Saturday, April 23, 2011

God's Fertilizer


With the ground getting firmer this spring we have been busy spreading God's gift of natural fertilizer.  We get this from all the different types of livestock that we raise.  Each is different in fertilizer value, but all is invaluable to keeping our farm sustainable and our cost down.  We have been spreading cow manure most recently, loading with one tractor and spreading with our 1952 John Deere A.  The old A seems to be doing what it enjoys, working on the farm.  We utilize as much of our own manure as possible to fertilize our fields.  Each ton of manure is loaded with nutrients and organic matter which helps build our soil health while feeding our plants the valuable elements they need to thrive.  In turn our animals eat the healthy plants and create more nutrient rich fertilizer for the soil.  God's design in nature was to be a complete cycle that works together to benefit for the common good of the whole.  Historically farmers have been stewards of this cycle of nature, carefully managing each area that was put under his dominion.  Farmers have done relatively well at this until really the last 50-60 years.  With the creation of petroleum/salt base commercial fertilizers, pesticides, and now GMO products, farmers have been sucked into $$$$$$$ and have turned from a steward into a profit driven corporate structure.  Most farmers today are largely influenced by their commerical fertilizer salesman/fieldman who went to an Ag college that is given millions of dollars by Pesticide/Fertilizer corporations to train future fieldmen.  This cycle can be changed one family at a time as future farmers recommit themselves to being good stewards, and by local consumer's as you support and encourage healthy, local food that is raised by conscientious growers.   Thank you for your support!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Everything is growing!

Well it appears that spring has finally arrived.  I am so excited about seeing the grass green up and start to grow.  The animals are even more excited about finally having fresh garden green food everyday for their diet.  The lambs love to run and frolic in the pasture, while the chickens scratch around to gather worms in the sod.  Our cows are ready to get off of winters dry hay and begin their feast of fresh, high energy green grass.  This grass is God's natural provision for these grazing animals, and it is such a blessing to see them enjoy the very thing that God created for them to grow and thrive on the best.