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Published on Leave a comment on Bird Nests, Turtles, and Grass Farming

The Killdeer nests are spread out at the side of our drive, warning cries, from the mother birds, follow us as we walk. She drags her wing on the ground and feigns injury, when it becomes clear that we’re not paying attention, she fixes her wing again.  Continuing her shrill cry of warning; ‘Kill-Dee, Kill-Dee, stay away from my chicks!’ A little further down the lane another killdeer simply cries, “Kill-Dee, stay back, I have a nest here!” A nesting killdeer doesn’t present the broken wing lure, she just screeches her warning (once her eggs hatch she'll use the broken wing ploy, too). Killdeer eggs are so well camouflaged it’s difficult to find them. Once you’ve seen the adult killdeer though, curiosity has you walking slowly, scanning the area for the indented patch of rock on the gravel drive. The nest has four speckled eggs resembling the surrounding rocks. When killdeer hatch they start running, immediately. The young take cover in tall grass and brush. The only identifier to their presence is to witness the antics of the parents.

Our small wind break pines are hosting small, nesting birds; especially finch. They’re hardly noticeable, but when I take care of the turkeys the small birds fly out from the branches. With a long series of chirps they let me know I’m not welcome. This is a fragile time of year for both young birds and new crops. The plants needs rain, the young birds need dry warmth. Severe weather or heavy downpours leave the remains of nests scattered across the yard. It's a delicate balance that we witness daily on our farm. We've rescued a few fledgling birds with moderate success, others we've had to let go.

Another visitor, who just arrived this morning, is an Ornate Box Turtle. As Keith was driving down highway 13 he stopped to rescue a turtle from the road. Garrett identified it, and discovered it’s Iowa’s only completely terrestrial turtle. It’s a threatened species so our local DNR office will be relocating it.

Ornate Box Turtle

Sometimes our small grass farm feels like an oasis surrounded by expanding crop fields with bulldozed trees, genetically enhanced crops, and diminishing habitats.  All for a few more acres of corn or beans, Why?

At the risk of sounding like a  Master Card ad, here I go;
Finding a nesting bird with her beautiful blue eggs, and rescuing a threatened turtle ...priceless.
Creating an oasis for wildlife, plants, and insects ...priceless.
For all types other farming, there’s... (feel free to insert the name of a chemical or crop giant here).

Published on Leave a comment on News worthy Wednesday – GM Pigs

Canada has scrapped it's "Enviropig" program, the first genetically modified pigs.  Genes from mice and e-coli, among others, were introduced into their DNA.  Theses pigs were designed to process food differently, creating  more environmentally friendly hog manure. The University of Guelph, which developed the GM pig announced the programs cancellation. A lack of funding and interest is blamed.  Peter Phillips, a professor of public policy at University of Saskatchewan said, "Enviropig has not managed to attract funding from a food company that would ultimately seek to commercialize the pigs, possibly because environmental benefit doesn't necessarily translate into more profit". Unless additional funding into this project is secured the pigs will be destroyed, their genetic material will be preserved in cold storage for possible future research.

One of the problems with pigs is that they're extremely adaptable. Not far back in farm history hogs were raised on pasture. Sows spent their gestation outdoors and were brought in for farrowing. Sometimes crates were used, minimally. Occasionally  sows will lay on a piglet. This happens with gilts, first time moms, more often than with sows. A solution is to have a creep for the piglets. A creep, built into the corner of your farrowing area, has a lamp for warmth and is open in the front. Sows can interact with piglets but can't fit inside the creep. Piglets come and go as they please, interacting with mom at any time. On cool nights our sows will pack straw in front of the creep, leaving a small opening, to keep her piglets warm.

Again, because pigs are adaptable they were easily turned into factory production animals. In confinement sows move from gestation crates, where their spend 3 months, 3-weeks, and 3 days, into farrowing crates. Unable to interact with her piglets, and incapable of instinctive behavior, she becomes a milking machine. Sows are driven insane. This isn't animal husbandry or farming. It's  inhumane and it needs to stop! Here are some images of different methods of animal production found on Google images  Below are images of our farms farrowing system.

Published on Leave a comment on Sheep Shearing

We Raise Texel and Ramboulet cross sheep. They produce quality meat and have thick fleece. Shearing is usually done six weeks before lambing but this year we had a ram get out with the ewes early, oops. This surprise caught us off guard and the shearing was delayed until after lambing season.

Spring planting also added to the delay.  We saved a fleece for a customer's   spinners group.  She sent us lovely photos of the wool in process of becoming yarn, and the final skeins or hanks, I am not sure the proper term. Anyway, the wool is beautiful and we appreciate her sharing them with us.

Here's how shearing day works...

1.  Gather the sheep.

2. Separate the lambs from the ewes

3. Hold your ears or wear ear protection, there's loud complaining amongst the sheep, mostly the lambs. The ewes seem to enjoy the break.

4. Set up the wool sack, which holds around 300 ponds of fleece. (we filled nearly 2 sacks from 34 ewes and 1 ram). The wool sack hangs from a steel frame. Someone in the crew, in our case it was Garrett, has to climb into the bag and pack the fleece.

5. A clean tarp or canvas is laid on the ground to keep the area clean.

5. The sheep are caught. Held loosely while being shorn. Released, naked and clean, to go and eat. When all the sheep are finished they rejoin their lambs. There's peace again, it's so quiet.

6.The wool is weighed, we pay for the shearing, and the wool buyer pays for the fleece. We came out $67.00 dollars ahead this year. On large scale sheep operations, when wool prices are low, the USDA  assists with the shearing costs. The current price for wool is high so there isn't any assistance program this year. The shearer is also a wool buyer, representing a wool or fur company. He's paid for his time shearing and also makes a profit from selling the wool.

7. The area is cleaned, shearing items are packed and the day's complete. Happily, one more item is crossed off the "to do" list. The ewe lambs will be shorn this fall.

The Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival is June 9-10, in Adel, Iowa. Here's more information.

 

 

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Published on 2 Comments on Hobo and The Piglets

Every afternoon the piglets sneak up to harass Hobo. Their electric fence is set higher because the tall grass shorts out the fence.  Consequently, the piglets can scoot under without getting a shock. In a couple of weeks they’ll be big enough that it will stop them. But for now, they’re regular visitors to the garden and Hobo’s napping spot.

Hobo's been a frequent visitor at our house over the past few years. In February it became official, we adopted him. Our neighbors placed an ad in the paper, “Free to good home. 12 year old farm dog." Not too many  people are looking for an older dog. He's a gentle, affectionate, ancient chocolate lab who gets along with everyone.  In all these years Hobo has never been to the vet’s office, had a vaccination, or an exam of any kind, for that matter. We always assumed that because of his age he was arthritic (he's also obese). On our daily walks he has to rest every few yards. The vet ran a quick blood test. Hobo has Lyme Disease. Now, after completing his first course of antibiotics, he’s moving much better. He’s relatively fast for a fat old dog.  You should see how high he can  jump, especially when he's goosed by a piglet.

Published on Leave a comment on News Worthy Wednesday…Bees

Saving Bees

Bee Keepers in Warsaw dumped thousands of dead bees on the steps of the Poland Ministry of Agriculture in protest against genetically modified crops and pesticides. Specifically targeting Monsanto’s MON810 GM corn variety.  This variety was approved by the European Union in 1998. GMWatch says that this variety has been linked to millions of acres of pesticide resistant super weeds in the United States. The Polish Parliament had adopted a law in 2006 prohibiting the production, use, and importation of GM animal feed. However, implementation of the law doesn't begin until 2013.

 

Plant diversity is a boost to the health of bee colonies. Pollinating multi-plant species improves nutrition and plant diversity provides a variety of beneficial bacteria and probiotics. This is critical in fending off diseases like Colony Collapse disorder.

Bee loss is attributed to the use of Neonicotinoids, a new class of chemicals, to control insects. Neonicotinoids are used to treat seeds before planting and most field crops in Iowa have had this seed treatment. It's extremely toxic to bees; a single kernel of corn with a 1250 rate of neonicotinoid treatment contains enough active ingredient to kill over 80,000 honey bees.

Other contributing factors to their decline include; Varroa mites, pathogens, habitat loss, pesticides, and possibly GM crops (the studies are still being conducted).

Field entomologist specialist's with Perdue University, Christian Krupke and Iowa State entomologist, Erin Hodgson have taken a closer look at how the bees might be interacting with the neonicotinoids. Read the study here

On a related note...

Victory in Europe...BASF is leaving Europe. The company hasn’t found European’s to be GMO friendly. Instead the company will concentrate on plant biotechnology activities in North and South America. BASF Plant Science headquarters will move from Germany to Raleigh, North Carolina. Dr. Stefan Marcinowski, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF, responsible for plant biotechnology stated, “We are convinced that plant biotechnology is a key technology for the 21st century. However, there is still a lack of acceptance for this technology in many parts of Europe - from the majority of consumers, farmers, and politicians. Therefore, it does not make business sense to continue investing in products exclusively for cultivation in this market.”

Congratulations, and kudos to the consumers, farmers and politicians of Europe, Way to go!

Meanwhile, Americans are increasingly concerned about genetically modified (GMO) foods. 1 million Americans have signed the “Just Label It” campaign’s petition demanding that the FDA require GM food labeling. The Mellman Group released a new poll showing that 90 percent of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike are in favor of labeling. The fact that these groups all agree on any issue is significant. When was the last time they agreed on anything?  I think a pig just flew past my window. Yep, this could be the day that pigs fly.

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Published on 1 Comment on Newsworthy Wednesday
Forest Hill Farm Piglets

Heritage Hogs At Risk

A new Michigan law is targeting heritage breed hogs. In an effort to control the feral hog population the State's Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) is removing heritage breed hogs from privately owned farms.  Forest Hill Farm raises Gloucestershire Old Spot and Berkshire hogs. If Iowa passed a similar law our hogs could be destroyed. Our hogs graze and live outdoors. They are social, productive, and domesticated. Their outdoor areas are rotated to keep them clean, healthy, offer a variety of forages, and prevent overgrazing. A confinement hog, who escapes into the countryside, has the same opportunity to become feral as a heritage breed. Actually, because our hogs are always outdoors, and very friendly, if they did get out of their fence line they could easily be coaxed back with the bribe of raw milk and a back scratch. One of the problems with the Michigan law, and there are many issues with it, is that the Invasive Species Order (ISO) outlaws the possession of wild swine, hogs, boars, and pigs, aside from domestic hog production. They haven't defined an exception so farmers won't know if their livestock is prohibited until the ISO goes into effect and the DNRE begins their inspections. Is anyone surprised that the Michigan Pork Producer Association supports the measure?  Aren't both heritage breed farmers and confinement owners pork producers? Four lawsuits have been filed against the ISO, heritage hog farmers are asking if the DNRE has jurisdiction.

Just more food for thought!

 

Published on Leave a comment on It’s A Worry?

Farming is stressful.  There are so many variables, the probability of failure is great.

Will we get enough rain this spring to make up for last fall’s drought?
It’s a worry.
Will the summer rain come at just the right time?
It’s a worry.
Will the summer heat be excessive and cause breeding trouble for our cattle?
It’s a worry.

“If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no help in worrying. There is no benefit in worrying whatsoever.”  Dalai Lama XIV

We spent an enjoyable afternoon with a fellow farmer, John Henry.  John Henry has a relaxed and pleasant demeanor. He use to worry constantly about his farming practices, family life, and success. Today he doesn’t have any worries.

John Henry used to walk through his fields worrying about his crops.  Would rain bless his fields at opportune time and was his soil condition capable of producing high yields?  At night he’d stare at the ceiling worrying about his equipment.  Some of it was older, would it make it through another season?

He worried about his family.  Was he balancing family life and work obligations successfully?  John Henry started to have chest pains.  He went to the doctor.

After the exam the doctor said John Henry’s heart was fine but he was worrying too much.  “Rather than worry,” suggested the doctor, “why don’t you hire some help?”

John Henry went home and added the doctor’s advice to his list of worries. Who could he hire? How could he afford to hire help? What if the help slacked off?  What if, during the busy season, his hired man failed to come to work?  John Henry felt doomed.  How could he possibly relax when he had all these worries?

One night, as he stared at the ceiling, thoughts raced through his head. “I have to stop worrying!”  Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him.  “Eureka!  I’ll hire someone to worry for me!  Each week I’ll give a list of worries to a hired man.”
So, he hired a man. Every week he gave a list of equipment, crop, and family concerns to his helper.  Now John Henry slept like a baby.  He became jovial, laughed, and had a renewed twinkle in his eyes.

A few weeks later he want back to the doctors office.  The doctor was impressed, he asked about the dramatic change.  “You’re in great health! Tell me, what changed?”

“Well, I followed your advice. I hired a man who takes care of all my worries.”

“Fantastic! Is he repairing your equipment and fences? Does he care for your crops and animals?”

“No.  I hired someone to worry for me.”

“What? You hired someone to worry! Do you pay for this?” asked the doctor

“I certainly do.  I pay him $10,000.00 each month.”

“$10,000.00 every month!  How can you afford this?”

John Henry shook his head, “Doesn’t matter, It’s not my worry!”

The greatest object in the universe, says a certain philosopher, is a good man struggling with adversity; yet there is still greater, which is the good man that comes to relieve it.  –Oliver Goldsmith

Farming is joyful, there are so many variables, the probability of success is great. What does the future hold?  Not my worry!
© Forest Hill Farm

Published on Leave a comment on Sassy

 

Sassy

She ran up the hill for the last time.  Her hips were giving her some trouble, nothing a baby aspirin wouldn’t help.  She’d been our constant companion for fourteen years. Wherever we were on the farm Sassy wasn’t far behind.  She grew up with our boys, ran along as they learned to ride bikes, fished in the pond and raced their go-cart around the fields.

Cookie and Sassy

The boys would get mad at her when they went fishing because she loved to swim in circles around their bobbers waiting for fish.  She didn’t understand that she was a fish deterrent. Eventually the idea caught on that they were displeased with her, she’d swim back to shore, chasing frogs instead.

Sassy and the Boys

Every new life on this farm was welcomed first by Sassy. It didn’t matter if they were chicks, calves, lambs, goats, piglets, or a foal. She was the first to greet them, sometimes even before their own mother.  When the cows calved Sassy would watch over them, too.  She’d sit on the hill and scan the horizon. From her lookout post she could oversee the farm.  She knew where every animal was and where they belonged.  If the sheep wandered to close to the garden she’d bark and chase them off.  She kept them from creeping under the fence and eating the apple trees. She kept wandering piglets from stealing eggs out of the nesting boxes. Sassy was proud and well mannered. She kept all the other dogs in line and corrected them if they broke any of the rules. Chasing a chicken was unacceptable to Sassy’s code of conduct.  When Miley was new here Sassy caught her chasing a young chick. She pinned Miley down.  Miley, showing her belly, quickly learned the rules. When a stray cat had kittens in our barn Sassy watched over them while their mom was away. She’d clean them, allow them to climb on her and when the cat returned Sassy would leave the barn. She respected her place.

Sassy, Nifty, and Alice
Sassy and Sammy
Sassy and the Goslings

 

Sassy helping burn pastures

She loved to be warm. When we’d burn each spring she’d lay in the smoldering grass, twice she’d caught on fire. Once it was the end of her tail and another time it was her rear end. She sat on the burning embers and Keith had to extinguish her with water. It didn’t phase her, she just found another hot spot to lay on. She also loved the warmth of our wood burning stove, she’d sleep close, soaking up the heat.

We’re all going to miss her.  I think Keith will miss her most of all. He hasn’t built a fence, moved cows, or fixed equipment without Sassy’s help.  She rode with him to check waterers and walked miles and miles checking fences over the years. Sassy loved to run alongside our Willy’s jeep. When she was too old to run alongside, Keith would lift her in, she discovered the joy of riding shotgun.

Sassy fencing with Keith

It was apparent that she was slowing down, her weight was dropping and her hearing was about gone.  One morning she woke up and couldn’t move. We figured she’d had a stroke, the vet confirmed it. Saying goodbye was heartbreaking, the boy’s said goodbye, dug her grave, and buried her on the hilltop overlooking the farm. She was a wonderful friend and a great dog.

Published on Leave a comment on Food Recalls go High Tech and UCS Gives Monsanto an ‘F’

Food recalls go high tech

Linguists have discovered a new language spoken by a remote tribe in India that’s understood by only 1,000 people.
It’s called “tech support”

If you have a Twitter account the USDA now has state specific food safety alerts for meat, poultry and processed egg products. These alerts are available through Twitter. The alerts can be followed by listing your state’s two letter designation followed by underscore then FSISALERT. Iowa, for example, is IA_FSISALERT
As an aside; Does it seem that there are far more food safety alerts since large meat processors have put smaller processors out of business and factory farms have become the norm?  Just some food for thought.

 

Union of Concerned Scientists

The Union of concerned scientists (UCS) has given Monsanto Company an ‘F’ in sustainable agriculture. Sustainable agriculture systems supply food, protect the environment, and protect farmers. The UCS says Monsanto fails all three.

It’s my belief that genetically engineered crops, antibiotics in animal feeds, and chemical herbicides can take horrendous farmers, bad producers, and inadequate land stewards and make them profitable. All the while the environment, animals, and consumers suffer the consequences.

Genetic engineering's doing the most harm, in my opinion.  Cross contamination from Genetically engineered crops continuously infect non-genetically engineered species. Where will it end? Are any crops safe from genetic contamination?

Two other objections are Monsanto’s suppression of independent research of its products. This means that policy makers can’t make informed decisions because there aren’t adequate independent studies to objectively research the effects of GMO’s and herbicides. Also, the amount of money spent lobbying and advertising these products skews the opinion of those on the receiving end of the money trail.
For more information check out the Union of Concerned Scientists web site

 

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Published on 3 Comments on It’s Mushroom Time!

A sure sign of spring

Morels

It’s morel season again, if you haven’t been a mushroom hunter in the past, now’s a great time to start. Mushroom hunters will never reveal their secret mushrooming spots, but they'll share how to find them.

Pre-plan your mushrooming trip. When morels are out, so are ticks, use bug repellant. If you are hunting on private property ask permission first. Walk softly and carry a big stick, or at least walk carefully, especially around the base of trees. You’ll use the stick to move leaves and branches out of the way. You’ll be crawling under bushes and around trees, gently moving leaves, to find morels.   Bring along an onion bag or other mesh bag to carry your mushrooms. A paper grocery bag works well, too. Don’t use plastic bags. Morels hold moisture and will get slimy inside a plastic bag. Also, morels attract ants, slugs, spiders, and a host of creepy crawlers which will fall through the mesh bag and back to the ground.  The mesh will also allow spores to fall onto the ground.

The best mushroom hunting weather is just after it rains on a warm spring day. When you get to a wooded area look for dead or dying elm trees. It’s not difficult to identify an elm tree they look like a child’s drawing; straight trunk with a lollipop top. You can look around poplars but you’ll have better luck with elms. If you aren’t interested in hunting in the woods golf courses and parks are also  good spots. Garrett’s found quite a few while golfing. Not because he’s ending up in the rough but because he hunts for them while playing. I would caution that the course probably uses a plethora of chemicals, so be careful.

If you're unsure, or new to mushrooming, your local extension office will happily identify your mushrooms. False morels are dangerous, make sure you haven’t collected any. Here’s a link to help you learn more.
When you get home put your morels in cold, lightly salted water, with a dish on top to help hold them under water. I use clear pie plates to hold them down. We call this “puking” them there 's probably a better term, but it's what we've always called it. Wait a few minutes and all the bugs should be out.

"Puking" morels

Rinse them, place them on a cookie sheet lined with a dish towel or on a rack so the water drains completely. Now for the good part, you can eat them, dry them, freeze them, or sell them. I think they're best served with beef roast or tossed in a light cream sauce and served over pasta.

A word of warning...Once you start mushrooming you'll be addicted. Morel hunting creates friendly competition. Sometimes it's less than friendly. There are groups of mushroom hunters that comb the timber in our area, without permission. Wearing camouflage, carrying maps, and GPS  they're dropped  in an area  to search for morels. Several hours later  they're picked up in a designated location. These professional hunters sell the mushrooms to restaurants and gourmet shops.

Our friend has a special tree where he finds hundreds of morels every spring, it's his secret spot.  Someday he'll pass the location on to his children and grand children. For now he's extremely protective. He’s also the best walleye fisherman around, he has a secret spot along the river for that, too. I hope the professionals never find his magic tree. It's wonderful to see his face light up each spring when he recounts his morel yield.