Change is in the air

This summer has been a joyous time on the farm, but there has been a bit of a change in the air this week and lots of reflections that come with it.



Through this whole season, right from when the snow began to melt, there has been a delicious fragrance that has hung over the farm. I could see its effects sparkling in the little farmers eyes when they got up in the morning, I could feel it filling my heart to bursting as I pulled my farm clothes on each morning. I think it was partly excitement at the unknown possibilities in store for us this summer. Maybe there was some wonder at the fresh newness of life after the stark white of winter. It could even have just been the great expectations we held for these long summer days, and this summer did not disappoint!



Now I am daily checking off little milestones that come with the end of this season. It started with a chill while doing the evening chores and farm coats coming out of hiding again. The vibrant greens of summer pasture fading to yellow golds and brushing the remains of sleek summer horse hair off the inseam of my jeans after a quick ride. With all these little signs there has been a change in the air. Its less exciting but feels right just the same. Instead of the bursting excitement, there is a new reserved anticipation of the quiet that will come with winter. Time during those long winter evenings to reflect and learn and plan. A season for everything.


 

 


In the same way as seasons change, little ones also don't stay the same. There have been little changes in little farm boy as well, an eagerness to explore, leaps and bounds in his little skills and morning naps coming later and later. And like seasons changing, little boys change too.
Today after I got him dressed to go out, I pulled out his backpack for him to ride in. While I laced my boots, he marched directly past the backpack, which he usually tries to climb into, and straight across the farmyard to the feed room where we start our routine. And just like that, another breeze of change blew in, bringing more expectation and some longing for what is behind. So it was the first day I have taken him along for morning chores, just on his own little two feet. There is excitement at seeing him explore the barn chores for the first time, his great delight to ride in the wagon, watch the water pour and just touch everything he can reach.
Just like the first frost and yellow leaves on the ground, the lonely backpack this morning was a tangible reminder that things don't stay the same for long.



It does amaze me at how in the crazy pace of summer work you can long for the forced rest that winter brings, and in the endless sleeplessness that babies bring you can be dreaming of seasons of sleep ahead. And yet as they finally come, as a mother and a farmer, I truly have a hard time leaving that stage.



So today, there is a change in the air. There is a bit of loss and acceptance but also excitement for the unknown joys that are yet to come.

WWOOFers

We have had two sets of visitors on the farm in the last two weeks, and of course we put them right to work!

There is a term they use on Organic farms for people who stay and work for their accommodations. Wwoofers, which stands for Willing Workers On Organic Farms.

I think some of our guests may need a little vacation to recover from their time here!

Our first wwoofers were my family.
They came up to share the celebration of little farm boy's first birthday. It was a wonderful time of visiting, eating farm food and of course putting our guests to work!

We were able to eat most of our meals just from farm food.

Matt and my Dad pulled out the greenhouse and did the preliminary planning.

We also all went to the BCNE together. It was a lot of fun, but Matt's favourite part was finding this farm sign!

A few days after my Parents and Sister left the farm, Matt's parents came and also brought along Matt's cousin all the way from Manitoba. They stayed for a whole week and together we got a ton of work accomplished!



Its not quite finished but I am sure you can get an idea of what we are hoping to have built before winter.

After much planning, they laid everything out and drilled holes.

Then they showed off their juggling skills and put down sauna tubes.

 

The pigs watched from their jungle

Then they made concrete and cemented in the foundation poles.

Then they made a weight bearing center wall to help with our crazy snow load

Little farm girl drilled the final post.

Us girls, beside cooking up lots of farm food, completely reorganized the tackroom and also revamped the raspberry patch.

The tackroom was a big job! I wish I had a before picture because you couldn't even walk through it! It looks amazing now!



We had a little extra concrete after setting the posts for the greenhouse so we made a step for the door of the tack room.



The raspberries crop this year was very dismal. They needed a lot of work! Matt and I had drilled posts to expand the rows but they needed some serious weeding and thinning.



Matt's Mom and I spent a lot of time working on them. It felt like crawling through a jungle but slowly, bit by bit and cane by cane, we were able to regain some order!



We also took a walk around Ferguson Lake. It was just the right time to see all the tiny toads hopping everywhere!



You may have to look closely, but you can get an idea of what some of the paths looked like. Little toads everywhere!



And of course we load up our wwoofers with farm fresh veggies before they leave!

Besides those big jobs, we have been busy with the usual farm activities:



Harvesting, washing and sorting veggies to be included in Hope farms weekly CSA box share!

Its not too much work because we use child labour...

"Gorger" and I making a farm invoice

Little farm girl measuring pigs

Pigs hard at work dismantling the log pile

Brothers playing on the logs

Can you find the hog in the logs?

Rosie bedded down for a nap

Little farm girl found her first snake

She was pretty thrilled and named it Tangle

The chicks have the run of the yard during the day. They get into everything and I have to frequently shoo them out of the shop. They really liven up the yard and I think I will miss them when they join the laying flock.

One of the best parts of summer: A quick trip to the freezer and garden...

and a bit of BBQ work. I don't think we have eaten this well in our lives!

Pigs in mud

Once again, I don't have the time to share the little observations and moments that make farm life such a pleasure.

You can rest assured that despite my lack of blogging work, we are building plenty of calluses, muscles, and of course, wonderful memories!

I have some pictures to share of our pigs cooling in the mud on a hot summery day, but first I will share some of the things that are keeping us busy around here.



Little Farm Girl and I are experimenting with saving White Clover seed to be planted for pig foraging. The pigs love it and its usually the first thing they rip out and eat when we move them to a new area. White clover is high in protein and will actually fix nitrogen into the soil, so if we can save a bunch while its going to seed its a farming win-win. Its pretty easy to do but we will still have to actually plant it to know if we are actually successful.



We actually caught up on a lot the the usual work around here (for probably the first time!) so Matt was able to pull out the five year To Do List. Taking down the dead trees that have entangled the power lines was pretty high on the list so away we went. We actually cleared the whole fence line of trees and cleaned up all the poplars that were encroaching.



Here is Matt using the chipper to chip the trees into the box of the truck. Buying the chipper was probably our biggest farming mistake when we moved here. We have these huge burn piles in our fields and because we are in city limits we cannot burn them. Removing them is a huge expense. We planned to rent a chipper but for the amount of time we would need it to get it all chipped we discovered we could purchase our own for that price. We bought the chipper and set to work only to discover that the burn piles are only chip-able on the very top layer. But the good news is we can chip all of our fence lines and as we compost it, it should be a great addition to our garden.

Front field cleaned up. It was a lot more work than it looks like!

We piled 4 pick up box loads on the left. The chips on the right are composting well from last year, but the more rotten we can get them, the better. So they may sit for another year or two.

This was disappointing for me. This whole row of lettuce was supposed to go to the food bank this week but it bolted. They leaves are quite bitter now. A learning experience for me on veggie readiness and timing I guess...

The pigs are eating it, along with our bug chewed turnips. Pigs and gardening are a complementary combination

Salad and Carrot tops, yummy!

Carrots harvested for Hope Farm's CSA boxes, and our own eating of course!



These horses make me feel alive. Even a little bareback ride, just quickly stolen as the sun is going down. I don't know why it is, but I imagine its a God given passion. Climbing up on their familiar backs feels like a hug from a friend or putting of a favourite pair of jeans. I can't explain it, but I can sure enjoy it!



And as promised, pigs in the mud.
This is kind of how the summer feels to me. We have jumped in to farm life whole heartedly without reservations, kind of like pigs in mud. Every day we immerse ourselves in the work, the joy and sometimes the difficulties that come with farm life. I love it in the morning when I can put on my baggy, torn up farm clothes. Its like permission to dive into farm life. Climbing through barb wire in search of the biggie toad, curious snuffles from dirty pig snouts, trimming horses with a rugged hoof placed on my knee, and best of all kisses and hugs from tiny hands that have just learned to pick and mash raspberries. The summer here is short and you can bet we are not going to tip-toe around it.

I liked the contrast between Popcorn`s grubby snout and little farm girls decorated nails

They are so hard to get pictures of because they don`t give much in the way of personal space, especially if they know that you are a willing back scratcher!