Bliss
I just came in from a walk on the farm. The brisk breeze made my cheeks all rosey and my ears numb, but the last of the evening Autumn sun warmed my soul.
I fed the animals, gave each of the ponies a pat and a check over and pondered on how to best maintain the paddocks using stock rotation. I checked the soil and the slow, sweet, green winter grass growth and calculated that with stringent rotation I might just have enough paddocks fenced to be able to rotate the bigger horses* every two days and still give each paddock a 2 week rest.
It doesn't sound like much, but for us, it's the reward of a year spent cleaning up old wire, re-fencing and stabilising paddocks. It means not having to feed out so much over winter and a spring to look forward to with an abundance of feed. There's still more to be done, but we are at least halfway there.
Last Saturday we built a harrow and spent the afternoon dragging it ever so slowly behind the car through the biggest paddock, systematically breaking up all the manure so it can be reabsorbed and feed the soil.
Next Sunday the butcher comes to visit, bringing a cool room so he can hang our cow and possibly the 3 sheep we are fattening in the greenhouse paddock if they are ready. We finished the last of the beef in the freezer a few weeks ago and eagerly look forward to the particular satisfaction gained by having a full freezer to feed the family over winter.
We have finished selling, killing and eating the surplus chickens and the hens are laying less and less. This naturally allows their bodies to recouperate from the prolific egg production over Spring and Summer and for them to use their energy to keep their little feather covered bodies warm at night. There is one young, wiley rooster left who will make a lovely warm roast on a winters evening in a few weeks.
I love this place.
* The two smaller ponies have to stay in the diet paddock as too much green winter grass will make them sick.
I fed the animals, gave each of the ponies a pat and a check over and pondered on how to best maintain the paddocks using stock rotation. I checked the soil and the slow, sweet, green winter grass growth and calculated that with stringent rotation I might just have enough paddocks fenced to be able to rotate the bigger horses* every two days and still give each paddock a 2 week rest.
It doesn't sound like much, but for us, it's the reward of a year spent cleaning up old wire, re-fencing and stabilising paddocks. It means not having to feed out so much over winter and a spring to look forward to with an abundance of feed. There's still more to be done, but we are at least halfway there.
Last Saturday we built a harrow and spent the afternoon dragging it ever so slowly behind the car through the biggest paddock, systematically breaking up all the manure so it can be reabsorbed and feed the soil.
Next Sunday the butcher comes to visit, bringing a cool room so he can hang our cow and possibly the 3 sheep we are fattening in the greenhouse paddock if they are ready. We finished the last of the beef in the freezer a few weeks ago and eagerly look forward to the particular satisfaction gained by having a full freezer to feed the family over winter.
We have finished selling, killing and eating the surplus chickens and the hens are laying less and less. This naturally allows their bodies to recouperate from the prolific egg production over Spring and Summer and for them to use their energy to keep their little feather covered bodies warm at night. There is one young, wiley rooster left who will make a lovely warm roast on a winters evening in a few weeks.
I love this place.
* The two smaller ponies have to stay in the diet paddock as too much green winter grass will make them sick.