Believing in magic

I have always loved a good fairytale and believe in the magic of the imagination. Call me a dreamer or an old soul and maybe I am a little of both.  As a kid I remember coming home from school and putting on my cowgirl boots and my sister's hand me down yellow dress, an apron and running out to play and pretend I was Laura Ingalls Wilder. I am not sure what drew me to pretend to be her. Maybe it was because I WAS living the life of a farm kid and we played the Oregon Trail at school. Not exactly circa 1800's but I had cows and an imagination and fields to play in, so that was close enough for a 10 year old to feel like I was "half pint." I've always been fascinated by history and my paternal grandmother would tell me stories about the items in her house.  Everything had a story. Everything. You would know parts of the story just by turning the picture frame over, or lifting up the tea cup to see the white medical tape on the bottom with a little note about the history of that item.  I am thankful for those memories because I realize now, as an adult that I look at the world as having layers upon layers of stories.   

When I am walking out in the fields at the farm I often think about the history of the land.  Who has stepped here before me? Who swam in this cold spring at Prices Creek before me or went there to collect drinking water?   Many people I would assume.  I don't think you can be a farmer without believing in magic or having an imagination. There is just something magical about being a key player in mother nature and knowing that I get to witness life and death on a daily basis. There are so many times that farming can be brutally hard; like when a beloved animal dies, disease strikes, weather works against you, or when prices plummet.  It breaks your heart every time.  You'll question your methods, think about alternative ways to compensate for the losses, cry, get angry, and seek advice.  But, when those moments pass you'll begin to remember the magic of why you do this in the first place.  

Twins. So different, yet the same.  

First snowfall and orphan lambs

The meteorologists were calling for several inches of snow throughout the day, with the majority falling in the afternoon.  Since we do not live on the farm, I typically plan the time of day I go to the  around the weather. Typically,  I am there first thing in the morning and that way I can take care of any emergencies that might have occurred overnight.  Today, was not different as the later the day progressed, the worse the roads would be. 

I immediately went to check on the twins that were born on Monday to see how the they were doing since I moved them inside.  Upon opening the barn door, I could immediately hear the screams of panicked lambs. The mother had jumped out of her pen and left the two babies inside, which means, they couldn't nurse, thus the screams.  She took it upon herself to jump back in the pen again before I could catch her and force her back in.  Well, that was awfully generous of her.  Maybe she recalls how much she and I struggled, fighting each other to get her in the pen in the first place.  Not a battle she wanted to lose again.  Once she got back in the pen, she started head butting one of the boys away from her and kept doing it each time he nursed.  Now, if you haven't seen a mother reject her young before, it can be pretty aggressive and troubling to watch.  They can literally head butt, kick away, and ram the tiny lamb away from them and into a gate.  Well, clearly she wasn't even considering him anymore so I had to figure out what to do. I did not want another bottle lamb, and there were two mothers who lost lambs that I had been milking that could be potentially his new mama. Option one was a ewe that seemed calm at first, but as soon as you got close to her she would runaway and freak out. Scratch option 1.  Option 2 is ewe "2474", a sweet and very calm mama, that comes up to you and lets you pet her.  She isn't at all frightened by me, or anyone for that matter. She had triplets and all three died. I took one of them home and named him Rudy, and this sweet little guy didn't make it. I took that loss very hard.  He was the tiniest sheep I had ever seen, and I slept with him all night trying to keep him warm.  He had difficulty nursing and swallowing and I was not optimistic that he would make it, but I was hopeful.  He passed away curled up in a blanket where I left him.  The next day,  I found that his two sisters had also died.  They were doing much better than he was, so I thought they had a fighting chance, but sadly they didn't survive.  That is the thing when you get sheep that are already pregnant.  You don't know what their nutrition/condition was during the entire pregnancy. 2474 looked healthy, and acted alert and ate well, but she delivered triplets, which isn't all that common in the Katahdin breed.  I try not to blame myself, as I most often do, because I can't take responsibility for every death as if it is my fault when I have a newly acquired flock.   There are too many variables at play that were and are out of my control.  That being said, 2474 lost all her babies and I felt that she and this newly orphaned lamb might make a good pair. (fingers crossed)  I put them in the pen together and she seemed disinterested in his presence, and he confused by hers.  He kept searching for his birth mama who was out roaming with his twin brother and the other young lambs.  After a while, he tried nursing on her and she did step away a few times, but with me holding her head to calm her down, she stood and allowed him to nurse.  He is a big and strong for only a few days old, so I am certain he will do well with her. Not all ewes are created equal and most farmers will tell you that.  But, there are always a select few that you get close to because of their personalities.  2474, is one of those ewes and I need to come up with a name for her, because just having a number doesn't suit a sweet gal like her.  

-B 

The snow was slowly beginning to fall at the farm when I arrived this morning.  

Tiny baby Rudy taking a nap on Rae's bed, while Wilson towers over him.  

The orphaned lamb and his new mama, 2474.  

lesson in patience.....

Today was a rainy 55 degrees with lots of mud.  LOTS.  I hopped into Ruby (F-150) to head to the farm, and she wouldn't start. She would turn over, but nada.  No go.  So I swapped my farm essentials into the Subaru and headed out to the farm.  I went about my business doing my usual feeding, when I cracked my head on the long iron barn door latch when I completed dropping the hay down to the sheep.  It was a paralyzing kind of hurt where I immediately felt nauseas.  Not a good way to start off the day. I was hit in the head by a falling 2x4 two years ago, which left me with a huge knot and a black eye for two weeks. Not even then, did I get the sensation I did today.  I guess steel hurts worse than wood.  

After getting myself reoriented, I walked down to the barn to divvy out the hay rations and found that the 2nd pen that my niece and I set up last week with a few very pregnant ewes,  had a new guest.  A huge, and beautiful colored ewe lamb.  (you can see more of these photos on instagram.)  I decided to leave her in the pen with the other 5 mamas, because she was big and healthy and I didn't worry about her getting roughed up.  

Next on the agenda was to check the ewes in the field.  I spotted a new set of twins out in the field and decided to take advantage of the warm weather, by getting the sheep ALLLLLLL back in the barnyard lot.  The plan was to herd them into the barn and try and sort out the bigger pregnant ewes into smaller pens under the barn cover.  The barn is set up in such a way that I can separate into several groups. I find that it is much more manageable to separate a flock of 80+ sheep into groups of 15 or so in smaller pens.  I don't feel so overwhelmed when I see the sea of wool, and the babies, if born before I can pen up the mother, are less likely to lose sight of their mama.  Sounds simple right?  Move sheep into barn from field.  Easy as Sunday morning.

The first thing I was going to need in order to get them back in was the 4-wheeler (aka quad).  I went back to the barn and tried to start it, with no luck.  I changed the spark plug two days prior, so that's not it, but I decide to double check anyway.  Still nothing.  Gas? Check.  At this point, I was going to flood it if I kept trying, so I left it sit and headed back out on foot to the field, with a flake of hay in tow.  The leader is always Magnus.  If you can get Magnus to follow you, the sheep will come.  Problem is, donkeys can be moody.  Magnus can either be your shadow and right next to you at all times, or he can come up to briefly say hello and then retreat to find a dusty pile to roll around in.  If he is in the latter mood, this would make things much more challenging.  As my luck would have it, he was just in that kind of mood.  Even though he wasn't feeling all snuggly today, I did get him to follow me and slowly the sheep marched their way out of the field into the much smaller field outside the barn.  To give you a visual of our set up, think of the farm as a wagon wheel.  The hub of the wheel is the barn and all the spokes are fields. We have a small field coming off the hub that allows the sheep to graze, but not get into any of those spokes (aka other fields.)  Then, inside the hub where the barn is located, is a small  are with concrete.  That is what we call the stack yard.  It basically is the concrete lot outside the barn.  I wanted to work my way from big field, little field,to stack yard, then barn.  

After about three hours, I accomplished the above-goal.  Magnus was in a pen, sheep were in a pen and I gathered the new twins and got them inside the nursery pen. I was able to put their mother in with them.  The temperatures are about to drop and we are expecting snow Thursday, so I felt relieved (and exhausted) that they are all safely inside the barn area.   

It takes a lot of work to get animals where you want them to be.  But more so, it takes patience; a lot of slow movements, and a calm demeanor. When sheep feel panicked or threatened they will run. Sheep run fast. I do not.  A two day old lamb can outrun me even on my best day.   So, if you want sheep to move and go where you want them to go, you had better allow ample amount of time and not be in a hurry.  Especially if you don't have a herding dog, are on foot and are alone in doing it.  But, I did learn something today, that I CAN do these daunting tasks alone.  It seems damn near impossible at the time, but it really isn't. You just have to be creative with your methods. I am so happy, that with the several inches of snow that will be upon us Thursday, the sheep are on mounds of fluffy bedding and should they give birth, they will all be snug and warm. I may not be able to move very fast tomorrow, and I still have a headache from earlier, but those sore muscles are gentle reminder of how lucky I am to be doing this everyday.  

New year-new beginnings

A year ago today, we picked up our first flock of sheep, four very pregnant Jacob ewes.  We were excited, hopeful and we were looking towards the future. Little did I know, how much we would grow, both literally and figuratively. Now, we have approximately 80 sheep that we are tending to, and that number goes up each week.  With so many ewes pregnant, we will be filling up the barn soon, which is exciting but nerve-racking at the same time.  But, I am excited for what his year has to bring.  We will be starting at the farmers market at the beginning of the season, versus last year when we started in mid May.  Hooray for getting in early! 

For January 1st,  the weather was a mild 44 degrees, which makes doing chores much more bearable.  I have many friends that will comment on my photos when it is 75 and sunny, with beautiful flowers growing in the 30 acres, and will say "jealous!" or "Lucky!", and this is true. We are lucky. Undeniably lucky.  But, with those beautiful days also comes the days that are incredibly hot and incredibly cold, and I doubt anyone is going to say jealous or lucky on those days.  In Ohio, it can get hot,  like I have woke-up-in-the-depths-of-hell-hot, and I am going to share a little personal information; I HATE the heat.  I love sunny and 85, but much above that, I am a miserable person to be around. I get tired, and drained, and it's just not a good look for me.  Then, you have the cold days.  Days that are so cold, I could swear I was beyond the wall and at any moment, white walkers would start charging through the woods and into the fields.  Yes, we are talking that kind of cold.  Fortunately, cold isn't so much of a problem for me, but it does make farming hard. As long as I am bundled up and keep moving, I can do pretty well in very low temperatures.  But, it makes it harder to get around in so many layers, and water freezes, animals are born into the world wet, and get sick and die when it is that cold. Coyotes get hungry when the temperatures drop and need to feed, and I pray each night that it isn't on our beloved flock. Thus, cold weather has its fair share of problems too.    

So anyway, today at 44 degrees and sunny, we were able to accomplish a lot! Seth and I swapped out the four tires on the old F-150 (aka B.A.T.) and took the lambs that didn't survive coming into this world, down to the creek bed, far and away from the fields and the flock.  We don't want to attract any predators up near the barn where the sheep and young lambs are.  

Today, was a good day.  It was hard work swapping out all the tires. The tires are good in snow and mud, and I will feel much safer driving the truck in the snow knowing I've got trusty tires on my side.  Seth worked his butt off, and he didn't complain once, not that he ever does, but today was hard work.  I am thankful we got to work alongside each other in the cool sunshine.  We work really well as a team, and I am grateful for that.  We are going to be sore tomorrow, I am sure, so tonight we rest and watch reruns of Simpsons.  I hope everyone head a productive and good first day of the year! -B

Autumn surprises

We have had unseasonably warm weather in Ohio the past few weeks, where the temperatures held steady in the high 70's low 80's.  But, today the rain finally came and with it, so did the cooler temperatures.

I came out to the barn today to find a mama and her sweet baby ewe lamb dozing off and in the barn away from the drizzling rain.  I knew she was due  soon, but with the Ram running with the ewes since March, we were unsure of how the breeding season would go.  It was a pleasant surprise to find her sweet face when I rounded the barn door corner.  Typically, the ewes aren't exposed to the ram until the late summer/early fall when the ewes will go into cycle (heat) and then five months later, the lambs will be born (typically January).  But, we are trying things a little differently, and I wanted to see how the ewes would cycle and left Barry (the ram) with them all spring and summer. Not all sheep breeds will cycle out of season (meaning other than late summer/fall) but some can and will.  Katahdins, Jacob's and Icelandics can cycle in times, and so I let nature take its course so we could observe and see which ewes would cycle and give us fall lambs, and those that will give us winter lambs.   

It is days like today that I enjoy farming so much.  There is something magical about the ebb and flow of farm life that force us to slow down.  To observe. To simply be.  The weather dictates my schedule, and I like that.  I like that my life is so intertwined with it that it allows me time to pause, reflect, and "see" what is happening around me.   I watched the mama ewe with her lamb, and she watched me, unsure if I posed a threat or if I was harmless.  She stomped her feet when I got too close, warning me that I was closing in on her personal space and she wasn't having it.   After moving them into their own "nursery suite" I left them alone and watched from a distance.  Not everyday is simple and sweet like this, but I am thankful for days that are.  

Budgets, records and 105 years ago.....

I spent 4.5 hours yesterday at the Farm Service Agency going over the farm operation. We worked on budgets, expenses, profits, etc. and before leaving, I received my own farm records book to use over the next year. My great grandpa kept detailed records of his operation, and we still have his record book from 1911-1912. His ledger shows costs for "sheep Pasture" and profits for selling eggs each month. For the month of March, he sold $12.04. In 1910, a dozen eggs cost roughly .33, so assuming the prices were the same, he sold about 36 dozen a month. last night, I packed up eggs for delivery this morning to the B&B, just like my great grandpa may have done 105 years ago. I'm certain I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, and that is a wonderful feeling friends.  -B

Where have we been?

We want to give all of our lovely customers and friends an update on the status of our farm.  The support from friends, neighbors and our community was so great that we sold out much quicker than we anticipated! It is a good problem to have, but we are in the works to expand our flock to meet the demand.  We have fiber products in the works, and cannot wait to have them ready for our customers. You can come see us at the Harvest Moon Festival in Oxford, Ohio on Sunday September 25th from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm.  We will have information on our farm, hopefully wool products and our mascot lamb, Irisa.  We hope to see you there, and thank you for following along! You can find updates, and daily adventures on the farm on our instagram page, aurorabluefarmohio.