One of our goals this year is to continue to have our animals graze in a rotational pattern. Our North Country Cheviot sheep will at the forefront of our grazing and land management efforts!
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It's like the old John McCutcheon song, 'Kindergarten Wall' says, "remember the seed in the little paper cup, first the root goes down and then the plant grows up!" And more importantly, all good gardeners remind you that seeds WANT to grow. Plants want to live -- but they do need a bit of tending to if they are to flourish.
We must keep this at the forefront of our daily plans -- as I had tried to do in the new year-- water the plants first thing in the morning. This mantra helped me start cherry tomatoes by the flat -- and at that pace we were on our way to other starts to provide the foundation of our Spring garden. But alas, here we are...three days after the dreaded sinus migraine of 2023.... the 2 days I was down..the 2 days I couldn't sleep, eat, or breathe well. And watering plants was the least of my concern...and I forgot to ask for help. The starts are no longer. The dirt was dryer than coop dust. Moral of the story -- keep waking up remembering to hydrate your body, soul, AND your seedlings. Let someone else in your circle know your plans too! Help is a simple ask away. If you grow up in a rural area, other folks are ready to assume that you know everything you need to know about a country way of life. I grew up in these mountains, and my family raised Angus cattle. As I ventured off into college and later into the work force - from grocery stores, restaurants, to catered conferences - I could tell by the first bite of beef what sort of quality of life the animal had. Nothing tasted as good as the burger from our chest freezer back home. Nothing at all compared.
Until -- I met my husband, the Belted Galloway farmer, who made me a meal showcasing the quality beef of a Belted Galloway. As I prepped the taco toppings to the side, I peeked over into the cast iron skillet he stood over and noticed there was no grease rising to the surface as you often see with store bought varieties. After seeing my astonishment, he glanced over -- smiled--- and said, "no need to drain the pan". Wait. What? Ultimately the taco meat was lean and full of flavor. I hesitated to hand him the pack of seasoning. Alas, to this day --- I hold my mom's cooking and Farmer Jimmy's cooking in the highest regard. They select quality ingredients, take their time with prep, and ultimately -- get just a little help from their pasture-raised resources. Even after all those years, it turns out that I wasn't quite knowledgeable about the exact steps to get that tasty resource into MY freezer. So, I've asked Farmer Jimmy to clarify the steps: Step 1 - Think about how much freezer space you have for once the animal has been processed. Step 2 - Call the Farmer to reserve a quarter, half, or whole animal and discuss cost for animal. Step 3 - The Butcher will send cut sheets for his customer to fill out. Step 4 - The Farmer will deliver animal to the butcher. The butcher will call customer when ready. Step 5 - Customer pays the Farmer for the animal AND Customer pays the butcher for processing. |
AuthorFarmer Laura, Walnut Meadow Farms Archives
December 2023
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