what a day

I never nap. But this afternoon, I napped.

That'll do, horse. That'll do.

she is woman, hear her baa

He didn't even see it coming. With the reflexes of a jungle cat on phentermine I spun around 180-degrees and grabbed Atlas by the horns. The young ram bucked and carried on, and then, realizing I was pulling him uphill by his skull, sunk his legs into the ground cartoon-mule style and refused to budge. It was raining pretty hard at this point, but I didn't mind. I was already wet from giving Sal his antibiotics (he started limping again yesterday) and feeding everyone enough grain to get them back to the main pen. It was the grain that hazed Atlas's awareness, and while his head was down snarfing some up I pounced. What he didn't know was my secret weapon is stubbornness, and I would not let go of those grand horns. In the end, I won. I got him in the pen where his baby-maker was safely tucked away till Guy Fawke's day, or later.

I have learned that when it comes to sheep subterfuge is the only way to go. I trick, bribe, and pounce before they have much time to react. If you walk nervously into the pen with a syringe, pacing about, and holding out a handful of grain all you've got is a bad plan.

This is my first year breeding my own lambs (well, pimping my own lambs) and I had been worried about this ram-removal for weeks. Tonight I decided was as good as any night to fight an ovine. From the office window I hear the sounds of gentler rain, his bleats to be let out, and the cries of the new ewe lamb on the hill. She is sitting under the large apple tree, too scared to join the scary new sheep of Cold Antler. She'll come around.

Tomorrow a bunch of folks are coming to the farm to talk rabbits. I'm looking forward to the entire day—from farm tours to recipes—it'll be an big time with livestock and like minds. I'll post photos from the workshop, and announce some winter ones in the works. Oh, and is anyone planning to come to the fall Sheep 101 class? Some folks backed out, others swapped plans, and others just aren't sure. Please let me know.

Coming soon: A chance to pre-order signed copies of Barnheart from a local bookstore, more giveaways, farm gossip, and workshops.

I told you I grabbed the ram by the horns.

riding in cars with sheep

photos from the field

Had a great lesson today with Gibson down at Taravale Farms in Esperence. Since I was already heading down to pick up the first of two ewe lambs I was getting from Barb (replacing Lisette and Pidge from this year's breeding) I decided to take in a lesson with Gibson. It went so well. He is really starting to come along, to think before he charges in, to pay attention to the human on the scene. We have a long way to go, but we are certainly getting there.

and the winners are....

I'm happy to announce that the winner of the New England Illustrated contest is Devon! And she'll be getting this original ink sketch of a dear on a Deere from Shawn Braley's sketchbook (which I'm mighty jealous of). Shawn will also be mailing her a full set of 24 note cards. Congratulations Devon, and thank you to all who entered. I plan on having a few more giveaways through the fall, so stay tuned and keep entering. You could win next time around... Also! Shawn sent me an email saying I could pick 5 other random runners up to receive a 4-pack of the note cards I showed on the post (draft horses, clotheslines, green tractor, and fat cat). Those winners are:

Farmer Jenny
Burk
Vickie
herdinbc
Coley

If your name was selected, please email me at Jenna@itsafawalk.com and I will put you in touch with Shawn to arrange your delivery.

breeding trio

I'm excited about this workshop on Sunday. A lot of folks are coming to learn about meat rabbits and see the farm. Today I'm testing recipes, planning the menu, and getting the farm all ready for visitors. I hope they aren't expecing a Martha Stewarty farm. Folks, there will be chicken poo on the walkway and dog hair blowing 'round the floor. I do my best, but the place just isn't a homemakers home. Be kind.

I stopped at Wanabea Farm in Manchester today to talk rabbits with Bruce and pick up a new buck for my herd. I was able to get a gorgeous New Zealand (4 pounds at 14 weeks!) for my own lines, and a non-related breeding trio to sell to any workshoppers who wanted to leave with their own starter livestock. I'll have two does and a buck, two new large 36" cages with metal trays availble for purchase if anyone is interested in leaving with the trio. I also have three beautiful Silver Fox/Rex kits from my stock ready to wean and send off as little buns. Not sure of their sexes yet, but the point is there will be livestock available tomorrow if anyone is interested. Please email me if you'd like to arrange it at jenna@itsafarwalk.com

P.S. Still time to enter the giveaway below! Winner will be picked Tomorrow night!

New England Illustrated Giveaway!

A few months ago I got a card in the mail from a reader. It was a beautiful illustration of a farmhouse with a clothesline. Simple, comforting, rustic and elegant. Inside the card was a magnet of a blue early 1980's pickup truck. I kept the card on my typewriter and the magnet is on the fridge. That artwork always stuck with me, though. I picked up the card often, trying to figure out if it was ink and watercolors, computer-generated, or both? Had I seen this house? I swear I knew this place? And then a few weeks after getting the card I noticed that I had seen his work at one of my local bookstores, Northshire, in Manchester Vermont. Well, boy Howdy! Now I knew what was so familiar about this cards, he drew what he lived around, which was Veryork! He was a local artist, right here in my hood. His prints, posters, sketches, and cards are all farm-related images with a touch of humor and a lot of kindness to them. Familiar and happy, all.
And, speaking of happy, I'm happy to announce that I contacted Illustrator Shawn Braley, and asked if he would like to support CAF and have a giveaway on the blog. He obliged! He has an ad up on the blog, which will run all year (and that has helped me pay off the sheep shed)! New England Illustrated has teamed up with CAF for this amazing giveaway. Leave a comment in this post and you are entered to win a complete 24-pack set of Shawn's beautiful note cards, and an ORIGINAL sketch from his own sketchbook! Random winner drawn Saturday Night!

This kid is going places, and that sketch might be worth a lot more than a comment, folks. I strongly suggest you enter! And share this post on your Facebook page as well, please! To see the cards, and more about Shawn, click on New England Illustrated, tell him "HI, and thanks!" from me!

Why Are Young, Educated Americans Going Back to the Farm?

Originally published on Turnstylenews.com, a digital information service surfacing emerging stories in news, entertainment, art and culture; powered by award-winning journalists.
By Nelson Harvey

I am a 25-year-old college graduate with a degree from a fairly prestigious eastern university, and I pull weeds for a living. At first blush, you might think I'm overqualified, and after four hours of weeding the squash beds, when the stiffness begins to set in, that's what I start to believe, too. In fact, nothing in college prepared me for this. My only credentials are the past two summers, spent learning by doing: planting, thinning, trellising, fertilizing, tilling, harvesting, washing, packing and, of course, weeding.

I am a farm intern, and to me, the only thing more remarkable than the fact that I have spent much of the past three summers happily stooping over vegetable rows (I am 6'4'') is that I am not alone. Across the country, college students and graduates like myself, many with little or no farming background, have been flocking to small farms in droves, shacking up in old farmhouses, trailers and tents, and working for free or for peanuts, all in exchange for a little instruction in the fine art of running a farm.

"It's almost like a third education after college," said Kelly Coffman, 30, a second-year apprentice at Rain Crow Farm in Paonia, CO. Coffman studied at Prescott College in Arizona and Naropa University in Boulder, CO, and worked in the California state park system and as a kindergarten teacher, before deciding to work on farms. "When you have [a liberal arts] education, you get to a point where you realize wait, I need to have a more basic fundamental education about being human. Food, water, shelter...these things are important," she said.

Read the rest on Huffington Post

Photo Credit: Nelson Harvey/Turnstyle

p.s.

Good news: the permit finally came to build the new chimney, and I was able to send the deposit on the parts with the folks at the Stovery, thanks to a new partnership with a popular artist (more soon), your workshop donations, and a renewed ad from MyPetChicken.com, I scrounged up enough to cover the half-cost of supplies to secure a chimney installation! Now I have to gather together what it takes for the other half and labor, but just having made that deposit and holding the pink paperwork in my hands feels more than halfway there. I know I can pull these fall projects together.

Just two hours of sleep last night. I feel dizzy. Heat lightening kept me up. But I think a calm morning and iced coffee will set me right.

beans, beer, and sick bunnies

That there is a hill of beans. Well, a sprawling vista of beans, at least. This weekend I was able to put up four quarts of beans (blanching post coming soon), and brew two gallons of all malt stout for the fall. These are the first greens put to the freezer, and it was nice seeing some veg next to all those packages of chicken, duck, rabbit, and pork. A little something, something for the side. I hope to get more so I can add to the freezer bounty. I don't have a pressure canner so it's the only way to preserve these types of veggies. I might even freeze some of my tomato sauce to be safe this fall. Do you folks can, or freeze your harvest/CSA/market greens? What else are you putting up?

On a sadder note, the first litter of kits has come down with the same disease that took out most of last year's young. I'm not sure what it is, but I do know the only surefire way to stop it is to get these guys out on green grass, pronto. So at the first signs of showing ribs and diarrhea, and grinding jaws, these guys hit the grass. I hope it's enough.

Not to sound crass, but jeesh, of all the luck. I deal with a rabbit epidemic days before the meat rabbit workshop. I suppose this is good in some respects, as workshoppers will see how to spot failing health and how to deal with it, but it also has me worried. I want these kits well, and producing into fall. The good news is there are no rabbit diseases a human can get through ingestion (really) and so if they do recover by fall they will be fine for the table.

This morning everyone was fine but still sluggish. Every kit that was in a hutch was put outside. The rest of the herd is doing well in the comfy shade and hay-lined goodness of the barn. My plan is to get a hutch without a bottom I can move it around the lawn and keep them in one safe spot. They will recover, I just need to be quick about containment (of them) and healing of their woes. I am grateful to have the experience to deal with it swiftly.

Oh, and if you're coming up this weekend for the rabbit 101 class, email me for directions and supplies! Looking forward to meeting you all, several from the city!

are we there yet?!