Monthly Archives: June 2012

First week of CSA

Now it feels like the summer is really underway. This week we delivered our first boxes for our CSA. We are blessed that our CSA continues to grow and that we have our permanent home to grow on. It’s really a great feeling. This year we deliver twice a week which makes for twice as many long days in the car but is more efficient with harvesting and managing boxes. It’s a great break and time to relax and listen to music and visit with the children. They loving coming and helping. Here is our newsletter for this week if you are interested.

In the midst of all the business and fun of farm life we are finding out how important it is for us to take breaks for fun. Of course for the children nothing could be more fun then baby animals. Luckily there are alot in the country.
 

Our neighbor had a brand new baby donkey. Love the fro. It’s a good life.

Freedom Rangers Arrive

At least this time I was prepared and knew exactly what day the chicks were set to arrive. I took the phone to bed with me and went to bed early knowing it would be an early call from the post office. But I definitely should not have shared with the children chick arrival day–that is if I wanted to sleep. At 6:00 am they woke up and wanted to know why the post office hadn’t called yet–um because it’s way too early. Anyway they were too excited at that point. Finally at 7:00 am we got the call.
 

We ordered from Freedom Rangers. It’s amazing to me how chicks can travel through the mail. This is our 2nd time ordering chicks this year.
 

As usual it is really hard for the children to wait to get their hands on those chicks. Despite them waking me incredibly early they were a big help when it came to getting the chicks used to their new home. Every single one of those chicks have to have their beaks dipped in water so that they will get a taste for it right away.

Then it was off to explore their new home. They seems quite strong already, hopefully we will have more success with this chick starting.

These chicks are bred to free range and live in the open air but still provide a good source of meat. I wasn’t sure how the children would handle knowing that these chicks were purchased specifically for our table (and our customers). But it didn’t seem to phase them. While I have many vegetarian leanings myself I feel that it is important for any meat my family consumes to be the highest quality which means in part raised the most humane way possible.

I am glad we found a hatchery that feels the same way and is run by a young family similar to ours.

Current Highlights

I have had the blessing the last couple of weeks of sharing our life here at Crazy Boy Farm with family and friends in person. While I love sharing in the place also there is something special about that face to face connection. What has been really memorable to me is sharing our home with my aunt Janice and her husband Ron and my uncle Russel. They have seen this journey from the very beginning–like birth and now can share with me and my family as we continue our journey.

While showing my uncle Russel around today I took a few pictures of the highlights to share with you so you wouldn’t feel too left out. And seriously if you are ever around Rush City, MN drop us a line.
 

Cherries just starting to form on our new cherry tree. We have yet to figure out deer fencing so they are still waiting for their permanent place.
 

The last of our really big projects for this year–the packing shed. Here is phase one.

Our free ranging chickens are really getting bold. While I love seeing them roam around the property figuring out the best way to protect them has been a bit of an issue but they seem very happy with their freedom.

Loads of good stuff going on around here. Thanks for joining us.

Open House Success

Thankfully it is finally drying up after all that rain! So we have been out planting like crazy and trying to get caught up but I wanted to take a moment to say thank-you to everyone who stopped by this last week for our very first open house! It was definitely a success and I am so thankful we had the opportunity to share it with all of you. We were so busy I completely forgot to take pictures but let me tell you Jimmy and Blackie, our brand new baby goats were a big hit. And so was the food. Thank-you to everyone who contributed. And if you made the asparagus, zucchini salad we have had alot of request for recipes.

Goats Born on the farm

This morning when we went to feed the goats, Raven let us know today would be the day her babies were born. Oddly enough Two on the way to the goat barn said, “wouldn’t it be great if Raven’s babies were born today?” He was particularly excited when I told him the good news. He and Avril stayed in the barn all morning diligently and quietly watching Raven and reporting back on progress. Around 11:30 it was time for lunch and I knew the time was really close.

Right after lunch they were once again in the barn. I hadn’t even started the dishes when Two ran back to tell us the nose of the first baby had appeared. I tried to get Mavis and Effie and camera together but we missed both births.

I was quite proud of the older children though who acted as midwives at their first goat birth. Two says, “I saw something black coming out of her but and I thought it looked like poop but when I looked closer there were nostrils.” Then the head came and the rest of the body and he ran to grab the towels while the 2nd one was born in Avril’s presence.
 

Raven with Blackie (kids named them).

Blackie and Jimmy in the background.

Blackie and Jimmy with Avril and Mavis looking on.
 

Two trying to help them nurse for the first time.
 

Effie, our little animal lover, trying to pick up Blackie. She actually succeeded at one point and wasn’t happy when we took him away.
 

Avril holding Jimmy.

It was a great day for the children. A bittersweet one in all honestly for me. After all we are striving towards a working farm and hoped that at least one of these babies would add to our milk production in coming years, but I guess it was not to be. Yes we were given twin bucks.

I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to keep them. But the attentions of the children have won me over. So our first goats born on the farm will stay on the farm, as pets of the children that were there when they were born.