New year on the farm, 2014

Welcome to 2014 on the farm.  Just to let you know I am T-I-R-E-D of winter!

PA Farm Show 2014

I was at the 2014 PA Farmshow from Friday to Tuesday with my two grandsons.   We go every year and have a great time.  Derek came in second place in the Potato judging competition.  We also go to the Farmshow to help our friends at Just Enuff Angus.  Jamie Brozman shows her Angus cattle at the Farmshow.

This year it was bitter cold, the coldest I have ever been.  The cattle are housed in the cow barn at the complex.  The cattle are more comfortable being outside and are not used to the heat, so the barn is barely heated.  The cattle are taken to the tie-outs outside at the end of every day.  The tie-outs are bedded heavily with straw and hay is put in the front for them to eat during the night.  The cattle sleep out there and in the morning, (early early) they are brought into the cow barn and given a bath, then they are blown dry.  On show morning, at 3 am, they are brought in and washed down then blown dry.  At that point they are put in a grooming chute and are brushed and clipped and sprayed.  It’s called “fitting”. 

This year Jamie was interviewed by the Harrisburg TV.  Her family is a 4 generation show family.  At the show this year, was her mother (who helps groom and prepares them for the show), Jamie (who also grooms and prepares them, but also takes them into the show ring) and the newest member of the family is Jamie’s son, Ethan.  He is just a year old, but is already part of the team.  He had two animals in the show ring.  It was several long cold days, then snow and then ice and then rain.  I think we had it all.

Food

 Food, it’s always about food, here on the farm.  I just put my plan together for this year’s produce.  I plan on putting greens, peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers in the tunnel.  Hopefully, my timing will be correct.  The rest of the produce will be grown out in my market garden in the back field.  I am expecting to have carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and many others.  I will continue to use organic approved pesticides and herbicides on my vegetables.  Visit my produce stand here on the farm when it opens in the spring or visit me at the farm markets.

The beef is going to be harvested starting in February.  The butcher’s schedule was really backed up. The harvest will be done at Springfield Meats.  It is a USDA inspected plant and this is where we take our meat for retail sales. We will be starting to call everyone to prepare for the harvest.  Email me at graverfarmstead@aol.com if you are interested.

BTW:  I still have beef and pork for sale at the farm.  I also have Deep Roots Valley Farm Organic chicken in the freezer for sale.  Just give us a call and arrange a time to come to the farm and pick up some really great beef.

The Pigs

We have some sows in the barn to be delivering piglets at the end of February and early March.  Stay tuned and I’ll let you know how it goes.

Looking for Spring!  Bring it on.  How about you?

J