Granny’s Farm 2010

Farm Update

Population:

  • 2 donkeys
  • 1 steer
  • 2 pigs
  • 18 laying hens
  • 39 baby broilers (changes  monthly)
  • 3 cats
  • 4 adult does expecting in April
  • 6 doelings expecting in August
  • 5 wethers
  • 3 humans (Larry and me, and Jennifer Mellilo, treasured WWOOFer.)

Favorite new tools:

Sandy:  Pioneer Maid Woodstove with warming oven, water jacket and stainless steel cook top.

Larry: Portable band saw which slices logs into lumber. No stopping him now.

Jennifer: her new Kentucky Mandolin

2009 Production:

  • 125 gallons of fruit wine: black berry, blueberry, raspberry, marion berry, rhubarb, quince, apple, dandylion, wild plum, blue elderberry, pear……
  • 248 meat chickens
  • 450 pounds of steer meat (thanks “Bum.”)
  • 60 pounds of goat meat
  • 500 pounds of cheese
  • 15 dozen jars of pickles, canned cherries, cranberry sauce, juice, etc.
  • plenty of produce and root crops

We’ve been eating really well this winter.

Enterprises in progress, some worthy of expansion through your participation:

  • Vegetable garden
  • Fruit and food forest
  • Timber management and sustainable harvest
  • Freshened goats with lots of milk for cheese making
  • Broiler chickens in 3 tractors, scheduled to slaughter 40 per month for pre-ordered sales on farm
  • Green cemetery  permitting process begun
  • Local square dances with live music
  • Honey bees

We hope to build

  • A bread/pizza oven
  • A  sauna and deck at the pond
  • Storage buildings or caves for cheese, wine and roots
  • Guest cabins
  • Cheese kitchen
  • Kitchen remodel

If you would like to be involved in any of these, get in touch and we’ll try to schedule so you get the farm adventure you’d most enjoy. Are there other things you’d like to do here?

Proposed Calendar

April  7 onward    Kidding, fresh goat milk

April 18   Community Dance

April 24   Nature walk on the farm with Naturalist Brent Naylor, followed by lunch.

May 7  Chicken slaughter. (Order in advance).

May 12  Tilth benefit chicken dinner at 42nd Street Cafe.

May 16  Community dance

June 11  Slaughter chickens again.

July 11-18  The Raspberry Jam:  come visit, make jam, can cherries, have some music, — just let us know how many people and when to expect you so we can feed you well. July 16 is another chicken slaughter

August 10+  six does ready to kid

August 16-22 The Blueberry Jam: pick blueberries, make jam, pie, wine, etc. Chickens slaughtered the 20th (your participation not required)

September 24 chicken slaughter

October 9+  Cider pressing, make cranberry sauce, etc.

October 29 chicken slaughter.

November 4-7 Dare to Be Square in Seattle

November 12-14 Tilth Conference in Port Townsend

November 19 Turkey slaughter (order by June 30)

December 26-31 Sandy with Laurie and Cathie at Brasstown, NC.

Then hibernate, interrupted by good food and visits.

In between, we’ll pursue the usual canning, tanning, pruning, planting, making of wine, music and good food, gathering firewood and mushrooms, etc.

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