Pick-Up Date: Thursday, August 16, 2012 (Week 6A)
Sites: Agrace HospiceCare, Cross Plains, Jackson, Middleton Hills, Monona, Nakoma, Oakridge, Parmenter-EOW, Parment-Standard, UW Hospital, Verona
Cheese of the Week: Fresh Cheese - PLAIN
Important Notes: WE NEED JARS........please return your empty, clean jars and lids when you are done enjoying the cheese. You get bonus points if you remove the Dreamfarm label on the lid as well. Thank you!
Welcome Back!
Welcome back to the infrequent Dreamfarm newsletter. There is always so much going on, but not always enough time to actually sit down and share it. The summer has busy, and we're not quite sure where June, July and half of August have gone!
The summer heat and drought has been a force for so many of us to reckon with. Gratefully, the pastures and hay fields are greening up again, thanks to the recent rains. Things were starting to look pretty bleak around the farm, with the pasture getting more bare each day. All farmers have been dealing with different outcomes of the hot and dry weather. At Dreamfarm, the main effects have been on the animals and the hay. The goats don't like the heat too much, and all that warm weather decreased their milk production significantly. The chickens suffered as well. On the feed side, the conditions were not optimal for hay production. The fields didn't grow as tall or robustly as usual for the second cutting in late July. The growth was too short to mow with the equipment on the farm. After renting newer equipment that could mow a shorter stand, we collected a measly 5 bales of hay in the second cutting. Compare that to an average 100 bales of hay off the second cutting. Thank goodness for the rain and the cooler temperatures! The fields are green again, and hopes are high for the third haying of the season. For Dreamfarm, hay is important. This is the forage our animals consume throughout the winter (alfalfa and mixed grasses) when their access to pasture is limited by snow and wet soils. It's our way of bringing the pasture to the herd!
Welcome back to the infrequent Dreamfarm newsletter. There is always so much going on, but not always enough time to actually sit down and share it. The summer has busy, and we're not quite sure where June, July and half of August have gone!
The summer heat and drought has been a force for so many of us to reckon with. Gratefully, the pastures and hay fields are greening up again, thanks to the recent rains. Things were starting to look pretty bleak around the farm, with the pasture getting more bare each day. All farmers have been dealing with different outcomes of the hot and dry weather. At Dreamfarm, the main effects have been on the animals and the hay. The goats don't like the heat too much, and all that warm weather decreased their milk production significantly. The chickens suffered as well. On the feed side, the conditions were not optimal for hay production. The fields didn't grow as tall or robustly as usual for the second cutting in late July. The growth was too short to mow with the equipment on the farm. After renting newer equipment that could mow a shorter stand, we collected a measly 5 bales of hay in the second cutting. Compare that to an average 100 bales of hay off the second cutting. Thank goodness for the rain and the cooler temperatures! The fields are green again, and hopes are high for the third haying of the season. For Dreamfarm, hay is important. This is the forage our animals consume throughout the winter (alfalfa and mixed grasses) when their access to pasture is limited by snow and wet soils. It's our way of bringing the pasture to the herd!
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| Jen, the family cow, and one hay field in the distance. |
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| Mint in the pasture. The walk smells good. |
Adventures in the Barn
Life is, as always, goofy and unpredictable in the barn and in the fields. The barn swallows are abundant this year. Each year they return to their mud nests in the rafters of the barn and hatch out a few batches of young. The birds flutter through the barn, and land gracefully in the nests, bringing food for the four young birds peering out of each nest. Click on the pictures below for a better view! In other news, this week the rebel barn chickens were found perched on the backs of the goats, both parties enjoying the company. Gandalf, the Nigerian Dward Goat buck was found with his head stuck in the pasture gate. He's a smaller, white goat with a beard akin to Santa Claus, and he appeared as quite a site with his long Santa Clause beard hanging through the gate. The ducks are getting larger and braver by the day. Although the still move only as a unified gang, they now roam through a much larger section of the farm. Be sure to watch the very short video of the Jacob Sheep below. They are a heritage breed of sheep, and in the video you can see a ram, an ewe and a lamb. Look at those horns!
Life is, as always, goofy and unpredictable in the barn and in the fields. The barn swallows are abundant this year. Each year they return to their mud nests in the rafters of the barn and hatch out a few batches of young. The birds flutter through the barn, and land gracefully in the nests, bringing food for the four young birds peering out of each nest. Click on the pictures below for a better view! In other news, this week the rebel barn chickens were found perched on the backs of the goats, both parties enjoying the company. Gandalf, the Nigerian Dward Goat buck was found with his head stuck in the pasture gate. He's a smaller, white goat with a beard akin to Santa Claus, and he appeared as quite a site with his long Santa Clause beard hanging through the gate. The ducks are getting larger and braver by the day. Although the still move only as a unified gang, they now roam through a much larger section of the farm. Be sure to watch the very short video of the Jacob Sheep below. They are a heritage breed of sheep, and in the video you can see a ram, an ewe and a lamb. Look at those horns!
Milk & Cheese
As mentioned before, the goats can be sensitive to heat and this can change their milk too. The high temperatures caused a decrease in milk production, and the diminished quality of their drought-stricken pasture caused milk changes too. Milk production is down significantly, and will remain low for the rest of the year. Despite the unpredictable effects that temperature and forage quality can have on the goats and their milk, there are regular changes in the characteristics of the milk throughout the season as well. At this time of year, after the does have been producing milk for about five months, the milk will change naturally too. In case you haven't been out to the farm for a visit, here's s quick visual of the bulk milk tank. This is where the milk is collected and stays cool (actually cold!) between cheesemaking sessions. This past week we cut into the first wheels of Arthur, the raw milk cheese made from spring milk. All raw milk cheeses must be aged for at least 60 days, so it was thrilling to cut into the first wheels. They look and taste delicious, for photos click here to see them on the Dreamfarm Facebook page.
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| This is where milk hangs out before it turns into cheese. |
Out in the Wooded Pasture
Last year, a new pasture was added to the farm. A wooded pasture, dense with multiflora rose and wild, old apples trees and a pond was fenced to provide new quarters for some farm inhabitants. Last fall the three steer were moved there. This spring the two bucks took up residence as well, along with the new batch of three young beef steer.. A few weeks back, the population grew again as 27 of the young bucks born on the farm this spring were moved their as well! On the first attempt, we tried to lure the young goats toward the pasture with grain. Only a few decided to join us. On the second attempt, we caught a few of the boys by their collars and 'walked' them down to the wooded pasture. Young goats are stubborn and strong (but who of us isn't?) and a few put up quite a fight headed down to the lush new pasture. This method didn't go too well either! On the third attempt, we lifted the young boys into the back of the pickup truck, drove them to the fence at the edge of the pasture, and lifted them over the fence to their new home. The sight and sound of a truck full of young goats is worth a smile indeed! Now that almost all the males on the farm are in one place, we sure hope that the older generations are teaching the young bucks how to be police gentlemen! At the very least, the goats are doing a tremendous job of clearing out brush and invasive species in their wooded pasture.
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| This used to be a multiflora rose bush! |
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| An older buck and his new young friend! |
The chickens, of all the animals, took the hardest knocks with all the heat. Egg production dropped significantly, and they all just sat around panting. (Yes, chickens pant!) The girls were all just moved to fresh pasture, which means they are happy to have a fresh batch of grass and bugs to eat.
The Pigs!
This year's six resident pigs seem to be growing by the day, if not by the hour. They are fenced in to a few acres of wooded pasture, with a few goat friends to keep them company. In the photos below they are enjoying some of the whey from the cheeserie, which they will happily squeal and fight for whenever possible. With their ever increasing size comes a steadily growing attitude! Don't get between the pigs and their trough (literally), or else you'll find yourself nosed over and pushed to the ground! And boy can they make a lot of noise! Because they are mostly left on their own, they associate human visitors with feed time! Here's a little snippet of the pig pandemonium to give a sense of the racquet they make when a human pays a visit.
Bike the Barns!
Last week we had some very special visitors, the Bike the Barns planning crew from the FairShare CSA Coalition. This year, the Bike the Barns tour on Sunday, September 16th will include a stop at Dreamfarm. This fantastic bike ride is both a fundraiser for FairShare CSA Coalition, an opportunity to eat delicious local food prepared by the Underground Food Collective, visit beautiful farms and enjoy a delightful (and hilly!) bike ride. If you want to take part in a fun-filled day that supports a great cause, click here to register or learn more.
Last week we had some very special visitors, the Bike the Barns planning crew from the FairShare CSA Coalition. This year, the Bike the Barns tour on Sunday, September 16th will include a stop at Dreamfarm. This fantastic bike ride is both a fundraiser for FairShare CSA Coalition, an opportunity to eat delicious local food prepared by the Underground Food Collective, visit beautiful farms and enjoy a delightful (and hilly!) bike ride. If you want to take part in a fun-filled day that supports a great cause, click here to register or learn more.
Thanks for being a part of the farm, and thanks for reading. Enjoy these savory August weeks, and maybe we'll see you for Bike the Barns!
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| The goat pasture, and some bee hives in the distance! |
