and we look forward to a light harvest. The raspberries are performing beautifully. All the fruit trees are beginning to blossom, some are leafing out, the grapes are starting to show signs of life, and the blueberries are looking like bushes. The pasture that was replanted last year is green and beginning to get taller. We're searching for a good price on 3 beef cows to graze on the irrigated, the dryland planted and the alla "natural".
We discovered a new wave thinking - FODDER! Remembering how expensive feed was when we had to buy, prompted us to catch and hold water in our pond during the season for irrigating. We bought a pump, lots of pipe and dug trenches. But still we think we may need supplement which is where the fodder comes in. Wanting to keep everything as natural, wholesome and homegrown as possible, this is a perfect solution.
Fodder sprouting! The feed alternative that doesn't make you a weather slave. It's grown indoors, you control the water and temperature, it produces in 7-9 days a "biscuit" that is, in our case, sized to our container, 12-15 lbs.
So we bought 3 little Hampshire weaner pigs from Hog Hollow Farms. Steven is very knowledgeable and helpful with his suggestions. The little boys were thrilled and came to visit on their first day, they are city boys but not afraid to get in the pen and pet and talk. The piglets, having been born and raised the first weeks of their life on concrete, were positively giddy about being able to root up the pasture, the enclosed area is so big, most of the area is still green after a week. Fodder - they loved it. There is so much to eat they aren't using all of it but it's always best to make gradual changes in the diet and of course after the pasture has turned to dirt from their vociferous rooting, it will become "mo bettah".
Stay tuned for more to come on the progress at Salad Bar Farms. Healthy eating and grass fed animals is the goal, fodder is the method we have chosen. Next purchase is beef cows, meantime I am looking at plans for a portable chicken house so we can move them to greener pastures or in the orchard. Along with this, the garden has been neglected, nothing is growing yet in the green house - we have to get started.
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