At the feeder..

Young Farmers Movement

 So I have wrote on saving the family farm but what about first generation farmers?

There are so many people who want to get back to the land and have a small farm/homestead to raise healthy food options for their family.

I’m a first generation farmer.
I’m among the most rapidly expanding parts of agriculture in Canada.
I'm beyond proud to be a farmer.
This is my life.

We did not inherit our family's land or tools or agricultural wisdom.
We have had to teach ourselves how to grow, process and sell our farm goods.
What we have today is all because of our hard work and drive not because we were born into the lifestyle.

Today I ask you to take a few minutes and watch this trailer about a year in the life of a first-generation family farm and if you can please help support this up and coming documentary.



This is close to my heart as I look back at the last five years of our struggle having a first generation farm.
Even though I did not inherit this farm,the past owners work and dedication,along with ours is something I hope to pass on to future generations.

Do you farm? if so are you are first generation farmer? or have you taken over the family tradition of farming?

Coming in with the rain

We have been getting lots of rain.
I won't complain because it's making everything green and all the trees and shrubs are popping their leaves.

It has been a nice slow rain,not to hard and pounding, so it seems to be seeping in the ground nicely.
The weather has also been warm so I can still work outside in it comfortably.

The rhubarb is looking great,it has come a long way in the last couple of weeks. I'm glad I used hen manure on it last year,it was good advise from a friend.

I cant wait to make the first rhubarb custard pie of the year,yummy!!

I uncovered the strawberries,they look great,minimal winter kill..

The high bush blueberries are budding...

And the forsythia is starting to show it's striking yellow flowers...

The daffodils are nearly done as the daylilies and honeysuckle start their journey into a new season..

It would appear spring has came in with the rain.

Wordless Wednesday

Year of the Heifer?

Calving season has come full force this year.
Usually we start in May with calves coming as late as September.

I noticed yesterday that Lily was very close to calving.

We were invited to a nice Easter supper but I was hesitant to leave knowing how close to calving Lil looked.
I decided to go anyways and make it a quick supper.
Quick supper it was not...we ended up talking with my sister in law in Nebraska and her four children on Skype.
Skype was a new thing for my MIL and we thought she would enjoy seeing her daughter and grand-babies so we set it up for her.
After that was over I rushed home to find Lily had no calf,she was not quite ready.

I waited all night for the sound of a slight moo that would signal she was welcoming her new baby to the world...nothing.

I did my morning chores as usual and then went in to make sure Poppy was still being a big girl and nursing,she was!
I then headed over to the main cows to check on Lil, nothing.

I proceeded to check Lily every hour through out the day as she looked at me like I was crazy.
All this checking when I was so sure she was ready had me doubting my ability to judge when a cow is to calf.

I came in the house and at 4pm, I was basting my turkey when I herd the low moo.
I grabbed my gloves and jacket, jumped in my boots and ran to the barn, yes I can jump in my boots!


There was Lily standing over a new baby just born moments before.
I made sure the calf's nose was clear then headed to the barn to get a bale of straw.
I spread the straw on the ground all around the baby,then put the rest in the calving pen.

I was to anxious to see if she gave us a bull calf again this year so I opened the legs to find 4 tiny teats, another heifer!!

Lily was cleaning her calf off like a good mother should. The calf was on her feet within 15 minutes of being born.
Moving the calf by myself was a bit scary as I was not sure if Lily was going to let me touch her baby,new mothers can be grumpy.
I pushed the calf along as Lily followed and put them in the fresh calving pen for privacy and to make sure none of the other cows would get to curious.
Lily was great and let me break open her teats so the calf could nurse.
The calf went right to nursing within 25 minutes of being born and let me tell you that calf is one great nurser.
She emptied all four teats!!
What a relief that she is so eager.

While sitting in the calving pen watching this new little red miracle be so smart and so quick to learn, the name Foxy came to mind...not sure yet about a cow named Foxy but it really seems to suit her.

At 7PM tonight she was running around kicking up her heals,she was only 3 hours old,this one is full of fire.
She is a Easter baby like her mom was,hence the Lily name.

So I ask, is this the year of the heifer??
It would sure seem like that at Hidden Meadow.

You will have to wait until tomorrow for pictures,my camera decided not to cooperate..

A very proud moment

This morning I had a very proud moment.

Remember the newest calf?
I have decided to name her Poppy.
So Poppy has been a bit difficult in the nursing department,she did not want to latch on to her momma's big teats,instead she was using the tiny easier to nurse off of blind teat.
Today was a break through!
With very little encouragement it happened...

She finally after many days of helping is nursing like a trooper!!

Here is a short video of her nursing,she sounds like a little piggy!

Look Poppys first real milk face!!!..

Sunday Best

This is the brook that flows just outside the cottage,not more the four feet from the door.
We fall asleep listening to it and wake up listening to it, truly peaceful.
Hoping you had a peaceful Easter.

The Ugly Chair Makeover- Finished!!

Well my plan for blue velvet turned out to be a bit of a joke.
After driving to three different fabric stores and no upholstery velvet other then purple, I made,well actually hubby made, the decision that a nice grey suede would look good.


I have to thank my sister and mother for the extra hands.
We drove to the cottage on Thursday,stayed long enough to plug in the heater and headed for lunch,seafood chowder!
By the time lunch was done the cottage warmed up nicely.
We all got to work,mom redid the panels in my privacy screen, I use it to make a extra bedroom when we have company, it went from faded red towel like material to nice silk prints.
I did not take pictures..wish I had.
My sister and I worked on the chair. After only a few hours all was done.

So here it is, I think it turned out fairly nice,way better then green wool!!Oh and the wrinkles are no longer there,this was taken just before that seat back was finished.

A day in the life of ...

Today is a beautiful day on the farm.
The weather is nice, the sun is warm for a change.
My day started as usual with chores. Out to the barn to great all the critters.
I always get hubby to roll the big door up before he leaves for work,it gets the chickens out to start foraging for the early worms and bugs.
I walk through the door to see this..

Heather our "yard cow" making a mess in my barn. This is a everyday occurrence, she walks through the cow feeder and wanders between the Jersey cow,sheep,barn and new moms stealing hay and haylage.
She is a friendly calf but it would be nice if she stayed in a fence.

First thing I grain the horses and give the fresh water,by the time I feed and water the sheep and Jersey, the horses are ready to be turned out for the day.
I wheel a bale of second cut down to the fence then come back for the horses.
I take Hound Dog first,he stops as soon as we hit the grass..

I let him munch for a few minutes.
Back to the barn to get a very anxious Fancy, she does the same thing when we get to the grass..

They have a roll ..

And act silly..

Before eating the rest of their breakfast.

Today is the day my Australorp rooster is heading to his new forever home with Lynne at Golden Hills Farm  .He will be super spoiled,she even brought tomatoes for treats!
His hen and brood of chicks will follow in a week or so when she has hatched her clutch,she had 18 eggs but today I noticed she kicked one out.

Heather and my Partridge Cochin and Russian Orloff roosters check out "Darwin" before he leaves for his new home.

The sheep are doing good,MoMo looks like today could be the day for her to lamb.She has been doing allot of panting and laying off by herself,only time will tell.
Nancy, (Nan) is doing good but her milk production has come to a stand still,not sure when she will lamb.
Stella won't let me touch her,she came here as a yearling but I still cant touch her,checking milk requires two people so until later when I have help I have no idea how close to lambing she is.

The new lambs, Pippin and Cricket are getting so big..

                                  Pippin and Cricket


Jet is such a doll. While holding him he comforts himself by nursing on your finger, or side of your hand, or jacket..anything he can suck on,I just love him.
There is nothing better then a lamb who you can hold that falls asleep in your arms!

                              Jet

The calf`'s are doing good as well.

                                          Finn and Stormy
Finn was being a bad girl going under  the fence rails. She would let me get about two feet from her when her head tilted and a tiny moo comes out and the heels went flying through the air!
She was having fun making me run to catch her and put her back. The fence rails are now lower!

Stormy and Finn both have been having daily visits with Ginger and Sugar who have a fence side by side with the "nursery" pen. Under the rail they go and have a little tour,I even caught Stormy trying Jersey milk!

                                               Finn , Visiting Ginger,Sugar and some chickens

Busted!! Under the fence back to mom..

Then I get the look, "I've been here all along,I don't know what your talking about!" Note the extra rail!

The new calf was not nursing as well as she should.Jessie has a 5th very tiny blind teat. This little teat always causes issues.
The calf's will try to nurse it because it is small,they get a very tiny amount of milk but not enough.
I asked hubby  to try to get her nursing on the big teats,Jessie is our boss cow and she respects him more then me.
He had trouble so in I went....Jessie was surprisingly gentle, I did have my butt rubbed by a big set of horns though....
I tried to get the heifer to latch on,she was resisting...I sprayed milk over her face and tried again...after 5 minutes she discovered what a big drink of milk tasted like.
If you could have heard her you would swear it was a pig in a trough eating!!
I was so glad she was on. I got her to nurse from all four teats.
She is doing really well but I'm still stumped for a name, thinking about Kit...or Deirdre..

I think she is BEAUTIFUL!


After helping the calf nurse again this afternoon I went back to my 3 times a day job..

 

Shovelling poop!
I clean the outdoor "nursery pen" and Ginger paddock twice a day. It makes a big difference to clean it out. I don't think it's fair to a cow to stand in it's own poop.
Inbetween pen cleaning comes, horse stall cleaning, another daily chore.

Well that is the chore part of my day,times that by 3 and that is how my day's are right now.
Hope you have a great holiday and I will leave you with more cute calf pictures.

Linking to,

Wordless Wednesday

But it's not May...

Every year for the past four years on May 21 or 22 without exception we welcome a new calf from our oldest cow Jessie,10.
Last night at 11pm Jessie gave us a surprise,she had her 7th calf ,a tall red heifer !

 She is as long as her moms horns are wide..

The calf is doing well,I will update you with more later...