Pasture Raised

Pasture raised is the motto on our farm! We have pigs, sheep, goats, turkeys, and chicken that live and grow out in the Southern Oregon sunshine and rain and fog and snow! In the middle of winter we have managed to see some amazingly sunny days in the midst of winter and even a pretty sunset or two along with the animals. All of the animals are on pasture for their whole life, except when they are the tiniest of babies in a warm, cozy stall with their mamas, or deep straw bedding and a heat lamp. Fresh well water, organic feed, pasture grass, vegetable surplus, and clean air.

Pastured pigs under the walnut trees.

Pastured pigs enjoying pumpkin pie! It is really just surplus pumpkin from the gardens!

Pastured chickens enjoying the garden clean up this winter.

Pastured chickens enjoying the gardens and the grass.

Pastured sheep enjoying purple mountains majesty at sunset.

Pastured sheep named Snowball, but she could really be named Freckles!

Pastured turkey hen at the end of the day, Lulabelle, she likes to tease her mate, Buddy Love!

Pastured turkey on a walk about!

Pastured children and goats! Kids in the fresh air are the happiest kids we know!

Life on the pasture raised farm!

Homemade Merry!

Part of our gifting this year included handmade gifts. There are 7 special young ones living near us who needed a warm snuggle all year long!

Each one was given the warmest hug we could think of in their favorite colors, or team, or treats!

Blankets! Each blanket was cut and trimmed and tied by the pair of us! We used two yards of material for each side. Football is a big hit right now so the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, and Oregon Ducks were chosen from a list of favorites. While the girls also love football and have their favorite teams, they were given a variety of cupcakes! These make for especially sweet dreams!

And finally the warmest hug of them all! 

Apple Blossom Time

Apple blossoms are so pretty and you smell them before you see them. Here is one from a Jonathan Apple tree. The pinks are deeper and the whites are creamy.

These lacy white and pale, pale pink blossoms come from our Grandmother Tree. This old tree is over 80 years old. It produces two types of apples. One of them is a gravenstein and the other is a yellow transparent. They both have a delicious old time flavor and are good for fresh eating, drying, juicing, pies, and applesauce.

The old barn and Grandmother Tree have been here since 1930. Oh, the tales they could tell ~

Got Eggs?

The hens have decided to lay their eggs anywhere but in the nesting boxes lately. So we are looking in every little nook and cranny to find these delicious treats! A couple of hens decided they would nest near the tractor. I sure am glad we were persistent in finding these beauties. Once they were collected, the hens quit laying in this spot.


Then one of the feeders was getting heavily used, so we put some straw in it to make a more desirable nest. The girls were lining up for this location, location, location!


The rabbit cage has been the latest hot spot for nesters. It is the funniest idea that the rabbit cage once used for bunnies, then became part of the chick mobile, has now become a nest cage! The door is latched open so the hens can't get trapped inside. The only challenge is reaching with a long enough wooden spoon!


The amazing egg hunt is well worth it when the reward is so tasty! Anybody want to help gather the eggs?~

Blackberries

Can you believe the blackberries are still going strong? We have the smallest patch of prolific berries on the farm and they produce from mid August until the middle of October or until the first frost. We have been more diligent at picking the ripened berries as quickly as they turn black because the weather this year has been a little more unpredictable than usual. The berries just need to be rinse thoroughly, drained, stored in freezer proof containers, labeled and frozen. Then when the rest of the harvest is put up, we will make syrup and jelly and jams and blackberry cobbler and blackberry muffins with our frozen berries. Of course there has been plenty nibbling of the fresh berries as they are picked and rinsed!

A Tall Drink of Milk

Our neighbors milk many goats everyday and sell their rich, delicious milk to the cheese factory. Occasionally there is a surplus of milk and our good neighbors bring the extra over to us...Well, actually to the animals! The ten growing pigs get first slurp. The next bucket to get filled is for the chickens and the dogs. Usually the dogs lap up their fill of the creamy goat goodness, and then the hens get a taste from the milk pail!

The Strawberries are Ripening!

Mmmm, they are so sweet and juicy, too. Did you know you can throw a small handful of epsom salt into the strawberry patch and the plants will thank you for that extra little boost of growing power? They love the nutrients from the epsom salt. It helps set the blossoms, keeps the plants blooming more and the fruit tastes sweeter. Here is to the salt of the earth!