Greener Grass

For the past few weeks, many times a day, this silly buckling has stuck his head  through the page wire to eat the better grass on the other side.  He stands there stuck and screaming.  You have to drop whatever you"re doing and walk out to pasture - usually the far end - and fight with the strong little bugger to get his tapered head out sideways.  Well, enough is enough.  This is how I fixed the problem.

It's amazing all the things you can fix with duct tape!

Busy Garden Season

I can't believe that I haven't posted in over 3 weeks.  We have been incredibly busy with the garden, everything is coming on.  The pickling cukes are really producing and I am trying to keep up with all the orders.

I have decided to stay home from the Yorkton farmers market until after the September long weekend.  I just can't get to three markets every week.  The Red Barn finishes up on the long weekend and then I'll be back for my regular customers in Yorkton after that.

 This is the pumpkin patch.  We have been irrigating them almost every day, so they are spreading out and growing fast.

 

Reggie Likes Lettuce

Reggie usually comes out with me to the garden when I'm out there working.  He enjoys browsing on choice market garden produce and is particularly fond of lettuce.  I kept this old lettuce in for him, hoping he leaves everything else alone.

New Chicks

This family showed up the other day  These old girls get pretty cagey when they go broody.  In secret they start stashing away eggs in a strategically placed, hidden nest. When the pile is big enough in the nest they start incubating the eggs and in 21 days later this is what you get.  I don't know where the nest was or how many eggs she had but she has 7 little peeps following her around the yard.  They are all different colours so I think that has something to do with the different roosters from a previous post. :)  She is a very protective mom too, don't get your face anywhere near hers, she'll jump straight at it and attack you.

Pumpkins

Finally, the female pumpkin flowers show up!  There have been male flowers for a few weeks now, but they just bloom and die off.  We have a severe shortage of bees here, so to ensure that we have pumpkins this fall, I will go around and pollinate all the female flowers. Kinda like pumpkin sex.  The pumpkin row is about 500 feet long, so come see me when you all need your pumpkins!

Berry Picking

Went to Prairie Dome Strawberries the other day for some berries.  It was the first time I had ever been there and I was impressed.  The place is well planned and beautiful.  And the berries were spectacular.

It was the easiest picking I have ever done.  I picked 10 gallons in 1 hr and 5 min.

And I even saw the tractor I want to buy! International 234 hydro with 3ph and 540.  It would be great in my garden.  I have to start shopping.

Shearing Day

We've got another job done for the year. It seems that the shearer always comes on a hot sticky day and this was no exception.  The sheep run up our chute into his chute with special pull through doors.

Each ewe is pulled through the door and shorn by Cliff.  Someone takes the fleeces and puts them in the wool press to be bagged.

Very tired push help!

Most of the course wool will be shipped for sale.  This bag has the fleeces of about 40 ewes and weighs 300-400 pounds. 

Fleeces waiting to be washed, cleaned, carded and spun or felted.  I'll keep these to process myself for slippers and mitts.