Score-Card of What to look for in a Homestead

I've adapted this from the classic book written in the 1940's "Have More" Plan by Ed and Carolyn Robinson.

I LOCATION Sellers' or Real Estate Broker's Name and Phone Number   Distance to your job __________________________________ Commuting Expense __________________________________ Time to Commute ___________ Commute Expense ________ Condition of Roads in winter ___________________________ Distance to Schools or Bus Stop _________________________ Distance to Church _______ to Shopping _________________ Telephone Available ___ Electricity ____  Mail ____________ II WATER SUPPLY City Water ___  Private Well ___  Community well ___ If other than large community well or city water, have the water tested by a state certified lab doing a water  bacteriological analysis.  On Whidbey Island the cost is $20 Pond or stream? _____________  Any wetlands? ______ III ELECTRICITY Is electricity to the property?  Living off the grid (on solar power or other) is difficult and expensive.  If buying raw land, what is the  distance to the power source?  Contact the local provider to  determine the cost to bring power to your building site. IV SEWAGE DISPOSAL Municipal ____ Septic Tank ____  Raw Land Perc ___ Don't purchase raw land without having the soils tested for a  septic perc (the ability for the soils to qualify for a state or  county approved septic system).  If purchasing a property with a septic system, have the tanks pumped and inspected prior to  closing on the property.  This cost is usually paid by the seller. V LAND Total Land Available ____________ Should be at least 3/4 acre of good, level land.  Total of 2 to 5  acres to include orchard, pasture, hay field, and land to grow some stock feed. VI OUT BUILDINGS Garage ____ Tool House ____ Workroom ____ Barn ____  Poultry House and/or Barn ____ Barn for dairy, rabits and poultry ideally should contain a minimum of 500 square ft. floor area. VII ORCHARD Apple ____  Peach ____  Cherry ____ Plum ____  Grape ____ Rhaspberries ____  Strawberries ____  Blackberries ____ Blueberries ____  Asparagus ____  Rhubarb ____ An established orchard in good condition is worth money.  For a family of 4 this should contain: 5 apple, 3 pear, 1 peach,  2 cherry, 2 plum trees, 10 grape vines.  Small fruits: 50 raspberries, 100 strawberries, 6 blueberry shrubs. VIII OTHER Shade trees ________________________________________________ Fencing _____________________________________________________ Good fencing is worth considerable) Length of growing season _______ What is the micro-climate of the property?  Is it in a hole that will frost early?  Ask the neighbors. Kind of Neighbors _____________________________________ Meet the neighbors, talk to them and ask about the neighborhood Is extra land adjoing the property available? What is the property tax on this property? ________________ Any restrictions against raising livestock, etc. Are there any CC&Rs? (Coventants, Conditions, and Restrictions that run with the land) Assessed Value of the Property _________________________ Down Payment needed ________________________________ Estimated cost to repair ________________________________ IX HOUSE List out your ideal want list for a house

Twas the night before Christmas... - by Juli Fisher

… fog lay over our land.

All was quiet and calm, like a sweet little lamb.

The chickens were tucked in, their heads out of sight.The cats were all in the house, in their beds for the night

I was wrapping a few gifts, some last minute buys.

Bob was already in bed, he’s so healthy and wise.

As I put on the last tape, tied my last piece of yarn.

I heard some noises outside, they came from the barn I thought of that old poem, wondered if it could be 

Old St Nick himself came to pay a visit to me I donned my jacket and mittens, a hat on my head 

And braved the cold night instead of heading to bed

The air was so crisp, the stars shown so bright

I could see all the trees outlined in moonlight

I heard some voices I thought, but how could that be 

There were goats and some coyotes, otherwise only me

Inside the warm barn the goats seemed to be sleeping

But all came alive when they caught me a-peeping

There was Lily and Lilac and Poppy a-pile

Velvet all by herself, which is really her style 

 Rocky grunted and butted his way through the herd

But the voices I’d heard, well, not a word

Then the littlest one, Willow, stood up and said “Mom!”

In English! In words! It hit me like a bomb!

I looked about at the goats, and they all looked to me

I said “I can understand you? How can this be?”

Then Amelia came forward, the wise and sweet one

And said “We’ve always been speaking, it’s what we’ve always done.

But it took a Christmas miracle for you to really hear

To understand what we say when you’re with us out here

We each have our thoughts on our lives here with you

Now you can understand what we want you to do

Annie wants you to feed her, just peanuts all day

Cypress wants you to hug her in your own special way

Filbert wants you to stop shoving meds down his throat

Fiona wants you to tend and to brush her fine coat 

Willow knows she’s your sweetheart, your favorite pet

It’s ok, we all know she’s the cutest goat yet

Lilac’s a good doe, just frozen by fright She’s frightened of darkness, oh, and of light

Now Poppy we know is one special doe She’s very Zen, introverted, or maybe just slow The new babes are happy, we love them all well And we love you and Papa, in case you couldn’t tell

Now we must stop, you’ll no longer understand

When we call out and holler and make a demand

But you know what you know now about your goat herd

But you can’t tell a soul, no you can’t breathe a word

This is our little secret, so go back to your bed

And in the morning you’ll think this was all in your head.

Juli and I use to work together 15 years ago for a crazy person and became good friends.  She and her husband Bob have been raising goats and making cheese for many years.

Our Holidays Wishes Letter

Greetings Friends & Family!

This has been another wonderful year in our family.  We are keeping busy with our farm, family, friends and work.

Gary balances his farm work, landscaping work and real estate.  His hand finally healed in July after his surgery last November.  A bone stimulator helped his hand to heal.  Thank God for technology!

Pam still enjoys teaching her lovely preschoolers and kindergartners.  She recently joined a Threshold Choir whose goal is singing at bedsides of those who are nearing their transition.  It is fun for her to sing with other women instead of just her school children.

Pam and Gary’s family keeps growing.  In February, Nick and Mel welcomed twin girls, Evelyn Rose and Claire Elizabeth into this world.  They join cousins ,Olive,  who is now 2 ½ and Chloe , who is now almost 22 months old.  In April, Gabe and Jen, Chloe’s parents, will be having another girl.  Needless to say, Pam and Gary are just thrilled and family gatherings are jubilant and fun.  One of Olive’s favorite farm chores ,when she comes to visit, is collecting chicken eggs. “Goat” was one of her first words since she and her mom, Eleni, were present right after the birth of two of our goats. 

In August, Alex and her long time partner, Alex May,  married at a lovely farm wedding in Poulsbo.  They are still living and working in Seattle.

Gary and Pam's Family

Gary A. returned from graduate school in New York in May to re-enter the work force.  He returned to working at a  gun shop in Lakewood and enjoying the city life in Tacoma.

Dark Days and Long Nights

Yes, the dark days and long nights are fully entrenched upon us - one of my favorite times of the year.  One of my loves is to set on the couch by the wood stove in the morning and read a good mystery and drink my coffee. I usually have a couple of free hours each morning before going up to the barn.  Even then at the barn I don't have much to do.  We have only one goat in milk, and I'm only milking her in the evening.  I refresh everyone's water, give some of the ducks food, feed the bucks, and I am back to the house in 30 minutes.

Our buck Snowshoe in the newly cleaned goat area

Pam has the next two weeks off for winter break so I don't even have to cook dinner!  Oh, lazy times for me.  I'm taking these two weeks off from real estate work, having a business partner that will cover for me for most of the work, all but what I call the "non-negotiable" things, like writing up or reviewing an offer for property.  Not much of that during this time of year, but I do have a couple of projects I'm working on.  I'm going to take this time off to work on a new shelter for the bucks, plan next year's vegetable garden, and design the new chicken coop. 

Last night we had our Yule gathering, celebrating the dark nights, at a friends house in Oak Harbor.  It felt good not having to run home before dark to deal with all of the animals as they are all tucked away before 5 pm.

We continue to mulch our orchard and berry areas with soiled bedding from the goat area - it looks so nice.  Our winter garden survived the deep freeze last month, probably due to the 3 inches of snow covering everything.  Nights have been in the low 30's with days near 40 for the past few weeks, so with the light row covers our winter vegetables continue to live, giving us fresh greens for our salads.  Our birds continue to thrive, and the two little chicks are growing, starting to get their feathers.

 

Camelina Seed for our Goats and Chickens

We purchase our animal feed in 300 lb barrels from a local farmer (Jordan Coe) that makes a monthly trip up to the Canadian border.  It is an organic mix of grains that contains soy as the major protein source.  Studies have shown that soy in animal feed have high levels of phytic acid that reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Jordan found a local (Bellingham) suppler that uses only Washington State grown grains in his mix, and has replaced soy with Camelina meal, which as the same amount of protein but is 35-40% linolenic acid (omega-3) compared to canola (8%) and soy (1%). Additionally, camelina oil contains high amounts of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant.

Omega-3 Rich Eggs and Goat Milk from our Farm

Camelina meal was analyzed as an ingredient for production of omega-3 rich eggs. This study was done in collaboration with Nick Dale at the University of Georgia.  The content of omega-3 in the egg increased with increasing camelina content in the feed.  Camelina meal has also been evaluated for production of omega-3 enriched goat milk. Similar to poultry, milk from camelina-fed goats contained increased concentrations of omega-3.

Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids: They are necessary for human health but the body can not make them -- you have to get them through food. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut, other seafood including algae and krill, some plants, and nut oils. Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), omega-3 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. They have also become popular because they may reduce the risk of heart disease.

I have always believed our chicken eggs and goat milk is of a much superior quality to anything we can purchase in the store - now we have enhanced Omega-3 chicken eggs and milk!  The added plus is that we are buying local.

Sad Day for the Chickens

I was getting ready to go up to the barn area yesterday evening when I saw a Bald Eagle fly low over the house toward the State Park land behind our property and had a bad feeling.  I went up to the chicken yard and found our new mama, Falcon-ette, the Buff Orpington that a friend gave us, was dead.  Nothing left but feathers and some bones.  Two of her baby chicks were still alive (one disappeared a couple of days ago), I caught them and put them in the little coop with food and water.  I have to figure out how to keep them warm without their mother around.  If they made it through the night I will set something up in the barn.  Pam wanted to bring them in the house but I drew the line at that.  No way.  Really sadden me last night.  She was so cute with her babies.  One time I saw her scratch and find a large seed and she took it to one of her chicks.  Oh well...life on the farm.

Falcon-ette, eaten by an Eagle yesterday afternoon

Three years ago we had problems with an eagle that ate one of our ducks three days in a row.  The third day I was standing in the garden when the eagle came out of the park, flying low toward the bird yard, saw me and took off.  That gave me the idea of building a Scarecrow, which I did, and we never had a problem again until yesterday.  I'm thinking I will change it's clothes this morning - I'm really worried that it will return for another good meal.

This morning I prepared one of the ducklings I butchered last month for tonight's dinner.  Cut up potatoes, onions, carrots (all from our garden), added a package of dry onion dip with a half of cup of water, all into the crock pot for dinner tonight.  This will give us about eight servings.

An easy dinner that will cook all day - duckling from our farm

Breding our Goats - continued

Nettle was in heat last weekend and again went into heat six days latter.  What happened?

Our Goat Herd with their Protector (sleeping)

Goats are seasonal breeders and in our region the breeding season GENERALLY extends from September to February, although exceptions occur.  The duration of estrus (heat) varies from 12 to as long as 48 hours. Within that duration standing heat (the period the doe stands firmly when a buck attempts to mount) lasts approximately 24 hours.  Ovulation usually occurs 12 to 36 hours from the onset of standing heat.

What all of this means is that a goat typically goes into heat just before ovulation, or the release of the eggs from the ovary.  The buck's sperm then fertilizes the egg.  If the egg falls too soon or too late she won't "take".  I noticed that Nettle had some vaginal discharge with a little blood mixed in prior to her going into heat, so my guess is that the eggs dropped early.  In humans, if no conception occurs, the uterine lining as well as blood will be shed. The shedding of an unfertilized egg and the uterine wall is the time of menstruation.

On Friday when Nettle was in standing heat I locked her in the pasture with EV, our Boer buck.  I put Snowshoe (our Nubian buck) and Stewie (our wethered buck that will be butchered next spring) in an adjoining pasture.  When I returned home from the office, Stewie and Snowshoe both broke out and joined Nettle and EV, so if Nettle takes this time the kids will be either full blood Nubian or half Nubian and Boer.  It is also possible to have one of each.  Typically a goat gives birth to two kids, sometimes one and sometimes three, but when multiple kids are born they are not twins, just multiple eggs that have been individually fertilized. Yesterday I fixed the fence but will have to replace that section before next breeding season.

Back to Normal

The warmer temperatures have returned!  Yahoo.  We had our Thanksgiving gathering on Friday and the temperature rose to about 40 degrees F. with all of the ice melted on the roads so no one had a problem with the hill we live at the bottom of.  All of our children, their spouses and children attended.  We cooked a local turkey and stuffed ourselves on all of the other food.

Pam going into Ace Hardware

Saturday night the local Ace Hardware store in Freeland had their annual "Customer Appreciation Night", everything in the store was 20% off with plenty of free food and beverages (no alcohol of course).  It's a very popular event on the Island and we get to socialize with many of our Island friends.

I had a water hydrant in the garden that I couldn't get completely shut off when I winterized the system so I thought it was time to replace it with a frost free hydrant.  Bought one at Ace Saturday night (20% off) and installed it Sunday afternoon.  The old system was a pain in the spring when we sometimes needed water in the garden.  I would have to dig down and turn the water on and then turn it off when we were completed.  Spring can be warm some days and then freeze at night - now we'll have water without the worry or hassle. 

Digging out the old hydrant

The new Frost-Free Hydrant in the garden

Our brooding chicken hatched three babies - I don't know if they are full blooded Rhode Island Reds yet (communal nests) or if they are mixed with the mother.

The new mama with one of her 3 chicks

Breeding our Goats

Nubian dairy goats need to be bred every year in order to have milk.  Our goats dry up (stop producing milk) mid to late November.  Nettle was bred for the first time last fall and she had two kids in February (as did our other three girls) but she is still producing nearly three quarts a day.  Alure dried up last month and Surely this month, but Nettle is still going nearly full speed.

Nettle getting ready for EV the Boer Buck

Last February all four of our goats (Zoe has passed on the the freezer) gave birth within two weeks, with 10 baby goats and it was hell on me - really too much work.  So this year we decided to spread out the breeding, allowing only one per heat cycle to be bred.  Nettle we decided to do last because of her strong milk flow.  We have to dry them up at least two months before kidding to give them time to build up their strength (milk takes a lot out of them).  But last month Nettle didn't go into heat and we were worried.  Pam talked to a breeder we are friends with and she said due to the warm weather in late October and early November several of her does skipped their cycle.  Nettle has been going into heat every 21 days and yesterday was on our calendar as her heat due day, so I put her in with EV, our boer buck. No luck.

This morning when I milked her she was dripping mucus from her behind and then when I was finished she ran to the gate connecting the buck yard and started moaning.  I put her in with EV and she is bred!  It takes about five months so it looks like we'll have either late April or early May babies from her.

Nettle at the time of her breeding last year

Surely was bred September 15th and Alure October 11th, so we'll have them spread out this year like the plan.  Surely is due February 15th, Alure March 15th, and Nettle April 27th.  In addition to having the births spread out, next winter we should have fresh milk without the normal winter break.  Usually we freeze several gallons to hold us through the winter but when we thaw it out it is not very good as it separates.

Yesterday morning we had another surprise.  We were given four laying chickens by a client of mine that decided to move back to California and one of the hens has been sitting on some eggs and two hatched.  So we have two new chicks born - she has three more eggs in her nest so maybe we'll get more.

Coping with the Cold

With three inches of snow on the ground and daytime temperatures in the 20's, we spent the day doing chores inside getting ready for our Thanksgiving gathering on Friday.  The morning temperature at our farm was 16 degrees F., so getting the animals fresh water was the first chore.  Pam lugged buckets of warm water up to the barn while I fed everyone.  We took a long walk through the state park that borders our land in the fresh snow with the three dogs and after dinner took them for another long walk up our road.  7 pm and it was down to 9 degrees!  When we returned an hour later it was up to 10 degrees.  Overnight clouds have moved in and the temperature has risen to 20 degrees - but there is no snow in the forecast until Thursday.

Pam bringing warm water to the barn

 We have a propane instant hot water heater, one of those that give you unlimited hot water and does not have a holding tank.  With all of the power outages rural life on Whidbey Island is known for, we wanted a non-electric one.  We installed one that has a water turban that starts the fire without electricity.  One of the options that we didn't get was an electric vent cap that closes the chimney flue when not in use, thinking we wouldn't have hot water without electricity to open the flue.  We love it, with the exception of times like this when it gets really cold.  Freezing cold air comes down the chimney and freezes the water inside the heating baffles, so I have to put an electric heater under the unit to keep it from freezing.  Monday night I set it up and put it on low, but last night with single digit temperatures outside it froze before we went to bed.  I increased the heat setting and got up at 11 pm and it was frozen again, so out came the hair dryer and I thawed it out; then turn the heater way up.  This morning all was well.

Firewood ready to be brought into the house

We normally burn 1/3rd of a wheel barrow of firewood in a day, these past two days we have been burning two barrows per day to keep warm.

Our Lopi wood stove keeping us warm - along with the cat Merlin

We started our stock pot of chicken, duck and vegetables last night to make broth to marinate the turkey in.  Yum, I can't wait.  We are worried about the road conditions for Friday and hope all of the kids can make it here.  Pam's son, Gary A. (interesting how she attracts Garys in her life, her first husband was also named Gary) will be arriving tonight and stay until Friday or Saturday.  My son Gabe and his family will be staying on Whidbey Island for the weekend and he has a 4x4 car so I'm sure he'll be here.  We have a nasty 1.5 mile private road we live on, with a very steep hill, so we may have to shuttle folks down here.  We'll see.  

The stock pot cooking all night

Winter is here!

Snow kept falling all day

Yes, it has arrived, early this year with snow flurries yesterday morning.  24 degrees out with a full moon when  I did my 30 minute run this morning, and I can assure you it's cold, but clear.  I went out to milk Nettle and let the birds out about 7:30am and it started to snow.  Been snowing all day and we have almost 3 inches.  With the forecast being continued cold for the next two days, with lows in the teens and highs in the 20's, we should have what is on the ground for awhile.

Chickens are hiding but the ducks and geese don't care

Last month we received a charge of $14 from Microsoft on our credit card and couldn't figure out what it was for.  We called the number listed on our credit card statement and got a recording saying they did not accept phone calls, so we contested the charge.  A week later our farming website disappeared!  So that was what it was for.  Time to build a new website.

I tried to use the Google free website but it was not very user friendly and the Help templates were useless (I love Google's Blogger and Google's Picasa), I finally settled on Yola.  I finished it over the weekend and put a link to it above.

I recently registered with Dark Days Challenge and sent out my first email to the group but it got kicked back saying I was not authorized to use it.  Oh well.  The Dark Days Challenge is encouraging people to purchase all or most of their food locally.  For Thanksgiving here is what is going on:

We produce about 80% of our own food on our little farm, and nearly all of our yearly protein, but have not grown turkeys yet, maybe next year.  We bought a heritage turkey (Blue Slate) from Laughing Ducks & Barking Dogs Farms in Oak Harbor (about 30 miles from our place) this year.  We met the farmers on a local farm tour this year.  EXPENSIVE, at $8 a pound.  I saw an ad on a Safeway flier for turkeys at $.29 per pound, oh well…but we believe in supporting the small, local farmer as much as we can; and I know how much work is involved.

We do the Thanksgiving gathering on the Friday after as we have five grown children (with five grandchildren – OMG I must be getting old!) and the tradition is to come to the farm on Whidbey the day after, letting the married ones visit the other family on Thanksgiving.

My Granddaughter Olive gathering chicken eggs

Here is the recipe for cooking it:

·         Day before cooking, combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stock pot and bring to a boil.  Stir to dissolve solids,  remove from heat, cool to room temperature and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.  Late the night before or early on day of baking combine brine and ice water in a clean 5 gallon bucket or similar.  Place thawed turkey breast side down in bucket, cover and set in a cool place or refrigerator for 6 -8 hours.  Turn turkey over half way through brining.

·         Preheat oven to 450F.  Combine apple, onion, cinnamon stick in microwave proof bowl and heat for 5 minutes. Remove turkey from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water, discard left over brine.  Place bird on roasting rack and pat dry. 

·         Add steeped aromatics, rosemary and sage to cavity.  Tuck wings back and coat whole bird with canola or other neutral oil.  Roast on lowest level of oven at 450F for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and place double layer of tin foil over breast.  

·         Return to oven, reducing temperature to 350.  A 14-16 pound turkey will take approximately 2 1/2- 3 hours (be sure to check temperature and juices run clear) Internal thigh temperature should read about 150-160F.  Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.  (Note: USDA recommends poultry be cooked to 160-180F, but these temps will dry out a heritage.  Heritage turkeys are much freer of disease and bacteria, unlike commercially raised birds, and do not need the extreme temps to make them safe to eat.)

Candied Ginger Brine for Heritage Turkey

1 cup Kosher salt                           1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 gallon vegetable stock                 1 TBSP black peppercorns

1/2 TBSP all spice berries               1/2 TBSP candied ginger

1 gallon ice water      

For Aromatics

1 red apple                                   1/2 onion

1 cinnamon stick                         1 cup water

4 sprigs rosemary                        6 sage leaves

Snowshoe is a handsome Nubian buck of ours

3 Vegetarian Barn Cats for Sale!

Well it sometimes seems like they are vegetarians!  Trying to control the grain loving rats living in our barn is a real chore.  I have been using the cats, a poison allowed by the Organic Standards, and last week I started to use traps baited with peanut butter.

Pooh Bear, our Great Pyrenees dog watching over the baby goats

I set the trap near the goat milking stand in a corner and the next morning had a large rat.  That morning I also found a rat outside the barn half eaten by Greta (we saw her the night before chewing on its head).  The next three evenings we caught one each night in the trap.  No more rat droppings on the milk stand in the morning - I thought I must be finally controlling them.  That morning I opened the bin where we store our potatoes and on top of the straw covering the potato bin within, was a nest of six huge, LIVE, rats.  I screamed and dropped the lid but one of the rats tried to jump out and the lid came down on his hind quarters, trapping him.  He was screaming (not sure if I was at that time), and everyone ran into the area, the goats jumping up on the lid of the crib, and Pooh Bear, our Great Pyrenees dog that lives with the goats, ran in and started gnawing on its head.  I tried to pull Pooh Bear away but he is 115 lbs of muscle (some fat) and he didn't want to give up a free meal (he is currently on a vet ordered diet).  Finally I got between Pooh and the screaming rat and beat it to death with a bucket.  Oh my.  Last night Pam said she would enjoy a potato dish, but I changed her mind, offering to cook fried chicken gizzards instead, thinking NO WAY I'm going in the potato bin.

BTW, Pam said I can't sell the cats.

This baby was rejected by her mother so Pooh Bear became its best friend

No Power at the Farm

I am lost in the morning without a computer (I'm writing this at work and only have two minutes) as we have not had power for 36 hours now.  A viscous storm came through Monday night with 60 mph winds, heavy rain (at one time the hourly rate was 4.5 inches), and the power went out for the south half of Whidbey Island.  Almost everyone had it back by 9 am but we did not.  We have a generator that runs the barn that I turn on so we can have water, but the house is in the back.  More on this tomorrow.

Another evening without power - our Aladdin Lamp allowing me to read, a wood stove keeping us warm

Tomorrow is here and the power finally came on at 1 pm on Wednesday, 40 hours this time.  We have not had a power outage like this one since the winter of 2006-07, when we lost power for at least 8 hours seven times.

Because our deep freezers are 100% full, and we didn't open the doors during the outage, everything stayed frozen there.  I'm worried about the goat milk in the refrigerator so this morning I made Panier with five quarts.  Because I heat it to 195 degrees F. for 10 minutes it will be ok.

Slicing Panir

Panir just removed from the oven

Those people that have learned to live without electricity are a hardy bunch.  We have a neighbor that has two solar panels that have to be adjusted several times a day to have electricity as they live in the woods.  They have been living without running water or electricity for over 30 years!  I would like to put solar panels on the pump house roof so when we lose power we would still have water with pressure.  A long term goal of mine.

Daylight Saving Time Ends

Today is Wednesday, now the fourth morning since we changed the clocks back.  How does it affect our farm animals?  Not at all as they are ruled by the sun and stars.  But for me, I usually can adjust within a week or so.  We always go to bed between 8:30 pm and 9 pm during the school year and I get up at 4:30 am.  No alarm needed, it's just when I wake up, no mater what time I go to bed.  Now, with the clocks changed, I'm going to bed a hour later but still get up at my usual moment, now 3:30 am.  So I'm losing an hour of sleep each night.

Double Digging a winter bed with some help from our friends

Why do we do this?  "Adding daylight to afternoons benefits retailing, sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours, but causes problems for farming, evening entertainment and other occupations tied to the sun." - Wikpedia. There is no way with my current lifestyle I could go to bed at 7:30 pm, too much to do.  Last night in that last hour I sliced up a batch of pears to dry in the dehydrator, put away all of the dried runner beans into large glass jars, and made a batch of Kefir cheese.  

Fall and Winter have become two of my favorite seasons.  I remember last Spring showing our goats off to a friend, she asked how do I do it?  I sighed, and said that I'm looking forward to December when I don't have to go out to the barn until 7 am and have everyone put to bed by 5 pm, and no milking the goats (they usually stop producing milk in late November until after they give birth in mid-February).  We are almost there, at least with the timing.  Two of our goats I am still milking and we love the fresh milk.

Lots to do today, real estate meetings from 9 am to 1 pm and then I need to get home and winterize our water system.  The irrigation system in the orchard needs to be turned off and drained to protect the pipes from deep freezes, I need to change the oil in the generator and run it for a little bit, and install a new frost free water hydrant near the buck yard.

Fall Harvest

When we harvest our garlic, onions, squash, and fruit (apples and pears) they go from the garden to our covered deck.  Then we have to take the time to deal with them, and yesterday we finished!  Yahoo!

We have 1/2 of a 5-gallon bucket of pears to dry and then are completely finished with last year's garden.  Our winter garden is doing well and provides us with stir fry vegetables and all of our salad greens.  We might get about month or so out of it before the deep freezes strike, killing everything but the chard and kale.

Our Fall Garden just after planting

We start our Fall-Winter garden plants in little starter blocks we make with a starting soil we purchase at the feed store in August and planted them in a bed I prepared in early October.  We have been harvesting greens for about three weeks and just started eating the lettuce last week.  It should produce into December unless the weather stays mild without the nighttime temperature going below 25 degrees, and then longer.

Carrot Bed and Fall Garden Bed all covered to protect from frost

We moved all of the garlic, onions and winter squash into a spare bedroom yesterday, a dry, cool place that will keep the garlic and onions until next summer, and the squash until January or so.

Garlic, Onions and Winter Squash put away for future use

I am still milking two goats, Surely once a day and Nettle twice a day, and are getting about 7 lbs. (about 8 lbs. per gallon) of milk each day from them.  I'm concerned about Nettle as she should have gone back into heat three days ago but no signs from her.  Did a buck get her when I wasn't looking?  If so, how and who?  They are in different pastures but have a common fence.

Quite a rainstorm yesterday with nearly an inch of rain at our farm - which is a lot as we only get 18 inches a year.  Yesterday was my day to clean the buck house and yard, two duck houses, the goose house and the chicken house - so I got a little wet!  Warm though, in the low 50's.  We still found time to take a walk with the dogs through the State Park that borders our land.  Mushrooms loved the weather, popping up just about everywhere.