Happenings on the Ranch

I am happy to announce we have two new baby goats on the farm.  Our youngest doe, Bambi, gave birth to her first kids on Thursday; one boy, one girl.  They are both doing well, although the little girl has needed a little help.  Our older doe, Onyx, is due any day now.  I just love having babies on the farm!  I’ll try to post pictures of the new little ones this week.

The mud I was commenting on last week has now frozen due to the drop in temperature this week.  I would much rather have frozen mud than the boggy mess that was out there before and now the sun is out so some of it should dry up soon (fingers crossed).   And, surprisingly, our chickens decided to start laying again last week so we have several dozen eggs available if anyone is interested.  Which is good for us, since I refuse to eat store bought eggs and was going through a bit of a withdrawal on anything made with eggs!!

Of course, the sun coming out reminds me that spring is just around the corner!  I am so excited and all geared up to start planting.  I have to pace myself, though, so I don’t get seedlings started too early and not have the right weather when they are ready to go outside!  If you haven’t signed up for our 2010 CSA program yet, you still have time.  Get your share of the harvest each week for 24 weeks from May through October.  It really is a good deal and your early payment really helps with our farm budget in the off-season.

Speaking of off-season, I’ve begun freelance writing again for some additional income.  I write articles for clients who need advertising or informational articles for their blogs or websites.  I also edit, update and search engine optimize web content.  I decided to put together a quick website and blog specific to my writing; the site is www.karinvelez.info.  During some of my research time for a recent project, I came across a pretty good article site called TreeHugger.  The authors and articles all focus toward Sustainable Living which we, of course, are a proponent of.  There is a pretty wide variety of subjects on this site, but most of them pertain to green living, sustainable lifestyle and alternative energy and can be a pretty good quick read.

Until next time!  ~ Karin

I am happy to announce that Powell Gardens has updated their online calendar to include my class, “Eating Locally and Sustainably.”

Eating Locally and Sustainably
Organic has become a buzzword in today’s society, but what does “going organic” really mean for your health and for our planet? Is it better to buy organic produce in the grocery store or conventionally grown vegetables from a local farmer? This informative class will introduce you to the differences between conventional, organic and sustainable farming, explore the reasons for and against eating only locally grown foods, investigate the idea of seasonal eating and explain the concept of community supported agriculture.

Saturday, February 6, 1- 3 p.m.
$39/person, $32/Members
Registration deadline is January 29.

You can sign up for the class online or call 816-697-2600, ext. 307.  Hope to see you there!

~Karin

I mentioned in my last post that I love the snow.  What I don’t love is the mess that large amounts of snow leave behind on the farm when it melts.  What a muddy mess!  I’m not sure which is worse, slipping and falling on ice or slipping and falling in mud.  Feeding the animals is a bit messy at the moment, but the pigs seem to be enjoying digging around in it and the ducks and geese love the muddy puddles left behind.

I am getting antsy at this point to begin planting.  I have placed the first seed order of the season and have several more to do.  Thanks to those who have already signed up for our CSA program, we have the funds available to take advantage of some early ordering discounts.  That’s a large part of the purpose behind a CSA and we sincerely appreciate all of you who participate.  Within just a few weeks it will be time for me to begin planting the seeds in the basement under grow lights and heaters and I can’t wait!  When green things start to sprout I’ll be sure to post some pictures.

Until next time.  ~ Karin