Sugar Creek Farm

Doesn’t she have anything better to do than run around taking pictures of cows?

So, my wish didn’t come true. School was called off today and everything cancelled. We’re under a good old-fashioned blizzard warning until midnight, and a wind chill advisory until noon tomorrow. I’ll be praying all of the animals stay warm tonight without smothering each other. School has already called a 2-hour late start for tomorrow.

The wind is howling to over 40 mph. Our house is really cold when the wind blows.

Matt came home from work and did chores as quickly as possible, and didn’t make Madeline come out and help. I’m always thinking about the blizzard stories in the Little House series, where people died mere feet from their house because they couldn’t see where they were walking in the blizzard. Or how they strung a line from the house to the barn so they could get out to do chores in a blizzard without getting lost. Scary! I can’t imagine how cold the log cabin was that stood on this farm before this house was built.

2 years ago:

Winter creek

Kirschenmann says agriculture must change to survive

“‘We all talk about alternative energy, but I don’t hear people talking about making an energy transition,’ Kirschenmann said. ‘We have to move from an energy input system to an energy exchange system.'”

*****

Organic food industry in a supply crunch

“U.S. farmers haven’t kept pace with demand for organic food, sales of which shot up 21 percent in 2006, and that has also sent prices soaring.”

*****

Organic producers can still rally for farm bill

“Theresa Podoll, board member for the Organic Farming Research Foundation, told farmers at the Minnesota Organic Conference to call lawmakers in support of organic production provisions in the farm bill.”

*****

Chickens & ducks crowd around their daily dose of hot water

Twinville commented here the other day about her spoiled hens and how they’d probably be wanting her to draw them a warm bath next. I guess that makes my hens and ducks really spoiled. In winter I take out a bucket of hot water and pour it into a dishpan for them. The ducks stick their entire heads into the “bath”.

The past few days of warm (in the upper 30’s) weather we’ve enjoyed have only been a teaser. Now we’re under a winter storm watch, expecting 2 to 6 inches of snow tomorrow, 40 mph winds, and windchills to 30 below. I’m hoping it doesn’t actually turn out that bad because I was really looking forward to tomorrow! Madeline has a double header basketball game scheduled after school, and then in the evening Olivia is supposed to play a 3rd-4th grade exhibition game during halftime of the varsity girls basketball game. But I guess Mother Nature will be determining our schedule.

1 year ago:

Duck defrost

On Martha’s Vineyard, Using Scallops as Currency

“The concentration of small farms has made the island a model for eating locally in the region.”

Hat tip to The Slow Cook for the link.

*****

A shift to growing organically could be key to boosting economy

“Someone can make a living – a good middle-class living – growing organic vegetables on a few acres in their backyard if they are good at marketing.”

*****

How Welsh farmers are struggling to keep up with our love of organic food

“Our growing appetite for organic food threatens to outpace supply from Wales and the rest of the UK, warns a new report.”

*****

We warmed up to 30 degrees today! Nothing like a 50-degree temperature upswing to swing up the spirits.

*****
Scientists study possible link between ethanol byproduct and E. coli

This was the headline of the Sunday Des Moines Register today. I may have laughed out loud at the gas station where I bought it. We decided a long time ago not to feed this stuff.

*****

El @ Fast Grow the Weeds rants – in a good way – about so-called “obstacles” to gardening.

Eat Close to Home shares her grandmother’s home keeping notebook, which includes a list of what types and quantities of food to put by for one person for the “30 non-productive weeks of the year”. Really cool!

Orangette – a new-to-me food blog that’s a downright pleasant read. Wish my own writing was this poetic!

*****
‘Balcony gardeners’ to revive connection with the earth

A neat little piece on urban gardening in Turkey.

*****

Star seems to be handling the weather just fine. She’s rather offended that she has to bunk with cows, though. I mean, really, it’s like bunking the General with the enlisted men.

Her diva mentality is understandable, though. She is gorgeous, after all. Her white “star” looks like it’s been painted on. Then again, with all of the “enhancements” being performed in Hollywood these days, who knows?

Sheesh, a girl can’t even stand around in her own pasture without being bothered by these paparazzi and their cameras! I’m telling you people, I did not have work done. And you can quote me on that!

If I just shut my eyes and ignore you, will you go away?

Let’s see if it’s warmed up any out here…

“What a wimp!”
“Amen, sister!”

Rafe’s been doing a temperature charting project for school this week. When we checked our thermometer at 7:30 this morning it said 20 below. 20 BELOW! Oy. Another town in our area recorded 29 below. 29 BELOW! Oy.

Despite that nasty, nasty temperature reading we haven’t lost anymore pigs. Yet. So I’m calling those that remain “The Undead”.

I think they appreciate my humor. That one in the middle is definitely chuckling.

So I’ve been saving up my pennies again, and today a pick-me-up in the form of a new camera lens arrived in the mail. I went with a Sigma 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens. Significantly less expensive than the Canon lens, but more than adequate for my amateur skills.

Which left some $$ for the other item I ordered, a Canon 430EX Speedlite Flash. I’m anxious to try this baby out on some food photography, and some indoor nighttime photos this weekend. It will great for doing portraits of that totally anonymous baby (and more pictures of her and her big brother here.)

I took these porker photos with it at noon today and I’m loving it already.

As for the undead, we’re taking orders now for March and April butchering dates. Put your order in before we lose anymore 🙂

1 year ago:

Winter kids