Browse by Tag: goats

Too Cold, Too Sad, but Warm Reflections

We’ve been concerned for all the havoc the super cold temperatures are causing for people but it is exciting to hear that the coldest of our temperatures are reportedly setting  back advances of threats like the emerald ash borer. We’ve been paying attention to the cold, emptying certain faucets and water lines at night, celebrating sick days […]

Goodbye Boris. The End of an Era

We had hoped to write this farewell as a retirement note, with a tone of sadness to see him leave our farm, but joy in knowing that he was going to keep grazing and wooing the girls.  Where he would retire to an even smaller farm where he could keep some nice does in milk […]

Comings and Goings

Somehow it often seems that departures are matched with some arrivals on our farm.  Perhaps it is because in all seasons a diversified farm has many moving parts or perhaps it is just a natural balance of the cycle of life. Five tamworth piglets arrived with the Whalens from Vermont Heritage Farm on Sunday afternoon […]

Beets, Bucks & Buses

It seems that this week the farm was sponsored by the letter B.   Root vegetable harvesting has been notable and a very large Beet harvest was a part of that.Chioggia Beets (yes the stripey ones) and Dark Red Beets and lots of them.  The team washed, sorted, dried and bagged them all for your […]

Delivering

This week’s farm story comes to us from Carrie Abels, who is working with us a bit this summer.  Carrie is also the editor of Humaneitarian.org and Local Banquet, both wonderful resources about sustainable and local food.    After a few contractions and no progress — save for a tiny hoof that was visible, then not visible, then […]

Meet the Mountain Goats

Ok, they are dairy goat kids, but with mountain names, this year’s theme.  Nine have arrived so far, with 1 or 2 more does due this week and then the Boer goat does are due in April. Plenty more goats, piglets and poultry to name this year so do send in your name suggestions in the […]

Ode to the Kids

This week we say goodbye to the goat kids born on some cold late winter days at the end of February and early March. Goat kids tug on the heartstrings for many people.  Our vet has called them perhaps the cutest animals around, and I think she has said it is a good thing due […]

More Snow and more kids

We rely on the Eye On the Sky boys. In fact we are weather junkies. Cross any farmer with a former ski racer & coach (choose the right wax!) and you are likely to wind up with this breed. But as we managed for last weekend’s storm we were focused on drainage for the rain […]

Cycle of Life

Mubarak As often seems to happen on our farm, just as we say goodbye to one set of animals, we are welcoming in another.  Young Moon, led off the kidding season this week, delivering one buckling on a very cold President’s Day Morning.  They are doing well, though the cold day and night temperatures did […]

Goats, Troublesome Goats

Our ruminants have been a major focus on the farm. The goats seem to love Carrie, or at least her ax-wielding skills. We have been taking down some poplar (mostly) trees and letting the goats enjoy and defoliate them as part of opening up some paths and pasture expansion. Boris is now courting our various […]