Garden Planting in Full Swing

Monday, April 22, 2024
Hello friends,
              Garden planting is in full swing!  Bill got a couple of scoops of compost with the tractor from where the cows spent last winter eating hay and laying around on it, and of course there was some manure involved as well.  He had piled it up so that it would break down more efficiently and for the most part it is awesome.  Whenever you use the tractor to get a big scoop, you are bound to scoop up more than you need, and I do have to sort through some parts that are not quite finished composting.  I toss that in my garden compost pile for more time to break down.  Anyway, I’m not figuring that we’re getting any more frost, but I’ll hold back on putting out tomatoes for a little while longer.
              We are still getting lots of delicious milk, but we sure could use some rain on the pastures!  Last week was a big nothingburger.  So many rain icons in the forecast, but it was a lot of false hope.  Most of the rain went north, and lots of it.  That’s the way it goes sometimes.  I’m just taking advantage of being able to work in the garden.  When I’m done it can soak everything with spring rain…

It’s a Girl!

Monday, April 15, 2024
Hello friends,
              Tax Day I suppose.  Isn’t every day Tax Day?  As self-employed farmers we have to turn our taxes in by the end of February.  Fortunately, there are a lot of perks for farmers that we can take advantage of, and we rarely pay very much income tax.  Property tax, oh my that is ridiculous!  It’s like we pay rent on property that we own, and we have very few services provided.  They grade the gravel road occasionally.  Anyway, we are thankful that we only have about ¾ mile of gravel to get to our driveway.
              Our little heifer Blossom had her calf on Saturday and it’s a girl!  Whoo hoo!  Finally!  I am leaning toward calling her Violet and Bill is advocating for Lily, but either way it will be a flower.  Bonnie was convinced that it was her calf and probably fed it milk, which the calf shouldn’t have.  She needs momma’s first colostrum!  We milked Blossom and made a bottle for “Violet”, but she wasn’t interested.  Too full.  We saved the precious colostrum and warmed up the bottle Sunday morning.  Then she drank it right down.  They HAVE to have colostrum, or they literally could die.  I have farmers stop by occasionally asking for it when they have a cow die and they have to bottle feed the calf, but they need colostrum first!…

The Expo was a Success

Monday, April 8, 2024
Hello friends,
              We survived the eclipse.  I wasn’t worried, but it was interesting.  A sign in the heavens.  The farm was farther from the totality today than in 2017 so it was a little less dramatic.  We were busy making cheese and every once in a while, we went outside to see what was going on.  I big dark area around the sun surrounded by a rainbow in a complete circle.  That was different.  Then we finished the cheese.  I don’t think the cows noticed anything was different.
              The Expo was a success!  I saw so many people that I haven’t seen in a long time.  Some of them have been reading the newsletter all along.  That is amazing.  A surprising number of them have their own farms and of course they would be interested in farm life.  We got to let people taste the samples which is important when choosing cheese, and we sold a good amount of cheese.  All my grandchildren stopped by with their parents or other grandparents.  It was a great day, and I was very tired at the end of it!  Thank you, Alaina, for all your help!…

Eat Local and Organic Expo

Monday, April 1, 2024
Hello friends,
              I trust that you all had a Happy and meaningful Resurrection Sunday.  We did.  After a very busy Saturday getting prepared, Bill, Mom, and I went to Atchison for our family celebration.  All the grandchildren (3 of them) were there, and delicious food was abundant.  The weather was 20 degrees cooler than here in Pleasanton, but we were prepared for that too.  While we were gone, our helpers milked the cows and kept an eye on things.  We kept our phones nearby, but the only message we got was that they were done, and all went well.  A big sigh of happiness from us.
              The apple and pear trees are in full bloom. Apparently, the frost didn’t damage the blossoms last week.  Our little peach trees are just that, little.  No peaches this year.  My neighbor down the road has her garden plot already cultivated and ready to plant.  I’m so far behind.  My garden plot is covered with purple henbit flowers and last year’s tomato cages and other climbing plant supports.  I planted my tomato, pepper, cabbage, and kohlrabi seeds inside, and they are up and going. 
              Last week we worked on cutting, packaging, and labeling aged cheese for the Eat Local and Organic Expo that is coming up this Saturday, April 6 from 9 to 3 at the Johnson County Community College.  It’s packed into boxes, and back down on shelves in the cheese cave until we load up to go Saturday morning.  This week we’re working on making lots of Pure Jersey Silk and Fromage Blanc.  That’s the Greek style yogurt and the fresh spreading cheese respectively.  How much can I haul up to the city?  How much weight can the cooler handles endure?  How strong are we to lift it into the car or truck?  Hmm.  Not sure, but you can bet we will be well stocked when we arrive.  Remember, admission and parking are free, kids are welcome, and bring a cooler bag to carry home anything that should be kept cool while you peruse the wonderful booths.  See you there!….

Bonnie had a Boy

Monday, March 25, 2024
Hello friends,
              March madness is upon us!  The first week of the tournament is a little crazy, and then it settles down.  I don’t fill out the whole bracket, but I keep track of the teams as they advance.  No local teams are left so we just enjoy basketball for the sport of it. 
              A little madness around here when two of the dairy cows found a way to get out of their pasture and attack the grass in a forbidden area.  Literally, they acted like they were high on grass.  They were kicking up their heels, running wildly in the wrong direction from the milking parlor.  The other cows were concerned for them, thinking they were stuck behind the electric fence, and they were mooing at them.  Then when it was time to milk, they acted like they didn’t know where to go.  It looked all new.  Strange.  Everyone is now back where they belong.
              Bonnie had her calf last Tuesday and it was a boy of course!  Argh!  God must know what he is doing, but all the bull calves are just not necessary.  Bonnie has a pile of milk, but she has still not cleaned out after calving so she is not contributing to the milk supply yet.  The next birth should be in about a month.  Blossom is a heifer, so we’ll have to train her first…

Expo

Monday, March 18, 2024
Hello friends,
              The pond is silent tonight.  The frogs are probably burrowed deep in the warm mud or something.  They will likely return to croaking tomorrow.  It’s a little chilly for them.  The cows are shedding like crazy and even though the thermometer dips below freezing, they can’t slow down the process once it has begun.  Not to worry, they are quite comfortable in a wide range of temperatures.
              We worked out the insurance paperwork issue for the Expo and we are officially good to go!  I’m so glad about that.  The Expo has always been a great event to kick off the local farmer’s season.  Traditionally it has been before any of the farmer’s markets have begun and it helps some of them sign up CSA members.  We’ll be bringing lots of aged cheese, fromage blanc, and Pure Jersey Silk.  If you want to reserve items to make sure you get them, you can order ahead of time, and I’ll save it for you.  I’ll have samples of the cheeses I’m bringing so you can taste them before you buy.  Also, there is a discount for larger quantities like quarter rounds.  It runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday April 6.  Hosted by KC Healthy Kids for the KC Food Circle, admission and parking are free.  I see there is even a free Kid Zone which I can only imagine what that is.  Make plans to attend!…

Skyview Farm, LLC

Monday, March 11, 2024
Hello friends,
              Another beautiful day!  After all that rain last week, the warm sunshine is really pushing spring.  The grass has grown, and the trees are budding.  All those flowing trees are in their glory or just about ready to burst forth.  The “laughing” frogs are at it again.  Such a strange sound from the pond.  Mom’s peonies are all sprouting, and I have hopes for beautiful flowers. 
              Bill and I had a great weekend.  We left Friday, later than we originally planned, and seemingly drove through all the back roads to get to the Lake of the Ozarks.  Those navigators are useful, but sometimes you have to take back control.  There was a better route, but we got there and had a nice dinner.  Then on Saturday we were at the Mathany Family Vineyard sampling, selling, visiting, and enjoying the day.  It paid for our trip which was our goal.  Then Sunday morning we found a state park and a hiking trail and really enjoyed ourselves.  Refreshing.  While we were gone, Stephen and Celia and the boys took care of everything.  I think a good time was had by all!
              It’s now official.  Skyview Farm is now Skyview Farm, LLC, and Stephen and Celia are partners with us!  YEAH!  It will take a little while to figure out the best way to keep track of everything, but the agreement has been made and the papers have been signed.  We are all very excited.  Bill and I have strong capable helpers, and Stephen and Celia are joining the successful family business with a lot of the foundational work done.  I am reinvigorated and motivated to help all of us to succeed….

Noisy in the Country

Monday, March 4, 2024
Hello friends,
              Another warm springlike day.  The frogs in the little pond behind the house are really noisy now.  Then the train whistle blows about a mile away, just far enough to be romantic but not obnoxious.  That sets the coyotes off howling, and then the neighbor’s dogs respond to probably both!  Who says it’s quiet in the country?
              Bonnie has been moved from the dry cows and steers to the milking herd.  In a couple of weeks her baby is due, and we want her to be closer.  Also, we let her get a little grain and alfalfa with the milkers.  We are hoping for a heifer of course.  As we move into the spring grass season, the cows spend less time eating hay and more time searching out those tender shoots of intensely nutritious grass.  Then milk production begins to soar.  I’m not sure if it will be as dramatic as in previous years because we have been feeding high quality (for the most part) alfalfa.  All I know is that spring grass makes milk and we better be ready for it!….

Beautiful Weather for February

Monday, February 26, 2024
Hello friends,
              What beautiful weather for February!  Signs of spring are beginning all over.  The birds are singing, the frogs have begun their song in the little pond behind the house, the tulips, daffodils, and crocuses are popping up.  And yet, the forecast is calling for a day or so of winter this week.  The cows are beginning to shed some winter fur around their necks and faces, but the majority of their bodies are still covered in a warm insulating winter coat. 
              Save the date for the Linn County Spring Farm Tour on May 18.  That’s the day that we will be showing you where we milk the cows, make the cheese, and you can even taste some samples.  It has been a great time for the last two years so mark your calendars now.  There will be other farms to visit all over the county so there will be plenty to see and do….

Casey had a Bull Calf

Monday, February 19, 2024
Hello friends,
              Just getting home this evening after Bill and I made a trip to the city to celebrate our 34th anniversary.  It’s hard to believe that it has been that long, but so much life has happened during those years.  Three children, three grandchildren,  25 Jersey cows, and a lot of stuff.  It has been and continues to be an adventure.  Dinner was great and we are safely home now.
              Casey had her calf on Valentines Day, and we were all prepared to name a heifer.  Bred with sexed semen, right?  Well, it was a boy!  I totally believe it.  That’s nine to three lobsided toward bull calves this year.  The good news is that everyone is healthy, and Casey is already past the colostrum phase and is contributing to the milk supply……

Casey’s Due

Monday, February 12, 2024
Hello friends,
              A day of celebration for all Kansas City Chiefs fans!  It was an exhausting game to watch.  We tried to get our milking done a little early, but we still missed the first hour and a half.  Apparently, we didn’t miss anything good.  So many commentators are weighing in and we love listening to them ooh and ahh, but it really could have gone either way until the last touchdown.  What a joyful ending to a stressful Super Bowl.  Congratulations Chiefs!  You did us proud.
              Today is Casey’s due date and although she is “bagging” up, my opinion is that we will probably have to wait a couple more days.  She is a bossy cow and is always wanting to come in the milking parlor before she is invited, which is very last.  When we bought those 6 cows this fall, we were told that one of them was bred with sexed semen.  She is the last one of the group to have her calf so we are expecting a heifer.  90% chance they say.  We’ll see……

Cheese Dip

Monday, February 5, 2024
Hello friends,
              February has arrived and its still winter, but I have heard the birds singing as if it were spring.  The maple trees have those plump bud covers that will be covering the sidewalk soon.  We were just starting to dry out a bit and then it rained all weekend, and we are soggy again.  Our cow traffic rerouting has helped, but the warm sunshine that is supposed to arrive this week will probably do better than anything else. 
              The Superbowl is coming up next Sunday and maybe you have some company coming to watch the Chiefs beat the 49ers.  I had a customer ask me about which cheese would make the best cheese dip, i.e. a substitute for the Velveta style cheese that is named in these recipes.  Well, I have a couple of really high moisture cheeses like Gouda or Himmelsburg that melt easily.  How to keep the butterfat from separating out when heated, that is the trick.  Stephen researched it and discovered an ingredient that helps keep it all together, sodium citrate.  You can buy it as a supplement, or you can make it from lemon juice or citric acid and baking soda. Unless you want the lemon flavor with the seasonings you use, I’d recommend using citric acid. Make a mixture of 5 parts baking soda to 4 parts citric acid. When water is added, these will react to form sodium citrate. Here is the recipe that we tried:
              Add a tablespoon or so of water to 2 teaspoons of the baking soda/citric acid mixture. When it is done bubbling pour this into a saucepan over low heat and add a ¼ cup beer, about 1 wedge of grated high moisture cheese (like our Gouda or Himmelsburg), your own seasonings like chili powder, or Rotella. Stir until cheese melts and texture is smooth. The flavor of the cheese really shines through and is incomparable to using more highly processed cheeses….

The Sun Returns

Monday, January 29, 2024
Hello friends,
              Congratulations to the Chiefs!  Can you believe it?  Oh my!  Mom is such a trooper watching every game, good, bad, and everything in between.  Bill and I are interested, but it’s too emotional to watch when they are not doing well.  We float in and out of Mom’s room, keeping track of what’s going on.  Then when it’s over, we watch all the highlights.  Fair weather fans?  Guilty.  We’ve been very happy lately. 
              The sun finally appeared on Sunday, and it is so therapeutic.  Warm sunshine does something for the soul after weeks of challenging weather.  Instead of hibernating inside trying to get motivated, all the projects seem much more inviting and accomplishable.  We spent some time looking at the mud behind the creamery and plotting and planning the short- and long-term solutions.  We have a few more cows now, and with the inclement weather, they spent more time in their shelter and getting water from the heated stock tank instead of the pond.  In general, their hooves have been tearing up the sod in their holding area creating a lot of mud.   We are resting  one whole area now and routing the path to the milking parlor in another direction.  Step one…..

Surviving the Weather

Monday, January 22, 2024
Hello friends,
              We are managing through the freezing rain, slowly, very slowly.  It’s amazing how slick ice can be.  The cows’ hooves are able to break through a little bit, and we put some salt on the concrete holding area, but walking from our house to the creamery looks like my first day on roller skates.  Better safe than sorry so I was taking my time and trying to stay on the grass.  Stephen drove down today and was stuck at the bottom of the driveway for a while.  By this afternoon it was starting to soften up a bit, but melting is slow because the ground had frozen so deeply. 
              I have heard that the theory about a really cold winter is that there will be fewer bugs that survive.  I don’t think its true because the northern states and even Canada have a lot of annoying bugs.  We did think of something though.  The local Amish community is able to cut ice for their ice houses.  See, that’s a good thing for them.  We figure that we are learning character and fortitude through adversity.  We are really characters!…..

Brrrrr!

Monday, January 15, 2024
Hello friends,
              BRRRRR!  I know, I know, it’s a balmy 2 degrees right now so what am I complaining about?  Stephen is here from Atchison, and it hasn’t been above 0 up there since last week.  But my pain is my pain, and it is COLD.  Maybe I need to gain some blubber like the polar bears.  After two hours of chores, my core is plenty warm from all the layers, but the fingers and toes are just not happy.  Lord, help everyone who has to work outside! 
              The fire is warm, but the living room is the warm room, and the edges of the house are much cooler.  The furnace is set to come on if the wood stove can’t keep up, and Mom has an electric baseboard heater to keep her room toasty.  All doors must stay open, and the ceiling fan needs to keep the heat circulating.  We close the blinds at night for a little extra barrier and we can always put on a sweater to stay comfy.  The animals are not as fortunate.  I saw a recommendation on the news to keep all the pets inside.  Well, that works for dogs and cats, but cows and chickens are designed to live outside.  They need shelter and clean dry bedding, but we don’t have a heated space for them.  We put a deep layer of old hay on the floor of the chicken house and the cows have a deep layer of fresh straw which is cleaned out daily.  It’s a lot of work, but it helps to keep everyone healthy…..

Lots of Snow Falling from the Sky

Monday, January 8, 2024
Hello friends,
              Lots of snow falling from the sky, very little sticking on the grass, nothing on the roads.  There, now you know the weather in Pleasanton.  Now if you go north, I’m sure the conditions are very different.  I am hearing winter weather warnings that would make the most adventuresome stay home.   Here it is very wet and sloppy.  The cows are taking full advantage of the straw bedded loafing shed for shelter.  Bill and I had to walk back to the hay piles to bring the last cow to the milking parlor and the cows have plenty of hay but have to wade through water to get to it.  I was concerned that my boots would get stuck!  Not to worry!  Everything will be frozen solid soon…..

Happy New Year!

Monday, January 1, 2024
Hello friends,
              Happy New Year!  We made it!  There were days this past year that I wondered.  I don’t have all the new calendars replaced; guess I’ll have to see what they have at the bank.  The Julian date is 001 if you want to know what the “secret” code for one of the numbers on the corner of the cheese label means.  Yesterday was day 365.  Here we go again.
              It’s been a year of trials and triumphs.  Obviously, Bill has been through an ordeal and neither of us wants to take our health for granted.  We’ve been waiting for the insurance company and the hospital to give us a number that we have to pay and discovered that it may be lower than we were bracing for.  Good news.  I am doing end of year accounting and having 6 extra cows in the herd to produce more milk to sell has brought in more income.  We have had to feed extra cows, but I think it was worth it.  There were three heifers born this year (Aspen, Darcy, and Sweetheart) even though there were also 8 bull calves.  By the way, we still have a bull calf for sale that has already been fed a month’s worth of milk.  We had severe drought this year, but it did finally rain, and we have enough hay purchased to feed everyone.  The garden produced a lot of some vegetables, and not so many others.  There is always next year in the garden, and I need to start looking in the seed catalog….

Merry Christmas

Monday, December 25, 2023
Merry Christmas!
              It’s not very often that the newsletter falls on Christmas Day.  We already celebrated with the family on Thursday before the kids left for their other sides of their families.  Just a quiet day here.  We weighed our options yesterday and considered the amount of milk we would have to store in the bulk tank until Tuesday and decided to make cheese on Christmas Eve.  Not ideal, but better than the alternatives.  With milking 14 cows, we are producing a lot of milk that we need to either sell or make into cheese. 
              I sure would like a little sunshine.  Rain was needed I suppose, but cloudy days combined with the short daylight makes for dreary.  The cows were very thankful for the loafing shed last night so they had a dry place to lay down.  Although a white Christmas may have been romantic, it would have complicated chore time.  Let’s just be thankful so far…..

Annual Christmas Letter

It's time for our annual family Christmas letter.  We'll be open through Saturday, but closed Monday.  Have a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Noffke’s!
              What a busy season!  It feels like I’m not ready for Christmas, but I think I’m almost there.  This has been an eventful year and I’m thankful that we are all still here.  Literally.  Bill had a heart attack on Memorial Day and survived.  The doctor kept repeating how bad it was, but God is good and there is a reason that Bill is still here.  He had one stint to repair a 100% blockage, and a 3 stint “trouser” to remedy the other 90% blockage.  “Beautiful” was the doctor’s comment when he finished the procedure, just what Bill wanted to hear.  He has finished his rehab now and is continuing his exercise program to strengthen his heart.  I walk with him most of the time because I want to be healthy too. 
              Rachel and Max welcomed their daughter Josephine into their family in August.  Grandchild number 3 and the first girl.  We are enjoying this grandparent thing.  They do grow and change so fast, so I try to remember to take pictures.  I get to pop into their apartment every couple of weeks when I make deliveries to the city.  Love that baby smile…..

Candy Had Her Calf

Monday, December 11, 2023
Hello friends,
              It’s getting closer to Christmas and I’m starting to feel it.  The tree is up and trimmed.  The dust, bark, and various toys were swept away when we rearranged the furniture for the Christmas tree.  It never ceases to amaze me what we find under the couches.  I feel better just knowing it’s clean under there.  Shopping has begun, but it’s always tricky when you live so far away from the major shopping outlets.  Sure, we can order online, but Amazon doesn’t really do next day service out to the rural areas, and some things have to be seen and handled to know if it’s right. 
              Candy had her calf yesterday and, you guessed it, another boy!  Really???  That’s 8 boys and 3 girls for the year when we were hoping to increase our female herd.  We are now milking 15 cows!  The most ever for us, but it’s now time to let Casey take her pregnancy vacation so we’ll be back to 14.  Casey will go to join the dry cows and steers in lane 6 until a couple of weeks before her due date in February.  We milk year-round, so we have calves pretty much year-round.  It’s always our intention to skip calving in the coldest part of the year, but sometimes we just have to get a cow bred and worry about the weather later.  This year has been pretty mild, so it hasn’t been an issue.  Anyway, I have the 2 bull calves listed on Craigslist if you are interested.  I may have a buyer already, but we’ll see…..