It seems like just yesterday I was searching for projects to do, now they jump out from behind corners and line up in a never ending train at the start of everyday. We can mark the start of Spring here when we spend more waking hours with our hands in the dirt than there are in the day.
We have seeds that we are starting in the greenhouse, transplants that are being moved to the hoop houses, seeds that are being sowed in the hoop houses for carrots, spinach, and beets. Lines being tied for cucumbers and tomatoes, apple tree trimmings being assembled and placed for our peas to grow on. We planted 35 more blueberry bushes, and 6 more fruit trees, 5 rhubarb plants and when the ground dries out enough we’ll put in our first asparagus bed. If it wasn’t for my dad’s help and guidance I would feel more than overwhelmed right now.
I’m back to milking in the mornings and we’ve found that our goats are giving very sweet milk now that our little buck is off the farm. I can’t believe that at such a young age last year he could throw off the taste but he certainly did. No goaty after taste now, and I think I’m a tad hyper sensitive to it. I pen the babies up at night and milk the mamas in the morning, then turn everyone back out together for the day. So far this arrangement is working out well for us. Hand milking is time consuming though, but I have the children and their bunnies to keep me company while I milk. That is until they let the other mama goats into the barn and chaos ensues.
Speaking of goats and chaos, as we were leaving to go to a community festival last night we noticed that two of our does were out in the rye. We pulled in to put them back in thinking that they must have pushed a gate open, but as we pulled up to the barn, Jane (one of the goat kids) jumped into an open window of the barn! Sure enough, the goats had managed to open a door between the run-in side of the barn and the main room where we keep all of our grain, milk stand, rabbits, and our brooding box for poultry! They had had quite a party in there. Hopefully, no one ends up sick.
With another year of life under their belts the kids are that much more helpful around the homestead. Whether it is running and fetching tools, filling the woodstove, shoveling muck, planting, watering, harvesting lettuce, spinach and radishes, processing honey, feeding animals, foraging in the woods and fields, or just keeping their mom and dad company.
And one last quick note. A couple of weeks ago we ran out of wheat berries and I had to use some white flour I had tucked away. We ate that bread for a week and not only did I notice that I gained weight (I’m sure it was water retention) but the bread was not as filling and the taste was awful. As soon as we restocked and made our freshly ground wheat bread the weight dropped off and the bread was filling and tasty again.
Well, I’m off to get busy preparing for the Earth Day celebration at Kenyon College tomorrow. Lots to do for that to go smoothly, as well as chores and housekeeping around the homestead. Hope you have a lovely Saturday, even if the weather has dropped by 30 to 40 degrees!
April 20, 2013
