A Good Day Spent

Today was gorgeous. I had the day off, no egg deliveries or CSC. I ended up picking up inside my barn quite a bit, and then called it a day. I was off to make cheese. The above is a picture of the curds that have been cut, and then heated. I made cheddar from about 7 gallons of fresh cow's milk.

Bellow is a picture of the drained curds.
And bellow the 'cheddaring' process. The curds are cut into slabs, and then flipped every 15 minutes in a warm pan. This part is still going on. It is the first time I am making a traditional cheddar recipe. Usually I make an abridge version: a Farm House Cheddar. However, today I decided the day would be best spent, inside, making a traditional cheddar.

A friend asked why I liked making cheese when I commented that I enjoyed the actual work of it. My reply was: It is the only work on the farm where there is no chance in being covered with fecal matter. In this there is a reprieve.

Mumbles

The above picture isn't terribly spectacular, albeit it being a spectacularly gorgeous morning. This was last week. My grandfather had found some pump staging on craigslist. They regularly retail for $70 each, but a contractor had just purchased a lift and was willing to let 6 of them go for a clean $100. Both of us wanted the staging, and not wanting to pass up the inexpensive opportunity, my grandfather milked for me that Monday morning and I borrowed my grandmothers car for Littleton, NH.

I got up at 4:30 to feed/water my chickens and chicks at my farm, and then scoot over to a McDonalds in Littleton by 7:30. I got there with a half hour to spare, but needed to stop for gas, and a coffee to keep me going. I have not been getting to bed early. After work I drive to my farm in Franklin- finish collecting eggs, put out the morning's grain, break out the frozen water buckets, and tend the 300 or so peeping chicks which will be my summer flock. Admittedly I usually fall asleep in my little truck when I pull up to the farm. The night of the pump staging adventure I pulled over at a stop sign on North Road to catch a little shut eye, and then dozed off in my little driveway at the farm. I am only writing it, because I am acknowledging how annoyed I am getting with this poor habit of rushing about.


The following two pictures are from the house. The first is from sometime in May/June? I had just raised a section of the post and beam frame. It was the first act of building upwards out of the basement ceiling; going skyward from the floor.


This next picture I took to send to a friend, and represents the current condition of the house. Still a little drafty without the windows and doors, but looking much like a house of course, and largely out of weather. I had intended on finishing the Tyvek, but I got very sick for about a week in January, and have not dared pushing myself too much with house, farm and work. It can wait a little. I am very hopeful with warmer weather, doors and windows. It will be a house.



And what would a farm blog be without a farm picture? Can you guess what is going on in this picture? Well, the benefits of having a property with full southern exposure, is that the winter sun is remarkably pleasant. The hens, inside the barn, dig into the unfrozen floor and hover. Yes, all winter, dust bathing themselves! They look happy and wonderful- now lay more eggs!

What would be wrong with moving to France?

Except at best I (was) conversational in Spanish? Out of curiosity I clicked on the link for "Raw Milk Availability in Other Countries" on the Weston A Price Foundation's site. Here is France' gorgeous post.

France

• Brittany: Certified organic raw cow's milk. Ferme de Kerheu, 29510 BRIEC DE LµODET, 02 98 57 92 67. Their milk is even distributed by two local supermarkets: Inter Marché in Briec and Leclerc in Quimper where it costs 0.94€/liter and 0.84€/liter respectively.
• Tournus: There is a raw milk vending machine on the southern outskirts of the center of town across the street from "Simply Market." If you take the main road out of town going towards Mâcon you will see a small sign for Simply Market on your left. The milk comes from La Ferme de Chantebaud.
• A reader alerts us: "Raw donkey milk is going great guns in France and Belgium. Marie Tack in Belgium sells donkey milk that meets European bacteriological standards. I visited two farms in France and drank milk directly from many burros (delicious!). I will go to Belgium next year to visit Marie myself who milks 50 head of mammoth jennets each day. Donkey milk is the closest milk to human breast milk and is ideal for feeding infants. It is in a state of rediscovery in France and Belgium and will be available here in the future.Visit www.asineriedupaysdescollines.be to see her operation. Donkeys don't carry Bovine diseases."
• Another reader says: http://lelaitdelaferme.com/ --This is the only raw milk vending machine I have come across, there are three in the Lyon region, but of course I continue to purchase raw milk freely from cremeries in the French Alps. There seems to be no restriction on sales from cheese-making factories here in Haute Savoie, I am not sure about other areas of France, but I assume where artisanal cheese is made, raw milk is available. A post by me: http://constantstateofflux.com/2010/02/01/raw-milk-vending-machines- in-europe-what-a-great-idea/
• Vending Machine Raw Milk (Lait Cru) And Bottles If You Need Them (Inside A Decrotive Small Wooden Chalet) - Main Entrance - Le Clerc Supermarket - Villeneuve Sur Lot - Lot Et Garonne- France -(The Dispenser Even Moos As It Delivers The Milk). Material - Raw Milk - Lait Cru Farm Name - Ferm Du Gaec De La Croix De Balen Farmers' Names - Familles Martinet & Laurante Address 47140 Trentells - France

Really! Raw milk vending machines? Hold on. I think we just found the answer to most chronic childhood diseases in America!
Actually, I like farm to consumer purchases of raw milk. It forces us to be unbelievably cautious with how we handle the milk, the cows, the equipment. Literally our patrons are outside our doorstep. It is a very nice reminder. Although I just like the idea of something as wholesome coming from the vending machine as raw milk. Who needs a redbull when some Jersey Cow is just a buck twenty-five away?
Night.
p.s. I'd try the donkey milk, but "it's the closest thing to your mother's breast milk" just isn't a good sales pitch to me.

S510

Dear S510, I bet you've never had a cat kneading your lap so delicately, and rubbing its fuzzy head against the warm belly of a cow as you are bent over trying to milk her. Sincerely Yours.

I can't believe my mom and sister. They are still out shopping. That'd be ok if there was drinking involved, but really?! Do we all need that extra gift that badly? I ended up doing all my shopping at one local shop this year, and walked out very happy, albeit with a lighter wallet. But they are still out there. She should have just stayed in Kansas instead of flying all the way here just to shop our local Walmart...

No. 7

My grandfather about 6 weeks ago picked up a Mccormick Deering Model 7 when we made a Craigslist run to Rochestor. We had a blast, fun trip, but he definitely got the steal of the day- a mower in great shape for $100. I picked up a pair of horse drawn harrows, which had been on my wish list for the longest time.

But of course- I have been jealous. So below is proudly presented my very own #7.

The story doesn't begin here, but rather with my digging the wheels out of the frozen ground earlier this week. A guy down my street had this parked in his yard. It belonged to his late cousin Dick. At first he thought I was a scrapper, and after some lengthy talks, and helping him split wood, he decided to sell me the mower. I gave him what he got for a cord of wood, plus $25 extra for plenty of new in box knives. The only missing part is the outer shoe.

The story actually begins much earlier. His brother? used to live in the house below my great grandmothers, and my great uncle BD used to babysit them. These are old machines. There is a lot of history with each piece. You can even have an idea of the terrain they mowed by the condition of the machine. Oh the scars..


Here is my grandfather's machine. It is in pieces. Except for a missing footpedal and the two axel bearings worn out, the machine is in great shape. Just to tease my grandfather....Mine's not missing a foot pedal and my bearings aren't worn out. hehe


Here is the push bar, yolk, inner shoe and cutter bar seperated from the machine. I needed my brother to help disengage a pin while I lifted the piece off the machine. Notice the push bar is still attached. This was threaded out about 10 minutes later.

Every piece being taken off is getting a pink ribbon. Helps discern pieces from the two machines. I am mildly heating up the half moon and draft bar. These need to be threaded apart. All the pieces are being taken off for two reasons. #1. Most importantly, pieces like the one below are used to adjust lead, timing etc. when cutting. So the seized threads need to be loosened. Two- going to sand down and paint everthing. So apart they come. Rebuild- grandpa and Zac and Two #7's.

She kisses the snow. The sun comes up. She kisses the snow. I can see edges of trees now. She's bent over kissing the snow.