December 2010

I thought I was going to be able to write about how quiet December was on the farm - our livestock numbers are down quite a bit. We're down to just cattle (Kurt would argue that it's not "just cattle"), two pigs and our layers. However, December has kept us hopping between a trip to Indianapolis, Christmas preparations, pork pick-up, family visits and of course, the beginning of the birthday season.

Kurt and I spent 4 days in Indianapolis at the ACRES conference. We had a great time. This was the first time we had flown in a long time and except for the threat of being snow bound and only 15 minutes to change planes in Cleveland, everything went very smoothly - even carrying our bags on. We were able to find our "bus" from the airport to Downtown Indy and walked everywhere - except one frigid evening we caved and hired a cab. Kurt and I talked this week and tried to think of a highlight to share and there were several. I think the best part of the week was having our thinking challenged by people who are doing the same type of things as we are. The diversity of the conference attendees was vast and while there was a great variance in religious/political beliefs, sizes of operations, experiences, geographies. . . there was a sense that everyone there was interested in doing agriculture smarter, healthier, safer and raising good food to nourish people.

One of the highlights for me was getting to hear Shannon Hayes speak - twice! She has written 2 cookbooks and Radical Homemakers. Very thought provoking sessions and I have her keynote session on CD if anyone is interested in listening.

Because we flew, we weren't able to pack any of our own food - many attendees did - and ended up eating most of our meals out. We missed our kitchen! One evening we went to the Weber Grill Restaurant. This was our ONE nice meal out. To give a bit of history, Kurt has owned a Weber kettle-style grill for almost 20 years - he can give the actual date of purchase - and loves it dearly. When we camp, the grill goes with us because the camp site grills don't measure up. And, rather than replace it, Kurt has welded handles back on and made other repairs over the years. When a small tornado took down a tree in our back yard - the Weber remained standing - with ashes still in the pan. Kurt estimates (yes, he really did the calculations) that he's cooked around 1000 meals on the grill. Sorry to rattle on - just needed to set up the love affair Kurt has with Weber grills and why it was so cool to eat there. The grills used in the kitchen were about 4-5 feet in diameter and grill lids were used as part of the decor throughout the restaurant. Kurt ordered a hamburger and I tried pizza on the grill. While both were good meals, they didn't hold a candle to the food Kurt prepares on our old Weber - I think it's a combination of ingredients and cooks.

One of Kurt's favorite sessions was led by Cody Holmes, a rancher in Missouri. Cody spoke about mob grazing and has a new book out called Ranching on Three Hours a Day. The idea being that a good deal of your work should be spent reading, learning, planning and not necessarily working hard for 12-15 hours a day.

While Kurt and I had a great trip, life was a little rockier on the home front. This was the longest Kurt and I had been away from the girls - EVER. We divied up child care duties while we were gone. My mom stayed with the girls 2 nights - one of which Anna had the flu. The next 2 nights the girls stayed with Kurt's folks and Allison and Natalie got sick - it's hard to be sick when you're not at home and your momma's gone! We may never get to leave the state again! We were so grateful to have grandparents who took such good care of the girls. Thankfully, Kurt's folks never got sick. My mom, Kurt and I were not so lucky.

Our trip to Indianapolis gently nudged us to finally make some big changes. As of now, we are no longer in the hay grinding business are slowly moving out of the hay business. We (really Kurt) will use the cattle to graze more forage and hire out one cutting of hay per year. So far, Kurt has sold a tub grinder and a hay rake - there's no turning back now. Interested in a John Deere 4850 tractor (that's read forty-eight fifty for you tractor neophytes - years ago, I would have called it a four thousand, eight hundred fifty. Let me tell you, Kurt hee hawed for weeks over that) or a baler? Let me know and I can set you up.

Our beef stores are a little lower but we are well stocked up on pork - chops, hams, roasts, bacon (it's amazing - we have to ration ours) and various sausages. We have two more hogs to take to the processor in February and we're going to try some beer brats, zesty breakfast sausage and German sausage. We'll also be taking two beeves in February to restock our all beef brats and jerky supply. We're also going to have some beef sticks made.

We are now out of whole chickens. There are still cut up chickens and wings, thighs, breasts and drumsticks left. I also have three bags of carcasses that would make the most excellent broth - perfect for a soup base this winter.

Oh, one more story from Indianapolis I almost forgot. Kurt talked to Mrs. Holmes about a milk cow! We're not ready to get one yet - Kurt has been adamant about not wanting to milk and I'm not sure if I'm brave enough yet. But the fact that he started a milk cow conversation with someone (while I was not present) is a huge breakthrough. I'll keep you posted.

Once again, we desperately need moisture - the forecasters keep teasing us with the possibility. Nothing yet though.

Christmas on the farm was good - all three girls got new-to-them bikes. At first, I was uneasy about giving them "previously owned" bikes. Kurt found out about some program that cleans up abandoned or confiscated bikes and gives them away. No reservations now. The girls have been outside move in the last 5 days than the last month! Allison is gaining confidence and Natalie is about to be an independent rider with training wheels.

The highlight of my Christmas dinner was the turkey - Kurt's was the gravy! Next year we'll raise a few more turkeys for us to savor throughout the year. We were able to enjoy Christmas dinner with Kurt's parents, four of his brothers/sisters and their families and my mom - I think there around 20 at the table.

Next week my kitchen should be back to normal and we'll be done doing dishes by hand - I'm counting the days!

Today begins the birthday season at our house - 3 birthdays in 3 weeks! Natalie is sure her birthday is first and will argue with anyone - hers is first after Christmas but not first in the calendar year. This morning, Natalie woke up and began issuing edicts in third person: "The Birthday Girl would like pancakes for breakfast." "The Birthday Girl is ready to open presents." "The Birthday Girl would like some milk." You get the picture. A couple of days ago, "The Birthday Girl" took a few friends roller skating - oh my. Kurt and I worked hard trying to keep everyone on their feet!

Anna will turn 3 in two weeks and assures me she's not little any more - hopefully 3-year-olds are big enough to move their training potties into the bathroom!

In 3 weeks, Allison will be 10 - double digits! She started basketball practice this week and is excited about the pee wee season.

Hope this newsletter finds you healthy. Many blessings in the New Year!

November 2010

Yep, this is the November edition of The Cattle Rattle. I've sat down a few times this past week and all I could do was stare at a blank piece of paper - maybe the after effects of tryptophan? Oh, and yes, I'm dated. With all the technology available, I still sit down and write our newsletter long hand and then type it up. Old school, I know but it's how I learned to compose many moons ago and it works for me.

And, the writer's block hasn't been my only obstacle the last few days. The chaos unfolding in our kitchen - the center of our home - has put a few hiccups in my ability to focus. Tuesday afternoon, I discovered water leaking from our dishwasher (that's what I get for getting on the floor and scrubbing it). Apparently, it's been leaking for awhile now. Kurt pulled up some flooring and we've had a fan going while we've waited for the insurance company. I'm still trying to breathe deeply and am very thankful we still have almost full use of our kitchen (unlike a dear friend of mine who experienced a deluge in her kitchen last month). I'm about to swear off dishwashers for life and am contemplating what would fit in the hole left by the dishwasher.

Tuesday was a frustrating day for me between partial deconstruction of the kitchen floor and the passage of the Food Safety and Modernization Act of 2010. Others have written more eloquently about the problems with this bill and I suggest you do some reading. We are thankful that the Tester-Hagan amendment was included and the bill still has to make it through the house - so contact your representatives. If this Act does become law, we'll keep you posted on how it will affect our ability to provide you with safe, clean food. (Update since I wrote this a few hours ago. Apparently, the senate wrote an unconstitutional bill - they tried to raise revenue with the bill and that's a big no no. Interesting to see what happens from here.)

Enough gloom and doom in this season of thankfulness and celebration. We had a very quiet Thanksgiving at home which was exactly what we needed after handling turkeys, beef and pork in the last 2 weeks. Not to brag, but we had the most amazing turkey this year. We brined one of own turkeys and then roasted it Thanksgiving day. I stuffed it with apples and rubbed olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper on it. Natalie and Anna kept sneaking pieces of turkey while we were getting the meal on the table. I think they ate more ahead of time than they did at the table! Best turkey I've ever had. Pretty sure I should have saved one more turkey for us to enjoy later this winter. Looking forward to the one my mother-in-law will have at Christmas.

We were very pleased with our turkey harvest this year. We were better prepared and had a better idea of what to expect. Kurt and I worked 4 days and processed over 1/2 the birds ourselves - we were a pretty good team. We also did a much better job of gauging weights this year and I think the staggered harvest helped. Two days before Thanksgiving we cleaned the last of them for those customers who wanted a fresh turkey. We had some extra help and all went smoothly. If you had a Dale Family Farms turkey for Thanksgiving, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Dale Family Farms will have pork for sale in about 2-3 weeks. Check out our price list to see what we have to offer. If you're interested in a ham for Christmas, let me know and we'll see what we can do. We also offer some great sampler packages and gift certificates if you're looking for the perfect gift.

We still have chicken in the freezer - most of the whole chickens are gone but we still have cut up chickens and other pieces if you need some to last you the winter.

We enjoyed the most heavenly fried chicken last week. After processing our 1st 2 hogs of the season, we were able to procure 2 pints of rendered lard from the processor. Kurt talked me into frying a chicken using lard for the fat - oh my goodness! I found a great recipe and it was amazing. My great grandma would have been proud. A little tidbit from my research on lard: if you get the temperature of the lard high enough (somewhere around 350 degrees, I think) the coating on the chicken seals in the chicken and very little grease is absorbed. You should end up with about as much lard in the pan as you started with. I also used lard in my pie crusts and rolls for Thanksgiving - both received high praises from my most important food critics - my family. "Momma, you're the best cooker!" Good food starts with good ingredients. The most exciting piece of this whole "lard saga" is that I get to make my own from our hogs. The processor is going to save the fat from the 4 hogs we took and I'll render the lard at home. Laura Ingalls here I come!

Who knows what other "crazy homesteader ideas" Kurt and I will come home with after next week's ACRES conference - beekeeping, a milk cow, cold frames for the garden. Oh wait - I've already had those ideas! We're really excited about going to Indianapolis next week and expect to be fully overwhelmed by the information available. Kurt's strategy is to avoid sessions where he's not familiar with most of the terms used in the description. I think it's a good plan. I am sure we will have travel stories to share next month. Kurt and I haven't flown in over 10 years and are trying to travel as economically as possible. Right now, a minor point of contention is whether we should check our bags. At $35 per bag, I "won" this battle. I'm confident we can pack smart and make this work - it's only 3 and a half days. Kurt won't be able to pack his 10 pairs of spare undies though. Not sure how many times I've heard "That $35 will seem cheap at some point next week." Such an optimist. We have cordially agreed to concede defeat when the other one is proved right.

The farmstead seems pretty quiet now that the turkeys, meat birds and 2/3 of the hogs are gone. While we're ready for a break from the chores, some of our entertainment is gone until spring. Whatever will we do to keep us out of trouble?

Wow! For suffering a mild case of writer's block, I sure had a lot to share. Quickie family updates:

Anna is no longer my baby and daily finds ways to express her independence. She's quick to smooth ruffled feathers with lots of extra hugs.

Natalie is almost reading! She can sound out lots of words and given the right text, she can read whole sentences. It's been so cool to watch her grow as a reader - she's worked hard at it.

Allison is looking forward to the beginning of Pee Wee basketball - I'm not sure if she enjoys the activity or the fellowship more!

Kurt has been busy cutting firewood, grinding hay and tearing up my kitchen. He's so good about coming to the rescue when I need help. I think I'll keep him.

And me, I'm spinning my wheels as we prepare for our trip and for Christmas. Every time I'm ready to tackle something on the to do list, some other emergency seems to pop up. Guess my house won't be spotless for the holidays.

Praying that these weeks of Advent help you to prepare for the coming of the Savior.

Blessings!

Andi

October 2010

Wow! Where did October go? It's finally starting to feel like it might be fall. Now, if we'd just get a hard freeze and more rain, weather would be perfect on the farm.

The chickens (meat birds) are done for the season and it feels good to have this work behind us for another year. If you had told me three years ago that we would be raising 550 chickens this summer, I'd have thought you were crazy - now I'm pretty sure others think we are - I never know what to think when people in town call us the "chicken farmers." I'm learning to consider it a complement. We were really pleased with the response to our End of Season Special and will think about offering it again next year. We still have some whole chickens, cut-up chickens, wings, thighs, drumsticks and breasts. I also have 4-6 bags of carcasses for those of you interested in making some truly excellent broth.

I'm so excited - Kurt and I are headed to Indianapolis in December for the AcresUSA conference. We hope to learn lots during the 3-day conference. If nothing else, conferences and workshops like this give us a great opportunity to meet/visit with other people doing the same types of things we are. I'm a little nervous about flying though - we haven't flown since '98 or '99 and I have a little studying up to do on the new flight regulations before we pack.

Inspired by out upcoming trip, I've put down my fiction for awhile and have been reading lots of other good stuff - Joel Salatin, Wendell Berry, Farm City by Novella Carpenter, and Made from Scratch by Jenna Woginrich as well as a few books and blogs on gardening/homesteading. All thought provoking and helps reinforce that we're moving in the right direction, we just need to keep moving.

I have been floored by the number of new inquiries we have received during the past month. It's exciting to think that people (including myself) are starting to be more aware of where their food comes from. I wonder if there's been a specific article/news story or just a growing awareness.

This year's calves have been weaned - several times. The first time, neighbors helped and the calves were weaned across the fence, i.e. there was only a hot wire between the calves and their mommas. Apparently, several weren't really ready to be weaned and took down the hot wire. Kurt and a friend re-sorted them 2-3 days later. Kurt thought all was good - even moved the calves down the road a mile so they could enjoy a diet of older standing alfalfa, weeds (that's what our neighbors call them, we call those plants forage), and volunteer wheat. However, a couple (we're hoping that's all) young ones must not have liked the arrangements because they've found their way back to their mommas. Even with these minor frustrations, Kurt has commented more than once how much he prefers weaning across the fence to weaning calves in a dry lot (a bunch of calves standing around on dirt all day getting lots of feed hauled to them) - the animals seem less stressed and healthier.

A highlight of this month was the pig roast we hosted a few weeks ago. Kurt's brothers hauled a smoker from Topeka (a word to the wise, the turnpike charges you for a third axle no matter how small the axle might be) and we smoked a pig to celebrate Kurt's 40th plus a few months. We had a great time and the pork was amazing - definitely shaping up to be an annual event at the farm. A friend of Kurt's came 2-3 days ahead of time and did the butchering. I had flashbacks to Little House in the Big Woods - any Laura Ingalls Wilder fan know what I'm talking about - although I didn't make any head cheese. Ten years ago as a younger farm wife, I would have thought anyone who processed their own hogs (and chickens and turkeys) was nuts - meat comes from a store, right? However, something about raising this hog and processing it on the farm felt very right. While I wasn't actively involved in the process (this time?), I did go out several times that evening to observe and the "Ewww factor" just wasn't there for me. Later, there was a sense of thankfulness and bounty as we enjoyed the feast and shared leftover with many people (there's still 6 gallon baggies of pulled pork in our freezer!!)

Five more of our hogs are getting closer to being finished - a little later that what we had originally anticipated. All part of the learning curve, right? Kurt has plans to take them to the processor in December - they should be ready mid-Januaryish - if that's a word.

The turkeys aren't having any problem growing! Last week we decided it was time to get serious in our planning - it was no longer viable to let them all go until Thanksgiving. We needed to figure out how big the turkeys would be if we dressed them out now. So . . . I did a little research on dressed weight vs. live weight, bought a bathroom scale, had Kurt catch a turkey, weighed Kurt and the turkey, weighed Kurt, subtracted and figured our anticipated dressed weight. For my former students, this is an example of problem solving in action. Aren't you glad I never made you catch a live turkey?!

Anyway, I digress. If you reserved a turkey, expect a phone call in the next week. We've picked several dates and will harvest 5-7 on each of those dates. We know several of you were looking forward to a fresh bird for Thanksgiving. We also know that most of you are not interested in a 30 pound bird. We got these turkey as poults on the last delivery date available from the hatchery - two weeks later than we did last year. Next year, we'll order earlier (so we have a bigger choice of delivery dates) and make sure to go 2 weeks later. Joel Salatin says "anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at first." While I certainly hope you don't think we're doing a poor job, we'd agree that we are learning lots - sometimes more about what not to do than what to do. That said, we have about 10-12 turkeys still available. If you're interested, let me know. Turkeys (like chickens) have to be picked up on the farm. However, we have turkeys headed to Wichita and Olathe with family if you'd like to make a connection there.

I have decided that I have a new job description. Instead of telling people we farm and ranch (which we do), I have decided to tell people we raise healthy food for families. May not seem like a big idea on paper but it's part of the paradigm shift - we're not just raising a commodity product, we are raising quality food for for people.

I got to participate in a rodeo of sorts on Wednesday. Kurt had football practice and was going to be gone until after dark. Anna, Natalie and I were headed to town and found a calf out (one of those that had to be weaned multiple times). I knew he probably wouldn't go far, his buddies were just across the fence but I also knew Kurt wouldn't be able to check on a black calf after dark. So. . . .I turned the suburban around and began to think about what to do - trying to recall all the livestock handling directions I've received (very little) and wishing very hard Allison was with us - she knows what to do. I got out of the sub and was thinking hard about how to proceed - lower the fence first or go after the calf - when our neighbor comes down the road. At first, I think he thought my wave was just friendly and then he slowed down when he realized that my wave actually had just a bit of frantic farm wife in it. Thankfully, he answered my plea -I still owe him a piece of pie.

"Jerry, what can I do to help?"

"Just hang here." (To translate, that's polite farmerspeak for "stay out of the way or you might screw this up.")

So, I stayed put (mostly) and watched. I did move a little when the calf looked like he was thinking about making a break for open country. I think I just wanted to feel like I was being useful since cheering might have startled the whole herd. The calf went in with very few problems and while we were walking back to the vehicles and my disgruntled children, I tripped and ended up on my knees in a pile of stickers swearing loudly, - me, who substitutes the word "Pickles" so my girls won't pick up on bad habits. Still not sure which shattered my dignity, falling or swearing - I better make it a big piece of pie. Maybe some day, I'll be skilled enough in livestock handling to gracefully help.

Kurt and I tend to be lazy gardeners. This fall, we're taking it to a new level. We (mostly Kurt, I was making pretzels at the time) moved out the tomato cages, put up a hot wire and turned the piggies loose. It took them a few days to make their way clear over to the garden - Allison tired sooo hard that first evening to lead them. The pigs have started rooting round and munching on the old plants. We hope they'll till the garden some for us. Once they got some soil turned, the turkeys were there in full force pecking in the dirt. Not sure what they found but it must have been tasty!

A couple of things as we near the end of the year. I want to remind you of our loyal customer program. Those of you that have purchased over $500 worth of Dale Family Farms products in 2010 will receive a voucher for 5% off one order in 2011. Those purchasing over $1000 in 2010 will receive 2 vouchers for 5% off 2 separate orders in 2011. We appreciate your support.

Think about giving Dale Family Farms products for Christmas. We offer a few sampler packages or we are willing to do gift certificates for any amount you'd like.

Quickie family updates. Halloween was a good time last night and all of us joined in on the fun. Allison was a scarecrow (after thinking for weeks that she was planning on being Pippi Longstocking). Natalie was Princess Fiona dressed in street clothes for her wedding. Anna was Super Bunny - sans ears - she wouldn't leave them on. Kurt and I went as each other (see the picture and check out the details). Not sure why Kurt felt like he had to tell everyone who he was - I guess he felt like he needed to explain the capris. After a busy month, we had a good time just hanging out together.

Allison and Natalie keep growing - their momma thinks they need to stop - and had a great time running with their friends at the pig roast. Sometimes it's not until their friends are here do they fully appreciate how much room they have to roam. I think Allison enjoyed playing football most and Natalie stepped it up when Anna had an accident. Natalie and a friend took care of it because she thought I was busy. "Natalie, do you need some help?" "I have it under control."
With fall in full force, Kurt is either going to have to start cutting some firewood or Anna is going to have to start leaving her clothes on during the day!

The football team played their last game Thursday night. Kurt had a great time and even though he'll be able to get more done in an afternoon, he'll miss the time on the field. How many days until next season, Coach Smith?

Forensics season started early this year with the Once Act play - only 233 hours until our first performance and only 4 full rehearsals so far. I'm planning on being amazed tomorrow night with how many lines are memorized. I have no doubt that "The Suessification of Romeo and Juliet" will be a hit!

Hoping your fall is a good one!

September 2010

Fall is finally here. It took a long time for the weather to cool off but the last week has been very pleasant AND we had a half inch of rain last week. The rain doesn't fix the dry weather but it helps. A recent conversation heard before it rained:

Andi: So, you think it's going to rain?

Kurt: Probably. (wait a beat) And if we're lucky it'll happen before I die.

First job of a farmer is to be an optimist - good to know Kurt has this one covered.

We finished the farmers' market season last weekend at Coldwater. We really enjoyed being in Coldwater this summer - it gave us a chance to tell local people about what we are doing and visit with neighbors. We look forward to making plans for next spring.

A quick farmers' market story. For those of you who don't know, Anna has been potty training this summer. There is a bathroom available near the park but it's a block away - a long walk for an urgent 2-year old. Soooo . . . . we've been packing the potty. Anna thinks she's hot stuff climbing into the back of the suburban to use her little potty - I'm not so sure but this was my best solution.

Anna's pretty comfortable in the car. She and I have done quite a bit of traveling this month - football games, meat deliveries, doctor's appointments, etc.

Our suburban isn't pretty - we bought it used last summer - but it is serviceable (I can haul meat, kids, meat & kids) and it is paid for (I admit, we're Dave Ramsey fans and intend to make our debt free phone call in the next 6 months). Kurt and I were on our way to Woodward to celebrate our 13th anniversary and we got to watch the odometer turn over 200,000 miles. We'd taken back roads part way so Kurt could scope out a tractor route. I made Kurt slow down and then stop and take a picture - hey, we're on a budget and are always looking for cheap entertainment. Don't know if I can get the picture off my phone but I have proof. Wonder if we'll see 300,000?

I need your help - especially those of you who like to cook. I have many, many cups of cooked chicken meat (either from leftovers or from cooking cooking carcasses after cutting them up). Any great recipes out there - something to use this chicken up? I've got chicken and noodles under control, going to try a pot pie, enjoying chicken tacos and fajitas. Any other ideas to mix it up?

Speaking of chickens, Kurt wants me to mention the great help we've had this summer and how varied they've been. The list includes: our pastor, my good friend and her son, several college students (one we didn't even know, she just came with a friend), a high school kid or two, a newspaper editor (ok, from our local paper), another mom friend and her 3 boys (who had the best time!), Kurt's folks, our girls. . . . And it seems like every time we get worried about help (ok, I worry, Kurt's an optimist, remember), someone new offers to pitch in. With all the good help, our freezers are well stocked and we've decided to offer and end of the season special. If you buy 4 chickens, cut up or whole, we'll give you a grass-fed chuck roast for free.

You have one more opportunity to purchase fresh chicken on October 9. We also have chickens in the freezer and are now offering cut up chickens. I had enough people asking me if we cut up chickens, I decided it was time to give it a shot. I'm getting faster (yes, I time myself) and my pieces are getting prettier (no metric to measure my improvement here). We're now offering several options:

*4 thighs at $3/pound

*4 drumsticks at $4/pound

*4 wings at $4/pound

*2 boneless, skinless breasts at $8/pound

*1 chicken cut into 8 pieces at $5/pound

*back/bones for stock at $1.50/pound

The turkeys are getting a new shelter today. Kurt has cleaned the back porch off enough times (they like to roost there), that he's (finally) ready to find a plan B. I think he's talked the girls into helping him herd them in at night. Allison was a very willing volunteer - she's quickly becoming our chief turkey wrangler. The turkeys have taken to hanging out in the plum thickets over 1/4 mile from the house - I think the grasshoppers are pretty thick there. Last night, I helped Allison get them across the road and then she herded almost 30 turkeys 1/4 mile through the hay field to the yard. We have more turkeys than this but they think they're chickens and tend to hang out near the hen house instead. We're still taking reservations for turkeys if you're interested.

Our layers set a new farm record last week - 63 eggs in one day. Possibly more. The pullets (young layers) are still hiding eggs in the pasture. Farm fresh eggs beat anything you can find in the store.

Kurt is getting ready to take steers to the processor in a few weeks. We've given a deadline of October 5 if you'd like to reserve a 1/4, 1/2 or whole so we can finalize our plans with the processor. For pricing information, see our FAQ's page. We'll have our freezers stocked if there's anything you need through the winter. However, 1/4's won't be available again until spring when there's green grass.

Hogs are getting closer to being ready to process. Since we purchased 3 different sizes of pigs, they'll be ready at different times. We have a few different purchasing options available: 1/2 ($120 + processing) or a whole ($240 + processing), a pork bundle ($100 for various cuts, see our price page) or by the cut (also on our price page). Pork will be a learning experience this fall - hoping we don't add many more chapters to the book on what NOT to do.

We're getting to enjoy some of the pork soon. Kurt turned 40 last month and in a few weeks we're going to celebrate with a pig roast. Originally, we were going to go old school and dig a pit. However, it's been so dry and Kurt would just soon not burn up our pastures so his brother is bringing a large smoker. I'm planning on leftovers for awhile!

We had an opportunity to participate in a tasting party in Pratt last week. It went really well and we enjoyed the chance to visit with people concerned about the quality of their food and how it's raised.

I'm sooo excited - I got a new book in the mail - The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer by Joel Salatin. I've read several of his other books - some are specific "how to" books about poultry or farming and others are just good reads. If you haven't heard of Salatin, do a quick search. When Anna was tiny, Kurt and I had the opportunity to participate in a 2-day workshop where he was the featured speaker. Truly an amazing speaker and thinker.

About to experiment a little this afternoon. We are out of ground beef (again!) and our family will need some before our beef is ready in November. We do have some extra round steak though AND my mother-in-law just happens to have an old fashioned meat grinder in her basement. Do you see where I'm headed? Yep, going to try grinding some fajita strips into ground beef - might be a little lean for a hamburger patty but should work well for dishes that use ground beef. I'll let you know how it goes.

One more mini-commercial. We are in the process of putting together a couple of Christmas samples for $35-$40 that could make a great gift!

Family updates:

Anna has become her daddy's "lil' buddy" since her sisters started school Once or twice a week, Anna goes out to help Kurt, either going for parts, driving the tractor or her favorite, checking cattle.

Natalie has become quite the social butterfly since school has started. Any time we're out and about, someone is saying "Hi Natalie!" Her take on situations is also interesting. Recently, she asked me "Am I getting on your nerds (nerves)?" To which I could only laugh - even though she was!

Allison brought home a recorder on Monday and knows 2 notes. Today, she'll learn a song that uses both! She's very excited (involved in music in several ways) but she has to practice outside or in her room so she doesn't get on my "nerds."

Kurt is halfway through the football season. The team's record is 1-3 but boy can you see the players grow as a team and as young men.

And me, mostly, I've worked this month to keep the balls in the air - farm, business, kids, family, husband, laundry, meals . . . .and only managed to drop 1 or 2 of the balls.

Allison: Mom, why didn't you take me to Bible study yesterday (yesterday being a day we processed chickens, had gymnastics and a football game).

Me: I forgot. . .

Yep, every day provides new opportunities for this recovering perfectionist to remember she's human.

Andi

August 2010

Finally, a break from the blistering heat. It's still plenty warm but there's definitely a difference between 108 degrees and 95. Our broilers can sure tell a difference as well. There was a two week period where we lost over 40 chickens to the heat. Kurt worked so hard to keep them comfortable - hauled water 4-6 times a day, wet the ground down to cool it off, spread them out to more pens - and they just couldn't handle the heat. Next year, we'll plan a little differently and try to avoid having full grown birds the last few weeks of July and the first of August. We may not always have summers this hot and dry but it's always hottest during those few weeks of the summer.

Our layers are doing well though. They're just a hardier breed - the Rhode Island Reds can handle temperatures from 20 degrees to 108. Now our egg production dropped off some those few weeks but they weren't dying from heat stroke. Our young layers, the pullets, are just starting to lay. Kurt finds 4-5 peewee sized eggs a day. I expect their production to just explode any day now. It doesn't take them long to go from small eggs to a larger egg. If they produce more pullet eggs than we can use, we'll sell 18 pullet eggs for the price of a dozen larger eggs.

Speaking of eggs, I'm sure by now you've seen at least one news story about the enormous egg recall. I'm not going to get on my soapbox today but cheap food is not always good (or safe) food. I'm still working on this lesson - not always easy for my frugal mind to remember.

I'm so excited. Coldwater is starting a farmers market (by the way, does anyone know the proper punctuation of farmers in farmers market? Where's the apostrophe go?). We've been open the last three Saturdays and it's been a great success in my book. There's been 3-5 vendors each week and good patronage. We'll be open until the end of September and then re-evaluate for next season.

August has been busy with getting everyone back in the school routine. Natalie and Allison started back the 11th and Natalie, who is now a kindergartner, wanted everyone to know that she is now riding the bus too - a big yellow one by the way, not just a suburban. Anna is always very sad to see her sisters get on the bus. "I ride with Sissy, too?!" And then she's off. As much as she's missed her sisters, I think Anna has enjoyed getting to play at home all by herself. Kurt is also getting in the school routine - he's the assistant high school football coach again this year and has to be in Coldwater by 4. His work day is cut a little short but he's really enjoying the coaching. We're all very excited about the first football game this weekend. After all cooler temperatures can't be too far behind the start of the season, right?

Several of you submitted great ideas for our "Name the hot dog contest." Dale Dogs showed up many times and my personal favorite was The Beefinator - but that was more because Kurt does a really bad Schwarzenegger impersonation and has for a very long time. After much deliberation though we have decided on . . . drum roll please . . . The Hot Diggity Dog, courtesy of Kurt's sister, Jill. And, if my memory serves me right, her daughter came up with the name of our monthly newsletter - very creative branch of the fam. Now, we need to work on how to get 2 pounds of the Hot Diggity Dogs to Arizona - I know that it's legal to ship them though, they have the magic seal of the USDA and can therefore cross state lines.

A big shout out to Ed and Judy Colson. They were gracious hosts of a Tips and Tastes party in Olathe. We're gearing up to do another party in a few weeks in Pratt.

A couple of product updates:

*I will be in Wichita on Thursday, September 3rd and my brother-in-law will be hauling meat to Olathe this weekend if there's anything you need.

*We still have chickens available September 3, September 17 and October 8th. If you're interested, let me know. Remember if you purchase chicken after October 8th, it will be $3.50/pound since we have to arrange to store it.

*We're starting to take reservations for turkeys. Let me know if you'd like one for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

*We have processing dates for beef and pork in October. If you're interested in purchasing a 1/4, 1/2 or whole, please let me know. For pricing info see our FAQ's page or contact me.

*Kurt turned 40 this month. Ok, that's not a product update but it's certainly noteworthy. We're planning a pig roast in October to celebrate.

Thankfully we had a nice 3-inch rain a couple weeks ago. However, it didn't last long with 100 degree days and 20 mph winds. We could always use more moisture.

Our kittens keep growing and the girls have enjoyed petting and playing with them. Two weeks ago, Natalie was trying to get "her kitten" (they've all claimed and named one) to eat out of her hand. We were processing chickens and not fully tuned in with what Natalie was doing. By the time we were done, she had put out enough cat food to feed all 6 cats (2 adults and 4 kittens) for 2-3 days!

The turkeys have been fun to watch this summer. At 6 weeks, they're ranging several hundred yards from the house. They love the grasshoppers and will fight over one - actually it looks more like an unorganized rugby match. A turkey will set it's grasshopper down (not sure why). Another turkey will grab it and run - hmm, not a whole lot unlike my own kids and their toys. I knew the girls had some turkey in them! Kurt isn't putting any feed out for them (the turkeys, not the girls) and they're getting everything they need from the grass and the hoppers. We've loaned a few turkeys out to my in-laws to help with grasshopper control in their yard. Definitely ordering some turkeys early next year to help keep the hoppers in check!

Some excitement last week. Kurt had planned to take 10 steers to the sale barn on Wednesday. Had them all penned and ready for a neighbor to haul them - except he forgot to shut a gate. The neighbor needed to get on up to Dodge so Kurt said he'd haul his own after he got them recaught. Kurt even came to the house and offered to take Anna with him. Off they go and off I head to town to run a few errands. Not 3 minutes later, I get an intense call from Kurt: "get my pick-up and meet me at Mom & Dad's." The latch pin on the trailer broke and Kurt had two steers get loose on the road. Thankfully, Kurt wasn't going very fast, he noticed heads sticking out of the trailer right away and they were still close to home. Kurt unloaded the rest of the cattle in the corrals (not sure how long we'd be), Anna hung out with Grandma, and Kurt and I were off - I was sure for great adventure. Thankfully, the 2 steers were easy to find and were less than a mile from the corrals. I don't think they could have been any more agreeable - 15 minutes and the 2 steers were caught and penned. My only job was to drive the pick-up when Kurt got out to walk them the rest of the way on foot - not quite the adventure I had pictured but that's not always bad. Kurt decided he still had time to get to Dodge (sans Anna, of course). He got the pin fixed (at least long enough to last to Dodge). Started to load the cattle again when. . . he noticed a rotten floor board in the trailer. Another problem that could have been much worse than it was. So. . . instead of getting lots done that morning or evening getting cattle hauled to town, Kurt spent most of the day repairing the decrepit trailer

At this point in his proofreading, Kurt argued with the word decrepit.

"It's not a decrepit trailer. I just had to fix the catch pin, two floor boards, the . . . "

"Exactly. I think I'll stand by my word choice."

The next day, Kurt and Anna took the cattle to Pratt without incidence in the much improved trailer.

Family updates:

*Kurt - we've already talked about him - big events this month were his birthday and football. He spends his day trying to keep our operation as low budget as possible by repairing things like trailers and building chicken waterers.

*Allison has enjoyed going back to school where she gets a small respite from her loving sisters.

*Natalie is the new kindergarten fashionista. She is in charge of picking out clothes for the next day - some interesting combos, including but not limited to a full length red, velvet-like peasant skirt paired with her "new" black Hannah Montana shirt, with tennis shoes so she can "run fast at recess."

*Anna has enjoyed gymnastics again and assures me she no longer needs my help. She is also making significant process in the potty training department. She has told me though in no uncertain terms more than once that she is "NOT a big girl. I your baby. Goo goo gah gah."

*I have begun to enjoy the routine that the start of the school year brings and have several projects I hope to get done. Having one at home with me is very different than 2 - not better, just different.

One more point of interest and I'll call it good for this month. Dale Family Farms has officially become an LLC (limited liability company).

Hope you're able to enjoy the cooler temps that September usually brings.

July 2010 edtion - and it's on time!

"Are we there yet?"

"I can see a mountain! Oh, maybe that's just a hill."

I'm writing as we head to New Mexico for a few days to cool off and regroup. I'm pretty sure Allison is the only daughter who has been to the mountains and she was too little to remember it. Everyone is very excited.

Let me tell you getting ready to be gone for even a few days is probably more work on the farm than staying home. Kurt's been working from sun-up to sun-down to finish projects and get everything lined up for our absence.

From the backseat in two part harmony: "Grandma got run over by a reindeer . . ."
Gotta love the MP3 player and my daughters' ability to entertain themselves. In addition to singing, they also played tag (one was in the middle seat and one was in the back) and had a Cheeto sword fight.

Anyway, the laundry is done, the house is clean (sort of), the yard is mowed (again, sort of), everything is well watered and my in-laws and our neighbor are ready to chore for us - a huge blessing. We had planned on traveling earlier in the summer before all the livestock started showing up. Plans fell through though and we're very thankful for the help.

Random thought. Again from the backseat: "When we get to the cabin, can we do shadow puppets?" It's hard to write AND be mom in the car.

We've got all ages of chickens on the farm right now. We'll process our first group this Friday and they are all spoken for. Our next group will be processed on August 12th-ish and there are still some available if you'd like to reserve yours. You're welcome to come out and help or watch. If you're interested in participating, give me a holler.

We have a few miracle chickens this summer. A week ago Wednesday, Kurt moved 100 chicks from the brooder to the pasture. On Saturday, he went to get something out of the empty brooder and found 3 chicks! He has no idea where they could have hid or how on earth they survived 3 days without feed or water. They don't seem any worse for wear though.

Our pigs are growing and have been interesting to watch. They love the weeds and mow them down pretty efficiently. They also enjoy the decimated corn from the garden and pineapple tops I take out.

After 24 hours in the mountains . . . we have enjoyed temperatures in the 60's and 70's, a few small showers, hours of just hanging out and only a few fights over who sat in what chair first.

Turkeys should be coming the first of the week. They're coming a few months too late to help control the grasshoppers though. We have decided next year we will order a few turkeys early in the summer and use them for pest control.

We have hamburger again! We appreciate your patience as we waited to restock our freezers.

It has turned very dry in our part of the state. I'm sure the 100+ degree days and wind hasn't helped at all. We were fortunate to get a half inch of rain about a week ago but have missed several of the other rains that have come through the county.

Hard to believe that school will be starting in just a few weeks. Natalie and Allison will be going this year and the house will be quiet during the days with just Anna and I here. Oh wait, what am I thinking, it won't be quiet - or calm or boring - with Anna around.

I will be in Wichita on Tuesday, July 27th if there's something you'd like me to bring. Then, the Tillbergs are coming out to help with chickens on the 30th. If you're in the Lindsborg/McPherson area and need something, let me know. Jennifer said she'd be happy to haul something back. AND, we'll be in Olathe on August 13th and 14th for another Tips and Tastes party. If you'd like to place an order, we'll bring it with us. We're excited about doing another tasting party - it seems to be the best way to visit with new customers.

One of the reasons we're on vacation this week is because we survived the county fair last week. This is Allison's 3rd year in 4-H but her first year showing livestock. There is a much bigger time investment involved with taking livestock than with just showing a few photographs. She and Kurt spent the better part of 3 days at the fair grounds caring for the goats, Chicken and Fizzy. Mostly, I left goat care to Kurt and Allison. However, one afternoon I went to check on Allison. We'd intended to pick her up and head straight to the pool to cool off. Somehow though, I ended up holding a goat's lead rope (a first), scooping goat poop (another first although I've had lots of recent training while potty training Anna) and two little girls in swimsuits repeatedly asking me "Can we swim yet?" Later that same day, I ended up helping Allison wash a goat - another first. I assure you it wasn't part of my plan at all but she was tired, soaked and the goat would NOT cooperate. What's a momma to do? Fizzy and Chicken were well scrubbed and both ended up earning blue ribbons.

That night, Allison and 3 friends participated in the Barnyard Olympics - an event surely devised by rural people with a strange sense of humor. Allison's team (3 soon-to-be-fourth-graders and a 4-year-old) had to haul water in a leaky bucket over a hot wire, rope a fake steer, move bales, feed a bucket calf and eat 2 hot dogs. Allison's team wasn't the fastest but had a great time.

The next night, Natalie got to have her fun at the fair dance. A band from Satanta played (it was so nice to have live music) and Natalie danced and danced. Then all of a sudden, someone flipped a switch and she was too tired to move.

New Mexico update: I am Pat Benetar. As if there was any doubt. Our "cabin" has a Playstation 2 equipped with Guitar Hero. This is a novelty for us - we don't own any gaming systems. I think I know why now - I could get addicted pretty easily - in fact, I might already be. . . Allison's goal is to get through a song without getting booed off the stage. Mine is to play and not have Kurt laugh at me - Anna and Nat cheer for me. "Go momma!" My rockin' husband (who plays guitar) smokes us all.

Farmers market update: We will be in Greensburg a few more times this summer. I need to sit down with a calendar when we get home. This summer seems busier and it's just harder to make the trip up and back. There's starting to be a conversation about hosting a market in Comanche County next year and we would love to help make that happen. I've also been approached by a gentleman at Dolci and Joe's in Wichita about coming to the market they are hosting on Sunday afternoons. I need a little more information but we'll keep you posted.

Goal met: Allison just finished "School's Out" by Alice Cooper on Guitar Hero. By the end of our trip she had mastered the song. If only there was Piano Hero.

One more quick reminder about our "Friend of the Farm" loyalty program. If you purchase $500 in product in 2010, we'll give you a 5% discount on ONE order in 2011. Purchase $1000 in 2010 and we'll give you a 5% discount on 2 orders in 2011.

Take care!

Andi

P.S. One final NM story. On our second night in the cabin, we had some night visitors - 2 bears! We think a momma and her cub. They played with the cooler and knocked over the grill. The girls walked a fine line between curious and terrified.

Welcome to July. I'm still recovering from Kurt's recent absence and am still trying to catch up. There was a time (many years ago) when summer was a time to relax and catch up. I'm pretty sure those days are over now that we have kids and chickens. Now, I'm plotting and planning for September when I can resume my short naps and catch up (about 2 years worth of scrap booking).

At the beginning of June, the girls and I began attending the farmers market in Greensburg. We've had to take the last few weeks off - Natalie was sick one Saturday and there was a t-ball tournament last week (wouldn't have missed that for anything). Looking forward to being back this week.

A big thank you to everyone who has been so understanding as we've waited to restock our hamburger. We're still learning how to manage inventory. I'm headed to McPherson this week to pick up several hundred pounds of hamburger - let me know if you need some. Please note our hamburger is now $4.00/pound.

At the beginning of the month, Kurt and several of our neighbors worked our calves. Kurt worked much harder that day than I did but Natalie and I did our part and made sure the men were well fed and watered.

The pullets are now in their new house (the Egg Sled II) and they have adjusted nicely. The chickens range during the day and we shut them up at night to protect them from predation. Currently, there are 125 young pullets that should start laying in mid to late September. Our older layers are still doing a good job although they have dropped off a little with the 100+ degree weather. Can't blame them, I don't want to do much in the heat either.

In addition to the laying hens, broilers keep showing up. Currently, we have 250 broilers on the farm - another 100 just showed up today. They were kind of a surprise, I'm embarrassed to say. I knew we had more chicks coming but I was pretty sure we had another week. I'll watch the calendar a little more closely the rest of the summer. Our first processing date will be July 30th. We still have some broilers available for that date but they're starting to go fast. Our next dates will be mid-August and the end of August. If you'd like some reserved, please let me know.

Dale Family Farms is engaged in a new learning experience. About 2 weeks ago, Kurt, Natalie and Anna went to pick up our 12 pigs. They're different sizes so we can stagger processing. We've enjoyed watching them. Pigs are very curious and love weeds. Now that the pigs are comfortable in their pen, Kurt has opened up an area in the trees. They love the weeds and we're hoping they'll take care of some of the underbrush and elm sprouts. This fall we hope to use them as mini plows in the garden before we mulch it for the winter.

Last week, several of the animals went on a short field trip to church. It was Vacation Bible School week and the leaders wanted a small petting zoo. We took Allison's 2 goats, the bucket calf, and 2 chickens plus a neighbor took in a horse for rides. The kids loved interacting with the animals and the bucket calf came home with a very full belly - Kurt let several of the kids feed it that morning.

Our garden is starting to produce - not quite what I planned but we're starting to bring veggies in for meals. I learned a lot about onions, lettuce and potatoes and hope to have a better crop next year. My zucchini plants are huge but not very many zucchini yet. Beans, okra, corn, pumpkins and cantaloupe will keep up hopping in a few weeks. And the tomatoes, oh the tomatoes. In a week or so, I'll be elbow deep in canning. I planted 30 some plants this year - expecting them to produce like they have in the past. What I didn't figure into the equation was my tending to them this spring. I've never cared for my tomatoes like this - there's never been the time in the past. Hmmm . . . . probably a life lesson there - the better we care for something, the more it thrives. Regardless of how well they've produced, the vegetables from our garden taste so much better than what I buy in the store. This was so true for the 7 strawberries we harvested. They were small but incredibly sweet. I hope to have a real strawberry patch in a few years. Any good tips out there?

As I write, we are headed to our last baseball game of the season (whew). Both Allison and Natalie have played ball this summer. Allison - coach pitch and Natalie t-ball. They have both really enjoyed it but with 4 games (2 nights a week) and a couple of practices a week, I'm ready for a regular meal at the table in the evenings. (Update: Allison's team won - they went 9-1 for the season - and won the league championship game. Sorry, just had to toot her horn a little.)

Last week, Kurt went to football camp with the high school football team (he's the assistant coach). They went to Northwest Missouri State (NE of Kansas City) and other than some minor, ok, major car troubles with our suburban (we're very thankful for the good friend who helped out), they had a good weekend. However, while Kurt was gone, I worked hard. Not only was I in charge of the kids and ballgames, etc., I also got to chore for Kurt. He assured me it never takes him more that an hour total a day to take care of chores around the farm (watering and feeding the livestock). Ok, there's a few variables he forgot to take into account: 1)he knows what he's doing since this is part of his routine, 2)while I can pick up Anna, Natalie or Allison, it's NOT the same as lifting and emptying a 50#bag of feed, 3) he gets to do chores unencumbered - i.e. without children helping or hollering for his help, and 4) did I say, he knows what he's doing. For the most part we fared pretty well, if you don't take into account the rogue snake under the brooder, the pick-up that I was planning on using that was unavailable and the very short nights I had. Thankfully, a good friend of mine came down to help out and proved to be invaluable at diffusing panic - mostly when I discovered the 5 FOOT LONG SNAKE. Most importantly, she was another adult and provided backup and sanity when I most needed it - everyone needs a friend like this.

This week we're starting to prepare for the fair which begins in a little over a week. Allison will be showing her goats and entering photographs and muffins. Natalie is gone to my mom's so we'll visit this weekend and then make some plans.

We are also starting to prepare for another Tips and Tastes part in August in the Olathe area. It's such a good opportunity to visit with customers and give them a chance to sample our products.

Quick family updates:

Allison: She's recovering from a busy month. Two camps, one visit to Grandma Billie's and baseball. She's looking forward to sleeping in a few mornings this month.

Natalie: Had a great time playing t-ball and doing gymnastics. However, when asked if she will play t-ball next year, Natalie will tell you, "probably not - my back gets too sweaty in ready position."

Anna: She also enjoyed gymnastics. I never enrolled the bigger girls in anything this young but Anna was copying everything Natalie was doing. I thought we'd try the 6 sessions this summer and see what happened. Anna and her sisters have been playing gymnastics in the basement - it keeps the floor picked up. Other big news for Anna - she's almost (I use that word expectantly) potty trained.

Kurt: He's been busy with livestock, hay and football. We're looking forward to cooler evenings (hopefully) where we can sit and visit on the porch again.

Me: Most of my time this month has been spent making sure everyone is packed for ballgames, camp or other adventures as well as making sure everyone arrives at said activities on time. Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration and it's been time well spent. I have managed to read a few books.

Hope your July isn't a scorcher.

Andi

Find us on Facebook at Dale Family Farms.

May 2010

School will be out tomorrow and this has been the most relaxing May that I can ever remember. While it's been a full month, I haven't been trying to juggle all of this and school. Consequently, I think the reduced stress has improved my allergies AND I've been able to enjoy more time outdoors.

Our garden has benefited from this extra time. This is the first time ever that everything has been in the ground before the end of school and I enjoyed doing it - I wasn't working against the clock, trying to get it all done in a few afternoons. While there's still weeding to be done (I have employed our daughters to help), I think this is the best the garden has ever looked. I'll keep you posted on the production. Hopefully, we'll have enough surpluses to take some to the Farmers' Market at Greensburg. I got the details last week and we'll be in Greensburg on Saturday mornings from 9-12 starting June 5th. Look us up if you're around.

Our first batch of broilers is due to arrive in about 2 weeks and we'll have chickens available on/around July 30, August 13 and 20, September 3 and 17 and October 1. If you want chicken this summer, please reserve yours now. I've started organizing our orders and we have about 1/4 of our 2010 production reserved. Just send me an email and let me know how many and on what date. I'll call you the week before they're ready and give you a definite day and pick up time. If you've been on our price page (http://dalefamilyfarms.com/PriceList.html), you may have noticed that our frozen chicken is $.50/pound higher than fresh chicken. This applies to any chicken we have in the freezer after our last processing date in October. It helps cover our expense for storing and handling the meat. Questions, let me know.

If you've been on our site, you may have also notice that we are currently out of hamburger. We have processing dates set up for mid-June and should have hamburger available again in early July. In the meantime, we have been substituting patties for hamburger (at hamburger price). If allowed to thaw thoroughly, we have found the patties to be a reasonable substitute. Also, please note that starting June 1, our hamburger price will go up to $4/pound.

Please keep Barbara and Greg Peterson in your thoughts and prayers. They are the owners/operators of McInteer's in Minneola, the processor that we use in this part of the state. Last week, they had a devastating fire in their facility and are trying to sort through the remains. They have been excellent to work with and I'm afraid we'll have to find another processor out here.

We have been fortunate to get about an inch of rain over the last week or so. Now, if the wind just wouldn't dry it out again! It's always good to see green grass and water in the creek. By August, it may be gone.

I'll be making a connection with someone in the Olathe area (still working on the details) on Friday. I will also be through Greensburg, Pratt, McPherson, Lindsborg and Wichita if there's anything you need.

Our transition to farm family is almost complete. The girls think shoes are optional when running around in the yard. Baths are becoming more and more necessary as the layers of dirt build up faster. They are also becoming comfortable with animals of all shapes and sizes. This weekend was the spring livestock show at the fair grounds. Our girls wandered through the barn with all kinds of animals around. When I first found Allison, she was helping a classmate wash her steer - an animal probably 10-12 times her size. Allison was there to show her goats, Chicken and Fizzy. Natalie was there to socialize. (Side note: I'm writing this while sitting at the kitchen counter. Natalie is trying to fit her head through the hole made by my arm and the counter and Anna is peering over my other shoulder.) The life of a show goat is much different than I anticipated. Chicken and Fizzy were clipped, scrubbed, and blow dried in preparation for the big show. Allison did a great job for her first time in the show ring. There were lots of girls her age with goats and the goats were not too unruly - hers just weren't exactly what the judge thought a great goat should look like.

On Wednesday, Kurt and I will be attending a workshop in Dodge City put on by the Kansas Rural Center. We hope to learn a lot and will have some time to visit with other people doing what we're doing.

Our egg numbers are finally back up - about 3 dozen a day. Our hens have lived in several places and it seems like every time we move them to fresh grass, they start hiding eggs. So. . . .the day after Kurt moves them, we have started leaving them in the hen house until mid morning after most of them have laid. This seems to have solved our problem. We've decide to be proactive with our next flock of layers. We move the young pullets from the brooder directly to our second hen house.

The next week or so will be a busy one. Kurt has 250 acres of hay to bale, a hog pen to build and some other field work to finish. Hopefully, rain will slow him down a little!

Quick family updates:

Allison: She finished 3rd grade today and has a full summer planned. A couple of camps, designated pitch and several rec activities.

Natalie is also done with school and will start Kindergarten next year. She's looking forward to summer gymnastics and being old enough to also participate in rec activities.

Anna is tickled to have her big sisters round and continues to be a great mimic. She's happiest when she can wander, barefoot in the backyard.

Kurt and I are mourning the end of our favorite show, "24." Pretty sure we'll have plenty to keep us busy this summer.

Blessings!

Andi

April 2010

Apparently the March edition of the Cattle Rattle was never meant to be. Easily in April, I kept thinking it would get done. . . . now, it's the end of the month and time to write April's update. The last two months have been full ones.

At the end of February, the whole family headed to Yankton, SD - just north of the Nebraska border. We went for The Grassfed Exchange. Friday was full of panel discussions, Friday night was a banquet with grass-fed beef and Alan Nation spoke (the editor of The Stockman Grassfarmer and one of our favorites) and Saturday was a cattle sale. Kurt enjoyed the discussions and the girls loved the pool at the hotel - I think we swam 4 times in 2 days! Allison's favorite by far though was the cattle sale. She had tears because we were going to leave early. By the time we finally did leave, she was able to estimate the weight of the cattle within 100 pounds or so - may be a useful skill at some point.

The next weekend found Anna, Kurt and I in Olathe hosting a Tips and Tastes party. Kurt's brother and his family were wonderful hosts and we had a great turnout - don't think I've ever cooked for 34 before! I am continually humbled by our family and friends' willingness to support our young business.

There are several reasons we have been so busy the last few months. One of them has been my involvement with the high school forensics team. In a two week period, I went out 5 times with the kids. They've had a great season and are preparing to go to State Competition this Saturday.

We've also been busy getting the garden going - we're almost done - only pumpkins and watermelons left to plant. This is the first time EVER I've had the garden up and growing before Mother's Day. The girls were so excited yesterday to see a baby head of broccoli - they'll enjoy watching it grow. Now, if I can just keep the goats, the chickens and Anna out!

Speaking of goats, two wethers (named Fizzy and Chicken) have come to live at the farm. They're Allison's 4-H project and Kurt's pasture experiment. Allison has been great with them and can get them to eat out of her hand. I've also been proud of how brave Natalie has been - going in to the pen without an adult. My understanding is that it's not "if goats get out but when." Last night, we had our first goat escape. Kurt and Allison had expanded the goat pen so they would have more room to roam and be able to munch on the young elm trees that are sprouting everywhere. Fizzy decided to check out the hot wire and instead of jumping back, he leaped forward through the wires. Thankfully Kurt and Allison were close and very patient. Getting Fizzy quickly became a family endeavor. Anna finished her supper and didn't fuss. Natalie and I held Yeller - far away from the excitement. He was dying to go help but in his enthusiasm, he probably would have chased Fizzy to town. Allison got Fizzy to follow the can of food until he was safely back in the pen.

Chicks have also shown up on the farm. They're still cute but at almost 2 weeks, they've moved past adorable. We have 100 Rhode Island Reds and 25 Aracuanas in the brooder and expect them to start laying around mid-September - before the others start to molt and quit laying. The layers are pretty hardy and and even the chicks have handled swings in spring temperatures well. We're excited to be selling eggs at the local cafe and hope to double our production in the fall.

Our first broilers are due to arrive the first part of June. We won't have fresh chicken until July but we're pretty sure it will be worth the wait. Turkeys won't be too far behind them.

One more note on the layers. Currently, our layers have taken to laying eggs wherever it seems to be convenient - the dog house, by the mailbox, the mulch pile, by the garden on the ground. . . We will work harder to train this next batch better - we don't enjoy our daily egg hunts!

It is definitely greening up! We've had almost 2 inches of rain over the last week and it's so good to see plants growing. Guess we'll have to start mowing - hmm. . . .am I will to get sheep to take care of that?

The cattle are also enjoying the green grass. It's always fun to watch the calves play and Kurt has excitement trying to tag the new babies. Sometimes the momma cows aren't real interested in letting ANYTHING near their babies. When the girls drive pasture with Kurt, they're often in charge of getting the ear tagger ready. Then, they proceed to cheer for the momma if she gets a little protective - poor Kurt!

The spring flush has also been good for our steers. Kurt recently took 4 steers to the processor - two were over 1400 pounds, one was around 1300 pounds and one was closer to 1100. Contrary to what conventional agriculture may say, cattle can get fat on grass. Kurt calculated their rate of gain somewhere just under 2 pounds per day. We were also very pleased with their hanging weights - 60-65% of the liveweight. this translates to a great deal (more meat) for our customers who are buying quarters/halves. By the way, we have a quarter and a half still available in McPherson and a quarter and a a half available at Minneola. If you (or someone you know) is interested, please contact us ASAP. They will be ready in just a few weeks and we won't have quarters and halves available again until fall.

With all the rain and green around, Kurt decided it was time to clean up a few piles of bush and trees left over from ice storms and the tornado. Not quite all gone but it sure looks better!

Kurt wanted me to share that his parents will both celebrate their 80th birthdays this spring. Both are still very active on the farm!

Several of you already know but the farm has had a facebook page for the last few months. Once or twice a week, we try to share updates. We'd love for you to become a fan!

I almost forgot, quick kid update:

Allison is busy with 4-H and school. Shes looking forward to this summer.

Natalie is almost done with preschool and is very excited about kindergarten round up. She is finishing up gymnastics until summer and is almost ready for their performance.

Anna is truly a little shadow - following her sisters everywhere - sometimes to their chagrin. Maybe by next month , we can share that's she completely potty trained.

Hope you and your families are able to enjoy this great spring weather.

Andi

February 2010 Editon

Wow - another month gone - one more month closer to Spring! We've had a lot of cold, snowy weather this winter and I'm ready for sunshine and green grass. The moisture we've had should help guarantee the green grass and I'll just have to trust that the sunshine will come.

Now that I've complained about the weather, we're about to head some place colder. On Thursday, we're headed to Yankton, South Dakota - the whole family, 8 hours away. Not quite sure what we were thinking but it should be an adventure. We do have a reason for going - the Grass Fed Exchange (http://www.grassfedexchange.com/). Kurt is really interested in meeting with several of the buyers and potentially finding a market for many of our steers. Kurt couldn't find anyone else that could go with him, so I volunteered and as we began to plan, we decided we just couldn't ask his folks to babysit 2 weekends in a row. So. . . everyone is going, of course. Allison has the organizer's permission to sit in on the meetings if she's interested (she will even get her own name tag) and we'll all go to the cattle sale on Saturday - country folk are pretty easily entertained. We'll see new country and there's a great pool at the motel so we'll be in heaven. I'll let you know how it goes.

Today, I went to McPherson to pick up meat. We have bratwurst available again and beef jerky for the first time - it's great! The girls enjoyed it for "dessert" tonight - Kurt was so proud. Let us know if you want to try some.

A quick reminder if you've bought sirloin in the last 4-5 months. Our butcher included some cuts with a large bone or excessive fat. If you think you've received one of these, please let me know and we'll make it right. Likewise, we'll be substituting other steaks for sirloin in the grilling sampler and steak sampler until we process again.

I think we must be crazy, certifiable for sure. Not only did we plan our trip to South Dakota last week, we also ordered poultry for the 2010 season - are you ready for this? 125 layers, 550 broilers and 50 turkeys! We've had a great response and are trying to keep up with demand. We will have chickens available on or around July 30, August 13, August 20, September 3, September 17, and October 1 and turkeys will be ready the week of Thanksgiving. If you're interested, please start thinking about reserving yours. We're starting our broilers later this year so that we can avoid big temperature swings. We found last year that the chicks we started in April just didn't thrive like the ones later in the season.

Kurt's finding out that I'm becoming an integral part of this operation. Most of my work is either done at the computer or behind the wheel of the Suburban shuttling him, meat or parts back and forth. However, about 3 weeks ago, I got to play vet tech - ok, maybe I've inflated my role just a little. I'll let you decide. Kurt had a heifer calf that had been bloating - usually a sign of GI problems. He'd been watching her for a day or so and thought she was better. Kurt was going to be off the farm most of the day doing some custom work and asked me to check on her. First, I had to find #964 out in the pasture with the rest of the cattle. To be honest, all of the calves were on a small alfalfa patch just across the road from the house so I didn't have to look too hard. However, I did have to get out of the Suburban and walk north down the fence line. Ol' 964 was pretty easy to find - she was off all by herself - and even to my untrained eyes, the bloat was pretty obvious. I called Kurt to give him an update and he changed his plans to come and take her over to the vet and get her checked out. I'm pretty sure I saved her life that day.

Then, a few days later, I got to help move cattle across the road. Actually, Natalie and I have helped several times this month but mostly we just park in the road and turn on our flashers so nobody comes roaring down the road and into the middle of the herd. Pretty tough job. Anyway, back to the story. Natalie, Anna and I were supposed to do our regular job of watching for cars while Kurt and Allison were leading the momma cows from one pasture to the other - this gets a little dicey because for about 45 seconds they are out in the open - no fence, nothing to keep them from moseying on down the road. Kurt and Allison got in the pickup to lead them to fresh pasture and Kurt called them with the pickup horn. Most of them listened but there were about 20 that were still enjoying their breakfast and didn't want to go. Andi to the rescue! Anna and Natalie held down the fort in the Suburban (for those of you that are safety conscious, I took the keys and there's hardly ever cars on our road). I knew that I wasn't brave enough to come up behind the cows on foot and get them moving but I could drive the pickup to lead them while Kurt walked behind them. One small problem, my legs are about 2 inches too short and I got stuck on the barbed wire fence trying to get to the pickup - thankfully it wasn't hot but one of the barbs got stuck in my jeans - my NEW jeans. My pride was hurt as Kurt had to come to MY rescue . . . Cowgirls don't pout though so I hopped in the driver's seat and away we went. I started honking the horn to lead the last few cows while Kurt walked behind them. However, we had to move fast enough so the cows already in the new pasture didn't come back when they heard the horn. What a conundrum! I'm not sure what happened the next few minutes. I know all the cows ended up in the right pasture with the gate shut, Anna and Natalie were playing contentedly in the Suburban, I only killed the pickup twice and swore once and I never got yelled at by Kurt. All in all a successful operation.

Dale Family Farms now has a page on Facebook. Become a fan if you want updates on what's happening on the farm. Comments and thoughts are welcome as we learn how to use this type of media.

Start planning ahead - we're taking orders for wholes, halves and quarters of beef. Check out www.dalefamilyfarms.com/FAQs.html for more information on how these are priced.

We'll be in Greensburg, Pratt and Wichita on March 5 if there's anything you need. We'll be on our way to Olathe. My brother-in-law is hosting a Tips and Tastes party. Looking forward to a good time.

Kurt took several of our calves to the sale barn last week and for the first time in a long time, he was really pleased with how they sold. He said he could tell a real difference between our cattle and those raised in a dry lot - ours looked healthier and had a shinier coat. Natalie got to go with him and was a peach.

Legos and games have been the big focus of the girls' time lately. They have all built wonderful creations and have stretched their imaginations and mine. Even Anna like to put pieces together and declare it's a house just like her sisters.

I'm not sure what the following story says about Kurt and I - either we are really comfortable with each other or we're just too practical to be romantics. :) For Christmas, the girls and I got Kurt a Timberwolf hoodie - just like he asked for. And Kurt, he went out on a limb and bought me a coat. Now before you start swooning ladies, you need to know that this is not the first time Kurt bought me a coat. The first one he almost bought was an engagement gift and the second was a first Christmas gift. Anyway, this Christmas, Kurt bought me a work coat - a very warm, very brown work coat. Probably so I could go out with him and move cattle. However this month, we both ended up with a problem. Kurt tried on his new sweatshirt (it wasn't quite ready on time for Christmas) and it was just a little small to put more layers on underneath. I did what any frugal wife would do, I volunteered to wear it. About the same time, Kurt was getting ready to go out in the cold to feed the chickens one morning (a job I'm not tough enough for) and the "blankety-blank" zipper broke on his Carhart coat. Andi to the rescue again. I let Kurt wear My new work coat - it was a little big on me. By the end of the day, he had already got grease on it and so I let Kurt keep the coat. . . hmmm . . . what does this say about us as a couple?

Next time I write, I'm sure it will be spring and we'll all be in a better mood.

Take care

Andi

January 2010 - take two

Take one was started Sunday evening with lots of activity and random screaming in the background. Needless to say it was a little more scattered than normal and a tick on the boring side. I'll try again and see how I do. However, it will be hard to focus tonight since Kurt and I are eagerly anticipating the next installment of "24." It's about the only show Kurt and I really watch - we've seen all 50 seasons - ok, 7 - and don't know what we'll do when the series ends.

The birthday season is finally over at our house - 3 birthdays in 3 weeks - not the best planning on our part. . . . We've been bowling snd roller skating, had 3 cakes and two sets of cupcakes, plus we celebrated my mom's birthday with lots of cookies there in the middle. No wonder Anna can sing "Happy Birthday" and would quikcly respon to the question "What's tomorrow? with "My birf-day!"

During the last month, we also were able to squeeze in a quick overnight trip to the big city (Wichita). Saint Cynthia and Uncle Big watched al three girls while Kurt and I not only got the chance to finish sentences but entire conversations.

The weather has been extreme the last month with sixty degree differences in high and low temperatures. There for a few weeks it barely got out of the single digits and then it warmed up to the mid 50's. I don't mind winter but I could live without the bitter cold (thanks, Kurt, for cutting all that firewood). We're hoping for some moisture this week. Kurt's pretty sure we haven't had significant moisture since October or November. I bet he could check his little red cattle book and tell us for sure. During that really cold snap, Kurt decided once again that he prefers sitting by the fire in January to babysitting heifers that are about to calve.

Predators have continued to pester our laying hens. Just the other night, Yeller, our yellow lab and the best farm dog ever, was barking his "I'm serious, there's something that needs your attention" bark. I went to ask Kurt what was out in the backyard and before I could find him, I heard the BOOM of the shotgun. Yeller had caught a possum and Kurt "took care of it." I don't think the possum did near as much damage though as the bobcat that was here. About six weeks ago, we found all the hens roosting around the house. We weren't sure what had spooked them but it took three of us to herd them back to the Egg Sled in the dark. I'm not sure how many chickens Allison carried back to the hen house by herself that evening. The next afternoon, I looked out the patio door and all the chickens were running towards the house again. Kurt grabbed his shot gun and headed out to see what was going on . There was a bobcat running out of the Egg Sled towards the pasture. Unfortunately, the bobcat was too far away for Kurt to get a shot off. (Hmmm. . . lots of shotgun stories this month. Do you see a pattern?) It was time to call in the professionals. Kurt got a hold of a friend of his who traps and he set out to get the bobcat. It took over three weeks but finally, we (ok, Kurt and his friend) caught a very large bobcat. Hopefully, this solves our preator problems at least for awhile.

Last week, I got another farm first under my belt. I got to ride along with Kurt when we hauled two beeves to McPherson. I don't think I've ever had this privilege. Drivers on 54 weren't very patient with us though. Anyway, we'll have more brats and hot dogs in time for the Super Bowl. Let us know if you're interested. We're also going to have some beef jerky awailbale as well.

We're starting to make plans for processing later this spring. Let us know if you are intersted in reserving a quarter, half or whole (see our FAQs for information on the cost).

In addition to the new FAQs page, there are some other changes to our website (thanks, Mom!). They're pretty subtle. Check out the site and see if there's anything else we need to add/change. http://www.dalefamilyfarms.com/

Kurt and I have decided to make a few other changes. First of all, after much discussion and research, we have decided to collect sales tax beginning February 1st. Netiher of us is completely thrilled with this (mostly because the paperwork can be a nightmare. If we deliver, we have to charge the sales tax rate of where we delivered to.) We are aware of farmers doing what we're doing and some are collecting sales tax and some aren't. However, we think it is approproiate at this time for our operation. Because of agriculture exemptions, sales tax will NOT be charged on quarters, halves and wholes because we will be selling customers a live animal not retail meat.

One other big change will be effective Februaery 1st. We will begin charging a small fee for delivery. Kurt and I spent a lot of time during one meeting discussing what to do about delivery. We agreed that it wasn't fair for our local customers to pay the same price as customers who are 120+ miles away. However, we didn't want our delivery cost to be prohibitive either. This is what we've come up with to help cover our time and traveing expenses. If we pack up meat and take it somewhere off the farm, there will be a $5 fee. If we deliver the meat to your door (as opposed to a site convenient to us), there will be an addtional $10 fee. Delivery will also be available for quarters, halves and wholes but the fee will vary depending on the distance traveled.

We have also decided to implement a more regular delivery schedule. We thought this would help our customers plan better if they know when we're coming their way. As of now, we will make our Greensburg, Pratt and Wichita run once a month and plan to "go to town" sometime during the first week of every month. However, I'll only make the trip if my orders total $400. After putting a pencil to it, we decided it's not worth my time and mileage to go for less than that. We'll ask that orders be in by the end of the previous month and I'll let you know by the 2nd if I'm not coming. Depending on what happens in the next few months, we are also looking to add a Garden City run and possibly an Olathe run. They probably won't be monthly but we'll find some kind of scheulde. Questions or clarification, please, let me know.

We appreciate your willingness to grow with us as we learn the beef business. Kurt and I have said many times during the last two years that the meat business is very different than the beef business. I'd add it's more rewarding also. We get to deliver our product to the final consumer and get specific feedback from them. My favorite supporter is a little boy in Lindsborg who has become our biggest fan.

Enough business. Here's a funny for you - at least it is now. About two weeks ago, we bought a self inking stamp to start marking our beef. The intention is that we will be able to better manage our inventory and keeep track of processing dates. Being the forward thinker that I am, I also bought a bottle of refill ink. The moms out there are already seeing many potential disasters - somehow, they eluded me at the time. Not thinking much of it, I put both the stamp and the ink downstairs in our "business" bookcase. Fast forward several days. Allison and Anna were in the basement playing quietly. I ran upstairs to take care of something and then got distracted. I know I hollered down to check on everyone and Alliosn assured me they were good (she was engrossed in a computer game at the time). Next thing I know, Anna appears at the top of the stairs looking like a little Goth rocker. I forgot her fascination with lids. Apparently, Anna got the bottle of ink off the top shelf, unscrewed the lid and started having a good time. She had ink on both hands and a foot, in and on her mouth, on her belly and in the carpet. After the panic subsided, I realized the ink was water-based and non-toxic. Glad I hadn't made the call to poison control yet (we did that 18 months ago when she ate tomato leaves and they might keep records). After an hour in the tub, several glasses of water, and a good squirt of Resolve, life returned to "normal." Oh and I forgot to mention this all occured on Anna's 2nd birthday. This will be a fun year!

Natalie, on the other hand, is becomeing very resposnible and grown us (she's 5 now, you know). Apparently, she's learning to shift gears in the pick-up. For some reason, I question the wisdom here but Kurt assures me it's something farms kids do. He's teaching her to shift when she gets to sit in the middle seat of the pick-up. I guess she still needs to work on where each gear is - watch out if she gets 3rd and reverse confused!

I think we've told you that we plan to have pigs this year but goats are also about to make an appearance. Kurt and Allison are buy plotting and planning. Two goat books have arrived from Amazon.com, therefore the goats' arrival must be imminent. Allison is taking on goats as a 4-H project and Kurt is hoping to use them to control the plum thickets. I'm sure the goats will provide us with lots of stories. Stop by the farm in July and August and you're sure to see quite a menagerie - cattle, pigs, goats, chickens, and turkeys plus a dog and a few cats!

We're gearing up to host another Tips and Tastes party in March courstesy of my brother-in-law. Let me know if you're interested in sharing Dale Family Farms products with your family and friends.

My calendar is about to fill up for the next few months. The forensics season kicks off this weekend and I'm the assistant coach at the high school. Allison is an honorary member of the team and we'll keep you posted during the season. Allison is on another team this winter - she's plaing baseketball for the first time this year. She's enjoying practice (even the running) and is looking forward to her first game.

Although there is always more to share - I remember more the longer I write - I'll close for this month. Take care.

Oh wait, one more thing. After last night's supper, I've decidcd I'm not selling any more sirloin tip steak - also called tri tip steak. Just joking. We found the best and easiest recipe for this cut in The Grassfed Gourmet. It's on page 29, if you have the book. Since I don't have copyright permission for this recipe, I won't post it here but email me if you want the recipe for Flash Roasted Beef. It was easy and got two thumbs up from everyone at the table.

Andi

December 2009

I hope this edition of the Cattle Rattle finds you refreshed after the holidays. I think this has been the most relaxed Christmas season ever - OK, that might be a slight misstatement. I didn't have to get all stressed trying to fit Christmas around school work, final exam preparation and the hustle and bustle of the season this year. However, I'm not sure spending time with three very excited little girls could be qualified as down time. We could really "go green" if we found a way to harness their energy this time of the year.

Earlier this month, we had a chance to meet with Keith O'Neal of Satanta. He and his family have been processing chickens on the farm for several years. It's always good to visit with others who are doing the same type of thing we are - makes us feel a little more normal. In addition to being a worthwhile learning experience, Kurt and I got to visit uninterrupted for several hours and on the way home, we enjoyed amazing, authentic Mexican food.

We were able to enjoy Christmas at home again this year which means we avoided most of the snow that much of the state received. We were lucky enough though to get about 8 feet of wind. For those of you who live east of here, you have never truly experienced a windy day until you've been in 40 mph wind with very little wind break here in Southwest Kansas.

One last Christmas reflection and I'll move on. One of my favorite parts of Christmas has been watching my girls (and Kurt) try to be sneaky (Nat's word). Allison tries to play it cool and is very noncommittal in her answers. Natalie, on the other hand, tells you almost everything she can about a gift without saying what it is and then, is offended if you remind her it's supposed to be a secret. Anna just gets excited and tries out her new vocabulary while being shushed repeatedly by her sisters. Kurt, takes an entirely different tack. If I begin to ask too many questions, his reply quickly becomes "if you want, I can just tell you." I am glad that the conversation between Allison and Natalie: "I'll tell you what I got you if you tell me" is over for while. Eleven months of reprieve.

Another change we will be making in the next month or so is a small fee for the deliveries we make. After doing some more "ciphering," we've decided that we've not been allowing enough for fuel and wear and tear on the old suburban. Kurt and I are still working on the details and don't plan to implement anything until the first of February. That said, we will be in the Wichita area on January 9th and 10th and the 16th and 17th and in McPherson January 6th if there's anything you need.

I'm not sure how many times during the last few frigid weeks I've heard Kurt say "I'm so glad I'm not calving in January." Life has been so much easier since we started calving in April and May. Kurt doesn't miss checking on heifers at 10 pm and 2 am - especially on those nights when the temperatures are in the teens or colder.

Currently, we have cows on crop residue and calves on wheat pasture and alfalfa. Kurt is working hard to make sure we best utilize our land resources and has been supplementing less and less.

We preg checked our cows and heifers earlier this month and were pleased with the conception rate. (A quick note of explanation: when the vet preg checks he/she checks to see if a cow has been bred and about how far along she is. To do this, the cattle have to be brought into the pen and run through the chute to be checked one at a time.) Allison got to help this year and thought she was pretty big stuff. There was another third grader there with his dad and together they were in charge of tags and record keeping (with a little supervision from Grandpa). Unfortunately, our layers are not faring quite as well. In June, we started 115 pullets - we are down to less than 50! Predators have been a huge issue and just when we think we've taken care of the problem, a bobcat showed up. Kurt has a friend who traps and is coaching us on what to do to eradicate the problem.

Kurt and I are taking 2 beeves to McPherson in January. I think this is the first time I've ever got to ride along when Kurt has pulled the livestock trailer. Our plan is to have more hot dogs and brats made. If you haven't tried our brats or hot dogs yet, you need to. We've had more people tell us the hot dogs are the best they've ever had.

Now for news on the family front. First, my Mom gets to make an appearance in this month's update. Both Allison and Natalie got to go visit for a few days. They both enjoy the one-on-one time with Grandma and enjoy their sisters' company much more when they return. Other big news - my Mom turned 60 this month. Happy Birthday Mom! We'll celebrate big in a few weeks with an Open House.

Allison had her grade school program at the beginning of the month AND she performed a short Christmas poem from memory, by herself, with voices (I have to brag a little). Then, the next week, she played the piano in church. So much braver than her momma at that age.

Natalie also performed in a couple of programs this month. The first one was for preschool and I was so proud of her - she sang out - just like her teacher asked her to. Ok, sang out is an understatement. Natalie went full volume - great for a little girl who hates to sing in front of a group. Then about three weeks later, she had to sing in the church program. Now granted, she didn't know all the words and there was a huge crowd but Nat refused to sing. I think she chewed her gum and frowned the entire time. Very much her own person!

Ok, one more Christmas story - Kurt said I should mention the Red Rider BB gun here. For those familiar with the movie "A Christmas Story," you will see the connection in a moment. Ever since we did our shopping for the Angel Tree, Natalie was obsesses with a Cinderella Polly Pocket - Kurt's become quite the expert if you need to know what this is.
Every morning:
"Momma, can we go get the Polly Pocket today?"
"Do you think Cinderella is still at Wal-Mart? (Kurt explained stockrooms.)
"I wonder who will give me Cinderella." (At which point, her worldly sister felt the need to explain that you don't always get everything on your list.)
"Do you think we could go to Wal-Mart tomorrow?" (I had to remind her that we live a long way from Wal-Mart, thank goodness.)
"Do you think this store might have Cinderella?" (Hope springs eternal for an almost-five-year old walking into the hardware store.)
Thankfully, Cinderella was, in fact, under the tree. Rarely have I seen my daughter so single-minded for so long - if only we can focus her.

I'm surprised Anna didn't end up on Santa's naughty list this year. One morning she climbed up on the counter (and taunted me), emptied her sister's backpack and chased Natalie with a soda cracker (that's a story for another day) - all before 8 am! One afternoon, I found her with a flashlight laid out on the table in several pieces. She was working hard at putting it back together. Then, another night AFTER Kurt put her to bed, he found her at the top of the stairs with a bag of Cheetos. Never a dull moment.

I'm getting ready for the Forensics season at the high school. We hosted a kick off party before Christmas and I'm looking froward to spending time with the high school kids again. Kurt has kept himself busy tending to livestock, cutting firewood and hibernating in the evening (he thinks this sounds better than "he's snoring in his recliner.")

May 2010 be full of blessings!

Andi

I've never consider myself a writer. In fact, I used to dread writing assignments in high school - often resorting to drawing cubes on my paper (writer's block - get?) as I struggled to find ideas and organize myself. Over Christmas, I found out some of my in-laws look forward to getting our monthly updates. Ok, now the pressure is on to write something good. Gee thanks, guys.

If you know of someone who would be interested in grass-finished products or stories of life on the farm, feel free to forward The Cattle Rattle or send me their email address and I'll add them to our mailing list. You're also welcome to unsubscribe. Jut reply to this email with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. Just be ready to send a small donation so I can seek some counseling to help me deal with my insecurities as a write.