Mid Winter

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So far 7 of the 9 garden beds are done. I've got enough scrap wood left for 1 more. Then I'll have to go to the mill and see what old stock he's got laying around that I can get cheap.

Great neighbors brought over an old utility trailer for us they don't have any use for. It looks to be in good shape, and rated for 2000 lbs. All it needs is a new tire. And of course a ball hitch for the Explorer. Once I've got it fixed up I can haul the wood from the mill myself.

It's been a very busy week. Tuesday was Rachel and I's anniversary. Yesterday we had people here all day. In the morning we had a fodder class for a fellow producer of raw goat milk. Through the afternoon RIVR Productions was here shooting hours of footage of the property and interviews with Rachel and I. They're putting together a preview for an Animal Planet show called "Living on the Edge", about people living off-grid. There are only 2 finalists for the pilot, but if the show is serialized they'll probably feature us. Then a family came to buy Josie, checked out the barn and fodder and we talked humanure. They also practice composting human waste, and may come back for a class or two.

This is Buffy, our new addition to the farm:

She's a toy rat terrier mutt a customer brought over since we've had so much vole trouble. He said she catches rodents daily over at their place. The girls decided to call her Buffy [a.k.a The Vole Slayer], but she hasn't gotten a vole yet. So far she's lazy as sin and will nap all day. But she's an absolute angel inside - the best mannered dog I've ever seen. Buffy's a little chubby and could lose a pound or two. We'll soon be switching her off kibble to a raw meat diet and we'll see if that picks up her energy a little. Rachel's been dropping little pieces of kibble down the vole holes and it does get her interested in the holes. She's a little nervous about digging though - worried she'll get in trouble. So far she hasn't seen or caught anything.

We know the voles are here. After eradicating them from the shed area we found babies wiping out the turnip crop. We managed to kill 3 while harvesting what was left of the turnips [not much]. Then they went after the mustards, and they had to be dug up and fed to the goats. The yard is now Swiss cheese - there are vole holes everywhere. They have no interest in bait, we can't find runs, so trapping is useless. If Buffy doesn't become the vole hunter we're hoping, we'll try some more rat terriers, raising them as pups, and exposing them to the rooster early so they learn a lifelong lesson to fear and dread chickens.

Harley's friend's dad brought over a cord of split oak he couldn't use as he has no stove. It'll need a month or two to season, but it's a nice gift:

Our seedlings are taking off under the shop lights in the loft nursery. It's our first year starting onions from seed, and the Brussels and Lettuce are doing really well - nearly big enough to transplant. Our Alpine strawberries we're trying from seed are also sprouting up:

We're about to plant our peas [trying Mr Big Pea this year]. It's so much easier putting in the poles and rope for vines with the new bed framework to tie into:

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