Shearing Day!

All the girls are naked now.    Giselle, Selene and Symphony were all shorn this morning.   On Saturday I'll be skirting fleeces and taking pictures.   We're keeping Selene's for the Warm Woolens Blanket Co-op this year.   Symphony's may be sold this weekend.   We'll have to wait and see. 

After I finish my ripe strawberries with Nutella (OMG is this GOOD!) it will be time to get back to work.

Bunny Blog

Just added a new BLOG for the bunnies.   All future rabbit related postings will appear there.

New baby pics added to the Rabbit Website too.

Herd Reduction and Increase

Triska and her lamb moved to a new home in New York over the weekend, while our ram, Piper, went to North Carolina.  Giselle and her twin rams will be available after weaning at the beginning of June.  Symphony had twins last week, one ram lamb and one ewe lamb so this year we had 60% rams, 40% ewes.   Symphony's ram is too cute with his one pinto colored ear.

With the Netherland Dwarf bunnies, it's been a surfeit of bucks!   But that's another blog. (Which I really need to get moving on!)

Hope everyone else had a smooth lambing season.  

Shearing is scheduled for April 7th.   The following week I'll be skirting the fleeces and posting them for sale on the website.

 



  

2011 Lambing Season

We're half way done.   Triska had a single ewe lamb while Giselle had twin rams.  Waiting on the two coopworths now.   Looks like Symphony might be first.  Pictures will be uploaded to the website as soon as we have a nice day to take them.

Nature's Beauty

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted any news here.  So much has happened in the intervening months and time truly has flown by.  Every now and then we should take a break, smell the flowers, and enjoy the new day.

For your viewing pleasure, here is a picture my daughter took of a sunrise as I drove her to school.  So lucky to have this view at the end of our road.

As for work on the farm, I've planted several raspberry plants to compliment our blueberries.  Soon we'll add strawberries too.   Seeds are on order and the greenhouse is cleaned out and ready to go.  Now all we need to do is wait for a nice day to prep the pots and trays and pick up the organic seed starter soil.

We also had our first litter of Netherland Dwarf bunnies.  Three little kits.   Here is a picture in their furry nest.  The third little one is busy burrowing down to the lower left so he's hard to see.  (I'm using he as a general pronoun, I have no idea what gender they are at this time.)  All three are opal color which is slate gray on top, tan fading to white bellies along sides and on chest.

Time Flies...

When you're busy!   I can't believe it's the middle of October already.   We sold some fleeces and bought some beautiful yarns at the Fall Fiber Festival in Orange Co.   The festival was held at the home of James Madison, 'Montpelier'    It's a beautiful restoration if you haven't had time to visit.

The chickens have slowed down on their egg laying with the shorter days and cooler (thank goodness!) weather.  Leaves are already changing here.   Time to set in the garlic and onions, lift the dahlias, begin the cool season crops (greens and coles), clean out the ponds and greenhouse and decorate for Halloween!  Unfortunately we lost our pumpkin crop during the drought.  I was really looking forward to the warty Knucklehead, glowing Lumina and eerie green Jarrahdale.  Perhaps next year will be better.

Time to Streamline!

With a season of selling at the farmers market behind us, we have decided to reduce our workload and focus on growing produce.   We are offering our bluefaced leicester sheep for sale.  For anyone looking for a nice breeding trio, or a  small spinners flock this is your chance.   Details, photos and prices will soon be posted on our website sale page.

Don't forget the Powhatan Farms Tour scheduled for September 25th!  We hope to see you then.