Bringing in the New Year

Another year has come and gone.  2017 went out with a bang with the birth of triplet doelings from Alita and below normal freezing temperatures.   We are back to bundling up like mummies, hauling water and breaking ice morning and evening.  In spite of complaints from Alita and John, the babies are spending a few nights in the house due to the cold and learning to eat from a bottle. 

​Its always fun to reflect on the past year, to remember our blessings and all we have learned and accomplished along the way. We continue to slowly check things off the list, but somehow the list continues to grow.  

It will soon be one year since we switched to soy free chicken feed.  Our chickens are healthy and thriving on the mix, and we plan to continue along this path.  It does require some creativity to ensure they have a balanced diet and plenty of protein.  This is not as much of a challenge during the warmer months because they have access to natural sources such as bugs and worms. In winter, we give them plenty of meal worm treats and add organic fish meal to the mix.  

2017 was a year of bucklings here at TRF.  We had five does give birth to eleven kids, and only four were doelings.  We kept Autumn, and brought in our sweet Diva to the herd.  Maybe 2018 will be different, since we are starting out with 3 girls. 

Construction projects for the year consisted of installing two stock tanks on the hilltop, tearing down the old sheep shed, moving the hay tent and building a new area for the boy goats.  The old sheep housing spot was cleared for a future pond.

2017 was a good year for the garlic crop.  Many were sold, and some were replanted for next year.  

Baby goats meant plenty of milk, caramel sauce, cheese and soap.

We hosted a kids with farm animal photo shoot, attended our first 'farmers market' as a vendor, and held our first soap making class.

We are thankful for another year of doing what we love, learning new things and sharing along the way.  My goal for the coming year is to 'make things easier' as much as possible for living on the side of a hill.  Thank you for sharing our adventures.  Happy New Year!