Sunday, March 28, 2010

The Pigs are Coming!


A new batch of little Tamworth piglets are on their way to the farm and set to arrive in April. These little Irish heritage pigs have long snout and red hair. Hey, they sound Irish already! The barns are ready for the new visitors and the grass is growing greener by the day.

We prefer our piglets to stay with the sow until they are about 8 weeks old. This gives them a solid healthy start and we all know the piglets prefer their mamas! Once they arrive at the farm, the little weaner pigs will have full access to the green pastures, left over sunflower seeds from the summer, and black walnuts.


We are having some amazing Spring weather. The sun is shining and then it is raining, the fog is heavy and then the winds are blowing. All of this weather is the change of season, and all of the moisture is good for the pasture, the fruit trees and the water table.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

A Dozen a Day!



The hens are happy now with the longer day light and they are laying a dozen eggs a day! The eggs are beautiful in color: blue, green, creamy white and rustic brown. They follow us around and hope for a tender treat. Then we follow them around as it is their favorite time of year to for Easter Egg Hunts!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Roses, Cedar, and Sprucing Up!


This has been a week full of odd jobs and mending and replacing. Spring is such a glorious time of year and so full of renewal. Tim has been working on the front fence line and adding to the roses that bloom in front of our old 1930 farmhouse. In the digging and clearing he discovered an old driveway to the house. There was a wrap around drive that was most likely used for easy access of the walnut trees. There are only 7 English walnut trees and 6 black walnut trees left on the property. One of the best bloomers in the acidic soil of a walnut tree is a rose bush.

There will be four more rose shrubs and four more ground cover roses on the front fence, just on the outside of the picket fence. Now that the giant cedar tree is gone and the fencing repairs made from the falling of the tree, the little fence is ready for a fresh coat of paint. But, that will have to wait until the weather settles down a bit. In the meantime, many loads of cedar chips from the old tree have been used to mulch the beds around the farm in the flower beds and around the fruit trees. This mulch will offer lifesaving moisture retention in the summer months ahead.

I can't wait to smell the roses!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Happy St. Patrick's Day!


We celebrated St. Patrick's Day a few days late this year due to other commitments, but it was definitely worth the wait. We feasted on corned beef and cabbage, red potatoes, and Irish Soda Bread. Later in the evening we got to watch the Irish Classic: The Quiet Man with John Wayne. If you have never seen this movie, rent it, buy it, check it out at the library. It will be worth it!

Here is to you and yours!

May luck be our companion
May friends stand by our side
May history remind us all
Of Ireland's faith and pride.
May God bless us with happiness
May love and faith abide.

Slainte'