November 28, 2007
With snow on the ground and more in the air, I think we are finally realizing that winter is here and here to stay. We've had a few problems with frozen waterlines, hopefully to end soon. It's this Winter Thing again - we have to remember to plug in the heaters if we want water to flow.

November 2007
Loren and I spent many hours digging post holes (with a couple set to the side for future use - just move them to where they are needed :b ) for our new boar pen and sow area. All of the animals are in their winter housing, with places to get out of the wind, snow and cold.

October 22 2007
Well, we're done with this round of farrowing. We have a whole bunch of little piglets to take care of now. They need to be individually identified, so we can track their weight and age.

September 24, 2007
Loren got the second round of digging started today. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans, and brought us rain again. Better luck another day!

September 22, 2007
At last! Fieldwork is getting done. Loren took the tractor and digger out and ran over the plowed field and the oat field. It is a beautiful sunny day, perfect for killing weeds as they are uprooted from the ground. In the picture below, Loren is digging the field (green part) and a few sows are working their pasture over. By the end of the season, we will take the sows off the pasture and plow it the rest of the way. It looks like we won't have to do much!

September 21, 2007
Thunderstorms that rolled through the area last night were amazing! Silent lightening flashed through the entire sky followed by rain and more lightening. It was amazing to watch from the dry comforts of the house.

September 19, 2007
The onions and potatoes are all picked and drying for winter storage. Hopefully we have enough to last at least until Spring. As I picked, Rodney sat in the stroller and watched the pigs from the outside of the pasture. There were excited yelps and smiles from both sides of the fence! In the midday light, I thought one of the sows had quarreled with a porcupine, but it was only sunlight on her whiskers. Thank goodness! We've had way too many interludes with the infamous striped cat at our house. We don't really need problems with porcupines too!

September 18, 2007
It is still amazing to me how much a farmer's daily activities and well-being depend on the weather. We can only plan so much, when the weather changes and we need to make new plans. The seasons and daily elements dictate what can be done today and what has to wait. Animals grow faster and stay healthier in ideal conditions, and when it's not ideal, all we can do is wait. Mother Nature plays an interesting game.

September 17, 2007
Well, rain again today. It's not heavy or horribly windy, so I don't worry for the pigs. They're pretty hardy outdoor animals. Loren has rigged up a device for rolling wire. He has yet to try it out and see if it works. We are rolling all of the pasture wire this year and rotating the pasture into crops.

September 12, 2007
The weather predictions were correct. Heavy killing frost last night covered the fields, making it seem as though snow came early. My garden is done for - time now to pick the potatoes and start working on next year's soil. The pigs will come off pasture soon and come closer to the barns, where they can defend themselves from the cold winter extremes.

September 11, 2007
Loren left me to run the farm today. Chores didn't take too long, but they are a bit more challenging with an "almost" toddler. First frost expected tonight.

September 10, 2007
Thanks to all those who stopped by to visit us at the Community Dinner and Health Fair, held in conjunction with Wadena's Wad O Fun. We enjoyed talking with each of you!

September 4, 2007
We had a beautiful Labor Day - hot, sunny, and humid. It's a reminder that these days are just about over until next year. Since it was Labor Day, we worked extra hard, both putting in long hours. I was on chore duty last night, which consists of giving 6 pails of grain and 1 of water.

Today, Loren is fixing the combine and hoping to get out and harvest the oats. They are drying in windrows in the field.

August 30, 2007
Loren's cutting the oats today. They will lie in the field until they dry. Hopefully it doesn't rain in that time.

August 27, 2007
Rainstorms and hail fell today. We received about 2.5 inches, and some places got baseball size hail. We escaped with only 1 inch hail on our farm.

August 7, 2007
A small shot of rain fell yesterday - not enough to put moisture in the ground, but better than no rain at all.

August 6, 2007
Two sows farrowed (gave birth) last night. Between the two of them we have 18 new baby piglets. They're so cute when they are little, scrambling and running around looking for milk.

August 4, 2007
I haven't updated the web in quite some time as my computer program has been down. It's breeding time again, and Loren has the help of my little brother Roger. He's an excellent hand to have around and has been here for a few weeks already. He does chores, whips weeds, hangs clotheslines, picks berries and crashes on the couch at night. Loren has decided to plow under one of the fields because it was filled with mustard (the yellow weed in the picture - picturesque, not profitable). Now that that's finished, we have only one field of oats to combine.

The hogs are very much enjoying the mud in this hot summer. It's their main source of cooling off in the heat of the sun. They are not able to sweat off the heat like we are, nor do they pant like dogs. We haven't had much rain recently so we overflow the automatic waterers to create wallows.

July 16, 2007
We got a much-needed soakin rain last night. The accumulated total was only 1/2 inch, but it was steady and will do the crops and pastures good.

May 30, 2007
Boy has it rained! Scattered showers in the area today have kept us hopping. Loren is pressure washing our farrowing pens, getting ready for the next round of farrowing. Nursing sows and their piglets are in the clean barn, and do they love it! Sweet bedding, fresh water, room to roam - ah, the life of a pig! Their pen goes outside into the mud and rain too, so they won't keep their bedding clean for long.

May 29, 2007
We worked pigs all weekend and finally have a group out on pasture. They have never been there, and needed to be convinced that the wide open paddock is a good place to be! They kept running back and trying to get in the barn where the feeders are. Now after a few days on grass, they understand that they belong there.

Loren is hauling manure today - cleaning out the barns for the summer. It's a stinky job and he has to eat his meals outside at this time. The smell saturates everything! The bedding packs in the barns have been composting since fall, so the very bottom of the pile is quite ripe!

May 24, 2007
Rain and more rain! Three sows farrowed this week, bringing us 20 babies to feed and take care of. Piggies (and mamas) are all doing well. It's amazing how soon after birth they are able to run around and play in the straw. They take only a few moments to get up and run around to find food and warmth.

May 19, 2007
It rained overnight, making the fields too wet and soft for digging, so Loren decided on a nicer job - cleaning the barns. We have three deep-bedded straw hoop buildings. It is time to spread the contents of those barns on the fields.

May 18, 2007
The lilacs along the driveway smell awesome! I can see a hummingbird darting from bunch to bunch feasting on the nectar.

May 17, 2007
We're done plowing for the spring (all of 60 or so acres) and are now getting ready to run the digger over the same ground. The "new" tractor works great!.

May 12, 2007
Loren bought a "new" (to us) tractor. It is a 2290 Case. We've put it to work grinding feed, and plowing so far. It seems to be a good machine and should do the job for us. It's not a fancy, expensive machine, but it works.

May 9, 2007
Thanks to all those who stopped and visited us at the Living Green Expo this past weekend on the state fairgrounds. We were part of the Community Food & Farm Festival held in the upstairs of the grandstand building. We enjoyed talking to each of the people who asked us about our farm and our pork. Hope to see you there next year! (For more on Living Green, see the Expo website .

April 26, 2007
Recent thunderstorms brought much needed moisture and nitrogen to the soil. Everything has greened up nicely. Summer is surely on its way!

April 21, 2007
We moved boars today. We currently have 11, which is 9 too many. The extras are going to the sale barn Monday for others who might need boars more than we do.

March 24, 2007
With the help of the Michigan kids, we weighed pigs to moniter their growth and predict when they would reach market weight. The cat, now named ALack "this is my new cat ALack" took a ride in the pickup box up to the barns and back. We would like it to stay near the feed bin to keep critters away, but so far, no dice. It seems to like the house better.

March 23, 2007
Tonight, two things showed up on my doorstep; one expected and the other not. The first was a carful of my siblings from Michigan. They called to say they would help with the pigs and with babysitting for the weekend. The other surprise on my doorstep was a furry, almost starved to death grey cat. It sincerely appreciated the milk and left-over steak I gave it. Hopefully it is a mouser and will earn its keep.

March 21, 2007
Today is the first day of spring? Or was it yesterday? There's a serious debate over here because our many calendars can't seem to agree. It's breeding time on our farm - and sloppy, and rainy, and wet. A sow's gestation length is "3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days and 3 o'clock in the morning." They farrow within a 24-hour window of their due date (much easier to predict than a human or cow).

March 19, 2007
Loren is bedding the barns today. The pigs get new bedding every couple of days as they they need it. It's smells so nice, I could almost curl up and join the pigs in their bedding. I'll have to get a picture of it when I get ahold of a camera. Also - It's National Spring Fever Week. Little did I know they made a holiday for farmers itching to get out in the field with their tractors.

March 16, 2007
The three of us have spent the past three days behind our booth at "Food is Medicine" seminars with Jerry Brunetti and Dr. Paul Detloff. It was very interesting listening to both of them and meating (sic) so many interesting people - farmers and others who came to the talks.

March 11, 2007
This was sent to me by email, so I decided to share it...

So, it's your first kiss and several questions might come to mind:
Is it the right time?
Is anyone watching?
Does your partner even want to?
Is your breath fresh?
And... Should you use some tongue?
Then you lean in and just go for it!!!

March 10, 2007
Rodney woke up early, so he & I went out to the barns to watch the sunrise through the fog. We never really could see the sun, except for a brightness in the sky.

March 9, 2007
Loren's out grinding feed for the pigs. They sure eat a lot when it's cold outside. Another sow farrowed last night and she has 6 little piglets. They look TINY compared to the older pigs. It's amazing how fast they grow - kind of like this young man I am holding as I try to type today's happenings. Rodney wants to eat almost as much as the pigs do, it seems.

March 8, 2007
The pastures are all covered with snow now, and the pigs are able to go in the barns to sleep. It's fun watching them "play" in the snow when it gets really deep.