Breaking Ground
This facility is being created in the basement of our house and will enable us to achieve a number of things.
COUNTRY MUSIC: THE SPECTRUM OF LIFE ON OUR FARM IS RICH WITH: DECAY, DEATH, BIRTH, REST, REGENERATION, NURTURE, AND BLOOM...
Above, turkey vultures sort through the compost pile, promoting decay. Below, the lamb flock is in full bloom. Beneath, a pasture that has just been heavily grazed stands in contrast to another that has been rested for 30 days. Then we witness newborn calves, who have arrived through the mighty birth canal, to begin their great journey, and be nurtured by great mothers...
Gathering the Harvest
As we broach this time of year, Nature's bounty presents itself.
JAPANESE HOT POT: MARBLED BEEF IN JAPAN. This picture was taken by my son, who is on assignment in Japan this fall.
Wagyu beef must be on the right and a leaner variety on the left. Wagyu beef are fed beer and grains, lounge about in lots, and are treated like royalty, including daily massages and doses of opera.
DANCING SHADOWS: THIS NOBLE BELGIAN IN THIS VERDANT SCENE, SPEAKS OF MANY THINGS,
One of which is the dawning of evening's shadows. As the sun sets on clear summer evenings, shadows dance across the landscape, in celebration of the goodness of the day and the fleeting moment.
Summer Stillness
Our friend and renowned artist of nature, Mark Eberhard, captured the exquisite picture above, in our wetlands a few weeks ago. This stately Buttonbush is besieged with attention from caterpillars, butterflies, and bees, unannounced to glance from afar, reinforcing that things are not always as they seem.
MAGICAL DISCOURSE: MAGICAL DISCOURSE, PLUS MILES OF MANURE, Produce a scene like this.
I spent most of last week with children, siblings, in-laws, nieces, and nephews on the North Channel, near the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The visit was brief, but dense with dialogue, both awkward and flowing, among individuals and as a group. During the long drive home, the recurring reflection was upon the unforeseeable value that percolates from these manifold conversations. One interchange consisted of a three-hour group discussion. I found myself ruminating on the magical powers that arise from such discourse.
MEMORIAL FOR A FATHER
I spent several days this week transforming this pile of rocks into a memorial for him. The memorial sits on a high point of the farm and looks ten miles down the valley toward Fort Hill, where ancient Native Americans once worshiped on the top of a dramatic bluff.
ROOTS IN ROCKS: THE HEMLOCK TREE ON THE LEFT AND THE SMALL BLUE FLOWER ON THE RIGHT HAVE SUNK ROOTS INTO GRANITE. How did they achieve this amazing feat?
Susan and I spent last week on the North Channel, in Ontario, which lies between Lakes Huron and Superior. We were struck by the feats of Nature before us, particularly involving tenacious plants and resilient shelves of granite.
Liberty Bell
calling home workers, children, and parents from the beyond. Its post rotted this spring, and we have been contemplating where to place it next. During recent years, it has stood in the partial shade of a maple tree, enabling sculptures of lichen to cover its wetter side.
BLOOD 'N GUTS: ON TUESDAY WE HARVESTED OUR FIRST ON-FARM CHICKENS. This was a potent experience.
Brendan was up at 4 AM, gathering chickens and heating water, and he closed-up around 7:30 that evening. In the meantime, his wife, Sarah, and two daughters - Kellan and Ida, and I joined him to facilitate the processing of 82 birds. We had invested in stainless steel equipment built for on-farm locations, so we were fairly well prepared for the task, and there was enough blood 'n guts to know we engaged in the real deal. Three generations worked carefully handling these animals, creating one of the best meat-eating opportunities of all. At noon we took a break to grill several subjects, enjoying them with Sarah's garden-greens for lunch. By the end of the day, all were tired, but we had harvested, cleaned, packaged, weighed, and frozen our first home-raised batch. Five-pound chickens are now stacked in the freezer, awaiting you.
POULTRY POWER: THE CHICKENS ARE COMING! We harvested our first pastured poultry this week.
Pictures on the right are from our neighbor's farm, Pheryl Zimmeman, whose family is raising 600 birds for us. Those on the left are from our farm, under able leadership of Brendan Prendergast. Pheryl harvested his first batch last week; Brendan will harvest his first this coming week. We now have plenty of frozen product on-hand, gratefully, after running out this past February.
