Me and the Cheese Vat

Here is the photo of me and my cheese vat. I'm looking at Pete Dixon taking the photo. I am telling my Damrow vat to smile!! The facility was newly licensed here. That was my first batch of Honey Gouda. They baby's are in the brine (in the vat). What a long way I've come from that day.

Workshop photos

Donna sent on a couple of photos from the last cheese workshop.

This is Renate Nollen. She is also one of the people who come during regular weekly cheese processing days to help. She is interested in goats milk Gouda. Maybe Camambert or Crottin. Very dynamic person.

In this photo she is holding the cheeses she can take home to practice aging. There are cows milk Camamberts, goats milk Crottins and half Camamberts made with goats milk. It was a great workshop. We all learned a lot.

I also have this one of Claire. She is my daughter. She is VERY interested in anything that involves cheese and people. The photo is at the wrong angle. After I figure out how to get this in the right direction, you will just have to imagine what Claire looks like in her hair net.

The picture has part of my drain table/dutch press and the can rack in the back ground. A simple plant. I'll try to get more pictures on here, now that the high speed internet thing doesn't mean that uploading pictures take 15 minutes to load.

What's with that Camper in your driveway?

I love rural people. They are crazy nosey. We have our itenerant carpenter friends back again (from honeymoon, etc). Jenny and Cecil brought their new camper out with them. A big, wanna be Airstreamer. because Dave is trying to get crops in, I suggested that they park the puppy in the driveway in front of the house. Ok, camper parked... they go for Chinese.

About every neighbor and friend has stopped by to ask about the camper. One asked how long they planned to stay this time. (I think he knew that they were in the sheep barn all winter). I told Rivington that they were gypsies who asked to park for the night. I think he belived me. Heck, he had illegal immigrants that the state got for him, why not have legal itinerants??

A neighboring farmer to the north has driven by a half dozen times. I think that also has something to do with Dave's use of antique varieties of equipment and the numbers of guests that we have staying at any given time. I think we should have has a B&B. I may have made money on these people.

Dave is humored. I think that the sedate life with Penny in the Cape his parents built for him in Chesterfield has been crazy changed since Gale, Floss and I came on the scene. But then, the itinerant carpenters are remenants of his life in Chesterfield. I only wish he'd get Donnavan and Jim to come out too. We need some more inteligent life out here.

Desperate Farmwives

Well, it is a take on the favorite T.V. show, but I do think that I have a better plot line. We do have a heck of a group of characters and the day to day plot is funny. There are some serious moments as well. Those are generally part of the calm before the Belly Laughing moments.

I want to take a class on screen writting. Between the daily happenings, there are also the Mountain Street Memories of Dave's youth and the Nomadic Shepherd days of my earlier attempts at farming and horsemanship.

I'm thinking something along the lines of Northern Exposure, only with a true American Rural twist.

We have Liberals, Conservatives, Born Again Catholics and Pentacostals, Sheep Farmers, a vet who sleeps in his car, Bob and Tom, a Christian logger, gypsie carpenters (Jenny & Cecil), etc. I dunno. Our life is the cross roads of conventional and organic agriculture. We are associated with people who work for millionaire "Farmers" and those almost loosing thier shirts, the wanna be wealthy suburban farmers... I do think that there is something here. A real cross section of rural American with the whole opportunity to shed light on the true nature of living in rural America today!

I'm thinking here... Heck if I cannot make money as a farmer, maybe we can all make money on the whole farming experience??

Bob and Tom show

Dave use to listen to this morning radio program called the bob and Tom show. She sprinkled classic style rock in with the usual I'm too funny for my shoes morning program jokes and the like. Definately a male program. Chicks can get into it on odd mornings. It isn't my NPR. In fact, that is why he doesn't listen to the program right now. NPR. I was trying to get some news one morning and switched the channel. We have not been able to go back to that radio station since. Something about a metal and cement block barn I guess.

Onto Dave's real life Bob & Tom show. Tom is our neighbor. A Cornell educated dairy farmer. Devout Christian. A pretty good example of God wanting to see what happens to a man's phyche if she puts a lot of road blocks in his way. Bob is, well Bob. He started out as Hay Bob. Became our silo unloader. Lost his position as milker after we found our dislike for his way of handling cows. Right now he is Wood Bob with sprinklings of Forage Bob. (thinks cord wood is his next lottery and is helping Dave get forages in to get use of our Hesston tractor ~ to get wood in).

Forages. What a cluster f*^%#. Dave is trying like heck to get it in with sprinklings of those two making things more difficult and people like Aaron (veggie guy down road), etc. making demands of time and equipment while Dave is trying to get our stuff in. Dave figures he should start drinking. I've tried to join in, but with our cash flow right now a beer a night is all we can afford. Can't become a drunk if you want to pay your bills on time (sort of).

Bob is also trying to figure out how to do little or nothing and stay under the radar of his wife (didn't get divorse because it costs money) and his girlfrield. Both of which have children by him. Neight of whom get decent support from him. In my book it is reason enough to ban him from our place, but I think that it is often the case that people are often in the sphere that have a crappier life than you ~ if only to make your life seem less hellish. Well Bob's girlfriend got the court to send a letter to Bob's current employer. This employer is paying cash and pretty firmly doesn't want to have anything to do with court ordered payments. Bob was suppose to take care of that on his own. (Mmm). Boss was thinking about putting a trailer up for Bob. When asked about what he was going to do about his "situation", Bob says "nothing". About possible jail time, Bob says "I guess I'll be going to jail". Not a good argument for puttign a trailer in or keeping the guy employed, but in Bob's little mind nothing is wrong.

I'm not even going to go into the Tom side of the equation. NICE GUY, but I'm thinking ADD or something. I think that if he can focus on the "Big picture", he'd see that God has given him all of the signs to tell him to get out of Dairy farming... His wife finished her education and has tenure, two barns burnt down, fell down silo, lost two farms (one rented), etc. It isn't so much a sign from God he is looking for, he is looking for God to tell him to follow this dream to stay in business. It is like having God validate what he does or something. I think it is a crutch. He needs to stop and figure out his own goals and how to achieve them. God will appreciate it, big time.

Wow, all this talk about God. I must be in Central New York.

Spreadsheets

It is funny how lovely you can make predictions with working spreadsheets. You know, if everything goes perfect and I make XXX pounds of cheese a week, I can pay all of my bills and make $50,000/year in YEAR ONE!!!!!!

Right.

I love to get these spreadsheets to people. They play with them. They get excited. "I've decided to sell commodity style cheddar for $10/#, because I think I'll make $100,000 right off...waaahaaahoooooooo"

The reality is that forages have to come in and the four year old needs watching and the heifers broke through the fence again and the pigs broke through the gate and the farmers market was rained out for two weekends in a row... Well, not all true, but that could have happened.

The Farmland Viability grants are due on the 20th or so. Grants are not the end all of succeeding in a business. If you depend on a grant to get into or stay in a farming business (or any for that matter) you are not proposing a sustainable project. What would happen if you didn't get it? Many don't. Does that mean that you are out of business? How can you prove that you will not be out of business after the end of the grant cycle?

I got one last year. Didn't really need it. Wrote it to write one for myself. Kind of a shits and giggles kind of thing. Now I have to cashflow my cost share and actually do this stuff. Also it is a reimbursement kind of thing. Hence writting business plans and those spreadsheets and writing more grants for others. Have to cash flow my business plan and my grant now...

Man, I should be making cheese today. If I make 90 batches of Gouda this year, I can make $35,000...

Michael Pollan's new article ~good read~

June 4, 2006
The Way We Live Now
New York Times Sunday Magazine
Mass Natural
By MICHAEL POLLAN


"Elitist" is just about the nastiest name you can call someone, or something, in America these days, a finely-honed term of derision in the culture wars, and "elitist" has stuck to organic food in this country like balsamic vinegar to mâche. Thirty years ago the rap on organic was a little different: back then the stuff was derided as hippie food, crunchy granola and bricklike brown bread for the unshaved set (male and female division). So for organic to be tagged as elitist may count as progress. But you knew it was over for John Kerry in the farm belt when his wife, Teresa, helpfully suggested to Missouri farmers that they go organic. Eating organic has been fixed in the collective imagination as an upper-middle-class luxury, a blue-state affectation as easy to mock as Volvos or lattes. On the cultural spectrum, organic stands at the far opposite extreme from Nascar or Wal-Mart.

But all this is about to change, now that Wal-Mart itself, the nation's largest grocer, has decided to take organic food seriously. (Nascar is not quite there yet.) Beginning later this year, Wal-Mart plans to roll out a complete selection of organic foods — food certified by the U.S.D.A. to have been grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers — in its nearly 4,000 stores. Just as significant, the company says it will price all this organic food at an eye-poppingly tiny premium over its already-cheap conventional food: the organic Cocoa Puffs and Oreos will cost only 10 percent more than the conventional kind. Organic food will soon be available to the tens of millions of Americans who now cannot afford it — indeed, who have little or no idea what the term even means. Organic food, which represents merely 2.5 percent of America's half-trillion-dollar food economy, is about to go mainstream. At a stroke, the argument that it is elitist will crumble.

This is good news indeed, for the American consumer and the American land. Or perhaps I should say for some of the American land and a great deal more of the land in places like Mexico and China, for Wal-Mart is bound to hasten the globalization of organic food. (Ten percent of organic food is imported today.) Like every other commodity that global corporations lay their hands on, organic food will henceforth come from wherever in the world it can be produced most cheaply. It is about to go the way of sneakers and MP3 players, becoming yet another rootless commodity circulating in the global economy.

Oh, but wait. . .I meant to talk about all the good that will come of Wal-Mart's commitment to organic. Sorry about that. When you're talking about global capitalism, it can be hard to separate the good news from the bad. Because of its scale and efficiency and notorious ruthlessness, Wal-Mart will force down the price of organics, and that is a good thing for all the consumers who can't afford to spend more for food than they already do. Wal-Mart will also educate the millions of Americans who don't yet know exactly what organic food is or precisely how it differs from conventionally grown food.

The vast expansion of organic farmland it will take to feed Wal-Mart's new appetite is also an unambiguous good for the world's environment, since it will result in substantially less pesticide and chemical fertilizer being applied to the land — somewhere. Whatever you think about the prospect of organic Coca-Cola, when it comes, and come it surely will, tens of thousands of acres of the world's cornfields — enough to make all that organic high-fructose corn syrup — will no longer receive an annual shower of pesticides like Atrazine. O.K., you're probably registering a flicker of cognitive dissonance at the conjunction of the words "organic" and "high-fructose corn syrup," but keep your eye for a moment on that Atrazine.

Atrazine is a powerful herbicide applied to 70 percent of America's cornfields. Traces of the chemical routinely turn up in American streams and wells and even in the rain; the F.D.A. also finds residues of Atrazine in our food.

So what? Well, the chemical, which was recently banned by the European Union, is a suspected carcinogen and endocrine disruptor that has been linked to low sperm counts among farmers. A couple of years ago, a U.C. Berkeley herpetologist named Tyrone Hayes, while doing research on behalf of Syngenta, Atrazine's manufacturer, found that even at concentrations as low as 0.1 part per billion, the herbicide will chemically emasculate a male frog, causing its gonads to produce eggs — in effect, turning males into hermaphrodites. Atrazine is often present in American waterways at much higher concentrations than 0.1 part per billion. But American regulators generally won't ban a pesticide until the bodies, or cancer cases, begin to pile up — until, that is, scientists can prove the link between the suspect molecule and illness in humans or ecological catastrophe. So Atrazine is, at least in the American food system, deemed innocent until proved guilty — a standard of proof extremely difficult to achieve, since it awaits the results of chemical testing on humans that we, rightly, don't perform.

I don't know about you, but as the father of an adolescent boy, I sort of like the idea of keeping such a molecule out of my son's diet, even if the scientists and nutritionists say they still don't have proof that organic food is any safer or healthier. I also like that growing food organically doesn't pollute the rivers and water table with nitrates from synthetic fertilizer or expose farm workers to toxic pesticides. And the fact that animals raised organically don't receive antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones. Sounds like a better agriculture to me — and Wal-Mart has just put the force of its great many supermarkets behind it.

But before you pour yourself a celebratory glass of Wal-Mart organic milk, you might want to ask a few questions about how the company plans to achieve its laudable goals. Assuming that it's possible at all, how exactly would Wal-Mart get the price of organic food down to a level just 10 percent higher than that of its everyday food? To do so would virtually guarantee that Wal-Mart's version of cheap organic food is not sustainable, at least not in any meaningful sense of that word. To index the price of organic to the price of conventional is to give up, right from the start, on the idea, once enshrined in the organic movement, that food should be priced not high or low but responsibly. As the organic movement has long maintained, cheap industrial food is cheap only because the real costs of producing it are not reflected in the price at the checkout. Rather, those costs are charged to the environment, in the form of soil depletion and pollution (industrial agriculture is now our biggest polluter); to the public purse, in the form of subsidies to conventional commodity farmers; to the public health, in the form of an epidemic of diabetes and obesity that is expected to cost the economy more than $100 billion per year; and to the welfare of the farm- and food-factory workers, not to mention the well-being of the animals we eat. As Wendell Berry once wrote, the motto of our conventional food system — at the center of which stands Wal-Mart, the biggest purveyor of cheap food in America — should be: Cheap at any price!

To say you can sell organic food for 10 percent more than you sell irresponsibly priced food suggests that you don't really get it — that you plan to bring business-as-usual principles of industrial "efficiency" and "economies of scale" to a system of food production that was supposed to mimic the logic of natural systems rather than that of the factory.

We have already seen what happens when the logic of the factory is applied to organic food production. The industrialization of organic agriculture, which Wal-Mart's involvement will only deepen, has already given us "organic feedlots" — two words that I never thought would find their way into the same clause. To supply the escalating demand for cheap organic milk, agribusiness companies are setting up 5,000-head dairies, often in the desert. These milking cows never touch a blade of grass, instead spending their days standing around a dry-lot "loafing area" munching organic grain — grain that takes a toll on both the animals' health (these ruminants evolved to eat grass, after all) and the nutritional value of their milk. But this is the sort of milk (deficient in beta-carotene and the "good fats" — like omega 3's and C.L.A. — that come from grazing cows on grass) we're going to see a lot more of in the supermarket as long as Wal-Mart determines to keep organic milk cheap.

We're also going to see more organic milk — and organic foods of all kinds — coming from places like New Zealand. The globalization of organic food is already well under way: at Whole Foods you can buy organic asparagus flown in from Argentina, raspberries from Mexico, grass-fed meat from New Zealand. In an era of energy scarcity, the purchase of such products does little to advance the ideal of sustainability that once upon a time animated the organic movement. These foods may contain no pesticides, but they are drenched in petroleum even so.

Whether produced domestically or not, organic meat will increasingly come not from mixed, polyculture farms growing a variety of species (a practice that makes it possible to recycle nutrients between plants and animals) but from ever-bigger Confined Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFO's, which, apart from using organic feed and abjuring antibiotics, are little different from their conventional counterparts. Yes, the federal organic rules say the animals should have "access to the outdoors," but in practice this often means providing them with a tiny exercise yard or, in the case of one organic egg producer in New England, a screened-in concrete "porch" — a view of the outdoors. Herein lies one of the deeper paradoxes of practicing organic agriculture on an industrial scale: big, single-species CAFO's are even more precarious than their conventional cousins, since they can't use antibiotics to keep the thousands of animals living in close confinement indoors from becoming sick. So organic CAFO-hands (to call them farmhands seems overly generous) keep the free ranging to a minimum and then keep their fingers crossed.

Wal-Mart will buy its organic food from whichever producers can produce it most cheaply, and these will not be the sort of farmers you picture when you hear the word "organic." Big supermarkets want to do business only with big farmers growing lots of the same thing, not because big monoculture farms are any more efficient (they aren't) but because it's easier to buy all your carrots from a single megafarm than to contract with hundreds of smaller growers. The "transaction costs" are lower, even when the price and the quality are the same. This is just one of the many ways in which the logic of industrial capitalism and the logic of biology on a farm come into conflict. At least in the short run, the logic of capitalism usually prevails.

Wal-Mart's push into the organic market won't do much for small organic farmers, that seems plain enough. But it may also spell trouble for the big growers it will favor. Wal-Mart has a reputation for driving down prices by squeezing its suppliers, especially after those suppliers have invested heavily to boost production to feed the Wal-Mart maw. Having done that, the supplier will find itself at Wal-Mart's mercy when the company decides it no longer wants to pay a price that enables the farmer to make a living. When that happens, the notion of responsibly priced food will be sacrificed to the imperatives of survival, and the pressure to cut corners will become irresistible.

Up to now, the federal organic standards have provided a bulwark against that pressure. Yet with the industrialization of organic, these rules are themselves coming under mounting pressure, and forgive my skepticism, but it's hard to believe that the lobbyists from Wal-Mart are going to play a constructive role in defending those standards from efforts to weaken them. Just this past year the Organic Trade Association used lobbyists who do work for Kraft Foods to move a bill through Congress that will make it easier to include synthetic ingredients in products labeled organic.

Organic is just a word, after all, and its definition now lies in the hands of the federal government, which means it is subject to all the usual political and economic forces at play in Washington. Inevitably, the drive to produce organic food cheaply will bring pressure to further weaken the regulations, and some of K Street's finest talent will soon be on the case. A few years ago a chicken producer in Georgia named Fieldale Farms persuaded its congressman to slip a helpful provision into an appropriations bill that would allow growers of organic chicken to substitute conventional chicken feed if the price of organic feed exceeded a certain level. That certainly makes life easier for a chicken producer when the price of organic corn is north of $5 a bushel, as it is today, and conventional corn south of $2. But in what sense is a chicken fed on conventional feed still organic? In no sense but the Orwellian one: because the government says it is.

After an outcry from consumers and some wiser heads in the organic industry, this new rule was repealed. The moral of the Fieldale story is that unless consumers and well-meaning organic producers remain vigilant and steadfast, the drive to make the price of organic foods competitive with that of conventional foods will hollow out the word and kill the organic goose, just when her golden eggs are luring so many big players into the water. Let's hope Wal-Mart recognizes that the extraordinary marketing magic of the word "organic" — a power that flows directly from our dissatisfaction with the very-cheap-food economy Wal-Mart has done so much to create — is a lot like the health of an organic chicken living in close confinement with thousands of other chickens in an organic CAFO, munching organic corn: fragile.

Michael Pollan, a contributing writer for the magazine, is the author, most recently, of "The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals." He also teaches journalism at the University of California at Berkeley.

Paperwork

Got the orgo papers in. Getting caught up with Order Reports and Plant Reports for Ag & markets. Getting book keeping up to date. Catching up on bills. Workshop papers. To do lists up dated. Thank you notes for birthday. Inventory...

Busy day. Renate came to help with cheese again. Tim made feta with me last Sunday. He didn't bring pails. I hope he does soon. I don't have many.

Got caught up with waxing and re-waxing Gouda. Taught Renate the importance of making sure there are no pin holes or cracks during aging. Take wax off cheese, clean rinds and then re-wax... You learn to be detail oriented pretty darn quick. She bought half a wheel of cheese. I like her. It makes chores go quicker.

Claire was good today. She is going through one of those youthful "phases". OOf. Dave and I are pretty laid back about things. We have NO CLUE how to deal with little tantrums or demands. Her most annoying trait lately is to interrupt us when we are talking to anyone. Ourselves, eachother, friends, phone, service people. Ignoring doesn't work, she climbs your leg or throws something at you! I get through tantrums and time out works to a certain extent, but how to deal with it without your neighbor thinking you are a mad woman yelling at your kid... (yelling doesn't work and it actually makes you more angry. Stopped doing that one two days ago)

Great make today. I really think I am getting into the commercial groove. I am actually getting anxious about not making cheese. Even a 20 gal. batch makes a difference to me. That will satisfy the urge to make cheese. An addiction I believe?

Marcia and Ken will take Beagle. They took Dave's knickname for the dog and are going to call her "Ginger". Nice name. I have to go and get treats to get her to come to that name though.

Kid goats are annoying their mothers. Just like human kids. Mom calls for them to come and they only come if something scares them or the mood strikes. Found Moonbeam behind a round bale in the pole shed. Stuck, I should say. Two leavles up. Good think I take a head count twice a day or more. Morons run up the bales (with the new hole in the hay feeder thanks to Knick and Peter sheep) and fall in holes between the round bales. I've had to remove three levels of bales before.

Have to return book on Limericks to library. Forgot it yesterday.

So, How's the Milk price in the Grocery Store?

I bet it hasn't gone down any. I bet they'll blame it on the gas. Yah, the fuel cost. Farmer's cannot get the money for the milk to pay for the cost of production, let alone a make allowance like the processors. I wonder if the consumer knows that the dairy shelves are the most profitable part of a grocery store. Most if not all stuff on those shelves are returnable to the processor if not sold. The shrink (that is what they call not sold stuff) is then passed on to the farmer. Neither the processor or retailer have any risk here.

Something that Hay Bob said to Dave really pissed me off the other day. There is a large, fairly messy farm, on the other side of the hill. They've plowed up all of the fields but haven't purchased any corn yet. Get this. He is waiting for FSA (government) to get him a loan for the corn. You know why he is assured the purchase? He owes the government too much. They have to give him the loan or they loose too much money. Get that. We have over production of milk in the country and he is assured a loan (even cocky about it) because he owes the government too much. When does the government say "You know, I think we can take this loss. It'll bring milk prices up if your milk is out of the market. Others will likely pay their bills if we say no..." I dunno. Why is the government in the business of loaning money to anyone? I think it encourages flooding the market with crap.

Oneida County got MILC payments for farmers last month and April last week. Looks like we have to have special priveleges to get money from our county. The boss did that last time. I hate this lack of transparency and lack of consistency among county officials. Why should I have to play their games and ship my milk to their favorite cooperative to get this farmer welfare check on time? Heck, if the government actually did the oversite that they are suppose to do, we wouldn't have to take this check at all. It is the only subsidy we take. Can't not apparently. Tried to refuse and had it deposited last time anyways. Need it this year with WAY WAY below production price for milk. Even when animals are at grass and they are getting half the grain it is too low.

We have 8 cows that need feet trimmed. Guess what? If we actually got what our milk is worth, we could have done it this month. We are contemplating what to sell just to pay bills, let alone the trimming of sore feet. I've already taken freelance jobs to cover grocery, telephone, and other bills that have to get paid. I told Dave I'd sell the goats to pay for the hood trimming. He was angry. Dairy farmers are depressed lately.

The media thinks we are a bunch of peasants (look at ads on TV depicting farmers, they are dressed like some 1940's morons and are presented as fools). Ask any person to draw a picture of a farmer. Most will draw a picture of a man with a cowboy/straw hat, bib overalls, straw out of mouth, maybe a tractor... What is a farmer? Why can't peole see that most are college educated business people who are passionate about food and the environment. The rest are corporate farms that "Believe" like some bible thumping christian believes in some holy redemption. I dunno. I cannot spell, so I'm having a hard time completing thoughts here.


June Federal Order Class I Price Drops 22 Cents(May 19, 2006) The June Federal order Class I base milk price was announced Friday at $10.75 per hundredweight, down 22 cents from May and $2.87 below a year ago. The price triggers a 99.96 cent MILC payment to producers.

The NASS-surveyed butter price averaged $1.1658, up 2.3 cents from May. Cheese averaged $1.1602, down from $1.1698. Nonfat dry milk averaged 83.09 cents per pound, down from 84 cents in May, and dry whey averaged 28.11 cents, down from 30.56 cents in May.

Advanced Pricing Factors
June 2006
May 2006
Apr. 2006
*The Base Skim Milk Class I:
$6.57/cwt.
$6.90/cwt.
$7.02/cwt.
Class III skim:
$6.57/cwt.
$6.90/cwt.
$7.02/cwt.
Class IV skim:
$6.16/cwt.
$6.24/cwt.
$6.58/cwt.
**Butterfat
$1.2610/lb.
$1.2331/lb.
$1.2715/lb.
Class II Skim price:
$6.86/cwt.
$6.94/cwt.
$7.28/cwt.
Class II NFS price:
$0.7622/lb.
$0.7711/lb.
$0.8089/lb.
ClickHereTo See Price Formulas

Exhaustion

I think that is a good title for anyone. I still have this cold. Finally went to new Dr. Actually NP, but she is better than the DO... She thinks I have crazy allergies. I think she is right. Chickens on porch. Dogs on porch. Cat downstairs. You'd begin to wonder if there were any animals in the barn. Actually the chickens are chicks.

The birds are "Earley's Specials" we get from the grain store at the bottom of the hill. Claire adores them. Especially when my dogs doesn't take the head off of any. Yup, border collie killed daughters pet chicken in front of her. Dave was furious. Dog wasn't suppose to be in room. Dave not in touch with border collie's need to hunt. He lets dog in unsupervised. Chicken stupid enough to keep putting head through grate in dog box. Dog kills chicken. Apparently it was my fault, but I was at a Slow Foods even in Cazenovia trying to talk about my cheese, NY cheese and NY wine with all of our cheeses. Weather warms at end of week. Chickens in purpose built building at weekends end. I am really not into poutlry in the house. I don't care how small.

Mandy sent a lovely package of stuff from Mrs. Ronks place. Smalls that weren;t of any value to resell, but she knew I'd appreciate them. Mandy is a special person. I like her whit and humour. She is like my husband, prefers the people of his past and preserving anything from the past. I have to write a book about his Mountain Street Memories. I know these people so well and I've never met them. I also like Mandy's Puppy Horse and her Durham cows.

Bronchitis again. I am exhausted. I think I said that before.

Looks like Adirondak cheese was purchased by Foodies. I've been refered to them by an Ag & Markets inspector. Sounds good.

Got Evan's cheddar and Monterey Jack. OK. Technically good. Not a $16/# cheese though. Comperable to Organic Valley's stuff. I made some of it into grilled cheeses. Syracuse Real Food bought me out of inventory. We never made it to the Syracuse Wine and Cheese event. I couldn't do it alone and everyone backed out. I'd have looked like an idiot. Besides, I didn't have the oil in cryovac and would have had to wax every piece. Oooooof. I think they guy was pissed, but what can I do if all of the help back out. The price of gas and our collective milk checks could not pay for me to go. I could not help it. Did ok at Farmer's Market. I just have to sell it myself and not split profits with Rivington.

Slow Food Farmers Markets Rain Milk Check

I have to bring cheese to the Slow Foods wine and cheese deal at Circa. I have Rivington's as well. People went googoo over his blue at the Farmer's Market. My gouda went over well too. I have to get may act together and get set up at the market myself. I need to make more than $60+/market day. I'll have other cheeses ready soon, not just Gouda.

Rain makes Dave ugly. Well, more than one day of rain. I can only say that I am glad we weren't in Massachusetts. They had floods. I like floods. I like them on someone elses property.

Well, it finally happened. Milk was <$12/hwt. Our cows were transitioning to grass so the components took a dip for a wee bit. Should have been over $2000 check. Was $1200 give or take $50. Enough to pay insurance and a couple of small bills. Not grocerys, heating oil, grain or anything else. He is selling a cow and her weaned heifer calf to make up for the lack of revenue. Monsanto put rBST on market again and poof, milk price goes down again. I don't understand why consumers allow a major chemical company have so much control of the food system. Ramember those lovely chemicals they told us were safe in the 40's and 50's? Man, Phillip Morris and Monsanto have no place being in our food system. I don't get why consumers allow such control to be in their hands.

Claire is with Dave at his relatives place on the other side of the windmills. He is suppose to be getting a book about the silo unloader. I think the real plan was to dissapear for a little while. I told him my goals for the day. It included things to make my money for the month to pay my bills, not work for free for him, so this is his way to pout. Kinda like I said to Nancy last night, a mans idea of babysitting is to have the child in his presence while he does his own thing. I had him take Claire while I get invoices ready to send Monday and make the "semi-daily ponderings of a Central new York farm wife." He has been gone an hour and some. I think I can play for a couple of minutes too.

Off to the shower. The dishwasher just finished.

Boycott Deans Foods ~ How So Few Can Change So Much

For Release:05/19/06Contacts:Steven Heim, Boston Common Asset Management, 617-720-5557 or 617-785-9527(c)Daniel Stranahan, The Needmor Fund, 206-794-3656Mark Kastel, The Cornucopia Institute, 608-625-2042. Investors Question Dean Foods at Stockholders MeetingHorizon Organic Milk Brand Faces Consumer Boycott Over Factory Farms. DALLAS: Socially concerned investors, who filed a shareholder proposal withDean Foods, today questioned the company's management at its Annual Meeting of Stockholders in Dallas as its marquee organic brand faces a growingconsumer backlash over its reliance on factory-farm milk production.Investors believe the large-scale dairy operations are damaging the Horizon Organics brand and threaten shareholder value.Because of their concern, shareholders filed a proposal in December 2005 asking Dean Foods' management to report to investors on how it is respondingto widespread public criticism that industrial-scale organic dairies,supplying milk for its Horizon brand, violate consumer trust and seriously jeopardize share value. Company management responded to the proposal by having its attorneys file a formal protest with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission asking for permission to omit the proposal from Dean's 2006 proxy statement on a series of legal technicalities. Proponents withdrew the proposal in March inresponse to the challenge but brought their concerns to today's annual shareholders meeting. The shareholder proposal is a by-product of the five-year debate raging inthe organic industry over the introduction of large-scale factory-style dairy farms, milking as many as 10,000 cows each. A growing number of public interest, environmental, and farming groups are suggesting that these farms violate current USDA regulations by labeling their products as organic.The shareholders, led by Boston Common Asset Management, are asking for greater transparency from Dean Foods in terms of its organic milk suppliers and its plans for meeting the high consumer expectations for ethics and integrity in the rapidly growing organic milk market. "Even though Dean Foods and its Horizon brand procure at least half of their organic milk from family farms, we think management needs to rethink its sourcing of milk from these controversial mega-dairies, or this ongoing practice will drag down the Horizon brand and harm shareholder value," said Steven Heim, Director of Social Research of Boston Common Asset Management. Last year, The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy group, filed formal complaints with the USDA against three industrial dairies, including one owned by Dean Foods and another dairy from which it purchases organic milk for its Horizon label. The complaints allege that these mega-farms are violating the law by confining their cattle to feedlots and sheds rather than grazing the animals on pasture. The Institute ispreparing to seek court intervention in order to force a full investigation of the alleged improprieties. In March the Cornucopia Institute published a report (available atwww.cornucopia.org) profiling the ethical and farm management practices ofthe nation's organic dairy product suppliers. The Horizon brand ranked poorly relative to most of the 67 other branded organic dairy products." We find this a credible report, and we are disturbed by its implicationsfor Dean Foods," Heim said. Dean Foods is the nation's largest milk marketer and has also become the biggest U.S. marketer of organic dairy products with its acquisitions of theHorizon Organic, Alta Dena, and Organic Cow of Vermont brands. The company's core business has been somewhat stagnant in recent years, and it has recently been touting its investments in the organic milk labels and thecountry's leading soy milk brand, Silk, as vehicles to make its stock more attractive on Wall Street. But negative press surrounding Dean's organic milk procurement practices has already led to some retailers dropping the Horizon brand. And members ofthe Organic Consumers Association recently voted in favor of a boycott."It is very important for Dean to address the core concerns articulated in our shareholder resolution," said Margaret Weber, Coordinator of Corporate Responsibility with the Adrian Dominican Sisters. "Transparency regarding organic practices has business implications for the company." Weber explained that the shareholder proposal asked the company to appoint an independent committee of the board to review its policies and procedures for sourcing raw milk for its organic dairy products, and whether its current practices conform to the spirit as well as the letter of the official rules defining organic dairy products. The investor groups also want to know how the company intends to respond to increasing consumer and media scrutiny, and whether a proposed $10 million investment in an additional large-scale dairy farm in Idaho will mitigate or exacerbate the criticism. Horizon has also been criticized for disposing of calves born at its organic farms and replacing them with yearling heifers that were not raised organically. These commercial replacement cattle may have been raised on feed treated with pesticides and mixed with additives including bloodproducts recovered from slaughtering operations." We are concerned that Dean Foods' lack of transparency to its shareholders betrays a similar attitude toward its core consumers, particularly consumers of its Horizon brand products," said Daniel Stranahan of the Needmor Fund, another investor-sponsor of the resolution. "Industrial dairies with 2,000 to 10,000 cows are antithetical to the concept of organic farming, which supports family-scale production with sound environmental policies."And Leslie Lowe, director of the environment program at the InterfaithCenter for Corporate Responsibility in New York, said, "Dean Foods has an excellent opportunity to return value to its shareholders through its investments in the organic industry. But they must respect the ethical beliefs of their organic customers, a very loyal and sophisticated market segment. Otherwise these investments could end up damaging their brand and costing investors dearly."- 30 -EDITOR'S NOTE: A Representative of the shareholders' groups is in Dallas May 19 for the Dean Foods Annual Meeting of Stockholders being held at theDallas Museum of Art, located at 1717 North Harwood. Steven Heim is available for interviews before and after the meeting and can be reached at617-720-5557 or 617-785-9527 (c).Mark Kastel, of The Cornucopia Institute, is also attending today'sshareholders' meeting. Mr. Kastel can be contacted at 608-385-3803. The Cornucopia Institute acts as a technical adviser to investment groups regarding organic dairy production issues, USDA organic standards, and their policy/marketing implications. More criticism of Dean Food's organic brand management has recently surfaced with reports that its Idaho 4,000-head dairy has been selling all of the organic calves born on the farm and then replacing them with yearling heifers that were not raised organically. These commercial replacement cattle may have been raised on feed treated with pesticides, weaned on milkreplacer containing blood products recovered from slaughtering operations,and been injected with hormones and antibiotics. All of these practices are unacceptable to organic consumers. The new concerns are raising questions about the company's representation of its Horizon milk products as produced without antibiotics, hormones or toxic pesticides. Contact:Steven Heim, Director of Social Research, Boston Common Asset Management,LLC, 84 State Street, Suite 1000, Boston, MA 02109 Tel. 617-720-5557 Fax617-720-5665, email sheim@bostoncommonasset.com

Chicken Poop and Bull Sperm

I should use that as the title of my memoirs.

Day started with Claire and her baby chicks. See, Claire told Miss Nancy at Day Care that she got baby chicks this week. Well Mom (me) tried to reward her for helping around the house and cleaning her room. I think a sweet is a better idea next time. Sweets don't poop on you.

Back to the story. Miss Nancy declared this Pet Week. Full week of Wanderer's Rest and pet care stuff. I was planning on bringing Clarie's goat Karo, but baby chicks it is.

Dave at Dependa Bull rang. Pretty early. Ring me before 8am and I'm likely to answer. He starts out by asking what I am doing. "Getting the chickens ready for Day Care" I tell him. A pause. "Chickens ready for Day Care. I thought you people in Hamilton were different..." Right.

"No, my Daughter's Day Care. It is Pet Week and MS. NANCY wants the chickens." I emphasise Ms. like you aren't suppose to do anything anyone names Ms. wants you to do. He chickles and says he figured that we were sending our birds to day care.

He then asked if I knew anyone named XXY. Nope. I don't know them. How about a John Truelson Jr. Yes. I know John. He is the manager at Plimoth. Want his number. Apparently after the morning was done I found that this fellow from Alaska rang John a year ago. Probably associated with the people who rang me and sent a letter to Dave. They were looking for bull sperm. They did their research apparenlty. Gave Dave a very detailed flight itinerary for the sperm. Kinda like the one Dave got for a potential calf last year. John has the semen at the Plantation now. Many sorts interested in conserving/owning rare breeds. I don't think any Guiness sperm is going to Alaska.

Lisa had a heart attack. Not a real one. She thought her cow was in labor all day. She has this midget kerry (Dexter) that is due to pop. No bigger than our weaned holsteins only with a heckof a hay belly. Neither were ready. The Dexter was more ready than the Kerry/Devon. We had coffee, biscotti and doubel stuffed oreo cookies.

Dave got the winch off of Tom's silo. Made me feel good. Didn't have to pay $485 for a new one. He helped Tom fix the harrows yesterday. Tom's Christian Logger payed him pretty well for the Maple today. $7600. There may be some veneer logs in the group. Most were "pasture maples". (if a tree grows near a meadow they tend to have more limbs that trees grown in a forest. Pines can go up 40-70 feet before you get limbs. Loggers prefer those. Less work).

Have to do the Wine event in Syracuse this weekend. Not looking forward to it. I've had so much interruption this week. Poor grammer there. Didn't get squat done. Looks like Colgate graduates this weekend and I probably should be selling cheese in Hamilton, not at a Wine Festival. Who knows I may do well. I'll drop in at Syracuse Real Food and see how my cheeses are selling there on the way home.

Heard from Rona. Guess she's had a long winter too. I was glad to know she was alive. Cheesemakers are solitary by nature. I think that it is good for us to check in on eachother. Keeps up in touch with the world. Makes me feel better when friends look me up out of the blue. She sent me info on a new Artisan Cheese makers Alminac type book. There is an application to fill out to get into it. I got the pictures back from Ian. Need product photos now. I may look into doing that tomorrow or Monday. He wants them by June 15th.

workshops aging kerrys and surgery

Donna Doel is coming to do a workshop June 9-10th. Bloomy Rind cheeses. I'm looking forward to it. She deserves a cheese holiday and I'd like to continue with the cheese making workshops.

Fisher Farms looked at our cooler. Looks like he fixed the two leaks that Harry missed. Poor fellow. He is getting on, but the bills to keep filling gas and fix leak were getting on too. We shall see. Will check the temp in am. If a go, I'll be transfering cheeses tomorrow afternoon.

Kerry cows are at Whitman's. His daughter renames all of our cows. At first I was annoyed, but then remembered that we renamed Bagel Beagle into Ginger, so who am I to talk? Cows are relaxed. I hope Fritz does his job. He will be opening the gate to the big pasture tomorrow.

Dave's stomach is a wee swelled a week later. We are hoping it is an infection, not another tear. Odd to wish for an infection. Maybe it is just irritation or common swelling?? I hope it is nothing. He wants to be in the barn milking. Cannot entertain him otherwise. Sleep, eat, auctions and milking cows. That is a dairy farmer's life. (ok add manure spreading and the like to that list).

I still have death by snots. Cannot get Dr. appointment until Monday (next week). Figured I'd be cured of sickness or walking pneumonia. Need to wear mask for cheesemaking this week, if I make it at all. Don't like to drip into vats. Not too hygenic.

Mailed the hoops to Art. BIG PACKAGES. Got it to him for less than UPS, so happy about that.

Claire got baby chicks yesterday. Two of them in a dog box in the kitchen make for a lot of noise. Cat TV we have decided. I am actually not sure who is more entertained Claire, Gary (cat) or the Beagle.

Puppy, Surgery and Death by Snots

Candice had baby on Monday. Boy. Silas Neil Bemont. A poop shy of 8# according to the happy grandmother (Lisa). We have the Beagle, Bagel, Ginger, Beagle Head, Puppy, Devil Dog... Poor thing isn't lacking for names. Beagles are odd creatures. It owns our dogs right now. Clarie adores it. It will either go back in two weeks or maybe Dana's daughter's boyfirend...

Dave had surgery last Friday (week from today). Went well. He had crazy black and blue marks and some swelling. He wants to milk tomorrow. It has been hard to get him to stop pushing himself. Better not hurt himself...

We have Death By Snots. Sawter at Dependa Bull had it for 6 weeks. Oof. Guess it can turn into walking pneumonia or bronchitis in some. Had the perifery stars and 2-3 second blackness in eyes this morning. No sleep for 2 weeks kinda contributes to some of it. Tylenol PM sucks. Takes 2 hours to set in and then I cannot get up to milk in a decent time frame. Move awful slowly while doing chores. Boy do I hate colds.

Marcia and Kenny go home tomorrow. They were kind enough to help out this week. Claire loved it. Dave and i both appreciated it VERY much. Took them out to breakfast. Quack's doesn't have good food anymore. Odd watching someone come out of the kitchen to sit at table like a customer and then serve themselves like it was their house. Very uncomfortable.

Cannot stop coughing. Have to run.

Two little pigs and a sore knee

Claire named the pigs "Sun" and "Moon". Everything is stellar to her. Most every name invloves sun, moon or star. Ok. Dave named some of this years heifers "Lake Effect", "Spot", and "Whimpy III". My Pomegrant goat became Karo after Dave fed him Karo syrup, injected him with Se and Pen G to save him.

We also have a "Ringer". She was technically named that after it took 24 bags of Lactated Ringers to keep her going after she had this persistent scours that was going through barns in the area a couple of falls ago. Most people let the calves die. We put her on an IV, charcoal boluses and electrolytes with her milk. She lived and is due to calve this year.

Lisa and John stopped in after dropping a gas tank off at Metals N Trucks. Doug was going to try to fix it for them. They kinda got a little lost coming back and found themselves above our farm. They stopped in for my roguey coffee and a short conversation. While going out to the barn to see the baby pigs, I slipped on the wheelchair ramp (for Marcia) and twisted my left knee. It is swelling behind the knee. I elevated it and then took some asprine. I think it becomes stiffer as I sit around. (like now). I have to beeswax some cheese and put dairy dishes away. We'll see.

I was suppose to shear the sheep this weekend. They are awful wet. The knee gives me enough excuse not to do it, but I's like the Green Rabbit ones to go down the lane and Gary Champine is busy I guess - he isn't calling back too fast. I know he had a hard time of it at Lisa's, but for a handful of sheep he is ok. It is the 50+ sheeps flocks that he is too old for.

Well, off to the Fedco catalogue. Have to look into apple, pear and raspberry bushes for this year.

Last of the Calves

Annie's heifer lost her first calf. It was dissapointing. She was on schedule. Not sure if it was born dead, or if something happened while we were giving a tour, handling cheese or fixing fence. Dave and I brought the heifer back into the barn. Her udder isn't much. An Ayrshire. Dave will try to milk her tonight.

Musketeer's heifer had a bull calf yesterday about 1:20 pm. A funny market fellow. He is out of a Scandanavian Red bull. We are trying to work on fertility and components in the dairy herd without loosing production. Dave figures he'll keep this bull calf to raise for a herd bull next year. He isn't taking to bottle to fast, but that happens with dairy bull calves sometimes.

Dave brought the Hesston 530 baler and Grimm teddar to Devon Lane (Belchertown, MA) yesterday. Well, actually he came back yesterday. I milked at Bruce's Wednesday eve so he could go to an insurance training session. I then milked our cows while Dave drove everything back in the Kirby trailer. He made it. The next morning Ken drove with Dave to Belchertown to drop the baler off. Irony is that Massachusetts has driven real agriculture out of business and suburbia is expanding so fast, yet we can make more money on our used equipment in MA than if we tried to sell it here in NY... I dunno. Dave then drove back. We loaded up the two bales for rent of the trailer and brought them back to Lisa. I made cheese last night.

Cheese. I was up to about 12:30pm making Gouda. Good yield last night. I was sleep walking during the last turning. Had to straighten one 2# wheel out and the baby's didn't press as well as expected. Have to get a small scale to weigh each baby to make it more standard. One big one and the little ones around it don't get fully pressed. pH dropped a wee lower on those baby's that didn't press overnight becuase I had to add more weight to it and let it sit for a part of the day to get it to nit nicely. It worked. Brined then and now they are sitting in the drying room to be waxed.

Will have Donna out to do a cheese class in June. That will be nice. I like to have the input from all cheesemakers. Elmond doesn't see the point, but I guess that is the difference between wanting to learn how to make great cheeses and wanting to make what you think is a good cheese. I'm not the industrial sort. Maybe there is a happy medium. I think about things too much.

Got the Ta set from Margaret. I'll be switching to that. $137 for a Ta or get a proper pH for $300+. I erred with Ta. Besides Patrick and Kathy Biss both figured that the Ta was a better measure of what is happening with your cheese.

We got our whey management system today. Tim dropped off two Hampshire/Yorkshire cross pigglets today. He was meeting with Jay Graham and family. We all thought it was a good time to drop off the piggies. They are small. We had the,m in the pen with Kiwi and the two kids (hers and Heather's fall kid). Kiwi wasn't overly nice to them. Had to move Kiwi and group down to the pole barn/paddock. They will move to the pig pen at above the manure pit for a bit (they are crazy small now). Dave will try to work on it over the forcasted 4-days of rain.

Never got the fence completed. Cannot find the charger from the sheep/goat management area. That and Dave had another "attack". He goes under the knife on May 5th. He figures I cannot do things, so is frantic to finish EVERYTHING before the surgery. He is a bit of a jerk before surgeries. I'm use to it now, but it does ware on you. 2 1/2 weeks to go.

I shear the ewes and rams over the weekend. I want them at Green Rabbit farm by next weekend. Wormed, vaccianted and hooves trimmed and they are good to go. Good luck Green Rabbit. I hope the fences are on. Sheeps love mesculin mixes... I think they'll do a good job, I just hope they learn to judge the sheeps need for ample water/green grass before they learn the good old fashioned way...

We've made a deal with Claire to get 2 chickens this summer. She has to do some chores to earn money to feed the birds. She tried to get Grampy to make a chicken house for her. We'll see. She does have this odd ability to walk up to these birds and pick them up any time she wants to. They see me and run like heck in the yard. I can pick the eggs fair enough (without a peck), but catch them when they are free in the yard... that takes talent.

One more cow to go for a few more weeks. I think there are only a couple more before summer, but I think the bulk of them are fresh now.

Fences Make Good Neighbors

Well that is my theory at least. We got ugly when Tom's heifers kept getting loose when he and his wife went on holiday, knowing the fence was down and figuring his neighbors would fix it...

We are rebuilding whole lines of fence this year. Dave has been furiously ripping old fencing out. We'll at least finish the perimeter and work with the temporary stuff this summer for interiors.

Sheeps and goats require the 5 strand minimum. It is a nice idea for heifers as well. Cows only need 2 strands. We'll do the perimeter 5-strand. Just in case sheep or goats want to go for a walk. I'd prefer it to be in the farm, not on the road.

Claire is busy throwing rocks into the stream bed. Dave figures it will stabilize it some and Claire loves the sport. It's funny she have named that stretch of stream (or rather "river") "the Jungle". Didn't think that those leaveless trees and bushes could look like a jungle, but not a bad idea really. These is the "Big hole" too. This is an erroded bit on the lower stretch of the "river". Kinda a miny grand canyon effect. The previous owners brought fill in and let the stream make its own way. With heavy rains for two years and then drought, it took a toll on the stability of some stretches.

We are going to fence off the stream. We did take it out of the EQUIP program because they wanted 40' stretches and that would take up the whole blooming pasture. We are going to plant bushes and maples along the stream. I also want to encourage the tiger lilly and wild iris's like we had in Chesterfield. Oh, they were pretty. I looked in a book on native endangered plants for NY and they are in there. I have to return the book, but it gave me ideas for the plantings I want to do for the buffer stretch in the southern part of our farm.

The surveyers have finished in the swamp. There is going to be potholes, maybe a nature path and some plantings to improve the swamp. We should be meeting with the designer/contractor some time this week. I was firm about invasive species and told him I was more interested in native wet land species. Theresa did say that they could get us wood duck houses and the like if we sign something about maintaining them. Gives us more reason to have a path I figure. Some of the wetland vegetation is pretty cool. We already have Canadian geese, wood ducks, peepers, coyotes, deer (too many), foxes, musk rats, porcuipines, littel weasles, owls, a red tailed hawk, some chicken hawks, and other creatures. Claire and I also find a lot of fossels in the stream beds. I'm not sure if that is native to this property or brought in with the fill. The little shells look pretty awsome.

Chickens

I had to go to Lisa's to help pick eggs. Her father had to go into hospital for heart cathederization. I took Claire. I like picking eggs. I did it for the Tilson Barns while I was in college. The chickens were good about getting eggs out of the nests. Claire wants one so bad. We'll see how the summer sales of cheese go. If I can get a good winter holding pen set up and the whole Influenza thing doesn't seem too bad, we'll get some birds. I think it would be a good idea to spread the genetics around, rather than let all of the factory farmed birds die. They are also good animals for children to work with. Gives them a sense of responsibility.

Took some of the Quark that Aissa made to Circa. Tastes like chevre and has consistency of cream cheese. I froze the last bits. Couldn't sell retail. Wasn't anything like my quark. Only to restaurants. Not much of it left, but I'll be glad when it is out of inventory. I tested shelf life too. Not as good as mine. Cats hair after a bit. I never had problems with that kind of mold. I get the green stuff when stuff gets too old.

I ordered a Ta set up from Glengarry. I want to use that more. Not as into pH. Doesn't seem the meters are as acurate as I'd like.

Cheese Consultants

I like the fact that there are cheese consultants in the US. Saves having to go through the expense of the apprentise programs offered at some universities. They aren't cheap however. They also have distinct ways of describing their craft.

I've learned that it is often better to get the opinion and knowledge for as many sources as possible. I've been to workshops with Peter Dixon, Margaret Morris, Patrick Anglade, Rona Sullivan and now hopefully Kathy Biss. I think it is a well rounded group. I've learned a lot. I'd recommend any of the above to anyone.

I'm also an avid reader of books on the subject. Dave thinks that is part of my obsessive personality. I am just intregued by this whole cheesemaking thing.

EVERYONE SHOULD MAKE CHEESE!!!

Gary the Cat

My daughter has a cat. I don't care for cats. They aren't dogs.

Kyle Fredericks gave it to her. Nice girl. Babysat for a year or so. Her father is a dairy inspector. He is ok too. Bob (our old silo unloader) is her uncle. He found the creathure in Carl Stone's milking barn. Kyle does have a thing with animals and got it good start. Birthday present.

If it weren't for the hair and his habit of walking on my counters, I could get to like the thing. I don't like hair in and on everything. I don't like animals that walk in poo on my counters... Dave laughs, I bleach it down constantly. Maybe a cat was good for the counters. They didn't get bleached as often before.

People give you that look. You know, the "Gary?!?! What a name for a cat" look. The disclaimer is then needed. You know Sponge Bob right? Claire went through a Sponge Bob phase. The name fits the cat. It is also Claire's cousin's name. I hope he was ok with it. He likes cats and this one, apparently, is like the one he lost last year.

As far as creatures owned by a toddler to be little girl go, he is a Godsend. Boy he lets her do anything. Generally it is the two arm hold and run through the rooms. Today it was a bath in the sink "to get the stains off". Stains? He was wet and smelled of hand soap. She thinks there are no stains. Gary is now hiding. I see him, but I won't tell.

Joey (dog) likes the cat as well. Generally it is a stalking, what is the furry, I want to eat it but they are looking at me "like". They do play when we aren't looking. It is his obsession. Border collies need obsessions. Keeps them as sane as a border collie can be. Right now he is laying at the bottom of the stairs looking up. The cat is hiding up stairs and it is a dog free zone (except during thunder storms). He'll stay there until the dog dish is filled, he goes for his walkies, or I ask him to sleep in his bed.

I made Caerfili last night. A milkier whey than the other cheeses. I'm thinking it is the cheese Linda Smith wasmaking when I was showing Aissa how to make my Quark. That had a lot of milky whey and she only said it was a hard cheese. She could have said Caerfili for all I cared. I never follow recipes to the letter anyways. Have to adjust according to the milk and room temps, etc.

Very velvety curd. With the Aroma B addition in Margaret's recipe, it develops quite a lovely smell. I dumped the last of my pH buffer (moron) and had to wing it. I think I rushed things a bit. It looks fine. The trimmings from taste good, with a sour, creamy, I'm not done ripening British cheese taste. I'll have to tweek it a bit. Had to increase temps of cook a wee bit due to the cold temps in the room. Ordered the Ta deal from Margaret to switch to that. I'm definetly going to play with that one during the morning makes and when it is warmer out. I think I'll stick to feta or tallegio styles in evening makes. I'm too old for the 12:30 into the house for last time routine. I have a blasting head ache from lack of sleep this morning.

Spring is Here!!

Seems like a cruel joke to rural people in the north east to have the official first day of spring in the middle of March. Wayne at the gas station was cranked up. I guess he was tired of people telling him it was the first day of spring. Dave went in just as he was telling a customer that the official start of spring was to be at 1:30 pm and that the weather was to jump up to 75 degrees and leaves will magically appear on the trees. Well something like that. Bruce, Dave, Tim... everyone else we ran across had the same feeling about spring. Kinda like politics. They tell us the was is going great... we don't believe that anymore than we think the flowers will be blooming under 3" of snow and 20 degree weather...

Moonbeam has graduated to standing cows in her cow surfing. Dave found her on 336, who stands next to Frosty. 336 is a smaller Ayrshire heifer we got out of Vermont. THe goat apparently jumps onto Frosty, then leaps up to 336's back. The cow loves it. She makes the lip movements she does when I curry comb her. It is a new service that is offered to the cows... Goat Massage. We'll see if milk production goes up.

Had to ship Harriette. I have to get the words to the song that Elizabeth Smith's interns made about her. She didn't breed back. Old cow. She was so crampy with arthritis in her back and hips. We loved her. Bull of a cow, but she was one of our characters.

Claire had a fit when Wayne (WrattenDVM) was doing the herd check. See, when a vet checks to see the reproductive health of a cow, he sticks his whole arm up a cows butt. Based on the feel of a uterus, lumps and bumps, where the CL is on the ovarie, etc. he can tell us if a cow is pregnant, missed a heat, not right... We checked on the Kerry cows as well. They are housed near the heifers because they are a smaller animal and to keep them cleaner, they are there. Claire's heifer is there. Her pet, Sun Cow. (Sun is a theme with Claire. Everyone has sun in the name lately).

After Wayne left, Claire had a talk with Dave about what she saw. She already knows that boy calves are sold to Unger. We keep the girl calves to milk. But the arm up the butt to see if she is pregnant was too much for her. She told Dave that he wasn't to breed Sun Cow. She didn't want her to have baby's. Oof. Poor Dave. She is only 3 1/2 years old and we have to explain aspects of the facts of life via the dairy barn experience... After that was cleared up, she then announced that we have to have the "sex semen". Sexed semen is new on the market. Kinda expensive. Through various patented methods, semen from bulls are sorted and dairy farmers can inseminate cows with semen that has a greater liklihood of having a heifer. Well. How did Claire figure that one out. I am not sure of the exact parts of the conversation, only making it brief, but some how she listens to us (selective hearing) and already understands that there is a way to make sure her heifer's babies are heifers and can therefore stay! I'm crazy impressed and SOOOO glad Dave had this conversation with her, not me.

Milk price is "going into the crapper". Our pay price is $14.10/hwt. this month. Going down. I'd like to see what the impact of rural communities will be economically with the Dairy farmers predicting $12/hwt milk again. Independants already dropped 12-20 farms regionally. Not so good. We know a metal guy who closed his doors due to high accounts recievables and our dairy supply man (Tim) was talking about how pay at delivery people are asking for credit. Harriette went, not just because she was old, but because we wanted to pay our electric bill on time.

We are making more cheese. So much for gradual shift to processing again. Already sold out. Found a 4# wedge of Honey Gouda in back of cooler. Circa wants it. Have a waiting list for April 8th cheese! Making Caerfili tomorrow and Gouda the next day. Looks like we can do twice a week cheesemaking. There is also call for cheese classes. With the milk price going down, it is a good time for offer these workshops. We want to pay off all working loans before Bush sends interest rates up again with his trashing of the economy.

Sheep Surfing and the Big Wave

Often people who have sheep don't tend to know how many they actually have. I remember one such guy in MA, Cliff Thayer, who when asked how many he had said, "hundred or so. don't really know. If I actually counted them I'd actually know how many I have."

I think that for some goats are the same way. I register the Arapawa goats, so I know them and their birth date and the like. I can recite pedigrees on a number of animals in the barn. Dave, being a good cow man, keeps count for us. When I have more head of small stock than him, I generally get hints about possibly selling some sheep or the San Clemente Island goats...

I was suprised last fall when Dave, who had less head of animals actually got upset when I suggested I sell the ewes I had. He said sheep are like Maple Syrup for him. They lambs come in early spring and they break up the dreary days. We kept them and all but two ewes lambed out. The lambs and ewes went to the lower barn and we moved the goats to the calf barn to kid out. Sheep move with grain, goat... well they are goats.

Male goats are the most disgusting creatures known to man. Own one and you will know what I mean and I'm not talking about the musk scent they are known for. Knick (senior Arapaw buck) and Dave have this dislike for each other. I am the one who has to treat him or worm him.

Goat baby's do have this fun thing they do. They surf. Generally they sheep surf. They especially like it then the ewes have wool on the back to that they can dig their little feet in. Rowan the Goat (actually a sheep with horns and like for high areas) loves to have baby goats surf on him. Ruins the wool, but we use it for mulch under tomato plants anyways.

Only little Arapawa/San Clemente doe kid has decided to go for the big wave. She has started to surf one of our bigest cows, Frosty. Frosty is an Ayrshire, but she is more of a Red Holstein in size. Moonbeem jumps right up when the cow is laying down and runs up and down the old cow. I want to see what happens if the old girl tries to get up! Frosty doesn't seem to mind/acknowledge the baby goat.

Dave is actually warming up to the goats with Moonbeam surfing cows and him saving Pomegrant. Heck I saved Penny the Hooch and the dog has been my nemisis since I met her. I think we are both softies at heart and appreciate all of our animals.

baille nach t'na faille paudrig

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I'm not sure if I remember the spelling correctly.

It is a cold day. Very windy for the parades tomorrow. People will have plenty of excuses to drink whiskey over the weekend. Saw an ad for Smithicks beer when I was back in MA. I drank that when I was in college in Dublin in the mid-90's. Didn't see it anywhere though. Maybe only by the pint or something...

There is an old saying my Irish Grandmother had, "Glad to see you, glad to see you go..." At first you'd wonder if she had an afliction that rendered her immune to social interactions, but as I grow older, I truely understand that saying. Family is great. I miss them when Dave, Claire and I are alone and I miss being alone when I am with the families.

Dave saved an Arapawa buck kid. Pomegrant almost died. I tubed him and he was doing the dish rag, cardboard legs head swinging back lip up death thing. Dave pronounced him un-saveable and after loosing Peg last week he thought I should leave for MA earlier than planned. The poor thing was breathing when he went for chores that night. He gave him the Karo syrup and 5cc of goats milk via tube. He is so small that I am actually using a dog catheder for the urinary system. To say the least, Dave performed miracles. The little guy is still alive. He has him up to 1 oz. of milk. Today we put him back on his mother and will supplement him with sheep replacer. We'll see. Se shots and Karo syrup. Have we finally found the secret to these rare goats?

Made no cheese last week. Made no cheese this week. Plan to do some tomorrow. Brine came back negative for coliform. Donna suggested I may not have pressed it enough. I will calibrate the press again (put scale under it and see what the press is). Who knows. I kept the cheeses and will send in a half block to the lab before c&w.

Sold some Honey Gouda to Old Creamery in Cummington. Glad to see Alice and Amy. Nice women. Brought some to the "party" at Mom's house. She took some to UMASS to let proffs try it out. Guess they liked it. I learned that even with mucor bettles in the one cooler, I can make some damn good tasting cheese. I liked the moisture and everything. Nice eye development. The beeswax is so fragile. Cracks in delivery. I have to devise a way to ship these wheels without developing cracks in the wax coating.

New restaurant in Caz. has cheese too. Circa. Nice chef, Alicin. I sold her a 6# wheel. I hope she can sell to the Madison County crowd. Guess there is an uproar because she is selling a burger for $10. It has local organic ingredients. I don't see the problem. It got her some Syracuse press through. Good on! Dave and I want to try to go there soon.

Peggy Sheep Passed Away

I never thought I'd miss an animal so much. Well another one after Gale dog. Peggy was a smart sheep. She was black, brown and grey. Only a few white hairs on her forehead. She knew how to get into and out of most anything. She tolerated goats and taught disrespectful border collies a lesson or two. She was about 20 when she died (last Thursday). I had to have Wayne put her to sleep.

I was folding cloths on the bed in the back room when I saw her laying in the doorway to the pole barn. I knew that wasn't right. We had to help her get out from under the hay feeder earlier that week and I had to help her get up the week before. I pulled her from the doorway. She was on her side and could not get up. I tried to get her onto her sternum. She was bloaty and laying upright would help relieve some gas. She didn't have the strenght. It is amazing how heavy an animal is when they are so sick or dead.

I ran to the dairy barn to tell Dave what happened. Claire had to go to school and I wanted to make sure she could go to the barn while I waited for Wayne. I rang Wayne and he came about a long hour later.

Cecil and Jenny were up, so I asked Cecil to help me get her out of the sheep pen. I didn't want the yearling ewes to trample her if they got stirred up. The poor old ewe deserved more respect than some stupid ewes looking for chaos. We moved her to the workshop and I tried again to get her to sit up so that she wouldn't be in so much pain. It didn't work. I talked to her and stroked her front legs. She never liked it when you touched her face, but I use to stroke her front leg when I needed her to sit still for some reason. She stopped grinding her teach and didn't thrash so much when I did that.

She did go peacefully. I only wish she didn't have to go through the pain of bloat. The curse of a ruminant on their side for too long. Poor Peggy. Dave burried her in the knoll near the stream that runs down the field behind the barn. It is near the spot that a doe (deer) has her kids in the spring. We burried a calf there last year, a twin bull who wasn't right and died too young.

I'll miss her. We kept her last Ram, Peter Sheep. Lisa borrowed him this fall and she has Peggy's grandchildren coming out her ears. Peter Sheep did a GREAT job. Dave Knackley has a ewe lamb that was born in Chesterfield, Curley. She was like her mom, lots of lambs and crafty. Good genes. I also have Rowan the Goat. He is actually a sheep, but he has horns and likes to stand on things, so we call him Rowan the Goat. He is a whether. Fat, keeps rams/bucks company and lets Claire scratch is nose.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

I don't know if it the fact that my mom raised us Catholic. I feel this tremendous guilt around me daily. It could be my intense dislike of people who hurt other people's feelings. I don't know. I have this recuring habit of saying the wrong thing and the wrong time to the wrong person who takes a genuinely nice thing and thinks it is bad and I'm mud.

The most intense one I still think about today is an event from High School. This girl came to our school from a neighboring town. I really liked her. She had a quiet way about her. I had friends from that school she went to. I learned that she came to our school to change things in her life. Mainly to get away from a drug problem. I respected that and really thought she was a strong person for trying to change her life. In the school yard, another girl was looking at her and said in a typically ugly way that she thought the other girl was on drugs. I was furious. I thought she was great for overcoming a problem and here was this perennial jerk telling me that she thought this girl was bad. I, in my innocent way, demanded that she doesn't do drugs! I know this for a fact because she came to our school to get away from them.... Basically this girl now had ammunition to hurt both of us. A couple of weeks later the later girl and I were on the school bus with the best friend of the girl who moved to our town. In my typically passive way, I was sitting alone looking out the window. I hear her tell the best friend that I said that her best friend had a drug problem. I was horrified. I didn't know what to do. They left and I dind't sleep, had stomach cramps all night and dreaded going to school the next morning. Sure enough, the girl I admired so much came up to me and told me I was a gerk, among other horrible things that I deserved considering the story she just heard... I was too much of a coward to confront the issue. To this day, I cannot say anything. She looks at me with such hate... well the one time I saw her at UMASS years later. I cannot even use real names today...

Most currently I was talking to a friend talk about a job she has with the government. She is going through some of the same frustrations I went through. I felt the tensoin in my chest as she described what was going on. I was distracted by the computer not working with a tax deadline looming. In my famously obnoxious way, I said that she must love chaos, or be one of those who create it if it isn't around. Basically, I'm talking about me and trying to bring a bizaar comforting parallell to her situation. Well, it was a crapy thing to say. The faltering phone conversation said everything. I felt like crap. I meant nothing more that to say that I had to leave my job because I couldn't take that stress and I was overwhelmed with the idea of her staying to put up with people treating her like they do. I cannot stand it and I slowly eat away at myself in that situation. Rather than say it like I just did two sentances ago, I try something smart and it turns out cheeky this time. I am a moron and certainly not a good friend. What an ASS I am.

The sad thing is that the thought process that goes into saying things and the feelings behind them are often so disconnected that I am so suprised at what I hear come out of my mouth. Even in positive, hey you sound like a rock star - everyone loves you, I am listening to myself and saying, may you squeaked by on that one this time moron. Is there a class or workshop on how to connect what you are trying to say with what you are actually saying? Or- try to think about what you are saying and offer some strategy to your thought process. I dunno. I cannot even articulate what it is that I want from myself in this regard. I just wish that I could just shut up and listen rather than try to take part in every conversation. Just stop getting so excited and be normal...

Sorry Donna and Georgia. I was trying to be nice. I can be a moron and a coward.

sea salt

I got this sea salt from my distributor. It has a lot of sediment. I made brine with it. Didn't think much more than to skim the scum off the top. I brine all of this months cheeses in it. I have this feeling though. I just don't like it. I'm going to make a cheddar next week and dry salt it. I have this cleaner sea salt that I proceeded to crack open the bag of that is in better shape. I saved enough to make a few batches. I'm going to see if I can send in a sample to AgriMark central lab to see what is in the brine before I use it again.

I learned more about sea salt. Boy, it is like cheese. It is so different. The mineralization, coarseness, purity... It is pretty neet stuff. I just have to remember that not all sea salt is the same.

I did just order kosher salt just in case. I'll dry salt with the other stuff until I see that the brine passes muster. After I send in the sample, I'll boil the brine. The cheeses are fine. I do have some over 2 weeks and no blowing. They are fine in fact. I just beeswaxed them yesterday. When I c&w, I'll send a sample into the lab to check. Our inspector does the same for our raw milk. I send a sample into a lab when they do just for insurance.

I just have this obsessive tendance towards cleanliness. Well of the product I'm selling anyways.

I have a grant for a HACCP plan. Now that taxes are done, I plan to look into that more.

It's cold and late. Time for bed.

Piles of Energy

Well, that is what the horoscope said. Boy were they off. Damn Olympics. Finally have something to watch on t.v. and Dave and I stay up to 11pm watching EVERYTHING. We're moving into the curves and laughing at the commentators. I am so flat out tired watching this...

Add that to being injured pretty bad while milking Bruce's cows. My back hurts so much that I get this violent stomach ache when I turn wrong or sit in there horrid kitchen chairs for long. I made a 30# wheel of Gouda yesterday and thought I'd die putting it into the brine.

I HATE TIE STALL BARNS!!!

I also had a buck goat help me rip the entire skin layer off a knuckly of my baby finger. Had to wear gloves through making cheese and tonight milking. A hay cut and some random paper like cut add to the injuries.

Suppose to go back to MA this weekend. Not gonna happen. Too much wind and then snow. I dunno. I may meet Marcia in Duanesburg (and Ken who has to drive). I don't want to go anywhere. Well, I do want to say hi to George and see if I could visit a professor I worksed for Dr Smyth. He is in a nursing home. I liked him and appreciated his passion. He did genetic work on poultry. Developed the Midget White turkey in fact. Neet guy. Chris is still at UMASS. I bet he doesn't remember me from anyone. I did want to look him up and visit the library with a copy card worth about $100 and two ring binder notebooks... Someone has to collect info on these rare breeds...

Kraft as sneaky as Phillip Morris?? NO!?!?!

Kraft and Philip Morris Scientists Caught Comparing Notes
In a follow-up report to an extensive three-part series on Kraft and obesity, the Chicago Tribune (Kraft is headquartered in Illinois) published an article entitled: “Where there's smoke, there might be food research, too: Documents indicate Kraft, Philip Morris shared expertise on how the brain processes tastes, smells.” Many people don’t realize that the company responsible for Oreos, Cheese Whiz, and Oscar Meyer wieners is owned by the same parent company (Altria) of the makers of Marlboro and Virginia Slims. The Tribune has dug into documents spanning the mid-1980s though 2001, made available through tobacco litigation against Philip Morris.
The documents reveal that Kraft and Philip Morris discussed investing jointly in brain scans to study how the brain processes tastes and smells. For example, a 1997 planning memo proposed investing in "neuroimaging," or brain scans, and research on sensory neuroreceptors, which are sites on brain cells that process smells and tastes. Also, a 1998 memo suggested that Kraft and Philip Morris collaborate on foods and drinks "engineered to influence" a customer's mood or sense of fullness. The paper said that because Philip Morris has released few documents since 2001, it’s difficult to determine if the cigarette maker and Kraft have collaborated in recent years.
Source: Chicago Tribune, 01/29/06 (with links to documents)http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0601290254jan29,1,3082179.story?coll=chi-business-hed

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I get this kind of information from COMFOOD-L. In particular the Informed Eating newsletter. I like getting it. I also get newsletters from:
MeatingPlace.com
Specialty Foods Newsletter
NY Farms!
I like to get information from all sides. I think it helps someone make more informed decisions.

I'll try to remember all of the other sites/groups I read. But this is a start.

Girl Day Out

Claire and I went to Clinton today. James came back from holiday and I got a 9am hair appointment. Combine that with getting paid by Bruce for milking his cows... Girl day. Should have been put into bank to pay bills, but Claire needed one on one attention and I thought it would be a great way to celebrate not wetting bed last night.

Hair cut went as usual, only with Claire questioning art work, pictures and James daughter, why a customer went into room and laughing hysterically about mommy getting hair cut. Poor James didn't know what to think of someone's enthusiasm over cutting and styling hair. I like the more liberal conversations at the hair shop. A wonderful diversion from the fundamentialism here in Madison.

Next to bank. Deposit my milk check (ok milking someone else's cows check) and Claire begging for lollipop. Back to truck where Claire questions me about children attending or not attending daiy care in the various church looking buildings in the commons.

Short drive (because my coat smelled of cow and barn dog) to other end of common. Go to breakfast at my anti-McDonalds... Bistro 7 or something. I ate Eggs Benedict and Claire two eggies (with wheat toast and potatoes). The later was an offence to Claire because she didn't ask for them, but I was able to concinve her that she only had to eat what she ordered and that it was nice for the lady (with sparkles in her shirt) to give her something she didn't ask for.

Another girl, of maybe 2 comes in. She is with her grandmother. After paying, Claire goes up to say hello. It is lovely how little kids have no inhibitions about approaching a total stranger (of same size) to say hello. Claire must have sensed the candy that grandma snuck to the little girl, because she askingly suggested that the little girl, who still barely noticed Claire, would liek to give her a piece of candy. As I pull Claire away, other patrons smile and chuckle, Claire gets gummy worm and we are out door.

Ah the shop between Bistro and truck has colourful toys in the window and is open. Ok, why not. You have to visit the Duane twins and need presents. Thank God the toys are up scale and cheap. Barbara will cringe and the kids will enjoy them. We had no money for X-Mas, but I was still able to get presentable toys for each child for their birthday. That and the lady at the shop was a joy to talk to. I am meeting intelligent people again with conversations that go above the general native talk of snow mobiles, bad mouthing neighbors and some NASCAR/country music...

I also ran into the market manager. Nice guy with a genuine passion for small business sucess in the town. He took my name down and I said something about considering attending the market. We talked about wholesale vendors at many markets that pretend they grow their crops and the unfairness of it and of Green Rabbit Farm and Suzanne's ability to make a damn good mesculine mix and her new bread making venture. We both agreed that her raisin bread is awsome. I used it for French Toast.

Back home. Dave is learning how to use internet (blood pressur emedicine getting workout on his part). I just finished Bait and Switch by my favorite author Barbara Ehrenreich. I also downloaded last draft of Tim's b.plan to highlight the last bit of info I needed. After I'm done with that, tea and biscuits, turn cheeses in cooler and to Bruce's to milk them long tailed beasts...

Kerry Cows

I've been talking. To breeders and organizations in Canada and US about my beloved Kerry Cows. There is often a problem with rare breeds. Lack of population control. What that means is that there isn't a strong network of breeders in the different gene pool areas (UK, Canada, US and Ireland). There are Societies and the like, but we don't have a clear plan or vision. We don't even know who all of the players are!

What I had proposed to Jane Mullen in Canada and ALBC was the establishment of two things
1) a stronger network of breeders and
2) a better handle of the genetic resources that we have on hand.

Jeannette gave me an run down of the computer programs that can be used, organizations that use them and costs/tech support offered. I emailed the Cleveland Bay Cociety in UK to see what their experience has been with Sparks, a program from ISIS. Apparently they like it a lot. It has helped them control the gene pools in UK and US. Breeders Assistant is another program that appears popular, only it isn't very exportable into other programs - say if it becomes obsolete or something.

I hope to send a letter off to Ireland. We need their approval on anything we do. I'd also like to see if we can get bi-yearly inspections of herds by Ireland if we can and do more promotions/fundraising. Canada and US also need semen.

I started a Kerry Cow group on yahoogroups to see if we can get a discussion of breeders going.

More snow and brine

I have to get thos lugs that I keep promissing myself for brine. This putting bring in 5 gal. buckets thing is absurd and takes up a lot of space. Great for storing brine I'm not using, but not so good for brining as there are only so many cheeses I can fit per pail. Don't want to stack the cheese in the brine. Don't get proper salt penetration. I already threw one cheese out that didn't get turned enough. Tried dry salting every day for a week and then every other day for another week, but threw out after battling mucor a month later. A 12# wheel! That was plain careless and will NOT happen again.

Dave is getting me a proper stir rod for Velentine's Day. Shiney and useful. The later suites Dave and the former satisfies some odd need for something shiney for me. Not going to get bling from him in my lifetime, so may as well settle for stainless steel! It'll save on my back as well, so I will be happy. I just hope he puts a pink bow on it or something ;~>

I have to order the Enlgish cheese book that I had before for that old Lancashire recipe I took notes on. When we get to 2X week processing in March, I'm going to work on perfecting my English cheeses. I'll start with a Caerfili, go to Cheddar and after I like what I'm making, go for the Lancashire in the summer. I have a number of 40# molds. May as well use them right? I think the 20# molds will suite a cheddar and I'll use the Tomme molds for the Cearfili.

I also like to make Cacciocavallo. So many cheeses.... I do have to do 2 makes of that for opening day of markets.

Claire and I have to make beds and vacuum the 2nd floor before going to the library.

More snow and Gouda

Made a batch of Gouda. Dave had two Ayrshire 2nd claf heifers calve last week. Their milk looks good and is in the tank. I made a batch of Gouda. Looked like 42 gal. Made 5 wheels of cheese. Lost some curd due to stupidity during draining whey, but it wasn't half a baby Gouda. It will sit on the press until 3pm and I'll turn one more time to right pH. I tend to brine right off and rest after. These will be clear waxed.

More lake effect snow. About 6" fell overnight. Seemed to warm a bit, and the snow is blowing around mroe than falling now. Tom is trying to dig out. Bad timing. Trying to get Claire to take a nap while his Belarus wails up the driveway. Dave dug us out right after milking. Milk truck came for the last 3 milkings (I took 4th).

Breeder came and bred Clara. Used the Russell Basil semen from Plimoth Plantation. She is on the fat side and I think I finally have Dave convinsed to lay off the silage. At least for the Kerry group. Moose looks like she took and possibly Eva. Siobhan is still to breed, only she seems to come into heat when relief breeder is on. Mmm.

Time for another cuppa. Dave just said the water is on and I can just start to feel the wood heat coming up the stairs to the landing (computer area). Looks like a good time to sit in my rocking chair in front of the stove reading another recipe chapter I found (Stocking Up book from Rodale Press. Good cheese chapters).

Arapawa Goats

Al got the Arapawa goat society web site up. I think it is www.arapawagoats.org . I looks good. We are listed as breeders. Marilyn in OR is going on February 10th to see Betty on the island and view her goats. Wouldn't that be awsome. Attached is a family photo of some of mine.

It is Knick with Lynn (younger doe) and Heather. They are in the lower pole shed near the outdoor cubby hole.

I get to change bucks this year. I have Kool as well, but I've requested this other senior buck with genetics that don't match the ones I have as much. Hopefully Marilyn can get some semen as well. Woo hoo! These are awsome goats.

January thaw, February Freeze

Well, so the old adage holds. Lake effect off Lake Eirie today with little snow. Tomorrow there will be more. a foot or better according to Dave. It is finally cold. Bruces barn wasn't so warm and two sweatshirts was adaquate. Better than milking in a tee-shirt in February. THat wasn't right.

The kerry/aryshire bull is not a good drinker. Tongue off the side of his mouth. Kicking with front feet. Needed two of us to feed him. You get that sometimes. They on occassion cannot drink off the mother too. This one stayed with mommy too long and refused to drink off a bottle. Depending on the cow, we try to keep calves on cow at least all night or if outside during the day until the next milking. Seems both do better.

The cattle dealer picks up both bulls this morning. Claire finally understands that it is a fact of life that "girl calves" stay and "boy calves" go to the cattle dealer. She cried when the twin bull went. We haven't had to explain the part about what happens to the bull when it goes and what will happen to the free-martin heifer that stayed. When she asks, we'll tell her though.

Taxes to work on today. Revise Tim's plan and send out the letter and invoice to the Guild. I also have to email Mark to see if the Guild sent him anything to close the grant out. Silly people. I don't know why they have to get so greedy. I was the one being nice about things. They got ugly for no reason at all. A mentor of mine once said that people who do mean things have it come around. If they do it often, it comes quicker. Considering the history of the group...

It's awful grey

The day that is. My mood too. It was windy last night and I don't sleep well with the wind blowing. Claire woke up early. She brought her pillow into the bedroom. That wasn't bad, only her knocking everything off the side table wasn't a great way to start the day. I later burned myself while sitting in the rocking chair next to the woodstove. It wasn't the woodstove that burned me, it was the tea.

I will be looking through my cultures in the freezer. I have to use up all of the funny stuff I bought for the workshops and for earlier experiments before they go off. Funny stuff only refers to cultures that aren't 400.1 or Aroma B lately. EZAL also switched to Danisko or something and I have to adjust all of my recipes to account for this change. I need to borrow a gram scale and weigh out stuff and get a plan of action for spring make season.

Tuesday and Wedneday look like my make days this week. I may go with Tim to see a dairy in the north country. He is keen on goats. $100 for registered does and he wants to wait! Oof. I'd be interested in starting some if my cash flow warranted.

I'll be writting letters to all customers this week. Right after I finnish getting tax information ready. I also have to ring accountant and get appointment.

A VT ayrshire had a kerry/ayrshire bull calf last night. I felt bad for Claire because she waited patiently all morning to watch and the cow had it after she came in for the night. My white Ayrshire is next. It should be another kerry cross and I hope it is a heifer.

Spring Cleaning in February

I'm in a light sweatshirt today. Unseasonably warm. Little snow left and the crocusus are starting to come up. Makes me want to sweep out the dirt and grime and start fresh.

I start the commercial cheesemaking season Wednesday. I ordered the clear cheesewax that I needed and the extra cheesecloth. Today I scrubbed down walls, replaced gaskets and cleaned the windows.

Marcia and Ken left for home today. Only a few more days until Jen and Cecil are due back.

Heard coyotes singing all night. Opened the window at 4am and they quieted down. Dave checked on sheep. Everyone ok.