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January 2008!
Happy New Year to all! I cannot tell
you how much I am looking forward to this year- I am excited- feel like I am reading Dr. Seuss's Oh! The Places You
Will Go! Not that we are going anywhere special, just all the things we hope to accomplish this year. (Hmmm, sounds suspiciously
like resolutions to me)
SteelMeadow Farm Resolutions:
1: Finish the housebarn and move in this year.
Note- I am not saying exactly when this year, just sometime this year.
2: Have a wonderful calving season and imprint
all the calves. Will help a great deal later with handling, as we did last year with Baby Beefers.
3: Get the goats
all cycled together to schedule October and November kiddings.
4: Have the best garden ever!
5: Set up the hoop
house somewhere permanent for future gardening and chick needs.
6: Attend Cheese School and Bee Classes.
7:
Tighten our budget so creatively we don't realize it... (Planned trips to town, eating better with monthly menus, etc.)
8: Finish training Buzz (the gelding) so Savannah can learn to ride. Safely.
9: Lose weight and get into better
shape. (It had to get listed sometime you know)
10: Make new friends, be good parents and enjoy ourselves in the process
with all the above.
That ain't asking too much now, is it???
All the best for this upcoming Year of
the Rat!
~Mary Jane, Ever the Optimist
February!
Superbowl, Fat Tuesday, Super Tuesday and the beginning of calving; lots of things going on this month at SteelMeadow!
Savannah and I attended the Missouri 4-H Teen conference in Columbia, Mo. 300+ kids from across the state all
housed in a lovely resort with sessions held at Mizzou. They sang, danced, met other kids and we all had a good time. This
young teen conference is preparation for the older teen conferences to come. I still have the Missouri milk song, beaver song
and eat bananas song rattling around in my head- don't get me started!
Daisy, our dun herd queen, is getting
ready for her calf. Sire is Shome Randolph- another dun- and we are eagerly awaiting the calf's arrival. Daisy has a full
udder and is loosening up- I suspect she will go within the week. A trained professional, Daisy has things well under control.
I was out rubbing on Calpurnia and felt her calf kick. Our other 7 females should all have their calves this spring and summer
with Beggin calving last in September.
Had our first real snow last week with 2 snow days used up. Only got 2"
out of the forecasted 5-10" but it was enough to make things look nice and wintery. Chickens decided it was better in
their coop but Buzz enjoyed making snow angels in the paddock.
Work is progressing on the housebarn- but with
temps in the teens it was hard for Glenn to get out there in the unheated space. We have been exploring various hardwood flooring
options- domestic vs. exotic species, unfinished vs. finished and still have not quite made up our minds.
Today
we need to get the martin gourds down (I have been procrastinating doing this but today is warm and calm) and hung up in the
tractor barn so I can sand them and repaint them before our purple beauties return. That and the usual daily chores all await
us.
Until March- keep fingers crossed that Daisy has a heifer!
~Mary Jane
March 2008
Daisy had a fine dun bull calf and Calpurnia followed suit with
a dun calf, but a heifer this time. Odin appears to be a "leggy" Kerry-type bull and Scout is a short-legged cutie
heifer. Once they realized they were both calves they have become inseparable.
Lupine and Zuu Zuu will be next
to calve in a month or two and we have 4 does to kid by the end of March. Grass is already starting to green up and we are
beginning to open up the south field. Brush hogging and fence-line cleaning, then we will put up goat fencing. Will give
the caprine stock a nice 18 acres of nothing but browse-heaven. They will LOVE it.
Planning our management-intensive
grazing plans for the spring and summer. This entails cordoning off parts of the east meadow. The top may become a nice
additional hay field, at least for a cutting or two until the heat of summer slows the fescue down.
Honey bees
are in the works. Will start with two hives and see how things go. Cheese school is a "go" and Glenn keeps reading
about running a few sheep with grass-fed beeves for optimal results soooooo, we may look into a few of them too. Especially
if we are able to get the goats in the woods, the sheep can help keep the weeds down with the Dexters.
Savannah
competed in both the middle school choir and band competitions. She did very well with a soprano solo and quartet as well
as her horn solo and band ensemble pieces. We are very proud of our music major. 10 snow days used so far this year- maybe
we are done with ice for the year!
Savannah also was confirmed in church with her Grammy and Papa Rumi up from
TX. The weather was cold, windy, raw and downright miserable. Had the window of opportunity there between two ice storms,
but all went well. Had a great visit!
Have not worked much on the housebarn, but will get to it soon enough.
Now that we are back into fencing-mode, our living arrangements take back burner. Animals first, as always.
Until
later- with luck the server won't have any more issues and I will be able to update my site without any more problems
or delays!
-Mary Jane April 2008 Whew! Am I glad
that March is over or what? Certainly started off like a lamb, but it really did go out like a lion.
Ended up
with almost 12 inches of rain for the month which is a record for the state. Although school did not close, our road was flooded
out with parts of the road washed down to bedrock. Savannah missed a day due to high water but it won't be counted against
her.
Fan-C-Zuu Zuu calved Saturday night, under a full moon right before Easter. Our bull Ace was a bit confused
and kept thinking she was ready for something else so Glenn had to literally keep him back with a stout hickory shepherd's
crook. A heifer, she labored well but needed just a bit of help when the feet and snout presented. Eased the head out and
helped to "walk" the front legs; out he plopped! Once Zuu Zuu had licked him fairly dry, we moved mom and calf to
the corral. Glenn, calf and I were covered with amniotic slime but it was a beautiful starry night so we couldn't complain.
Two of our four "March Delivery" does had their kids- Sunny had twins and the first doe popped out
fine. Twin brother presented with just a head, no feet, but Sunny had the "room" and all we had to do was give him
a good angle and out he came. Talk about cute! I wish all the kids could have his markings!
Buttercup, the dairy
doe, had her buckling who weighed almost 9 pounds! Her udder is wonderful and the two kids of Sunny's quickly learned
that Buttercup ALWAYS has milk and will sneak up behind her for snacks.
Savannah wanted to go to the roller rink
(the same evening that Zuu Zuu calved) but fell going to the practice area and within an hour of arrival had hurt her ankle.
Brought her home and did the "RICE" thing but Easter morning it was apparent she needed "professional help."
Took her to the urgent care and they applied a plaster cast and said they believed she had a broken ankle. With her crutches
she attended school but getting comfortable at night was her most difficult hurdle.
A week later we went to ortho
for an appointment and they "upgraded" her to an aircast. Instant comfort! Will get xrays first of the month to
check on progress. At least we can remove the aircast for showers and hot tubbing. The swelling is going down but that is
allowing more "action" in the ankle which causes pain. Not out of the woods yet.
Fan-C's Lupine
and Frieda are both building udders and loosening up. They will be the next calvers. Now that we have them off the winter
field and up in the East Meadow, we will get our temporary corral moved so they can have a "private suite" at calving.
I can't wait!
Seeds are started, hives are painted. Glenn has the south field newly cleaned up and we will
get it fenced as soon as the weather breaks. Come On, Spring!
Looking ahead to a break of the wet weather-
Until later,
~Mary Jane May
Where is 2008 going in such a hurry?
We finally
finished fencing and gating (4) the south section so the goats and llama have 15 acres of wooded bliss, complete with 3 acre
open meadow. A spring runs through the bottom of the “valley” and will supply water as long as the water
table is up. In a dry spell, we will have to tank in water for them but for now they truly get to eat “goat food”-
multiflora rose, brambles, shoots, etc.
Gave the nannies and doelings a look over, banded the March buck kids and
after trimming the llama (his coat and toes) turned them loose. Fatima, one of the “major” does, was so
excited she couldn’t stop eating to pee, so she did both at the same time. Happy goats.
One of the
winter bucklings is going to have a new home at Tennessee State University as part of their research herd. Our Vallera-strain
buck “CocoBuck” has had surprising growth in the 30 days post-weaning- .61 lbs/day on just forage! Hope
he isn’t a “one hit wonder” and will be able to pass that “growthiness” onto future kids.
Dexters are doing well. We have sectioned their East Meadow into 3 portions using one strand of braided electrified
wire. The bucks are in there too (for now) and they all quickly learned to move through the temporary gates from one
section into another when called. Do that every few days and it really has helped by increasing the uniformity of their
grazing.
Tomatoes, melon and lavender seedlings are growing inside still. No big hurry. Long
growing season here and as long as I get them out by the end of the month, all will be fruitful. Asparagus bed produced
heavier than expected, this it’s first year after planting. Felt guilty picking it but hey, it is HUGE!
Bees should be ready for pickup in a week. Won’t that be fun! Savannah’s broken ankle is all but
healed. Only a few more weeks of school for her. Eagerly looking forward to working on the housebarn- will we
be moved in by the end of the year?
Until later, think “hay!”
~Mary Jane June 2008
May came and
left quick enough! Sheesh! Way ahead on rain this year, had over 6 inches this past month alone. Grass and
fields look wonderful and even had a 7-day break in the weather, which was plenty to get the first cutting of hay done.
Huzzah! First cutting in the barn and Boy! Does it look and smell great! Hay rake broke with ½ a
windrow left which we raked by hand, but the mower and baler- bless their hearts- held up and did us proud. Neighbor’s
son was available to help us buck bales and made quick work of things.
CocoBuck has been sold to Tennessee State
University to take part in their breed research program. As he comes from a Vallera herd in VA he should have plenty
of vigor to add to mixed breed research. Our other bucklings were sold on-farm as well as direct to a buyer. All
we fed them was mineral-salt mix. Other than that, zero input for a great return. That is how we want to raise
market goats- let them do their thing and with minimal management, maximize the profit.
The does have been loving
the 18 acres of “woods” we put them in- except for the ticks- they have bloomed and regained condition quickly
after this winter’s kidding. The March-kidding does even look great, not pulled down at all. Nice full udders
on the moms and growing kids.
Our farm dog Jasper had to be put down as he didn’t have a broken leg like
we thought, but instead it was bone cancer. Vet had an inkling the latter was
the case, but to be sure we took the “tincture of time’ route for a couple weeks- splinting the leg and having
him rest. After two weeks poor dog was in pain and when we re-x rayed the leg, it was obvious the cause was not a fracture
but cancer. Not unusual in big dogs, but unusual in a big dog just 2 yrs old. We will miss our Woofie.
Savannah finished 7th grade, received 4 academic certificates of merit and is having fun in summer school’s recreation
program. Miss Rising 8th Grader is looking forward to her summer, especially the pool. Will try to get her some
music instruction this summer as she wants to learn piano as well as flute.
Received our two nucs of bees and installed
them. Bees are just too cool. They really are calm and, inside a bee suit with gloves, you feel just like a part
of the hive. They work easy and are busy in the clover fields, asparagus beds, wild roses, etc. The first afternoon
we put them in the hives the girls were out collecting pollen!
Have an incubator with a dozen Buckeye chicken eggs
purchased on Ebay. All 12 are at the same stage of development and will hatch June 4th. Buckeye chickens are a
heritage breed developed in Ohio and are said to be excellent foragers, good layers and fast growers for the table.
They “growl”, make other strange noises and like to eat mice. Sounds like the perfect farm bird for us!
Have 3 raised-bed veggie patches done out of cement blocks. Found a block guy who made us a deal on block- can’t
beat that! Each bed is about 5’ x 16’ and 2-blocks deep. Will get good garden dirt brought in this
week and get my ‘maters planted, as well as our other veggies. Am not concerned about the late start, did it the
first year we were here and had bumper crops. Nice long growing season here in God’s
Green Valley.
Other than that, two cows are gearing up to calve- maybe even today. Betty Jean of Diamond
and Hammer’s Little Bit have nice filling udders and “other” signs of impending motherhood. I wouldn’t
be surprised if they calved on the same day. Both were bred to different bulls- Hammer to our Fan-C-Joseph and Betty
Jean to Wendy’s Blz Red Irish. Hmmm, a red calf perhaps????
Time will tell!
Summer is here! Yippie!
Until later,
~Mary
Jane July
What a summer this is turning out to be… Rain! No drought but
we are fortunate not to have all the flooding either. 2 cuttings of hay in the barn! 25 bales less than the first
cutting, but again- no complaints from us.
Now that the garden is “in” the plants are taking off.
A few weeks late, but better late than never. REALLY like the raised beds, they were worth the effort.
The
bees are doing fantastic. Two hives brimming with brood, bees and they are making honey galore. The clover in
the fields is keeping them well supplied, even after cutting it down for hay twice. Had heard that Ladino doesn’t
come back and bloom after cutting- well, ours is.
Calves are growing like weeds. Odin is almost as tall as
his mom, which means we need to think about weaning him soon. He is only 5 mos. old! Scout follows him by 10 days,
but we are planning to leave the heifers on their moms. Will just need to wean the boys as the time comes.
Goats are doing fabulous in the woods. Already we are noticing the “clearing of the brush.” Have
4 new dairy doelings, that will give us 5 for next spring and...
…MILK!
Cheese school was a big
success. Anyone who wants to learn to make hard and soft cheeses needs to look into the classes held at Elm Mott, TX.
The Center for Essential Education has it down to an art. Making cheeses, eating cheeses, touring the grounds- it was
well worth the 11 hr drive!
After cheese school it was on to Houston to visit with Grammy and Papa Rumi.
Savannah had a great time visiting too and we both said it was just too short. Glenn stayed home on the farm and kept
everything running smoothly until his girls came home. Rented a small car and still saved money- was cheaper than driving
our own pickup. Sad state of affairs!
Now we look ahead to July- a 3rd cutting of hay is on the horizon.
Savannah has begun weekly music lessons (piano and horn). She is most happy to be learning the piano. School will
begin just around the corner. No big trips planned, just working on the housebarn and tending the livestock.
Until later,
Mary Jane August
Enjoying a cool front through the area this week- after the recent heat wave ANYTHING under 90º is welcomed with
open arms!
Goats are looking the best they ever have. I
know I keep saying this, but it is true. Fat, shiny, great condition. Poor Pedro is pining away, depending if
the wind is blowing from the does or to the does. Sorry bud- have to wait till October and November! James, the
Kiko buck, is taking it all in stride. He knows his time will come and “why all the bother now?”
Dexters are doing superbly in the heat as well. Calves are gaining,
some are almost as tall as their moms. Will need too wean off Odin soon, tattoo and tag the others. Ace is really
looking like a “bonafide” bull now that he is 2 yrs old. Nice neck and shoulders, very calm and easy-going.
Been rebreeding the cows right on schedule, no complaints from that department.
We have the third cutting of hay in the barn. Huzzah! PTO shaft on the baler broke after 77 bales
and probably was a good thing. Heat index was over 108º and we still had 2/3 more windrows to bale. Can you
say “Heat Stroke?” Put those bales on the trailer and called it a day. What else to do? Next
day I took the shaft to the tractor place next town over and bless them- they worked on it with me going to two other places
for parts, but we were back chunking out bales at 3pm! Much breezier day (and more comfortable), and we finished up
what we had started, Next day we raked up the remaining part and baled it.. Have 800-some bales up from all 3
cuttings. Almost 16 tons of hay. (for people who have only put up hay themselves for the past 2 years, we are
most pleased with ourselves) I am hoping to have at least 1/3 over- it will keep.
Checked the bees this morning and lo! One super is full of honey! Tomorrow is an extracting demo
at a fellow beekeeper’s place- hope to learn about what to take, what to leave, etc.
Buckeye chicks are now pullets and baby roosters. Tame things, they will let you pick them up, preen
them, walk around on your shoulder. Savannah is hoping that the tameness is (somewhat) hereditary and will be a selling
point next year that she can advertise. They are VERY calm around people and quick learners. Only took two evenings
of training and they know that “bedtime means treats” so they all come running to be put in the coop. Waiting
for them to “self load” like our older chickens and guineas, but they are in a different coop.
Glenn has been working on the housebarn- have a bid accepted for spray-foam insulation.
That done, I am planning things will move right along. Will we be in by Christmas? Hmmmm?
School starts next week. Savannah is more than ready. School
supplies purchased, a few new clothes and yes—a haircut. She asked for a substantial amount to be cut but with
her curls, I knew it couldn’t be too short. When dry is is just below her shoulders and looks great, and that
was minus a good 8 inches. It needed to be done.
Well, that
is about it from The Farm. Making cheese, training the horse and life goes on. Speaking of cheese- have 4 gallons
of Montasio in the making right now!
Until
later,
Mary Jane
September
Leaves are hinting at yellow, fog in the mornings with steam rising from the troughs, bees are getting ready
for the fall honey flow (Yea, Fall!) and I hate to say it- we could use some rain…
Very dry this past August- like the 3rd driest in history. Ground is rock hard and the fescue is curled
up. Opportunistic weeds are thriving and the goats have been busy knocking the ragweed, knapweed and others back under
control. Good goats! “We have a herd of loaded goats and we ain’t a-fear’d of using them…”
Weaning the bull calves- always a fun thing to do. Odin has come around
and will ask for pets and scratches. He is in a paddock with Beggin who is getting slower and slower as her calf grows
bigger and bigger… Just a few more weeks, old girl!
Buttercup
continues to milk and I have been making 2-3 batches of cheese a month. Elderberries put out a great crop- have my carboys
full and airlocks in action. Using a new recipe this year- one of last year’s batches had the corks fly out of
every bottle this summer. Hmmm, maybe a bit too potent?? Neighbor Ashley picked wild plums and gave us a bucketful.
Made 1 gallon of wild plum jam. Tart, sweet- almost like the Ozarks answer for cranberries. Has that same “astringent”
quality…
Savannah really, really likes 8th grade.
On the top of the middle school food chain so to speak. Has been enjoying her piano and horn lessons in Springfield-
we will finish those up this month and resume them in the summer. She said, “I hate to admit it, but I need more
time for my homework…” (Who is this child and what have you done with Savannah???)
Been doing more work on the housebarn. Found a great place online for island cooktop
hoods that are 1/2- 1/3 the retail price of others. Call me happy happy! Insulation guys will be here in a week
or two to spray-foam the outer walls of the building. Then we put in the ceiling and they return for the ceiling insulation.
Finish work from there on out.
Garden is getting ready to unload
tomatoes on me. Corn is almost there too.
Until later, enjoy
the cooling days!
-Mary Jane October Where to begin? FarmFest was another fun filled
weekend in Springfield. Seeing all the exhibits, meeting people, talking with vendors and the highlight was the Missouri
Dexter Breeders meeting held Saturday night. Good chance to meet/see folks and talk Dexters. Beggin calved
a lovely heifer. SteelMeadow's Blackbird was born before dawn 10/08 (I know-
I had just checked her at 2:30) and at 6am Beggin was in the middle of Blackbird's bath. Both are doing great- mom is a trained professional and very tolerant of "interference"
from us people. The insulation is indeed sprayed in the walls of the
housebarn. We are finishing the vent pipe for the cookstop hood and the fireplace chimney. Then we will put up the ceiling
tin and the insulation crew will come back to put in the chopped fiberglass in the "attic". The goats are bred- Took the boys all of 7 days to cover the grown does. Pedro had on the red crayon,
James had blue. The does were divided, "very unequally" says James, into two herds and the boys must of thought
they were in heaven. Have the 7 younger doelings who will wait until December for breeding. March and May kids
for us next year! Glenn and Savannah are doing well. Savannah enjoyed her 12 weeks of
piano/horn lessons. We will resume these in the Spring. She is having a great start in school this year- hard
to believe the first quarter is almost over! Garden is slowing down
a bit. Still getting okra, tomatoes, squash, chard, peppers and basil. Have been to the orchard for apples and
have made jars and jars of chunky applesauce and pie filling. If Savannah would stay out of the jars, we might have
some apple chips left to enjoy later! Bees are slowing down. Had to give them some syrup
to bolster up their own honey stores for the winter. One hive was relatively heavy- the other was not near so.
Feeding both and that should do the trick. Have a couple steers to deliver this weekend and next
week Elvis and a steer will be headed to their new home in Nebraska. Odin left us earlier this month for his new home in the SE portion of the state.
Such good boys! Time to check the tomatoes and zucchini cooking in the pot. Mmmmm,
sliced zucchini and stewed tomatoes.... Fresh basil... Seared okra... Mmmmmm...
Until later- Mary
Jane November
Fall has arrived. A hard freeze pretty much put a stop to the garden, collard greens excluded. Bushels
of green tomatoes meant we found creative ways to use them. Made green tomato ketchup and green tomato mincemeat.
Talk about yummers! Oh baby, we may be onto something here. Apples too have been dried, cooked into sauce and
frozen for pies. I think we have put up 6 bushels- maybe more. We found that
all that time playing video games (not really) has given Savannah a natural talent for joystick controls- namely working the
back hoe! Glenn let her try it on a whim and now he cannot do any digging himself if Savannah is near. She digs
a great trench and is helping us excavate the old water line to the cement trough. Leaves are falling and we can see the East Meadow now from the house. Cows and goats required a bit of hay
when temps dropped below freezing. Other than that, they are fine. Ace has had a busy “dance card”
with Dexter cows from near and far. Two heifers came over here for 8 weeks (he had both settled the second and third
day they were here) and now he is off with a couple other cows at a nearby farm. When he returns we will wean the spring
and summer heifers and let him back with the momma cows.
Walnuts had a bumper crop. We began picking them
up in September, storing them in feed sacks until we had a “load.” Three loads later, we can now say we
are DONE with picking up walnuts! A pickup bed full brought us all of $80-some dollars. We aren’t in it
for the money but figure as long as we have to get them up out of the yard and alley ways, might as well sell them.
Savannah says if she hears the “Hammons walnut song” on the TV one more time, she will scream… Something
about “healthy outdoor fun for the whole family???” Ha!
Beggin calved baby heifer Blackbird last
month and has been in a paddock by the house. Her arthritis has slowed her a great deal but talk about a good momma
cow, she is the best. Has plenty of milk and when it first came in, was too much! We were able to milk her
for our own use (until her udder and Blackbird had found common ground) and made two lovely wheels of “Beggin Cheddar.”
That and a few quarts of colostrum for the freezer (in event of an emergency) raised her to the status of “most noble
house cow.” Savannah and I attended the church’s diocesan convention in Kansas City, joining
10 other adults and 65 youth for a weekend of fun fun fun. The kids ushered and some were acolytes for the big service
on Sunday with the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.
The
highlight for the kids was their time in the cathedral’s nave with Bishop Katherine, asking her questions and getting
to know her. Was a special place and a very special time. I was sleep deprived and a bit stiff from sleeping on
the floor but had a good time. Really appreciated the hot tub and my own bed when we got home!
Glenn has been working on various farm chores and is digging the trenches
for the water and power lines. Got the chimney installed for the woodstove. Hard to cut a hole in a perfectly
good roof! Ceiling is next, then insulation in the attic. We are getting there, slowly but surely.
The bees are ready for winter. They are clustering up
and we took the feeders off the hive- was so dry in September and October that there wasn’t much of a Fall honey flow
here. Had to give them a little extra to insure their over-wintering. Knock wood, I was stung only once by a honeybee
this year. They are fascinating little things and next year I cannot wait to see how well they do as a “full hives”
and not “starters.”
Fall Check
List:
Woodpile
filling (thanks to neighbor Hubie and his sawmill)
Larder
groaning (applesauce, preserves, dried-canned and frozen fruits and veggies)
Livestock
fluffy and fat (winter coats coming in and plenty of fall forage)
I
guess that has us ready to hunker down for a big winter. Wooly worms are mostly brown (big coats) and the persimmon
seeds have “spoons” (snow shovels). There were several foggy mornings in August so get ready! I think
we will have us a big winter!
Until later-
Mary Jane
December Half Gone???
Things have been pretty busy here ever since Thanksgiving… December newsletter was not on my list of
things that needed to get done. Holiday Concerts at school, moving animals about, dealing with sub-freezing weather
and yes- we finally got the waterlines for the troughs and yard hydrants DONE!
School has been out totally for
2 days and even a half day dismissal. Savannah is more than ready for the holiday break! I would just like some
days in the 40’s !
We started putting up the tin for the ceiling in the new house, got the woodstove
picked up from Nixa and got that unloaded. It is in the new garage but hey- it is out of the truck…
No big news from the farm to share- Daisy won’t calve for another month- but we do wish everyone a very Happy Holiday
Season and an especially good New Year. I think we all deserve some good fortune for a change. Until later, From all of Us Phifers on the Farm-
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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