Friday, April 29, 2011

FARM TAILS!!!

 Part of my youth was spent in Illinois, where our family had a farm upon which we raised fat, corn fed, Angus cows, and pigs. (this was way before the grassfed  movement began, at which time the herd was moved to Montana of all places), so I have very little taste for store bought meat. This is one of the main reasons we have decided to share our farm raised animals with others, giving them the chance to have some of the choicest of  meat. Each year we seek a source for calves to feed  if we have not been able to produce our own. It has been slim pickins here on the farm as our Herd Sire Colorado has produced all " She's" except for two, since he came to us four years ago. Great for the dairy business, grim for the meat business! Since the girls are spared the frying pan, we haven't had much to fill the freezers. In the local Dairy Farm network there are plenty of calves that are available from other farms to raise from birth for what ever suits your purpose, to nurture and care for them and control what constitutes their diet, keeping us with a constant supply....... And occassionally like pennies from heaven, we are blessed with friends like Walter! Now, Walter is a farmer from way back, whose farm is smack dab in the middle of  Denton Texas. His farm is surrounded by swanky subdivisions whose developers have offered him a pricey sum for his land. He has declined, as he would have to find a new home for his momma cows and calves. The Farmer got a call from Walter one morning, with a serious dilema. He had a momma cow that had given birth a few days before, who just up and died, leaving the little bull calf an orphan. Walter did not have time to feed it, would we consider taking it? " Sure, the Farmer said, I will come and get it with the cattle trailer." Walter claimed he had to come by our place later in the day, he would just bring the calf by.(I think it was free buffet for seniors day at the casino up the road) We prepared a stall, washed and prepared a bottle, and waited in anxious anticipation.  As I watched the road, I was on the lookout for Walter's pickup and cattle trailer. Not 40 minutes went by and  a brand new white Dodge Ram pickup pulled into the drive, my heart sank  as there was no trailer attached. Walter must have changed his mind. I noticed someone sitting in the passenger seat, so I decided to be hospitable and invite Walter and his companion for something to drink. Walter hopped out of the drivers seat, toodled around to the other side and opened the passenger door. Out jumped the purtiest little black calf I had ever seen. Oh, My,!! As I looked at the baby poop smeared on the interior, I looked at Walter, as he declared, "It'll all wash off!! Take good care of him, he will be real good eatin' one day", he called, as he backed out of the drive, waved and drove off! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

AFTER THE RAINS, A GOOD SURPRISE!!!

Some folks proudly display pictures of their children and grandchildren, I boast of pictures of cauliflower and broccoli! The crops have been rejuvinated after their three day Spa experience. Lots of  rain and mist, some occasional sun and wind. Even the weather beaten tomatoes and peppers have yielded new growth. The pastures are flourishing and the blackberries are heavy laden with little green fruit. The strawberries, whipped stripped, and beaten by the Spring winds and hail, have started to set new fruit! We may have berries in the market for a few weeks. Our market hours are Thurs. Fri. Sat. from noon until 4:00 pm. We have all but given up on LuLu. She waddles down to the pasture, finds a place to laze in the sun, and just lays there swishing her tail.... taunting us. Her belly and bag are so big, her top, back foot can't touch the ground! Our good friend Dairy Larry, calls her " Stumpy,"  we are just proud to call her ours. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

LADY IN WAITING!!!

There are no words to properly describe LuLu other than just how it is! A fat, short cow! She takes the term "How the Cow ate the Cabbage" to a whole new level. The cabbage, the apples, the pecans, the spinach, watermelon, not to mention the grass and hay. I realize she is eating for two, but she eats for two all of the time. What is truely amazing is that when she hears her name called, and sees a bucket, she flies across the pasture like she weighs 100 lbs. Quite a memorable sight! You can actually feel the earth move as she approaches. She is patiently awaiting the impending birth of her calf, we are impatiently awaiting for her fresh creamy milk!! At this time of year, we reflect on the season and the sacrifice that was made so that we can have redemption from our misdeeds. Thank you Father in Heaven, and a special thank you to Jesus the Christ. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!

Friday, April 22, 2011

NO RAIN? NO PROBLEM!!!!

Did I happen to mention that the Farmer is the handiest man that I know? All I have to do is mention that the dryer knocks, or the faucet drips, or that I would like another raised bed in my kitchen garden, or maybe a nice three compartment sink with a vegetable sprayer, in the market would be nice! And there he is.... Johnny on the Spot. Well I mentioned that since we haven't had much rain, it would sure be nice to irrigate most of the crops. TAH-DAH!! He rigged himself up a gismo that will lay the drip line under the ground! Now there will be some sweet corn, and some okra, and some black eyed peas, rain be darned! I admit that there is still nothing like a soft spring shower to leave everything clean and fresh. We were so grateful for that hint of misty rain and calm winds we got a couple of days ago, as we can now see evidence of new growth, after the beating everything took during the storms. The MARKET HOURS: Thurs. Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00 pm. By the way, one of our devoted customers put the farm on facebook. Due to my complete lack of the workings of cyberspace, I haven't figured out how to post the little Facebook logo on our blog to make a link. If you put our name R & C Dairy and Farmstead on facebook we should come up! I will continue my efforts to search the vast beyond for information on how to LINK??? From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

SHORT, BUT SWEET!!!

The Farmer has made an executive decision, after scoping out the strawberry field. We are closing the strawberry U-Pick for this year. We will have some berries in the market this weekend, but the plants are doing all that they can do to withstand the raging elements they have been exposed to. I actually saw a hail stone the size of a golf ball. It was a great couple of weeks and we felt the season was a success and we are going to plant them again next year, but will prepare with wind breaks, hoop houses or something to give them some protection. Onward and Upward!! The corn and the black eyed peas are poking through the ground, the tomato plants are looking slightly pitiful, but we have an optimistic outlook for them, and I am an avid believer in the miracle of resurrection. The market will be open the regular hours Thursday, Friday, Saturday, from noon until 4:00 pm. We will have cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, beets, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, onions, winter and spring, and of course some strawberries. Plenty of goat milk and not so plenty of cow milk, but we are anxiously awaiting for LuLu to come through for us. The blackberries should be ready in mid May. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

Monday, April 18, 2011

COMATOSE BERRY PLANTS!!!

The berry plants that have survived the elements have decided to put themselves into a deep sleep, I am sure they are hoping to awaken to calm winds, fresh air, sunshine with a hint of rain! We still have berries, but are watching them ripen very slowly. We will be picking again on Thursday morning, at 9:00am, if all goes well. Check the blog early in the morning for an updated post. The farmer says he has never seen the wind and drought like this in many years. Our hearts go out to those that are dealing with much more severe conditions than we are. The Farmers team at the fire station are helping fight the East Texas wildfires......I am not going to complain about a few dried up strawberry plants and blowing sand. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

BERRY LULL!!!

Between the hail, the sandstorms, the hurricane force winds and the ardent strawberry pickers, we are giving the berries a little respite.We will not be picking again until Tues. morning at 9:00. We will again pick on Thurs. and Sat. at 9:00 am. until pickout. The cool weather at night is allowing the strawberry plants to continue to produce more blooms and set fruit. As a good share of them are bare naked due to the loss of their leaves during the extremes in the weather, we will watch them carefully to see what they do. In our guestimation, we should have at least three more weeks of production. Then on to the blackberries. They don't care what mother nature unleashes on them. They are the gladiators of the berry field and will stand tall and fully loaded, ready for picking mid May. The produce is slowly coming on, we have had cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, asparagus, broccoli, and onions, in the market. We are anticipating beets next week.Market hours are Thur. Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00pm. The supply of honey as dwindling, as we are playing the waiting game for the bees to nourish the new brood and start making honey for the new year. We will  probably start harvesting some honey the end of May or first of June. Bag check is done on LuLu each evening. She knows that she has everyone on the Jersey milk list anxiously waiting for the white gold she is toting around, and could not care less! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

SATURDAY PICKING!!!!

Up and at em! We will be picking this morning from 9:00 am until pickout which will probably be around noon. The next picking day will be Tues am at 9:00 . The market will be open today from noon until 4:00pm. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

Friday, April 15, 2011

PURTY,PURTY,PURTY!!!!!

The berries are gearing up for weekend # 2 of berry season. The cool weather has made it possible for the plants to keep setting fruit, as it looks, we should have berries for three or four more weeks! The schedule will continue with this Friday and Saturday picking, starting at 9:00 am. until pickout. The next picking day will be Tues. am at 9:00, as this will give the remaining berries time to ripen. We will then pick again on Thurs. at 9:00am and again on Saturday at 9:00am. Now if I have you totally confused, just call the farm, 903-429-2319 and each morning a current schedule will be announced. The market hours remain the same. Thurs. Fri. Sat. from noon until 4pm.  What seasonal produce and dairy that we have, will be available. Due to the odd weather we have had, cold, then hot, windy, then calm, rainy,then dry, our planting and harvesting is out of whack, so the produce will be available as soon as we have some to harvest. (We have planted our tomatoes three times, so much for being a gambler) As for the dairy, we have plenty of goat milk and goat milk products. The cow milk is still on rations, as we are waiting for Lulu the Diva, to decide it is time to help us out. She has always done things her way and whenever she feels like it. Poppy is a first time freshener and she is due a little later. As we leave the calves on the mommas, we may be lucky to get a squirt or two of what is left from her milk! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

BEE DANCE OF THE HONEY BLONDE!!!

If you were passing R&C Dairy and Farmstead late Tuesday P.M. and happened to see a full figured blonde woman, peeling off her hat and shirt, waving her arms in the air, shaking her head back and forth and hopping on one foot then the other.........I have no idea who that could have been. It could have been someone who just happened to be passing through the orchard, checking out the peaches, and was not aware that the bee hives had recently been checked. Someone who had recently eaten a peanut butter and honey sandwich, and somehow had gotten a little sticky in her hair and on her shirt sleeve. An innocent bystander that did not realize that guard bees take their job so very seriously, and a scout bee can smell a hint of honey or nectar, far, far, away. I am sure that whoever it was, will be a little more careful going into bee territory after they have been disturbed. The berry picking is going wonderfully well. We have met lots of newcomers to the farm. The strawberry season should last another three or four weeks. We will be picking Thurs. Fri and Sat at 9:00 am. Sunday we will start at 11:00. The market will be open from noon until 4:00 pm  on Thurs. Fri. and Sat. We will have picked berries available in the market. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

Monday, April 11, 2011

IT RAINED! IT POURED!! WHILE THE STRAWBERRIES SNORED!!!

Yippee!!! the berries had a bath, the crops had a drink and the rain barrels are fullup!!  We are picking this week every morning at 9:00am until pickout. Hope to see you!!! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

WE ARE BERRY, BERRY GRATEFUL!!!

What a great berry picking weekend we had! Thank you to all who came and made our Picking Premier so sucessful. We will be picking Sunday starting at 11:00 AM, for those who could not make it, and every day next week, starting at 9:00 in the morning. There are still lots of luscious berries ready to be picked. The wind did not seem to deter any, and we are on the lookout for missing hats, caps, and other misc. objects that may have taken flight. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

STRAWBERRY PICKING COUNTDOWN!!!

Despite the relentless Spring winds and the Sahara Dessert like sand storms blowing over the strawberries, they are valiantly holding their own. There may not be a green leaf left on the plant, but there are sure enough some really nice berries. Tomorrow,Thursday, is the first date of open picking. We will start at 9:00 AM. and pick until we want to quit! The containers will be provided: $3.00pt. (approx 1lb.) $6.00qt. and $20.00 for 7pt. box. A brief synopsis of the farm guidelines. One adult for each child under 8: Wear appropriate shoes and clothing: Do not eat the unwashed berries: Please be respectful of our fields and crops: Keep what you pick and only pick the completely ripe, all the way around, berries, red does not necessarily mean READY. We will not be able to give farm tours during picking season, but invite all to our family farm open house on June 4, ( more on that later).Picking will resume on Friday 9:00AM and then again on Sat. 9:00AM .Our market will be open for regular hours, Thurs. Friday, and Saturday, from noon until 4:00pm.  We look forward to seeing everyone, contact us if there are any questions. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

Monday, April 4, 2011

UPDATE TO THE UPDATES ON BERRIES!!!

The Strawberries are coming on strong, we are going to move the U-Pick opening day for all to Thurs. April 7. We will pick Thurs. Fri. and Sat. at 9:00 AM. until around noon.  Special appointments may be made in the early evening or on Sundays if there are strawberries that are ready. Picked berries will be available at a slightly higher price. The price of the berries are by the container, which we provide. $3.00 per pt. $6.00 per qt. and a larger picking box  that holds about 7 pts. is $20.00. Check the Strawberry Updates page(the first one) that will tell the guidlines and information. Our Market will be open on the regular days and hours, Thurs. Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00 pm. Call or e-mail if you have any questions. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

PICKING PREVIEW MON.,TUES., & WED EVE.

The berries are starting to ripen, the spell of warm weather did it's magic,  so we are going to start picking! We are going to take appointments for  Mon. Tues and Wed. as there will be berries for some, but not for everyone, yet. We will start at 3:00pm and pick until whenever. Call if you are interested,  let us know if you are coming and about what time.  Check the Strawberry Updates page for guidlines and information. The main date for open picking is still April 11, at 9:00 AM. So excited to have you visit ! From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!

Friday, April 1, 2011

HEADED FOR THE HONEYMOON!!!!

All of the young "SISTER WIVES" are preparing for their honeymoon this week. There are 28 of them! If Romeo survives, we will have winter milk! Goats breed in the cool weather months, we are taking a gamble with our last year doelings( we let them reach maturity before we breed them), to see if any of them will get a hankerin' this late in the year. As it is still a might nippy at night, there is a good chance we may have babies again in the fall. Romeo is a young buck we raised  that will be introduced to his first females for a whirlwind of fun and frolic, that is unless the girls gang up on him and emasculate him before he has a chance to prove how macho he his. That has been known to happen! The Doe Motto: WE ARE READY WHEN WE SAY WE ARE READY, NOT WHEN YOU SAY WE ARE READY!!! Gotta love those goats! Coco Puff (pictured above) has that look of  breathless anticipation, actually more like borderline curiosity and shear boredom as her fate awaits her. Will keep you posted on the pasture paramours!  Still on target for the April 11 U-Pick date for strawberries, will post updated information. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!!