Party Packs Available

Monday, December 6, 2021
Hello friends,
The cold front has arrived, and December is here. Bill keeps trying to decide if it is going to get cold enough that he will have to shut down the pond water system. We check the forecasts and compare sources. Five degrees difference could mean the pump freezes despite the heat lamp in the pump house and leaving the water run just a little. But if we dodge having to shut it down, we can keep the cows out of the ponds a little longer and avoid that expensive rural water as a last resort. Later in the week it looks like a 70-degree day is coming. Crazy!
Mom is scheduled to be discharged from Rehab on Wednesday. Yeah! I think she is getting bored, and I don’t blame her. She is a big football fan, especially the Chiefs, but I think she has watched enough TV in the last three weeks to make even her long for something else. Only so much house flipping, cookie baking, and football commentary one captive audience can handle. I will get my instructions and we’ll take good care of her here at home.
I suppose it’s time to gear up for the holiday season around here. We still haven’t gotten lights up on the creamery, but now we need nicer weather. After some discussion and figuring, we have put together this year’s Party Pack. We have made a special purchase of some of Five Mile Farm’s grass-fed beef summer sausage to which we will add a wedge of aged cheese and a tub of Fromage Blanc, a $20 value for $18. You can always add more cheese if you like, or more sausage for that matter. I’m hoping to have some dried fruits and nuts available to add as well. Just pick up some crackers or baguettes and your favorite beverage and you have a party!…

Update on my Mom

Monday, November 29, 2021
Hello friends,
First for the update on my mom. She is in rehab right now, getting a good three hours of physical therapy per day while they keep tabs on her blood pressure and other vitals. She has improved greatly since last Monday, regaining most of her speech and certainly a lot of function in her left hand. It’s never fun being in a hospital room by yourself with only a complicated cable television to occupy your spare time, but she’s kept much busier where she is now than just a regular hospital stay. I’m still going up to keep her company, but it is tricky to figure out when she will be in her room and not at therapy. No point just sitting in her room. I don’t know how long she will need to stay before coming home, but it may be soon if she continues to progress. Thank you for all your prayers. He is answering.
Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving! Somehow, we managed to pull off a turkey dinner with the group effort and the “want to”. It was delicious and it sure is nice have those leftovers to warm up. Although the pie is all gone. Family tradition usually has us all going down to the lower 20 to look for pecans while the turkey is in the oven. The cows were very curious about what we were doing. We don’t fertilize, mow underneath, spray for bugs, shake the trees, lay down a tarp, or have the nuts cracked or blown. There are just about a dozen native pecan trees, and we look for what the squirrels, deer, and bugs have missed. That almost full cup of finished pecans was very precious!…

Happy Thanksgiving

Monday, November 22, 2021
Hello friends,
We would appreciate your prayers! My mom had a stroke last Wednesday and is currently in the hospital at St. Luke’s Wornall. She has been undergoing tests to determine causes, as well as working with several Speech, OT, and PT specialists to return function to her left side. She has already made progress, but we’re not done yet and Bill and I are just getting the basics done. We are both milking in the morning, then I take off to the hospital, and he is doing the chores by himself at night. Our part time helper had too much on her plate and had to quit about two weeks ago.
So, please pray. The plan is for Mom to go to the rehab center at St. Luke’s South next. There she will continue her progress and get to a level that we can handle at home soon. Meanwhile, I will have milk, and we have hard cheese, but supplies of yogurt, mozzarella, buttermilk, etc. will not be able to be replenished until our schedule is more home based. I know the yogurt will be particularly missed. Thank you for your patience.
Happy Thanksgiving and I plan on having a better report next Monday….

The Leaves Are Almost Off the Trees

Monday, November 15, 2021
Hello friends,
The leaves are almost off the trees and stuffed in the gutters. I suppose I should go up there and clean them out. Sigh. I can get to most of the gutters after climbing out the upstairs bedroom window and walking around on the roof, however the back of the house and the top is just too steep for me to be comfortably safe. We tried to hire someone to put gutter guards on, but they just wouldn’t show up to do the job. Sometimes its hard to get someone to do a job that you physically can’t do yourself.
We pulled the rest of the garden plants out and put them in the compost, except the asparagus and parsley which still have some life in them. Always a big job. This year we made an effort to put the tomato vines somewhere besides the compost because they had quite a bit of blight. There is a low spot in front of lane 5 that seemed like a good spot. The cows are really curious about it, but nothing to eat there so they move on. The chickens have unfortunately found the garden and if I don’t get them chased out in time, they rearrange everything in their search for whatever it is they are finding. They REALLLY want to scratch up all that hay mulch I had put down. I REALLY don’t want everything rearranged!….

Daylight Savings

Monday, November 8, 2021
Hello friends,
Wow! What a gorgeous day! The sun was out in full force, streaming its warming rays to the earth. It does a lot for the soul to soak in some November sunshine because you never know what’s around the corner. The patches of light frost that we’ve had has closed the season for some garden plants, but not all. The flowers are still hanging in there. It’s like we are on borrowed time, waiting for the other weather shoe to drop.
Daylight savings is rarely a welcome change on the farm. The cows go by daylight, not clocks, and they think we forgot them if it gets dark before we start evening chores. They will eventually adjust, as we all do. I would be fine with keeping us on regular time always. I don’t think we gain any advantage with the change. A lot of clock setting on electronics that I don’t remember how to change. We didn’t want to sleep in on Sunday morning, opting to use that extra hour for more time before church, but my phone insisted on putting us up to date, and so we ended up a half hour off. Weird….

November

Monday, November 1, 2021
Hello friends,
Yes, November. A toasty fire in the woodstove and all the chores done. Leftovers for dinner so that should be easy. Kind of a gray day today, but the weekend was so nice. The family got together to celebrate Stephen’s birthday and it was perfect for having a hot dog roast, fishing, and generally being outside. Today wouldn’t have been ideal.
This morning we combined the 6 yearling calves from the front pasture with the herd of milkers and there was a lot of bouncing around and head butting as they find their places. The younger ones are understandably tentative to go through open gates that have been off limits in the past, so it took a lot of coaxing, circling back, and calling to get them in the right place. Then we had to separate them at evening milking time, but they were not cooperating. Madison pursued a calf through a muddy patch and it ended up being a boot sucker. Yep, she walked right out of her boot, and I had to pull it out for her. And it wasn’t easy! We had a good laugh and scolded some calves!….

Hanging Onto Our Hats

Monday, October 25, 2021
Hello friends,
We were hanging on to our hats yesterday! The wind was blowing leaves off the trees like crazy. There was a large dead branch from the cottonwood tree in the middle of the circle drive that finally came down, scattering sticks and twigs. When we built this house 22 years ago, we knew that tree was hollow, and we made sure that the house was going to be plenty far enough away. It’s still hollow, and still standing, but dropping more branches now. Not to worry, we have lots of other trees in the yard.
It’s a little chilly in the house, but not bad enough to build a fire, or even pop the furnace on for a little while. Just put on another shirt. No frost yet, but I’m sure it won’t be too long now. I’m cutting parsley to dry for the winter, peppers will be next, and there are still a few “Dixie butterpeas”, those tasty little lima beans. My mom bought a few more peonies Saturday at the Peony Society’s annual sale. We won’t know for sure how many of the plants will make it that we had to transplant at the wrong time of year. We did our best keeping them comfortable with shade cloths, mulch, and the right moisture. Most of them are dormant now, and we will have to see what comes up in the spring…..

Whitney Had Her Calf

Monday, October 18, 2021
Hello friends,
The moon is so bright tonight that I barely needed a flashlight to shut in the hens, except to count them on the roosts. The air is crisp and very fall-like, because it is fall. Bill was burning the scrap wood and branches that didn’t make the cut to the woodpile from the dead trees in the front pasture, and it smelled like I needed to get my stick and a hot dog. Even though we didn’t get enough apples to make cider this year, I still have some canned in jars from last year and I think it will hit the spot!
We have a friend from our house fellowship that has 10 kittens from two litters that she needs to find homes for very soon. The are 5 weeks old or almost so they are just about independent from mom. So cute. We have had lots of kittens around here, but it’s been about 4 years. We’ve been called the kitten farm by some kids, (not the dairy farm, humph!) So, if you would like a cute little kitten, or two, let me know and I will forward her number to you.
Whitney surprised us last Tuesday and had her calf 10 days early! It’s a girl! Finally! Now Squeak has a companion in the barn. The last calf that Whitney had was on 02-02-2020, Superbowl Sunday 2020. This calf was born on 10-12-21 so there is a little coincidence there. I don’t think it means anything, but interesting. We are either naming her Willow or Winnifred. (Winnie, or Fred) Whitney has already worked through the colostrum phase and is milking online with the rest of the cows. That will help with the milk supply which has been a little tight lately….

Happy Columbus Day!

Monday, October 11, 2021
Hello friends,
Happy Columbus Day! Nice to start off the week with a two-hour power outage. We were just getting up and I was about to make coffee, when the lights flickered and went out. I found the flashlight and went back upstairs. Since it is so dark at 6 a.m. we just went back to bed until the power should come back on. We called the power company which gave us an 8:30 estimate. The estimate was pretty accurate, but we got a later than usual start to chores.
After about 1.2” of rain overnight, the air is crisp again and fall feels like it’s in the air. The cows will be happy about that. They are getting their winter coats, which is daylight triggered I suppose, and Saturday’s 90 degrees was rough on them. They were much more comfortable today…..

A Few Trees are Beginning to Show Color

Monday, October 4, 2021
Hello friends,
A few trees are beginning to show color, but mainly the leaves just look tired. The cottonwood and black walnut trees have already shed quite a bit in the recent windy weather. Bill tells me that this is peak color time in northern Wisconsin where he used to live. I had hoped to plant a colorful sugar maple in the yard years ago, but I apparently ordered the wrong thing and it’s just a maple. Oh well, nice shade.
Our neighbors to the north raise beef cattle and they are having calves. Yesterday afternoon I heard them out there with a 4-wheeler, going around and around, herding them into a group. I assume they need to put tags in their ears. I don’t know how they catch them. When the calves are so young that they are still learning to walk, you can catch them, but once they get acclimated to walking, running comes right after! We only tag a few heifers that are about the same age and look similar. Tags tend to come out and defeat their purpose. You can tattoo their ears, but you have to really get close and have the right angle to see. It’s better when they have a distinguishing mark like spots or a blond tail switch…..

Janie and Her Calf

Monday, September 27, 2021
Hello friends,
I guess summer just doesn’t want to leave. It was so warm today. And it has been windy too. We lost a good-sized branch from one of the peach trees. They are sometimes vulnerable. It’s a good idea to plant an extra peach tree because they honestly don’t last terribly long. The good news is that there has been a branch hung up in a maple tree by the garage from an ice storm last year. We never could get it down. It finally came down and landed perfectly between the rows of stacked firewood. It could have easily knocked down the wood and made a big job to restack. But yay! It didn’t!
Janie had her calf on Saturday, a full two days early. I knew it. Another boy. That makes three boys in a row! Okay, God, what are you doing here? Janie is a big cow and she and baby are both doing well. Zeke and Zack are growing too. The next calf is expected around Oct. 22, so we have a little while to go…..

Fall Begins This Week

Monday, September 20, 2021
Hello friends,
As I write this, I am waiting to shut in the chickens even though it has been dark for at least 20 minutes. It is raining rather hard and I’m not fond of going out in the lightening. I’ll take a break and go do that as soon as the rain takes a break. I’m thankful for this nice rain though. It seems like we get a nice shower just when you think it’s getting a little dry. I’m back. Looks like a little over an inch in the rain gauge……
Fall begins this week, and I’m ready for it to cool off. The barn lights are on an automatic timer, and we are going to have to set it to come on earlier as it’s already dark by the time we are finished with chores. I’m picking a few of the meager apple crop for this year. I suppose I get a break from putting up so many, but I sure hate to share with the deer. That’s something else we have to figure out. Janie is due to have her calf by next Monday, so we’ll see. Then one more lactation vacation for Trixie and we’ll have everyone ready to calve for the year…..

Hay Baled and Put Away

Monday, September 13, 2021
Hello friends,
The hay is all baled and put away. Bill spent the better part of today moving hay bales with his tractor from all over the pastures to the hay storage area near the barn. Back and forth, two at a time until he had moved all 64 bales. A few went into the barn for long keeping, the rest are like shredded wheat biscuits in a row with electric fence around it to protect them from the cows. They like to rub on them for some reason, and that tears the wrapping off. Then all their winter food would be exposed to the weather.
Last week I twisted my ankle and now I’m limping around. Bummer. If I could just spend more time with my feet up, I’m sure it would heal faster. That is really hard to do around here. We get plenty of exercise walking out to the hens, then walking out to get the cows, then taking them back. You know the drill. Bill has had quite a bit of experience in sprains since he played basketball in high school and college. That makes me feel like it will be fine, but it does take time…..

Hay Making Begins

Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Hello friends,
Hope you had a happy Labor Day! We did. As you can see, I took the evening off and didn’t write the newsletter yesterday. We went to Atchison to spend some time with family and didn’t get back until late. It was a great time and I’m sure you understand.
They finally came today with the big mower to cut our hay! Yay! Lanes 1,2,4,5, 10,11, and 12 are all nicely mowed with the grass laid out in windrows to dry. The forecast had narry a day of rain in store for this week, however…this afternoon there was this little spot on the radar. And then the spot got bigger and started heading our way! Bill and I began praying and speaking to that storm to split and go around us. Do you know what? It did. It thundered and threatened, but only enough rain to wet the sidewalks. I posted the screenshot of the radar on the Skyview Instagram. Amazing! Thank you, Lord…..

Investigating Purchasing a Generator

Monday, August 30, 2021
Hello friends,
No hurricane here. Several years ago, I remember that some of the outer bands of a hurricane came through and broke a very hot stretch of weather and drought. It brought much needed rains in the middle of bleakness. Our grass farmer friends in the Lawrence area were not so fortunate as the bands did not reach that far. Their drought continued and caused them to reduce their herd size to accommodate the lack of grass to eat. Less than a hundred miles separate us, but there can be a world of difference in weather!
We are investigating purchasing a generator that could handle the creamery and the large draw of electricity needed to start up the milk machine. Yes, we have a small generator that has helped us out a few times get through a little power outage. But it is not powerful enough to operate the vacuum pump or the bulk tank and refrigerators and freezers. I think a lot of other people are looking into generators as well because some of them are back ordered. Not too many people need one the size we are looking at, so that narrows down the pressure. Just thought it would be wisdom to have a way to keep everything moving in the event of a power outage. This past winter and the situation in Texas have us thinking more about preparedness. We have food, but it needs to be milked from the cows and chilled, all requiring electricity…..

Makenzie Had Her Calf

Monday, August 23, 2021
Hello friends,
It’s heating up again! But this time we have just saturated everything with a healthy summer rain. Yes, it’s steamy, but the grass is still growing. Bill comes in from mowing and announces that he sweated up another shirt. Yep, still summer.
Makenzie had her calf last Wednesday and he is so cute. Mom has a white tail switch which is rather unusual for Jersey cows, and the calf has inherited that trait, as well as white legs and a spot on top and on his forehead. Alas, he is not a heifer so we shall not get overly attached. We are naming him Zachariah or Zack for short. He is good company for Ezekiel or Zeke. Yep, we have Zeke and Zach. Isn’t that nice? We can easily tell them apart because one is obviously a Jersey, and the other looks like a chocolate Angus, not quite black. They are both vigorous eaters, and vocal encouragers to get their bottles on time!…

Vivian Had Her Calf

Monday, August 16, 2021
Hello friends,
We sure enjoyed our 1.1 inch of rain last week and are looking for more. I know there were areas north of us that got a lot more, but an inch was pretty good. The grass was just starting to go dormant, and the rain perked it up again. The cooler weather is a nice break too!
Vivian is such a good cow. Steady as she goes. She had her calf on schedule Friday. A nice half breed Jersey/Angus cross that we are calling Zeke. A real go-getter. He was born in the rain, so he was sopping wet when we found him. Vivian had him all cleaned up and tanked with her precious colostrum. Soon we’ll be adding her milk to the supply which will certainly help. Makenzie is due next, and she is showing signs of calving soon…

Hay

Monday, August 9, 2021
Hello friends,
We have some hay. No, they haven’t cut our pastures yet, but we bought 42 big round bales and they were delivered this afternoon. You can have money in the bank, or hay stored up, but not both! I think the hay could be more useful. Lots of hay is being put up all over. The bountiful rains earlier, followed by hot dry weather for curing the hay is perfect. Not too dry or it will burn up and lose nutrition. Maybe next week we we’ll get our pastures cut.
Madison is back from vacation so we can breathe a little easier this week. It wasn’t too bad because we are only milking 4 cows. I know. It has been a very long time since we only milked 4 cows. It won’t be for long. We are officially on calf watch because Vivian is due in less than a week, Makenzie is due in 2 weeks. Enjoy the lighter load while it lasts….

Welcome Relief From the Heat

Monday, August 2, 2021
Hello friends,
A welcome relief from the heat today. We only got about a tenth of an inch of rain, but with the cooler temperatures, the watering accomplishes more. There are a few areas in the pastures where the soil is not a good and the grass is going dormant, but in the well fertilized areas where the cows have spent more time, the grass is still very lush. Soon they will come to put up hay……

Crabgrass and Clover, Over and Over

Monday, July 26, 2021
Hello friends,
Crabgrass and clover, over and over. Some of you are too young to recognize the modified lyrics. The heat and humidity combined with recent rainfall just makes them grow like crazy. The pastures are still very lush. There are also some undesirable “weeds” in the mix like ironweed, milkweed, Queen Anne’s Lace, and other plants of which I don’t know their names. Bill zeros in on the thistles if he finds them. Can’t let them get out of hand. Soon we will have some of the pastures mowed for hay, and the rest will be mowed to keep the weeds from going to seed and also to allow the desirable grasses some room to expand. We take care of the grass because our cows are grass based meaning it is their primary food source.
We have new flavors! I experimented with garlic and dill and the fromage blanc. Delicious! Also, I purchased some local fruit spreads (jam, marmalade, conserves etc.) from the Flavor Market through the Food Hub, and next I will be experimenting with Jersey Silk flavors like Strawberry Mango, Pumpkin Ginger, Pear Honey, Blueberry Honey, and then we’ll try… Raspberry Jalapeno or Cherry Jalapeno Peach! Wowza! We’ll see about those last two with yogurt!….