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.