Happy Holidays! Not much happens on the farm in December, except that we have lots of authorized sheep sex going on. The rams have waited all year for this, and they will soon each have their own harem. I suppose I could include photos, but this isn’t that sort of blog. Besides, I want the […]
I Receive Very Disturbing News Farmers get hurt in their work a lot. I’ve collected my fair share of bruises, cuts, and sore muscles, but as a result of one particular injury several years ago, I received some very disturbing news. That fall I was feeding corn to a bunch of young sheep, and had […]
Calf Update Last May we acquired a calf, a cute little brown thing with big eyes and a busy tongue. Update: As you can see in the photo of Melissa and calf above, he’s now a huge brown thing with big eyes and a busy tongue. In case you’re wondering, calf tongues are wet, so […]
The Whole Answer I speak before lots of book groups, libraries, and other organizations. Most people have read my memoir, so I almost always get asked, “How do you feel about the farm and your life now?”I give a fairly flip answer—“Things are great”—then move on to the next question. This is only half the […]
Caribbean, Here We Come What on earth were we thinking? Farming in Minnesota? Normally October 12 would be a lovely fall day, with the temperature in the high 50s (a very comfortable day for us hearty souls.) Instead, it’s 28 degrees, with a wind chill of 15 degrees. (Here in Minnesota more important than temperature […]
First Farm Kiss Holy smokes, little girl. Perhaps a little less tongue next time! I don’t know the child, the pig, or the photographer; just got this photo with an email ‘joke.’ Why does this photo crack me up every time I see it? Is it the look on the pig’s face, or on the […]
Ducks on the Move The ducks have gotten out of hand. Photo #1 shows them as tiny fluffy balls, peeping sweetly. Photo #2 shows them three months later, big burly ducks who’ve learned to fly onto our house and crap on the roof. The ducks are leaving today, and it’s not a moment too soon. […]
And So It Was Written… This is our vineyard. Eleven rows of 50 vines each means 550 vines. Because of Melissa’s chronic health issues and other responsibilities, we’ve struggled with the vineyard these last years. We love it, but it was eating us up, and we weren’t making any money. So this spring, tired and […]
Ten Steps for a Successful Farm Visit Many farmers love having visitors, and appreciate seeing their farm through other peoples’ eyes. But to ensure the visit goes smoothly, here are a few loose guidelines to keep in mind: 1) Call first. We might be napping. 2) Show up when you say you will. Please don’t […]
Farming Jargon This is a photo of Melissa worming the sheep. This must sound very weird to non-farmers. We give worms to our sheep? No, the more descriptive term would be de-worming. We give them medication to kill the worms in their intestines. (Grazing animals tend to ingest worms, which hang out in their intestinal […]