CSA News:
Turkeys go to the processor tomorrow along with geese and ducks. Please return any coolers you may have when you pick up the bird. You have all been great, there's just a few left out there.
I'm thinking strongly about starting a CSA for meat next Spring. It will include: Angus grass fed beef, Berkshire free range-pastured pork, free range chickens, turkeys and an occasional exotic meat like goat, rabbit, or duck. All will be grown on this farm. Delivery will be monthly with a variety pack of about 50 Lbs per share. . Prices will be between wholesale custom processed meat and USDA retail quantities. Membership tentatively will be $300 to cover administration, storage, processing, delivery, etc. It will be for 6 months, renewable in the fall to continue through winter for another 6 months. Please let me know what you think of this idea.
Production This Week:
So will be at the farmer's market of Millwood, 2-6pm - Wed and Community Bldg, 11-5 pm - Thursday pm.
She'll have fresh potatoes, carrots, and beets as well as some salad mix and swiss chard. Also winter squash, chickens, beef, and a little sausage. Next week we will be delivering the turkeys in the afternoon at the Community Bldg (Unless you make other arrangements.) on Thursday the 19th. All the turkeys and geese are sold out but I can't remember who ordered one of the geese. The following week we'll have more chickens being processed so I could make special arrangements to deliver some fresh for those who don't like turkey. Also have some ducks available.
Farm News:
We have been driving the tractor that we have been working on. My Grandson and his friend who was helping did a great job under some pretty adverse conditions! I'm not just talking about the cold; can you imagine having to deal with the interruptions of some old guy with endless words of wisdom and advice?!
My granddaughter called to check on the calf that was born when she came to visit. They had quite an experience playing with it as a little fur-ball. Well the calf is just fine and the mother, a first calving heifer, has figured out it belongs to her and now they are well bonded. I call the calf Speedy . It is the only baby calf right now and seems to enjoy racing through all the other cows in a road runner lickity-split style of her own. She needs some other little ones to play with. Hope that happens soon before the weather gets too bad.
I moved the new sows out on to pasture with their liters of piglets. The pasture is shared with other feeder pigs several months older. Never fear, one of the sows has a scraggly ripped up ear from some earlier fight. I call her Scruffy. As soon as any of the other pigs came within 10 feet of her babies she was pouncing on them with all fours till they ran off for safety of life and limb. It wasn't long before the older feeder piglets learned to stay clear and all was peaceful again. This has always been my experience with pigs when they have plenty of room like ours have on pasture. After a few days their all friends and seem to thrive on being in a diverse social group. This is even true when you add other species.
Recently we had cows, pigs and goats sharing the same pasture. It's odd watching cows graze on a pile of hay (we feed 800 lb round bales) while the pigs are busy digging tunnels through the hay under their feet. It must be symbiotic because later you can see cows relaxing while the chew their cud with pigs cradled up alongside of them snoozing. The goats just seem to hang around watching and being aloof about it all.
Guess I better wrap these "Ranch Ramblings" for now.
Thanks! Gary
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