Thinking 2010?

a post from Karen.... I'm getting a lot of flack for not posting. It's winter, and I know that things are as quiet as they will ever get so I am trying to make time to reflect on the year ahead and set some goals and put some plans in place (and I should make the time to put a post on to track said reflections). We are approaching some big decisions about our land that we own and the land we are slotted to start leasing next year. When we looked for farms we had a 35 acre plus wish list, wanting to graze, looked at places with good pasture potential. It was a huge struggle to find a place with good soil and topography, fencing, good outbuildings and a livable home. That we could afford that is. When we saw this place, we were smitten, but it was less acreage than we imagined and we had lots of questions... "Are we just going to have a rural home and be happy?" or do we need to make it working farm. How will it feel to make our farm dream on mostly leased land and what if it disappears from us? We won't have any control in saving our farm or saving farmland if someone with deep pockets wants to buy it for a mcmansion. We had a lot to think about when we decided on this place, but it felt right and we are so grateful that we have some good soil, good outbuildings, a cosy home, and a great community. Fencing, well, that is taking a while. But it will happen!

I think as we go into our 2nd full season, we know how tired we can get trying to maintain our careers and invest our time into the farm and our family and ourselves. I feel it's important somehow to make the farm productive and to reclaim farmland in sustainable practices. We have learned that we don't have unlimited time and energy and have to be intentional in the projects we take on and the choices we make for the farm. I'm trying to get to the root of my 'impulses' knowing that I can be impulsive (compared to my ever planning and researching mate) and wanting to be clear in what I want the farm to be and what kind of farmer I want to be. For instance, I really liked our turkeys and really am driven to have heirloom turkeys again. Red is quite opposed. Her strong feelings became solidified on a certain afternoon when the hens and tom had pooped all over her radio, pecked at the oil marker we used for marking hogs, knocked down the insulating layer that we used for the broilers brooder, and had to be chased for the umpteenth time from the waiting jaws of our birding spaniel who had claimed far more turkeys than I would like to talk about. We ran up direct costs that were something around $80 per bird. We gave the other surviving (at least until slaughter) ones to friends and family and enjoyed on our own Thanksgiving the one that had lost a wing in the processing facility. I appreciate that at first glance, it was not a successful venture. But the poop that frustrated Red so much, and the foraging and roaming right into prime spaniel territory, is exactly why I want turkeys again. I like that they forage, and find food out of green things, and crawling things and flying things that would otherwise be pests in my garden. I like how nutrient rich their manure is and how on pasture, it's put right where you need it. And I LIKE that heirloom turkeys will take longer to finish, even if it means hanging out longer to wreck havoc at Prairie Fire Farm. I like the idea of cultivating systems that work together to make slow food. I love seeing how curious and active and funny turkeys are and feel a duty to make sure I put some out on fresh pasture and offer some alternatives to factory-raised meat. I appreciate that folks might care enough to pay folks like us enough to make it worth the trouble they might cause! And I also know we can't make this work if they really do cost us $80 a piece. Trying to see how we can keep costs down, contain them enough to keep them safe, and find a model that is sustainable is my challenge. It has to be a good enough plan that I can convince my partner that it will work. And I have to be brave and creative enough to give it a go and find the time in my schedule to make it go well.

We are planning our next herd of pigs and excited to get setup with improvements every time. We're organizing our garden plans and will soon be ordering seeds. We are thinking about where we want to be in 5 years, 10 years - so not a lot of answers but lots of good questions. We're not just sitting back in our 'rural home' but are making it productive, no matter how many acres we end up with.

We're going to MOSA in FEbruary to help along our dreaming and planning and 'figuring' to see if we can make the farm vision work for the long run, to recommit to the possibility of a working family farm, and to network and find others trying to make it happen too. Should be a good start to the 2010 season. And this year, we have a tractor, some hog houses, lots of great folks who like what we're doing and are enjoying the end result of our labors, and a few lessons under our belt.
And I've got a bookmark filled with heirloom turkey poult sources. And shhh... I'm wondering about ducks. I hear they can be great weeders in the garden.;)

Pork better for sex than Viagra?

This is awesome. Found this article on the 'net, and just had to share.

– Eating pork is at least as effective as popping a Viagra pill to spice up your sex life, according to … .Thu Jan 28, 12:45 pm ET
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina's president recommended pork as an alternative to Viagra Wednesday, saying she spent a satisfying weekend with her husband after eating barbecued pork.

"I've just been told something I didn't know; that eating pork improves your sex life ... I'd say it's a lot nicer to eat a bit of grilled pork than take Viagra," President Cristina Fernandez said to leaders of the pig farming industry.

She said she recently ate pork and "things went very well that weekend, so it could well be true."

Argentines are the world's biggest per capita consumers of beef, but the government has sought to promote pork as an alternative in recent years due to rising steak prices and as a way to diversify the meat industry.

"Trying it doesn't cost anything, so let's give it a go," Fernandez said in the televised speech.

(Reporting by Karina Grazina; Writing by Helen Popper)


Is that not a great article? When I showed it to Karen, she asked, "Why can't we have a president like that?" Indeed. Who wouldn't take such advice from President Fernandez? She looks very authoritative on the subject, doesn't she? Our pork sales are going very well, but with this type of endorsement, I may need to double my herd size! Thank you, Madame Presidente!

A New Year

A happy new year to all!

We here have been keeping busy with visiting friends,working, playing relaxing and planning.

On New Years' Eve, Karen and I travelled northward to visit with a group of dear friends to ring in the new year. Our hostesses supplied the gang with some wonderful paper lanterns. We each lit a piece of cardboard below the open lantern, which filled the lantern with hot air, much like a miniature version of a hot air balloon. Out on the ice of a north Wisconsin lake, we lit our lanterns, and filled them with mental hopes and wishes, and let them soar skyward. We couldn't believe how far up they went! The lanterns themselves don't come down until they have completely finished burning. So I guess that means they don't really come down! They were really very cool.

It's been snowy and cold. Before this last week, temps averaged around 10 degrees for highs, lows a few degrees below zero. But we have had a reprieve the last week, with highs in the low to mid 30's, bringing us our much enjoyed January Thaw. We never had one of those last year.

The other day I rendered our own lard from the fat from our last pig. It was very easy. The butcher ground up the fat for us, and we got it back in large bags, about the size of a basketball. I haven't weighed them, but we got 5 or 6 bags like this from one whole hog. Our butcher doesn't have the ability to render the lard. I thought this might be a big messy process, but it's really very easy. Just put the entire contents from one bag into the crock pot
and set it on low overnight. Next morning, it was all cooked down. I poured the liquid off into mason jars through a cheesecloth to catch the solids (which are called cracklins. Remember Laura Ingalls Wilder and her sister being so excited about getting the cracklins after Ma and Pa butchered the hog?)



The end result was pure, white, beautiful lard. This will make the very best pie crust possible. This picture is just after I poured in the warm lard - once it solidified it turned white. I got two full mason jars plus a little bit more, maybe a cup's worth. This will keep for a very long time just in jars in a cool, dark place. It can also be frozen if desired.

As far as the cracklins, we did not want to eat them like Laura and her sister, but we didn't want them to go to waste, either. So I gave most of them to our chickens, doled out in reasonable portions. They sure did love the mid-winter snack of fat and protein. I also used some leftovers in my wild bird suet feeder. They loved it too, and it brings the prettiest woodpeckers right up next to our kitchen window.

Otherwise we have been busy poring over seed catalogs and workshop schedules. We plan on attending at least a couple good farming and grazing workshops before this winter is over. Additionally, we are hoping to be able to put up a barn this year, if possible. We need better storage for the tractor and other equipment, and we also want a place to house pigs during bad weather to get them off the fields to prevent soil damage. It isn't easy to design one building that meets such different needs.

Cloudy, 8 degrees

We weathered the second big storm of the year just fine, though it threatened holiday travel across the midwest with freezing rain, the most treacherous of weather. It rained here for about two days straight it seemed, but I'm happy that we escaped the 20 inches of snow a couple hundred miles to our west.

Once the rain stopped, the temps dropped, turning the rain and slush into a nice hard glaze. Our driveway now has an underlayment of ice under a coating of thin, dry snow. Still, it could have been worse, so I'm not complaining.

That is a picture of a robins' nest above. It reminded me that last week I heard and saw a robin in the top of my black walnut tree at the end of the driveway! Now that is one procrastinating bird! I tend to allow myself to forego filling my bird feeders in the lush months, but I am compelled to do it during this type of weather. I know studies have shown that wild birds do not become dependent on feeders, but I fugure it can't hurt to offer them some extra protein and carbs when it is so cold and windy out, with not much to eat out there, at least for some species. Besides, it does provide us with an interesting and flashy show outside. We get lots of woodpeckers, like downy, hairy, flickers and nuthatches. I'm waiting to see a red-headed woodpecker here. Of course we also get the sparrows and finches, cardinals, doves, blue jays, etc. We'd probably get more if I put out some water for them, but I can't justify adding to our already high electric bill. Add to that that Dottie would surely find it a great place to stalk birds. And well, you know, maybe some day if I get my compost pile heater going, I can place a water dish on top for the wild birds. This reminds me - I forgot to ask for a bluebird house for Chirstmas. I hope to get some of those up early this Spring. I've heard bluebirds around the farm, and I just love seeing them and listening to their beautiful song. I don't know for sure, but I think they are making a pretty good comeback, another success story of humans waking up and learning what we should and shouldn't do if we want to preserve nature's most beautiful gems.
I hope to get a permanent pasture going on our land this year, and that attracts grassland birds such as meadowlarks and bluebirds, etc. This is a group of birds that has been hit very hard by development and modern agriculture practices, so we graziers try to encourage and provide nesting havitat for these important insectivores.

It's also satisfying to provide our backyard birds with suet and lard from our own animals.
Speaking of lard, we got ours back with our butchered hog this year, it comes in a big bag in chunks. We will render it by putting it in a crockpot and letting it melt down and drawing off pure, white lard with which I hope to encourage Karen to make delicate pie crusts ;) I bet that won't take much!

One of these days I will explain the benefits of good fat vs. that of bad fat, and why our animals are full of the good stuff. I think many people are catching on to this, still I know it's been so ingrained in our society for so long, to avoid animal fats because they are unhealthy, that it's still common to run into people who don't believe us. Like trying to convince people that pork really doesn't need to be cooked until it's well-done! It doesn't, and you'll be glad you didn't!

Happpy Solstice!

Cloudy, 28 degrees, snowing
We've made it to the darkest part of the year. The sun only shines here for about 9 hours per day (when it isn't obscured by clouds, of course). It's a good time to take stock, think back on accomplishments, look forward to goals, and generally get our houses in order while we have indoor time. When the sun has begun her swing closer to us and her warming rays stir growth again, there is no such time for winnowing through piles of old magazines and re-arranging kitchen drawer contents. That is the time for creating these piles in the first place while we head back out the door toward the field or barn or garden.

Last night we marked the long darkness by eating our dinner by candle light. Karen told her traditional story about the two sisters who visit Old Mother Winter, and we talked about what we hope to do in the next year, before the next long dark falls again. Then we made popcorn balls for Birk's school holiday party the next day ;-)

Tonight we will celebrate the return of the light by going to a friends' house for a Solstice celebration in town. There will be a fire, and I've been appointed Fire Marshall. What that means, basically, is that I have firewood and am willing to bring it, lol. It seems like a fun thing to look forward to, and I'm sure all the kids will be having fun.

We do have another nasty storm looming, and it threatens to snarl up thousands, if not millions of people's Christmas travel plans. The Midwest is bracing for a snow/rain/ice event that is due to go for at least 48 hours and straddling both sides of Christmas Eve, so just about everyone I know is nervously watching the ever-changing forecast to see if they can make it a Merry Christmas with loved ones. Oy.

We are getting snow right now, but nothing major. They forecast an inch, I'd say we're easily over 2.5 at the moment, and it's still coming down. Light fluffy stuff. I've got the tractor plugged in so I can clear this out, and I'll try to keep the driveway cleared as best I can over the upcoming few days. It doesn't sound like it's gonna be pretty. Well, maybe it WILL be pretty, but you know what I mean.

The other day I was walking past my big compost pile made of what's left of last years' bedding from pigs in the barn, and this years' broilers. I noticed how the snow was all melted from the top. Of course, I've always known compost piles heat up. But I was in the process of getting the chickens some un-frozen water, and I suddenly (finally??) went "HEY! There's HEAT in there! FREE, untapped heat! And not only that, but all I had to do to generate that heat was to pile a bunch of sh$t up in a mound!" and my mind started spinning like a teenager on a school parking lot. So my latest Big Thought is how can I use compost pile heat to keep my water lines unfrozen in the dead of winter? Could I use it to make hot water? Could I use it to heat a barn? If I could heat a barn with it, what about being able to heat the house with it?? I've just started doing a little research on the topic, luckily there are folks out there who have had this thought too, and they are smarter than me, and they've been experimenting. There are some really cool ideas out there.

A lot of folks in town simply might not have access to the amounts of materials necessary for a large enough compost pile, but I do. Now that's got me thinking more about deep-bedded over-wintering systems inside barns for livestock such as pigs and cattle.
I wonder if someday, small farms could accept yard waste from suburban neighbors and sell them back electricity made from methane made from thecompost heaps? And then when the compost heap is done, the end result is the best fertilizer there is, and goes right back into the soil and actually helps grow more food and build the soil, rather than depleting anything. Pretty Cool, hey? It's so perfect - it makes me look over my shoulder to watch out for Big Oil coming down on it. You watch. I bet they lobby for control of these types of things. Can't have folks making their own energy at home in a closed-loop system, can we? Bad for profits.
Anyway, here's a link to a cool site that includes all sorts of renewable fuel types and sources: http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/BioFuel/biofuels.htm

Happy Solstice to everyone from us at Prairie Fire Farm!

Clear and Cold, 3 degrees

Got the chains on the other night. Came home from work, and I knew the forecast was calling for a real plunge in temps. Since I needed to move and drive the tractor to get the chains on, I wanted to get them on before the big chill got here and brought more snow with it. I didn't want to have to be trying to start a diesel and put chains on in below-zero temps. Looks like we are stuck with these frigid temps for a good while, so I needed to get this done.

So after work I got the grill and the pre-heater going, and decided to keep myself busy while waiting for her to warm up by installing a light timer over the chickens. Well, I got interrupted by a UPS guy who was lost, a timer that was broken, and a partner shouting from the door of the house that I needed to come in and take the bread out of the oven and feed the baby as she was on her way to yoga.

Once Birk was fed and the bread was baked, I could turn my attention back to tractor maintenence. I took the tarp off and climbed up into the seat. I was so very pleased when she turned right over and fired up on the first crank :) The only people who will understand the happiness at such a moment are others who rely on tractor power to plow, lift, drag, whatever has got to get done, and if the tractor don't start, it ain't getting done.

I lined up the first chain on the ground next to the open garage door, as it was now well after dark, and I needed the light from the garage to see what I was doing. I did one side at a time. Laid out the chain, backed over it half way, then got off and basically pulled up each side. This wasn't too easy, since the chain was so heavy and it was already pretty tight, so I basically had to inch it up over each lug on the tire. When I got them hooked on, I put bungees on the sides, across the tire hub like a criss-cross to keep them tightened. I drove a bit with the chains on, letting them settle in and then got off again and tightened them up about another inch or so. I was able to easily plow areas that were giving me fits the other day, so the chains are working and were obviously a good investment.

These will stay on the tractor until Spring. If I need to deal with mud, they will help them as well. I'm glad I have them - now I'm ready if we get another really big snow.

The next night we put up the christmas tree. It was so sweet pulling out the ornaments and talking about each one, listening to Birk saying this is her most favorite thing of all. It was a very sweet family moment. Aw.

Of Chains And Cheese Spread

This is Karen way up in the tractor bucket a couple weeks ago, putting up the lights farm style.

Cloudy, 30 degrees
Busy weekend. I did manage to find some chains for the tractor. Let me just point out that chains are shockingly expensive, especially for something so low-tech and simple. First, of course, you have to find th right size for your tires. When I googled some sites looking for a set for my tractor, I had to take a breath when I saw that they retailed for anywhere from $300 to $800!! Yes, Eight Hundred Dollars. For CHAINS! And then shipping is another 60 bucks! Wow! I simply could not accept this reality, and my penchant for research and dialing kicked in. I must have called 6 different places, mostly local, hoping to at least save something on shipping. Karen likes to make fun of my research-y-ness. Well, guess what? On about the 5th call to a tractor store (i.e. farm implement retailer and service center), I talked to a guy named Ron. He said he needed to check in the back. After about an hour, he called me back and said he found a used set of chains the exact size for my lil' red tractor, and they were $195 for the set! Wahoo, I just saved at least $150 bucks!
I drove up and it turned out Ron was one of the owners. We went out back to a distant shed in the back, and these chains were in a pile way in the back. I don't even know how he knew they were there! And oh my lord, but they are HEAVY! No wonder shipping is so high on these things. They must weigh 70 lbs. a piece. When I got back inside to pay for them, Ron came back in, asked if I liked calendars or cheese...I shrugged, and said of course. Not thinking I had heard him quite right, I wrote out my check. It is of course calendar season, and don't you just love those free ones you get from dealers? I have lots of shed walls and other spaces to hang feed mill/tractor/vet clinic calendars. Then Ron came back to the counter with a Case/IH Calendar and a tub of nice cheese spread :) Said Happy Holidays. I love Wisconsin.