11/29/2022 Update

We have 4 registered Leicester Long Wool sheep that we've added to the farm. These and the 4 teeswater sheep will be sheared sometime in the spring and we will have raw fleeces for sale. 

It is also calving season on the farm! We have had 3 calves born in the last 3 days. We have 2 bulls that are for sale, one is part Jersey and could be butchered now, the other is Hereford/Black Baldy cross and is only a year old. Contact us for more information.

November 7, 2023 - Winter Rye & Rotational Grazing

We have planted rye on the farm! We have about half of our pasture set up for rotational grazing. In our case, we have half the pasture split into 4 smaller pastures. We have a center aisleway that the 4 smaller pastures connect to. This allows us to open and close different pastures at different times. Ideally, we start with one pasture and allow the animals access to one pasture for a week or so, and then move to the next pasture for a week or so, and on. This way the pastures have time to regrow in between being grazed, and the biggest benefit is reducing parasites. If there are no hosts (animals) grazing the pasture to reinfect, the parasites will die out. So instead of constantly grazing the same areas and constantly being reinfected with parasites, they are moved to a new pasture every week.

Our main grass is common bermuda, which only grows in the warm summer months. We supplement with hay in the fall and winter and in the fall we also plant winter rye. Winter rye will begin to grow in the fall and then more in the early spring, before it is warm enough for the bermuda. This allows us to have grass earlier and cut back on hay earlier. We use a no till that we borrow to plant the rye and then make sure all the pastures are closed so it can grow. It has already started sprouting!