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I apologize for not keeping this note
current, other priorities you know…
First and most important I want to thank
all of our customers for their support and patience as I continue to
learn. I also want to thank all our friends and family for
their help. We cannot do this without you!
2009 was the year of rain and cool temperatures.
The rain was lovely for our pastures, which provided abundant feed
for our broilers, layers, turkeys, pigs and cattle.
The lack of sunshine seemed to inhibit the animals growth and
everything was smaller this year. I
do not know if cooler weather and lack of sun was really a significant
factor, however it is the only thought that I have.
Paul humors me and explains that every year is different and
farmers accept what Mother Nature has provided.
One cannot reproduce the factors and modify anything like an
experiment in class. So being the 'ex-geek' and measurer that I
am, I am having a little trouble letting go. However the 2010
season is fast upon us, so I need to put my time and energy there.
That said, 2009 was a challenging year.
I returned to full-time employment (off the farm unfortunately),
creating scheduling & workload issues.
We were blessed with 2 more grandchildren and #4 is expected in
March. On the farm we raised
more pigs than last year and more cattle.
Six calves were born on the farm too!
I was EXTREMELY nervous about calving.
Paul explained (several times) what needed to be done if the mother
cow was ‘in trouble’ during delivery and he was not available.
Thankfully all went well and all calves were born easily.
They are the cutest animals!
I left work to see our 2nd newborn!
It is so exciting to discover a newborn calf.
They naturally hide in the tall grasses at first.
You need to watch very carefully and wait until mother and babe
decide it is time for baby to nurse.
I still LOVE my pigs (bottom right picture) though. We all enjoy giving them showers with
the hose, creating mud "lakes" for them and giving them treats
of fruit.
We discovered a fabulous butcher this
year, unfortunately 3 hours away, and continue to learn about cutting
meat. We also have added
a culinary advisor to our volunteer staff.
Steve is a graduate of the Culinary Institute and has been an
enormous help to us. I am
hoping that he will have the time to share some of his recipes with us.
We are planning for 2010.
My goal is to improve our website and customer service.
Pickup days are not as smooth as I want.
I am considering tighter scheduling so people don’t have to wait
on line. Send me an email (Eileen@PlaidPiperFarm.com)
and..
for A.K. some new pictures on our site! :)
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