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.

Two Hearts Farm

David and I went to Lisa's to see about helping them with vaccinations. Lisa and John have had a bad time of it lately and we figured we'd help them out. It goes so much faster if there are 3-4 people there.

They have a flock of sheep, some Dexters, a family Jersey, a couple of hogs, and awsome donkey named Fiona and a flock of laying hens. I've attached some photos of that day. The Dexter photo's didn't come out well.