Saturday, August 20, 2011

THE NEVERENDING GIFT!!!!

I am convinced that 4 good rows of okra will solve the worlds hunger situation. The rows can be picked clean one day and loaded with pods the next.....and it is 110 degrees outside, with not a hint of rain in sight! The farm is weathering the heat wave, one day at at time. Our days have become a routine, water the animals, cool a spot on the ground for the animals, water the crops, water the animals again, cool another spot on the ground, water the pasture, water the animals again. Our efforts have been successful, as we have had no heat related casualties.(not counting some of the tomato plants) Lulu gave us a scare with her heat stroke episode, but she has survived, and she is basking in the extra attention she receives to assure her comfort. The market has not had cow milk for a while, due to the extreme heat, we are letting the calves get all that they can get from Mama. The goats are carrying the load for milk production. The girls are doing a superb job of keeping up with the demand. The chickens are still iffy. They lay just enough eggs every so often to keep them from the stew pot! I have got to learn how to tell if a hen is past her production years. The last time we gave away what we thought were our old hens, our egg production dropped by half.  Today will be the first time I am not in the market ( except for the holidays) as I am giving a presentation sponsered by the Fort Worth Organic Garden Club at the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth on the wonderful world of goats. A series of different speakers will be there on various subjects pertaining to sustainable living. It is free to all, starts at 9:00 am. I am looking forward to sharing with everyone our Caprine Connection. Mostly, since I have been blessed with the "Gift of Gab". I am excited about a captive audience that has to listen to me as I rattle on about one of my most favorite subjects! Our daughter will be in the market today, doing her best to assist any visitors coming for dairy, honey, meat, etc. Our market hours are Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. Thurs. are still set aside for the CSA, and because that one has been such a hit, we will be opening another one next Spring. More information on that later. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

Friday, August 5, 2011

THE RAINMAKER!!!

The nightly rain dancing didn't do it! The scathing insults directed to the weatherman didn't do it! So remembering the principle that the Lord helps those who help themselves, we decided to "create" some rain so that He would help our crops and pastures to grow! Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures. Here you see my new SUV disguized as a Water Wheel! It may not get 34mpg, but it will sure drop an inch of " rain " wherever you want it to. The fields are dry, the crops are begging for more water, and the animals patiently await the daily water puddles. I would only feel guilty driving a new to me vehicle, anyway, knowing the dire need for water on every inch of the farm. ( I tell the Farmer, I just need wheels to get me from point A to point B without incident, doesn't matter what it looks like or sounds like, just let it get me to where I need to go and back!) I will put my fleeting desire for a vehicle with air conditioning, a CD player and windows that roll up, on the back burner, saving it for a RAINY day! Incidently, the market is open on Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. The pantry shelves are getting stocked with pickles and preserves. The baked goods will be on the bakers rack again soon, and the honey is plentiful. The goat milk products and meat are still available. The produce and eggs are meager! The cows milk is nil! This is farming in Texas and we have learned to be inovative and patient. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!