Archive for February, 2006
February 28, 2006 – Fast Seed
The seed I ordered the other day from Albert Lea Seed House has already arrived. They have a good selection of organic and regular seeds for pasture and small grains and are very fast. I even like the packaging with the custom-sewed bags and handwritten labels on the bags. So, tomorrow it looks like frost ...Read more.
February 27, 2006 – Kids
Well, after being gone for a few days, it’s time for a fresh look at the kids. Claire has a new doo and grows up more each day! Emma’s last basketball game was Saturday and today she picked up the bat. Martin, is, just Martin – wearing his favorite pair of mismatched boots, maybe, just ...Read more.
February 26, 2006 – Replacement Composter Done
I drove home this morning, so after unpacking and the like, didn’t have too much time for farming, other than taking a walk around the farm with Linda looking at it with slightly new eyes, finishing the household composter, and getting a small load of mulch from the pallet plant. I tired of driving on ...Read more.
February 25, 2006 – Conference Day 2
After I go to these conferences, there are so many things I want to try and so many things still to learn. Since noon yesterday I went to a session on starting a grassfed beef herd, from a third year farmer and a company that buys 100% grassfed beef. It’s all genetics, great forage, and ...Read more.
February 24, 2006 – Upper Midwest Organic Conference
Today I’m at the Upper Midwest Organic Gardening Conference in La Crosse, WI. I haven’t been to the meeting since it moved from the convent to the convention center. This year over 2,000 people will attend – it truly is nice to be among so many others that share a vision of an environmentally friendly, ...Read more.
February 23, 2006 – Thingamajig Thursday #12
Here’s this week’s “Thingamajig Thursday” entry. Also check out last week’s answer. Here’s something I’ve mentioned in the last two weeks. As always, put your guess in a comment below. Answer… anonymous guessed correctly – the teeth next to the blade of a chain saw.
February 22, 2006 – Warmth Returns
Was able to get outside and get a few more things moving along. Warmed back into the 40′s today. Almost completed building the new household composter – just need to insert a few more eye bolts and make the center partition.
February 21, 2006 – On the Olympic Podium
Not many people know that I have stood on the Olympic podium! Here I am with daughter Claire and mother-in-law Joanne in Park City, UT, which hosted the downhill, bobsled, and ski jumping for the 2002 Olympics. Our medals were stripped once it was discovered we did not train, nor did we appear in any ...Read more.
February 20, 2006 – Trying to Make it all Work
The last few days I’ve been working on a high hopes newsletter and order form for the upcoming season. Today I called the locker where we take chickens to find out the minimum number we could sell to individuals and let them pick it up. They wouldn’t do it period. So something that was inconvenient ...Read more.
February 19, 2006 – All Things Not Created Equal
It makes complete sense to us that animals raised eating and acting the way they traditionally have been treated make better food. Evidence is sometimes hard to come by since these producers are for the most part, small family operations and lack multi-million dollar lobbying and industry organizations. We strongly believe that the husbandry and ...Read more.
February 18, 2006 – Coldest Day of the Year
Well, Tuesday’s 65 degrees have been replaced by -12. Although it’s not as cold as growing up in Minnesota, it still gets my attention, especially with the wind howling. I’m happy for this cold snap as it helps prevent the “southern” bugs from overwintering, especially with it so cold and blowing into every crevasse and ...Read more.
February 17th, 2006 – Where’s the Snow?
The 5-9 inches of snow we were supposed to get never materialized. I don’t think we even got an inch, but we did get the wind and bitter cold. The weather forecasters often miss the snow, but never seem to miss on the cold! (Maybe it’s because the cold covers 3-4 entire states and it ...Read more.
February 16, 2006 – Thingamajig Thursday #11
Here’s this week’s “Thingamajig Thursday entry.” Also check out last week’s answer. Here’s something I look at at least every 4 days! As always, put your guess in a comment below. Answer… It is indeed the “handle” to open the gate on the gravity wagon that lets the grain out at whatever speed needed – ...Read more.
February 15, 2006 – Gettin’ Ready for Snow
Yesterday’s 60′s will soon be a memory. Today, I tried to get some time outside to get things wrapped up before the snow and cold revisit. Got the tree all cut up with the chain saw, wood stacked and limbs hauled to next year’s bonfire pile. Other housekeeping chores included filling corn buckets for stove, ...Read more.
