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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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. 
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. 
