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