Early Summer on the Farm

Early summer is BUSY, but also a lot of fun. Here's what we've been up to.

CALVES

Our momma cows gave us around 20 calves this spring! These mommas do a great job caring for their babies...and grazing their way through pastures.

In the video below, you can see how quickly they chomp up the grasses' leaves, and why we move them frequently - after only about 36 hours in a 1-acre section.

When we do this, the cows are always munching fresh grass AND it leaves behind enough uneaten greenery to allow the grasses to fully regenerate.

The cows' hooves also trample the stems during their brief visit, which begins the process of breaking down organic matter to build topsoil and promote soil health.

This is just one way the cows are contributors to the health of our pastures.

GREEN KIDS

We don't require our kids to work the farm. But we make sure we're opening the door for opportunity. 

Teaching kids in a safe and controlled environment how to properly operate equipment is a crucial process in family farm life. Our youngest took the wheel of the skidsteer loader for the first time this spring - winning Jordan the "Exalted Cool Dad of the Year" award.

BUILDING COOL STUFF

We have majorly been working on building 8 "MRC" (mobile range coops) for chickens. We have been and still are using Salatin-style movable shelters (some people call them chicken tractors) for the last 13 years. As the majority of pens have completely worn out since building them, we (aka Jordan) decided to design something new.

The result was a shelter that could be moved by a tractor, hold more birds, last for 20+ years, and provide a cooler, airier environment. An extra bonus is that it's a height we can walk into! Woohoo!

Jordan has been honing the design for several years, and this year we built out the final design...times eight. They will double as shelters for the pigs during wet winter weather.

OLD SHELTERS:

NEW MRCs!

TAKING A BREAK

When we can and to celebrate special occasions like a birthday and anniversary, we sometimes schedule and take a few days off the farm. It seems we can't get too far from grassy fields, but it's nice to have time for rest and fun.

Antietam Battlefield, Maryland

We hope your summer is off to a fun and not too busy start. Thanks as always for choosing to support our family farm!