http://www.greerfarm.com/index.htmlGreer Farm Blog: Farmer's don't blog.enKarl GreerCopyright 2007 Greer Farm2008-06-18T13:42:26-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:55:21 -0500Karl GreerFarmers don't BLOG2008-06-18T13:42:26-05:00http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/adb16f5d138210c7afe7988351616d35-169.html#unique-entry-id-169http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/adb16f5d138210c7afe7988351616d35-169.html#unique-entry-id-169
Some religions believe that animals are sacred and have souls, going to some pleasant place when they die. That is a nice thought and I hope its true. I envision it as a pasture that is always green and lush with large shade trees by a creek of fresh cool water. It still will not make me miss them in the pasture when I am there checking on the cattle and other animals. I kind of think that those left behind must know about the passing of a pasture mate and it surely must affect them in some way.

We have another donkey named Simone that was a gift to me by my children for Christmas years years ago. She is a marvelous donkey and I care for her very much. She and Freda were best friends and were seldom far apart. I know she must be at a great loss. I think I shall get her another friend in the next few weeks so she will not be so lonely. A new donkey will not make up for the loss of Freda, but it will make us feel a little bit better.

A few years ago we had an older cow have twin heifer calves. A day or so later she got sick. As the vet was working on her she dropped dead. Her two calves had to be bottle fed and never had the pleasure of being with their mom. It did not seem fair.

Some would say I am too emotional or attached to my animals, but as a farmer you can not help but be that way. Every day you see them, take care of them and are concerned about their well being. Time heals, but I will miss Elvis, Freda and I will miss the other unnamed goat just because his presence is no longer in the pasture. Its tough saying goodbye, even to an animal on the farm.

]]>Karl GreerFarmers don't BLOG2008-06-03T12:07:37-05:00http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/c5f32abc9b4d5f209bdb215206cf9ce3-168.html#unique-entry-id-168http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/c5f32abc9b4d5f209bdb215206cf9ce3-168.html#unique-entry-id-168
This is it... Karl's last regular blog. As many of you know I will be starting medical school in the fall. My family and I are in the process of moving to our new home. The berry season is raging, the summer farm workload is peaking... and I am skipping town.

It is not without a certain amount of sadness that I make this move. I've enjoyed my years here on the farm immensely and I've enjoyed sharing news of our progress through this blog. Somewhere along the way I found a different calling. My interest in nutrition turned into a passion for understanding all aspects of human health. I've learned a lot about caring for cows and goats on the farm, but I'm much more interested in caring for my closer relatives, Homo sapiens.

I'm proud of the products that our farm produces. Blueberries and blackberries are among the most healthy foods available and grassfed beef is the perfect foundation for a healthy diet. I firmly believe that if we ate a diet consistent with human genetic evolution, based on grassfed meats, seafood, fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts that we would all add a little more life to our years.

Life on a farm offers a wonderful vantage point from which to observe the workings of nature. Now that we have cabins for rent you have the opportunity to spend a little more time at the farm observing the seasonal work involved in bringing food to your table. Unlike me, you also have the option of keeping your hands clean. One thing I have certainly learned is that there is always work to be done on a farm.

I've enjoyed my farm adventure but it is time to start a new one. Four years from now I hope to have a much greater understanding of human health. I'll report back as often as I can with news of the wonders and horrors of medical school.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions or comments.

Thank you for your support of our farm.

- Karl]]>Karl GreerFarmers don't BLOG2008-05-31T10:37:51-05:00http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/4da1c7d05bb52930a5ed4509d673cff1-167.html#unique-entry-id-167http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/4da1c7d05bb52930a5ed4509d673cff1-167.html#unique-entry-id-167
There are a few ripe blueberries on the Austin plants. They are our youngest bushes so there aren't very many berries, but there are lots more to come! The older plants, Tifblue, Britewell, and Climax, are loaded and should be ripe any day now.

It's going to be a great year for both blackberries and blueberries. We hope to see you soon!

Call if you have any questions. 903-645-3232]]>Karl GreerFarmers don't BLOG2008-05-25T10:24:01-05:00http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/42f137448e8d9af079f957b1e6b21692-166.html#unique-entry-id-166http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/42f137448e8d9af079f957b1e6b21692-166.html#unique-entry-id-166
The plants look very healthy. They have lots of vigorous new growth and are covered in almost ripe berries. The grass is mowed, the irrigation is plugging away, and the picking buckets sit clean, lonely and ready for work.

We have a tentative opening date of May 30 for blackberries. It would be best if you call first to make sure that we have an adequate supply.

Here is a picture of this morning's harvest. They taste as good as they look!

]]>Karl GreerFarmers don't BLOG2008-04-25T10:54:58-05:00http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/486ad1c157d6e887d7069183506dfd1c-165.html#unique-entry-id-165http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/486ad1c157d6e887d7069183506dfd1c-165.html#unique-entry-id-165an interesting article and video in the WSJ about people in urban areas turning their front yards and those of their neighbors into mini-farms. Just dig up the grass, get out the tiller, purchase a tiny combine and get to farmin'.

I guess that's kind of what I did to my front yard, but I don't live in a zoned neighborhood with neighbors fifteen inches from me. Not a bad idea though. Most yards are a waste of space and resources. Might as well get something useful out of them.

Rather than just tilling up the whole yard, it would be more aesthetically pleasing and more acceptable to the Joneses to leave some of the familiar landscaping in place and insert edible plants here and there. Instead of bushes alongside your house you could have a row of mustard or basil. Instead of a walkway lined with monkeygrass, grow small hot peppers, etc.]]>Karl GreerFarmers don't BLOG2008-04-12T21:25:26-05:00http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/b5d385df6550bd3c491537a503ca56d1-164.html#unique-entry-id-164http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/b5d385df6550bd3c491537a503ca56d1-164.html#unique-entry-id-164cabins went live on the site last week. You will now find a description of the cabins, inside and outside pictures, area attractions and driving directions from Dallas, Shreveport, Austin, and Houston.

We've already had several guests. The responses so far have been great! We look forward to seeing many more of you, particularly during berry season!

Putting the cabins in was only the first step. In our spare time we'll be working on landscaping, installing walkways, and a new dock.

If you haven't signed up on our mailing list yet, then you just missed our spring newsletter. You should sign up now because we'll be sending out information soon about Chef Eva's cooking classes.

Thank you for all of your support. We're glad to have this new opportunity to share our farm with you.]]>Karl GreerFarmers don't BLOG2008-04-12T21:14:27-05:00http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/36d6927f44f32eed73470530df7c6353-163.html#unique-entry-id-163http://www.greerfarm.com/blog/files/36d6927f44f32eed73470530df7c6353-163.html#unique-entry-id-163




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