Morning of the Sun Dried the Dew

Slept in the field to the buzzing of mosquitos to the fading of the stars to a dim sky, clear with spotted clouds while the world slowly became visible to the dawn and the cackling of hens already awake early in the morning- to a wet arm resting on the grass filled with dew- dried by a rich sun....fed and watered all, milked the cows to see that pure white milk flow into the jars in the kitchen when everything is cleaned...painted the truck quick"Sun Farm: Raw Milk 648 2510 - Farm like the Earth is your Friend" at work......

Happy Pictures

I have had soo much positive energy with this sun and a clear direction/desire with the CSA. I sped out of work, rototilled up new spots in the near dark for greens tomorrow- watered everyone, came home, checked calf!! now going to wash eggs. Enjoy the pictures-Godbless

Tomatoes (2 weeks ago) in hoop house. Looking nice. Some bottoms starting to turn I think!

Shhhhhhh. Kitties Sleeping on Remay.

Bloody Butcher x Painted Mountain Field Corn. Very pretty


Example of squash- recent


Bottom of garden- Newly planted brocolli in straw, potatoes, cover crop (with pumpkins) then more potatoes.

Zac doing something.....something.


Hoop house- Eggplant behind but coming strong- tomatoes suckered and blossom/tomato set

Pretty Pretty Kitty!


Zac in well carrying out unneeded stone.


Bees today. Busy. Put on honey Super. Thanks Jack.




Heifer Calf- Born today. Pinz x Jersey. Grandpa upset. Goodnight!

A Sunny Well

Last week everyone over at this home front was a bit bummed to see the weather report of rain, rain and maybe if we're lucking clouds and fog. Not needing to dwell on the soggy moods of last week, Marianne and I can attest to a splendid weekend. The farmer market was wonderful, as was the relatively laid-backness of the rest of the day- we got to talk a bit, and today spent the whole day together- weeding the garden and (mostly) pumping out/cleaning the well.

Going to bed. Cheers

To the Mall

Salisbury though it is small, oddly quaint and with a lone convenience store/gas station with banker hours, has a quality about it that is highly desirable: the dump!

The Salisbury transfer station is open on Saturdays as most are. One nifty guy in the town realized he could make a lot of money as a private garbage collector. You can see an overfilled half ton pickup meandering through Salisbury on the weekend. Then a couple other nifties thought about setting up a building at the dump to act as a shelter for discarded items that still have some life in them. Anyways, it is called the Salisbury Mall and we love it. I got a grease gun today. Then went over to the scrap metal pile and picked up 2 metal garbage cans. Sure beats other towns where you cannot take anything. So a quick trip to drop of trash usually fulfills a return with farm treasures! I did hold back on grabbing the red wheel barrow. I already have two from the dump- a third with yet another flat tire seemed a bit much. So Much depends on a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens.

The rain has definitely gotten to us. I am hoping for haying weather. I want to see the chickens work down the field instead of keeping them in the short rotations they are in now. The garden is looking alright still. Tomatoes in the hoop house are hanging on, peppers are flowering, hilled some potatoes, some ready lettuce.

And the prettiest thing in the garden!

Waitering in the Rain

The rain is audible outside. Marianne and I checked the check book while I ate down a late dinner of American Chopped Suey in a white buttoned shirt with the shiny black buttons. We cater at work on Thursdays for the Gordon Research - baked breads, pretty little deserts and lobster one of which was poorly balanced and I dropped it- or gravity did onto the shoulder and then the lower back of a customer by yours truly.

Greener and Wetterest Pastures

The cows haven't calved yet. I check them morning and night, but alas they do not look anymore ready than when we picked them up, and we thought they were ready to pop then! They'll come when ready.
We picked them up in New Durham. My grandfather worked for the DES for about 30 years fixing and building dams. He knew where the farm was once the guy started describing it. And it is a pretty farm! An old, beautiful, cape that is tucked away comfortably from the main route. You see the sap house first, which looks partially abandoned amidst growing saplings. Then you approach an uncut hayfield, pull into a dirt drive, and it opens up unto sheep chewed pastures, and the farm. Oh it was so beautiful. The first couple pastures were the size of our new place.

Anyways, the cows were beautiful; all Jerseys on various stages of heiferhood, pregnancy and lactation. My grandparents bought the best one. She is a very large Jersey. I grabbed another. She looks like she has week front quarters, but she is a first calf heifer and quite difficult to tell. We'll see. Lovely girls. We are still waiting though to see the calves. They might be crossed with a Pinzgaurer bull. I love the cows. Hopefully can get some critters over at our place. I would if we had the extra cash to buy a couple and graze them on the back pasture; 3 acres of poor pasture that just needs a little rotational grazing.

And this brings us to the greener pastures. The first place we wanted to buy is a better farm- 55 acres, 30 of which are in open field, all bottom land, 4 barns, sugar maples, yada yada yada. But everything can look greener upon a wishful glance. Just as Marianne and I will aw at another beautiful house, or take a second look at a pretty girl/guy, be envious of a larger tractor etc. This weekend I realized how beautiful of a place we have. I sat out at the back pasture enjoying the midmorning sun staring at rare drops of water from strawberry flowers just enjoying it. Marianne and I also talked about the finances and how lucky we were to get the loan for the property. Later I was checking out the chickens and where I wanted to move them next, and realized how much the grass had grown and greened up where they were two weeks previous. I forgot how quickly you can improve an area with the hens. So here it is: our place, our greener pasture- and very very happy with it.

On that note I am heading outside to get a couple things done before dinner.
Godbless
Zac

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

MOOOrning
Guess what's moo?

I have quite a bit to write, but unfortunately it is 8:47am and absolutely no reason for me to be inside. So I would like to introduce everyone to Elida and Florence, and will finish post tonight.
Zac
p.s. If you're free tonight at 6:30 come over for BBQ at 314 Smith Hill Road in Franklin.