Glastonbury Farm

Almost two years later......

2011-03-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

I am finally back here, catching up on all the changes. We lost Mysty last month, at 8 years of age, but I still have two daughters of hers, and Chicago is still bumbling along- he's quite spry even at 8 years old. Can you believe the golden babies in the previous post are going to be two years old as well?

So, let's get on with the pictures of this spring's early growth......

Babies in their nest.......

The first biddies of spring.......

Chicago in his dotage......

More ducks than I need......

Frick and Frack, aka 'Cheech and Chong', the glimmer tiwns who need to have their own herds. Anyone want to buy a really nice Nubian buckling from the SafeHaven Nubian herd?

My Boer buckling, Sherman. We won't speak about any march through Georgia, thank you- he is a tank!

Andy, my year old Anatolian Shephard/Pyrennes cross livestock guardian dog- he takes his job seriously, buy is still a goofball.....

And lastly.......Little Bit the llama, a rescue who unpacked her bags and moved in. She loves Polka Spot!

Have a wonderful Spring!

There's gold in these hills.....

2009-04-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

This is Mysty.

A couple of weeks ago before she kidded, we took pictures of her while she was in early labor- she was so huge that we thought she would have quads!

I've always loved her udder and the way she milks- she is wonderful on the milk stand and always a lady, to be sure.

Now, this story isn't really about Mysty- it is about Winsome and her triplets.

Winnie is one of my Guernsey girls. She came from Joan Stump in PA in January and is not a pushy goat- she also has been very polite, so much so, that I feared she would not hold her pregnancy. When Winnie arrived, she became frightened and ran, until we gave her some cookies and then she was just fine. She even found she had friends in the herd from her old home.

So, this last Tuesday, Winnie decided it was finally 'time', so I got her out and made her a place in the shed. Last Tuesday was also a big weather day as well- alternating sun, cold, snow, rain, wind and back again. After two hours of practice pushing and insisting she needed to go back into the barn instead of this nice dry hay to kid on, I let her back in and went into the house for some chicken soup.

After about a half hour, my husband walked into the door and said that there was somone making a huge racket in the port-o-huts. I stepped outside and heard Chicago-

....rubbing his scur violently against the metal. And then I heard a different new baby voice- so we hoofed it out there quick and found Winnie standing wide eyed over three tiny goo covered babies. husband ran for towls and we brought them into the house. Now, Winnie looked like she had one in there- where in the world did she hide three!

And I was very proud of Chicago for being such a good daddy goat and taking care of Winnie by sounding the alarm when the babies needed help!

Winnie is HB1 level BGS Guernsey and these babies are BH2 level BGS Guernsey. Their sire is a purebred BGS Golden Guernsey named S'wind Pendragon, so their names lend themsleves to their mythos- Guinevere, Morgainne, andTaliesin. I tried to get Tally to accept the name Arthur, as it would be a natural progression, but he said he wanted to be Taliesin. After all, he has a 'star on his brow'. :-)

These babies are our first HB2 level kids to be born here, and I could not be happier. Welcome home babies- it makes me really happy to know that my little grandson William will be able to grow up with them and be their friend.

The Kiddie-Winky Condo

2009-03-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

I finally got some work done at the shed, the babies got their kid pens- the first big jug was already up at the shed and we got the old hay cleared out enough to put up some 16' hog panels for walls, feed dishes, water bucket and feeders. This one is much bigger than the baby pen we put up last year, and adding a second one for smaller kids will make things much easier.

I call it 'The Kiddie-Winky Condo'.

When a set of babies gets big enough, we set these up so I can put the little ones up at night after they have dinner, let the mamas back into the doe pen or up into the woods, and milk the mamas in the morning. It also allows me to feed the babies with medicated feed to prevent certain parasites that keep babies from growing out well, not to mention keeping their 'hussy' moms from eating all the babies' food!

The jugs seem to be about 4' by 4', or thereabouts, and very heavy duty plastic. they can be bedded down easily and just as easily kept clean.

Since the jug has a screw off lid, a heat lamp can be placed through the top and still be safe for keeping little ones warm on cold nights.

My husband came out to the barn today to prep the hay conveyor for being sold- there was this hen, I think a Golden Comet, who had recently come into the flock that would not leave either of us alone. Methinks she was hand raised and is quite friendly. So, when my elder daughter came out to give me a hand with something, this hen decided that my daughter was the person to bond with. The hen jumped up into her lap and began to cuddle in my daughter's arm. What a hoot!

The last thing that happened today was getting to see a couple of colts that had been born at Carver's Orchard in Cosby. We went for lunch, and to pick up fresh apple cider and grapefruits. this was our reward!

(Stay tuned- the next farm field day is coming- Memorial Day weekend- I'll make an announcement soon.)

It's Spring! ....Well, almost

2009-02-25T04:41:00.000-08:00

Young master Willian Salem Snyder-Bush made his entrance into the world on January 29, 2009, to a much relieved Katie and Chris. After two hours- yes! two hours! - of labor, he plopped out and began to charm everyone he meets.

Am I a proud Grandmommy? Yes, I am . :-)

These are our spring goat babies so far.......

With the exception of the little guy sniffing the blue bucket above, all the goats in this picture are looking for new homes. Over the next week, we will have several Saanen does have their babies and then we can start milking for the year-

I've got several does that need to find new situations, and most kids will also need to move their sweet selves to new digs. I've got three Guernsey milkers that need to go after they kid, so if you want to get into the BGS Guernsey program here is your chance. With the exchange rate really good just now, it's not as pricey. And there will be three Saanen milker, plus all but three doe kids that must leave, to keep the herd manageable in these uncertain times.

Email me for particulars......

Once Upon a Cold Night Long Ago......

2008-12-19T04:35:00.001-08:00

This material is copyrighted,

December 1998

by Betsy Hultin.

(unedited)

*
It had been a blustery day out in the pastures.

Shenai and the other does had stood with their

backs to the wind all day long, not wanting to go

very far afield. Not much browse this time of year

anyway and Shenai knew her kids would be born

very, very soon.

Agba, the shepard boy, blew his horn and the does

ran, ears flopping, towards him, shoving their noses

in his pockets looking for treats. He rubbed their ears

and looked carefully at each one to make sure no one

was limping or not well. He watched as Shenai slowly

made her way down the slope towards him. She was

his favorite doe. As they made their way into the

welcoming shelter of the barn, the first stars had come

out. And the chill of the night made Shenai shiver.

Agba began the evening feeding and milking. He looked

up at a commotion in the yard on the other side of the

barn. Uncle had had many people coming to him for a

place to stay, there was a counting going on and Agba

had never seen this many people in the streets of

Bethlehem before in his short life. And he had never,

ever seen Uncle have to turn away people from his Inn

before tonight.

All the does munched satisfyingly on the fragrant hay

Agba gave them. To Shenai, he gave a little extra grain

for he too knew her time was near. Her eyes followed

Agba wherever he went and Agba put Shenai in her own

stall, the one all the does who kidded in the barn went

into. Then, he put hay into the manger there and offered

Shenai a bucket of water, which she drank eagerly.

Having finished feeding the does, Agba went to gather up

the cows and milk them too. Brother had put the sheep

into their cote just before Agba had finished milking the

does. It was a game between them to see who would finish

first and sample Mother's cooking. Since Father had died,

the family took in extra boarders at the Inn to help pay for

food and the taxes the counting would surely increase.

Agba always smiled because his does asked so little of

him, but gave him so much in return.

As Agba walked out of the barn towards the Inn, he

noticed a couple entering the yard from the street.

A man and his wife, who was very soon to have her

child. The woman looked very uncomfortable and Agba

offered her some fresh milk from the does as her husband

went inside to speak with Uncle. Uncle came out of the

Inn with a determined look on his face and the man very

close behind him. There was no room.....and then Uncle's

eyes fell upon the woman who was so soon to give birth.

Mother came out of the Inn as well and looked at Uncle

with knowing eyes. She helped the woman off of her

donkey as Uncle spoke carefully to the man. They both

walked into the barn and soon came back out. The man

motioned for his wife to come in the barn and bring all

their belongings. Agba went to Shenai and told her she

would have to give up her place for this woman who

was so tired of carrying herprecious burden. As Agba

led Shenai out of the stall, the woman looked at Shenai

and rubbed her ears. Shenai saw the gentleness and

strength there and knew she and the woman would give

birth on this very night so close together.

A small meal was prepared and Brother brought the food

to the special visitors. The tired woman laid down on the

hay where the man had spread a blanket for her. Shenai

looked through the fence of the pen she had been

returned to where the rest of the does had bedded down

for the night. The woman looked back and closed her eyes

and went to sleep. So did Shenai.

Sometime later, Shenai awoke. Her sides hurt and she

needed to push. Suddenly a bubble popped out, followed

by a pair of little hooves and a nose. A strong push and

her son was born. She set about cleaning him up and he

stood almost immediately. But she needed to push again

and this time, a doe, with ears down to her knees. Shenai

cleaned her and both kids stood to nurse. The other does

wanted to see what was going on, but Shenai was very

protective. She growled at the other does.

Suddenly, Shenai realized that the rest of the does were

not looking at her babies.There was something else

happening in the barn and all the animals were watching.

The light became so bright that all the animals needed to

squint to see just what it was. And where was all the light

coming from?

Suddenly Agba awoke and saw the light in the barn. He

ran out of the house and into the doe pen. The light had

startled him as well and he thought the barn was on fire!

When he saw Shenai's babies he put his arms around her

neck and hugged her as tight as he could. Shenai licked his

face and he laughed.

*
Agba stood up and looked in the direction of the kidding

pen. The light was so bright, he had to sheild his eyes. He

picked up the little doe and carried her with him to get a

closer look at the wonderous sight in the kidding pen. Agba

became aware that there was more than just the man and

woman in the pen. There were things he simply could not

explain there, men and ladies with what looked like wings!

Dressed in flowing white, glowing garments! And the

singing! He had never heard such beautiful voices in his

life! Then he heard a bleat. It was the little doe, nosing

Agba for milk.

The light began to fade and the singing quieted. And then

he heard a different sound....not a baby goat. He had

heard his Aunt's baby when she was born. That was the

sound! The woman had her baby as well and Agba

wanted to run and get Mother to help, but the woman

just looked at him with a secret smile and motioned for

him to come closer. He looked into the manger where he

had put the hay for Shenai earlier. There was a small baby

there. So small, but so beautiful! And He glowed! The

woman had wrapped him in rags that she had torn from

her under dress. She told Agba that the baby was named

Jesus. Agba knelt beside the manger and touched the

babe's hand with hisfinger, but the babe wasn't interested

in Agba's finger. He was interested in the four footed

creature Agba had put across his neck. The baby coo-ed

and grinned to see the new doe kid. Agba held the little

kid so the baby could see and the baby laughed! The kid

snorted! Everyone was full of joy!

Then suddenly the baby reached up with both arms and

touched the baby doe on each side of her head, right where

the horn buds grow. (And to this very day, that is why

goats have little cow-lick swirls of hair just where their

horns buds are.)

The little doe looked startled and snorted again. Then

everybody laughed. By this time, Mother, Aunt and Uncle

had come in the barn to see what was going on. (Later,

Brother would complain he had slept through it all!)

*
Mother brought the woman some old clothing which the

woman was very greatful for. Then Mother told Agba it

was time to go in to the house, for the new mother and

her new baby to rest. After all, tomorrow was the counting

and everyone must go.

What Agba didn't know was that many things were going

to happen in the coming days that would help him grow

to be a very wise man when he grew up. Right now, he

just wanted to go to bed. He put the baby doe back into

the pen with Shenai and her brother, then went into the

Inn to his bed, to dream of the beautiful singing men and

ladies.

*
Shenai just watched and chewed her cud. She knew that

secret smile the woman had. And she knew the gift that

the baby in the manger brought. And that is why, if you

will go to the barn quietly on Christmas Eve, it is the herd

queen who tells the story of the baby doe and the beautiful

baby child.

And sometimes, not all the time, the does listen even more
closely to see maybe, just maybe the beautiful singing men

and ladies come in the night to sing with the herd queen

before she passes the story to her own daughters.

"And it came to pass in those days, that there was a decree

from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed."

- The Gospel of St. Luke, Chapt. 2, Verse 1 KJV

The Gift of the Old One

2008-12-18T05:54:00.000-08:00

By Eunice Day, Washington ME

The young couple had made their usual hurried,

pre-Christmas visit to the little farm where dwelt

their elderly parents with their small herd of
goats. The farm had been named Lone Pine Farm

because of the huge pine which topped the hill behind

the farm, and through the years had become a
talisman to the old man and his wife, and a landmark

in the countryside.

The old folks no longer showed their goats, for the

years had taken their toll, but they sold a little milk,

and a few kids each year, and the goats were their

reason for joy in the morning and contentment at day's
end.

Crossly, as they prepared to leave, the young couple

confronted the old folks. "Why do you not at least dispose

of "The Old One". She is no longer of use to you. It's been

years since you've had either kids or milk from her. You

should cut corners and save where you can. Why do you

keep her anyway?" The old man looked down as his

worn boot scuffed at the barn floor and his arm stole

defensively about the Old One's neck as he drew her to him

and rubbed her gently behind the ears. He replied softly,

"We keep her because of love. Only because of love."

Baffled and irritated, the young folks wished the old man

and his wife a Merry Christmas and headed back toward

the city as darkness stole through the valley.

So it was, that because of the leave-taking, no one noticed

the insulation smouldering on the frayed wires in the old

barn. None saw the first spark fall. None but the "Old One".

In a matter of minutes, the whole barn was ablaze and the

hungry flames were licking at the loft full of hay. With a

cry of horror and despair, the old man shouted to his wife

to call for help as he raced to the barn to save their beloved

goats. But the flames were roaring now, and the blazing

heat drove him back. He sank sobbing to the ground,

helpless before the fire's fury.

By the time the fire department arrived, only smoking,

glowing ruins were left, and the old man and his wife.

They thanked those who had come to their aid, and the

old man turned to his wife, resting her white head upon

his shoulders as he clumsily dried her tears with a frayed

red bandana. Brokenly he whispered, "We have lost much,

but God has spared our home on this eve of Christmas.

Let us, therefore, climb the hill to the old pine where we

have sought comfort in times of despair. We will look down

upon our home and give thanks to God that it has been spared."

And so, he took her by the hand and helped her up the

snowy hill as he brushed aside his own tears with the back

of his hand. As they stepped over the little knoll at the

crest of the hill, they looked up and gasped in amazement

at the incredible beauty before them. Seemingly, every

glorious, brilliant star in the heavens was caught up in

the glittering, snow-frosted branches of their beloved pine,

and it was aglow with heavenly candles. And poised on its

top most bough, a crystal crescent moon glistened like

spun glass. Never had a mere mortal created a Christmas

tree such as this. Suddenly, the old man gave a cry of

wonder and incredible joy as he pulled his wife forward.

There, beneath the tree, was their Christmas gift.

Bedded down about the "Old One" close to the trunk of the

tree, was the entire herd, safe. At the first hint of smoke,

she had pushed the door ajar with her muzzle and had led

the goats through it. Slowly and with great dignity, never

looking back, she had led them up the hill, stepping daintily

through the snow. The kids were frightened and dashed

about. The skittish yearlings looked back at the crackling,

hungry flames, and tucked their tails under them as they

licked their lips and hopped like rabbits. The milkers

pressed uneasily against the "Old One" as she moved

calmly up the hill and to safety beneath the pine. And now,

she lay among them and gazed at the faces of those she

loved. Her body was brittle with years, but the golden eyes

were filled with devotion as she offered her gift-

Because of love.

Only Because of love.

More oddities and other stuff from around the farm

2008-08-13T02:40:00.000-07:00

OK, so this is not something from around the farm. This has been in the news of late, at least FOX has been doing some snarking about it.

This is a picture of the "Montauk Monster", said to have washed up on the beach of Montauk Island in NY. No one has been able to identify it yet, and several websites have been running contests to see if anyone knows just what it is. It may even be some sort of Hollywood FX sort of hoax to get people's attention and away from more important stuff like.........

....The Giant Grampus. I saw this on the porch of a local store and it just sat there for hours, its' little bug-ly brain wondering how it got there and where it needed to go when it left, if it could find its' way to where it needed to go anyway......

This is the season when all sorts of strange insects appear. Can anyone ID this fly?

These moths were on the tree outside my front door. They did not make it through the night- a cat, most likely trying to be helpful, assisted them in disengaging themselves....Oops!

Now this is really important! I found a farmer who grows barley, along with hay. He raises his own corn, oats, barley and other feed for his cattle so he does not have to buy it. His family is one of the folk from the area who is a multi-generational farm family. And it looks like they will be farming for many more generations. It brings a tear to my eye.......

The goats are very pleased with the choice of feed stuff here- they have taken a liking to it and have put on some of the bloom I had been getting from alfalfa hay, which I can no longer get locally because my hay man passed away last year.

Of course, there are other uses for barley which we may try- beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy!

The Family Grows......

2008-08-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

We have an announcement to make-

DH and I are going to be grandparents- it's our younger daughter and her signifigant other of more than two years. They are elated, we are .........adjusting. Having a little two-legged around will be delightful, but we were hoping to have a few years to ourselves, with some time to do what we'd like, before it all starts again......sigh......

She is due in the middle of January and has chosen her midwife- she'll be using the Lisa Ross Birthing Center http://www.lisarosscenter.org/index.html for the birth. They are connceted to the St. Mary's system so if anything were to happen, she could go right to the hospital for the birth. Lisa Ross midwives have priveleges there, and they take daughter's insurance. She wants to birth at the center, as they have a birthing tub.

I'm a strong believer in home birth and midwivery- considering the modern male centered medical establisment considers birth as a medical issue to be managed as only 'they' know how, instead of a natural unfolding process, and also a huge money making scheme, I am 100% behind my daughter's choice. Ricky Lake has a wonderful movie out called The Business of Being Born, http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/ which reveals the facts about home vs. hospital births in the US. Considering I loath hospitals, have very little faith in modern healthcare and that many, many US doctors are just in it for the money and not patient care, this is an important movie- in fact, Ricky has had some medical establishment come after her for her views and the release of this movie!

So, stay tuned for more pieces on this subject- there will be lots. Now, I'm waiting for what the rest of my family is going to say.........

The Tomato Jungle

2008-08-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

And it starts.......
*
This is the first year we have had such success with the garden - specifically the tomatoes. Truly food for the soul- so good that you can take an ice cold tomato out of the refrigerator and bite right into it. Be careful now, and don't scare that delicious, ripe and juicy fruit! Make sure that the liquid goodness runs down your chin and all over your fingers. This is the taste I remember from my childhood!
*
These are Cherokee Purple tomatoes, which as an 'open pollenated' variety, which is to say that you can save the seeds fom year to year with no fear of some tomato-like swamp thing growing in your garden with dubious taste and form.

We have been gathering these beauties for a few weeks now, with no end in sight yet.

The squash was planted rather late, but seems to be doing well nonetheless. Zuc's and Yellow Crookneck are worth waiting for. The potatoes are also in full bloom and I'll do a piece on them soon.....

If you look at the photos from our Field Day, you will note that we make the raised beds from roofing tin and concrete blocks, with old tent poles to hold them together- all recycled from objects that can no longer be used for their intended purpose, but will last for many years in their current job.

To that we add a foot or so of deep, dark composted goat manure, which has been cold for several years. The worms are almost as big around as my little finger. The compost is so rich because we use a very good mineral mix for the goats- high %'s of many minerals that are sorely lacking in these mountains. Copper and Selenium for heart health, Calcium and Magneseum, etc.

Yes, that is an old toilet in the background there with a fern in it- I plan to do interesting things with it and make trellis' all around it next season- along with old bath tubs full of mint and herbs on each side.

This is the jungle of Cherokee Purples- We have not had to spray or dust for any pests- there are none here. The chickens and guineas take care of those early on. And the goats have left the area alone- which is strange. I had expected to keep running them out of the area when they are out foraging.

*
We still have beds of Amish White tomatoes to work with- these are one of the open pollenated white varieties of tomatoes and I believe that these are a paste tomato, which I am looking forward to working with in the kitchen. And the egg plant and other nameless squashes that volunteered, along with one HoneyDew melon, are due later on. The onions, well, they are hiding their heads until later this fall, and we should have a bumper crop of them to go with the potaotes.

As we get closer to fall, I'm looking at building more beds for more crops on the spring- the other side of the garden has not even been developed yet, so we have so much work ahead of us in the coming months. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Linear Appraisal 08'

2008-08-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

Heeerreee's Chicago- his Immense-ness.......

We had a LinearAppraisal session here at the farm on August 1st- we try to appraise the goats every other year, but we had to skip last year because it got on so late in the year, what with the drought and all.

ADGA sends out appraisers (by request of the goats' owner) and each goat is scored in areas such as stature, strength, dairyness, udders, etc. We ened up scoring 24 animals in all and it sure was hot. The appraiser found it delightful when we offered him a Blenheim ginger ale-

Chicago's score was EEE 91 at 5yrs., 4 months of age. This means he scored Excellent in the three structural catagories that a buck is scored under and had 91 total out of a possible 100 points. You don't usually see higher than a 92, but some does have scored 93 and one doe, a Togg, I know of has scored a 94!

Chicago's grandmother, McQuitty Farm Aloha, was two times Nat'l CH Saanen, and he's been throwing beautiful daughters in several herds in NC. We are very proud to have him here with us!

ADDENDUM, 8/20/08: Chicago's daughters, One-More Dasha and One-More Cha Cha were 3rd place 2 yr. old and 3 yr. old Saanen milkers (respectively) at this years ADGA National Show! We are even more proud to have him with us at the farm!

Also, our buck Dzimianski's Zaphod Beeblebrox's momma was 5th place 5-6 yr. old milker as well!

This is Eilidh, one of the heirs to the Brandenburg doe-line. She has a gorgeous milky udder, woth easy to milk teats. At three years old, she still has some maturing to do, but her score was ++VE, 84, with a score of 43 in rear udder height. That final 'E' is for mammary- I knew she'd score an E mammary, her mother was the first homebred E mammary here at the farm.

That's Sassy in the background- she's anticipating the day when the Guernseys are accepted into ADGA so she can get scored too!

And here's Mysty, hiding in the round bale of hay, waiting her turn. She's no slouch- she scored a VEEV 87, at 5 yrs. of age.

My babies did well too- the dry yearlings all scored well and Eilidh's daughter was spectacular for with a score of EcEcV(Ec). I feel like we are finally going in the right direction with the Saanen herd!

Food for Thought

2008-07-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

Even more food for thought.......
***************************
June 30, 2008 IssueCopyright © 2007 The American Conservative

http://amconmag.com/2008/2008_06_30/article.html

"Food for Thought-
Renewing the culinary culture should be a conservative cause. "
by John Schwenkler

"Alice Waters might not seem like a conservative. A veteran of Berkeley’s Free Speech Movement, who once cooked a $25,000-a-seat fundraising dinner for Bill Clinton, she eagerly compares her campaign for “edible schoolyards”—where children work with instructors to grow, prepare, and eat fresh produce—to John F. Kennedy’s attempt to improve physical fitness through mandatory exercise. Her dream of organic, locally and sustainably produced food in every school cafeteria, class credit for lunch hour, and required gardening time and cooking classes is as utopian as they come. The name she has given her gastronomic movement, the “Delicious Revolution,” strikes the ear as one part fuzzy-headed Marxism, the other Brooksian bobo-speak. This woman is not, as they say, one of us."
*****************
John Schwenkler is a doctoral candidate in philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley.
The American Conservative welcomes letters to the editor.Send letters to: letters@amconmag.com

What is needed is not more food, ......

2008-07-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

but less greed.

In these days where millions of people on this planet, mostly women and children, are starving, and in many cases have gone to making mud pies to eat, this is absolute insanity!

Over caviar and sea urchin, G8 leaders mull food crisis
Tuesday, 8 July 2008

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/over-caviar-and-sea-urchin-g8-leaders-mull-food-crisis-862051.html

"World leaders are not renowned for their modest wine selections or reticence at the G8
summit's cheese board. True to form, discussing the global food crisis, spiralling
grocery prices in the developed world and starvation in Africa was clearly hungry work
that left their stomachs rumbling."

A Goatkeeper's Prayer

2008-07-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

I thank you Lord for giving me a simple lot in life.
Born a farmer's daughter and became a laborer's wife.
I don't socialize and visit as my neighbors do,
but when I'm caring for my herd Lord,
I feel closest to you.
I've spent nights in the stable till nearing morning's light,
Caring for a pregnant doe, just trying to calm her fright.
I've delivered her baby kids, and placed them by her side.
These simple things Lord, have given me a sense of pride.
So when you call me home, Lord, to be with Papaw and you,
I wonder if you'd have a little herd

that needs some tending to?
I don't need a lot of riches like silver and gold,
Just a lot of little kids to tend and hold.
Oh, listen to me Lord, trying to tell you what to do....
You created me so no one knows me as well as you.
So whatever you have in mind for me will be just fine.
I'll say goodnight now and ask you Lord to keep an eye
on me and mine.

By Irma Brown
Bellville Acres Dairy Goats

I Am Only a Farmer

2008-07-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

I am only a farmer.
I know the sun better then anyone.
And the soil.
And the wind.
And the rain.
I am the one who works with them.
Who loves them.
And who sometimes fears them.

I am only a farmer.
I am the sower of seeds.
I am the tender of stock.
I am the reaper of harvest.
I am sweat. And tears. And pride.

I am only a Farmer.
I am the one who feeds the young.
And the old.
The weak. And the strong.
I am black earth of spring.
The green hills of Summer.
The harvest gold of autumn
And the cold white stillness of winter.

I am only a farmer.
I am warm memories of the past.
The steely reality of the present.
And the hopeful dream of the future.
I am an optimist. A thinker.
A watcher. And a doer.

I am only a farmer.
I live in a complex world.
Made of simple things.
They are my source of joy.
And hope. And comfort.
I have walked the morning fogs.
I have paused for the Summer song of the meadowlark.
And I have savored the breeze off freshly cut hay.
I have paused, remembering, by the stream I knew as a child.
I have felt the power of a thousand storms.
And rejoiced in the fresh world left in their wake.

I am only a farmer.
I am accountant. Chemist. And doctor.
I am midwife. And mechanic.
I am seller. Trader. And buyer.
Helper. Comforter.
And partner to my spouse.
And teacher to my children.

I am only a farmer.
Not a person of riches.
But one of great wealth.
I have learned to treasure life.
And all things living.
To respect their maker.
And my own.
I am humbled by the earth's bounty.
And awed by endless rebirth.
I am fascinated by the marvelous intricacies of my world.
And enriched by their beauty.

I am only a farmer.
If one can be truly free, then I am.
The day. The Week. The month.
They have been entrusted to me.
They are mine to spend.
They are mine to invest.
They are mine to use wisely.
It is a solitary profession I have chosen.
Or perhaps, been chosen for.
Where no promises are given
No excuses taken.
I have but one man to answer to.
One man to depend upon.
One man to confide in.
And the quiet of the years, I have learned to know him well

I am only a farmer.
I am perseverance.
I am creativity. And courage.

I am only a farmer.
I am confidence.
And ingenuity.
And intelligence.

I am only a farmer.
A seeker of excellence.
And I will endure.
---Author unknown

Going to the Country

2008-06-22T05:33:00.000-07:00

That's what my uncles would say when the family went to work in the garden at Mrs. Cole's place......

When I was a young child, my parents often told me that I was adopted. I guess this was to ensure that I was special in some way- believe me, this has its' own drawbacks. Later in life, when I found that my birth mother had been a farm girl it made great sense to me about why I had such a desire to be in the country, since my DNA was hardwired with the knowledge of how to deal with farm life- I instinctively 'knew' how to ride a horse and milk a cow. No one had to teach me these things.

One of my earliest memories was when we'd go to church on Sundays and then head out to Mrs. Cole's place near Warrior's Path Park. The whole family would go- even my mother's brothers and sister and Mamoo, my mother's mother.

We would take a lot of food with us and have a huge lunch at Mrs. Cole's farm, then the family would go to the garden and work there for the afternoon. I was very young, but I remember going to the hen house to look for eggs and getting my hand pecked by the hen and looking aound the other buildings. This was the very first time I had ever seen an outhouse. Mrs. Cole's house was the house of my childhood dreams- a white frame farm house with none of the modern conveniences, just what you'd expect from folks who lived a simple and blameless life, practiced 'right livelyhood' and lovingly fed their familes and friends.

Since I originally wrote this piece some years ago, my Uncle Bob has told me that Mr. Cole had a rolling store and would bring his produce into town each week. My mother's family would buy the fresh vegetables, butter and eggs, and also can the vegetables for winter use. Mr. Cole would also sell much of what he brought into town to the Golden Rule Grocery, which was one of those old neighborhood groceries that went the way of the world while I was an older child. So sad......

When Mr. Cole died, Uncle Bob says the produce was also gone, so I am pretty sure that's when our family began to help out Mrs. Cole. I remember the garden work very vividly, but I never remember my family getting their hands dirty! Yet, the freezer at Mamoo's was always full to the brim with the fresh produce from that garden.

The most vivid part of this memory for me was the day I got flogged by a rooster. It was then and there that I decided that becoming a farmer was what I would do when I grew up.

Mom and Dad were always puzzled to find pictures I had drawn of the digestive system of cows and the like- I remember them sitting me down to discuss how inappropriate it was for me to draw those pictures instead of seeing this as my calling to be a veterinarian or dairy person. Since I washed out in school and became an under-achiever, I became a dairy person instead of the vet that I could have been. It was years later as an adult that I found out that Pastor Sparks, who was originally from Parrotsville, TN (Salem Lutheran) and confirmed me into the Lutheran Church, had been raised on a dairy farm and grew up milking cows when he was boy.

In the present time, my goal is still very much the same as Mr. and Mrs. Cole- to feed my family and friends, to show them that that simple lifestyle and peace of the country is the best way to raise their children in an environment away from the unsafe cities full of toxic water, schools and people. I left the city and went to prepare a place for my cousins to come to so they can leave behind the false world of more money and instant credit, and go to a place where living deliberately is the greatest gift one can give one's children. I truly hope they see this, leave the city and buy land here to begin a life of fulfilled dreams- now that we have DSL, there is no reason not to come here and thrive, rather than just survive.

Come get your hands dirty and thrive in God's Garden.

Adventure Con

2008-06-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to Adeventure Con in Knoxville. A good time was had by all, to be sure. this is me with Brain Harnois of Sci Fi channel's 'Ghost Hunters'- a really nice guy and we had a chance to chat some about ghost hunting.

There were many characters there in costume, including Slent Bob and a lot of other truly well made costumes.

I took this shot of Wonder Woman for the Rev. Elvis Drinkmo. Dude, this one's for you!

And this one is hubby and me- Browncoats to the very end.

Saanen doe udder pictures

2008-06-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

For folks who want to see pics of the udders on the does for sale:

Helga- 2nd freshener

Gretel- 1st freshener

These does are twin sisters, both stand on strong feet and legs with good udder attachment fore and rear. Teats are not too big and not too small, and both does milk out easily. My bloodlines mature at about 4-5 yrs. old, so these ladies still have lots of growing to do to fill out their frames. My camera batteries went dead as I was shooting these, so I have to get more before the Nubian pictures will be put up.

Mutant Goats, Space Quail and other oddities

2008-06-07T11:45:00.001-07:00

It occurs to me that I have been remiss is introducing readers to the interesting menagerie that we have here at the farm this spring.

In April, we had some Guernsey goats born from Sassy, an 'SR' level doe who came from Stump Hollow. Pippa was the first one out- and she was so small, about 2 lbs., but she was up in about 2 minutes- and I noticed something very strange about her. She had only one eye and no tail!

She had a normal brother and another 'sibling' of indeterminate sex- this is what happens sometimes if you breed a polled goat to another polled goat. This other sibling had very strange body parts, but both little extra kids have left the farm.

Pippa does not run- she hops! She boinks around like a little bunny rabbit and for all her disability, she has more agility than many other baby goats have at her age. She will never be a big doe, and most likely she will not breed, but she is a pet and a good will ambassador for the Guernsey goats here- along with Wilbur and Bo, she'll get to go out and meet folks at fairs and displays.

Now here is something completely different- Guineas. The neighbors call them 'Space Quail' and that's just as good a name as any- those 'deely-bobbers' on their heads make them look like they want us to take them to our leader, which in itself is interesting since they say that to anyone who will listen- Rosie says that hers run around and periodically wonder how they got there in the first place and just where did they put their car keys!

If you want other weird fowl stories, here's one: We were sitting on the sofa last week and heard this strange 'GRONK!" noise outside- Dory got up and looked , but thought it was down the driveway. When I got outside, Dory was standing over behind the milk shed and said , 'Mom, there's peacocks in the woods!' Since she's been wanting a couple of male peacocks for their feathers, I'm thinking 'oh my gosh, the Universe has up-chucked and here's the results.'

She set out food to see if they would come out of the trees, but no. And the next morning, when Deb and Cavey were here, I heard them again and this time they were below the pen. There were three of them, two males and a female- obviously done in after a night of partying, and waiting for their limo to arrive- 'We thought this was a quality establishment....', or whatever their pea brains were thinking. they have not been seen since......

This is 'Wake-y Wake-y', our senior rooster- he sits in trees and yells 'Wake-y, wake-y' at 4 am most days, to which our Border Collie, Flora, 'woo-woo's' back at him for several minutes. she must think she is a chicken......she is 12 years old and well bred- her father in a TV star on Animal Planet- Breed All About It's Pete, owned by Stan Moore of Philadelphia, TN. Sometimes Wake-y Wake-y yells out 'Can you hear me?" and we all say 'YES!'

Here is Pip and one of the Space Quail hens- we noted very early on that Pip's tail has one small vertebrae like a Manx cat does, so her spine will not open up later on and she has control over her sphincter muscle.

Here are two FB Guernsey kids, Iris and Bo, who found a nice cool spot under the shed and just wanted their picture taken......

This is the largest Wolf Spider we have ever seen here on the farm! she decided that she needed to live in the house to have her babies, but we said 'absolutely not!' and promptly took her outside and far away from the house to release her.

And lastly, here is Ms. Sneaky Blacksnake, come to our hen house during brooding season. Dory was cleaning out the hen boxes last week and found her in there- with a nice large lump in her belly that looks about the size of three or four just hatched biddy chicks. I do not begrudge her a large meal, Mother Nature is not pretty sometimes, but she needed to go someplace else to live, so we took her off into the woods and set her free, a mile or so from the house as the crow flies. Doubtful she will be back this way anytime soon......

I KNOE U GOT FUD IN THAR!

2008-06-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

The goats have learned to speak 'LOLcat!' http://speaklolcat.com/, but humans seem to have a hard time translating goat-speak sometimes.....
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The milkers come up to the shed to be milked and these are the looks I get when they just can't seem to wait their turn.....

Sorry these are so dark- the flash did not go off, but there are always more 'dirty goat looks'.........:-)

Remote Area Medical

2008-06-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

LMU Vet expedition 08'-
This past weekend in Harrogate, TN the annual RAM expedition took place at Lincoln Memorial University. As the vision, dental and medical portions of the expedition took place at LMU's arena, the veterinary portion took place at the facilities where LMU holds its' veterinary technician certification program.
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Having directed the Cosby, TN RAM vet expedition in 2005, I was anxious to take part in another RAM. In 2005, my job was in 'intake' where all the animals were checked in, and I wanted more experience in a different part of the process. I chose 'recovery' and I was not disappointed!
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When I arrived at the facility at 5:30am, there were already 45 people already there with their animals! These hardy souls got up much earlier than I and were already checked in and had their numbers at the ready.

I had brought three rescue animals to be spayed and neutered, so I had the opportunity to see what the whole process RAM creates from start to finish.

When my number was called, I brought in the animals and watched as each one was weighed and measured to make sure the correct amount of anesthesia was given to each one. The technicians made name tags that went around each pet's neck for positive identification after the pet recovers from surgery and can go home.

The technicians also recorded each animals vital signs on the intake sheet each owner was required to fill out.

After the pet's anesthesia was given and the animal was given time to go under, the pet was then transferred to the prep area where their bellies were shaved for surgery.

Then, as a veterinarian became available, surgery began. The report was that the vets were averaging 8 minutes per animal for a spay, and 5 minutes for a neuter.

There were a total of seven veterinarians donating their time for free veterinary care to make sure they put a dent in the pet overpopulation. Many of the females I saw were already in estrus, so this made a big difference!

The care each pet received was impressive!

After surgery, technicians were at the ready with post-op meds for pain and infection, as well as vaccinations for distemper and rabies.

While the recovery area was the end of the line, it was never dull there either. It was gratifying to see each animal wake up and regain consciousness. some were frightened little babies, and some large dogs were dis-oriented, but not one animal was lost or misplaced!

I had to include this one!

We even got a visit from reporters from the Daily Mirror in UK, and several TV news teams out of Knoxville, TN.

Here are the folks who get this program going- Stan Brock and Jean Jolly. If they look tired, they ARE tired- it is hard work to keep RAM going to provide the care that is so needed both here and abroad.

I am beginning to see RAM as a very large family that I am very proud to be part of- and it looks like that there will be another expedition at Cosby in 2009, so I am looking forward to being of service once again for this very worthy charity.

Please consider making Remote Area Medical one of your favorites as well- go to http://www.ramusa.org/ and make a donation.

Shortbread

2008-05-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Since we have a dearth of yummy fresh goat cheese, I am usually really befuzzled as to what to do with all of it.

Some time back Linda Campbell sent me a very nice stoneware stamp of a goat to put into cookies before baking, and a recipe for goat cheese shortbread. Of course, in the meantime, I have put them both in a 'nice safe place'.

Having no recipe to work from, I devised my own- and it has turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. These are actually a cross between shortbread and sweet scone, but they sure are tasty! Later on I am going to try things like raisins, amaretto, extra butter, lemon zest and other interesting flavors. Since all ingredients would have been available in some form during the periods inclusive in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism), these would certainly be a sweet treat to serve at feast or to take for a potlach dinner event. Be sure to make 3 times what you think you will need because they disappear quickly. It has no real measure and is made pretty much the same as one would make 'cathead' biscuits. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

-As much fresh goat cheese as you think you will need.
-As much sugar (white or brown), or honey you thnk you will need
-As much self-rising flour or bisquick as you think you will need
-A little salt to taste

In a large bowl, combine cheese and sugar to make a thick liquid paste. Add salt to the liquid ingredients. Slowly combine the flour and do not be afraid to mix with your hands! When you have the consistency of a ball, roll the mixture into 2 in" balls with your hands and place on a greased cookie sheet. Place in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until slightly golden brown on the top.

Let them cool slightly before pouring a big glass of ice cold fresh goat milk and then prepare yourself for ecstasy!

FIELD DAY 08'!

2008-05-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 24, the weather held and the first field day was held here at the farm! I want to thank our speakers and also everyone who attended. We had a nice group of folks for the first time, and even though the goat roast was postponed for another weekend, we still had good food and fellowship!

Patti Erion, shown above and below, talked to us about composting and building raised beds in the garden. She told us about the different kinds of manure- brown and green- and also about the the proper mix to get your compost pile working correctly.

Here, we see the bed being prepared. Yellow onions were immediately planted!

And the folks who attended.

This is my daughter Dory, showing her chicks to the folks as she discusses her chicken operation.

And our new bee hive, awaiting the other three supers for honey production. It is still quite cool up in the mountains and the nectar flow is not in quite yet, so we still feed the bees.

And here is Max milking Jolie. I have to say that all three young people who attended the day were very good about getting milk out of the goat! With a little practice, they will all be good goat farmers!

The day would not be complete without BBQ! Along with a few other delicious items and beer, dinner was very yummy- and I made goat cheese shortbread for dessert. Of course, this morning, we had the rest of the shortbread with strawberries, scrambled eggs, sausage and onions. This reminds me why I love to cook!

We will be doing this again in a few months and I plan to start an occaisional Saturday afternoon 'Tea with the Goats', wherein gardeners of all kinds are welcome. Please plan to bring a fresh and light dish of something you have made from your own garden or other enterprise that you produce food from. Watch for announcements on email lists. Let's all get together and talk about our gardens!

Characters will be welcome!

Memorial Day 2008

2008-05-25T06:11:00.000-07:00

My Daddy- Kenneth Gordon Hultin
Music- Dante`'s Prayer, by Loreena McKennitt
(see playlist on sidebar)

My father was one of those 'in-between' types of people. He was a late child of his parents who were rather old when he was born- at age 17, he went into the Army and was sent overseas in WWII. Not having graduated high school, he was very much still a boy when he shipped out and even after he came back, he hid his pain by donning the costume of a 'class clown' so to speak.......Dad always wanted to succeed, and he came back home to a job at the press where his father worked and married as his family wanted him to.

In the late 50's, when the US economy was still booming with the post WWII and Korean War flush of prosperity, he and his very pretty bride, my mom, were part of a generation of US citizens who thought that the money would never run out- they bought lots of 'stuff', and spent and kept spending even after the signs that the post-war flush was fading, as did much of the rest of the country. When the post-war economy hit bottom, guess who got blamed for not being able to provide for his family in the manner to which they had become accustomed? Mom had to go back to work- the promise that he would always take care of her was broken through no fault of his own. They began to live on credit and got that second mortgage just to keep up appearances. Their divorce was devastating for me.

His PTSD went unnoticed to the rest of the family- they didn't acknowledge things like that in those days- he bagan to drink heavily to hide the pain he felt. He was fired from his job of 20+ years, and moved out of the house to find another job. Mom and I were left to close the house down and sell it- at least that is what I remember.

He began to borrow off of his inheritance- the family treated him as a failure, and he believed them because we are all he had. It always seemed to me as though they helped him with resentment, rather than compassion. And he sank even more deeply into alcohol. Even though he found friends and companions in his new life after the divorce, he still could not hold a job down. He remarried briefly to a wonderful woman and she divorced him because he still had no confidence in himself and could not hold a job.

Then he found AA.

The change in my father was amazing. He made amends to me and mine for all he had done to us when he was drinking. And he found God. He began to go to church. As far as I know, he went to many folks and did the same, but when it came to mom, she would never forgive him or accept his act of taking respionsibilty for his actions that hurt her so. At least, mom has never expressed anything that indicated such attempts at healing took place.

Even today, and even though I keep alcohol to a bare minimum, I use the principles of AA in my life to work through the old hurt and pain that keep me held back from what I can truly achieve in this life. Food is my addiction, and Al-Anon is for families torn apart by what alcohol abuse has wrought in their lives.

Late in his life, when I had married and had children, daddy and I were finally able to connect. He had a woman friend who was in worse psychological shape than he was, but her family treated him as one of them- with no if's, and's or but's. He focused more on me and what I had to offer and we had that illusive reconnection that I had experienced as a child. My girls loved their 'Om-Pa', but seemed to ignore his friend and that was actually a good thing- I found it very hard to deal with someone who was even more damaged emotionally then he was.

His health failed quickly and he became infirm in his last years.

Daddy passed away on Sept. 26, 1998, and I keep his memory sacred in my heart. The only thing I have left of him is his Bible. He was a very talented and artistic man, a dreamer with no confidence in himself to follow his own bliss. He loved these mountains so and although he did not make it back one more time to see them, I'd like to believe he's around someplace nearby me- sometimes I can hear the piano and his jazz records or as I watch the water over the rocks as they come out of the mountains. He's at peace now.

Baby Guernseys love.....

2008-05-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

IRN BRU!

We picked some up at the Gatlinburg Highland Games last weekend and thought the goats would enjoy something from their place of origin. Yummy!

Waiting at the milk room door.....

Pippa gets her drink.....

Penny gets hers while Abbie the Alpine is next....

And Bunny loves it too......

Life Happens!

2008-05-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

Whoooo boy, does it ever! And you don't even know the half of it.....

We've gotten so much done here at the farm, and there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel- at least a glimmer of something. Still with everything here that has gotten done, there's more to be done. Plus even more loads of garbage and vestiges of our former lives, more than 20 years in the making!

We live a very simple life here- fresh milk and eggs from the farm, plus the garden is partially in, with Cherokee Purple tomatoes, carrots, potatoes already planted, and yellow onions, greens and much more waiting to be planted. Since we do not have credit cards or rely on most outside sources for many things, there is no need to travel. I can make a tank of gas in my little S-10 truck last 2-3 weeks, or more, with care.

It looks like we will be a lot more active or perhaps accessable in the near future. I've had issues with my back- the SBO- and struggling with physical issues, left over from the fire in 2000. The last X-rays I had done of my back showed the lower and upper back as having some issues. Plus menopause.

So, if I seem distant, I'm really not- I am working on a project that requires my full attention- me. The farm is an extension of me, so much so that I just do not go visiting as much as I would like- even last weekend, some friends I had not seen in a long time were visiting next door. Himself went next door, but I stayed to keep an eye on the farm. I do not like to be gone for long from here- too many exposed moving parts, if you will. And then I fall over- I am no fun you guys, I fall over a lot. A more boring person you have never known. As soon as it gets dark, I am out like a light.....

It has weighed heavily on me for years, so my madness has been to take deep looks to see why I do what I do and drop the old things that keep me holding weight. And that has paid off- I am in contact with a lot of folks from previous corners of my life- the good stuff that never went away is visable again after wading through layers of mud in my psyche. But, I'm not done yet. And I don't mean to come across as arrogant or anything, I 'm just in a different space than a lot of folks. I view my life as pretty much monastic.

There are places and folks that I see only once a year. Now, what with gas prices, that may be even less. It has gotten to the point that if folks want to see me, they really need to come to the farm. If they have not been up in many years, they will see just how much the place has changed. And if you've never been here, please understand is that we are still a work in progress- with a loooooooottttttttt of progress still to be had.

So bear with me- srsly! Come- speak LOL!cat with me and spend the day watching goats in chairs, dogs wrestling, or chickens playing tag. And yes, you can have a cheezburger......

Storytime

2008-04-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from kidding season, moving hay and building gardens for a little while- I find myself getting up early and going to bed when the sun goes down. I can feel myself getting stronger and more physically able since we had the house fire in May 2000- and this year, it looks like we may go over the top to have the house built, gardens growing well and soap/handmade clothing business moving along well.

I took a bee keeping seminar a few weeks ago and the other day the wife of the fellow who gave the course called to say that I had won a hive of bees! So, it looks like we will have honey to go along with our milk.

I've had this story niggling around in my brain for a while- even though it is written in first person objective, it is loosely based on a real series of events, but names, places and things have been changed. A sweet story of discovery. I give you-

Three of Strings-

One day I was walking in Edinburgh and went past an antique store. Since I was not sure what had drawn me in the door, I set about looking in all the little nooks and crannies for....hmm, I don't know- some treasure or something written long ago in a book, perhaps words of love whispered by sweethearts long passed away.

As I rounded the corner beside the ancient counter, in amongst the flotsam on top, was a small basket with various random objects inside. Beads, bits of old jewelry, pieces of metal and what looked like three strings- old gut strings, like from an old harp or stout stringed instrument. Without thinking, I pulled them out of the basket and held them a bit, wondering if they were still able to do what they were made for, or perhaps they would be just the right thing for stringing some of the beads.

About that time, an old voice seemingly filled with pipe smoke spoke from deep within the gray light of the shop- 'I always knew you'd come- anyone sees what these strings are has the highlands in em'. Let me show you around...' And for the next two hours, he showed me the shop- all three levels. The basement was filled with old books, magazines and manuscripts- this place was not a place to take in all in one day-

The last place he took me was to the top of the attic, where the precious things were kept. He withdrew an old key and opened the creaking lock and there with a beam of sunlight was an old clarsach. Why it must have been 150 years old at the very least- and it was missing those three strings. Still, it shivered with the hum of the building, even thoughthe strings were silent.

'This has been sitting here for many years. I never got around to putting those strings back on the harp- I've never worked in wood to know how they do.....Say, would you take this with you and make it sing again? When you get it looked at, and know how to play it, come back here and let me hear you play....' The shopkeeper asked hopefully.

And as I left the shop, back into bright day, I noticed there was an inlay on the soundboard- 'To Mairi' it said, 'on our wedding day'.

Goats and more goats.....

2008-02-09T06:22:00.000-08:00

Kidding Season Has Begun!

For the next several months, my life ceases to be my own. The kidding storm has begun.....
First came Pearlie's twins- they are full siblings to Bridie- the little girl, shown above- not named yet- is looking for a new home. She will be a wonderful bottle baby.
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Next is Gretel's little boy- the first of the Chicago kids to hit the ground in 08'. He came out kissing everybody and Gretel is a super mommy with a beautiful soft udder. Please excuse Gretel's butt, she's just out of childbed, not nursed yet so you can see her udder. Gretel's not too bright you see- I went out to give her a bell for her collar this morning when I checked the mommies pen and she lost him when I picked him up to give him a hug- we can't tell if he is polled yet, but there is a good possibility that he is.

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There are few does who need to go to new homes- here are some of them.
Angela is a purebred Nubian upcoming dry yearling.

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Aradia is a Saanen doe, posing in the red collar, that has never bred that needs a pet home or to work as a pack goat. If you take her and she has kids, it is your gain!

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This is Laurie, a lovely Saanen upcoming dry yearling. I had to choose between her and her sister because of space limitations, what with kids coming and all. Standing beside her is her mother, Pai'Gow.

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This is Sarah Rose, a half Nubian/half Saanen junior yearling- she was bottle raised, along with Angela, and is very friendly.

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This is Helga, a litter sister to Gretel. Helga got the brains of the outfit. Sorry I got her on the move and behind Wildflower's butt- they know when you want to take their picture and run to hide as the camera shutter is working. Helga is bred to Chicago and won't leave until after she kids- he doe kid by Chicago from last year is possibly the best kid I have ever bred. I like her udder a lot- but, I can only keep so many.

Here is Lena, theToggenburg. Yes, the brown one. She's bred to Pan, my Golden Guernsey buck for SR kids. She can leave when she kids.

This is Opal. Opal is a fantastic milker. It is hard to get her to stop. I hate to see her go, but as I say, I can only keep so many and the future of the herd is in the kids. She is also bred to Pan and can leave when she kids.

Contact me at: GlastonburyFarm@juno.com We test every year for CAE and do not have CL in our herd.*

Warren-Wilson College

2008-02-09T06:03:00.000-08:00

Slow Food and Agriculture For the Next Century

I was pleasantly suprised by the campus at Warren-Wilson- nestled deep in the hills to the east of Asheville, NC, Warren-Wilson is a gem of a school, with excellent student/teacher ratios, just right for immersing the student in the environment.

What one will notice about the agriculture end of the cirriculum is that the students are very hands on their work- learning by example. The greenhouses and fields beyond are a welcome respite to many of today's larger campuses simply because this campus is out of sight and hearing of large roads. the whole area is very laid back and most of the neighors have already refused to sell their land to developers- they understand the value of the earth, rather than seeing money as the big pay off.

"What kind of College has no football, no fraternities, no sororities and believes that one person can change the world?" http://www.warren-wilson.edu/external_index.php There's information here on all their programs, even the Swannanoa Gathering, and the Swannanoa School for the Culinary Arts.

Honestly, if I knew then what I know now when I went to College in the 70's, I would have chosen Warren-Wilson.

Baguettes in the Afternoon

2008-01-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

If you have never had the privilege of watching the inner workings of a french bakery, you certainly have missed a treat!

Chef Pierre Lestieux of Asheville, NC invited the students from the Swannanoa School for the Culinary Arts at Warren-Wilson College to have a chance to see him at work and do some baking of their own.

Pierre casually created the dough in his large mixer above, then he began to separate the dough into several large lumps for using in various types of bread. He took one lump and began to create baguettes, and encouraged each of us to take some dough and experience the feel of what it is like to roll out the long loaves for baking.

After rolling out our loaves with our hands, he showed us how to slice the tops of the loaves so they will separate and expand when baking.

The loaves were then put in a 'proving oven' to rise before baking.

We also did brioche......

And croissant......

But most of all, we got to play in dough which certainly satisfied my creative inner- child!

Bread

2008-01-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

The common thing among all of us human beings on this planet is that we all sit down at table and break bread together. From the simple breads of the soft, native home-baked breadfruit, to the equisite speciality breads in the storefronts in any city in the world, the families of the world come together to give thanks for the time they have been given together. Or the simple meal shared with one's self.

The Thursday that I attended the Swannanoa School for the Culinary Arts at Warren-Wilson College, we spent the day with our hands in dough. They split us into two groups, each having the chance to bake at the Warren-Wilson kitchen and to visit the French Bakery at Chef Pierre's in Asheville, NC.

For the first program, I went to the kitchens there on campus. On the table were the ingredients carefully measured out on the tables for each particpant. It gave us a chance to put our hands in dough and be creative children again.

We made Challah, a traditional bread for a celebratory meal.

Challah

These ingredient came form the School cookbook we were given as part of the course-

Igredients:

3/4 C. warm (110 F) water

2 teasp. instant 'rapid rise' yeast

1 1/2 teasp. salt

1/4 honey

4 large eggs

4 2/3 C. sifted flour

4 Tblsp. softened butter (or, when celebrating with Jewish friends, oil)

(1 extra egg for wash, well-beaten)

(poppy or sesame seeds, optional)

Preparations:

Mark the word START down on a sheet of paper, and jot your start time next to it. Add 45 mins. to the start time, and write that down with the word FOLD next to it. Beneathe FOLD, write SHAPE, adding two hours to your start time for this figure.

In a large bowl (large enough to let your dough double, whisk together the first five ingredients very well. Have the softened butter within reach.

Add the flour all at once, roll up your sleeves, and mix thoroughly with your hands until the flour is almost completely incorporated. Add the butter, rubbing it into dough and mixing until well blended. Do not knead. Using a wet, plastic dough scraper, scrape the dough off your fingers and add back into the bowl, then scrape any dough clinging to the sides of the bowl back down into the bowl as well. Cover the bowl well with plastic.

When it is time to FOLD, wet your dough scraper and both of your hands, shaking off excess moisture. Use the scraper to press tightly against the bowl, scooping down and under the dough in order to release it from the bowl. ( Do not punch down.) After releasing the dough from the sides, FOLD the dough by using a motion that is just like kneading, but gentler, until the center 'seam' you are creating with your folding stops sticking to itself. and begins to bloom back open instead. This will take about 30 seconds. Dough should not be at all sticky at this point. Work in some extra flour, a small amount at a time, folding and mixing in well, until dough is smooth. You may do the 'windowpane' test here if you like, for fun. This unkneaded dough will pass easily. The 45- min. 'autolyse' has give the liquid and the flour protein- the gluten- all the time it needs to develop fully on its' own, no kneading necessary. This FOLDing technique can be used on any dough, even bagels, with success.

After the dough has risen for two hours from start time, lightly flour your work surface, also sprinkling some flour around the edges of the bowl and across the top of the dough. (Do not punch down.) Then, using a dry dough scraper, press the scraper tightly against the sides of the bowl, tilting the bowl so as to allow the flour at its' edge drop down with the scraper, and releasing the dough mass form the bowl's sides and bottom. Tip the dough out onto your work surface.

Divide the dough in half, then each half into three equal pieces (for a 3-strand braid), four equal pieces (for a 4-strand braid) or 6 (for a 6-strand braid.) Alternatively, you could make one large loaf. It will an additional 10 mins. (approx.) to bake. Roll each piece by hand about 15 inches long, with the ends somewhat pointly and the center more full. (There will need to be a slight stickiness between dough and counter from proper rolling; mist counter lightly with water as needed.)

For a simple braid, lay the 3 pieces side-by-side, braiding out from the center in each dorection, to the ends of the loaf. Pinch ends well and tuck under slightly. For 4- or 6-piece braids, lay your pieces side-by-side (with enough room between them to lay another piece.) Then, grasping the top inch only of each dough length, bring all other ends together with a good pinch; the remainder of the lengths will be splayed out. Use something heavy to weight the pinched ends to the counter. 'Number' your lengths in your mind, from 1-4, (or 1-6), starting with '1' for the length to your fartherest left. Each time you move and length, it will adopt the number of its' newest position.

Proceed as follows-

4-piece braid- 6-piece braid-

4 over 2 5 over 1

1 over 3 6 over 4

2 over 3 2 over 6

repeat to end 1 over 3

repeat to end

Place your loaves (or loaf) on a sheet pan lined with parchment (the simple braid can also be put into two well-greased loaf pans, if you prefer). Cover well with lightly oiled plastic. Let rise for 2 hours or until doubled, with an indent from your finger remaining after loaf is lightly pressed. Just before popping into oven, brush dough with the beaten egg. Sprinle with poppy or sesame seeds, if desired.

Bake in a preheated 325F oven for 20 minutes, rotate pan(s) and continue baking an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the bottom of the loaf gves a good hollow sound when solidly rapped. Watch for over-brownng, have some foil handy to loosely cover tour breads. (Alternatively, you can test the exact center of the loaf with an instant-read thermometer; your reading should be 200F to 210F within 6 seconds. the method is especially useful for testing doneness if you've chosen to refrigerate your shaped dough before baking. Remove from pans and cool from rack.

Some authors claim you can let a challah rise as long as three days in the refrigerator before baking...

Food and Goats

2008-01-17T08:18:00.000-08:00

Gracie says 'hi!'

Honestly, I promise to keep up with writing more often, aside from being a bit of therapy in the winter, it keeps me out of trouble when I am not knitting and before my eyes get tired.

Let's go back a bit.....

Last July, Dory went to Culinary School at Warren Wilson college- it was her first time out in a college environment and she was a bit overwhelmed, so we ended up splitting the week- she was there Monday through Wednesday and I was there from Wednesday through Friday. I can tell you that I really enjoyed my portion.

What is most striking about the campus at Warren-Wilson is the area it is in- there are fields all around and the students are very laid back and focused on the atmosphere in the mountains. With only 800+ students, the teacher/student ratio is excellent. Warren-Wilson is also a focal point for the local food/slow food movement.

The college sports a 3 1/2 acre organic market garden. The school gets much of its' own food from there and they also have a good presence at local farmer's markets. They also have two chicken tractors- one large (see the background in the above picture) and one small. Students drive the farm tractors, weed the gardens and plant the seeds. The Garden Cabin, where the culinary school was held, sits just at the head of the garden in a place just perfect for weddings and garden parties. There's nothing like a good garden party.

Here you see Matt using a tool I have never seen before, but I admit to coveting. Since we plan to use hills in the garden and pretty much turn it in to a 'no till' operation, I find this an interesting tool. He had these beds turned and ready in less than an hour.

This is the 'High Tea' day at Culinary School. I've got a bee in my bonnet about 'High Tea'- as we develop the farm more and more, I'd like to take over my husband's current building and turn it into a small high end craft/farm store and serve tea to a bridge club, or the like. Two four tops is nice and we are in a nice neighborhood where I live. It is do-able and feels good to think about.

The fellow at the head of the table is Ian Robertson, one of the professors at Warren-Wilson and one I will be dealing with when I am able to take farm apprentices. Ian is from Britain and quite a nice person besides.

We hope to offer at least one apprenticeship this year- and I believe it is already filled by a Berea College student. It is my understanding that Berea College is doing much the same track as Warren-Wilson is with training new generation farmers.

A Soldier For Christmas

2007-12-28T08:43:00.000-08:00

This year has been the most magickal of Christmases in the times that I can remember. None of us put a big emphasis on gifts- and what we did give or receive were either hand made or from the heart. Nothing compares to the experiences we had as a family and the blending of all our extended families this year. And the Smokies are such a magickal place anyway.

This story is about what happened the Sunday before Christmas, after we left the Snyder family get together in Franklin, NC.

As we were driving back on Hwy. 441, towards Cherokee, NC, the full moon of December was just clearing the mountains. It was not quite dark yet, so the sky was a purple color, just beyond lavender. As we pulled into Cherokee, the moon had become iridescent against the deepening midnight blue. Mars shown clearly in its' place conjunct the moon.

Cherokee at Christmas time is probably one of the most magical and spiritual places on earth- the only traffic is local, the lights around the old part of downtown Cherokee twinkle in a timeless silence as the Oconaluftee river flows steadily through the town. This is a memory of Christmas past for me.

As we started up the mountain, the kids were asleep in the back seat, and hubby and I chatted absently. There is a place on the road on the NC side where you can see the lights of Cherokee in the distance, somehow breathtaking and reassuring at the same time. And as we reached the top of Newfound Gap, traffic picked up a bit from folks taking time for the moment as we were.

Suddenly, a gust of wind shook the van. Since we had had a big blow the night before over on our side of the mountain, I tend to pay attention when the wind speaks. And as we drove past the peak, I soon knew why.

Cars were slowing down and passing something on the road. I though that it had to be a bear or something, but I was surprised to see a man running along with a head lamp on his head and thumb held out, wearing camouflage clothing. And cars continued to pass by as we stopped to offer help. as it turned out, he was doing some 'extreme personal best' hiking and camping with a buddy and his buddy had hurt his leg up on the Clingman's dome road. This fellow had told his friend to get to the gate at Clingman's and he would get down to Sugarlands to pick up the car and come back up for his friend.

So, we made a place for him in our stuffed vehicle and started back down the road. As we talked to him, he told us he was an Air Force soldier stationed out of Ft. Campbell waiting to be deployed and he and his buddy were on the mountain for Christmas before being shipped out after the holidays. The kids all connected with him since they were closest to him in age and they talked about movies and popular cultural icons thay all had in common. I told him about my cousin Jonathan who did tours overseas and had been stationed out of Ft. Stuart, so he and I connected there as well.

Too soon we arrived at Sugarlands and in those 20 minutes, all of us in the van received a gift greater that any worldly item could ever be. In 20 minutes, we all found a heart connection with someone we did not know and helped them to help someone else. In 20 minutes, I felt what it was like to have a son who was being sent overseas to a conflict from which he might not return and connected with all the mothers who have had to face that situation. And at the end of those 20 minutes, we still did not know his name of where he was from, but it doesn't matter.

As we left him in the parking lot, he tried to give hubby some gas money, which he refused- he did give the young soldier his business card and I told the soldier to send us post cards from where he goes. Then we left Sugarlands and the dance was over.

I feel sad that we live in a world where a soldier in need keeps getting passed by vehicles because of the fear we now have of each other. I feel honored to have been given the greatest gift I have ever received, and to have had the time, even though it was only 20 minutes, to share our family stories with someone who was not home for Christmas.

WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE TIME WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN

Catching up.....

2007-12-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

'Tractor Girl' meets 'Tank Girl' at Dragon*Con 2007- Lori Petty was a guest there this year....

Mr. Butters found himself a home- a much valued and loved home- with a nice lady dog about his same size and temperment. They are very happy together and I wish his new mommy and daddy much love and happiness!

I've got lot's to write about since I last spoke- Dory and I have had lots of adventures this past summer and fall, some together and some apart, but all tons of fun. We shared the week at the Swannanoa School for Culinary Arts, and the whole family went to Dragon*Con-we all have our tickets for next year in hand. And we went to Silver Hammer as a family and had a really good time. So much more to talk about.....

It's a busy week coming up- I've got CPA stuff to do and a trip to NC to pick up our all natural beef from the farm there- plus a bunch of goat stories.

Butters

2007-06-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

This is Butters.

Butters is a wonderful little one year old red Min-Pin. He is neutered and up to date on all his shots and worming. He crates, rides and leads easily, plus he is housbroken. As with any small dog, you must pay attention to his potty signals. He is good with kids and plays well with other dogs and cats.

Butters needs to find a new home because he likes chickens way too much, and we cannot have a dog here that kills our egg layers.

We need to get a small adoption fee for him, since we've done all his neutering, etc. and he can come back here always, in case he does not work out. Please write to me if you would like to apply as his forever home.

Thank you-

The Secret

2007-06-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

The secret is that there are no secrets.

www.thesecret.tv

The Four Seasons

2007-06-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

Grease, Sugar, Salt and Starch-

In the south, we are brought up with the use of lard or Crisco and white flour. The old Crisco commercial showed it all coming back after frying except for one tablespoon, which is deceptive because chicken also adds its' own fats to the blend, so you are not getting the real picture. These days, milk fat, or butter fat, is what we watch and consume. Lot's of calcium that way.

What I really focus on is salt and sugar. Not so much starch beacuse we just don't use it around the house- bread is a hearty blend of whole grains and sprouted things, so you have a good nutritious loaf, but we just don't eat a lot of it, prefering to get fiber elsewhere.

OTOH, sugar is a demon. Being a 50's baby, the baby formulas of the day contained an ingredient called 'dextri-maltos'. Today that is 'malto-dextrin.' Both are fancy name for SUGAR! This is nothing our parents had any knowledge of- in reality, it was all to sell products and increase big corporate powers. What we see now is the result, and it does seem the pendulum is swinging back the other way- many fast food places are seeing the light for healthier foods.

Since the boomers of the 50's are aging, we are seeing massive diabetes in our US population- as working mothers went back to work there in the 50's and 60's, babies were put on packaged foods with added salt and sugar. This has become a recipie for disaster in the new millenium.

It takes about 2-3 weeks to clear ones pallet of salt so the taste of food changes and actually becomes more sensitive. It takes far longer to clear ones pallet of sugar, if it ever really becomes clear- a candida (yeast) infection tends to accompany a sugar addiction, and many sources of dis-ease go along with that- Epstein Barr, fibromyalgia, etc.

It gets to the point that a person must be ever vigilant of what they buy in the store- or grow their own garden. IMHO, store food is dead food, so growing a garden or buying locally grown vegetables are the only way to nourish your body.

If you look at the labels on packaged foods, you will see very high sodium in soups- 38% or more! To me, 1% is high. Soft drinks are another bugaboo- even though they have between 1%-3% sodium, the phosphoric acid in them can melt meat if left there- and we puit this in our bodies! Phosphoric acid causes arthritis-like symptoms as well as gout-like symptoms in the ankles so badly that walking is impossible. I won't even go there with aspartame- which is linked to MS symptoms and brain damage.

Living with Spina Bifida

2007-06-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

When I was little, mom tells me that she would see me limping and call my attention to it- of course, I would tell her I wasn't limping, I was doing my kid thing and had no point of reference. Later on at 16, I had what the diet Dr. termed 'bursitis' in my left hip while I was made to take those infernal amphetamines for weight loss (another story for another time- not a good one) and also placed me on Bute, a very powerful anti-inflamatory.

It wasn't until I was working for the City of Kingsport and injured my back that we x-rayed the lower spine and found Spina Bifida Occulta- a non-fused vertabrae- that actually posed no problem at the time, but as I have aged I now have some serious problems with it.

Well, actually, in looking back, the SBO did cause problems as a child- constipation, urinary tract infections, legs falling asleep, one leg shorter than the other, etc. All the usual symptoms one finds in researching SBO. I guess no one put two and two together, even with pediatric x-rays not catching it .

Right now, at age 50, with a weight problem, menopause, heart issues due to the amphetamines, spinal degeneration in the lumbar and cervical areas, and the actual vertabrae itself, each day presents a new challenge. The Dr. put me on neutrontin, which is a good nerve med, but it makes me 'stoopid'. I tend to only take it as I really need it, which is less than 2x a week.

I also learned to put my hips back in line with my spine several years ago by self manipulation- laying on my back, flexing my ankles and feet to place pressure on my spine similar to a sort of soft traction and leaning into it so the pelvis and spine would 'pop!' and the pain would go away for a day. My husband helps me get my upper back in line and I generally stay in less pain than I would have otherwise.

The big issue is that I farm like this. And I have learned my limitations. When we had a small house fire here in 2000, I was coming out of a big healing crisis and the smoke caused me to have pleurisy, so my health was set back a few years. This last summer of 2006 was the first summer that I can remember for a long time that I was not knocked down in the middle of the day so I had to sleep for several hours when the ozone and heat index go up.

The key for me has been to focus on what I can do, rather than what I cannot do.

When I was no longer able to carry a 50 lb. bag of feed over my shoulder, we had several options: my daughter helps me as she also has goats, we also purchased a cart to move bags around and even though I can still 'buck' hay into the truck and unload it from the truck, it has become very difficult for me to carry it place to place, hence the flow and construction of the new shed for hay storage. We set up 'self waterers' in all the goat areas and use big round bales of hay 75% of the time, rather than square bales. The tractor has been a God-send so that we can get a lot of tasks done quickly on our own. All in all, working smarter, not harder.

Still, there are big challenges- keeping goat numbers down is the biggest one. We have a farm worker that comes in a couple of times a week to help with up keep and such, plus construction and removal. When the new shed is up and running fully, the water line piped in so the sink works, I'll be able to milk by machine rather than bending over to milk by hand in a very tiring position.

Coming through some recent family drama has also put me ahead of my physical challenges by helping me to see who is real- and who is not. And having the understanding that it was never mine to begin with, even though as a child I had no control over it. There is one major relationship that I want to have healed more than anything else though....

Life is good. Working through my sore back and left side several times a day helps me be thankful for all that I have because so many have so much less than I do- and I am not speaking of money or wealth. One can be wealthy and have lots of friends and still have no life. I have a life that means something, not just to me, but also I've recently found out a lot of other folks think so too.

I guess I am doing something right.

The Strawberry Vendor

2007-05-29T06:54:00.000-07:00

Each Wednesday she set up her tables at the East End Farmer's Market. If she was early enough, which was her usual want, she got the best spot right under the big oak tree in the center of the market complex. She then would set up an amazing display of her berries- so many different sizes and kinds of strawberries, each with the sweet and distinct smell of red, ripe fruit, but each kind of berry with its' own distinct flavor.

Some of the berries were very large and plump, but with a tart and suprising taste, just right for eating. And some of the berries were smaller and just as plump, but with a solid center and a sweetness just right for canning so you did not have to add so much sugar to the recipie.

The vendor placed boxes of these lovely berries in tantilizing arrangements on her tables- some in boxes, some in large crates and some for a 'pick your own' mix. The children liked these- she loved the children and all the children who came to her tables were given some berries to savor and if there were any really hungry children, she would bring along some sandwiches and some beverages to make sure no one left hungry.

Because she also liked to watch and interact people, she was the first vendor to sell out of everything before noon when the market closed. She never had a deaf ear for her customers and always listened to them as they shared bits of their lives with her. Many times, all she could do was smile and give a hug for encouragement, but she also had time to speak in her still, small voice so folks leaned in to listen carefully to her words.

She remembered the man who had lost everything and gave him words to encourage him- he came back a year later to thank her and offered to lend a hand.

She remembered the child who was so vulnerable during a big upheaval in his life when his parents divorced- all she could do for this child was to hug him and say, 'I believe in you'.

The vendor remembered the woman who came to her booth, so very sure that she knew the one, true, right and only way a thing can be- and she watched the woman pick a box of berries that were very bright red, plump on the surface and of the solid kind. These were the ones that had to be used quickly or they would perish quickly and mold from the higher sugar content. Later, the vendor found that there was another box just like that one had some bad berries at the bottom and took it away.

The vendor hoped that the woman did not get bad berries and would perhaps bring the box back to her to exchange them instead of blaming her for selling bad berries- it was important to the vendor to make sure her offerings were of the finest kind, but she could not help it when people did not tell her there was a problem. In any case, this was a lesson for the woman to learn.
***********
It was noon and the vendor used her cell phone to call a friend after she had torn down her tables and placed them in her vehicle- no berries left over today.

'Gabriel, have Michael and Raphael meet me at the archade in about an hour and half. I'm going for lunch and maybe play some games. Tell Uriel not to worry if I am a little late coming back through the Gates.'

'Certainly Sir- we'll be ready in an hour and a half. And Sir- knowing you like to play with the children, there's a group from a church camp also having lunch there and staying to play awhile.'

'Thank you Gabriel, that is my greatest joy.'
******
What if? Think about it......

How to sell a goat

2007-05-24T01:49:00.001-07:00

Since the how not to sell a goat days, I've made a few decisions, mostly based on good business practices when entering into a buyer/seller contract.

Anyone who buys animals from me now signs a general bill of sale that is short, sweet and to the point- name address and phone of both parties, ID of the animal in question and a statement of general good health of the animal(s) being purchased. A statement of no garantees, real or implied, that the animal will preform as it did at my farm is included since there are so many factors once the animal leaves my premises that I have no control over. If the person wants testing of any sort, the test results noted in the text.

This protects both parties in case of any misunderstandings, or foolishness on the part of the buyer.

There are two copies, each person signs one, and the signature of a witness is included, then each person has a copy for their own files.

That's about it.

How 'not' to sell a goat....

2007-05-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

Or more aptly, lessons learned when dealing with people who cannot be taught, no matter how you try. You goat folks know the kind- give them all the information they require and then they still will not listen to your advice, then blame you when something goes wrong.

A few years ago, I got a call from someone who had been refered to me by another person who had a few goats they had purchased from me. These Christian folks were already goat owners and were milking the does they did have. I told the lady that I had two or three milk does they may be interested in, but needed to come look to inspect the does before they chose one for purchase- this entails milking the does, looking at the feet, eyes, checking for illness, running your hands over them to get their feel, their flatness of bone and dairy character, etc.

After all, my goal is to make sure that you get the doe 'you' want, not the doe 'I' think you want.

The lady said 'oh no, we can't come look because my father is very ill, could you please pick one out for us.' I asked several pertinant questions such as how are the goats housed, how do you treat them if they are ill, and most especially, what do you feed them (they were feeding oats). I made sure to say that this doe needs to get fed this much a day so she can sustain herself and the kid, and give you some milk too. She seemed to have good answers, so I said I'll do this to help you.

So I picked out a yearling first freshener and her little wether kid. Mind you, this was a family milker doe, not a high dollar animal. We agreed to a meeting place for delivery and I went over all the information with her again, even written down- all feed numbers, etc.- to make sure she was up to speed on how I cared for my animals, so she could make sure the doe transitioned into her herd as easily as possible. All seemed fine as I left.

Two weeks later, I got a call from the father who told me that 'this doe is sick, she has cancer and it's your fault- you sold me a sick doe. She won't give any milk and her gut stinks'. (I'm getting whiff of a seriously dysfunctional family here.)

So, I asked again, what are you feeding her- are you feeding her the feed I told you I fed my does? (No, we are feeding her oats.)Are you feeding her away from the other goats? (No, everyone gets fed together. [goats chase the weakest of the herd away from feed- like little Jimmy Schwartz at school getting his head put in a toilet by bullies]) How about her hay- goats need dry, well kept hay? (The big bale is in the middle of the pen and she can go get it if she wants it.)

Essentially, these folks did not listen to one word I repeatedly had said and then blamed me for their management problems! They agreed to give it one more week and promised to do what I had said.

Forward one week- I get another call- 'This goat is sick! You sold us a sick goat!' So I make an arrangement pick the goat up while also being told 'no, no, no...' over and over again- 'it is not our problem, it is yours!' (The excrement meter pegged all the way over with this one.)

When I picked up that poor little doe, she had lost about 15 lbs.- which is very precious weight for a yearling who is nursing a kid. I took a sample of her urine in front of the lady and luckily, she was not into ketosis from being starved, at least not yet.

I also took pictures of the doe and how emaciated she was- she was a body score on maybe 1 1/2- when she left my place, she was about score of at least 2 1/2, which is not bad for a first freshener just settling in to a lactation and nursing a kid. The doe had no mammary tissue so she could not even make milk for her kid! I fed her as much hay as she wanted- which was a lot, she ate for several hours- and the next day when my vet got here for the annual visit, he checked the doe out and pronounced her healthy, but very underweight.

I never heard from those folks again, who were certainly not the Christian people they presented themselves to be, and I still hear their voices raised in abject denial that they were indeed responsible for the condition of that doe by not listening to nor following my detailed written instructions, and by refusing to hear any portion of the goat management wisdom being given to them. "It's not our fault, it's YOUR fault!'

The doe was re-homed about 6 weeks later when she had gained back the weight and was able to feed her kid. Margarita Rosita went to a wonderful Dr. that worked for 'Dr's Without borders', who was also a pastor. I hope she has a happy and productive life with her new family.

Come To The Table: Food, Faith and Farms

2007-04-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I went to Asheville, NC and attended a conference sponsored by theNC Council Of Churches having to do with discussing the connection between food, faith and farms.

Rev. Brian Cole from All Souls Cathedral in Asheville, NC spoke first and discussed how we as Christians can affect our churches understanding the role of the good steward plays in a ministry that serves the hungry and displaced can benefit our communities. He reminded us that in Exodus 16, the Manna from Heaven assures us that God is the source of our food and that the dietary laws of Levitcus were there for good reason. In Luke, we look at who Jesus sat down and broke bread with- the poor, sick and afflicted- this created community. And that in Mathew 25, when the people of God feed the hungry, doing so becomes a way of doing justice.

Also, The Rule of St. Benedict, who wrote as if the world is falling apart- Ch. 39- 'the proper amount of food'. " Nothing is more contrary to being a Chrisitan than gluttony."

So, food is a moral issue. In many churches, this moral vision is starved. It has become more about how much money can the church raise off the backs of their parishoners rather than how much work for the good of the community by feeding the hungry or creating programs for sustainability in a rapidly changing economy.

The Bible is an outdoor document. And so much of Christianity has become an indoor activity.
Rev. Cole related one story from his early days as a Pastor where one KY farmer's wife said 'Farming is the holiest activity that can happen. '

Suggested reading- Thomas Merton's works. Wendell Barry: 'Jaybird Crowe'. 'Practicing OurFaith' Series. Books that seek to make sacred connections. Also, "We plow God's fields".

Next, Mr. Charlie Jackson of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) spoke concerning food and farms in NC- these are both important to all of us in other states-

The biggest problem is that the US is losing farms at an alarming rate to developers. So, much of our large sources of food production are failing- the small farmer and projects that include community outreach are going to become the biggest source of food production. Farmer's Markets, local food and community supported agriculture is the best way to deal with this changing paradym.

Churches can help by sponsoring markets in their parking lots- also, a church can sponsor things like a community garden, or contact local growers to ask if they will allow a church to glean the fields after the farmer's harvest is in so the food can then be used and distributed among the needy.

Kitty Schaller, executive director of MANNA Foodbank (secondharvest.org) spoke about how so many folks who were able to make their own way now find they are marginalized by a sudden downsizing and job change. Again, our changing economy has forced so many people into a role of not being able to make it any longer- the 'working poor' who suddenly have no health care, housing they can no longer afford, and a support system that turns their back on them. (This is an important one to me as my father became one of these people after the firm he worked for downsized, moved out of the city we lived in and he lost his job- though no fault of his own- and his own family turned their backs on him when he was unable to recover from those devastating effects.)

These are the sorts of folks we see, especially in an intercity ministry- these working poor who feel they will not be able to survive and become angry, with drug or alcohol issues, and often trouble with the law.

The one thing we can give them is a good and healthful diet, full of fresh vegetables and fruit, but less carbohydrates which contribute to health issues and obesity. In food baskets, it is important to remember that fresh vegies are a priority.

Steve Hodges from the Jubilee Project is from Sneedville, TN- this is a faith based non-profit working with farmers from several counties in eastTN to make value added foods and start a farm-to-school project. Their current project is the potato wedge product that can be introduced into local schools, churches and other institutions. www.apspringcoop.com

Steve introduced himself to me and as it happens he knows a neighbor of mine who is on the board of directors with him and also another worker for good in my area whom I have had the pleasure to know for many years.

We enjoyed a lunch of locally made breads, and soup and salad from locally grown sources. After an afternoon of round table discussion, we went on a farm tour of two different local growers.

In NC, these farms are very much on the fore-front. In TN, it all seems about 'how much money can you make for the state', with very little emphasis on how to co-operate with each other- ie. so few farmer's markets as compared to the headspace of NC. Forgive me, this is one of my sticking points.....

If you are reading this in TN and would like to get involved with the Appalachian Grown project, visit www.AppalachianGrown.org or www.buyappalachian.org . The listing online is free and they welcome all farms and other endeavors from the whole Appalachian region. As our economy changes, local food becomes that much more important as we begin to take care ofeach other more instead of relying on our government or outside sources for food and sustainabilty.

Encourage your churches and communities to grow a small garden to feed the people who need help and know that each small thing done with great love to help someone else in need is sufficient in the eyes of God.

Dogs do the most interesting things......

2007-04-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

This is Gir, my daughter Kat's Min-Pin. You've seen Invader Zim, I'm sure. Doom, doom, doom. dah-doom, doom dah-doom doom doom doom....

Gir, also known as Gerty-Berty, Gir-Doo, Gerty-B and several other names used to call a small very vocal dog- the kind Gary Larsen wrote about in the cartoon 'nervous little dogs prepare for their day, rules the house. Gir also has a very short learning curve- she 'gets it' really quickly.

Yesterday, she came up to me with an egg in her mouth. The chickens are a bit indiscriminant about their laying habits, so the dogs get fresh eggs frequently. Not thinking, I took that egg away and threw it out not knowing how long it had been there. She was patient becasue she knew that goodies come her way anytime I am in the kitchen.

So today, Gir came in from her morning run and ran back to where I was at the computer, and dropped an egg at my feet! Smart doggie! I picked it up and praised her, then took it to the kitchen after I finished my emails and cooked it right up for her! She knows a good thing when she sees it.

Unto the Gentles of the Knowne World....

2007-03-31T06:53:00.000-07:00

....Lady Gregoria Anne du Lac sends greetings! It certainly has been a long time. Many thanks to Lady Jerusha for this archival photo. Since I am definitely of the 'Old School' in the SCA, I have a lot of catching up to do and lots of stories to tell of my travels. Also, please keep in mind that I will likely switch back and forth between mundane-speak and SCA-speak in theprocess of this set of blogs so it will be easier to explain in terms for those SCAer's of a city persuasion that would like to make the move from city living to country living and perhaps how to do it on your own, with little or no help from a bank or other modern mundane worldly financial entanglements. In the mundane, we are using solar, wind and geothermal power sources to enable us to get 'off the grid', as well as sustainable agricultural practices to keep food sources local.

From journeys long and through lands far and wide, this is a window into the world here at Glastonbury Farm. This past winter, we began a new milk shed for my goats and their feed, which will become a craft shop as soonly as a more correct milk parlour is built, which could take a couple of more years.

The excavation for the new manor house cannot happen until the a few things take place, one of which is the construction of the new shed and the destruction of the old shed. I currently milk in this shed and it is not a very pleasant place as the chickens have taken residence.

A curious thing happened as we began the new shed- several levels of what appear to be an old medieval manor raised itself out of the dirt as we began to peel back the layers of time. This old manor may be several hundred years old, or possibly even almost twenty years old. In any case, this is to document the archeological records of the old manor and the construction of the new manor house and grounds. If any scholar wishes to visit and observe the process, you are all most welcome to come- just let us know ahead of time.

I'm going to attempt to do a weekly update on each level of Glastonbury Farm since it began as some of the oldest levels are still here and functioning. These will also be illuminated with photos and drawings of the oldest positionings of the structures here. The old gate house, called 'The Dragon's Gatehouse', is still in use somewhat, and while the structural integrety is still there, the house itself does need to some work to complete it. The chances are it will be deconstructed and then reconstructed in some manner after the new manor house is built.

This is a photo of the new shed foundation as it was framed in. In the background is ' The Dragon's Gatehouse'. We found an old midden behind the house with all sorts of curious objects and broken tools. You will also see in the background one of the 'caravans' that some travelers decided to sell and it is now used as supplemental housing for my older daughter. Discovered to be from the 'level 7' configuration of Glastonbury Farm, it is still of some use, but will be offered for sale here in the near future. The cleared area up the hill and to the left of the photo is the bottom of the clearing for the new manor house.

Above, we see the new shed framed in and in the background is the area cleared for the excavation of the foundation for the new manor house. We have done all the proper augeries and dousings, and have offered prayers so that the foundation construction will go well and not fall over into the swamp next door, which is also called 'mud waller flats'. We have been assured by the local thaumaturge and several out of state alchemists that the dragons and gnomes are well satisfied with the gifts we've given them in exchange for allowing us to build here.

These are our Town Crier's, Violet- left, and Willard- right. Along with the poultry constabulary of roosters Wakie-Wakie (that's what he says) and Mohammed (Upon Whom Be Peace!- When you pick him up, he shouts 'Allah! Allah!'), and a grimace of guineas, the farm stays running smoothly- no ticks or other bad insect pests.

This is our 'Fore-goat', Ammalyn Starchild, who oversees construction and keeps an eye on things. She also milks a gallon or so of milk a day, so she's a keeper here at the farm. Ammalyn is a Saanen dairy goat, also called Gessenay, which comes from the Saanen Valley in Switzerland.

Look for us in the next installment, at least each week. As we get more into the workings of things here at the farm, I hope folks will comment or ask questions on how we have done this or that or perhaps offer suggestions as to how we can do things more easily.

Thanks for stopping by- Lady Greggy, somewhere in the "Land of Shining Water'

Hard Scrabble vs. City Minded

2007-03-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

This is Our Lady of the Harvest. More about why she is here later- sorry it is a thumbnail picture.

We bought our land here in 1989, and moved onto it in 1990, with only our hands as our tools- not many city folks care to do what we do- it actually involves doing some physical labor, getting your hands dirty, living with no indoor plumbing for a couple of years and dirt under your fingernails for months on end. The girls did enjoy their muck bucket bath tub when they were little though.

First the cabin came, then an outbuilding for the goats and then more outbuildings...if you cannot stand living in what city folks term 'a big nasty mess', then please don't do what we did- It is like doing the mortgage trip thing in very slow motion- the very same thing as, but almost to the point of entropy. On the other hand, if you want to have a satisfied soul at the end of the day, along with no mortgage, total creative control, not 'beholden-to' anyone for anything to do with your property other than yearly land taxes, then the rural sustainable lifestyle may be for you.

And you may find that you are a different person than you thought you were.

Walking away from the matrix of the modern day 'normal' 'get it and spend it', credit card lifestyle is well....more 'normal' than the afore mentioned 'normal' lifestyle. Keep in mind that the word 'normal' is a judging word- a word that denotes rather a lack of courage. Besides, when one gets a comment like 'you have a pioneer spirit' from an MBE recipent (Member of the British Empire) who barely knows you and a comment of 'Eeeewwww!' from family, well who are you going to listen to? 'Normal' is in the eye of the beholder- what is normal for me may not be normal for you, but each form is just as valid and wholesome to each person.

After all, no farms = no food.

To the city folks that go 'Eeeewwww!', I usually say ' are you going to stand there complaining and critisizing or are you going to pick up a hammer and pound a few nails with me?' These folks really need to get their heads wrapped around Habitat for Humanity or Heiffer Project. Or even the Manna Food Bank. If you can't pound nails, then learn to use a measuring tape and marker to measure the length on a 2x4 for the person who cuts the wood!

Still, at the end of the day, I have so much to be thankful for.

Each year, we do a farm blessing. Father Andreas comes out to bless the farm and the animals- he's excited about blessing our tractor- he says he's so happy to be a country priest. We have a potluck lunch after the blessing- which takes place after Pascha, Easter for all you heterodox and pagans. :-) This year, we will be holding it on the future site of Our Lady of the Woods Chapel- a place for all people to experience the Mother of God in all her forms. Our Lady of the Harvest will be there, along with Kwan Yin, the Bodhisaatva of Compassion and Our Lady of Einsiedlin (Switzerland), one of the Black Madonnas of Europe. The name Einsiedlin means 'Place of the Hermit'- I went there during a band trip with the Dobyns-Bennett HS band in 1972- the Cathedral there is enormous and beautiful. It is the first place in my life that I met the Living Lady in one of her myriad and eternal forms.

The foundation for the Chapel is there, but it needs work before I would trust people on the platform. I'll blog more about this as we come closer to the date, as yet undecided, but after Pascha, so I can cook!

Have a blessed Oestarra, ya'll! Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

For the honor.....

2007-03-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

It's 5am here and the next round of kidding is in the offing- we are on baby watch and bleary eyed to say the least. I am making it through with the help of medication for my Spina Bifida- don't worry, it is the 'occulta' kind that we found on a x-ray in the 80's, so I can still function. It has been a quick two weeks since the last two does kidded and all girls. 4 of them, Annie and Laurie, and Lucy and Ethel. Yeah, I know- Lucy and Ethel's daddy was named Desperado, called 'Desi'- someone had to do the obvious. :-)
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There comes a time for most folks that it is also painfully obvious that working with people becomes a big chore- which is why I like living in the woods, away from most type A's. Some folks take nasty medications to help them deal with other people's personalities. And some folks just keep going into the same rut with the same type of people that have no respect. These folks are generally really good people, but they tend to be enablers- 'give give give give give' all day long to folks who have no intention of returning the exchange. I fall into that catagory. I own it. I do come by it honestly- growing up, my mom was an enabler- her thing was money/food/stuff= love. Dad did his best to keep her satisfied (he couldn't), but his own addiction to 'more more more more' was too strong. His addiciton became hers in short order- it happens when you don't have much when you are growing up and then suddenly have everything you want.
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Lest I become maudlin, here is the point of the story- and it is about goats. Some years ago, when I had been in goats for only a few years, I had done some trading around- 'a goat for a goat' sort of thing with another person. I registered that animal I traded for with the name I chose and used him. When I was done with the buck that I had traded for, I asked the person if they wanted the buck back- they said yes. Of course, my goats were long gone by then- this gave them everything and left me with nothing, so we agreed verbally that I'd get back equal value of some sort- goat equipment, etc. That was OK, since I trusted the person.
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Sometime during the next couple of years, the person's spouse got hurt on the job and they began to sell off their animals. That's alright, I said, I am patient, I know you will keep your word. So, over the next couple of years after that, each time I would ask for the trade to be honored- either following an advertisement for their equipment for sale or on my own- the person would say 'we need the money'. OK, I thought, they are still in a tight situation, I am patient, I know they are honorable. Even last summer when I asked after an ad for more equipment being sold, I was told again 'we need the money'- this was getting way too old.
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So most recently, I saw yet another ad for more equipment and I went a bit further in asking by also asking folks publically to wait until I could bring this to a head privately. Interestingly enough, the person now said that I must be mistaking them for someone else- they did not owe me anything and refused to even deal with the subject. OK. Let's examine this from a persective of 'letting go'- In the end, it is all just 'stuff' after all.
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Doing business on a handshake used to be the norm everywhere- today, it ain't so common. I recognize that this went on way too long, but from the perspective of the other person, I know I could not live with myself if I did not honor a situation, no matter how long it had gone on- my connection with God is way too strong to not recognize that I would be very much out of Grace to not make it right in the other person's mind as best I could. NOTE: This may discount stupidity on the part of the other person who will not understand, no matter what you do since some folks cannot be taught- this is where a written contract or bill of sale comes in, but I digress and that's another story- whooo boy, is that another story.
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The lesson, for business purposes, is to always get it in writing. And make sure each party has a signed copy of the agreement.
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The lesson, for spiritual purposes, is to 'trust in God, but always tie your camel' (old Arab saying). IE. keep the beast tied. If things do not work out as agreed and you are the one that gets the short end of the stick, let it go and let God take care of it. Be nice, let the folks know you see what they are doing and that you deplore their lack of honor, but do it nicely. God will take care of it in the fullness of time. Then go and do more work for the good.
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Cherokee Wisdom
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A Grandfather and his grandson were sitting under a tree, fishing by a stream. The Grandfather
said to his grandson, 'Inside of everyone there are two wolves fighting each other. One is an evil, angry wolf. The other is a kind, benevolent wolf.'
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The grandson thought a minute and said, 'Grandfather, which wolf wins?'
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The Grandfather paused a moment and answered, 'The one that I feed.'

Rainy day Tuesday.....

2007-02-20T06:32:00.000-08:00

I was supposed to go to a seminar on handling animals in disasters, but I woke up a bit too late to get all the chores done before the start of the thing an hour and bit's drive from here at UT in Knoxville. I've got goats telling me they want to kid, so who knows when that is going to happen, but the look is sure in their eyes and I don't really want to spend the day away from them. Those long suffering looks that convey the weight of the world- oh my! If I had their worries I'd be a goat- which I am anyway, I'm a Capricorn, born on December 25th. Don't worry about the birthday thing, I got over that a long time ago- in fact, I'm telling folks not to get me Christmas presents, or even birthday gifts, any longer- I've got all I want. I don't need any more 'stuff'. Except for maybe a new AI kit (artificial insemination) so I can use all those dead frozen billy-goats in my nitrogen tank. Or a preg-tone ultra-sound machine.
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Bucks are an essential part of a goat farm- either you have them or you don't- some of them can be quite amusing as babies, but absolute lothario's as adults. Take Chicago for example- he's a sweetie pie, but bucks are 'supposed to' have gone out of rut this time of year- yeah, right. Everyone else has. The weather says otherwise for Chicago. It is still colder than dammit and we are carrying water because the hoses are frozen. My pregnant does like to waddle right up to me when I am carrying two full buckets- and who's got his nose stuck up where we won't mention in polite company? Yep, himself. (Gee, maybe they want me!) So we all do this circle dance around me a couple of times until I get around the behinds of some of them and make a dash to the portable water trough. So I smell of 'au d' buc' for a while- and I also use the same barn clothes over and over again until they stand up in the corner by themselves. This conserves water as there is no need to use the washer so much if I do it this way. Sometimes I venture into Newport to the feed store, or just up to get gas at Jack's Market, in my barn clothes- I earned that badge of honor, by golly!
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I could put him in the buck pen, but he is still in rut and we don't need 'fighting boys on parade'. Their dominance dances (ahem!) can get quite rough, but it is also amusing to see who the 'bitch' is from day to day. So, Chicago runs loose for now and takes the girls who are the closest 'ladies in waiting' up into the woods to browse a bit-
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It still looks like rain, but then it always looks like rain here, unless the weather changes- which is usually about 15 minutes between changes.

Chance would be a fine thing......

2007-02-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

The snow from yesterday seems to have gone the way of things enough to let us get in and out of the hollar. I was supposed to go Saturday to pick up some does and take Rosie along- we seem to be conspiring to go on a restaurant critic's tour of BBQ places and other interesting side bars. Maybe Brown Mtn. Or Max Patch. Well enough, since Ammy came back into heat and Chicago bred her. I don't mind late babies from him.
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So, the doe excursion is to take place today-
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Anyway, I'm waiting for the hens to start laying- we've had fresh milk and cheese from one doe- Ammy, above- and for more of the does to kid, some are due this coming week, so I 'll attempt to get some shots up of the process. I'll put some recipies with goat cheese up soon too- my stufed Portabella mushrooms are to die for.....
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We actually got the vinyl flooring on the shed sub-floor before the snow hit- and with any luck we will get the first wall up this coming weekend- 'if' the weather holds, yeah- right....I'll put the process of that up on webshots soon-

It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.....

2007-02-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

Back in 1994, I bought my first dairy goat- Bonanza Jelly Bean- a Saanen/Nubian cross doe who initiated me into the wonders of goat milk- and off I went into the goat world. I had had a little white 'brush nanny'- aptly named 'Nanny' (pictured above)- a couple of years after I got back from University and taught horsemanship to young girls. The person who stands out in my mind at that time as one who pointed me in the direction of living on the land was Dr. Vicken Totten, who was a resident at the hospital my mother worked at. As one of those 'failure to launch' types, I did not leave Kingsport until I was 30 years old. Whew!

And here I am now, just turned 50, meno-pausal- children raised, working towards a licensed cheese dairy in the Gatlinburg market- and having the opportunity to breed a wonderful breed of goat- the Golden Guernsey from the Isle of Guernsey in the UK channel isles. Not many of those around- about 450 +/- purebred breeding females worldwide.

On this blog, you may find interesting pictures of things around the farm- daily scenes, dogs, goats, kidding season, recipes and this I like to do- Grandfather Moountain Highand Games, all things Scottish, The Wizard of OZ, goat shows, etc.- things like that.

You will also find things about the natural world and all natural ways of creating glowing health and woman's natural wisdom. Like the header says- 'go to the mountians and drink goat milk'-

Go with God and in good health- Betsy