tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109929592024-02-28T04:27:02.135-05:00CNY CheeseSemi-daily ponderings of a central New York farm wife.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.comBlogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-41020429942487254032011-03-15T21:55:00.003-04:002011-03-15T22:02:13.300-04:00FOR SALE: Suzie Abbott<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7XRXzgaRvSDZkZQBlyfuN2LRBg6G5mP49LZHLnDymg6JMd4KXpxJa0J84-g4skx9bNnKmlPq_OQrsH1EZDxd-mL039znumHOJBQM2FAjgT9vTMj3g_dZuJ1Ze4OGU48yNUXgwA/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7XRXzgaRvSDZkZQBlyfuN2LRBg6G5mP49LZHLnDymg6JMd4KXpxJa0J84-g4skx9bNnKmlPq_OQrsH1EZDxd-mL039znumHOJBQM2FAjgT9vTMj3g_dZuJ1Ze4OGU48yNUXgwA/s320/004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584491986319163474" /></a><br />FOR SALE: Heamour Farm NC Suzie Abbott<br />Experimental doe. Wonderful markings. She is the middle one in this picture. Her brother Clarence is for sale too, but is not registerable. Mother has nice udder with high rear attachment and pleasant fore udder. She is gentle and easy to milk considering she has not been handled a lot. Dad is a well bred Lamancha. This would make a very nice dairy doe for someone. $200heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-9834074546679743962011-03-15T21:28:00.003-04:002011-03-15T21:53:22.166-04:00For Sale<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjG1eH6thWSg86X4OTjjTqsXJQyM3Aib9t_9x9G5RSJ6wP0FV1f-cNKi_-yfk92OiGrDU_87RDIwd6ysMRXC4h5BoB8piXA1ed7fTPqWLVb-DxuhI8yhcQlBwxSIXSeCfxwN4pA/s1600/012.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjG1eH6thWSg86X4OTjjTqsXJQyM3Aib9t_9x9G5RSJ6wP0FV1f-cNKi_-yfk92OiGrDU_87RDIwd6ysMRXC4h5BoB8piXA1ed7fTPqWLVb-DxuhI8yhcQlBwxSIXSeCfxwN4pA/s320/012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584484285457247474" /></a><br />FOR SALE: Experimental Doe. Blue Dairy NC Angelica<br />Blue Dairy is Claire's prefix. This is a very lovely experimental dairy doe. Her dad is an extremely well bred Lamancha with smashing udders all over the pedigree. He does improve common does, but when you cross him onto something as lovely as Claire's doe Kickadee Hill KHJD Ava, well, you have something special. This doe basically takes a Kickadee Hill saanen and puts Lamancha ears on it. Money from the sale of Claire's goats goes directly into her college fund. She would like $300 for this kid.<br /><br />Kids Sire: Nestor Acres Idol's Conner; he is a purebred Lamancha<br />Sire: CH Mint*Leaf American Idol, littermate to Mint*Leaf American Beauty <br /> 2008 2nd place Sr. Kid at Nationals<br />SS: Altrece Cosmopolitan<br />SSS: Willow Run Bugatti Spartan<br />SSD: CH Altrece Wish Granted<br />SD: CH The Preference Flyer 2008 & 2010 National Show Reserve GCH, <br /> 2008 Best Udder & 2010 Reserve Best Udder<br />SDS: Singing-Hills Preference<br />SDD: Singing-Hills TT Brenna<br /><br />Dam: CH Pine-Springs Scouts Cora LA 8-04 91(EEEE)<br />DS: Pine Springs SS Scouts Redman<br />DSS: +*B Redwood-Hills Nomad Scout<br />DSD: CH South-Fork DV Satin<br />DD: Pine-Springs Corona LA 89(VEEV)<br />DDS: ++*B SG Haute Caprine Pulsar<br />DDD: GCH Pine Springs McCorinne LA 91(EEEE)<br /><br />Kids Dam: Kickadee Hill KHJD Ava, American Saanen<br />Sire: *B Kickadee Hill WRS James Dean<br />SS: CH Willow Run Stormfront Stuck Up 3-05 88(VVE)<br />SSS: Windsor Manor DD Stormfront<br />SSD: SGCH Windsor Manor WMDM Stormy 4-00 90(VVEE)<br />SD: GCH Kicakdee Hill WMV Jorgette 6*M 2-03 89(VEEE)<br />SDS: +B Windsor Manor AA Victor 7-03 91(EEE) 2004 Premier Sire<br />SDD: SGCH Kicakdee Hill Jeena 5*M 2-03 87(+VEE)<br /><br />Dam: Kickadee Hill KHG Abigail<br />Sire: *B Kickadee Hill WMV Gabriel 1-04 92(EEE) <br />SS: +B Windsor-Manor AA Victor 7-03 91(EEE) 2004 Premier Sire<br />SD: GCH Kickadee-Hill Morning Glory 6*M 5-04 90(VVEE)<br />Dam: SGCH Willow Run Dreammaker Arlene 2*M 5-04 92(EEEE)<br />DS: SG ++*B Windsor Manor WMT Dream Maker 3-03 90(VEE)<br />DD: Willow Run Visionquest Anneka *Mheamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-7291587797773716582011-03-09T13:40:00.002-05:002011-03-09T13:53:10.783-05:00FOR SALE: Heamour KJ Jillian<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNJ9w4ezxaXdk_B4GFYvxApLnLOo1BmVapYuy0fpQ_g5-ZRQXC5SOBDVZSIFbWJhfb755emzEs-BEtSuV7k3jLRBzukvaQDEgOqvoY9yYO4Ygt4o5upatp6CP_m5Rh5xRw5QxvQ/s1600/004.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNJ9w4ezxaXdk_B4GFYvxApLnLOo1BmVapYuy0fpQ_g5-ZRQXC5SOBDVZSIFbWJhfb755emzEs-BEtSuV7k3jLRBzukvaQDEgOqvoY9yYO4Ygt4o5upatp6CP_m5Rh5xRw5QxvQ/s320/004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582155066681240130" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP66nNN2vYE4D1dpFRwQPqgULLhLOLtTy4micHHu210_hQqMroXFZr9ZtghKnycQsSs4Gr4FunAZkrtCW_pLsvn8yQe3EiKoC3Tj9fO6_7VTcaODBHqV0FoemlsH7DfLrS9LG3g/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP66nNN2vYE4D1dpFRwQPqgULLhLOLtTy4micHHu210_hQqMroXFZr9ZtghKnycQsSs4Gr4FunAZkrtCW_pLsvn8yQe3EiKoC3Tj9fO6_7VTcaODBHqV0FoemlsH7DfLrS9LG3g/s320/003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582155059310949346" /></a><br />For Sale: Heamour KJ Jillian. American Saanen, registration pending. She is by our Jr. Herdsire King-Farm CSOC Breeze Jordan http://www.adgagenetics.org/GoatDetail.aspx?RegNumber=S001540229 out of Kickadee Hill KHA Johanna http://www.adgagenetics.org/GoatDetail.aspx?RegNumber=S001486207. This is Johanna's second lactation. This doe should mature over 200# and takes after her grandmother SGCH Kickadee Hill Janey *5M http://www.kickadeehill.com/janey.htm. I am keeping her sister for now. Should do well in show ring. I took picture when she was 5-days old and it is hard for me to get a kid to stand for a photo without making them stretch out like a Saddlebred or hunch their back. She is lovely and should milk well. $400.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-960645116669664212011-03-09T13:26:00.002-05:002011-03-09T13:38:58.010-05:00FOR SALE: Heamour KJ Amelia Bedelia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmLck1LoYpWu5uz-2Mf4sclT9Joax8CneknQsG8g8Zxyed-sIIsx8C2WP4koVl1tiuxaNhtJuBUO_IzUHrtno0RkRZj-KQDn3qLCkwVA6UDVhiKlc8uGfhiBtrboJzokEZeUdRg/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmLck1LoYpWu5uz-2Mf4sclT9Joax8CneknQsG8g8Zxyed-sIIsx8C2WP4koVl1tiuxaNhtJuBUO_IzUHrtno0RkRZj-KQDn3qLCkwVA6UDVhiKlc8uGfhiBtrboJzokEZeUdRg/s320/002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582149111207453506" /></a><br />For Sale: Heamour KJ Amelia Bedelia E1544165. born 1/18/2011. Sire is one of our Jr. Herdsires King-Farm CSOC Breeze Jordan AS1540229. Mother is an alpine I bought last year from Karen Fisher. Swamp-Hill Astilbe AA1540232. This is one I should keep, but I am trying to keep only 5-replacements and will be doing so from older does I bought this last year. Excellent width in rump, wonderful shoulders, well balanced and has excellent substance. Her mother has a will to milk and her father is doubled up on Prime Rate (milk). $300.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-79022670970914877202011-03-09T13:15:00.004-05:002011-03-09T13:39:57.585-05:00For Sale: Annabelle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMx27nhdRTmdVc3yM3IduBCTZUgRI3iNdFw8JYQzhlCo3fcG_kkr4-yvVkrKL9uOV4emAT8kLt2wnEC8i3WTxO4FIWJMXlRg7eKZXNp3mYkW0Hwydg9TCCS6KJarVjbtJZdXiyQ/s1600/037.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMx27nhdRTmdVc3yM3IduBCTZUgRI3iNdFw8JYQzhlCo3fcG_kkr4-yvVkrKL9uOV4emAT8kLt2wnEC8i3WTxO4FIWJMXlRg7eKZXNp3mYkW0Hwydg9TCCS6KJarVjbtJZdXiyQ/s320/037.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582147316701106690" /></a><br />FOR SALE: Sweet doe, born 5/14/2010. Mother is a lovely saanen doe that our daughter owns. Father is an Arapawa buck that is now at Nettle Meadows. She is cream colored. We disbudded her. I planned to milk her, but with 20-does kidding and many older members that I really should keep daughters from, project goats like Annabelle have to be sold. She is not registerable, but I will give you a complete pedigree for your records. She should be moderate sized with lovely components. $200. <br /><br />First money and pick up takes precedence in all sales. We try to be as honest as possible about all matters of health and breeding. You are welcome to view flock and records. Sire and Dam are CAE and Johnne's negative.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-71670049156283327802011-01-07T10:13:00.002-05:002011-01-07T10:47:06.042-05:00Definitions II - Allergy vs Lactose IntoleranceThis is something that I learned more about as I started to make cheese. It is easy to misunderstand the difference, because most Dr.'s have problems understanding food allergies and sensitivities. There are different body systems that react when you are allergic vs. lactose intolerant. Often there are overlapping symptoms. <br /><br />When I sold yogurt, I ended up running into people that also had issues with certain probiotics that were in the yogurt and wanted to know how long it cultured for (more lactic acid = less lactose). It was through a lot of those people that I started to gain a better understanding of these differences. For those with allergies, man this is a matter of life or death. It is important that you go beyond this blog and really learn more before you believe every marketing slant that people have for their products.<br /><br />Lactose intolerance happens because the body is lacking an enzyme called lactase. This enzyme takes the milk sugar, lactose, and breaks it down into usable bits in the body. When you are lactose intolerant, you make gas. So, you feel bloated, burp, feel nauseous, may get diarrhea. It is more an uncomfortable relationship to milk.<br /><br />For those that are lactose intolerant, they may be able to consume aged cheeses, yogurt, and lactic cheeses. To make lactic cheese and yogurt, cheese makers are using bacteria that love lactose to help with the coagulation process. They convert this lactose into lactic acid (and other flavor making by-products). There are not a lot of lactose molecules left in the process of making these products. <br /><br />In longer aged cheeses, like cheddar(real ones, not industrial garbage), the bacteria are still working on the lactose in the cave (aging). <br /><br />Make note of the age of the particular kind of cheese and sample only a small amount until you find your tolerance level.<br /><br />An allergy to milk can be life threatening. In this case, your body has developed antibodies to some protein component of that milk. There are a lot of proteins associated milk. Breeds of animals and species of animals have different proteins and amounts of proteins in their milk. While it is highly unlikely that you can isolate the protein components that you have issues with, it may help you select another animal that you can tolerate.<br /><br />As with intolerance, you can get abdominal issues, but generally, you see eczema or a skin reaction as well. More severe allergic reactions involve the respiratory system. This may start simple, like seasonal allergies, but can become life threatening to some people. The kicker with this is that sometimes symptoms start the next day, so it is hard to associate it with the drink of milk you had the day before.<br /><br />For some people, they may not be able to consume cows milk, but they can consume goat or sheep milk. If you are having respiratory issues with cows milk, I would not even try goat or sheep milk unless the EpiPen and a Dr. are right there with you for 24-hours.<br /><br />Some myths... <br />*If you are allergic to milk, being raw will not make it more tolerable. <br />*You will tolerate goat milk if you are allergic to cows milk, not lactose intolerant.<br />*Homogenization does things to milk, but it has nothing to do with lactose. <br />*Goat milk is not naturally homogenized, the fat just stays suspended longer. This, too has nothing to do with lactose and your ability to consume it if you are lactose intolerant.<br />*You may also be allergic to what the animal ate! If you are committed to drinking milk, work with Dr. on this, don't go it alone. Allergies are not something to play with. You can die.<br /><br />I tried to make this simple. I hope this helps. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">I also wanted to say, that there were times that I advised people interested in buying our products that it was <span style="font-weight:bold;">ok</span> that they cannot eat dairy. I was not going to hold it against them and they did not have to please to by buying my products. </span>heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-89046805959293448192011-01-05T13:07:00.002-05:002011-01-05T13:19:11.727-05:00Definitions I - Heritage as it relates to CattleI am starting a series on definitions of products to help the consumer understand what this flurry of words means when they go to their coop or farmers market. I hope that by helping you come up with an understanding about what this means in the marketplace, you can ask informed questions of the vendors to see if they are producing and selling what it is that you are, in fact, looking for.<br /><br />I will start with the definition of Heritage as it relates to Cattle and their products. ALBC just launched this definition at the Annual Meeting in November, 2010 in Hamilton, NY. Marjorie Bender did an excellent job of moderating this discussion and the results are a very nice definition. http://albc-usa.org/heritagecattle/definition.html .<br /><br />In a nutshell:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Heritage Cattle Products must come from</span>:<br /><br /> * Heritage Cattle only.<br /> * Herds with ongoing breed selection practices for longevity, fertility, and productivity.<br /> * Herds that follow sustainable management practices that provide for animal well-being<br /><br /> ~ diets that are all plant-based, and primarily forage-based.<br /> ~ raised primarily in open, pasture or range, environments. This specifically excludes total confinement operations.<br /> ~ free from routine prophylactic antibiotics.<br /> ~ free from administered synthetic or natural growth promoters or growth hormones.<br /> ~ humanely slaughtered.<br /><br /> A. Definition of Heritage Beef Products:<br /> Beef animals and their products marketed as Heritage Beef must:<br /><br /> * Be produced from the mating of registered, purebred parent stock.<br /> ~ This allows for the sale as Heritage of those offspring that are produced by mating registered animals of two different Heritage breeds.<br /> * Include the name of the breed of that animal on the label, or the two Heritage breeds used in crossbred production.<br /><br />B. Definition of Heritage Milk or Heritage Milk Products:<br />Milk marketed as Heritage Milk must:<br /><br /> * Be exclusively from animals that have been produced from the mating of registered, purebred parent stock.<br /> ~ This allows for the sale as Heritage of milk from those offspring that are produced by mating registered animals of two different Heritage breeds.<br /> * Include the name(s) of the breed(s) of the animals on product label.<br /><br />Products made with Heritage Milk:<br /><br /> * Must be made exclusively with Heritage Milk to use Heritage in the product name.<br /> * As an ingredient may use “Made with Heritage Milk” on the label but cannot use Heritage in the product title, and the label must state the percentage of milk from each Heritage breed.<br /> * Must include the name(s) of the breed(s) of the animals on product label.<br /><br />Terms like “heirloom,” “antique,” old-fashioned,” and “old timey” imply heritage and are understood to be synonymous with the definition provided hereheamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-50752774824687714922010-11-29T13:46:00.002-05:002010-11-29T14:05:41.530-05:00Mission and Goals IIWe have had our first volley of conversation about what it is that we want to achieve or do in the next 10-years. Going back to those goals. Revisiting the mission statement.<br />Dave:<br />*I want to milk 15 cows<br />*I want to sell my veal calves at a sustainable price<br />*I want to retire from full-time farming in 10-years<br />*Should we buy this one hay piece that we use and is for sale?<br />*I need help with forage harvesting<br />*I do not want to work myself into the grave..<br />Shannon:<br />*I want to hire someone to do afternoon chores <br />*I want to hire someone to do affinage<br />*I want to make enough cheese to provide all of us a sustainable income<br />*I am not the retirement plan for Dave<br />*I want to make dulce de leche and dulce de cajeta as well as cheese<br />*I want to invest in someone that is willing to learn, but has a benefit to my business rather than just offer workshops and do consulting...<br /><br />This is a start. This is where we are in the process of bringing our goals back and rethinking our mission.<br /><br />So far it is agreed that we may need to hire 1 1/2 people. The processing business MUST expand if we are going to pay for all of this. It looks like consulting and workshops are going to be replaced with intern/business partner type arrangement. Dave may want to replace pasture veal with milking in 10-years.<br /><br />We want to talk to Claire too. She is 8-years old and her decisions will make an impact on what we do after this 10-years are up (succession planning). Right now, she needs to focus on being Claire. The question is, she loves to be in the barn milking her goats every night. This is 7-days a week. Is this too much for her? Does she just want to go to 2-milkings a week and try something else like swimming?<br /><br />After we get this sorted, then we go on to enterprise budget for 1 1/2 people and what it is that we want from an employee. How much is a sustainable wage? Is there someone local (with housing), or do we have to import someone looking for housing as well as salary...heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-85085394662959805872010-11-28T17:19:00.002-05:002010-11-28T17:46:53.129-05:00Cross RoadsMy mom continually asked me "What do you plan to do with your life?". That was often coupled with "What are you studying this semester?". Now it is just "What are you up to?" Every fall and into winter I ask myself what I plan to do next year.<br /><br />I just completed the first of two workshops for ALBC on dairy farming using heritage breeds. This was a beta version. I think that it went well. The thing that hit me the most was a comment Dennis Moore with NY Dept of Ag & Markets said. There are 34 new dairy processing operations in NY that started this year! <br /><br />The knee jerk reaction for someone in the industry is to say that they will not be here in 2-5 years. Arrogant, confident response. In my market area I often wonder how many the region CAN hold onto considering the scrapping I've done with others to help build a local food system. <br /><br />My cheeses and dairy products are good enough to stand on their own and I can always sell them outside of this area. The thing is that, going back to the workshop, I talked about mission statements and goals and revisiting them to see where you are.<br /><br />The mission statement was "To make cheeses that taste great. To provide a stable milk price for the dairy. To provide an on farm income for me." I do the first sentence. I make a consistent cheese. It is a nice table cheese. People consistently purchase it year after year. <br /><br />The second statement was thrown out the window this year. It is not that I did not pay Dave for the milk. It is not that I underpaid him for his milk. I did not buy it. I used milk from goats. I always wanted to milk goats. Kept trying to purchase it. When Claire said she wanted to show something... I bought enough goats to make a batch of cheese! So what of those cows? He is organic now and we are on winter program. This means we are paid $28/hwt. Can I afford to or do I need to buy his milk?<br /><br />The third statement. Ah, that third one. My cheese business was going great guns until we had this crisis of place and decided to move closer to family. We decided not to move a cave of cheese (because where do you find a handy and empty cave to borrow) and I sold out of cheese. I stated up in March this year and had to basically sit on cheese until 6-weeks ago! I did more consulting work this year.<br /><br />I helped Stolzfus Dairy learn how to make cheddar curd. I wrote this workbook for ALBC on how to do dairy processing using heritage breeds. I worked on the conference. I did some other putter things related to dairy. I also started R&D on confectionery products.<br /><br />Confectionery products. They taste lovely. They are easy, yet time consuming. They helped me with ego issues related to not having cheese for all of those people who rang looking for cheeses that had to hang around. It is a handy way to use late lactation goat milk.<br /><br />So now I am at this point where I need to tell Peter, yes, I am committed to that Fire Cooker for caramel and goat fudge. I need to just ramp up cheese making (including going back to using our cows milk). I need to decide whether or not I need to help more people get into this business...<br /><br />I have a week to make decisions. It is thrown into my court. Dave wants me to focus on cheese only. No consulting. No workshops. No caramel. Just cheese. I like all of the above and know I need to hire someone to do affinage and someone to milk goats in the evening. I feel like I CAN do all of those things, yet I am so exhausted from trying to do all of them for a year now. Really tired and I have an injured foot that probably needs either surgery of steroid injections because I felt I could do everything.<br /><br />So, rewrite mission statement or go back to it? I feel like I cannot make this decision so exhausted, but I have a week to do it.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-45216370744857323832010-10-30T19:28:00.002-04:002010-10-30T19:31:01.901-04:00Claire PoemI found this in Claire's writing book. Date 10/28/10.<br /><br />Pick pumpkin in the field.<br />Use a knife to carve a pumpkin.<br />My pumpkin is scary.<br />Pumpkin pie is good.<br />Keep the seeds for next year.<br />I can carve pumpkin.<br />Now it is time for Halloween.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-15274843563542423672010-08-21T21:09:00.003-04:002010-08-21T21:17:59.736-04:00Ashland Kuhler<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDZk0rH-tg0xbLZ7qr_yrZSxR5tnhV_gRWWT-0M8vKB_y7uALeQdvvajMQ8ialrpKcr7Hzm6oV4lAkm4jcJlacLNLtoqlV7jXzDM9YqSR7ZvCb99zGZPfI8_lSudKNJDqM9I-xw/s1600/002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDZk0rH-tg0xbLZ7qr_yrZSxR5tnhV_gRWWT-0M8vKB_y7uALeQdvvajMQ8ialrpKcr7Hzm6oV4lAkm4jcJlacLNLtoqlV7jXzDM9YqSR7ZvCb99zGZPfI8_lSudKNJDqM9I-xw/s320/002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508035814762813282" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Amish Water-Circulating Milk Cooler</strong><br /><br />*Heavy 304 Stainless Steel Construction<br />*Silver Soldered to meet inspection and added strangth<br />*Long-Life - fow friction bearing<br />*Brass ball-valves - easy flow control<br />*Fast cooling - low water consumption<br />*Operates on low water pressure - 10'drop is sufficient<br />*NEEDS NO ELECTRICITY or other power sources<br />*Cut-off 5/8" water hose connects easily to nipple<br /><br />Sold in kit form with brush and 1" dial thermometer.<br />Guaranteed 1-year against parts or workmanship and or full refund if not satisfied.<br /><br />$155/each.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-65199904368206913092009-06-25T10:17:00.003-04:002009-06-25T10:21:19.802-04:00Schenectady GreenmarketMarge from Argyle Cheese Farmere rang to see if I would fill in her space at Schenectady Greenmarket on Sundays. It is a hike and I have to figure out who will milk the goats, but we agreed to do it. The market is new and is well run. I have also decided to do only Producer Only markets. We will bring:<br />Fromage Blanc<br />Quark<br />Triple Cream Quark<br />Fresh Mozzarella<br />Fresh Mozz curd<br />Feta<br />Dunlop curd<br />Yoghurt<br />Labneh (Greek Yoghurt)<br />flavored bits of this and that<br />As the market progresses, I'll bring a tomme and some other aged cheeses.<br /><br />We are not certifying the cheese side, only the cow dairy. We switched from ProCert to Baystate Organic Certifiers and to make it easier, we are doing it this way. <br /><br />Come see us at the Market!heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-62613129882675414942009-02-01T10:29:00.002-05:002009-02-01T10:33:44.322-05:00World's Top 10 Seed CompaniesCompany - 2007 seed sales (US$ millions) - % of global proprietary seed<br />market<br /> <br />1.Monsanto (US) - $4,964m - 23% <br />2.DuPont (US) - $3,300m - 15% <br />3.Syngenta (Switzerland) - $2,018m - 9% <br />4.Groupe Limagrain (France) - $1,226m - 6% <br />5.Land O' Lakes (US) - $917m - 4% <br />6.KWS AG (Germany) - $702m - 3% <br />7.Bayer Crop Science (Germany) - $524m - 2% <br />8.Sakata (Japan) - $396m - <2% <br />9.DLF-Trifolium (Denmark) - $391m - <2% <br />10.Takii (Japan) - $347m - <2% <br />Top 10 Total - $14,785m - 67% [of global proprietary seed market] <br />Source: ETC Group <br /><br />.....................................<br />People in the world are going to become more and more hungry. Look at what corporate greed is doing to banks. The U.S. government has no desire to do anything with corporate greed in the agricultural sector. Milk prices are tanking on the conventional market and they are putting all of us on 1 year contracts with the organic market. You don't think they are going to try to hose the organic dairy people next?<br /><br />Here you go Obama. Want to change something? Start with the bedrock of society...agriculture and make it a more sustainable system. Like a seed is quality soil, it grows healthy...heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-62569952183442142462009-01-13T18:22:00.002-05:002009-01-13T18:29:41.813-05:00Mom School<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-ubQSQXEvipf1o3v_-TqiF3bnIsUGOstI90I4sVk-oGqQKQ8yURlmx3gh4Xf57Drueo3drQPfbftiOiSH2GfaSt8bhb0rbm0S748eofVoVN6mym8EV36Q2pXS2GWWsydfHLNFw/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-ubQSQXEvipf1o3v_-TqiF3bnIsUGOstI90I4sVk-oGqQKQ8yURlmx3gh4Xf57Drueo3drQPfbftiOiSH2GfaSt8bhb0rbm0S748eofVoVN6mym8EV36Q2pXS2GWWsydfHLNFw/s200/005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290923685615249106" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjN4AJlJJG6imcBlG2lMoYpErF83lBmqRX5wD_mRY8quG88rXgtYvbzklg64pVGrWxGENcaLDLSTvKWT0_xQJQyDl1SjF7uWFyMFFbP_CJTsbRm3Aj8FbSJSXZKdU3xYNgAql1JA/s1600-h/016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjN4AJlJJG6imcBlG2lMoYpErF83lBmqRX5wD_mRY8quG88rXgtYvbzklg64pVGrWxGENcaLDLSTvKWT0_xQJQyDl1SjF7uWFyMFFbP_CJTsbRm3Aj8FbSJSXZKdU3xYNgAql1JA/s200/016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290923680620523714" /></a><br /><br />Mom School is what Claire calls being homeschooled. Here are photos of her study area and a field trip with Grammy Rice and Dad (and me) to MOST in Syracuse. She is doing a lot better and just finished her first reader and is taking her 3rd ATS Math test! We are plugging along in reading and her list of words she confidently reads is skyrocketing now that Mrs. Hagan is not in charge. <br /><br />Two great things she did recently are:<br />1. Ask to read a book and then do it on her own!<br />2. Do science charts on her own. Asking people questions and making charts to recod data and then translating data! Woohoo.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-8642233904658190412009-01-11T11:56:00.002-05:002009-01-11T12:08:19.973-05:00PlanningEveryone who dreams is a planner. Some are better at dreaming than others. Some are just as unrealisting in their dreams as they are in real-life planning.<br /><br />Last night I had this odd dream that we moved the whole farm operation somewhere artic. You know, where the day is night this time of year. It was oddly realistic, down to the chill going through my central NY winter garb and the small wood stove centric houses, many abandoned... We were up there with our cows and trying to figure out how to graze them like raindeer on the lichen and moss.<br /><br />With the Smokey House plan I waited until the last minute to follow through on the financials plans. Could not get ahold of "my man" and I had to do them on the fly. I like to hire this out. I am a planner, but took way more science and ag classes than business. I felt slightly fooling, but went ahead with the usual confidence. The thing is we CAN make that work and I don't like people knowing everything about me or my business. We adapt to meet the need and I cannot tell you in concrete fact what I will be doing in 6 months time anymore. <br /><br />Erin goes in for a heart cath. Monday. She is totally positive something absolutely negative is going to happen. The problem is that there is no plan for the bad thing that can happen. No written by lawyer plan. She is also banking on an insurance plan to bail the kids out if something does happen to her. The thing is that there is no plan. No written plan. <br /><br />I've worked in the rare breeds world for a time now. I've seen grand ambitions presented before. I've worked on rescue plans after they fail. I sometimes think that if people say your plan is crazy or not totally sane, it is time to evaluate this plan to see if they see something you do not. Ask questions. Make more plans.<br /><br />Now to finish the strategic plan for the Kerry cattle project and the more ambitious Heritage Cow project.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-61628250985001857012008-11-06T18:12:00.001-05:002008-11-06T18:17:59.156-05:00Happy Halloween from Claire<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFizFUcr3Tl3wL1PxRqoa0xXREb4ucuxFNa_zi70B2ZHeju5j529rY8JAep0Hrh6a7Tpi0bwIF7g3lk9ogEX59FaqVBGAns48qHgSort1kkGfWA_l1J1-DClo8rNFsm6Wnkdvng/s1600-h/125.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFizFUcr3Tl3wL1PxRqoa0xXREb4ucuxFNa_zi70B2ZHeju5j529rY8JAep0Hrh6a7Tpi0bwIF7g3lk9ogEX59FaqVBGAns48qHgSort1kkGfWA_l1J1-DClo8rNFsm6Wnkdvng/s320/125.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265687638152461266" /></a>heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-83660445946667402632008-10-09T08:38:00.002-04:002008-10-09T08:58:42.051-04:00Flower Parts<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4oULcT0B5QJKUg8ysgr1ubhIC6reIyZSStv1NBL0FhYI-R561h8dNE771vG9lzrJ5jWm31xooob5I-G0I0ATk-KEYj_5Tk-k0elg_58mnl6htGaUxShVk_NjfsJQOmxuhTSPGg/s1600-h/img019.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4oULcT0B5QJKUg8ysgr1ubhIC6reIyZSStv1NBL0FhYI-R561h8dNE771vG9lzrJ5jWm31xooob5I-G0I0ATk-KEYj_5Tk-k0elg_58mnl6htGaUxShVk_NjfsJQOmxuhTSPGg/s320/img019.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255133091979609922" /></a><br /><br />Claire has this teacher that has labeled her as "behind" because I homeschooled her last year. I know she has a hard time with phonics and learning how to read. Kinda why I looked into a school. I was clear with that. She is having a hard time consistently understanding how sounds go together. One day she gets it, one day she cannot remember what "a" or "e" or some blend sounds like. <br /><br />I felt a "professional" can help me teach her skills to "get" it consistently. Instead, I get that she is a "failure". That is Claire's term. I am constantly trying to come up with things to show her she is not a failure and that she is a smart girl, a beautiful girl and that all of the things about Claire are unique and special. <br /><br />She is not stupid and I cannot say I did anything of a disservice to her. When I tried all I could with my resources, I enrolled her in school. Now that this has happened, I've found more resources and am getting results at home with her. The teacher prefers to send her home with assessments that have a failing mark and tell me that she is not capable of learning because I homeschooled her... Can it be that Claire does not hear the teacher, or understand her or get a certain accent? Can it be something about a student distracting her? I don't know, I am trying to keep a business and household together here, not there... <br /><br />Claire is excellent in math and science though. <br /><br />This is a scan of a drawing she did of the parts of a flower. The key is <strong></strong>she<strong></strong> did of the parts of a flower. Yah, she has two of them spelled wrong, but it comes out of a <strong></strong>college<strong></strong> text book that she and I found when she asked me what the stamen and other flower parts were called. Now,tell me she is dumb or behind? I don't get why she is able to do the work here and will not for the teacher there? The whole point of first, second and third grade is to seek improvement and completion of the basics of learning, not develop test anxiety.<br /><br />I am dissapointed with this whole "school" process and I have no idea what to do. The thing is that if we leave, we are letting this teacher win too. She gets to keep the students that will succeed in her program. Woohoo. I am learning that 100% pass of tests has less to do with encouraging a full learning experience and more to do with pushing kids out of a program that does not fit into a mold. The irony is that she can and is still trying to blame it on me... <br /><br />My instinct is to pull her out and homeschool again. Dave, to enroll her in the podunk local elementary school that caused a lot of the problems in the first place.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-89417439485941290982008-10-06T18:08:00.002-04:002008-10-06T18:34:00.987-04:00leaves are changing...and blowing...<br /><br />I had a wonderful time at Argyle Cheese Farmer in Argyle, NY this weekend. Made cheese with Val Bines as expert cheese technologist and "the girls". The words for the week were "flocculation" (a perennial cheese workshop favorite) and "quiescence". <br /><br />We made a bid on a farm in Hebron. Apparently they feel that the markets are not dropping like the rest of the world. Confidence is nice. I wish it would spread through the rest of the world right now. Maybe our farm will sell then... A wet farm with nothing fancy for soils and a derelict barn (we were hoping to call home?)... They countered with double our offer. Our offer was not bad either. Funny, they actually want us to buy the whole deal, but it brings the farm back over $300,000. This farm acquisition project in this county is odd. In one farm they want a balloon payment in 5 years on a $350,000 farm. In one they up the price by $50,000 in the two weeks from our calling for an appointment to our coming to the showing, without a call. This was with a burn and bulldoze house project.. I hear it takes a year to find a perfect place in this county, but this is absurd.<br /><br />I dislike the schools out here in central New York with a passion. They are condescending to parents and they offer nothing creative or encouraging to the children. The whole thing used to be about making it fun to learn, not giving a first grader test anxiety or expecting parents to do the brunt of the teaching. Why not homeschool again? I am so disappointed in a paid tuition school too. We pay taxes to a regional school for nothing and then a tuition for a system that is not any better, but in other ways.<br /><br />It is an easy thing to get discouraged. There are a few of us out here who have worked hard to get people "into" the concept of buying local food. With the economy turning the way it did, and so fast... all of this work was for nothing. This cheap at all costs, almost determined to be poor mentality is too much to bear. I am so sad to see us leave,but Ineed to be around a group of people that appreciate good food made locally... <br /><br />We also need to be near my mom and David's family. It often takes moving far away to appreciate where you come from, right?heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-79153013665624346762008-09-27T18:33:00.002-04:002008-09-27T19:23:49.174-04:00AutumnThe word autumn always seems so solemn. Fall to flippant. It is natures way of easing us into the deep freeze. Fair enough. I just wish there were another word to describe how this time of year makes me feel.<br /><br />Claire finally passed her spelling test! Woohoo. No to get her to consistently remember the kindergarten words so that the teacher believes me when I say she knows more than she lets on... So much for the easy life... <br /><br />Dave and I found Claire talking to her chickens again. She brought down one of her play chairs and was sitting there with the one hen that survived the Belle attack. It was sweet and reminded us that Claire does have a sweet side to her. She is a good kid.<br /><br />We are going to look at another round of properties in the Washington County area again. I need closure on all of this, but it is hard to look at farms. People want estate prices now. You cannot afford much of anything and expect to be a non-trustfund or other income farmer east of the Hudson river. I think that is what is making Dave and I the most anxious. We want to be in an area that is now estate agriculture. We knew that, but I think denial helped us cope until now.<br /><br />Well, Claire is out of time out and I have to get back to help finish chores.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-85408517000236190322008-09-24T19:19:00.002-04:002008-09-24T19:32:02.607-04:00Patrick<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUbXbVxKhMspaMPiV4Eq5qBER1zJSTTAn4c89m7_0N_C1JnNTrXIDU5we_hsteZfD502hkY-vbkazL0EIYxfCkwAsk16OUEjh4aDN0hk2fm4X2x4BeAKJFGrBwqg5sfcKlcY76A/s1600-h/september+08+006.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUbXbVxKhMspaMPiV4Eq5qBER1zJSTTAn4c89m7_0N_C1JnNTrXIDU5we_hsteZfD502hkY-vbkazL0EIYxfCkwAsk16OUEjh4aDN0hk2fm4X2x4BeAKJFGrBwqg5sfcKlcY76A/s320/september+08+006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249732719302223554" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlz5QGIFSZwIrQkf11JJ07wQo0rs1fNXwqTvVBICmPXQJHyyrvBunaziAGv1JT6gGFOqOy-YEDQAyZW7i5fWVgnWRua5feciQYv7imI9y3C_S-cl1DssxVkXDa5S0jBE1Kwy6GA/s1600-h/september+08+008.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlz5QGIFSZwIrQkf11JJ07wQo0rs1fNXwqTvVBICmPXQJHyyrvBunaziAGv1JT6gGFOqOy-YEDQAyZW7i5fWVgnWRua5feciQYv7imI9y3C_S-cl1DssxVkXDa5S0jBE1Kwy6GA/s320/september+08+008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249732730089051730" /></a><br /><br />I know Marcia wants me to post something about Claire. Sorry. Today it is all about Patrick. I have to pick him up from Kelly Meats. He should be in little vacuum sealed packages, frozen, ready for the grill.<br /><br />We raise our own meat on the farm. We name the animals and treat them well. They do have a purpose. He is a nice veal calf. Ayrshire cattle make a nice pink veal with a lovely flavored meat. I like them more than Holstein veal. This one was fattened on a brood cow. A kerry one, Maxine.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-74946526165260921762008-09-12T21:03:00.002-04:002008-09-12T21:15:56.243-04:00Thoughts While DrivingMy mom is going to be ok for now. At least the lymph is not cancerous. Only, she does have sarcoidosis. I am only scratching the surface of that condition. It is one more thing to research, to worry, to figure out. I just don't care for the lack of balance thing. I am terrified that she will go upstairs at work (granite stairs) and fall down or something. I am 3-4 hours away.<br /><br />I came home after getting notes home from teacher. You know I do not care for this lack of communication thing I get here in CNY. Kinda like this job where they said, "there is your desk, your files...good luck..." What does that mean? Are you trying to set me up for failure?<br /><br />Basically Claire is having test anxiety and teacher anxiety and apparently she feels she can blame it on my homeschooling Claire. I am sorry, but the teacher had her change her hadwritting (that she was taught in nursery, pre-K and my K program). She gave her different words. She asked them to start spelling and basically offered no transition, no interaction with parents at this "Open house" where we are to sit and listen to her theories on education adn then watch another parent take over the situation. No follow through with us... <br /><br />After paying $4000, this woman feels that with 8 kids in class, she does not have time for my daughter and that I am doing a disservice to my child by not letting her stay back in school! There are 21 kids in that class. Claire did her work for us. I did not get to talk to her. She told me her view point and that was final. I am not a happy person. I am a very unhappy person. I do not want this woman to ruin my daughter. Claire feels she "didn't win". How do I explain to Claire (for her to believe me) that it is ok and that it was not a race. She did not have to "win", only do her best. <br /><br />I did not sleep. I have faint spells and I think I'm either allergic or getting a rash...<br /><br />What to do with the cheese business this fall? I'm thinking just yoghurt and milk for pasteurized and raw milk for cheese. That or sell and move to civilization and start up in 2 years again. <br /><br />Being dissapointed sucks.<br /><br />I have to drive to MI for conference next weekend. 10 hours 22 minutes. I'll have time to sort out my thoughts I think... I wish I had my Gale dog. She would understand and come with me to listen. I miss that dog soooo much today. It is strange to miss her again. She has been gone for 4 years. Stinks to loose your soul mate.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-28062207161529373142008-09-04T07:30:00.002-04:002008-09-04T07:35:34.450-04:00First Day of School!!!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsMGK34vueFkH0PXCbE-cdDgh6R08oHi81n0SBdZjrfT20fRY9A0aqCsU7n-H9IFJiSnZncrmZsZOovJmy201NauZ-apKNrQ-3JtZP1WS7m9NLLmCndlc1IwndQRlJFWSxMMATg/s1600-h/september+08+015.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJsMGK34vueFkH0PXCbE-cdDgh6R08oHi81n0SBdZjrfT20fRY9A0aqCsU7n-H9IFJiSnZncrmZsZOovJmy201NauZ-apKNrQ-3JtZP1WS7m9NLLmCndlc1IwndQRlJFWSxMMATg/s320/september+08+015.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242128379037512146" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJi4AsL3TuEf2bMRr_fY2MXmWq4PPjYhVzCPUP6mHSNlJaOejYRKIGDZCq4hoRjWgFCrWI2mko7lIjt8FwwctY9xY2_Kbvf0DVRoGkzNE0wQnz9EEnoatFLYd3Nc6Jfh3I5drPJA/s1600-h/september+08+016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJi4AsL3TuEf2bMRr_fY2MXmWq4PPjYhVzCPUP6mHSNlJaOejYRKIGDZCq4hoRjWgFCrWI2mko7lIjt8FwwctY9xY2_Kbvf0DVRoGkzNE0wQnz9EEnoatFLYd3Nc6Jfh3I5drPJA/s320/september+08+016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242128387016708130" /></a><br />Woohoo! Claire goes off to St. Mary's School today. She is excited. She will tell us later today if she still loves St. Mary's. The uniform makes her look way cute. She giggled and hugged me when I told her I wrote that.<br /><br />Here she is!heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-49316932633059184202008-09-03T07:42:00.003-04:002008-09-03T08:06:43.309-04:00September AlreadyYup, the leaves are changing. You don't need the fan on at night and Claire starts school tomorrow. <br /><br />Dave had a conversation with the Manhattan boys yesterday. They wanted us to beg them to buy the farm. We don't need to. They wanted us to sell them a fully outfitted farm, fully staffed and all. They wanted the cheese plant, a CSA staff, logistics, etc. All for $295,000. Basically, after 2 post-visit phone calls, these guys are morons. Yup. Not as smart as they want to think they are. The failed the first rule of business.<br /><br />KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING.<br /><br />Don't insult the seller and don't keep insisting that you know what you are doing. Also remember, we all deal cash in agriculture. It does not make a difference if you pay cash or not. We are still talking about depreciable expenses and we will still claim all of the money. We also use an attorney and we will be buying another piece of land. The biggest thing, we own the farm outright. We aren't selling because we own too much. We own all of this.<br /><br />OK. What is this talk of buying and selling?<br /><br />Well. It is not secret that Dave and I want to get a little closer to family. My mom is alone in MA and her health is not as great (for someone who is still 39years old). Ken and Marcia are too far for Claire to visit regularly and we want to be closer to them as well. It has been a hard year for us. There are responsibilities 4 hours away in one direction and we are here.<br /><br />The thing is we don't HAVE to move. We do like this farm. We do have great customers and friends here. WE want someone who will continue what we are doing. I like to see completion (rather than closure) on this whole local food thing in central NY.<br /><br />The farm has been cleaned up a lot. The house is starting to get all of the cosmetic stuff done to it. Structurally it is great now. The barn has had a lot done and will continue to get a lot done to it. The deal shipping milk to Hood has been fine. The cheese business does offer an on-farm income to me. It also stabilizes the milk price for the dairy. We have rented land that is next door (and one field 6 miles away). You can also buy that land if you want to. <br /><br />One theory is to drop back to 8-12 cows seasonally. Make 6-7000# of raw aged cheese and do veg. for the rest of the acreage. You can make a very nice income that way. It is also a great lifestyle. Kinda like the model Orb Weaver has in VT. I really like that model. It is also quite a sustainable one, without working the person into the ground. <br /><br />I don't know. I think one of the biggest reservations about these guys from Manhattan was not that they do not understand dairy farming, the dairy industry or any of that. It was that they only saw that you get money up front (probably $850) for a CSA and that the wetlands were a liability. A liability! They are an asset to the watershed. They also provide wetland habitat to wood ducks, wetland species of plants and are where you grow cedar. The CSA is also a relationship between community and farmer. They missed that. F&^$ hated the flies and the whole thing about the farm, constantly asking if Tom's half starved cows were "happy". They have no intentions of being a farmer. They missed the crucial thing about linking the consumer and food. They were just about the money. The irony is that they don't know how to make it farming. They don't want to farm. They don't care about the environment of their consumers getting the best food.<br /><br />We are still hare and will still keep producing food for sale. If it sells, it sells. If not. We are here and happy to make food. We also will not talk about honest people interested in being a part of the food shed in CNY and our farm on the blog if they are interested. These guys just missed the whole picture and it made me loose sleep because they don't care about the upstate farm economy, the environment or the crucial link between farmer and consumer. THey sell organic milk into NYC and only see it as a commodity and not getting their consumer a food product that they believe in. M*$$ though organic was a joke. That rotted dirt.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-65740997120776695122008-08-29T15:38:00.002-04:002008-08-29T15:40:44.352-04:00Biodiversity vs. Human GreedCalf. Farmers Use Guns, Poisin to Safeguard Crops<br /><br />By TRACIE CONE, Associated Press Writer <br />18 minutes ago<br /> <br /><br /><br />FRESNO, Calif. - Farmers in "America's Salad Bowl" are turning into hunters — stalking wild pigs, rabbits and deer — to keep E. coli and other harmful bacteria out of their fields. <br /><br />It's part of an intense effort to prevent another disaster like the 2006 spinach contamination that killed three people, sickened 200 and cost the industry $80 million in lost sales.<br /><br />The exact source of the contamination was never discovered, but scientists suspect that cattle, feral pigs, or other wildlife may have spread the E. coli by defecating near crops.<br /><br />The pressure to safeguard crops comes from the companies that buy fresh greens. In response, some farmers are taking gun-safety classes to learn how to shoot animals that could carry the bacteria. Others are uprooting native trees and plants and erecting fences to make their land inhospitable to wildlife.<br /><br />Spinach grower Bob Martin has even poisoned ponds with copper sulfate to kill frogs that might get caught in harvesting machinery or carry salmonella on their webbed feet.<br /><br />Produce buyers "got us by the short hairs," said Martin, one of few growers who would talk publicly about how he is protecting his crop.<br /><br />But some officials have questioned whether such drastic measures are necessary based on limited evidence.<br /><br />"We're trying to talk now with the companies, buyers, retailers, wholesalers to bring things back into balance," said Scott Horsfall, executive director of the Leafy Greens Handlers Marketing Board, which oversees new farming standards drawn up after the 2006 E. coli contamination. "There's a real pressure out there on growers that goes beyond what the science justifies."<br /><br />Concern over contamination is most pronounced in the Salinas River Valley, where valuable farmland and sensitive wildlife have coexisted for centuries. The lush valley, described in John Steinbeck's "East of Eden" and nicknamed "America's Salad Bowl," grows 60 percent of the nation's lettuce.<br /><br />The nonprofit Resource Conservation District of Monterey County, which works with landowners to sustain wildlife habitat, surveyed 181 leafy greens growers who manage more than 140,000 acres. The survey showed that more than 30,000 acres had been affected by trapping, poisoning, fencing or removal of natural habitat.<br /><br />The survey also indicated that 32 percent of respondents were convinced by corporate food-safety auditors to remove non-crop vegetation. More than 47 percent had been asked to "remove" wildlife, and 40.7 percent of those surveyed complied.<br /><br />Growers, packers and shippers adopted new food-safety standards last year for farms, including a requirement that farmers establish 30-foot buffers between their fields and grazing land for cattle, which are known carriers of E. coli.<br /><br />The standards acknowledged that wildlife could also carry the bacteria, but they had no requirement for buffers between wildlife habitat and fields.<br /><br />"I think there's a little brinksmanship going on," said Hank Giclas of Western Growers, who was part of the committee who wrote the standards. He worries that processors are exceeding the rules to gain a sales advantage without good science.<br /><br />Going beyond the guidelines "without going through a review process is something companies have the right to do, but it would be better if they'd go through the program," he said.<br /><br />Smaller growers argue that stricter guidelines aren't warranted for farmers growing fresh bunched greens. They say the problem is primarily with cut greens that are bagged, which allows bacteria to multiply if temperatures rise.<br /><br />Industry representatives defend their above-and-beyond restrictions.<br /><br />Fresh Express, with 41 percent of the bagged greens market, demands a mile between farm fields and feedlots for cattle instead of the agreement's recommended 400 feet. The company also requires that a field intruded on by a wild pig be kept idle for two years. <br /><br />Barbara Hines, a spokeswoman for Fresh Express, which processes 40 million pounds of salad each month, said the company's tighter regulations are "generally valued" by its retail customers, which include grocers such as Safeway, Vons and Harris-Teeter. <br /><br />Earthbound Farms also exceeds regulations in many areas, especially in seed and water testing and its one-mile requirement between farms and feedlots. But the company views fencing and removal of natural habitat as a counterintuitive last resort. <br /><br />Habitat is what animals want. "If you remove it, they will go into the field," said Will Daniels, Earthbound's vice president of quality, food safety and organic integrity. <br /><br />Fresh Express has funded a $2 million study into methods of potential E. coli transmission. Results are due next month. <br /><br />The Western Institute for Food Safety and Security is conducting a separate study funded by the federal government. It plans to analyze carcasses and anal swabs from 7,000 birds, wild pigs, cattle and other animals collected by state officials. Hunters are being asked to turn in deer colons for the research. <br /><br />Officials are also collecting 13,000 soil, water and plant samples in the hope that the study will rule out wildlife as risks and ease buyers' fears. <br /><br />"We have two extraordinary resources in this area: wildlife and our agricultural community," said Terry Palmassno, a senior wildlife biologist at the California Department of Fish and Game. "It's our position that you don't need to destroy one in order to save the other, and that's what we're working on doing."heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10992959.post-12162629060516453042008-08-28T20:45:00.002-04:002008-08-28T21:34:47.666-04:00head acheI refinished the floor in the livingroom/dining room. I painted the exterior doors to the house, some trim associated with the doors and a side porch off the cut&wrap room. I have a head ache. I am not sure if it is a chemical sensitivity issue related to the house projects, or because I am allergic to a mold that is at it's peak in Aug-September in the north east region of the states. Our Dr.'s office has a fairly unorganized lady now and not only is she taking her time to get Dave his prescriptions (you know the kind that you have to pick up and they want you to call in, but you are either too early or too late to call it in...). She kinda didn't tell me the truth about getting it signed off on and I am still in pain. I hope she has a head ache tomorrow. Actually for three days like me, so she can develop a more caring personality. I liked the staff there last year. Way more professional than this new lot.<br /><br />I have done squat for processing. Yoghurt and that is it. I have to work on fluid milk and feta tomorrow.<br /><br />I will only make the Skaneateles f. market this week. State Fair week and I am not sure if this is worth my time, but it will have to do. My head hurts...<br /><br />The boys from the milk delivery business in NYC tried to say that I did not give them all of the information regarding the sale of the farm and business and that I insulted them. Kinda funny considering the listing that they found it on said everything they thought I did not tell them and they were the ones to say they did not know anything about a dairy farm and needed assistance and resources to do this project right. I just sent them the links to be able to get a feasibility project done, like they asked. He basically parroted Dave and I on their plans... I don't care at this point. We are making money here and they can buy it at our price or get a farm in St. Lawrence county... I'll be nice because I truely want someone to succeed, but I am not giving anything away that I do not have to because they did not read or listen to what I had to say. It is not my fault and I know as much as they do that this is all about Union Square and the other Greenmarkets and that is it.<br /><br />Dave finally admitted that cheese has done it's part in providing an on-farm income to me like our business plan stated. It has played a significant role in the over all farm profitability. It takes a lot to get him to admit that what I do is a contribution to the greater whole. From what I hear, it is not uncommon for male farmers to have this idea that the support system that farm wives give them means little compared to what they do. It is a sad deal and for some women a lonely deal. I've logged in 90+ hours a week on a common work week just like him. I may not do all of the milking, but I was the one to do dishes, laundry, shopping for school, homeschool Claire, make yoghurt, do sales calls, ring the Dr, pharmacy, grain companies regarding chick starter, arranged to get rid of whey, fed us and all of the farm help and mascots that came about. I have also started, done or finished chores while he gets hay in. I also do all of the organic and inspection paperwork, accounting, and other things... <br /><br />I have a head ache and I think it is mold.heamourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15045338764997183768noreply@blogger.com0