As I was outside last night, checking over the animals, filling water buckets, hay nets and feeders I had a hard time remembering why I was doing all of this. My mind was to busy wondering if I would get that good job I had applied for. One that would end up taking me off the Homestead and would land me smack dab back in the middle of Southern Ontario. A job that would be enough to pay the mortgage to keep my land. It would take me off the land but at least I might have a chance to keep the land. Then to Plan B, what other jobs could I find around Hainesville that would make me enough money to keep the animals fed and roof over my head.
That endless struggle between the economic reality of farming and the sustainable ability to feed our selves and community's. As I tried to forget all of that and focus on enjoying my animals and how truly blessed I am, the people that love me, the things I have done, and the good work yet to be done. Two comments from people that know far more about farming and the reality of life for large and small farmers kept nagging at me.
One from a farmer who has been on the land since he was born and his family for generations before that. What he said sent shivers down my spine and should scare the crap out of anyone that is smart enough to eat and think. Farming is dying all over and its dead in this Province. The other came second hand from a friend just back from the local Feed Mill, the guy that custom mixes grain for us put it very simple "There are no farmers left"
Its no wonder there are no farmers left and farming as career are seen as a dead end job. When most farmers I know have to work off farm just to keep their animals fed and to pay for seed to grow your food.
We would never ask or expect Doctors, Firefighters or Paramedics to work second and third jobs so they could continue to provide their essential services for us.
Why should Farmers be treated so differently? Why isn't Farming an "Essential Service"
Think about that next you enjoying the "Fruits of our labour"
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Catching up and staying up.
After taking a nice vacation to Tucson, Arizona, I got back to the farm earlier this week to find that my one milking doe, Mabel, had been dried up (she was only producing about 3 cups of milk per day anyways), and I had two new does to milk - a part meat bred doe and one that we bought that looks to be part nubian. Both of them are beautiful milkers and between them, produce approximately four litres of milk per day. That's definitely enough - for now. We have one lamb that we are bottle feeding and I am desperately trying to store the remainder of the milk, but am running out of containers to freeze it in! I have a line on a friend who is willing to teach me how to make goat's milk soap and as soon as I get a few spare minutes (and a candy thermometer), I plan to try to make some cheese and yogurt.
Many of our does kidded while I was gone but because of a run of bad luck, a variety of causes, we lost far too many kids for my liking. The sheep have begun to lamb, however, and as of tonight, our count is 15 lambs from 9 ewes, which is not a bad count. Everybody has been born healthy and strong and looking good - clearly, the lambs will carry the stock this year!
Dad and I are alternating night checks - the barn must be checked at midnight and then, again, at 3am. We switch off nights to do the 3am, and when I don't have to do the 3am, I have to do the midnight. Last night, I was on the 3am and because I don't trust myself to actually get out of bed when the alarm rings, I usually just stay awake (I am not working right now so there really is no reason not to) until 3am, and then sleep after I have checked the barn. Last night, I was greeted with two little Easter treasures!
A good strong ram lamb and a ewe lamb. With the current numbers of lambs born, it seems that we are going to increase our flock quite significantly. That's pretty exciting, especially since dad and I have been discussing increasing our flock of commercial ewes to 200. 200 is kind of a far-out dream, but building up to 50 ewes is a feasible option at this time - our barn and our pasture could likely handle it.
I took a couple more pictures last night while I was out there (until 4am, unfortunately!), which I'll share over the next couple of entries, but wanted to share this one of my manx cross cat, Kizmet, who followed me to the barn and then hung out in my milking stand while I was putzing around checking on stock:
Though I can't hear it anymore, tonight I heard a frog singing in the pond in front of our house! This is a definite sign that spring is here, even though there is still a bit of ice in the pond. Soon, the sound of the frogs singing will be overwhelming that it will filter into the house and become a normal noise that we just ignore - and you definitely won't be able to talk on a phone in our yard!
Many of our does kidded while I was gone but because of a run of bad luck, a variety of causes, we lost far too many kids for my liking. The sheep have begun to lamb, however, and as of tonight, our count is 15 lambs from 9 ewes, which is not a bad count. Everybody has been born healthy and strong and looking good - clearly, the lambs will carry the stock this year!
Dad and I are alternating night checks - the barn must be checked at midnight and then, again, at 3am. We switch off nights to do the 3am, and when I don't have to do the 3am, I have to do the midnight. Last night, I was on the 3am and because I don't trust myself to actually get out of bed when the alarm rings, I usually just stay awake (I am not working right now so there really is no reason not to) until 3am, and then sleep after I have checked the barn. Last night, I was greeted with two little Easter treasures!
A good strong ram lamb and a ewe lamb. With the current numbers of lambs born, it seems that we are going to increase our flock quite significantly. That's pretty exciting, especially since dad and I have been discussing increasing our flock of commercial ewes to 200. 200 is kind of a far-out dream, but building up to 50 ewes is a feasible option at this time - our barn and our pasture could likely handle it.
I took a couple more pictures last night while I was out there (until 4am, unfortunately!), which I'll share over the next couple of entries, but wanted to share this one of my manx cross cat, Kizmet, who followed me to the barn and then hung out in my milking stand while I was putzing around checking on stock:
Though I can't hear it anymore, tonight I heard a frog singing in the pond in front of our house! This is a definite sign that spring is here, even though there is still a bit of ice in the pond. Soon, the sound of the frogs singing will be overwhelming that it will filter into the house and become a normal noise that we just ignore - and you definitely won't be able to talk on a phone in our yard!
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