The Fun Begins

Haying season officially started for us on Saturday.  My son has cut a couple of fields and today we'll rake the first one and, Lord willing, get it baled. Haying season always brings it's challenges and makes me cringe.  A lot of prayer going on this time of year.

Sunday John cut one of our best fields.  He says that Dad forgot to tell him about the sink hole.  :)

He sure knows about it now.  God is good and with just one pull from our bigger tractor, this one was out and on the field again.

It's a good year for hay.  It's growing thick and tall.

Computer Died-RIP

It happened to me.  My motherboard died.  I am blessed to still have a computer to use, it's old, it's not mine, but it's available.  I am unable to post from my camera so these will be entirely text entries.  Now is not a good time for us to consider a new computer.  I'm keeping an eye on Freecycle just in case I can find something a bit more modern.

Not having a good computer has freed up so much more of my time that I'm considering a part time job.  You think I jest-but no.  I spent way too much time on here before the death of my computer.  I've had more time to spin, sew, braid rugs, do paperwork, even clean!!!

I'm thinking on getting a couple of little hogs to raise.  I'd like to order more chicks and I'm waiting on my cows to drop a few calves soon. I'll be having my rabbits bred in a couple of weeks. Babies in the spring.  Don't ya love it?

Calving Time

We finally got our snow.  There's about a foot of it on the ground, which is a good thing, we needed the moisture.

It's also calving time on the farm.  Our cows calve outside but not usually in this much snow. We have a couple of new heifers-first time calvers- that I'm a bit concerned about.  One girl is very 'petite' and she's ready to drop any day now.

So it's up and outside early every morning to check and then in three or four hour intervals until 10 or 11 at night.  I dread crawling from my warm bed, throwing some boots and a coat on and going outside.  My honey and I take turns, but I'm thinking I'm pretty lazy.  Once outside it's actually pretty nice.  The cattle are so big and pregnant that they let you scratch them under their chins and rub their ears, it's easier than trying to move away from you. :)

Our only milk cow should calve sometime in the next two weeks.  Fresh milk again!  Our daughter is getting a couple of pigs to raise on the milk.  We go through a lot of bacon and this might be a way to save a bit of money while eating "healthy bacon"?  Is there such a thing?

I think I'll call it a day a bit early. 
Good night.

Wanna go on a Walk-About?

The sun is shining today and the temp is a balmy 40.  Would you like to take a walk about and I'll show you a bit of the place.
Get your rubber boots on because once we're out the back door, this is the walkway-

Look to your right, no, don't pet her she'll knock you over.  That's Jenny our Newfie. She loves people, but she doesn't realize how large she is.

It takes awhile, but the clothes will dry.  In this weather, about two days, as long as Jenny doesn't pull them off of the line.

That's part of my garden showing!  Yea!  I knew it was under there somewhere.

My son is only 14, but he has already invested in this fine machine for his mode of transportation when he gets his license.

Watch your step.  The south side of the shop is in dire need of some clean up.

Let's head out to the cow pasture.  That's Molly, she's about ready to drop her calf.  She's the one milk cow that we have.

That's the bull there.

We have mostly Red Angus cows.  They all look so much alike, that I can't tell them apart.

Here are Cutie and Sweetie.

And of course, my Sadie.  She loves the camera.  Close ups are all she ever lets me do.  As I back up, she moves forward.  Just pet her and she'll love you.

Let's head to the barn.  Those chickens will move when you open the door.

The ducks are just inside the door.  They love the sunshine.

Over in that pen is Bear, my Angora buck. 

You can give him a scratch under his chin.  He's a good boy.

I think all of his does have gone outside to play in the snow.

Come look in this pen.  This is my daughter's new bull calf.  She named him Kevin.

Well that's a bit of our place.  Oops, I forgot to take you over to the rabbit yard, we'll have to do that next time you come.  Maybe we'll have green grass and a garden in then.  Thanks for stopping by.

From Glory Farm

From Glory Farm

First day on the new blog.
I've been blogging for years on a different site and decided it was time for a change. 
Introductions-I'm a wife and mother.  My honey and I farm in Northern Minnesota in hopes of sharing our resources and knowledge with others and bringing glory to God.  (It wouldn't hurt if the farm helped to pay for itself, either.)
We have chickens, ducks, sheep, Angora goats, dairy goats, beef cattle and a couple of donkeys.  We've had horses, llamas and alpacas, also.  We've decided that the dairy goats aren't for us.  We do have a dairy heifer that we've had bred this summer in hopes of having our own milk supply next spring.
We have a garden of almost an acre.  We do some foraging, mostly berries. 
I started making soaps about five years ago and found I really enjoy it.  We also use the fiber from our goats and sheep to make yarn and felt.
The Lord has blessed us more than we ever imagined.  Our children are learning His ways and are becoming great farmers, too!
From Glory Farm