The other side of farming...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 365

The last day of the year for us is busy... no, there are no fancy New Year's bashes for us, our time is spent counting... 

Counting our inventory on hand, both live and frozen :) and finalizing the farm's accounts for the year. 

It's a hard slog but boy does it feel good when its done!

Happy New Year to all of you! May 2016 be full of local, sustainable, nourishing food grown by friendly farmers! 

Energy saving...

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If there is a way to save some time and energy... we farmers will figure it out. 

With the help of some old cross country skis, Farmer Phil has rigged up a handy wood sled! 

Well glad that's done...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 363

Well after 104 days, countless worry and a good deal of time and energy (not to mention money), Avery's leg has healed. 

Today the pin was taken out of her leg and the vet told us he didn't want to see us again... "unless she does something stupid!"

While her activity level will still have to be controlled, and it will take months to re-build muscle mass... no more casts, cones or sedatives! Yay! 

Fire in the sky, ice on the ground

FFF Photo a Day - Day 363

Fire in the sky, ice on the ground. Somehow the sunsets are always more stunning when the weather is bitter cold! 

Snowy stroll...

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The fresh snow makes the daily visits to the barn a bit more challenging until the tractor blows the way clear...

Turkey 2.0

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Today was spent turning leftover Christmas turkey into soup, pies and empanadas. 

Blessings for everyone...

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Feeling blessed and grateful for all things big and small today. Even Avery discovered a little something for herself this morning.

Hope this message finds you surrounded by love and gratitude. Count your blessings folks! 

A hot mess

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Christmas Eve on the farm is always a bit of a hot mess! A mixture of excitement, stress, preparation, relief and usually a few surprises! 

Whatever traditions you keep at this time of year, we hope that you get some time away from the usual routines to count your blessings, hug your loved ones and plan for an awesome 2016! 

Heroes in the dark...

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On snowy days, we rely on the speed plow operators to come by in order to get out of our road! 

Until you hear that familiar sound and see the near tornado of snow and lights, you are often sitting... biding your time until you can head for the city. 

This morning our hero in the dark came by at 7:35 a.m., just in time.... A big thank you to "Highway Rod"! 

....and on to spring!

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Happy Solstice everyone! I'm cheered by the thought that every day now will be a little bit longer, brighter and closer to spring! 

"No winter lasts forever... no spring skips its turn" ~ Hal Borland

The heart of any home...

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Noel made this huge beautiful kitchen table for us! 

We always seem to have extra mouths to feed and like most homes... our kitchen is the centre of all activity. The table sits twelve comfortably! 

It's gorgeous! 

Come and sit awhile...

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It's like winter has prepared a comfy seat for us all to come and sit awhile... 

Farmcation..

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This weekend we are hosting several smaller beings for a 'farmcation'... love seeing the world again through the eyes of a young child! 

Homemade goodness

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When the weather is cold and windy outside, we like to experiment in the kitchen.

Here are some multi-grain, garlic naan bread that we made. Turned out rather well...

Traditions...

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Must be all the snow.. but I'm starting to feel that familiar magic of the season! 

Hoping tonight that no matter what your traditions at this time of year, that they move you to share generously with others who are in need, reach out to those experiencing social isolation and to tell someone how much you care.

I think those are traditions that we could all agree on!  

Snow... glorious snow!

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We are finally getting some snow... and while driving is terrible and there will likely be school closures and chaos tomorrow... everyone, both two and four legged, on the farm seems to have an extra spring in their step! 

Avery particularly was almost purring with contentment as she rolls in the snow! 

Farmer fuel....

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These days I've been spending my time filling the freezer full of farmer fuel.... aka cookies!

Double-double!

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This is the real Canadian farmer's double-double!

Misleading...

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These three eggs are all from hens who are roughly the same age.... what's ironic is that the huge white eggs is from the smallest chicken in the barn! 

Horizons...

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On the Prairies sometimes it's hard to tell where the land ends and the sky begins!

Tis the season!

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Tis the season of holiday parties and our homegrown farmer sausage is a life saver! 

Say cheese!

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One of our favorite indoor activities is making cheese! Here we are straining our fresh goat's milk yogurt to make a soft yogurt cheese. You end up with a spreadable, tangy cheese that is great with crackers or veggies! 

Cast away!

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Super excited for Avery (dog) who got her cast off after 12 weeks! She is still hobbling around but it's great to see some progress! 

Kidding around!

FFF Photo a Day - Day 343

Lily is a Nubian goat who along with her barn-mate Chocolate is due to kid (give birth) this winter. We are busy trying to ensure that the barn is cozy and warm for them. 

Lily is a first time mom but Chocolate has had several kids. We are looking forward to having babies again on the farm! 

Recycle everywhere!

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We believe in recycling and re-using on the farm. 

We needed to find a way to reduce the amount of hay that the goats and cattle were wasting, so we re-used the cage around a tree root along with some stucco wire to create a hanging hay feeder! 

FFF Photo a Day - Day 342

We believe in recycling and re-using on the farm. 

We needed to find a way to reduce the amount of hay that the goats and cattle were wasting, so we re-used the cage around a tree root along with some stucco wire to create a hanging hay feeder! 

Determination

FFF Photo a Day - Day 341

The weather has been beautiful and the snow barely covers the ground. 

Our violas are confused and are still blooming! 

Sun kissed!

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Even though all our garden fresh tomatoes are done for the season, we get a taste of sunny goodness in our sun-dried tomatoes. I swear they taste like a sunny summer afternoon!

We dry our tomatoes on racks in the sun and finish them off in the dehydrator. They re-hydrate pretty easy in most recipes. #sunkissed

You looking at me?

FFF Photo a Day - Day 339

Caesar the rooster continues to rule over his harem of hens in his reserved corner of the chicken coop. 

The minute you come in to the coop he begins to crow, fluff up his feathers and generally strut his stuff like we are competition for their attention.

4H - Learn to do by Doing

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Thursday nights are 4-H night on the farm when we host kids who live in a nearby town to learn about how to humanely raise animals. 

I love watching them learn and experience the realities of caring for animals in all types of weather and conditions. 

Poor Pup Part Five

FFF Photo a Day - Day 337

The saga of our poor pup continues... Avery's leg is healing but very slowly. 

She's moved from a full cast to a splint (which she chewed through in short order). The cone has been 90% successful in keeping her from doing so again! 

Next vet visit we are hopeful that she will graduate to a soft bandage! Our poor pup! 

Night out with the girls!

FFF Photo a Day - Day 336

Sometimes on the farm, a night out with the girls involves hauling water! #farmersknowhowtohavefun