Tootsie Rolls for Cows

August 30, 2009

This field of round bales near our farm always reminds me of big tootsie rolls. Maybe its time to ease up on my low-carb diet a little.

Raingirl

August 29, 2009



















Childs wagon adapted for hauling milk bottles to calves..........................................................Free

Slick see-through rain poncho from The Dollar Tree Store............................................$1 (duh)

Authentic Wellies from County Clare Ireland cut down to allow room for midlife farmwife's ample
calves..........................................Air fare RT $425
.....................................................Car rental $200
...............................Wellington Chore Boots $18

Life on Green Acres Farm..........PRICELESS !

Words from Wee Wesley

August 27, 2009

Wesley here. My sisters have gone off to school and left me alone with the yaya. She's napping under the wheelbarrow again. Thinks I can't see her striped feet sticking out like some kind of wicked witch of organicville. So today its my turn to blog being as it appears I'm the only one working around here today. Where are those child labor law folk when you need them ?

Little House on the Dairy

August 26, 2009

This little house is our feed shed. Lights left on by some farmwife in rubber boots and worn thin Old Navy shorts, rushing through chores. On my way back from the barn after dark, I saw it and stopped for 10 whole seconds. I liked the way the light poured through the window and the door, the way the yard light behind me illuminated the old claw foot tub full of morning glory vines. I liked the way the peeling paint on the walls looked more silver and mysterious and less like just one more task I had not yet accomplished this summer.

I liked our farm.

But...I am worried about it. After 5 months of phone calls, meetings, and emails, the creamery we trusted to be buying our organic milk backed out of the deal. No written contracts had been signed but verbal offers were made and hands were shaken. Once upon a time that meant good business. Now it means we are back to ground zero after months of work. We have a great product. 100% grass fed organic milk from a herd of hard working bovines with udders to die for.
Do we relinquish our organic certification and return to the conventional milk world ? Or maybe we can take the heart breaking step so many dairy farmers have taken before us and sell our herd, close our barn doors? Or do we enter the cow-share world and distribute milk directly to our customers.? Or do turn 360 degrees and assume HUGE debt while opening our own bottling plant ? Or raise minks ? Or sell hemp purses ? Or what ? (I am so Jessica Lange in "Country" are'nt I?)

We don't know. What we do know is we want to farm. Organically and profitably. And we want other people to enjoy the milk we produce with all its benefits. We know we have the support of our family and friends whatever choice we make. Except for the minks, we're more denim folk. So, if you have the faith, prayers would be welcome. And if you have money and are so inclined, when you see a bottle of organic milk in your store with a Smirking Green Acres Cow on the label, we'd appreciate your patronage.

Please and thank you.

This is so corny but,

August 25, 2009

Here in Central Illinois, one hour from Bloomington, one hour from Champaign, one hour from Kankakee we are missing many things. There are no awesome Cliffs of Mohr, not a hint of sandy beaches with blue green waves, nothing that can even come close to the Grand Canyon but we do have beauty. We are in the middle of some of the richest farmland in the nation. We feed millions. (Well, not Keith and I on our own, but farmers in general you goof.) We too are America the Beautiful.

Take a drive in the country today. Stop and pick up some locally grown produce. Appreciate all that we have.

Duck? Duck? Goose !

August 23, 2009

On my way home this am I flew past an alfalfa field filled with ducks.I remembered I had my camera with me so I flipped the car around in a perfectly executed 8 point turn. (Hey, don't judge, after a 12 hr night shift I'm lucky not to be driving home backwards, like I did that one time.) I pulled into the field a little bit, recognized the ducks were geese, walked slowly in and got this shot:


Now its obvious I am getting too far into their personal bubbles and they turn their backs to me:

Enough already, this chick is obviously stalking us...Fly Bubba fly !!


They struggle to get organized:



The famous V-formation takes shape, and they are gone:

Homemade is bestmade at home

August 22, 2009


This was our noon meal yesterday. The last of the green beans stir fried with some olive oil, fresh basil torn in strips and chucks of red onion. Pork burgers done on the grill mixed with a little sage and ground pepper before shaping into patties. Sweet corn, soaked in a little salt water, covered with butter and sprinkled with dried white and red pepper. Also cooked on the grill. Everything on the plate (except the ketchup and mustard) was grown on our farm.

On days like that, when we take the time to make our own even better, we feel how good it is to call ourselves farmers.