I am about as disconnected to the farm as I’ve ever been, but I have been missing it and wanting to give an update on it–as best I can. So here it is:

Ovine: The big, new sheep have been combined with the small, old sheep and they are happily grazing inside their electronet fence. I said we were done acquiring animals for this year (maybe I said it more than once) but I was mistaken: we bought a ram. We’ll keep him for a month or two and then sell him to another young farmer who keeps sheep not far away.

Porcine: The two little piggies are just about of feed, which means that their lives are just about over. We’ll wait for a good weather before we do them in.

Bovine: Cows moved into the barn for the winter about two weeks ago, along with the Haflingers, and, as such, the barn smells, all of a sudden, quite barn-y.

Chick-ine (?): All happily living in their tractors. Donated Araucana roosters are in the belly or in the freezer, and our new batch of hens should be laying in six to eight weeks. More eggs: something I’m looking forward to.

Dry Beans: Almost totally threshed and winnowed–a beautiful palette including Jacobs Cattle, Jacobs Gold, Marifax, Bumblebee, Calypso, Pinto, Crow River Black, King of the Early, Cannellini, and Black Turtle beans.

Tyler, Elsie & Dad at the thresher

Winnower, or fanning mill.

Final drying in the barn on screens.

Equine: April and May have been plowing and discing the future veggie and blueberry fields. The seat on the disc harrow broke while Tyler was sitting on it, so now he’s mostly just plowing. And attending the animal power field days in Vermont, and getting all fired up, and looking after the farm in all its small intricacies and huge needs. Thank you, thank you, Tyler.