Linn County Farm Tour is This Saturday (April 30)

…..We are now milking nine cows, eight of which are milking to the bulk tank. The milk is markedly more yellow as the cows are consuming large quantities of grass from the pastures. This is the healthiest milk of the year so take advantage. We also are getting a lot more milk as that high octane grass is helping them produce almost double. Lots more cheese making! Just in time for garden planting time of year. Too much to do, not enough time. It’s this way every spring.
The fruit trees are in all their glory. The bees are very busy going from flower to flower, working their magic. We love bees! The asparagus is just starting, and the potatoes are coming up. All signs of spring.
This Saturday is the Linn County Farm Tour that I mentioned earlier. There are about 12 farms that you can go visit and many of us products available for sale that day. Bring your cooler if you think you might pick up some farm products that need to be kept cool. It starts at 9 and goes to 3:00 p.m. although we generally are not ready for customers until 10. We’ll either have to milk earlier, not my favorite, or show the process of finishing chores…..

Peach and Apple Trees in Bloom

Monday, April 18, 2022
Hello friends,
I hope everyone had a happy Easter…..
The peach and apple trees are blooming and so far have not suffered any damage from the cold weather. I haven’t planted anything in the garden yet, Bill still needs to till for me but he has been busy with other projects. We purchased a generator which arrived this morning and he needed to dig some post holes, fill with concrete, and soon it will be installed….

The Water System is On!

Monday, April 11, 2022
Hello friends,
The water system is ON! With the danger of a really damaging frost less likely, Bill has toiled to get that somewhat temperamental pump system working to bring water to all the paddocks. It was working just fine last fall when he turned it off, but somehow the intake was on the bottom of the pond and junk had gotten in the pump. After eliciting the help of a very talented friend, Ron, the two of them took it apart and finally got it pumping. Now the cows can have what they really want. Afterall, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, and they have been complaining to us. When I go out to the hens, they follow me part way and moo at me because they want the grass where the chickens are. Sorry, no. They have been very aware that Bill has been trying to get the pump going and they have not been very patient. This evening, they got what they wanted, and they are happily munching the tender grasses in lane 11.
Linn County Farm Tour is coming up in two and a half weeks. If you have been wanting a tour, April 30 is the day. There are over a dozen farms participating and I’m actually a little jealous of you. I want to take tours of my neighbors’ farms too! It will run from 9 to 3 on a Saturday so you’re your calendar now. Check out this link to their VERY informative Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Linncountyfarmtour

More New Items at the Store

…..Won’t be long until Bill will be turning on the water system and letting the cows eat the growing grass in the rotational grazing lanes. Already they are not spending as much time eating hay because they are busy looking for tender green sprouts. It should make the milk start looking a little less white and a little more cream colored. That’s when it’s the absolutely most nutritious!
New items in the store this week are natural candles, cubes, and lotion bars from Rocky Sun Farm. Come check them out when you are here….

Animals Shedding Their Winter Coats

Monday, March 28, 2022
Hello friends,
After a week of soaking rain and bone chilling temperatures, we are finally drying out and getting some sunshine. Visitors to the farm comment about how they needed the rain, but we have been just fine on moisture this winter. When the grass is not actively growing, the rain doesn’t soak in the soil the same and it quickly turns to poggy mud where the cows walk. The ponds are all very full. In fact, the frogs are so happy. I am posting a little video capturing the melee of amphibian music. Look for it on Facebook or Instagram.
As the weather gets warmer or maybe it is daylight induced, the animals all shed their winter coats. Some of them are really nice looking, others go through a very shaggy, mangy phase first. As we milk and lean against the cows, all that fur likes to attach to our clothing. Argh! Anyone else have pets with this problem? When we get a cold snap, I’m glad the shedding is a rather slow process……

It’s Officially Spring!

Monday, March 21, 2022
Hello friends,
It is officially spring! Yea! The crocuses and daffodils are blooming, and those little things are falling off the maple trees. No, not the helicopter seeds, but some sort of leaf cover that litters the sidewalks and clogs the gutters, again. Yes, I cleaned out leaves from the front gutters last fall, but the rain is now pouring off the roof on the southeast corner of the house. Probably full of those little things. We tried to hire someone to put gutter covers on last summer, but the guy gave us an estimate, stopped by and said he would start the next day, and then we never heard from him again. I sure hope nothing bad happened, but it wasn’t very responsible.
Alas, I didn’t put the rain gauge out although there is probably no danger of it freezing. I would estimate that we’ve gotten about an inch of rain already. Pull out the rubber raincoat. I let the chickens out as usual, and they don’t seem to mind getting wet too much. Unlike ducks and other waterfowl, rain will not roll off a chicken’s back and they can get pretty soggy. Fortunately, they can go back in the house or under the house if they want. The draw to scratch around outside is very strong…..

More New Items in the Store This Week!

Monday, March 14, 2022
Hello friends,
Can you believe this roller coaster weather? Wow! Six inches of snow followed by 8° temperatures, followed by a total melting weekend. Normally I’m starting to look at that garden and thinking about poking some potatoes or onions in the ground. I would be afraid that a cold front could come in and freeze everything solid! This week I vow to get tomatoes and peppers started indoors!
The cows are shedding their winter coats, mainly around their face and neck. They still get excited when Bill puts out a new bale of hay and eat a big hole in the middle which eventually collapses. Yes, they waste a good amount of hay, but when the cows congregate around the hay feeder, they inevitably leave manure. The wasted hay gets mixed in and later the result is awesome compost. It also provides some soft places to lay down.
New items in the store this week! Saturday, I brought home elderberry products from Mindfully Made that I met at the Overland Park Farmer’s Market. Also, three flavors of lip balm and some Slow Cook Chai. All very healthy for you and your immune system! Then today the Kraut Lady brought me some fermented cabbage and had some tips on where to get other local items. Very yummy and healthy too!…..

Billie Jean Had a Girl!

Monday, March 7, 2022
Hello friends,
I was just enjoying the beautiful weather and being thankful. And then the wind brought winter back. In the creamery there are heat producing refrigerators and freezers that will keep the well-insulated building fairly warm in the winter. Unfortunately, they add quite a bit of heat when the weather is warm, and we literally had to turn on the air conditioner. The very next day, we had the heat on. Welcome to Kansas.
Billie Jean had her calf last Wednesday, or probably more accurately Tuesday night. She was obviously in the beginning stages of labor when we were milking Tuesday evening, laying down, getting up, laying down, getting up. When we got cows for morning milking, we only counted 16 when there should have been 17 and we knew we had to go find them. There they were in the lower 20, baby following momma. It’s a girl! Yeah! That evens the score to 4 males, 2 females out of the last 6 calves…..

Happy Last Day of February!

Monday, February 28, 2022
Hello friends,
Happy Last Day of February! With all the nasty weather in February this year, and actually last year too, I’m happy to announce that it’s almost over and March is looking up. Normally I’m a fan of the month because there are birthdays, anniversary, Valentines Day, and maybe a Chiefs Superbowl. It’s not spring yet, but there are a lot of birds migrating. Ducks and geese in particular. With the wildlife refuge close by, we get a lot of waterfowl flyovers. Soon!
Billie Jean is really starting to “bag up” in preparation for having her baby. The due date is March 11, but that is just a suggestion. Whether she’s early or late, we should get ready. Hopefully she will pick one of the warm sunshiny days that are in the forecast….

Again, the Snow Came, Hard!

Monday, February 21, 2022
Hello friends,
Again, the snow came, hard! And the snow left. It is so hard to believe it was so windy, snowy, and COLD, and then it just melted. Bill scraped the driveway with the bucket on the tractor, trying to make out where the gravel edge was. It was very helpful on Saturday when the melting really started. By Sunday, we noticed that Bill overestimated where the driveway went, and there are piles of gravel in the grass. Oops! After today, there is barely a trace of the 7 inches of snow. Maybe we’ll get some more this week.
The cows are enjoying the warmer weather, while it lasts. Believe it or not, there are green sprouts out there. Not very many, but enough that the cow spent a lot of time looking. We still have plenty of hay bales in the lot so even if spring takes longer than usual to arrive, we have plenty for the cows to eat. Billie Jean is the next cow due to calf on the 11th or so of March. She is already bagging out and feeling like she needs to load into the holding area where the milkers wait to be called. It won’t be too long, but hopefully she will get a nice spring-like day for birthing!…

Happy Valentines Day!

Monday, February 14, 2022
Hello friends,
Happy Valentine’s Day! Such a nice day for it too……
The store is getting more items every day. This week we added some pork jerky from Castle Farms here in Pleasanton, and honey from Jordy that I used to sell with at the Overland Park Farmer’s market. Pecans are coming this week, and soon the jams. I even put some of my Young Living essential oils on the shelf, the Paragize which is an excellent animal de-wormer, and the ever-popular Theives. At the same time, I am figuring out how to use the Square for inventory etc. It’s a real learning curve, but I am finding other small business owners who are giving me tips. Bill loves not having to figure out the prices!
Because not everyone reads every email, (life happens) I want to remind you not to just hit REPLY when sending me an email. Follow this link: skyviewcheese@gmail.com Do not use the GodsAcre email. They are not going through. Do be sure that you get a confirmation. If you don’t hear from me withing 24 hours, I didn’t get your message. And remember that you can text me if you don’t get a confirmation. 913-710-0587

New Reach In Refrigerator

Monday, February 7, 2022
Hello friends,
The snow came and now the snow is leaving……
We have a new reach in refrigerator in the creamery. After much deliberating and rearranging, we placed it on the north wall next the existing reach in. The rolling jar rack was taking up prime real estate in the store, so we have a new system. When you bring back your jars, they will go in boxes on a small rolling cart (when it comes). When we are ready to fill, we will bring them in from the make room, but the big cart won’t stay there. Meanwhile, we are adding a few more items to the store. Come and check it out…..
Oh, and I may still be having trouble with my email. So, please do not simply hit reply to the newsletter, follow this link. skyviewcheese@gmail.com And do not use the GodsAcre email. They are not going through. Do be sure to make sure that you get a confirmation. If you don’t hear from me withing 24 hours, I didn’t get your message. And remember that you can text me if you don’t get a confirmation. 913-710-0587

Always Get a Confirmation That I Got Your Order

Monday, January 31, 2022
Hello friends,
Lots of warnings about the impending weather! Bill is taking it seriously and preparing like crazy. Me, not so much. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. I guess the hype could be overdone and we’ll just have to see what happens. I have stewing hen vegetable soup planned for tomorrow night so that is the extent of my getting ready. Bill has been cleaning stalls and putting down fresh bedding, delivering extra bales of hay in strategic locations to the shelters, and making sure the water is full in the stock tank in case the cows can’t break ice in the pond. There is a pile of wood on the back porch now, covered with a tarp to keep it dry, or at least free from snow. I guess we’re ready.
Last week we had some trouble with our email, the GodsAcre@ckt.net to be specific. I can pick up the skyviewcheese@gmail.com from my phone, but the other one is from our internet provider Craw-Kan and it goes to the laptop. For some reason that my son could explain, I was not able to open the email program and he had to help me uninstall and reinstall the proper version of Office 365. It’s all better now but learn this: If you don’t get a confirmation of your order, assume that I didn’t get it. I missed a lot of emails last week! Plan B is texting to my cell: 913-710-0587. And Plan C is calling the land line and leave a clear message at 913-352-8727. We don’t have caller ID so if we can’t understand the call back number, we can’t call back. Technology is great only when it’s working!….

Beautiful Winter Sunsets

Monday, January 24, 2022
Hello friends,
I love the winter sunsets. There is something about the brilliantly red and orange sky with the silhouette of leafless trees that is just captivating. I don’t know if it’s the temperature or the lack of humidity, or both, but it is beautiful.
We are still milking seven faithful Jersey cows. Twice a day we bring them from pasture where they hang out all day with their hay, and we bring them to the milking parlor. They get a ration of non-GMO grain with minerals, and in return they give us delicious rich raw milk. Those seven cows: Petula, Wendy, Whitney, Vivian, Makenzie, Trixie, and Jane, are feeding so many people right now, not to mention three bottle calves. For the last 5 days straight, we have sold all the milk in the bulk tank with none to spare. That’s awesome. But I must warn you, there is a finite amount of milk during this season, so you should contact us before you come to make sure I’m not sold out. Ideally, we need to know by 10 p.m. the night before so we can plan ahead for washing and filling jars. If you want to drop in, we may or may not have enough milk, which is sad for both of us. I don’t like breaking the bad news, and you don’t like receiving it. The good news is that when spring grass comes, production increases, and we should have two more cows freshen…..

Smoked Gouda is Back in Stock

Monday, January 17, 2022
Hello friends,
…..
The County Zoning Commission approved our Conditional Use Permit last Tuesday which we figured they would. It allows us to sell other items besides what we produce and still retain the Agricultural zoning. Now we will get more serious about adding items to our little creamery store. We are open to suggestions if you have an excellent source for some local products that compliment our own products. I’m also looking to update my accounting system to keep track of what we are doing. Oh, the many hats that we wear!
Smoked Gouda is back in stock. Bill took advantage of the weather last week and spent time in the garage (with the doors open) smoking some cheese. It takes a little time to get it ready, arrange it in the smoker, and then keep careful watch that it doesn’t flare up. Just a thin blue smoke is all that is allowed. If it begins to flame, it will be ruined. Now it has been resting in the fridge to allow that apple wood smoked flavor to spread throughout the wedges of cheese. Finally, it is ready!….

Nice to See the Sun Shining

Monday, January 10, 2022
Hello friends,
It sure is nice to see the sun shining, the snow melted, and the wind calm. Predictably cold nights, and moderate days, yep that works for me . The cows enjoy this kind of weather. Their warm fur does a great job of insulating them when they are dry. They are consuming lots of hay which creates warmth for them as their rumens digest the cellulose. Isn’t that an amazing design?
The chickens make efficient use of their time outside. I let them out in the afternoon about 4:15 and they go right to picking green blades of grass. Others find a small patch of dirt (which they cleared) and begin fluffing their feathers in the dust. It helps keep them free from parasites. This afternoon I saw them scratching around in the finished compost pile created from the remains of last year’s hay pile in lane 4. There must be something good in there! Meanwhile, every time I drive on 69 Hwy. I see numerous hawks perched in trees, on signs, and fenceposts keeping a watchful eye out for their prey. Just keep away from my chickens!…

You Need Milk to do it Right

….We made hard cheese today which we haven’t had enough milk to do since the middle of November. There have just been plenty of raw milk orders, and we’ve been making a good amount of yogurt, fromage blanc, and mozzarella in smaller batches. I had to get back in the saddle today. Now the 6 rounds of Gouda are floating in the brine tank. Nice. Bill has plans to smoke some Gouda tomorrow. I suppose a nice cool day is optimum, but no one wants to sit out in the garage watching the smoker for 2 hours in 12° weather. We ran out before Christmas, so this is really our first opportunity to smoke some more.
We still have a good supply of Christmas cookies around here and you know you need milk to do it right. Also, treat yourself to some hot chocolate with rich Jersey milk……

OPEN REGULAR HOURS NEW YEAR’S EVE AND NEW YEAR’S DAY

Monday, December 27, 2021
Hello friends,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!…
Not having milk being sold for the whole weekend, we had a supply to do something with today. We made a batch of yogurt first, then cleaned out the pasteurizer and started a batch of fromage blanc. Then we tapped out the rest into jars and cleaned out the bulk tank. Soon we will have the reach in restocked!
As of this writing, I’m sold out of the summer sausage, which is a good thing, but that means that the Party Pack is on hold. If you need cheese for your New Year’s celebrations, we have a modified pack. Two aged wedges and a fromage blanc for $15.00. We will be open regular hours this week which means Monday through Friday 10 to 6 and Saturday 10 to 4….

Merry Christmas! HOLIDAY HOURS

Monday, December 20, 2021
Hello friends,
Every year I write a Christmas newsletter to send to family and friends. This year I tried to be very brief. It’s hard to do, but here it is:
Merry Christmas!
Another busy year at the Noffke’s. Here’s a quick summary of the highlights.
My mom moved in with us in February and the huge project of sorting through her belongings. Then we sold her house and moved some of her most beloved peony plants. About a month ago she had a stroke which was another ordeal. She is now back home and continuing with home health. Whew!
Rachel and Max got engaged and are planning a May wedding. That’s a lot of fun. I’m so happy for them.
Stephen starts a new job with KU doing computer stuff and will be working mostly from home. Carl and Xavier keep him and Celia busy!
Christin moved to Ohio in August. Very sad.
Bill and I are making some changes in our store at the farm which has promise of being fun. We are enjoying our little home fellowship here on Sunday mornings.
Hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
The Noffke’s

As expected, Trixie has not yet had her calf, but is looking more like she is ready any time. I sure hope she picks a nice warm day instead of one of the chilly nights.
Just a reminder about our holiday schedule. We are open for business through Friday but closed on Saturday for Christmas. Then we are also closed on Sunday and Monday because that’s when our family get together will happen. Please come and get all the milk you need for egg nog and to go with those cookies by Friday, so I don’t have to make cheese until Tuesday…..

Mom is HOME

Monday, December 13, 2021
Hello friends,
Another week that the water system is still on! This won’t last forever, but we’ll take every week we can get. Looks like winter is on its way next week. We’ll see. Could the grass still be growing? We put the cows in a lane they haven’t been in for a couple of weeks, and they came back super faaaat! New grass growth? It appears so. Either way, we are both happy for it.
Trixie’s due date is today. The last cow due this year. She doesn’t even look close, so I figure we have about a week. Last time she was 9 days overdue so I’m not holding my breath. She’s getting very friendly, motherly even, but her udder is just starting to fill out. Meanwhile, we are breeding cows that had their calves at least two months prior. They get a little time off and then back to pregnancy. It makes for better milk quality if they have a calf about every year and not milk for a super long time before freshening. That’s in a perfect scenario. Realistically, we keep track of their cycles and try to get them bred in a timely manner, but when we do AI, it usually takes several tries before they “settle.” It’s always a happy day when they pass the time they would normally cycle and then they don’t, indicating pregnancy.
Mom is now home. A relief for all of us. She has her sidekick cane to help her steady herself, but she is no longer limited to her chair without setting off an alarm. There are still professionals coming and going to minister to her, PT’s, OT’s, RN’s, Speech Pathologists. I’m happy that she’s not so far away…..