Hey everyone, hope you are all having as great a spring so far. We sure are. Wow, what a difference it makes having about an extra month of decent weather in the spring compared to last year. One is able to accomplish so many more things, many of which will hopefully make the busy upcoming months a heck of a lot smoother.
Though it has turned cool again this week, the pastures are greening up, buds are forming on the trees, and the bees are collecting their first pollen, likely from the many pussy willows adjacent to our land. Overall the hives look strong and healthy, so we are looking forward to another great honey season. We plan to expand the number of hives we run to around 80 this year. Accordingly, there are plans in the works to set up a new honey house by retrofitting a used semi trailer we purchased. It should be a fund project to start into. Stay tuned for pics.
More importantly, calving season is officially upon us! 4 days ago we were privileged to meet the first calf of 2015 from our cattle herd. He is a bull calf. It is likely that he was a tad premature, but is healthy, refining his mo(o)ves and patiently awaiting the arrival of more wee calf playmates. The second calf came yesterday – another healthy bull calf. Well, i suppose they are officially steers now… It is exciting to see the first calves from the Speckle Park bull we purchased last year. They sure are colourful! Here’s hoping they are remain healthy, strong and contribute to our herd in positive ways long into the future. Every calving season I ponder what a privilege it is to be a part of all the new life bestowed upon us, even though there are sure to be challenges that come with it.
In other ruminant news, the sheep received a trim the other day – yet another sure sign of spring. Though it is a bit earlier than we would have liked to have sheered the sheep, Pauline, our sheerer, was in our neck of the woods last weekend so we decided to go for it. Shearing day is one of our favourite days of the year. It is hard work to keep it all flowing smoothly, but there is usually some cold beverages and a great meal to share with friends at the end of the day. And, most importantly, the sheep get to ditch that heavy coat for the (hopefully) warmer months ahead!
Lastly, we are sold out of most of our grassfed beef for 2015, but still have a bunch of lamb. If you are one of our grassfed meat patrons, we hope you are enjoying it and appreciate your feedback. Get in touch with us if you are interested in purchasing meat, honey or a visit.
Best spring wishes everyone!
Troy (and Michelle)
