This and That

It's been awhile!  Things have been pretty busy around here.  We've finally finished our first-cut silage - yeah!!  It was really hard to get enough 2-day weather windows to accomplish that.  It's been hard to get good weather windows period this season, though.  What a late start and a slow growing season.  This time last year we had baby carrots and new potatoes.  This year it looks like we're a couple of weeks away from those at this point.

The kids have been a big help this year. Here they are in action!

Grace washing eggs.

Katie picking blossoms.

Jamie picking blossoms.

This week will be our first week for the 2011 CSA.  While we may be short on variety for the first week, we will have strawberries!!  It's a wet day today.  I'll get some pictures of the red beauties tomorrow.   For today, though, I'll close with some pictures around the farm. 

Peas - June 24, 2011

Beans June 17, 2011

New babies  June 24, 2011

View from our front step - June 9, 2011

Potatoes - June 24, 2011

Green manure crop in foreground, Potatoes in background - June 24, 2011

Happy Hughes Hill Farms Hens June 24, 2011

The Circle of Life

I guess it's only fitting that since my last post was about new life on the farm that this one is about death on the farm.  Yesterday we lost our dearest and most favourite cow in the barn - Bliss.  Bliss was one of the largest and most gentle cows we've ever had.  The kids could lie on her back in the stall and she seemed to enjoy it!  She was always a willing customer for their grooming practice.  Bliss had been ailing somewhat lately and died last evening with the kids at her side - almost like she waited for them.  It was very sad and we all cried for Bliss, our favourite.  One thing about growing up on a farm, you learn a lot about life and death.

A Happy Day!  -  Bliss and her baby "Pearl"

In other, happier news, the bit of early things I got in the garden (spinach, lettuce, radish) are all peeking through.  We just need some sun to get things going!  We also need a stretch of good days to get our waiting potato sets planted and a good garden planting in.  We're going to be hopping when the weather breaks!  The baby tomato, pepper, celery, etc. plants I have started in the house are beginning to outgrow the space we have for them - I have to get something else set up for them.  Take care all!

New Arrival

I haven't posted anything for a long time, I know...but I just couldn't miss this one!  I just delivered this calf all by myself!  This is the first time I've ever done anything like this all by myself with absolutely no one else around.  Gary is away at a seminar today and it is quite mild and I thought I better go over to check on the temperature in the barn.  I was glad I did because I discovered a loose calf sucking on a cow - a definite no no!!  So, after I managed to catch the calf and tie her up, I heard the moan of a cow in labour.  My immediate thought was "Oh no, Gary's not home!".  When I got the courage to go look, I discovered two feet, a nose and tongue sticking out.  I was worried because they felt cold, so I figured she was having a hard time pushing the baby out.  What to do?!  I found Gary's calving chains, wrapped them around the hoofs and pulled as she tried to push.  It didn't take too long before the calf slipped out.  Gary makes everything look so easy when I watch him do that - that baby was heavy!  It was all I could do to get him (yes, unfortunately, him...not a heifer that we could keep!) up beside mama so she could clean him off.  What a feeling to know that I can and did do that!!  Baby seems OK and mama will be milked for the first time in her life this evening - this was her first calf as well as mine!

In other news, we have some seeds germinating - nothing up yet, though.  We're looking forward to Matt coming home from  NSAC soon!