Spring!

We have had several busy weeks around here. Spring is certainly more work on a farm!

Our seedlings are started in the greenhouse.

For the last 3 or 4 years we have done a CSA through a local farm. This year we are going to try to grow most of our veggies. I'm anticipating that we will have a fairly steep learning curve this summer and I may have to go back to the CSA farm for some things.

Goats, goats everywhere! The boys are getting big. They are 7 weeks old this week and doing great. And, acting like the bucks that they are. Oh. My. Word. I have a sneaking suspicion that, since we have goats, I won't have to have "the talk" with my kids.

I am currently locking the babies into a large dog kennel located in the shed at night so I can milk in the mornings. I like that solution because they can still be in the shed with their moms, but they can't nurse. I milk both Felicity and Clara each morning and then let the babies nurse all day. It seems to work well.

The boys have names!

Snuggle has been registered as Hiraeth Farm Rorschach (as in the inkblot test). His new family will be calling him Rory.

Trouble has been registered as Hiraeth Farm Mischief Managed. It seems to fit him.

We have decided for the time being to retain Pippa, but Kate went to be with her new family as a bottle baby. She is doing well with her new family and is being raised with a pygmy doeling. She too has gotten a new name. She will be registered as Blackberry Acres Delilah. Since she was not born here to a doe that I owned, she will have the farm name of the place that I bought her from. Pippa continues to become sweeter and sweeter (and cuter). Meradith schleps her around and snuggles her.

Penny is getting huge. We have made the tough decision to sell her after she kids (most likely - how's that for decisive). We decided on that because it makes more sense for us to have registered stock. We can get more for the kids and upkeep costs the same. Though, there is still room to change my mind if she is an awesome milker. Time will tell. I have been feeding her on the milking stand to get her prepared. She in turn has learned how to sit like a dog. I am slowly winning, though.

Here she is in all her pregnancy stink-eye glory. She does NOT enjoy being pregnant, and she lets me know often. I hope the sweet Penny comes back after kidding. 3 weeks and counting.

What is next on the crazy farming list of projects?

Here it is...

More info to come soon.