Happenings on the farm in 2020

As usual, life speeds on too quickly.  There is never a shortage of things to do, and it's hard to find the time to actually sit and relax.  As much as we don't like the shorter days of Winter, we do find ourselves sitting around the dinner table eating together and playing card games.  

Looking back through pictures we can remember just how crazy of a year 2020 was... Covid, online school, nearby forrest fires and days of horrible smoke.  

No photoshop here, this was taken mid-morning when the fires were close to our farm.  

Our farm also welcomed several new animals in 2020.  We have been wanting to expand our breeding herd for awhile to include more registered cows with broader genetics, and this was definitely the year for that.  We ended up making trips to Eastern Washington, the San Juan Islands of Northwest Washington, and having a shipper bring in two heifers from Kansas.  The trips themselves were definitely exciting... from snow and ice to hauling cattle on a ferry.  Now that quarantine has been completed for all of our newcomers, we can try to relax before calving season starts, and we're already making breeding plans for later this year.  

Spending her quarantine with the goats.

Got quite a few looky-lou's waiting in line for the ferry and when we would stop for fuel.  Great time to educate others about the breed.

Waiting on the ferry with a trailer load of cows.

Beautiful sunrise headed to pick up a heifer in E. Washington... not so fun to drive a stock trailer in.

And yes, the trip through Yakima, Washington wouldn't be complete without having to stop and pick up a new goat for our daughter!  When she found out there would be trailer space available, she didn't waste any time finding a goat to fill that spot.

Boer buck looking for ladies - SOLD

 Our daughter is looking to re-home the buck she used for this year's breeding season.  He is a registered 100% Fullblood Boer.  He is 17 months old, and is ready for some new ladies.  Contact us for more information.

Orchard grass hay now available

We now have premium quality orchard grass hay in the barn and ready for pick up. 

60-65 lbs two-string bales; sold by the bale.

We are open by appointment only.  

Call or text 503 580 9626

Hay season has begun!

Hay season is finally here after a rainy start.  We had our first cutting of orchard grass wrapped for haylage due to so much rain.  The cows don't mind, they love this stuff!

The rain was really good for our newly planted field, and we are finally getting some dry hay cut and in the barn.  We should have enough to feed all of our critters soon, and some very nice orchard grass available for sale.

Planting season

We've kept ourselves busy and socially distanced this Spring planting another field of orchard grass.  I think my dad enjoyed getting back into the tractor seat and helping a little too! 

 

Spring pictures 2020

A few pictures from our farm this Spring.

Christmas calf

On Christmas day, we welcomed a new calf to our farm.  The timing was not lost on us as we spent the evening in the barn creating a cozy manger for them since the thermometer was dropping.

Both are doing well and Holly, the new heifer, is doing well.

Our cows are grass fed, but they do get occasional clover screening pellets as a feed supplement in the winter and as treats.  It really helps when you need to load them in a trailer, a little bribery goes a long way! 

Harriet, born late March 2019 has such a sweet personality.  Here she is sharing her clover pellets with Holly, who at a month old is nibbling at them.