As we approach Thanksgiving, we offer gratitude far and wide to all who enable this small farm to keep producing. This year, as we look towards the traditional Thanksgiving centerpiece of a Turkey, we welcome to the farm their new protector.
Two years ago, when we hosted members of the Tri-State area’s R.A.T.S group, they gently opined that truly to manage our farm rodent population, we needed our own rat-hunting terrier.
We knew they were right, but were far from ready to take on that project. We hoped with their visit, our awesome new self-closing chicken feeders, and vigilant farmer hunters, we could get them back in check. And that worked. 2019 had the farmers winning!
Then this year, early in the pandemic, when we thought we were still in control, some rogue rats from the field hinterlands, found the 2 day old turkey poults in the barn and created more carnage.
The result was less turkeys (fortunately due to pandemic we had done a large batch), a night sleeping in the barn for Mari, the cats & the old farm dog and then moving the turkeys poults and freedom ranger chicks into new housing….
Yes, they moved in with our COVID refugees that were working remotely at the Farmhouse Inn, the turkey poults and chicks occupying John’s garage.
Shortly after that, we wrote to the R.A.T.S team to say, we were ready for a new farm dog. Between a second turkey poult loss and the pandemic making it clear we’d be around to train a puppy, the search began. It took awhile, as puppies are in high demand right now! Our first attempt at a puppy was cancelled due to a closed border (almost had a Quebec pup) and then we had to figure out how to get our second connection from Minnesota.
With the drumroll of that long pre-amble… among many other gratitudes this season, we are thankful to announce the newest 4 legged farm worker, Dosa, the Border Terrier, who arrived with the first real snow.
Currently she is just learning the basics of farm life and how to live well with the rest of her team. Uno has adopted her and is showing her how to move through cares/chores in what the R.A.T.S. experts refer to as “stock steady” but the cats are not yet sure what to think! We need to work on “pet steady” too, her breed has a rat and FOX hunting past so cats Tome and Verde are not wrong to be leery.
But she loves running, digging, carrots, kale and of course chicken poop!
She LOVES people, so while we are all shut down from in person socializing, Dosa will be happy to offer some good cheer when you come to pick up your farm orders! And IFF Uno hears/sees you he’ll bark hello too!
Huge thanks to the R.A.T.S team for their commitment to maintaining working breeds and connecting us with quality folks and to Gusto Border Terriers for sending us a game puppy, who we all hope will grow up to be a star farm asset!
The name….
This year’s theme is baked goods, but we stretched that concept to include Dosa, a rice pancake, originating from South India, made from a fermented batter predominantly consisting of lentils and rice. Inspired by Nash & Leda at Dosa Kitchen in Brattleboro (check them out if you haven’t yet and their cookbook)
How could we pass up the opportunity to have Uno followed by Dosa?
