No, you haven't been missing emails from us. We haven't posted on this website for several months as 1) Wix (the website host) announced it would be charging us more (a lot more) to send emails to readers, 2) we have been busy with the barn-house and other farm and non-farm projects, and 3) we had 28 baby goat kids born in April, which kept us slightly busy.
I have also been blogging on a column called In the Dirt as part of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. I will continue to post there far more regularly - so follow me on that page if you'd like more frequent posts as we will likely be phasing this blog out.
But we would be remiss if we didn't update our farm fans about the goings on here at Whippoorwill Creek Farm this spring, even if there is an extra fee to do so. We will blog here at least for the summer and see how it goes.
Perhaps most importantly on the farm, the goats and cattle left their winter quarters a few weeks back, and now are out devouring grasses (cows) and invasive weeds like honeysuckle and multiflora rose (goats). The goat kidding process mostly went well, with the bulk of them birthing triplets––a phenomenon the vet told us happened a lot this year (how does that work??). We lost two kids on a freezing cold night when mom birthed them into a puddle, but her remaining kid is now one of the strongest ones out there.
Crazy legs (mentioned in this past blog post) had a difficult time with her pregnancy, and after giving birth, steadily declined. We took her out of the herd and put her into farm hospice where she could eat and drink without being harassed. She finally passed away about a week ago.
On the beef front, we brought in our first animals just yesterday and beef will be ready in a few weeks. We are taking orders for quarters, halves and whole animals this summer, raised entirely on grass and moved every day or two. You can read more about the process here ––please contact John at johnbutcherman@gmail.com if you want to order some or need more info. John loves to chat about beef...
Perhaps most excitingly, the barn-house is moving along and we hope to be able to host families and small groups later this summer. The space will be beautiful, and the views from the upstairs are amazing. Please contact Beth at bethaudio@gmail.com if you are interested in coming out to the farm late this summer or fall to stay for a few days of fishing, hiking and maybe even mushroom hunting (if we are lucky!).
Last but certainly not least, a baby duck emerged after the mom had been living under the chicken house for at least the last month. I am not sure what happened to all the other eggs, but the one fuzzy duck sure puts a smile on my face. Hope it makes you grin too.
Questions? Comments? We love hearing from you. Please be in touch.
~ Beth + John
Welcome back Dynamic Duo! You (and your yarns) were missed. Thanks again for the vicarious thrills. Best of luck with your barn-house.