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"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.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
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
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
Monday, April 26, 2010
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
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
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
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
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
Friday, January 29, 2010
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
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.
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.
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