Video of Mark McAfee Speaking at the 2016 Guelph Raw Milk Symposium

I have just listened to this video of this speaker at the Raw milk symposium....fascinating speech! He covers our health, our suppressed immune systems, pasteurization vs. raw milk, and the politics and money involved in the dairy industry. My health issues and autoimmune diseases have brought me to this place of owning my own cow, producing my own dairy and beef (love my little dual purpose Dexter cattle!), and growing as much of my own food as I can. I could very much relate to what Mr. McAfee said about our immune systems, and why they are in the sorry state that they are. Worth a listen, if you have the time! https://thebovine.wordpress.com/2016/02/03/video-of-mark-mcafee-speaking-at-2016-guelph-raw-milk-symposium/

Mother Clucker's Happy Hens

Hhmmmm....might be me...

For those of you interested, this is the current price list for quality Ironwood Farm Dexter Beef: Large Quantity (Side) of Beef: (available fall 2016) approx. 200 lbs based on hung weight: $7.95/lb Steaks, paper wrapped (serves 2): Rib $21.95/lb Sirloin $17.95/lb Eye of Round $15.95/lb Round $11.95/lb Blade $12.95/lb Tenderloin $24.95/lb NewYork strip $24.95/lb Roasts 3 lbs each: Rib $21.95/lb Steak Roast $15.95/lb Short Rib Roast $15.95/lb Extra lean ground beef 1 lb packages $8.95/lb **Sampler Packs: $110 ($147 value)** 5 lbs extra lean ground beef 1 3lb steak roast 1 blade steak 1 rib steak 1 sirloin steak (a steak is apporximately 1 lb and is good for two adults) Free Run Eggs $3.50/doz

Timeline Photos

You go girls! My young hens have ramped up their production now that the days are getting longer...the 42 girls layed 42 eggs today! So....if anyone needs eggs, I have them! Farm fresh, from free run, open pollinated (non-Gmo) organic grain fed layers. $3.50 /doz

I had a nice Russian couple from Wainfleet come to the farm on Saturday afternoon. They had found me on the Canadian Dexter Cattle Association website, and were very interested in getting Dexter cattle. They had researched them, and wanted to see them in person, and to ask a few questions. Of course, the question of price came up (they wanted to buy my new girls, but they are not for sale!) Many factors go in to the price if a quality animal. Lesa Kinnamon Reid from Kirkhaven Farm in Knoxville, Tennessee had this to say in our discussion on the Dexter Enthusiasts page: My advice to buyers is to visit the farm you want to buy from. Ask tons of questions. Look at their animals and interact with them. Decide if the prices they charge are in line with the value they are offering. Decide if their animals fit well with your philosophies of farming and living. If those animals are not a match for you, don’t buy them. The average productive life of a Holstein cow in a commercial dairy, according to the Holstein website, is 4 years. Dexter owners expect their animals (including milk cows) to be productive well into their teens. So it’s important to choose your Dexters carefully. There are lots of different kinds of breeders that sell lots of different kinds of Dexters that can be valued lots of different ways. Just find what appeals to your sensibilities and pocketbook and go with that. A breeder that takes great care in their breeding choices, works to keep their animals in top physical condition, halter trains, genetic tests, parentage verifies, shows their animals, or does other added things . . . that breeder has added value to those animals. I see no reason for those breeders to price their stock at a discount. Especially a trained, quality Dexter milk cow. Why shouldn’t value translate to price? Dexters are a tri-purpose breed. A rare, heritage breed. They should be well balanced. They should produce a reasonable amount of fat-rich milk, BUT they shouldn’t match the body type or the massive production of a commercial dairy cow. They should produce a reasonable amount of rich, well-marbled beef, BUT they shouldn’t match the body type or the massive production of a commercial beef animal. They should, however, have a much better feed-to-product ratio than any commercial breed. And they should be intelligent, docile, approachable, and hardy. There are very few cattle breeds that can match those specs. Dexters are one of the last remaining tri-purpose, naturally small cattle breeds in the world. So if you find a beautiful, registered, purebred Dexter that matches the true breed description above, you have found a rare and valuable animal. Beef cattle and dairy cattle are a dime-a-dozen. You can buy them at the sale barn. But beef-dairy-draft Dexters are worth investing in, in my opinion. I also wonder if people consider cost-to-price ratios when pricing Dexters. We do. We expect our animals to pay for their keep. Our prices always reflect that, because if we are operating in the red every year we certainly need to stop raising Dexters. We actually have a spread sheet that calculates all of our farm costs. The costs include not only feed costs but pasture maintenance, equipment maintenance, herd maintenance, etc. And the spreadsheet is updated as our costs for these things change. We know what it costs to keep a Dexter. We know at what price point we begin to make a profit. We price our Dexter breeding stock and Dexter beef accordingly.

Growing Sweet Potato Slips

Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons

Very cool idea....because every spring we raise an exceptionally robust crop of rocks! Great way to put them to use! My other 'self' at facebook.com/thecottageshed could whip these up in no time!

Photos from Ironwood Farm's post

The new girls are fitting in really well and halter training is trucking along. They are confident being haltered and led and hop up onto the milking stanchion for morning carrots. I was even able to close the headgate without them getting worried! Love these girls! And of course, Sonny the steer had to get in on the photoshoot!

Attainable Sustainable

A lovely day to....

Benton

Well, I am nor ordering quite that much, but it is easy to get carried away....

Certain Dole brand pre-packaged chopped salads, salad blends and kits and leafy greens and...

Heads up all you packaged lettuce buyers!!!

For all you chicken keepers out there, I found this list on another page.... Herbs and flowers that are beneficial for Poultry: BASIL: anti-bacterial, mucus membrane health. CATNIP: sedative, insectide CORIANDER: anti-oxidant, fungicide. Builds strong bones, high in vitamin A, for vision &vitamin K for blood clotting if eaten. DILL: anti-oxidant, relaxant, respiratory health. FENNEL: laying stimulant GARLIC: laying stimulant LAVENDER: stress reliever, increases blood circulation, highly aromatic, insecticide LEMON BALM: stress reliever, anti-bacterial, highly aromatic, rodent repellent MARIGOLD: laying stimulant. MINT: (all kinds) insecticide and rodent repellent. MULBERRY LEAVES for all worming needs. NASTURIUM: laying stimulant, anti-septic, anti-biotic, insecticide, and wormer. OREGANO: combats coccidian, salmonella, avian flu, black head & e-coli when eaten. PARSLEY: high in vitamins. Aids in blood vessel development. Laying stimulant. PEPPERMINT: anti-parasitic, insecticide. PINEAPPLE SAGE: aids nervous system, highly aromatic. ROSE PETAL: highly aromatic, high in vitamin E. ROSEMARRY: pain relief, respiratory health, insecticide. SAGE: anti-oxidant and parasitic. TARRAGON: anti-oxidant.. SPEARMINT: anti-septic, insecticide, stimulates nerves, brain &blood functions. THYME: respiratory health, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-parasitic. All these herbs can be used as feed or put in nest boxes. Replace when needed. EDIBLES YOU CAN GROW FOR POULTRY: WHEAT SPOUTS: Allow to grow to 5-10cm in tray (Sprouting increases the protein content), then feed to fowl at that height to prove a nutritious snack. When feeding PARSLEY restrict the amount they eat. It is not good in large amounts. WATERCRESS: (Naturtium) Highly Nutritious, 4% Calcium, 3% Protein just over 1% Phosphorous and other important vitamins and minerals. STINGING NETTLES: (Utica dioica) is excellent for poultry. It is high in chorophyll, iron, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, calcium, sulphur, silica, protein and vitamins A, C,D. GREY SUNFLOWER SEEDS: are highly nutritious, scratch feed providing energy when ripe and dried. LEMON BALM: (Melissa officinalis) This has as a range of useful properties that benefit chickens as a medicinal herb. It is anti-viral, so it may protect against some poultry diseases. It is also anit-bacterial and highly aromatic, so try cutting a few short stems every day and add to next nest boxes. It is also believed to be a rodent repellent, although there is no research to prove it but give it a go. CIDER OR WHITE VINEGAR. This can be used as an astringent for cutting mucous in bird, suffering from a respiratory disease to help them expel thick Exudates from their mouth and throat. It can also be used to acidify their crop contents in cases of soup crop and to help in cases of enteritis in killing off harmful bacteria. Dose. Add 5ml to 5 litres of water about 4 times a day, offer as their only water source for 24 hours 3-5 day intervals. MOLASSES SOLUTION: This can be used as a laxative to flush the gut after ingestion of toxic substances e.g. moulds, mycotoxins of toxic plant or when birds are sourcing from a bacterial infection. Offers to birds over four hours then replace with fresh water. Treat birds individually if they cannot drink. Also offer as a free choice over a 7-10 day period. It also contains some essential minerals lost during bouts of diarrhea. Dilute 50ml molasses to two liters of water But I would add COMFREY and WORMWOOD to the list too. They don't eat the wormwood, but it supposedly keeps away insects.