Harvesting

I attended the Rough and Ready Grange Small Farm and Garden Forum the other nite and they had some great presenters on growing and "harvesting" meat and veggies.  Harvesting - I suspect that is the kinder, softer version of the word slaughtering, a little less offensive when we speak to other humans.  The end result is the same and on a small farm, it gets a little bit personal. 
I was encouraged, however, being told there are folks up here raising meat chickens, turkeys and ducks. We aren't ready yet, no chicken house and tractor.  Building a chicken house and tractor is a perfect winter project but not yet as the weather has been beautifully warm and sunny and we still have much more to do before the rains gets here.
Almost Halloween and 75degrees - no rain so no burn permits, pond level down and drying, good time to work clearing weeds and debris for the fresh rain catch.  Limbing, so many low hanging branches and mistletoe to cut and a fence line to build in our front pasture.  I'd say there's at least two weeks work yet before we put the outdoor season away.
I'm excited that our first year pasture has done well and look forward to getting production from "middle earth", when the rains come, the rye and dry pasture grass should jump up and we'll be rotating the cows and horses.  We'll try that bunch grazing for the steers, not sure whether the horses will comply with the electric fence application when green grass is long and tall in another section so close.
Fodder House still not back in production, but I think next week my be a great re-start.  Although, November has family visiting from Hawaii, a two day visit to the Bay Area, a 49er game and a Boston Tea Party, Thanksgiving and family weekend and football.  Might re-think re-opening until after November.
Wonder where John Denver got the idea that "life on the farm is kind laid back". 

Fodder Grow Big

 And the new chicken house, those four hens don't know how lucky they are.


I love my fodder grow trailer.  I love the healthy product, I love that the pigs, cows and horses all love it and I am in love with the work required to produce it.
But - there's always a but!  This summer's hot outside temp, the cool air conditioned trailer created humidity.  The fodder production suffered horribly.  Finding the temp and humidity levels are imperative for growing healthy fodder.

We had such instant success March, April May, June we shut down for family reasons, starting back in July, having to add the air conditioner and in August, the de-humidifier.  But again had to shut down in September to accomodate non-farm activities and committments.
Now that the weather has turned cooler - going to sanitize everything including all pvc and drains.  Test regulators and drip system and fire back up.  I hope the cooler weather promotes good, healthy crop productions - maybe this will be a fall, winter, spring grow trailer.  And that's all good - I'll keep posting up!