Our Cow Herd

Last week we had 2 calves . This is one of them.

We are trying to build our herd one at a time. Right now we have 18 to 20 cows.

Our cows have been getting out of the fences all week.  It's like the saying goes, "The Grass Is Always Greener On The Other Side Of The Fence."

                                                                                               Zach

Spring on our Farm

There is a lot of maintenance to do on a farm in spring, such as getting out the equipment and servicing it.  We also worm cows, spread manure, check fences for winter damage, and overseed pastures. A lot of planning goes into farming.

 My favorite thing about farming is it teaches you to work hard and
to have a good work ethic.

                                                                                                  Zach

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

We want to wish all of you a very "MERRY CHRISTMAS!!" this year!  Jesus Christ is the greatest gift to all of mankind and His resurrection makes ALL the difference for each of us.  We also thank you for the wonderful year that we have had.  God Bless your Christmas Season and a Blest New Year!

Spring and Summer brings new life!

One thing I love about the summer months is all the new life that we see around us.  New lambs, calves and plants push through the soft warm soil.  There is nothing like seeing a cherry tree in full bloom or mama cows licking thier newborn calves, nudging them to rise up on their wobbly legs.

                                          Disking a field this spring preparing to seed grass.

Yes, summer is a blessing!  We enjoy hot dogs around the campfire, trips to the lake to play in the water, fresh vegetables out of the garden, and the blessings go on and on.  Spend time with your family this summer, and go out and enjoy God's great creation.

Market report:

1. We only have a few cows left that will be ready to butcher this season, so reserve your quarter, half or whole asap.
2. Hogs will be ready this fall or early winter, so get your freezer ready for fresh pork.
3. We currently do not have any meat chickens, but do intend on having some starting in August.

What Happened!!

What happened to you!!  That may be the question some of you are asking.  It seems like we dropped off of the planet.  We haven't!!  But our world has been turned upside down the last several weeks.  We have faced several big decisions, and it hasn't always been easy to know which direction to go.  We have been able to make a few decisions, still praying and trusting for others, and resting in God's goodness and faithfulness all the way.  Keep praying for us!

The cows are doing good; several of the cows are getting close to having babies.  We added another milk cow to the herd and are looking forward to getting back to enjoying our own milk.  We haven't started any broiler chicks yet this year but hope to later this summer.  Also, our son is wanting to raise more turkeys for Thanksgiving.  Let us know if you are interested in either one.  We are limited on the amount of beef that will be available this year since we are keeping back our females to have for breeding stock in the future.  If you think you might want beef, let us know asap since we only have a limited supply.

Thank you for your support, prayers, friendship and being the base that keeps our farm going.  Knowing that we are helping other families have healthy food to eat gives us great joy and fulfillment.

Check this out!

The typical dairy cow raised in a confinement dairy is injected with hormones to increase her milk production. Then after only two year's on the job, she's slaughtered and turned into hamburger because she's either sick, lame, fails to breed, or is a less than stellar producer. The average cull rate in the dairy industry is 30 percent. That means that each year, almost a third of our dairy cows are slaughtered and replaced with new heifers.

 

I was at a sale barn one day when several dairy animals were brought in the ring to be sold.  The gentleman who purchased the animals was a cattle buyer for a large fast food chain here in America.  After I saw the animals that the buyer got, our family has never eaten hamburgers at this chain again, and that was over 4 years ago.

A cow that's treated well, spared the hormones, and raised on pasture can be expected to produce milk for ten years or more. The cull rate in a grass-based dairy can be as low as 7 percent. The money that a farmer saves by not having to replace a third of the herd every year helps offset the fact that a cow free of artificial hormones produces less milk. Bossy gets the respect that she deserves and consumers get hormone-free, nutrient-rich milk.

Beef prices continue to climb!

Yesterday I was listening to the market report on the radio and feeder cattle prices had hit $1.77/lbs which is a record high price.  I am amazed at how the cattle market is so high this winter and historically prices always go up in the spring with grass greening up.  High beef prices make it hard on families to afford buying much beef.  Some alternatives to beef would be pasture raised pork, chicken or turkey.  These products have not seen such a climb in cost over the last few months and could be a affordable short term meat choice.  We have all four meat products available this year for your family to enjoy.  We are currently getting ready to order meat chicks for those of you that would like to enjoy pasture raised poultry meat.  If you would like to place a pre-order please let us know, and we will work with your family to accommodate its needs.