Well, it certainly feels like spring has finally arrived on the farm. I am told, however, that the valley isn't clear from winter "come-backs" till after Easter.
Second only to fall, spring is my favorite time of the year. Daffodils are in bloom, the grass is starting to grow (yep, the mower will be coming out soon!) and everything just has a sense of life and vigor about it.
We have had a full week of getting animals out onto pastures and emptying chickens from the hoop houses. I have taken three groups of pigs to one of our rental properties and put another group of pigs on pasture here at Polyface. It has been a very busy time starting up our water systems for the season and making sure the cattle fences are in good repair. We are keeping a close eye on the cows and should be having our first calves any day now.
The first batch of broiler chicks arrived Thursday evening, which in a way is a little scary to think about. The year is moving along quickly. In only three weeks the chicks will be going out onto pasture in portable shelters.
The Buying Clubs have started up again and that means more time in the freezers to fill orders for our customers. It's so gratifying to be able to offer healthy food to people. It's so rewarding to get to be a part of the process.
I think that is about all the exciting new stuff for now. I'll close with a verse that comes to mind as I witness the many changes of the season happening all around me. 2 Cor. 5:17 says: "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." It is so cool to see the parallel of nature to my spiritual life, with all of the "old" things of winter behind us and the "new" things of spring popping out before our eyes. I praise God for the change He has made in my life through His Son, the Lord Jesus!
I hope everyone's spring is full of exciting new growth.
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This was our first Buying Club load-up. All of the product is on the tables
and will be loaded into the coolers on the right. |
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| It was neat to see this rainbow a couple weeks ago while we were feeding hay. |
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| Until we sent the chickens to other rental farms, we were getting around 180 dozen eggs a day! |
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| The pigs are coming out of the trailer into their new home at the Brown's property. |
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| They sure are happy out there. It looks like the pig on the left is smiling. All that keeps them contained are two strands of electrified wire set about eight and sixteen inches off the ground. |
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| These are some of our spring baby rabbits. |
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| The freshly tilled garden beds are waiting for plants. |
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We did a cow move the other day that a whole bus load of kids got to watch.
You can be sure that all the moms and dads heard about it when they arrived home. |
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| The grass is so green that some fields look like a golf course. |
