We have been enjoying having a “real” winter this year with piles of snow all around the farm. It does make doing farm chores more difficult, but it is so beautiful. This fall we reinforced all of our hoop houses with inside bracing and a good thing we did as the first and second snow falls would have collapsed the houses if not for the bracing.
The last of the summer livestock – the pigs – finally went to the butcher the second week of December, so now we are completely pared down to our winter livestock.
Reba and Mac, the cow and calf have a triangle of neat little paths from their hoop house to the hay feeder to the water bucket.
The goats all poke their heads out of their poly yurt and only venture onto their paths when the grain and hay make an appearance morning and evening.
The sheep seem not to care one way or another about the weather, as long as the corn and hay continue to fill the feeders every morning. The chickens have pretty much holed up in their coops, the older Black Stars laying fewer eggs in their third year and the new Auracanas increasing their numbers of beautiful blue eggs as they all begin to lay.
We added a new critter this fall – a beautiful palomino Quarter horse for Robin. Her name is Tess and we already love her.
With electric water buckets and tank heaters for all the critters, our chores only involve carrying water buckets to fill tanks but no chopping ice. And with all of the livestock winter pens in a row, chores are quite easy – even after another big snowfall.
The seed catalogues have begun to arrive and dreams of lush tomatoes and carrots and broccoli dance through our heads. We have also already hired our first two full time summer interns – so we are excited about the 2011 season.
If you are looking for last minute Christmas gifts – what about the gift of a CSA share? We’d love to help you out with that gift – just let us know.
Take care, enjoy the snow, stay warm, dream of fresh veggies and Happy Holidays.
Robin and Gigi
