November 2012
Change of Season on the Farm
30 November, 2012 - 10:28
We have had a number of heavy frosts and the forest is losing its colorful fall leaves with each gust of wind. Soon it will be time to work on all those tasks put off in the busy time of the year.
Our major project left for this year is to change out the irrigation water distribution system in the berry patch. We have finished wedding the blackberries and mulched the newer ones. Trimming of these berry plants is 90% done. the blueberries wil be pruned, but not until January.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week in Santa Rosa with our son Karl and his family joined by our son Toni from Austin. One rather unique experinece was to hike in a redwood forest in a rain storm.
The baby chicks are almost grown and in a month will join the egg layers. They will produce in the spring. The chickens are in their restful winter slump and we get about a third of the eggs we normally do when the days are longer. The meat chickens will be ready to harvest in a few weeks and will be available before Christmas.
We have one steer harvested for ground beef and it will be ready to pick up at $6/lb. after December 12. All cuts of beef will be available in the new year- after February.
The pigs we are raising are to be harvested January 16, so if you want to order a half, now is the time. You will get your own smoked bacon and lots more.
We continue to cut trees that die. Yesterday it was a huge red oak that was over 80 years old. Near the house we have an oak well over one hundred to cut, but it is in a difficult place to remove. Over 30 more trees were cut at the Rocky Branch Grass Ranch this week.
Drought is still with us. Our lakes are down 3-4 feet and rainfall is off by 20 inches verus a normal year. Pray for more rain this winter- lots of it!
Eva has finished a successful farm to fork cookin gclass schedule and will have the 2013 classes posted on our website by December 16. The only class in 2012 that was cancelled was one on healthy cooking. No one was interested in healthy food!
We have pre-sold a set of beef steers that will be harvested in January and the next set will be in mid to late February. Let us know if you are interested in your own grass-fed beef cut an dpackaged to your specificiation.
Despite being dry, the days have been so nice to be outside. I love it when the wind whips colorful leaves around you and the road and trails on the farm are covered in leaves. We have had a lot of cabin guests enjoying the fall season. This weekend we have 15 dads and 15 daughters here for bonding time on a farm.
We end this with a photo taken last week on the Russian River in northern California as the grapes turn from green to gold.
Our major project left for this year is to change out the irrigation water distribution system in the berry patch. We have finished wedding the blackberries and mulched the newer ones. Trimming of these berry plants is 90% done. the blueberries wil be pruned, but not until January.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week in Santa Rosa with our son Karl and his family joined by our son Toni from Austin. One rather unique experinece was to hike in a redwood forest in a rain storm.
The baby chicks are almost grown and in a month will join the egg layers. They will produce in the spring. The chickens are in their restful winter slump and we get about a third of the eggs we normally do when the days are longer. The meat chickens will be ready to harvest in a few weeks and will be available before Christmas.
We have one steer harvested for ground beef and it will be ready to pick up at $6/lb. after December 12. All cuts of beef will be available in the new year- after February.
The pigs we are raising are to be harvested January 16, so if you want to order a half, now is the time. You will get your own smoked bacon and lots more.
We continue to cut trees that die. Yesterday it was a huge red oak that was over 80 years old. Near the house we have an oak well over one hundred to cut, but it is in a difficult place to remove. Over 30 more trees were cut at the Rocky Branch Grass Ranch this week.
Drought is still with us. Our lakes are down 3-4 feet and rainfall is off by 20 inches verus a normal year. Pray for more rain this winter- lots of it!
Eva has finished a successful farm to fork cookin gclass schedule and will have the 2013 classes posted on our website by December 16. The only class in 2012 that was cancelled was one on healthy cooking. No one was interested in healthy food!
We have pre-sold a set of beef steers that will be harvested in January and the next set will be in mid to late February. Let us know if you are interested in your own grass-fed beef cut an dpackaged to your specificiation.
Despite being dry, the days have been so nice to be outside. I love it when the wind whips colorful leaves around you and the road and trails on the farm are covered in leaves. We have had a lot of cabin guests enjoying the fall season. This weekend we have 15 dads and 15 daughters here for bonding time on a farm.
We end this with a photo taken last week on the Russian River in northern California as the grapes turn from green to gold.
