The pork from the collective has been wonderful. The Muenches were wonderful to raise 3 hogs for our group again this year. The new slaughterhouse we're using was absolutely wonderful too. We took a tour and they showed us how they hold the animals, kill them, and cut them, then smoke the meats. We were very impressed by how much the people like animals and how they told us to please never send them a pet cow or pig! They said they couldn't bear that. The process seems very humane and immaculately clean. We were thrilled we found them: Eagle Bridge Custom Butchery in Eagle Bridge, NY.

We got the hay on Sunday -- enough for the winter for our 2 cows and a steer we're raising for meat. We're hopefully going to have 2 other animals processed at Eagle Bridge, or one of the cows sold. We have to be careful about how many animals we keep each year. But it is nice ot know we have plenty of hay stored for the winter.

I've really thought about this: The New York Times is the best newspaper I've ever used to start a fire in the woodstove. The two local papers are two heavy and don't burn well, and forget US Today since it appears to be made partially from plastic. THe Grey Lady is the best. I could do the NYTimes Sunday puzzle online each week, but usually buy the paper instead just to have it on hand, to crush 3 sheets, throw on 4 sticks of our kindling, and a couple of dried maple logs, split by Bob.

The kale has finally succombed to the cold nights. It stood under a white crust of frost this morning when I went to feed and water the cows. We still have the bull here, but he will return home in two weeks. He is eating up all our hay, although he appears to be doing his business with abandon.

This time of year makes me think of poetry. The woods are beautiful. I think of Robert Frost's "Road Not Taken"..."Two roads diverged in a yellow woods, And sorry that I could not take them both. And be one traveler, long I stood."

I think of James Whitcomb Riley's "When the Frost is on the Punkin"..."When the frost is on the punkin and the fodders in the shock. And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin turkey-cock." "Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms of the trees, and the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin of the bees."

He says - "It is a pictur that no painter has the colorin to mock." It is true - the colors are too perfect, too lit from the inside to capture on canvas. Those old fashioned kodacolor calendars of Vermont probably come the closest to doing the landscape justice.

I love this time of year - the barn is full of hay, the pantry is full of colorful jars of stored fruits and vegetables, the root cellar and cellar floor is lined with bushels of onions, potatoes, and apples, and the freezer is stocked with chickens, vegetables and is waiting for beef and pork to come soon. We worked hard this summer to tend the animals and garden - we worked with our friends to create a collective garden, and we're rewarded with a sense of satisfaction on these crisp days. We are very lucky indeed.

The leaves are so pretty - but town is crowded with tourists who pull out in front of you, running a stop sign, and then go half the speed limit. I try to look for what possible reason I could have for not minding that one bit, because indeed it makes me a little nutsy. I try imagining myself as the marketing person who promotes Manchester and the Mountains. Then - i just wave at the other drivers no matter how wacky they are. I'm patient. I feel good. Phew. The leaves will be gone soon!

the leak in the roof
conveys inside today's rain
thats what that sound is


will you try one too? please use the comment box to post

a little haiku

the rain! a dense fog
seeps down the mountain and stops
maples glow in flat light

I am so sorry it has been 2 weeks since I last posted.

Things are so hectic here.

1. We moved the calves and Charlie (the steer) to Someday Farm
2. Liam the bull came on Wednesday last week
3. I started milking Blue and Giddy
4. Blue didn't like being milked and neither did Giddy - they were both a little too wild and untrained for me to do it alone. I got a few gallons of milk and stopped milking them. I am really sad about it - but if
I was in the dairy business I would have spent a lot more time training them, that's for sure.
5. I checked into moving up the date to process Charlie since he's stuck in a stall at Someday, and I hate buying beef for goodness sake!
6. Hogs are being processed in less than 2 weeks.
7. Blue is still for sale - as is Ton, the long legged princess of a calf born this year.
8. Joel Russo, the vet is to be called for this coming week to poll the calves, give them rabies vaccines, and to possibly castrate Scooter, the bull
9. I have canned or frozen the following for our winter eating -
honey, maple syrup, raspberry jam, blueberry preserves, concord grape jam, corn, green beans, squash, carrots, pears, applesauce, peaches, raspberries, blueberries, okra, and gotten potatoes, dried beans, onions, pumpkins, apples, and squash into the root cellar for winter storage.
10. we still have to pick carrots, turnips, and beets from our collective garden, but then we're done there too.

sooo - i am about to start milking for awhile - my list from the other day has been completed somewhat

1. sell a cow - we have several people that expressed interest - send me a message if you want more information - i would sell the 2 yr old cow, and/or the 7month old heifer calf.
2. get a bull - the bull from last year is taken, but the bull from the two prior years is free. Liam it is - he is handsome and makes good calves.
3. get more hay - it will be delivered in the next few weeks and will top off what we already have stored in the barn for winter
4. make arrangements for the calves to go elsewhere while we are weaning them and the bull is here - Scout will take them and we'll take her heifer for breeding here
5. talk to the livestock hauler about shuffling the animals to Scout's and some, eventually to the processor - he's ready
6. talk to the custom butchery and make a trip to see them - they are said to be a good operation, but they can't process our steer until January. Good news is they are USDA inspected so we can sell some of the meat to help pay for the bull, hay, and hauler!
7. talk to old farming friends about line breeding if we use our own bull calf to breed next year, get advice on several farming questions.
8. start milking - but make sure I have backup in case I have to travel. I will milk until Christmas and will make fresh cheeses and yogurt for freezing, and camembert for aging. I want to milk for 3 months and preserve dairy products for another 2 months.