First Milking of the Year.

One of the joys of having a Family Farm is seeing the delight of the Grandchildren as they greet the first arrivals of the season. For us it is the Nubian Milk Goats who are the first to deliver.

We plan it this way on purpose because then we have fresh colostrum and milk for other babies as they arrive if it is needed. With Finnsheep and Boer Goats next on the Schedule this is a necessary precaution. Both the Boer Goats and Finnsheep can have a tendency to be Super Producers and we usually get occasional quintuplets from them and can have as many as many as 7 from the Finnsheep. In order not to drain these Super Producers we supplement with the extra goat milk. When the extra babies are weaned and moved out on pasture, we then start the cheese making season.

I hope you enjoy the video. Have a Great Day!

Virtual conference on Sustainable Farming Methods

Topic

Growing Hope: Practical Tools for a Changing Climate

Description

Join us for NCAT’s third annual national conference! This free virtual convening will feature renowned speakers and showcase farm stories that make the connection between our changing climate, healthy soils, and farm productivity and resilience.

We will hear from producers who have come to understand the centrality of carbon to agroecosystems. We will hear from farmers and ranchers who are producing food, fiber, and fuel in ways that restore and maintain landscape health and mitigate greenhouse gases. We will share stories of people coming together to support each other in challenging times.

We will leave you with an understanding of climate beneficial agriculture and actions you can take on your own land to make your farm and your local community resilient in the long term.

Each Tuesday session will last for three hours, and each Thursday session is two hours with an optional networking after-session.

Find all the details about speakers and topics for each session at our website: https://attra.ncat.org

Feb 28, 2023 11:00 AM
Mar 2, 2023 12:00 PM
Mar 7, 2023 11:00 AM
Mar 9, 2023 12:00 PM
Mar 14, 2023 11:00 AM
Mar 16, 2023 12:00 PM

Time shows in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

How to Shear a Sheep and Why It’s Important Video

I have been a member of the Livestock Conservancy Organization for years. This year we will be adding some heritage breeds to Solace Farm in support of their work.
Please take a the time to check out this great video they have produced and their website
sheep shearing video banner
The Livestock Conservancy is thrilled to announce the release of our short film, How to Shear Sheep & Why It’s Important. Directed by Jody Shapiro, the compelling 12-minute film showcases the beautiful dance between sheep and shearer, the importance of sheep shearing to the health and well-being of sheep, and the impact that Slow Fashion and local wool have on the economy and local community.
 Watch How to Shear a Sheep & Why video
The film begins with an introduction by Dr. Temple Grandin, award-winning author, animal welfare advocate, and Lifetime Member of The Livestock Conservancy. Throughout the film, viewers willMeet expert shearers and rare breed sheepLearn tips on the best way to shear humanely, including preparing sheep for shearing and best tools for the jobUnderstand why shearing is important for the health of the sheepWatch the art of humane sheep shearingDiscover how you can support a sustainable industry and help save rare sheep breeds from extinction. (Hint – it’s by supporting those that raise them, shear them, and make products from their fiber)We hope that after watching this film, you will feel an appreciation for the art of humane sheep shearing and why it is so vital to the health of sheep. Please watch and share this video with your communities. We need your help spreading the word about why shearing is an important part of conserving rare breeds!
To learn more about our work with rare breeds and why conserving them is important for maintaining biodiversity and food security, visit our website at https://livestockconservancy.org/.

Thank you to Isabella Rossellini, Executive Producer of the film and Ambassador for The Livestock Conservancy for her generous gift that made this project possible. 
 ###The Livestock Conservancy is a national non-profit membership organization working to protect more than 150 breeds of livestock and poultry from extinction.

Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em Initiative
Interested in helping save rare breed sheep from extinction? Want to support shearers, shepherds, and the slow fashion movement? Sign up as a Fiber Artist to craft for a cause. This initiative encourages knitters, spinners, weavers, felters, and other crafters to use fiber from rare breed sheep in their projects. Using their wool puts sheep back to work on farms across the U.S. Enroll online at https://livestockconservancy.org/get-involved/shave-em-to-save-em/

Why is genetic diversity important?Like all ecological systems, agriculture depends on genetic diversity to adapt to an ever-changing environment. Genetic diversity in domestic animals is revealed in distinct breeds, each with different characteristics and uses. Traditional, historic breeds retain essential attributes for survival and self-sufficiency – fertility, foraging ability, longevity, maternal instincts and resistance to disease and parasites. As agriculture changes, this genetic diversity may be needed for a broad range of uses and opportunities. Once lost, genetic diversity is gone forever.What are Heritage Breeds?Heritage breeds are livestock and poultry breeds raised by our forefathers. These breeds were carefully selected and bred over time to develop traits that made them well-adapted to the local environment and they thrived under farming practices and cultural conditions that are very different from those found in modern agriculture.Heritage animals once roamed America’s pastoral landscape, but today these breeds are in danger of extinction. Modern agriculture has changed, causing many of these breeds to fall out of favor. Heritage breeds store a wealth of genetic resources that are important for our future and the future of our agricultural food system.

Great Resource for Shepherd and Goatherders!

From Melinda Ellison

Hi all, I’m the Extension Sheep Specialist with the University of Idaho. Myself and a team of sheep and goat specialists from Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah have teamed up to host a monthly sheep and goat webinar series, where we invite other experts to present on time-relevant topics. I’d like to invite you all to join us for our next one on Wednesday, February 9, 2022. Register here: [https://uidaho.zoom.us/…/regi…/WN_fWiLWKvuS2-dx3AJnWotNw](https://uidaho.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fWiLWKvuS2-dx3AJnWotNw?fbclid=IwAR0fRlu_IZA_V6JJhuFQ6TfafhIW43ivpOzl9MAOoZTVqY9ZrhMfvXJLROk)

We have also posted all of our past webinars to our YouTube channel, so please check us out! [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGrmjYNXPVwf-V-VeZYfFnQ](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGrmjYNXPVwf-V-VeZYfFnQ?fbclid=IwAR3hnaZXicMGWtvGO5t01xOKMUzvh96Gk30UF5WPj1VrlLik-REdARNgGGw)

March Madness

March is the month when January planning and February preparing begins to pay off. The lambs and kids have begun to arrive by now as have the piglets. The seeds I ordered, after pouring over the seed catalogs, have also arrived and will soon all be nestled in the soil germinating. The chickens have begun to lay, so now the routine of checking on and turning eggs in the incubator has been added to the day.

     The renewing of life as spring fast approaches is a delightful time and a hectic time. The first fleeces are off the sheep. I always try to shear before the ewes lamb for two reasons. First, it makes it easier to watch over their progress toward lambing and secondly, it makes for a premium, clean fleece to work with. Now the dilemma is over which fleeces to sell raw, which to make into batts or roving and which go into my private treasury.

     March is also the month for marketing to be kicked into high gear. The annual farm letter goes out to alert our loyal customers that they need to place their orders for meat animals for this year. Web and print advertising go full scale as we are weekly adding Breeding Stock available for sale and soon the spring’s first crops of fleece and seedlings as well. It is wonderful to have the explosion of production and now is the time to share this with our customers.

      Amidst all this activity there is the list of preparations for spring planting as well as fence repairs on all the paddocks. I swear there are gremlins riding the deer who delight in breaking wires and pushing posts over in the spring thaw.

     This is the time of year when I often allow the excitement of renewal to turn into worry over all that needs to get done and finding the time to do it. This is when the planning and preparing of January and February becomes the ever growing “to do” list of spring. Having a Check List on the fridge helps me track my progress, keeping me feeling like I am gaining on the tasks at hand.

     I often remind myself that Christ said, “Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Keeping my focus on the tasks of today leads to enjoying the delights of spring from the first returning robin to the first tomato sprouts. This is the way to relish a farmer’s life in the midst of all the activity that spring brings.

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