Spring 2010

Spring has definitely sprung here in Kentucky. With a winter that seemed to last 10 months, I wasn't sure we'd ever see sunshine or warm weather, but Mother Nature didn't disappoint. We had a very dry March and April, with not much rain at all. However, we certainly made up for it during the first weekend of May. Most of central Kentucky received between 5 and 8 inches of rain in about a 24 hour period. So, many people are now dealing with lots of flooding damage. Thankfully, Foxhide Farm was spared. Other than some high water, we were blessed with no damage. All animals are safe as well.

With the coming of spring also comes baby goats. We bred fewer does this year since we aren't currently shipping milk to a cheese manufacturer. The fewer number of animals has allowed us more time with the babies that we do have. We currently have only 7 doe kids and are enjoying watching them grow. One is an AI kid sired by a buck that has been dead for close to 25 years. I am always intrigued by the science of frozen semen and the resulting kids.

The chickens continue to produce lots of farm fresh eggs. We have 13 hens and usually get around 10 eggs per day. At least a couple of days each week, all 13 will give us an egg. They are kept inside a stall in the barn when we are not at home and allowed to free range when we are there to help supervise. The taste of these eggs is amazing, with the added bugs, worms, grass, etc.

Ruby, the Jersey cow, continues to bless us with an abundance of milk. She will give between 5 and 6 gallons per day. We use this to feed the goat kids, drink, cook with, make butter, and will soon try our hands at making some homemade mozzarella and ricotta cheese. I can only imagine the homemade lasagna with Ruby cheese in it.

The seed that we sewed this spring has come up with a vengeance. With the addition of 11 more acres of pasture, we are in great shape for grazing this year. The horses, cows, goats, and chickens are utilizing forages and thoroughly enjoying it.

That's a brief update for now. If you're ever in central Kentucky, stop by Foxhide Farm for a visit. We'd love to show you around.

Parkay? No way!

Since, our Jersey cow Ruby calved, we've been getting quite a bit of milk on the farm. So, we've been trying to think of what do with the milk besides the obvious (raise her calf Opal on it). So, we have made butter. We had read where it was really easy and now we agree. We put the milk in the refrigerator and left it for a couple of days in order to allow as much of the cream as possible to rise. Then, we simply skimmed the cream off the top and placed it in a jar and began to shake it. It was a very simply process and very interesting to watch. The cream started in a very liquid state and with shaking, quickly turned into whipped cream. With continued shaking, small droplets of butter started to form. We just kept shaking and soon there was a large glob of butter in the jar. It truly was a very easy process. We drained off the buttermilk and then washed the butter under cold water.

I even drank some of the buttermilk. I had always had a very bad image of buttermilk and prepared myself for the worst. However, I was pleasantly surprised with its very sweet milk flavor. Will have to use some to make homemade buttermilk biscuits soon and top it off with the homemade butter.

Once the butter was washed, we put it in the refrigerator and now have a nice supply for our usage. We aren't 100% self sufficient, but it's a pretty good feeling to know that we now produce our own supply of milk, eggs, and butter on our farm. Very thankful for the animals and what they give us in return for their care.

Stop by sometime for some buttered biscuits!

Winter on the farm

Where do I start? I realize it has been a really long time since I've blogged. I apologize for that. A lot of things have happened on the farm in the last few months. I will try to give an up-to-date status of the farm and pledge to do a better job of keeping you informed of the happenings in a more timely manner.

Chickens: The chickens are doing well. We purchased 15 baby chicks in June and we were able to raise 13 of them to adulthood. I know this is an unlucky number, but I would think that #14 and #15 probably thought they were more unlucky than the survivors. The girls grew well over the summer and fall and in November started laying eggs. Currently, the hens are averaging 6 eggs per day. We are thrilled with our homegrown eggs and are eating as many as we can as well as selling a few to help cover the costs of chicken feed.

Horses: In the summer of 2009, we suffered a terrible loss with the death of our Quarter Horse Hope. She was a foundation bred mare and was merely 11 years old. She was fine that morning and we found her dead in the pasture that afternoon with no signs of distress. Our hope is that she went peacefully. We started Carlene under saddle last summer and she now has a handful of rides under her belt and has done well. We bred Chris and Zipper to Jackass in hopes of raising two painted mules. It appears that both mares did not settle and will be open for 2009. Which is ok by us. We recently bought a new aluminum stock trailer and have hopes of doing some trailriding this spring and summer with our friends.

Goats: The goats are doing well. With the loss of our milk contract, we have drastically cut back the herd. We feel that fewer numbers will allow us to refocus our energy on the breeding program. We had gotten up to close to 50 goats and it was easy to get that overwhelming feeling when in the barn. We've been able to place several goats in great herds and that is always a very satisfying feeling to see your animals take their place in other herds and contribute to their breeding program.

Cows: In the summer of 2007, we added to Jersey heifers (Ruby and Pearl) to the farm and decided that we could start a small herd of dairy cows that would provide us with milk for the house as well as a milk supply for raising goat kids. This was done in preparation for selling all of the goat milk and using cow milk for the kids. It took us a while to get the Jerseys to cooperate with the breeding plans. In fact, Pearl still isn't sure that she's cut out for being a mother. But, on January 30, 2010, Ruby gave birth to Opal. That's her picture at the top of this blog entry. She is already a little spoiled and full of attitude. But, isn't that the way most Jerseys are? Ruby is adjusting to being a milker very well. She is currently giving about 3 gallons of milk/day. We specifically selected these heifers from herds that didn't push their cows for record breaking production and are pleased that 3 weeks in, Ruby is milking around 25#/day.

As you can see, it's been a busy time on the farm (when is it not busy?) and things are moving right along. This winter seems to have lasted for 10 months already and still isn't over. However, on Sunday it was 50 degrees. That's enough to give me hope that spring will in fact arrive in Kentucky at some point in the future. I am already having dreams of this year's garden and the delicious homemade ice cream made with Jersey milk. If you're ever in Bourbon County, Kentucky, please stop by and visit the farm.

Busy summer!

The summer is well upon us at Foxhide Farm. It has been remarkably cool during July and I have to say that I am ok with that. We have been extremely busy with running the farm and both working full-time jobs off the farm as well.

Will give you an update on some of the happenings. All of the does have kidded and the resulting kids are all weaned and growing well. There are a few of the doe kids that appear to be pretty nice. It is always a good feeling to make breeding decisions, wait the five months for them to be born, watch them grow and hopefully result in a kid that you pictured when you selected the sire. We are working very hard to cull the herd and reduce numbers. So, right now, there are only 9 doe kids that are still on the farm from the 2009 crop of kids. I know this is the right decision, but it is still difficult at times. We've also been culling through the dry yearlings as well. We have gone from 16 down to 9. Still have 3 or 4 more of them that need to be sold.

We purchased some additional acreage last fall and we baled the hay off of it this summer. We have about 700 bales of hay in the barn now. This will be a huge benefit this winter. We have always had to purchase all of our hay in the past. Looking forward to the savings.

The square foot garden has been a tremendous learning experience this year. We will have a much better understanding of what to grow next year. We have learned that summer squash and tomatoes do VERY well in this environment and maybe sweet corn and bell peppers prefer to thrive elsewhere. We will soon be making the final harvest of warm season vegetables and making a planting of the cold crops. Might try some broccoli and cauliflower this fall in addition to spinach, turnips, lettuces, etc.

The chicks are doing well. They have left the brooder and are now growing well outside. We have 15 pullets and can't wait for the first Foxhide Farm eggs. Will be a monumental day!

The dairy is going well. We have experienced some changes here as well. We are no longer marketing our milk to the cheese manufacturer. Instead, we are working to finalize an agreement with another local farm. More details to follow.

We recently hosted an open house at the farm. We felt it was very successful. Many of our friends had been requesting to come see the farm and so we decided it was time. We had great weather to showcase the farm. The attendees got to see the square foot garden and "pumpkin patch", play with the kids, visit with the chickens, socialize with the Jersey cows, love on the horses, and milk goats. We also had goat's milk ice cream and milk for our guests to enjoy. We received a lot of positive feedback and certainly feel this won't be our last open house.

As you can see, it has been a busy time on the farm and no let up in sight. Gotta Love Farm Life!

Spring has finally sprung!

Sorry for the delay in posting. But, it has been a really busy spring at Foxhide Farm. The kidding has mostly subsided. To date, 22 does have kidded with 3 stragglers left to kid in the next couple of weeks. It has been a buck year for sure. With 22 does kidding, resulting in 47 kids, there were only 14 does. It was a little frustrating with some of the AI breedings, I was hoping for more does. But, there is no shortage of does on the farm. We still have 15 dry yearlings from last year. So, the future is ok.

In addition to the kidding, milking, bottle feeding, barn cleaning, trips to the feed mill, hay hauling, disbudding, deworming, vaccinating, AND working a full time job off the farm that is a one-hour drive from the house, we actually managed to add another project.........square food gardening. We put out 3 4' X 4' boxes giving us 48 square feet of gardening space. The pictures show the progress of these beds. As the growing season continues, I will post more pictures so you can see the "produce progress".

We bred the two Jersey heifers AI with sexed semen in hopes of getting them pregnant (with heifers). They were bred 2 weeks ago, so next week we will check to see if they are recycling. Wish us luck.

Also, I am a licensed judge with the American Dairy Goat Association and the show season is under way. I judged this past weekend in Little Rock, AR and will be in Portage, WI in 2 weeks. Then June, is very busy. I will be judging in Indiana, North Carolina, and Vermont. I have judged dairy goats in 17 states and will add 2 more this year. I really enjoy seeing goats from all over the country.

We have placed our order for chicks. They should be in the incubator as I type this. They should hatch on May 18th. We have ordered Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, Speckled Sussex, and White Rocks. Can't wait for them to arrive. I haven't had chickens since I was in high school and look forward to raising these little girls. If the plan comes together, within the next year, we will have our own supply of milk and eggs as well as some produce. I don't know that we can achieve total self sufficiency, but I figure every bite helps.

Hope things are going well on your farms and don't forget to check out the farm website http://www.foxhidefarm.com/.

You've got to be kidding, because we are!

The does have starting kidding with a vengeance. Currently we've had 29 kids born. Of those, only 8 are does! This is unfortunate, but I am trying to keep a positive outlook. With a smaller number of doe kids, they can be given more personal attention and will hopefully thrive as a result. Also, among the large number of bucks are two that are sired by Tempo Aquila Freelance. So, they will both be left uncastrated for now and allowed to grow and develop. One of them just might be the new jr. herdsire here at Foxhide Farm. I will post pics of these 2 boys soon.

This past weekend was one of hard work and determination at Foxhide Farm. We cleaned out the dairy barn. We hauled manure all weekend and the barn is back in great shape. We also cleaned out one of the "horse" stalls in the old barn. This stall will be utilized as a chicken coop for the new hens that are coming this spring. I want to thank everyone that helped us with this major undertaking. I couldn't have done it without the help of my Uncle Mike and cousin Joe. They provided the equipment (tractor, bobcat, and manure spreader). Goose, Gator, and a couple of Eastside FFA students who helped prepare the chicken coop. It was great to have them on the farm. I think we've got to visit with Goose and Gator every weekend for the past 6 weeks. We always have fun when we're together.

The milking continues and there are still around 10 does left to kid. Surely there will be a doe kid or two in that mix.

Hope things are going well on everyone else's farm.

Todd

Spring isn't springing fast enough!

This has been a crazy winter. It seems to have lasted 10 months already. With the forecast for warmer temperatures in the coming days, I am ecstatic. I can't wait to put this cold, dreary winter behind me. I'm sure I'm not alone.

With the promise of spring comes many other things. The first kids of the year have arrived at Foxhide Farm. The oldest kids are now about a week old. There have been 11 kids born with 4 of those being does. Typically, I would be disappointed with the low number of doe kids, but with there being 15 dry yearling does from last year, I am pretty sure the future of the herd is solid. Plus, there are still close to 20 does left to kid. I'm sure there will be plenty of does.

In those 7 buck kids, there is one high spot. My first AI kid of the year is a buck, sired by Tempo Aquila Freelance. Freelance is doing some AWESOME things for the Redwood Hill herd in Sebastopol, California (http://www.redwoodhill.com/). This kid is out of Foxhide's Sneak Preview, a 4 year old doe that show a lot of promise. She isn't the largest doe in the herd, but is very correct. Hopefully, with the size coming from his sire, this kid has some potential and will be evaluated as a prospective herd sire. If he makes the cut, he will be the first buck retained in the herd.

Some of you know that I am currently struggling with some things related to agriculture. I just finished reading The Omnivore's Dilemma and am currently reading The Righteous Porkchop. Both of these books delve into our current food supply and American agriculture. I find myself questioning much of what I have been taught my whole life about agriculture and food. I am at a point in my life where I have to strive to educate myself further than my college courses, my family history, and everything I've been exposed to thus far in my life and make up my own mind. I must develop my own beliefs about agriculture and arm myself with the information to defend my standing. I do not know where this road will take me, but I am hopeful that I can document the journey on this blog.

As a first step in this journey, Kendal and I are planning to attempt to raise a portion of our own food this spring. We will be attempting to construct and develop a square foot garden. (http://www.squarefootgardening.com/). The concept revolves around the fact that our traditional method of gardening with putting 3' rows between plants served our interest when we were plowing the garden with tractors or horses. However, in today's agricultural world, this is just an additional area where weeds can quickly take over. So, the square foot method condenses the area that each plant occupies and thereby reducing the space available for weed infestation. I will plan to include pictures of this process as it unfolds. I am very optimistic and hope that by late this summer, we'll be dining on the fruits (and vegetables) of our labor.

On the livestock end, at this time we plan to purchase a small flock of laying hens. I think they will be a welcome addition to Foxhide Farm. I had many great experiences as a kid one of those was gathering eggs. One of my earliest memories was of my sister Heather and I gathering eggs and deciding it would be a good idea to throw them and bust them against the wall. Great fun! I'm confident we got into trouble and were probably spanked, but the memory of us laughing lasted longer than the one of the spanking.

With the addition of 11 more acres to the farmstead, we will be in the market for a tractor to help keep the pastures mowed and the manure spread. So, if anyone has a good used dependable tractor for sale, let us know. We have toyed with the idea of using horsepower to mow and such, but not sure if it is a good fit right now. Not sure we could devote the time and energy to another livestock enterprise. At this point, I am putting my draft horse dream on hold. Notice, "on hold" not "giving up on". I still one day want a team of draft horses that I can do farm work with and drive a wagon hitched to them. After all, if you know my family, draft horses are part of the legacy.

That's about all that's going on right now (plenty to keep us busy). Will update you soon.