Scorching temps mark summer

The last day of July and finally the temperature is below 80 and drizzling as I type this entry. It's been hovering above 100 the past week. The entire farm -- animals, plants, pond and land -- show the effects of daily baking. The tomatoes are producing, but eggplant and just about everything else in the garden is suffering. Both egg and milk production are down somewhat. And the pond, with its ongoing leak, is little more than a mud puddle at this point. I had a pond expert come take a look at it. He said it would be $12-15k to fix it (the way it should have been done in the first place), which is out of the question right now. I'd like to first try using bentonite, a natural substance which swells when it gets wet, thus forming a seal.

Work began on the farm stand on July 20, just as this stretch of 100 plus temps began. It is taking shape, with the 6x6 posts topped by rafters and ready for the metal roof, which should go on next week. Then the builder will pour the concrete floor.

Spring time progress

Spring is a time of beginnings on the farm. The first ducklings have finally hatched. Chicks are scratching in the dirt, following their mother's lead. The baby turkeys are performing turkey ballet in their barn stall, running and semi-flying, chasing flies. Entertaining to watch. And the goat kids are growing fast, romping and playing together as they follow the herd on pasture. Pretty pastoral. Almost easy to forget all the work that goes into creating this scene. But well worth the effort.

Last night's dinner was proof, all from the garden -- turnips disguised as mashed potatoes, with shredded homemade mozzarella melted on top; sliced beats in a dijon vinagrette; a salad of sliced carrot and snow peas; and a whole Chinese cabbage wilted in chicken broth with sauted onions and garlic. Dessert was homemade applesauce. A meatless dinner, but chicken, duck or eggs could have been added. A wonderful feeling to produce your own food.

Much has been planted: potatoes, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, lettuce, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, swiss chard, turnips, spinach, snow peas, artichokes, asparagus, cabbage, beets, kale, radishes and corn. Still more to get in the ground, but time is elusive. And the orchard is finally showing progress with apple, pear and tiny cherries appearing on trees. The elderberry flowers have given way to small berries, the strawberry patch is prolific and the blackberries are covered in green berries, waiting to blacken.

Spare moments during the day turn goat milk into cheese -- cottage, feta, mozzarella, chevre and a white cheddar. I'm still learning the craft, but each production gets a little closer to just right.

Laundry hanging on the line, taking in the sun's rays, makes me think about the other "solar" projects I want to accomplish. Food security is just one part of this equation. The as yet unbuilt house still simmers in my thoughts, not quite done. But the barn is built. The animals have sturdy shelter. And Argosy is truly looking like a farm.

First hoophouse strawberry

Entering the hoophouse at this time of year nearly always brings a new discovery. This morning it was the first strawberry of the season just three days before the spring equinox. The plants are laden with blossoms which means I'll soon be eating fresh berries and putting up preserves.

Other plants are also thriving: spinach, mustard greens, several lettuce varieties, radishes and bok choy. Snow peas are doing well and hope to see peas soon.

Bucket o' Babies

What do you do when seven goat babies won't follow their moms out of the barn to pasture? Load 'em up in a wheelbarrow and give them a ride. Hopefully this won't become their preferred method of travel, but sure beats loading a baby under each arm out to the field. Shown in photo are the four doelings: Pepper, Clover, Java, Ginger; and three bucklings: Brennus, Duncan and Rob Roy.

First kid of the season

After two days of wet and cold weather, the first kid of the season waited to arrive until temps hit a "balmy" 58F. Thank goodness. Jalapena delivered one healthy girl, as yet unnamed, right after lunch today.

Dervaes Assimilated by "the Borg"

For some time now, I've followed the progress of the Dervaes Family of Pasadena as they've taken a small house in the city and turned it into a productive homestead. How cool. Until today, I had them listed as a link worth checking out.

Change.org is reporting that the Dervaes Institute has filed trademarks on the terms "urban homestead" and "urban homesteading", followed by letters to anyone using those terms requiring attribution to the Dervaes Institute. How disappointing. And what bunk.

The tragedy of industrial agriculture

Our food system is broken. The inputs required to operate the industrial agricultural system aren't sustainable. Gas, diesel and propane to run farm equipment. Petroleum to make the chemical fertilizers required because the soil is depleted of nutrients. Nothing brings all this home for me more than seeing the elements of industrial agriculture clustered all in one place.

Because I'm a "farmer in training", I try to take every opportunity to attend seminars, presentations, lectures and courses -- anything that might help me increase my knowledge and hone my skills. Naively, I drove to Raleigh today to attend The Southern Farm Show. I should have known better. The fairgrounds were packed with visitors, all there to see every piece of farm equipment you can image. Tractors so large that ladders are required to reach what amounts to a second story cab. Chemical concoctions to boost production and kill pests. Every accessory you'd need if you were running a "factory farm" or concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO). It was an industrial ag extravaganza. And miles away from the smallscale, but sustainable route I'm trying to achieve.


Which brings me to a book I recently purchased. Fatal Harvest, edited by Andrew Kimbrell, studies the question of "how and why has agriculture, an endeavor that for millennia involved intimate knowledge of and profound respect for nature and place, become so industrialized that it's wreaking havoc all around the world?" The book provides side-by-side photo comparisons of industrial ag versus agrarian-based agricultural systems and poignantly demonstrates not only how unsustainable industrial ag is, but also how hazardous it is to Earth and her inhabitants.

Rain, rain, go away...

Last night's rainstorm left buckets of standing water around the construction site so there was no work on the barn today, although the ducks enjoyed splashing around the water-filled post holes. In the meantime, the building supply company brought in another load of lumber and prompty got stuck. I had to start up the tractor, which had been sitting idle during the cold months, to give the truck a push. It worked, but the truck left large gashes in the mud, which did nothing to add to the rough landscape left by winter's chill. I can't wait for spring.


In the mood for love
The cow was all doe-eyed and adoring this morning when I took her hay. After she rose up on her hind legs and tried to come over the fence, I was pretty sure it was time to call Mr. Hall, the AI guy. For months I've been watching for signs that she was in heat, but they aren't always straight-forward clues. Her first year, she'd bellow for hours - generally the early morning hours. Followed by several hours of jumping up on her shed. But she was too young to breed.

Mr. Hall has been doing cattle artificial insemination (AI) in the county for 52 years. He says I shouldn't get my hopes up as it may take another try. And we won't know for several weeks whether this first session "took". Having cow bred: Another "first" to add to my list.

Day Two: Barn Construction

Building supplies arrived first thing this morning. Because the forecast called for rain, I wasn't expecting any building activity. But a crew arrived shortly after the delivery and began installing the large 6 x 6 posts that form the barn's skeletal structure.

By the end of the day, all 24 posts were in the ground, upright and secured to temporary bracing. Concrete was mixed on site and poured into each hole. After the crew left, I walked through what could now be called a structure and began picturing how the animals would be housed, what would fit in the milkroom, and how the stairs would reach the upper level.

Day One: Barn Construction

Work began on the barn today. It was cold and overcast and rain is expected tomorrow, but the ground was cleared, holes dug for poles and concrete footings poured. The barn will be 30' x 50', with a loft for hay, and will provide shelter for the dairy goats, a milk "parlor" and grain storage. There will be additional space for Isabelle, my Jersey heifer, and hopefully her future calf.

Free-Range versus Free Meal
I found predators had eaten two ducks this week. The ducks have been uncooperative about living in their shelter at night and, in the interest of allowing free-ranging, I haven't wanted to lock them all up full-time. But capturing 40 ducks by net every night, while providing wonderful entertainment for neighbors and passersby, isn't something I'm willing to commit to.

The night before I found the remains, I'd come in from an evening out to find several wandering around by the front gate, seemingly confused. It was pretty cold that night and I rounded up as many as I could catch and forced them "indoors" for the night. Of course, finding a headless duck and a separate pile of feathers changes the game. Next day I put netting over the duck pen and lured them in. Day one of their incarceration leaves me wishing I had another option, but not sure how to solve this dilemma.

December 2010

Freezing temps have settled in for the month, hitting a low of 15 degrees last night. Everything takes more time when the weather is this cold -- break ice off water troughs, pack in more straw for warmth, trudge around in 15 layers of clothing.

Attended the 25th Annual Sustainable Ag Conference in Winston Salem this month. Came back brimming with enthusiasm and ideas for the farm. Check out this conference video produced by GeoCore Films:

2010 Sustainable Agriculture Conference - CFSA from GeoCore Films on Vimeo.

If you don't blink, you may catch a (very) brief glimpse of me at the 45-46 second mark in a rose-colored Carhart vest and brown hat with Holstein cows in the background. If you haven't attended one of these CFSA conferences before, it's well worth the time and money spent, whether you're a farmer, gardener or lover of good food.

November 2010

Friends came out and helped with a day of duck and rooster processing. The ducks were much more difficult than I'd anticipated and it took longer than planned. You'd think I'd have learned that lesson by now as EVERYTHING takes much longer than you originally anticipate. I may give serious thought to taking the next batch in and paying to have them processed, which certainly takes away from the learning to be self-sufficient model.

October 2010

Sent the tractor out for some basic maintenance this month. Really, really wish I'd had the foresight to take some kind of mechanics class in high school, tag behind Dad when he rebuilt a Carmen Ghia during my teens, or to pay attention to any kind of small or large engine repair over the years. Just never came up before. Living a farmsteading lifestyle has shown me where my weaknesses lie, and fixing mechanical things is a big one.

Leased a buck for the month for the five oldest does. Dried them off before his arrival and already very much missing their delicious milk. Store bought cow milk doesn't compare. But we all need the break -- me from the daily milking routine and the does need to concentrate their efforts on growing what I hope will be a healthy "crop"of kidlings.

Ten more ducklings hatched this month, bringing the farm's total duck population to nearly 40.

August 2010

What a blur the past six months have been. The goats kidded in March, two new beehives were added in April, new water hydrants run to the garden and hoophouse in May, 24 ducklings hatched in June, chickens were harvested and processed in July, and fencing went up this month. Cheesemaking, planting, harvesting and canning filled the remaining time. The garden has churned out peas, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, beets, turnips and swiss chard. Blackberries, strawberries and raspberries also produced this year. Plans are in the works for a barn-raising, possibly as early as this fall. And special thanks to all the family and friends who have visited the farm and helped to make things happen.

June 2010

Seems Spring never made a showing this year as it rolled straight from Winter into Summer. Blistering temperatures have kept me out of the garden most of this month. Several days of over 100-degree baking have sent most of the plants into decline. Even the chickens are too hot to lay eggs, with just a trickle coming in each day. I don't remember June being this hot before. The land is dry and dusty and I'm painfully aware of the AC running constantly in the non-energy-efficient temporary house. I've spent the time looking at earth-sheltered homes online and working through designs for my future passive solar house, dreaming of the time when I can rely less on coal-generated electricity to bring comfort and more on common-sense home design.

During my first two years in Hillsborough, I rented the "stone house" on Churton Street, a beautiful old home built in 1932, out of stone quaried here. The house was built in a thoughtful way, in an era before AC was widely available, and although this amenity was added in later years, while I was there I rarely turned it on. It wasn't necessary as the house stayed wonderfully cool, even on the hottest day.

During cooler moments, over 90, but less than 100, I'm working on extending fencing on the hedgerow that separates the north property from the south. It will help me to better contain goats, who have finally learned to breach the solar-charger guarded electric-net fencing I've been moving around the property. I frequently have to rescue goat kids who thrust themselves into the netting, only to become hopelessly entangled, then bellow for help. The electric net fencing was very expensive and has ended up being a great waste of money. A rooster died in the netting, other birds have become entangled and now goats are breaching it, making it useless.

And I'm also learning to master the ancient tractor. It's a quirky beast, more complicated and obstinate than the cow or goats. Hold up the PTO handle when turning the key in the ignition or the beast won't start. I set it on low speed and let it amble along to my destination. Despite its quirks, I'm grateful to have the help.

May 2010

Farming is hard, hard work. But certainly worth the effort if you're dedicated to the idea of knowing where your food comes from and having control over good, healthy food. There are days where I wonder if I can keep up the pace. But, I continue to scratch this new lifestyle out of raw dirt. And try to do it without going into debt. So onward with building a farm, complete with animals who make the land fertile so plants can feed the animals (and humans) who continue to make the land fertile. Repeat cycle. Build a house, and in the process, learn new skills. Discover the outer limits of my capabilities. What a great opportunity for growth.

March 2010

Spring has arrived and so have the goat kidlings! Two bucklings and four doelings. All healthy and cute. The first doe, Emmy, kidded on St. Paddy's Day, so I named the first born "Patrick". Jalapena kidded the next morning, 3/18, and Heidi on 3/21. In one week, the herd has doubled and the goat yard is filled with jumping, romping and leaping goat babies.

Here's a photo of one of the Muscovy ducks, using a dog house as her nest. It takes about 35 days to hatch the ducklings. She's been off the nest enough that I wonder if the eggs will hatch.

February 2010

Winter drags on. The vet came out to check on the goats and to see if she could tell if they're pregnant. Short of taking them in for an ultrasound, it's kind of like a box of "Cracker Jacks". Is there a prize in that box or not? Have they been overfed (they're obviously larger) or will there be kids next month? Just a few of the questions asked by new goat herders. Being an optimist, I'm gathering up supplies for my "kidding kit" and reviewing the goat kidding videos at Fiasco Farms. I can't say enough kind things about Molly's very extensive collection of goat information.

January 2010

Glad to say goodbye to this month of ice and snow. It's been a terribly cold winter with little opportunity to get outside and do much beyond daily animal chores. The hoophouse, however, has offered a nice respite, with plants growing prolifically. Lots of spinach, mustard greens, swiss chard, bok choy, beets, turnips, radishes and a range of lettuces.

Most of the month has been spent inventorying my seed collection, perusing new selections in seed catalogs and making lists of things that need doing.

December 2009

I added six Muscovy ducks this month—one drake and five ducks. They're hanging out with the chickens until I figure out their shelter needs. Three of the ducks put themselves to bed each evening in the chicken house, but the drake and remaining two ducks head for the pond at sundown. They show up for breakfast each morning in the chicken yard. Watching them swim in the big pond is a treat, joyously splashing and playing like children.

King of Hearts went back to his farm at the beginning of December. He lost his "goaty" smell after several weeks here. Male goats have some interesting habits, such as encrusting their head in urine, curling the lower lip and sticking out the tongue. Apparently, this is VERY attractive to female goats. I don't get it.

Strawberry plants are blooming in the hoophouse, in spite of recent temps in the low 20s. Collards, Swiss chard, spinach, turnips, radish, beets and several lettuce varieties continue to do well.