They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
The last lamb we slaughtered was a difficult and frustrating process. The kill was quick and humane, but a single slip of the knife early in the dressing process resulted in slicing the achilles tendon and dropping the carcass, then a difficult skinning, which in turn delayed evisceration, resulting in the stomach falling and rupturing.… Continue reading Lamb slaughter and butchering, take 2
Last Thursday was a highly unusual day. The kids all had a sleepover at Deedee and Papa's house, and Mommy had an extra shift at work, so Daddy had a morning and part of an afternoon to work on the farm. However, first things first. On a weekday with no other responsibilities, it is always… Continue reading Project Day
It is funny how things never quite go according to (our) plan on the farm. It's also funny how one thing leads to another. For instance, we got to the farm on Tuesday with a list of tasks to get done. One of them, the smallest and easiest, was to come back with four 1/2… Continue reading Taking Apart Shelves
Monday morning, harvested 6 stalks of brussels sprouts. These have been let go a month too long, and some of the larger buds are starting to open. When that happens they lose some of the sweetness and become a bit tough, and they don't hold together for cooking or pickling anymore. So it was time… Continue reading Brussels Sprouts
For those wondering why all the excitement in our recent post about nursing, let me give you the back story that we didn't have time to post over the weekend. When Darla was born on Saturday, February 21, (that date needs to go into the record book, by the way [note to self]), Iris was… Continue reading Nursing Struggles
"Ryan, what are you doing?" "I am admiring my turnip." I mean, come on! That's the prettiest turnip I have ever grown! I think I am going to put that turnip and some lamb meat into a hand pie, with gravy!
This was Edna last night. This is Edna today: Meet Cookie, our newest katahdin lamb. https://youtube.com/shorts/InosfwkAVck? Now, before anyone gets attached, remember she was sired by one of our twin rams, which means that she is technically the product of inbreeding so her destiny is for the table in about a year, not for future… Continue reading Meet Cookie
Saturday was the day we butchered and wrapped one of our katahdin rams. We started out by enjoying the hangar steak, the heart and part of the liver for breakfast. Stirfried with mushrooms and onions. Topped with havarti. That will stick to your ribs. And some of our ribs need more sticking than others. We… Continue reading Butchering a Ram
Little Farm in the Big City 