Happy Summer Solstice!

This year the crops are doing very well. Much fewer problems than last year at this time. But then, last year we had so much rain and cold in May and June, it's amazing that things did as well as they did. This year it is dry, but fortunately we have our well and irrigation system all set up. Otherwise everything would be withered by now.

Happy Summer Solstice! A week late, but nevertheless. The longest day of the year has already passed us by. Solstices remind me of the yin-yang symbol. Just when we feel like summer is here in all her glory, that is also the time when the opposite of summer starts manifesting, the shortening days that eventually culminate in the shortest day of the year at winter solstice, December 21. I love how that is such a clear example of everything containing its opposite within itself, or, an example of wholeness.
I want to remember that wholeness is inherent in the natural course of things when I reject something as negative, while welcoming its opposite as positive. Like sadness and happiness, or love and fear, life and death and so on.

This is also the time of year when we are super busy. We're still getting crops in the ground, and now the harvest is also taking up significant time. The weeds need constant attention, ans all kinds of bugs, good and bad, are out and need scouting for. The CSA is in full swing, so there are all kinds of administrative tasks that go with that. Even though the days are long there still do not seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done.
This has really been wearing on Ed, and he's been unhappy about how much we work and how little time we have to relax. It's been going on for some time, but it's taking a toll now not only on him but on our relationship. So things have been difficult that way.

Relationships are difficult. At least that is my experience. The best way I have of dealing with this type of difficulty is to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow and practice. Sometimes I do think that Ed is my spiritual teacher, whether he knows it or not, and he would scoff at me saying so, but he forces me to deal with the most difficult aspects of myself, and himself, and the only way to move through is with awareness. Most of the time, when difficult situations come up, I feel that I am reactive rather than aware. But it's a process.

I made fresh chevre-type cheese with Opal's milk. I seasoned it with salt and pepper, and some with fresh dill and chives. Everyone thought it was good.

The fireflies are out over the field at night, like dancing flashes of light. Watching them is makes me happy, no matter how tired I feel, or what weariness I carry. They remind me of something much vaster that my tiny world.

Peace

Heat, finally

It is hot today, over 80F, and tomorrow we're expecting the same. This is good for the plants, which have been waiting for heat and sun. I do wish for some more rain though. It's been too dry for a lot of crops, and no matter how much we irrigate, it's not the same as rain.
The cows really don't like this heat. It brings out the black flies and they bite hard. I'm not a heat and humidity lover myself. But I am grateful nevertheless because it helps the plants.

My vitamin D level is quite low, which is not a big surprise, it's low every year, but this year is lower than it's been before. This, the doctor thinks, explains why I've been feeling tired and low in energy since March. I'm taking some supplements to address it, and hopefuly they'll work, as they have in the past. The funny thing is that I am outside a lot, more than most people, and yet my D is low. I was told that since we live in a norhtern latitude, we just don't get enough sun overall, plus my skin is somewhat darker than average so I need more than someone who is more pale... In any case, I am happy to have some kind of explanation.

I also started some exercise classes, twice a week, at the community center near my house. I'm trying to strengthen core muscles that will prevent further back problems. The teacher laughed today when I told her that I was out for one whole day when my back locked up. I guess that's not much. Still, I can't afford it to get any worse, there are no sick days on the farm. If one of us gets sick it just puts so much more pressure on the other person, and especially at this time of year, that makes things really difficult.

Sena and Aiyana have been helping out on the farm more and more. They wash vegetables on CSA days, and help Ed with setting up cow fencing on other days. They also have their routine chores, such as dishes, sweeping, laundry, etc. Some days we still argue about what needs to get done and who does it, but other days things run very smoothly and everything gets done. Yesterday Sena made strawberry crisp with freshly picked strawberries. It was a surprise at the end of the day, and it was delicious.

My favorite thing lately has been sitting down with Aiyana and reading Thornton Burgess books. If you have children of any age above 5, I highly recommend Burgess for family reading. We started with Jimmy Skunk and have read all his books over and over. They're entertaining, and wise, and just great for children and adults alike.

I have not found "Mr. Right" for my cows yet, but I'm still looking.

Quite the matchmaker…

I have spent quite a bit of time this week trying to find the right mate for Opal and Jasmine.

It’s soon going to be time for them to be pregnant and I’ve been busy making arrangements. It will be Jasmine’s first and Opal’s third pregnancies. We need to get them pregnant if we want to have milk again next year.

Our options are: buy a bull of our own, hire someone else’s bull, or do AI, which stands for Artificial Insemination. Even though in general I tend to opt for the natural over the man-made or man-interfered-with, in this case, I’d rather not have a bull here. They can be aggressive and I’m worried about the kids, and then once he’s done his job, what would we do with him?

So we’re going down the AI path. It’s been an interesting-slash-challenging learning experience. First we had to find bull semen. There are companies specializing in selling this, such as “Select Sires” (a very classy name), but Dexters being kind of a not-so-popular breed, it’s a little difficult to find them. Then we had to figure out what we’re looking for in a bull. Is this what online dating is like? We figured we’re looking for good genetics, good personality, good milking lines, and A2/A2 (which is a type of milk which some argue is healthier than A1/A1 or A1/A2 milk, which is most commercial milk sold in the US). Other than that, I don’t know what to look for, although I’m sure there are other important things.

The bulls whose services are being offered by these companies all have very macho names, such as Stardust, Stonewall, Legend and so on. Some of these bulls are very highly sought after, and bring $40 and more per straw, with one straw being good for one mating event.

Someone told us about this one bull who was worth so much money that he went around from farm to farm mating with the ladies with an entire entourage of human attendants who were paid to make sure nothing bad happens to him.

Other than figuring out which bull we want, we also had to find a special tank to store his semen, and an AI technician to inseminate the cows. I found an AI technician nearby who has a tank and who’s willing to inseminate for us for a very low price. Now our job is to figure out when the cows are in heat so that the AI guy can come and inseminate at the right time. Now, if we had a bull, this would be a non-issue. The bull would know, and the cows would know, and everything would work out. But without having a bull here, we have to learn what he instinctively knows, the signs of a cow being in heat. We had an intern working with us earlier this year, and her project was to do research on the specifics of getting cows pregnant. She wrote about heat, and apparently we should be watching for the cows mounting each other (we’ve already seen this) and for changes in their private parts as well as behavior changes. 

Where we are right now is that we still have to find “the right bull”, and figure out when Opal and Jasmine are in heat. We have the tank and AI guy all lined up, and hopefully we’ll figure out the rest soon. We should get Opal pregnant in the next month, and Jasmine soon after that.

That’s what’s going on. 

Pictures from our hike

Aiyana in a meadow of clover and buttercups

We found an old chimney in the woods. There must've been a house there long ago (there was also a stone wall nearby). But nature reclaimed what man built, and now the chimney stands silent in the woods.

Peace

Treat

Sena with fresh strawberries she picked. We had them with whipped cream I made from Opal's milk. Quite a treat.

Aiyana's doggie friend is staying with us for the weekend. We're taking him for a hike today, and I look forward to that. It's been a while since I went hiking.

We had an inch of rain yesterday, and now the sun is out. We should be seeing some accelerated plant growth in the next few days. It's always exciting to go out in the morning ans see an inch of growth on cucumbers, and larger, greener leaves on chard, beets, kale, etc.

The first week of CSA went well. It is always nice to see everyone again. This year we have all return members, so we know everyone. One nice thing about seeing the same people over the years is that you build a relationship. We want to have that, instead of just having people come and go like at the supermarket. We want the people who come to our farm to feel some sort of connection with this land that grows their food, and with us. Last year our CSA got too big, and it was hard to establish that connection. This year we cut back on the number of members by about one third, which is a lot. It was a deliberate decision we made because we felt we wanted to have more time for homeschooling, and the cows, and because we felt the CSA was just getting too big. It was a hard decision, for me at least, because I wasn't sure what the implications would be financially. Of course, our income would be lower, but we planne dto lower our expenses as well, and getting the cows was part of that. But none of that stuff is very clear until the season is done. In any case, I think this was a good decision. We already feel like we're doing a better job homeschooling, devoting more time to the kids in general.

I find that in having your own business, you always have to evaluate where you're at, and see if you're still in line with your goals. In this culture, we're predisposed to think that a business main goal is to make money. And of course, that needs to be part of it, but that is not my primary goal. For me the goal is to just keep doing what we're doing, and as long as the farm generates enough income to pay our taxes and minimal personal expense, and to run itself, I am fine with that. I want to be able to take care of the land, work the land and grow food, take care of the cows, take care of my children, and be able to live this lifestyle. If the farm and our energy level can support that, I am happy.

Peace