Welcome 2025! It’s crazy that January is already at an end and we are into the second month of 2025. So many things await this new year as the days have moved through this first month. January is both a slow month and a busy planning month. We have been working through ways to expand the farm via different avenues. But as usual there is a lot of ideas and hopes but the Lord must direct the ways. So for now the to do lists are being made and the normal winter chores are continued.
Summary for January:
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Winter Herd
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Winter Pork Wrap up
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Pond Maintenance
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Little Farm Hand
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Some time away…
The Herd
This winter had definitely been a white and cold winter. The herd had done pretty well other then they decided to check out the entire ridge on the snowy days instead of stay in their paddocks. It was like they decided they wanted to see just how inconvenient they possibly could be. Anyway, they weathered the cold well and even though we had a lot of gray and freezing weather they had plenty of water and we managed to time hauling hay on days that the creek was able to be crossed.
The Pigs
This month we wrapped up 2024’s Winter Pork. Due to timing of when to haul the pigs and their size we held the pigs into January which worked out well. Their one bad day was right before we got an inch of snow then later that week we got 3 or so inches. So we were very thankful for the timing. They sorted pretty easily and had an uneventful one bad day. They had the best life any pig could and we have happy customers because of it. Now we are prepping for the next batch for Summer Pork.
Winter Maintenance
Winter time is when we try to do normal farm maintenance like repairing fences, pond work etc. The excavator has actually been very busy off farm and we finally have it back on the farm now, but then it go cold and snowy so we still couldn’t work on farm projects. Recently we started working on cleaning out the ponds and resealing them. Last year we did the pig pond and now we are working down the ridge to the rest of the ponds. The old sediment needs to be cleaned out then the base resealed to hold water better.
Little Farm Hand
Little Farm Hand (who is not so little anymore) continues to stay busy as she is working on school, outside adventures and being more and more involved in the everyday work of farm life. She has thoroughly enjoyed the snowy season and loves making snow angels and the sledding.
Getting Away
At the end of January we managed to get away for a bit on our traditional ski trip. We really enjoyed the time away to be off the farm and do something different and get a little break. We do love our work but it is nice to rest from it briefly the be able to come back to it renewed!
