Farm tour Pictures

Chicken "Freedom"

Not Sour Grapes!

For some unknown reason Steve and I were a full page spread in the local paper on the Local Farm Tour that was held last week. If you want to see them, go to wwwmonadnockledger, then go to photos, then go to Rotary farm tour or something like that. Here it is:ledgertranscript.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=1284224&CategoryID=48624&ListSubAlbums=0

We have finally separated the girls now from Fred and Jack, don't want Fred to become a father too early in his buck career, so after a few go-rounds, the girls are now in the big pasture with the big goats and the boys are in the lower pasture. The meat birds are finally big enough to be let out of the chicken tractor and are happily in their electric fence grazing away. In fact all of the baby birds are outside in their respective tractors.

The garden is really starting to come into its own now. No tomatoes yet, but lots of peas, broad beans or Fava beans as we call them here. I have started to dig the fingerling potatoes for dinners. The potato plants were so out of control a few weeks back it was like a jungle out there, so I pruned the plants. we will see what develops (no pun there). So far the plants are looking better.

I have currants, both red and black coming out of my ears, and I just seem to catch up with the raspberries. It looks as though I'm going to have a really good crop of grapes for once so I want to get some bird netting over them.

All our stuff we shipped from Australia has come. It was like Christmas unpacking everything, then the fun began trying to find homes for all the stuff, but it so wonderful to have our things that remind us so much of our trip.

Poppies

Farm Tour

Poppies and Asparagus

Dog Days of Summer

We had a perfect day for our Farm and Food tour yesterday. Despite all the hicups leading up to the days event, like our address being posted incorrectly, we had an amazing 57 people come by our little farm to see what we do and meet all the animals. We were thrilled by the turnout, making all the hard work leading up to the day worthwhile. I must say, the property looks spectacular, don't know how long it will last, but right now its looking mighty fine. The Monadnock Rotary that pulled the event together should be really pleased with the turnout as well. We lived through the day and today are just recovering.

I think Fred and Ginger got lonely this morning after all the oohing and ahhing that they got yesterday and somehow they escaped, looking for more attention no doubt. After a little frantic work so we got them back in their paddock and tried to see how they escaped. Steve made the gate more secure so we will see what happens. So far, they have stayed in. Spoiled goats.

We have had a fox hanging around the place. A little too close for our comfort. We hope that it isn't rabid, but to have a fox approach a bunch of people siting under the pergola having dinner is very unusual. especially after it has been shot at with a .22. Odd. Just what we need, a rabid fox.

My vegetable garden highlight is seeing the double red poppies blooming their heads off through the asparagus fronds. It looks as though I had planned it that way, but nope, that is garden nature taking over with just some thinning by me.

Farm Tour Follies

The dogs barked, the ducks quacked and we were out of bed in a flash. It was only 4:00am but we were wide awake and down to the barn to check on our baby ducks and meat birds. We found them all safely tucked in for the night in their chicken tractors, but we had to check on them, just in case, as their electric fence hasn't been hooked up yet and we have had a roaming fox, phew!

We have been sooooo busy since our last past getting the farmlet ready for the "Manure Tour" we haven't stopped. The real name for the tour is the "Farm and Food" tour, or something like that, where you can drive around the region looking at local food providers, ranging from CSA's, compost manufacturers, small family farms, and people like us that just farm and garden because we like to know where our food comes from. Anyway, we have had three months to get ready for this tour, and it seems like every waking moment we have been getting ready. It also has been crazy because we had been away for a year, so we had a lot of catching up to do anyway. Wish us luck on Saturday please, hopefully we will have lots of people coming thru that will make all the extra hard work worthwhile.

We now have added our baby Dwarf Nigerian goats Jack and Truffle to the farm and they seem to be quite happy living down in the lower paddock with Fred and Ginger. Fred and said he's boss and that is that, but all are doing well.

The raspberries are coming into season as are the red and black currants. It looks as though my blueberries are going to be a bust, from the lack of rain last year? Oh well, I will look forward to next years fruit now.