It's finally happened. 


Chainsaws were delivered to the hardware store. I obtained one. After waiting out several days of thunderstorms, today I was able to crank up the new saw and do some light clearing with it. I'm taking it slow for now, trying to keep good form and pay special attention to safety. 

After some study, I chose the model of saw based on its warranty, 56.5 cc motor, and the width of it's cutting chain. You really don't have to put much effort into the actual cutting with this saw. It is sharp and powerful enough to make the sawdust fly with ease. 


Most of the purpose of having the new saw is to clean up the property. Not so much to clear away the trees, but cut out enough brush so that I can bush hog most of the place. Some of the trees are being limbed up so the grass under them can be cut. 


The next several weeks of nice days off will be spent with both hands on the saw. Some fence repair and upgrades are in order asap, also. 




You just can't beat the smell of fresh cut cedar. 

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." - Anne Bradstreet

There's no denying it at this point. Spring is well on its way. Tennessee has had fabulous spring weather for the past ten days or so. 


The hams continue to cure, and are starting to look more like country hams.I think it's fair to say Uncle is less skeptical on the question of whether the hams we are experimenting with (by hanging instead of salting periodically in a box) will turn out OK.  


Today was supposed to be the day that the Gentleman Farmer purchased his very own first new chainsaw, but apparently everybody in town is buying chainsaws, so that will have to wait. 


The buttercups are starting to open. 

It's going to be a good spring. 

Harbingers of Spring

I don't know about the weather in your neck of the woods this winter, but I certainly have felt deficient in the Vitamin D department lately. Here in Tennessee, we are having much more distinct seasons than I remember growing up. We used to only get snow that actually covered the ground twice a year, if that, and never enough to really sled on. In recent winters, the school children have had so many snow days, they have been working at their studies later in the summer than normal. Accumulations of snow are happening often enough that my neighbors are actually learning to drive in the stuff. One of the results of all this wintery winter is that Tennesseans are in desperate need of Vitamin D. 

From the National Institutes of Health: 

Vitamin D is also known as the "sunshine vitamin" because the body manufactures the vitamin after being exposed to sunshine. Ten to 15 minutes of sunshine 3 times weekly is enough to produce the body's requirement of vitamin D. 

Yesterday and today were a really nice break from the normal winter stuff. The weather has been gorgeous, with clear skies and temps in the mid-60's. I've been able to tend the fence some. Today I re-stretched a section that was looking a little saggy. Next, I have a new gate to hang and a string of barb wire to put around the top. These repairs and upgrades will happen over the next few weeks, in anticipation of stocking TRF with a new herd of goats. 

Today's photos are from a long walk around the farm. I tried to look for colorful things, the first signs of spring. In the order of appearance: Berries on a thorn bush, a vibrant patch of moss, a shoot of honeysuckle, an extreme macro shot of the buttercup patch, and the single deepest post hole I've dug. 

I hope you have been able to catch up on your Vitamin D production, and I hope the worst of winter is past us all. Here's looking forward to a productive season on the farm. 

Country Ham

So The Gentleman Farmer has helped cure hams before (see original post of this blog), but never made his own. The other day, my friend and I built a box for my hams. 


Uncle ordered the hams and brought them from the grocer. Each one has to be trimmed up so that the edges are neat. This year we are curing most of the hams in the way that Uncle has taught us, and trying a new process. 


The "traditional" way is to coat the surfaces of each ham with a salt cure mix, turning them over in the box and re-salting about every two weeks from mid-January until about the time we quit having frost. 


The "new" way we are trying is very different. Uncle was polite, but I know he was skeptical. These hams (two of the sixteen we are curing this year) are "glazed" with a fine layer of salt over the skin, and the hock and meaty sides are packed with a pre-measured amount of cure mix. The ham and cure are wrapped in brown paper, wrapped again in cheesecloth, and then hung hock side down from the roof of the shed. These hams won't be disturbed at all until the last frost. The reason I want to try curing hams this way is because it feels like there is more control over how much salt is used and absorbed into the meat. Now that we started them, they definitely have that country ham look. 


When the job was done, good luck and tradition demanded that we each partake in a splash of vodka. The Gentleman Farmer is not one to go against good luck or tradition. 


I'm so excited for spring to start here. Upcoming chores and projects will include maintaining the fence and adding a string of barbwire to the top of it, planting a heckuva garden, stocking the farm with goats and bees, and clearing more of the back forty for projects to be determined. 

Wilderness Photography Workshop

This weekend, The Gentleman Farmer took part in a Wilderness Photography workshop sponsored by TNWild, which is an advocacy group dedicated to protecting wilderness on the Cherokee National Forest for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future generations. 

Bill and Laura Hodge are wilderness enthusiasts who love the Tellico Plains area and honored us by sharing their photography knowledge and ideas. Their assistance and encouragement were huge assets to everyone who participated in the workshop. I highly encourage all interested parties to friend TNWild on facebook and sign up for the next session. We opened with a classroom discussion on the science and art of photography and then hiked the rest of the day, practicing our hobby and enjoying each other's fellowship. 

The area we hiked is just east of Tellico Plains in the national forest, just off of the Cherohala Skyway. This area is pristine. There are ideal opportunities for camping, backpacking, hiking, scenic driving and photography.  I wasn't familiar with the Cherokee National Forest before this visit, but I will be sure to return. Many of the trails, campsites and views were similar quality experiences to the National Park up the road, but the area was much less crowded. (As an aside, Tennessee's U.S. Senators have agreed to support changing this area from National Forest to Wilderness lands, protecting it from development, encroachment and preserving its natural beauty forever. Thank you, Sens. Corker and Alexander.) 

The first thing we talked about in our workshop was the word Wilderness, with a capital W. The definition of Wilderness, as it applies to federal law is as follows: (at least skim the bold parts, mmkay) A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. An area of wilderness is further defined to mean in this Act an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions and which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3) has at least five thousand acres of land or is of sufficient size as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value.

To those of you who have emailed The Gentleman Farmer asking for updates, thank you for doing so. More photos from the farm will be coming soon. It's going to be a beautiful fall. 

Goodbye 2009...

Hello again, from Tennessee Renaissance Farm. 


It's been some time since I wrote last. Things slow down a lot as we move from fall into winter. And some things have happened that are frankly hard for me to write about. Thank you for your interest and encouragement. Bear with me through this update. 


The late fall and start of winter have been much colder than recent years. With the onset of really cold (for us that's low's in the teens at night) weather, neighboring dogs seem to roam more. Some of the neighbors' dogs and some strays basically formed a pack, which is never a good thing. And so it was on the Sunday before Christmas. The dogs killed six of my nine goats that night, and one the following night. Howard the llama, normally the protector, was unable to stop what happened. It was a devastating thing. I just don't have the words. It was really heartbreaking to bury the seven of them. 

Since those bad nights, the fence has been repaired and strengthened. I am reasonably confident that no more dogs have been inside the fence since then. The dogs have become wary of being around the farm, which is probably best for now. 

We've had another, colder cold snap lately. I don't think it's been above freezing for the last week or so, and there are several more days of similar weather in store. It's unseasonably cold, for middle Tennessee. I sold one of the remaining goats at auction, but the other is too ornery to be caught lately. I can understand how he (Leviticus) might be wary of other creatures, lately. He seems to be in a better mood, and he's starting to at least hang out closer to Howard most of the time. Even in the snow, Levi joyously comes running at feeding time. 


Carrying warm water for the livestock several times a day is tedious. 


Having snow on the ground makes it easier to see the surface of the ground back in the trees and brush. I can see much clearer spaces inside the fence where the goats ate up alot of the brush. Being able to see more space open turns my mind to plans for spring. Some more fence will be built. Maybe a small building project or two will take place in the summer. It'll only take another day's rental of the tractor and much of my back forty will be walkable. I really enjoy that thought. 


Thank you for your support of Tennessee Renaissance Farm in my first year of blogging. I will need your continued encouragement and ideas going forward. 




Things I'm looking forward to in 2010: 

• Fresh vegetables from the TRF garden
• More goats!
• Harvesting my first honey! (I need your best biscuit recipes, by the way) 
• Inventorying plant and wild life on the Farm 
• Sustained above-freezing temperatures
  
• More bees!
• Fencing on flat ground instead of the hillside
• New used farm equipment! 

Autumn Gold

So now is the peak of fall colors on Tennessee Renaissance Farm. What's left of the poplar leaves are flamey yellow. The maples are red like embers. It's a gorgeous time to stroll the farm and consider my plans for next year.

Last week, one of the goats passed away. It is sad. Their primary function is to work on the farm clearing brush, but I have to admit I am attached to them, to some degree. Rest well, Lil Buddy.

Today's photos are fairly self-explanatory, so I'll let you enjoy them.

Won't be long 'til there's frost on the pumpkin...

• This little guy is my buddy. He's the smallest goat, but definitely the friendly one. He likes to be petted, even when I'm not feeding. He's the one that meets me at the fence first each morning and walks with me when I make the rounds.
  
• The next photo is of hedge apples on the ground. I don't know what, if any purpose they serve. I've heard a tale that hedge apples can be used to keep bugs away.
  
• Poplar leaves are turning. The old timers at the farmer's co-op thought that such a wet summer meant we'd have pretty fall colors this year. I'm not convinced, yet.
  
• This is what I spent a couple of hours working on in the rain on Friday. The fence runs downhill and there was a slight gap underneath, which allowed a couple of the goats to roam. I took some stakes and chicken wire, and wired them to the bottom of the fence. For good measure, I found an old fence post to weigh down the chicken wire with, on the inside.

Eviction day...

Tennessee Renaissance Farm is here to benefit... me, mostly. The things that I do, the things that I choose not to do, the animals I bring in and the ones that were already here all serve purposes. This is the first real eviction from the Farm, but the rule here is everybody chips in. No free rent, right?

And so it is with yellow jackets. This particular gang of them has harassed The Gentleman Farmer and my family a few times this summer. One nephew has been stung on two occasions. It's hard to locate yellow jackets safely, so I've just avoided the area and put off dealing with it. Today I was mowing, thinking I was not close to where the nest was, actually kindof mowing a border around where I thought it was, when it suddenly looked like the ground was moving where I had just mowed.

Instinct kicked in before thoughts, causing me to run. When I slowed down and looked back, it was a literal cloud of the pests, much like the bees when I have a hive opened for inspection. The yellow jackets gradually settled down again, but it would be their last hurrah.

As dusk happened, I gathered some tools: Mag Lite, camera, matches, leftover citronella oil. The flames weren't as impressive as I had imagined. (I really don't like yellow jackets.)

ALSO NOTE IN THESE PHOTOS: The yellow jackets (sortof) have similar coloration to honeybees. They are NOT bees. Bees are not aggressive (they are defensive). Bees have fuzz on them. Yellow jackets are naked. Yellow jackets' heads are shaped weirdly. Usually, yellow jackets will help themselves to sugary drinks on your picnic. Bees much prefer nectar from flowers. Bees also do their part on the farm, producing that liquid gold that The Gentleman Farmer loves.

Fall on the Farm

My goats are doing well. They have definitely taken their piece of Tennessee Renaissance Farm and made it their own. The progress they are making in eating up the brush is amazing. As they have grown comfortable here, the goats seem to be more friendly. Now they come out and walk with me when I'm out and about on the farm. Even if I'm not feeding right then. Not a bad thing.

Howard is ever vigilant. When I found a gap under the edge of the fence the other day, he made took up a position beside that gap and would not let the goats near it. It's pretty cool how he picked up on that and did his job. He wears his hats as mayor and protector of the farm well.

The bees are slowing down after What I think was a very decent summer for them. Meagan, Taylor and Emily each have a good amount of honey stored up. Hopefully they will all come through winter in fine shape. I'm looking forward to that first golden harvest in a big way.

I know I've been lax in maintaining the blog lately. I've got enough projects in mind this fall and winter that I should have plenty to write about. Watch what happens next.

Settling in nicely...

The llama and goats have gradually been getting to know each other and making the place their own. After much deliberation, the llama has been named Howard. It's been suggested that I find him a top hat and vest, and appoint him Mayor of Tennessee Renaissance Farm. Why not? Hah.

Howard was definitely the first to warm up. He's the first to allow anyone to pet him and not be (too) jumpy about it. He definitely takes his job as protector of the goats seriously. He keeps a watchful eye on the herd and is johnny-on-the-spot when a dog comes to the fence. It's very cool to know that Howard will be effective in case of predators visiting the farm to snack on my little goats.

The goats have been slower to get friendly. I think part of this is because they are smaller and generally less confident creatures, and I don't know anything about their lives before the auction barn. It's obvious that they were handled and raised as livestock and not pets.

Today was a first for the farm, also. One of the goats put his head through the fence and couldn't pull it back out. I think dislodging his head was easier than when my brother got his melon stuck in the railing of the stairs, but still traumatic for the little guy. It was the first time any of the goats ate from my hand, which seemed to calm him before I had to take him by the horns and help back his head out. It's odd how some animals will always look outside their fence when they have so much good stuff inside with them. Now I know why I count so carefully at feeding time and walk the fence a few times a day.

My post Monday from the Woodbury sale barn was the prelude to this: I aquired 10 pygmy goats and since then, a llama.

Five goats were delivered Wednesday after their shots and deworming. Later I was given an option on five more from the same lot, and they are here now. I was told that a llama will help protect the goats from predators, so now a llama has joined the gang.

So far, the goats have been very skittish. At first, when I turned the corner of the fence, they'd disappear into the woods. They are starting to learn that I'm the one who brings the food that they like. They aren't quite friendly just yet, but they don't run away when they see people, either. So far the goats are pretty scattered, but I'm told over the next few days they should pretty much hang out in a group. They've had a hard week.

The llama is awesome. He has such character and seems to have a good nature about him. he'll come right up and smell your hands and then trot away to chew on a weed again. When you see his eyes, you know there's something going on in there. He seems to have some sort of wit about him.

So far none of these creatures have names. I figure I'll name the goats one at a time, as I get to know them. I'm accepting nominations over the next few days for names for Mr. Llama.

God bless you and yours. Thanks for reading about the Tennessee Renaissance Farm.

Night At The Sale Barn

The Gentleman Farmer visited the Woodbury livestock sale tonight. It was definitely a spectacle for somebody who had never been before. I enjoyed watching the people who attended, the auctioneer and the animal handlers as people bid.

The gentleman I went to the sale with was very knowledgeable about the animals, pointing out flaws from a distance after they were on the floor for just a moment. I have to say I learned alot, just by being there with somebody who knows what he's talking about.

Please forgive the cell phone photo. This was an impromptu trip.

Miscellaneous...

I've missed blogging lately, but that's not because I haven't been hard at work. Every day off, I feel huge progress as I clean up the Farm and get ready to do more with it. Considering that this is now mid-July in Tennessee, the weather is almost pleasant lately, and I've been able to be productive most of the time on my days off.

I've been chainsawing and clearing some places to make better passage for the tractor, when I have it over again. When the dozer cleared lanes for the fence last fall, it left alot of piles along the outside edge. That is alot of what I'm clearing out now. It's hard work, but you can definitely see progress after a few hours. Basically, I'll spend a long minute or three deciding the best way to cut the tree to the ground, and then cut the smaller stuff off and stack it on the brush pile. The decent logs are saved for future projects.

Today I checked on Meagan, Taylor and Emily. All good stuff in each hive. Each queen is producing a healthy number of eggs. Nurse bees tend the eggs as they grow into larvae and pupae. The field bees are still finding pollen and nectar to store up before the winter. Meagan will soon get another super added. That hive is definitely full and producing alot more baby bees.

Todays photos:

• Checking a nice frame of honey and brood. Eggs are a sign that the queen is alive and well.
  
• The heartwood of cedar is such a nice color when it is freshly cut.
  
• Meagan is growing up, and will soon be expanded to allow a little breathing room inside.
  
• This is the mother of the birds raised on the back porch. They have already flown away to do their little bird things.
  

PS - does anybody know much about livestock auctions? I'll be attending the Manchester goat sale soon and would appreciate some tips.