It's been just around two weeks
since the last update of the happenings around the farm and I'm really trying
to get to the point where I check in weekly with what I have going on. I want
to get better at documenting it on here. Maybe someone will read it and realize
that those picture-esque farms aren't built overnight or without struggles.
The last two weeks have been
insanely busy, but insanely good. We finally finished the pasture prep and are
just waiting to see if our work pays off and our seeds sprout. I mentioned in
my last update that we went with German foxtail millet as our summer ground
cover until we can plant our horse mixture this fall. We wrapped that process
up the first Saturday of May.
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| © Charlotte Hertlein 2020 |
The best part of this process was
how we broadcast the seed into the pasture. Our atv broke about a year ago and
when we tried to fix it the parts were kind of crummy. So it still sits broken
in the shop until further notice. Without it, we couldn't pull the broadcast
seeder we borrowed from our 86 year old neighbor. So instead the kids and I sat
in the back of the truck with a metal scoop, the bag of seed, and two handheld
spreaders while P drove us around the pasture. It may be have been the most
redneck way of putting seed out ever, but I guarantee that the kids will not
forget the good time we had for a long time.
On the 3rd I installed our new rain
gauge, put a bale of hay out, and checked Butters. Her hips are starting to
stick out further. She looks like she's dropped a little. Her bag continues
growing. However, I'm not sure which one of us is getting more impatient! I
want a baby calf again and I really want to calf share for some good milk to
make butter and farm cheese.
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| © Charlotte Hertlein 2020 |
Friday the 8th we were given a
couple loads of gravel to put in front of the shop where we've been bringing
the tractor in and out. This will help cover the mud up and maybe prevent the
tractor from getting stuck. I also refilled the hanging fly traps, treated the
dogs for flea and ticks, harvested some medicinal plants, and we put another
hay bale out.
The 9th brought a late season frost,
hopefully the last one. My seedlings all survived, though I do need to work to
get the rest of them all in the ground this week. N and I weedeated, and I
learned how to start them by myself. While going along the fence line I found a
black snake that was about two feet long and maybe the size of a smaller carrot
in diameter. I did not kill it. Black snakes are highly beneficial, even if
they are slightly aggressive. We rounded out the day with a nice horseback ride
and graining the cattle. That evening we found 3 possums in the lower yard,
which sadly we have to kill due to the risk of disease they carry that can kill
horses.
So we finish up with the 10th.
Mother's Day for 2020 and I can say I was blessed to have a beautiful day with
the family before the weather decides to turn rainy and chilly all week. We
finished up all the yard work we could before the rain came in. I mowed the
fence line, N finished weed eating all but the middle fence. This was great!
Our voltage jumped considerably without the grass hitting the bottom wire. I
spent some time working with Domino and his lunging, flexing, and desensitizing
to the stick and string. I'm trying to improve my skills by using Clinton
Anderson's methods and also preparing him for riding when I lose my beloved
Daniel- which will sadly happen due to his bad teeth.
I grained cattle, had a lovely
bonfire with the kiddos and P, and did a little dirt turning in the garden as
well. It was a beautiful end to a beautiful week. I'm not looking forward to a week’s
worth of rain, but I'm hoping that it makes the ground easier to dig into and
that I can get the seeds in the ground. I need to get the garden going
otherwise my harvest is going to be later in the season than I would like, but
I also know that I am not in competition with anyone, not even myself. This is
a journey and I am going to work very hard at enjoying it with the kids. This
year is going to be all about life-schooling. Learning how to live, grow,
thrive and be happy while learning the important things like reading,
fundamental math and exploring science through nature.
So if you're tagging along, please
share below how your week has been or how your new school set up is going during
this global pandemic. And as always- don't forget to grow wild, get out in
nature and connect to your roots!
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