We are just a few days away from Labor Day.  The unofficial end of summer.  We will have lots of corn available for the weekend.  Please pre-order if you are getting a large amount, that way we can ensure it is ready for you.  We will have Silver King (all white) and Harris 1001 (bicolor) ready.  We should also have potatoes ready to sell as well.   Next week we will begin filliing our silo with corn for the winter. 

My apologies to anyone wanting corn on Friday afternoon and not getting it.  Yesterday we had a first calf heifer deliver and develop complications with the birth.  After work I normally pick new corn for the cart, but upon finding our heifer in distress I could not pick.  After about 3 hours of doctoring (our own of course) to fix her uterine prolapse we got her fixed up and took the calf to the barn where we are now bottle feeding it.  It was a large calf for a first timer and she could not push it out all the way.  It is in the barn now progressing nicely and mother is in the pasture recovering with the herd.  She was up today and grazing.  We also processed 30 chickens this morning and are working on a barn project to get finished before winter.  We are about to feed our little girl again before we retire for the night, until her midnight feeding.

I was out in the corn field this morning and took a look at the situation.  We will have no corn to sell this weekend, but we should be back in business for next weekend.  I will continue to update this page with our status.  Thank you to all for your understanding as we work with Mother Nature!
Most of our potatoes are ready to pick.  We have few red potatoes left to sell, but an abundance of Kennebec (white) and Russett potatoes will be available shortly.

Finally, the drought has caught up to our corn.  While our patches had kept ahead of it, the next patch due has stalled.  The ears are not forming very well or quickly.  We have been pasturing our second crop hay because it just won't grow.  I baled one field & got a whopping 31 bales where there should have been at least 100.  We will not have any corn for sale until at least Saturday or Sunday.  We did, on a positive note, get a new calf yesterday evening.  We have another bull to add to the herd.  A nice looking black animal with a white spot on his head.  Almost reminds me of a black-baldy.  We are expecting 2 more calves this year. 

We awoke this morning about 5 am to find half of the herd in our backyard.  The other half was in the sweet corn.  My last post stated that the cows could not be happier in their new grass.  Apparently I stand to be corrected, they were much happpier in the corn.  We will see some losses in our corn yield.  After about an hour and a half of coaxing and closing fences behind them, all were restored to their rightful places.  The cows must have been bored, because they also decided to let the pigs out to get in on the action.  Thanks to cousin Cindy for her help.  I am sure that was not the wake up call she expected.  A hungry cow will get out to eat; a cow that is full will get out to explore!

The cows have been moved to a new pasture and could not be happier.  They spend all day grazing and sleeping.  There is no need to search for the perfect spot to munch because the entire field is green.  We are actually grazing our second cut hay which, without rain, never grew tall enough to cut.  I am hoping to graze it and have a nice fall pasture for the cattle as well.  We should be getting another new calf soon.  Very soon by the looks of mama. 

A much needed rain is still coming down this morning.  It could keep going all day as far as I am concerned.  However, the radar says it has about an hour left.  This should tremendously help our ear corn.  Last evening I began to dig our red potatoes.  The yield will be a little low this year, but I found some nice potatoes in the ground!  They are available now for 50 cents a pound.  50 pounds for $20.  Availability is limited, be sure to order ahead!

Again, much of today was spent picking corn.  We have had a tremendous turnout for our corn this year.  Thank you to all who have been supporting us.  The corn made it through the dry spell & has been splendid.  The upcoming patches look to have bigger ears as that rain has already helped.  The hay crop is very small though.  Today I spent the afternoon putting up fence along a driveway to pasture our best hay field as the hay is not tall enough to cut.  The cows will love it!  From the overlook it must have looked funny to see the whole herd standing in line, noses at the wire, waiting to move.  They know the sequence.  After I fix the fence, they move to new grass.  All I need to do is drop the fence and give a call.  All 26 are at the ready to move.  They will move Sunday to new grass.  Tomorrow the little pigs will get a new salad to eat and the bridge in town will blow up at 3pm.  The Battle of Remagen reenactment is a big show taking place in our town tomorrow.  It is quite the presentation.  I would suggest anyone who can, come see the men perform.  They do a fabulous job. 

Finally, some relief to the dry weather.  While other places were seeing showers all of July, we did not get a drop.  We had a half inch this morning and it is raining again now.  Any little bit will help.  Our corn especially needs the moisture to make ears.  The pastures were already greening up from the drink.  Mother nature is still in charge of us all and she is sure to remind us

Today we welcomed a new hiefer calf to the farm.  She was born sometime last night and is a nice little black calf with a white patch on her forehead (her mother's signature).  Both mother and daughter seem to be doing well tonight.