2020 Adventures!

What a weird year this has been!

When things got a little crazy back in March with toilet paper and (certain) food shortages at the stores, we decided to amp up our food production around here…..And we DID!

We planted our normal large garden.

Then we added a second garden that we called the “pumpkin patch” it also had beans and cabbage growing in it. We did get quite a few pumpkins and LOTS of weeds!

Of course we planted sunflowers in the pumpkin patch too, because, could it really be a garden without sunflowers?

We got a new goat in February…Meet Remy Lou! We’re hoping she gives us some cute babies next spring and crossing my fingers that she makes a good milker!

In April we built some fence around the barn,

so we could bring home another goat. Meet Barley, he has to be separated from the other goats until the time is right. We don’t want babies during the winter so he’s staying behind the new fence until November. That should give us babies in April!

Also in April, Mary decided to try and hatch some goslings. All three eggs she put in the incubator hatched! They were adorable. Meet Parsley, Poppy and Herb, off spring of Basil and Sage.

Late in April our neighbor called and asked if we would like a little bottle lamb. Meet Lucy! She is a Katahdin hair sheep and we kinda fell in love!

As long as I’m showing you all the cuteness, the barn kittens did not disappoint this year! We were able to find good homes for them too.

In May we put more eggs in the incubator. This time it was chickens.

We also ordered more chicks from a hatchery. In total we ended up with 40 more laying hens by the end of the summer. That gives us a total of 50 layers. Our goal is to have enough eggs for us and sell the excess to help pay for feed expenses.

We also raised 3 batches of meat birds.

These Cornish Cross grow so fast y’all! I love how efficient this bird is! Eight weeks from chick to freezer.

We were also able to find a small business that mixes up great non-gmo layer and broiler feed (not easy to find at a reasonable price). We now have 2 freezers full of non-gmo, pastured chicken.

I kicked off canning season in May with strawberry rhubarb jam. My goal was to can more than I ever have before and I think I’ve met that goal. We still aren’t done yet, I’m still canning applesauce!

In May, Mary brought home two young goats (Carl and Smudge) for her 4-H project. Unfortunately the fair was cancelled this year, just like many other things. Our community came together for the kids though, and they were all able to sell their animals in August anyway! She sold Carl and Smudge is now hanging out in the barn yard with the rest of the goats.

Sadly, at the end of May we had to say goodbye to Pilot. His kidneys gave out on him and there was nothing more we could do for him. It was heart breaking, especially because he was only 3 years old. He was a good boy!

In June we found the best blackberry patch and kept going back again and again. Our Raspberry harvest was horrible this year so we are very thankful for the blackberries in our freezer and the blackberry jam that will last us all year!

We decided to get Lucy (the lamb) a friend because her and the goats don’t get along. Meet Tilly(the one on the left). She was a bottle baby too. They are both all grown up now and just the sweetest things! We now have a flock of two hair sheep!