With the Oliver out of commission for the time being, it looks like we’ll be putting up square bales for a while. And as the hay is just right, Will didn’t want to wait any longer to cut, especially when we have 4 days of dry weather forecasted. With him, Eric, and Christian this year, it should go faster and smoother than in years past. The hay does look good and we’ve picked up another hayfield. Hopefully we’ll harvest enough hay so we don’t have to buy so much this coming winter.

Will and Christian moved Blackie, our most pregnant gilt, into her new pasture so she’ll be on clean ground and have private accommodations to farrow in. Our other gilt looks to be about a month or 6 weeks behind her and our sow, Blondie, was just bred so it’ll be a while. It’s kind of nice to have them farrow at staggered dates so we can pay more attention to both the moms and babies.

Blackie

bathtub-wallow

Lace, our milk cow, is still putting out about three gallons of milk per day along with feeding Snowflake, her calf. I have been busy and haven’t made much cheese this week, but am skimming cream and making butter about every two days. Boy, is it so much better than store butter. But is that a surprise? Like everything else, homemade is always better, which is one reason we homestead.

With the hot weather, the pigweed in the garden is growing madly. We’ve barely been able to keep it pulled. I sure hope our tiller part gets here soon so we can “cheat” and whiz it between the rows. Our sweet corn is knee-high now and the squash is beginning to run. Our garden got planted late because of the icy spring we had but it’s making up for it now.

Front-porch

We’re getting excited about our August seminar and seeing old friends from last year’s seminar and meeting new ones this year. Our friend Carolyn is offering bed and breakfast at her farm home again and said she still has one bed open for any of you singles who still haven’t booked accommodations. — Jackie

4 COMMENTS

  1. Momma,
    We chose 50 yr shingles over a metal roof as we have to climb up on the roof to clean the stovepipe for the kitchen range. And metal roofs, especially those which have snow or rain on them are EXTREMELY slippery, as we were doubly re-taught when both Will and I slid off our storage barn’s roof two years back! And in case of a chimney fire and we had to get on the roof, we wanted a safer roof to be climbing on.

  2. Your home is beautiful.
    May I ask why you chose asphalt shingles over a metal roof or shakes? Is there an advantage to them over the other choices. I would be afraid of the fire risk of shakes, but a metal roof seems to be such a common choice now a days.

  3. Jackie, Would you please do a post on the different sections of your farm… what we call “new ground” here. For instance when it was cleared, what it’s used for, and the shape it’s in now. I’ve seen land around us bulldozed clear for sale as building lots, then not touched for 10 years. This creates a jungle of brush a rabbit would need gps to get through. I know you have done some burning on this land & run the stock also. What does the most to smoothly clear the land, burning, animals, or time???? Beth in Ky.

  4. Your place is really coming together and looking just beautiful Jackie. Thank you for sharing your journey. It’s wonderful to see the progress.

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