Springtime 2014 - Chickens, Cows and .......

Red and Pepper - Who would've guessed eh?

Springtime is wonderful!  The cows are in heaven, eating as much spring pasture as they can ruminate on.  Our watered sections are protected so they have been contained to dryland pasture along with native grass and brush sections.  They don't seem to mind, it's like human eating at a smorgy - they pick their favorite flavors.  I'm ever mindful that we should have a picture of our Mama cow and new calf but of course that just wasn't meant to be.  I'm so glad Susan Hoek, from Robinson Ranch will be bringing a replacement calf and then a pair, bred back, for spring time calving.
My new favorite pastime.

STALKING THE POND and watching for our wild pair of resident ducks.  They visit regularly and tolerate the grazing, resting cows and us, from a distance.  The pond levees held up fine this year.  This weekends' rain is welcome and wet.  It will extend the green color for another 10 days or so.

2014 on the Double b Ranch

It has been a busy beginning with the family starting with Cliff going to Beauport -the sale of the boat didn't work out as hoped, so cliff is still looking for a boat buyer to save the gray whales and the planet. And then Hawaii came to work on plans for a rental house they bought in September last year.  Jerry was great, loving to cook and we loved eating at Jerry's Big Az Kitchen.  The food and service always came with a money back guarantee , hahaha!  

Not long after Hawaii came The New Hammie bunch.  Travelling with a toddler Princess can be a challenge and it took Sgt Chelsea Bleu a few days in staging to accept she was no longer in charge.

So for us, spring continues, not much water, not much rain!  But the kids of the Double b are coming home, all trying to get back to the life they couldn't wait to leave.  Funny how things go round, eh?

Boccelli and Warm Sun

It's Saturday!  It's Springtime!  The cows are fed, the chickens are safe, the farm is on hold for now.  Cliff and I decided at 330pm to take the afternoon off and build a firepit, sit in the sun, have some music and firewater for the soul.  As the sun sank lower in the West,  and after two relaxing beverages, I began hearing the music of the Italian Opera singer Boccelli.  His voice is phenomenal, the music is full of inspiration, the scenery is green and hopeful.  We opened our palms, closed our eyes and let the afternoon take us to another level.  How great is that! 

Happy New Year 2014-My brood - Strong Roots at home!

Dec 29th 2013 - Almost the new year.  Reflecting back on this year's adventures in fodder farming and raising piggers, steers and horses.  Still working on building the fence in the middle pasture, will need irrigation pipes.  Having concerns about water shortage as our weather has not produced much rain so far, we're hoping for a good drenching next week.
Exciting things are happening as Cliff may have a chance at a ship adventure and I may be doing some marketing and PR work for a few organizations.  Our Hawaii kids were able to buy a small house close by for when they "retire".  And Chelsea and Mack will be visiting in February.  I can't wait, we'll have a house full of cousins playing and having fun.  The good news is that Mom's new knee is working well, the therapy has really paid off and she's getting around really well.
It's been a great year and here's wishing 2014 will be another great one.

Christmas Baking at the Double b

I love this time of year, football, family, music, lights, singing the season and snow!  The kind of snow that stays for days and glistens in the sunlight, reminding you of the spirit of thanks and a season that moves you to be kinder!  Oh sure we still have the chores but we feel a little more thankful to be blessed with a life that allows us the choice to have them and greatful that we have the health to perform them.  

Then there is my all time favorite element - the pumpkin bread, the fresh cranberry jam, Cliff's Christmas fudge and the guiltless, pure pleasure of indulging.  A little shopping for special items, a bit of crafty creativity and the surprise of giving something that has been on the list for all year.  

We are waiting for the snow to melt for the first dormant spraying of the orchard, waiting for the temperature to climb in order to fix the stalls that the horses tried to chew, and waiting for our wild ducks to return to the pond.  Planning to plant six more fruit trees but need to extend the orchard fence which will block the deer from accessing the backyard grass, sorry.  And still trying to obtain the motivation to drive some fence metal stakes to make the borders of a front pasture fence for the horses or cows.  Or we could just sing our way into the New Year!

Merry Christmas to all!

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!