Archive for the ‘Green’ Category

Check it out!  One of our summer helpers, Jake MacLean, made a great comment on the July 15 entry.  Just click on the comments link on the bottom of that entry.  Thanks Jake!

Jill

Comments (2)

“Your life is an occassion.  Rise to it.”

So said Mr. Magorium to Mahoney in Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporioum.  Mahoney was trying to understand her life, her contribution to the world, and the value of  it.  Value.  It’s an idea that’s been kicking around in my head for some time on many levels.  As in:

What’s the value of our labor?  How much value does our labor have compared to what it costs us?

What’s the value of how we raise our chickens on an ethical level? environmental level?  financial level? 

What’s the value of our lifestyle to our children?  our community?  Can that value in any way be shared?

And so on.  Even the “illegal immigration” question hinges so much on value.  The folks who are here illegally wouldn’t feel it was worth exploiting our good will if the folks who are exploiting their desire to work didn’t find it well worth the risk.  The “illegal” part has too much value for the politicians to tamper with it too much.  However, by buying locally and supporting “local fair trade” (it’s not just for Guatamalan coffee bean farmers) we can bypass the whole system and make it a moot point.  We sure appreciate those who help us out that way.

Value.  How much is something worth to you on any given plane?

Eric Patterson’s thoughts on his blog have rung true with us many times in this way: the value of what we do is as much (or more) in the satisfaction of creating something excellent for folks to enjoy and in the satisfaction of making a difference in the lives of people we touch in the process.  It’s an intrinsic, intangible value. 

Granted, tangible value is very important.  Any of our peers would tell you that they aren’t interested in doing this great work for good will only. 

But the value that keeps us doing it is much more than that. 

It’s seeing our kids learn and use practical life skills.

It’s seeing other kids learn and use practical life skills, including the pleasure of a job well done–and done well.  Also including the pleasure of working harder than they thought they could and looking back at tangible results.

It includes snapshots like these.

It includes seeing a 13 year old and an 11 year old walk with the easy, self-confident stride that comes of accomplishment and strong bodies.

It includes hearing young voices brainstorming  job improvements or discussing their views on religion, politics, and their favorite music while busily cutting chickens or boards, as the job demands.

This is why we do what we do.

On a public radion program, Fresh Air, they were talking about walking through a terminal illness with someone and the discussions to have.  One question I thought was good at any time was, “What gives your life value?  What makes you feel like life is worth pressing on?”  Hmmm…..

So, I come back to that quote, “Your life is an occassion.”  What is it that gives this occassion value?

Jill

Post a Comment

Today was a typical Tuesday.  The Crew did about 180 chickens by 11:00, then pitched in to do odd jobs, including the building of a new outhouse.  The packing crew got the orders filled and the chilled birds tucked in the cooler till tomorrow.  A busy but not extraordinarily busy day.

“Good job, guys.  We got a lot done today.” 

“Yeah, we did.  We had a good turnout, a real good turnout.”   What….?

“Yep, a lot of chickens showed up.”   Hmmm…..

Besides bad humor, here’s a bit of what went on today:

The Mangalitsa pigs continued to enjoy their pasture.  They’ve grazed off the tops and are starting after the roots.  The fellows on the left have found some good quack grass roots, the guy on the right is finishing off a lamb’s quarter plant.  Looking at them reminded me of the tasty lardo I enjoyed over the weekend.  Eat up, boys!

Ever wonder what 1200 chicks looked like?  Well, it’s something like this.  These guys are ready to head out to pasture over the next week.  We’re still a few tractors short, so the chicken tractor building crew will be back in business.  The white wyandotte chickens are in one of Joes’ made-to-order tractors on the front lawn.  They didn’t get along with the Javas and Jersey Giants, so the little guys have their feed and water just outside the tractor and get to roam the whole lawn.  The Javas and Giants are almost feathered in, but still look a bit crazy.

We made some exciting discoveries in the garden.  The greens and radishes are ready to eat!  That means I can start grazing in the garden for dinner again.  We also discovered broccoli and cabbage very much ready for harvest.  The beans and corn are so far behind, I forgot about the plants that made it in the ground on time.  So, suddenly, we have garden fresh vegetables again.  Yum!

When they got done with the chicken processing, the Crew moved on to preparing for a visit the next day from the SEEDS summer camp group from Fife Lake.  More on that later…

Jill

Comments (2)

The pigs are loose!

Fortunately they’re loose in the next field over.  And they’re supposed to be loose in there.  The pasture Mark planted in April is finally grown enough to put the Mangalitsas in to graze the greens and dig the roots.  This particular group is ready for butchering at a nice 275-300 pounds.  They are for sale, but most of our customers are not ready for them yet,  so they’ll continue to graze and work the field for about 6 weeks.  At that point, Mark will work it again and plant in a winter crop for the pigs to live on through the winter. 

With forage like this available, the pigs will be happily busy for a while.  The flowers in the photo on the left are field peas.  Sam’s holding turnips and Mangolds on the right.  Mark planted a variety so there would be food both above and below ground.  Even without grains, the Mangalitsa pigs can put on good weight on browse like this.  They could easily weigh another 100 pounds in a couple of months on this forage diet.  Compared to a standard pig, Mangalitsas are very easy keepers that way. 

Plus, it’s fun to see those wagging tails wading through the grass.

Jill

Post a Comment

Just came across this video about Joel Salatin, entitled “Grass is King”.  He was talking about farming grass and I thought it was timely.  Enjoy!

Jill

Post a Comment

Grass is our biggest commodity.  It’s what we turn into top quality chicken and pork.  It makes all the difference in eggs and beef, too.  It always amazes us how the grass behind the chicken tractors is enriched. 

This photo shows the tractor tracks nicely.  You can see the beaten down areas immediately behind the pens.  You can see two moves there.  The lighter green is the third move back, and it goes from there.  I am taking the photo about 6-7 days worth of moves behind the tractors in bright, clean, green grass.  In the spring and fall, the tracks are clear because the grass is green when the surrounding areas are brown. 

These photos are days 1, 4, and 7 behind a tractor.

What else can I say?  The pictures are worth a thousand words!

Jill

Post a Comment

It’s a little known fact, but, to quote a little boy’s confession to Grandma, “Chickys really do like to swim.” 

At least, one might think so when they get the opportunity so often.  Whether it’s a “pouring buckets” rainstorm, a broken water line, or a faucet forgotten “on”, the chickens seem to get lots of opportunities to try their aquatic skills.  Let it be known, chickens don’t swim well. 

As I was on my way to town one evening this week to get bedding after the most recent flood, I thought about what it takes to make a farm work.  I was running for needed supplies, Joe and Sam were manning shovels with Mark, Rachel was helping me by entertaining Jim in the back seat, and Grandma was taking Dorothy to her evening activity.  Team.  Everyone pitching in when needed.  Sometimes it’s an emergency, sometimes it’s a get-it-done-quick situation, most often it’s just more-to-do-than-time-to-do-it-in that pulls everyone together. 

I have to say, biased though I am, that we have a good team.  There aren’t really any jobs on the farm that any given person won’t do.  Some are better suited to certain jobs than others, but that’s the nature of “Team.”  We know a couple of other small farm families and they operate the same way: Team.  Of all the books about farm families through time, it’s the same component that makes a family farm work: Team. 

It isn’t easy to be a Team always.  Sometimes we’re tired and would like the night shift to take over (wishful thinking).  Sometimes we’re tired of each other and would prefer a little more space.  Sometimes we think if we never see another chick again it’d be too soon.  But at the end of the job, we step back together and say, “Job well done.”  We did it together.  We are a Team.

I think large farms miss out on that.  There are so many employees that the family doesn’t operate the farm.  They may or may not even live on the farm.  Certainly the children aren’t called on to rise above to meet a challenge that could be crucial to the family’s well-being in some way.  There’s something inspiring about that, whether it involves a plant crop or an animal.  It has potential to bring out the best in us, or at least offer a significant learning opportunity.  Another reason to stay away from industrial farming, in my mind. 

So, we saved the chicks.  We stepped back and looked at each other.  We nodded our tired heads and said, “Good job everyone.  Thanks for the help.”  Go Team!!

Jill

Post a Comment

Kevin Costner built a baseball diamond.  Mark Baker is building chicken tractors.  This is what a field of 27 tractors filled with about 2000 chickens looks like.  It’s a lot of chickens, make no mistake.  Mark commented this week, “We aren’t in Kansas anymore.”  Some of those Munchkins would be helpful around here, but we’re making it with our own labor force plus a few other helpers.  This week the processing starts as we begin harvesting the larger groups.  The calves and dairy goats play a big role in keeping the grass eaten down in front of the chickens.  The birds aren’t as efficient on grass longer than 6 inches, and the grazers shouldn’t graze the grass lower than 6 inches.  It’s a good system. 

SPEAKING OF WHICH…

Joe has developed the “half pint” chicken tractor.  It is a half size version of the field tractors we use.  It is for sale.  He equips it with an automatic waterer that you hook up to your garden hose and includes a wooden trough feeder.  It will hold 20-30 broiler chickens.  Keith, our 6 year old, can move it, so it’s not extremely heavy.  When you’re done, the tarp rolls up on one side so that next year everything will be ready to use again.  Joe can custom build the tractor smaller, too, to accommodate the space and number of birds you have.  He’s working on an adaptation for layer hens that will have the nesting boxes in the back  for easy access.  The kits come fully equiped and ready to use.  We can supply broiler chicks as well.  Contact Joe at 231-825-0293 if he can help you get started raising your own pastured poultry.

Jill

Post a Comment

The University of Chicago can boast of some bright students.  If the gentlemen from the Culinary Club who visited us last week are any measure, it’s a fine institution.  Eight members of the club drove up from Chicago to spend the weekend in Northern Michigan on a foodie excursion.  They chose to begin their tour with a day on a sustainably focussed working farm.  They participated in pastured poultry production from moving chicks from brooder to pasture, to shovelling out pens, to building a completed chicken tractor and filling it with chicks, to helping plant the garden.  We enjoyed conversations about farming, politics, law, the environment, as well as where everyone was from (all over the U.S.), majors, plans for the future, and how their foodie interests complimented their plans.  The young men tried a lot of new things, including catching chicks (“they won’t peck you!”) and gutting chickens.  It was a learning experience for us all. 

Who wants to be next?!

Jill

Post a Comment

If you couldn’t sweat, how would you stay cool when the temperature reads 90 degrees?  If you were a pig, you’d do something like this:

Pigs cool off by taking a mud bath, much like rhinos and elephants.  The water slowly evaporates, cooling them like your sweat cools you.  With their wooly coats, the Mangalitsas seem to benefit even more from their mud than their bristley counterparts–the wool collects and holds even more mud.  That works out great as long as you don’t mind looking like this:

Mark sometimes puts a sprinkler on so the fellas can cool off (not unlike children), but they’ve also perfected the art of holding the drinking spouts open to create a wallow.  The biggest Mangalitsas can even disconnect the hose from the water station so that it makes a great mud hole.  And lots of excitement.

Jill

Comments (2)