Farm Notes

Let's get it on!

2008-12-04T04:36:00.001-08:00

Breeding season has begun. We put the rams in with the ewes on Monday, December 1st. We now are running three groups of sheep: a group of ewe lambs that will not be bred, and two separate groups of ewes with a different ram in each group. The rams will stay in with the ewes for the month of December which should ensure that each ewe goes through two estrus cycles. When the ewe is in heat she will allow the ram to mount her. When she is not in heat, she runs away from him very quickly. It is immediately obvious who is in heat and who is not!
Sheep gestation period is 147 days. We breed them now so that the lambs will be born in May. The lambs are born outside, on pasture and we want it to be fairly warm and for there to be plenty of grass for them and the mommas when they come into the world. I am already excited for lambing season. When I look back at the pictures of the lambs, I can't believe how amazingly cute they were.

In other news, we have a new guard llama. He is very alert and very exotic. He is currently on duty with the ewe lambs and one breeding group. I will get some pictures up soon. He doesn't have a name yet, and we are very open to suggestions!

Coming next week: 400 Black Sex Link chickens. Our laying herd should be 600 hens strong next year which means eggs a plenty.

Blogging is my new favorite thing!

2008-11-25T15:49:00.000-08:00

I am making a newfound commitment to this blog! Winter is here and things are slowing down significantly at the farm, but Owen and I are busier than ever planning for next season. The big question we are trying to answer is how to make this farm support us financially. All things considered we had a great first season: we delivered delicious, high quality food to a number of happy customers. We sold hundreds of dozens of eggs with some of the most beautiful yolks I have ever seen. These eggs have made me a huge fan of poaching as it really showcases their flavor, texture, and appearance. We sold close to 600 meat chickens that were roasted and grilled and fried by folks all over the Hudson Valley and in Brooklyn. We had 10 lambs butchered and people are enjoying their various cuts and will continue to do so throughout the winter. Today we took our wool to be turned into yarn and roving and we are anticipating the luxurious lambskins that will soon arrive at my doorstep. We worked very hard tending to the animals, managing the pastures, and trying to take care of ourselves. And now we must figure out how to make it sustain us. We look forward to next season, raising more animals, managing our pasture better, and producing top quality food that we feel proud to sell. Stay tuned to the website for news about next year, how to order, and where to find us.

For now, get ready to see us at the Red Hook Winter Farmer's Market on December 13.

And enjoy this delightful article about some Awesome Farm chickens that have resettled in the Bronx, proving that country chickens can indeed become city chickens:

http://repohl.blogspot.com/2008/11/chicken-therapy-for-soul.html

Keep supporting local farms and enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday!
KayCee

How are you cooking your chicken?

2008-07-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

Roasted, with citrus stuffing

Roasted whole with garlic scapes, sage and
lemon under the skin

Pan seared, then braised with mole sauce

Pieces battered in flour and spices and fried in
peanut oil

The first slaughter

2008-06-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

Wow. What a week. We slaughtered 160 chickens for our first chicken distribution. We're new to the mechanics of slaughtering, and our equipment is low-tech, so we had two long days of chicken slaughtering and processing. It was a success, though, and we've been getting smashing reviews of the chickens.

Our process:
Take a chicken.
Cut its throat with a sharp knife.
Scald the chicken is a pot of hot water. This loosens the feathers.
Take off the feathers on the feather picker.
Cut off the feet, take out the guts, give it a rinse, and . . .
Cool the chicken in ice water.

Special thanks to everyone that helped out, including Basha, Craig, Tracy, Cara, Sean and Luke (the latter two are not pictured).

Remains of the day . . .

Our Story

2008-04-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

This is a brief version of the Awesome Farm story.

A while ago . . .

a future farmer was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Another one was born in Brooklyn, New York.

Many years passed. Schools were attended, moves were made, jobs were held.
The first time that KayCee and Owen met was brief. They spent only a few hours together, KayCee dressed as Pippi Longstocking, and Owen, as Mr. Nelson (it was Halloween).
Neither had any idea that they would both be working together at Hearty Roots Community Farm seven months later.

And work together they did. As they weeded and and seeded, they hatched a plan . . . they would start a new tempeh business: Tivoli Tempeh. They would make fresh tempeh from organic soybeans, and distribute it throughout the region. Details were hashed out, business plans drafted.

As the vegetable season drew to a close, though, KayCee gave Tivoli Tempeh a twist. She proposed that they start an animal farm, and make tempeh. Owen consented. Thus was born Awesome Farm.

Happy Sheep

2008-04-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

The grass is green and quite plentiful now. The sheep are now on the go. We are moving them every couple of days to a fresh area where they can eat loads of chlorophyll laden yumminess.
It is amazing to see the difference between where the sheep just were and the new area where they will begin to graze. Monday we moved the fence and the sheep instantly began mawing the green grass that was under where the fence had been. They enjoy hanging out under their shady hut during the warmest parts of the day and spending mornings, evenings, and even night time grazing.

Our newest ram lamb! He and his twin sister were born on Thursday, April 17th. He is white and she is black; their momma is brown.

Sneak Preview of the next post: A Tribute to Seamus McGinty, our guard donkey!

Twins!

2008-04-15T18:21:00.000-07:00

On Monday, April 14th, Lena gave birth to twin ram lambs. It is the first live birth to take place at Awesome Farm. Owen and I have been on lamb watch since Thursday. That means every three hours, we check on the sheep to see if they are showing signs of labor. We have been sleeping in the pasture so that we can check them in the middle of the night. With only three sheep, lamb watch had been pretty uneventful. But on Monday, everything changed. I checked on the sheep in the morning and noticed Lena acting a bit unlike herself, sort of sluggish and quiet. When I saw her at noon she was in the shelter and her eyes were partially closed. I told someone that she was either about to have babies or very sick. I went to lunch, did some work on the brooder and went back to check on her at 3 pm. When I arrived there were two beautiful black lambs. I immediately called Owen, the Hearty Roots crew, and Tracy who has been helping us with lamb duties. It was truly a remarkable and amazing thing to see; two newborn lambs being lovingly licked and coddled by their mother. When Owen arrived, we watched them a bit longer to ensure they got colostrum and milk and then we cut their umbilical cords and gave them a sip of vitamins. They are robust and beautiful and playful and sleepy and so much fun. Lena is an amazing mother and even chose to stay in the paddock with them while the other sheep grazed on some of our growing grass.

Lamb watch continues as we wait for Chocolate and Antelope to lamb. It seems hard to believe that it will ever cease being amazing!

KayCee

Grass Farming

2008-04-08T17:31:00.001-07:00

Many farmers who are raising their animals out on pasture consider themselves grass farmers. I now consider myself a grass farmer and I can't tell you how exciting it is. I have never paid so much attention to each green blade or clover leaf as I do now. As I walk through our pasture and the pasture adjacent to our pasture, my eyes are drawn to each sprig of green. That blade or leaf will soon be food for the animals we are growing. Our sheep especially will relish every blade, effectively mowing it down and fertilizing it all at once. I look covetously at green pastures and lawns from my car or my bike and I imagine our sheep eating that grass. Our pasture has been neglected for many years so it is not nearly as green as other fields and pastures and lawns. But therein lies the excitement and the challenge. We will improve and change that pasture over the years with our hopefully careful management and our beloved ruminants. Grass farming has made me look at the ground so much more carefully and with a completely different perspective.

In other news: The sheep should be lambing any day now. Owen and I graduated from lambing class at Dancing Lamb Farm and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the lambs. On Thursday we will begin camping out in the fields so that we can check on the sheep every three hours or so. Hopefully they will not need any assistance during lambing, but we want to be there just in case.

We moved one of our chicken coops out to the pasture. The coop houses egg layers. The chickens haven't exactly adapted to their new open space and freedom; most of them either stay inside or hide under the house. We hope they will begin exploring their area soon as there are lots of chicken treats to be had out there.

KayCee

More work weekend pictures

2008-04-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

Sweet Work Weekend

2008-03-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

The work weekend on March 29th and 30th was a resounding success! About 40 people came out over the two days. Together we built 4 movable hoop house coops for the meat chickens, two stationary coops for the laying chickens, and 1 big movable coop for the layers. Another team valiantly cleared rose bushes from our fence line so that we could repair the fence.

Team captains Danny, Ted, KayCee, Barry, Kate and Franklin led the projects. Food captains David, Willie, Craig and Momma Kathy provided delicious meals and snacks. The weather was cold, but sunny. The spirits were high.

Moderate dancing and partying was enjoyed by those staying at KayCee's house, though it was curtailed by an early bedtime appropriate to the farm life.

I was a bit sick, but I still really enjoyed the weekend. It was amazing how everyone found a place for themselves in the work that had to be done. People really dove into the projects that they were working on.

Thanks again to everyone that came out or that lent tools, materials, or advice. KayCee and I loved having so many people at the farm, and we look forward to seeing you all back again soon.
- Owen