Tag Archives: life on the farm

Poor Man’s Lobster – Boiled Northern

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My dad had a slight stroke last week…we use the word “slight” because he’s still here to tell about it. But, in reality, it could have been so much worse. He was lucky…and with determination, he came home without the walker they were predicting and he’s almost back to normal…whatever that is.

He asked Saturday evening if Big Bro could go with him fishing on Sunday, and although we usually go to church and Sunday school before any other events, I gave him a pass to spend the day with his grandpa. And he thought it was worth every minute!

The fishing was great, they were biting heavy, but better than that, the memories will be amazing for them both. And when they came home with four decent-sized northern, Big Bro was proud as a peacock.

I’ll share with you my new favorite recipe for northern…and it’s super simple:

Cut up your northern into bite-sized pieces.

All you need is fish and beef broth. This fish is fresh, so there are bones in it. (My Dad doesn't have his de-boning technique down quite yet.) Be careful with those!

Bring about 3 cups of beef broth to a boil.

Bring broth to boil, drop in fish.

Drop in fish and let it boil for about 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Fish are cooked through, moist and so yummy!

It’s a very simple, great-tasting dish, sure to please everyone! You can add other seasonings if you wish, but my family prefers it straight from the broth!

Young Farmer Friday

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Just loving my day with the boys…and who can blame me? We head to Mayo on Monday, and that’ll be worries for Monday. For today, I’ll just enjoy what we have.

"Mom, will this be mine some day?"

A rare moment of stillness, and no one fighting!

George teasing EJ that he was going to beat him to the shop.

Well, he decided the reward wasn't worth it.

 

 

Calf in a cast

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What happens when a 1200-pound-plus cow steps on its newborn calf? Well, lets just say that the calf isn’t usually a winner. But in this case, the vet was called in and so far, things are looking good.

He may be wearing a cast, but it's not slowing him down!

That’s right, we have a calf in a cast. He’ll keep the cast on until the first week of April or so…and while he has his cast on, he’ll be treated to a special pen in the yard, and will spend his nights next to his mother in the barn.

Broken legs don’t happen often on the farm, but when they do, it’s important to have them heal as best as they can, so the calf can walk normally and be able to stand and regain use of the limb. And so far, this little guy seems to be doing great.

Walking around, checking out his surroundings.

So what does it cost to have a cast put on a calf? Our vet bill was right at $200. Plus a little extra time for a few weeks.

And it was a great teaching moment for the boys.

And those moments are priceless.

 

March madness…North Dakota version

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No, our March madness has nothing to do with basketball, and I’m talking brackets of a different kind…this March is madness with peewee wrestling and spring weather. And it added up to spending an afternoon digging out some water pipes.

Let’s start off with Saturday morning and early afternoon. Scooter participated in our local peewee wrestling tournament and managed to come home with a first-place medal.

The weather was so unseasonably warm, that I decided we should finish a project we had started earlier in the week. Our aging pipes had sprung a leak, which lead to a continually green patch of grass in our yard all winter. But as it was warming up, that green patch had turned to mush. We needed to work on a fix…and 70-80 degree temps in North Dakota in March is a great reason to spend some time outside, even if it is to dig a hole.

So, if we’re fixing a water pipe, one would think that you would call a local backhoe and have it done in a jiffy, right? That’s not the way we roll around here. Instead, Boss Man gave a few directions, gave us a rough outline of size, and away we went.

Me and my little sister, just digging a hole.

Yep, my little sister and I became excavators and dug out the hole that will be needed to fix our water leak. And I have to say, I’m happy with the work we did, and enjoyed spending the hour or so outside in the beautiful weather.

And today (Sunday), the weather has continued on its beautiful streak, cracking the 80 degree mark. Let’s just hope our temps stay above freezing, because all of those beautiful buds and new plants will be a hard loss to take.

Our rhubarb is up...and it's March.

By tomorrow evening, I'm guessing we'll have full-fledged leaves on our lilacs. These buds are busting at the seams!

Not a laughing matter

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A few days ago, a close friend of mine sent me a message on Facebook, directing me to a conversation that was taking place on a specialized sheep page. The message was shocking, and laughed in the face of all we’ve been doing to educate and show consumers where their food comes from…but it was far from funny:

You are a Joke! a Fraud! you can not sell meat! What you are selling is wrong! Meat comes from the grocery store meat departments where they grow it for us to eat. You are one sick individual who says you will sell lamb meat from those cute fuzzy animals! you are gross! Milk comes in a powder that the grocery stores mix with water! Why are you lying to people! you are a sick person who claims to sell meat, milk and cheese that comes from poor helpless lambs!

And no, I can’t make stuff like that up.

So why does it matter? It’s just one loon out there, shouting lies and slinging mud at whomever will listen, right?

Wrong.

One of the reasons that agriculture is being slayed in the media the way it is, is that for too long we figured that people would “get it.” That they would understand what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and just leave us alone to get the job done.

That’s not the case any more, and I don’t think it ever will be…and shouldn’t. We want people to have a connection to their plate, we want people to understand the power of their input at the grocery store. But they also need to understand that farms are businesses, we provide a product, we need to make a profit and we prepare for the future as well.

There must be a middle ground, a place where we don’t raise our voices, don’t shake our fists and don’t make it personal…I just don’t think we’re there yet. I read a comment recently that stated that farmers need to remember that they are more than just a farm, they are people, too.

Our barn is dated from when it was built. That's a history we can't forget.

But I have to say, from a farmer’s perspective, that’s pretty hard to do. It’s not just a building and some animals, this is our heritage and our family name. It’s the work of previous generations, resting on our shoulders to see it through to the next generation. And it’s up to us to be the communicators to protect not only the future, but the history of our farms as well.

The way I see it, the fact that we’re getting responses such as the loon above, and the other slew of media backlash, must mean we’re heading the right direction.

And if we’re willing to be talking, we better be willing to listen as well.

A case for genetic markers

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Not so long ago, I wrote a post about how George seems to enjoy coloring himself from head to toe in markers. And I don’t mean just a little bit.

For Halloween, we'll be going as Smurfs.

After turning bath water several different shades of blue, green, black and orange the last few weeks, I was beginning to think that he had some strange sort of addiction to coloring on himself. (You know, like on that show where people say they HAVE to drink nail polish, eat chalk, etc.)

Well, I may have stumbled upon the answer…it’s genetic.

It appears as though 30-some years ago, this little blonde-haired beauty decided that she rather enjoyed coloring herself as well. Although, I like to think that I pulled off the look a little better.

Yep, he came by the habit honestly. Who would have thought this scene would be replayed 30 years later? Well, and on a little grander scale.

But that’s how it works, isn’t it? The next generation tries to find a way to do it bigger and better?

Thankful Thursday – Shelter

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Our blizzard turned out to be not so much a snow event, as it was a wind event…but it still made me so very grateful. And after the storms in Illinois and elsewhere, I thought it would be appropriate today to give my thanks for shelter.

I'm thankful for shelter for our calves...and a Boss Man that cares for them!

 

The calves love playing in the fresh straw.

 

Snug as a bug in a rug.

 

I'm thankful for the equipment and technology that allows us to care for our animals, like this bale processor.

 

The bale processor (above) grinds up the corn stubble (left over corn stalks) that our farm baled at the end of harvest last year. It provides great bedding for our cows, as well as a treat or two, as they find leftover corn cobs and other goodies in the bedding.

It's kind of like an Easter egg hunt, in your bed.

 

And I’m grateful for our home, and for all of those that make it possible for us to provide shelter for our animals, our children and ourselves.

And as I give thanks for the shelter that we have, I offer prayers and condolences to those that lost their homes and their lives during this week’s storms.

Meet the Corporate Head of our Factory Farm

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Yesterday, I heard a lot of talk about the #OccupyOurFoodSupply movement. I read a lot of articles on the downfall of our modern agriculture practices, the need to “get back to the basics,” and the need to reconnect to our food supply.

So I thought that instead of blaming some unknown enemy for placing my farm in a bad light, or blaming consumers for not taking the initiative to actually visit where their food comes from, I would show you, just as I have for the last year and a half.

Meet the corporate head:

Ooh, he's using technology, too!

His name is Mark…and we’ve been married just about 11 years. He eats, sleeps and breathes this farm and this land. There is not a thing that he would ever do that would jeopardize it for the future. Not for his satisfaction, though. No, he has a contract with a group that has his number…and he doesn’t like the consequences of messing that up. Here, meet them:

Our boys...and the future of this farm.

A pretty rough looking bunch, eh?

But the real nasty one to work with is the one in charge of our seed selection, the one that forces what we plant, when, where and how…the one that determines whether or not we can farm next year. I’d like for you to meet:

Mother Nature

That’s right, Mother Nature.

You see, there isn’t a corporation, a seed company, a conglomerate of some epic proportions that determines how we farm. That decision lies solely with us. But, unfortunately, we’re not alone in the game. No matter what we decide, Mother Nature can always turn the tables, and we’ll need to react.

You could ask Mark today what his plans are for this spring, what he intends to plant where, and when he plans to start…and his answer will be, “I’m not sure.” You see, spring is not here yet, winter is not over, and Mother Nature can change a lot between now and then.

Do we have seed ordered? You bet. If you don’t order ahead, you risk not having what you need available, when you need it. Does any company tell us what to plant? No. That decision lies solely with this farm, but we do ask and receive recommendations from several different sources. Including our crop consultant, who tests our soil, tells Mark exactly what is needed, and what his recommendations are for each field.

Our farm is exactly that…it’s our farm. And I’m trying to let the public know that we raise their food on our farm. But we also are raising our farm’s future. And we would never jeopardize either for the sake of the other.

So, go ahead and #occupyourfoodsupply, but please don’t mind if it’s a full room…our farmers are already there.

*Added: Want to learn more about what others are saying? Check out these links:

Wordless Wednesday – Cows

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The cows, enjoying their straw bed on the fresh snow while waiting to calve.

 

 

When is it my turn?

 

 

Cows are curious (and photogenic) by nature.

 

 

Oh, that angle makes me look fat.

 

 

You can't see me, I'm hiding behind this weed.

 

 

We’re not quite half-way through calving season, but the last few days have been very, very busy. But the weather has been wonderful, and everything is going pretty smoothly so far.

If you look back at the ear tags, you’ll notice that not one of the close-ups have the same color. Wonder why? Find out here!

Farm Friday – Calving Underway

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We now have a whopping two calves on the ground. I know, I know, not much to get excited about, but we’ve been so blessed this year that I can’t help but smile.

Our lack of drastically cold temps has really helped out with feed supplies and the like. Why is that? Well, when the cattle don’t need to use up as much energy as they normally do in winter to stay warm, they eat less. And with the open winter we’ve had (meaning very little snow on the ground), the longer the cattle have been able to graze on our leftover corn stalks. It’s been a win-win all the way around.

Yesterday I grabbed a few shots of our heifers (cows that are having their first calf this spring) out behind the house. I haven’t been going out on any night checks yet, because I’ve been under the weather and hubby has been able to go out on checks and still get some rest. (We usually check the cows every 2-3 hours, around the clock. More often when it gets cold, like tonight.)

Some of the heifers, just hanging out behind the wind break, waiting.

 

 

Such pretty red things, eh?

 

 

I’m hoping to take the boys ice fishing this weekend. We went last Sunday and had a great time, even though I’ve been a bit down and out. They loved every minute of it! As soon as I get the pics uploaded from my mom’s camera, I’ll be sure to share them with you!