Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Buckets and Bowls

The highlight of my day?

Soaking, scrubbing, and rinsing the pig and chicken feed and water containers into like new condition...getting ready to be put in the trailer for a 'little' vacation.

I miss farming...

Screw the animals and soil...at this point stalls and buckets make me smile!

Confused

...concerning late payments be it truck, phone, credit card or loan. If you skip, miss, or pay one late the following bill will be double...maybe more to include a penalty fee.If you pay only ONE bill amount, be it the late or current...the next bill will still reflect the double bill.  Unless post  payment your account balance is zero...you still owe and are not caught up. 

Is that not how it works for other people?

Monday, July 29, 2013

Barn Raising

What's more fun than paying your mortgage, student loan, and truck payment?

Barn raising for your recently acquired equines!

http://www.bedlamfarm.com/2012/06/15/barn-raising-at-cold-antler-farm/ 

Priorities are a major reason we're in this fiscal mess.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

By scary

...do mean predictable, avoidable, how did you not see that coming?

Theres a reason responsible adults don't buy every shiny object that catches their eye.

http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/2013/07/had-i-not-been-away-at-work.html?m=1

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Working goats

Got brush?
Got goat?
Got work!

Left: post goat
Mid: goats. Hog panels upside down to MAXIMIZE browsing. They stretch to graze, trailblazing a path parallel to the panel...clearing a foot trail used when 'flipping' panels. Fresh swatch!
Right: ungoated

Bonus?

Sheep tractor

Beatrix Potter

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14872/14872-h/14872-h.htm

Beautiful.

Always been a hero.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Farms save Cities kill

Jk

Farms aren't necessarily heros and cities are not uniformly evil, despite what one might hear (or read).

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Buckmaster

Member!

Nah, $.25 yard sale find.

Hello Annie Oakley..belts...$5 each. Now to acquire the matching guns and ammo.

Rainbow bright

Tired dogs and rainbows

Hot hot horse and buggy

Hope this horse is given a shady spot to park and is hosed off at the end of the day. It's hot out there!

Clueless

http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/2013/07/tack.html?m=1

What size saddle? (inches) What type? (close contact?) What size girth? (inches) what type of bit? (Ex full cheek snaffle) there is no haflinger sized bridle...horse(full)/cob/pony.

Can't imagine this being worth $250...not to mention most english riders want bridle and saddle color to match.

Good luck making money off that tack. What did she pay for it?

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Coons and technofarming

Take 5 bodies, two horses, and risk of rain OR use technology and do it to it...

Depends, you farming for shits and giggles or for a living?

Swine show!

Saturday, July 13, 2013

I'd rather...

...pee outside than stick to a toilet seat.

This is coming from my current location in northern PA.

In VA I imagine the heat is not just hanging in the air but dripping. One of those days where horses maintain the just worked wet with sweat look all day though the name of the game includes stillness and shade.

The spoiled lucky ones are parked inside staring down fan blades anticipating their evening meal, fly spray, and evening turnout.  Depending on schedule, preference, or bosses wishes stalls will be done in the cooler evening hours or early tomorrow morning before the horses are brought in.

This schedule was mine for almost a year.  Though I commuted over a hour one way to a full time office job Monday - Friday on weekend mornings I was a slave to the farm, more specifically the beck and call of about a dozen very pampered horses (by horses I mean ponies through draft horses, 2 shires to be exact).  In exchange for my rent I worked full weekend days on a 'gentlemans' farm.  I lived in a renovated gambrel barn once used for daily dairy operations.  Now the home to myself, 2 dogs, and the never ending cycle of foster dogs.  I swear the money I anticipated saving in rent went towards professionally having the white carpets ritually steam cleaned. 

After spending (charging) $2,300 on my pit bull mix Cali's leg amputation and basically writing a rent check worth 1/2 a months salary I took advantage of an offer to move to a farm and work off my rent. I hardened and landscaped this property at during my summers home from college.  With new owners the 500 acres had been built into an equestrians dream.

It was quite an experience...but on this Saturday night I sit back and am grateful I'm not a slave to some very large messy demanding luxury items.

Let's play a game?

Screw the?

Answer: microwave

Embrace the?

Answer: bread machine

Goats and Pigs

= Bush hog and Plow

The added bonus? Lower feed costs.

The added added bonus?

Goats get out of the pen and pigs get out of the stall and both species live a happier life allowing them (and you) to capitalize on their god given natural tendencies and characteristics.

My oh my.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Think smarter not harder

http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/2013/07/24-and-counting.html?m=1

Earth to Jenna...

Forgo the hawk mew and build a few chicken tractors.

The predators aren't the problem, farm management is.

expanding the pastured pork?

When has Cold Antler Farm pork EVER touched pasture?

N+EVER

Woginrich pigs live an indoor life of confinement. Think living for months in a bathroom and you'll get the picture.

Can't expand something you don't have dear.

Now, I'm off to work on the addition to my house...the one I don't have.

Monday, July 8, 2013

They're back!

Thorns, ticks, and poison ivy be damned...

Nothing gets between this girl and her berries.

Looks like a killer crop is in store for VA this season.

Eating my fair share before heading back to PA tomorrow.

Beautiful and bountiful berries!

The black bears have met their match...

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Happy 4th of July!

Enjoy what independence and freedoms we have. Be grateful for those who gave or are giving to achieve/maintain those freedoms...and keep fighting for what is right good and just!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Hogs before hawks!

That's the right idea.

If you're going to raise pigs properly, a small pen in a barn simply won't do.

Give those pigs a chance to be...pigs!

http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/2013/07/expanding-pig-plan.html?m=1

By golly I think she's got it!

Now to transfer the talk to walk.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013