A question for you.  How was your April Fools Day, as in April 1st, 2011?

Well, here on the farm we had some white stuff.  I looked around and took pictures of white and a color.  Here's what I found.

White and Brown

And then more White and Brown

But then White and Red

Another White and Red

Easily... White and Blue

Then finally White and Black.

White and Gold

But then I found it.  White and Green

 Have a great week!

J

I just went to the Northwest PA Grazing Conference in Dubois, PA.  What a ride!  I went with 3 other friends (all women).  We left the guys at home in charge of the farms.   The boys did a fine job, so now we girls think we should take more girl trips.  I guess we'll see.
 
The conference focused on grazing techiniques and experiences of experts and other farmers.  This year Dr.Temple Grandin presented on the topics of animal handling and welfare.  She is a fantastic speaker, very down to earth and has such insight on our animals.  I could listen to her again and again.  Check her out on the internet.  She has a facinating story.  HBO did a movie on her called "Temple Grandin".
 
She talks about how our cow herds should have manners and how to make them have manners.  When they get pushy you have to walk away.  It takes time to learn to work with them.  Cows have a balance of fear and curiosity.   In other words they have fear and it drives them, but are also curious.  On Youtube she has a video where she goes into the center of a cow pen and lays on the ground.  The young cows all try to check her out.  So although they are fearful at first, they are so curious that they have to get close and figure out what she is.  I know when I sit at the edge of the pasture my young cows will come to see what I am doing.   Never realized why!
 
She showed slides where there were problems moving cattle.  The cattle can stop moving because of shadows, string or paper laying on the ground, chains hanging, bad lighting and on and on.  The list is long.  She told us to get on our knees and see what our cattle see. 
 
So, if you visit our farm and see me on my knees in the pen...  That's what I am doing, getting the cattle point of view.
 
J

National Cattleman’s Association - Berks County Beef Association
As family farmers and ranchers, cattlemen have a vested interest in protecting the environment. As responsive producers, they share an interest in meeting the needs of consumers worldwide by providing high-quality, nutritious beef, while setting higher quality and safety standards than those required by the government. As individual entrepreneurs, cattlemen raise livestock in more states than any other commodity, helping sustain a way of life in thousands of rural communities.
NCBA works to encourage the humane treatment of farm animals, the wise stewardship of natural resources and the implementation of good husbandry practices
http://www.beefusa.org/
http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/

PA Preferred Member
93% of Pennsylvanians desire to purchase and consume locally-sourced products. The PA Preferred® logo helps consumers identify products of Pennsylvania agriculture, providing a valuable service to both the producer and consumer. The program exists, as well, to increase awareness, accessibility and consumption of products grown and processed (if applicable) in Pennsylvania. The logo has become recognized not only by consumers but also by retailers, wholesalers, chefs and restaurateurs as a symbol of superior taste, quality and freshness.
http://papreferred.com/

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
http://www.pasafarming.org/

Buy Fresh Buy Local
http://www.buylocalpa.org/

American Angus Association

 The American Angus Association is the nation's largest beef registry association with over 30,000 adult and junior members. Our goal is to serve the beef cattle industry, and increase the production of consistent, high quality beef that will better satisfy consumers throughout the world. http://www.angus.org

PA Angus Association
Our Mission is to promote Angus cattle and particularly Pennsylvania Angus cattle. The Pennsylvania Angus Association Is A Very Active, Growing State Organization With Activities Throughout The Year.  http://paangus.org

 I can say that cause "Winter is Over".  The ground hog told me!

Here's some enjoyable moments from the farm.
 
Pretty!

 
Really Pretty!  Don't you think? 
 

Then the reality of it!
Here they are watching dinner arrive... 

 
Have a Great Day!

J

Our goal is to have a happy herd who will have beautiful healthy calves.  Our beef herd has lived on our farm their entire life.  As their caretakers we are responsible for their every need.   We provide great nutritious grasses and keep their stress to a minimum.

We know exactly what the animals eat.  We have 17 permanent pastures, which contain a mixture of grasses, such as orchard grass, timothy, fescue, alfalfa clover, rye grass and other native grasses.  This combination of grasses has allowed us to effectively utilize a rotational grazing system.  The herd is moved through a series of paddocks.  They are allowed to stay in a pasture until they eat the grass to a height of 3-6 inches.  Then they are moved to another paddock.  We also have annual pastures that are seeded every year with different kinds of forages.  We have tried radishes, turnips, sorgham sudan and other annual grazing plants.

At the beginning of winter, they are moved to an area we call the sacrifice paddock.  We sacrifice the grass in this area so that the grazing fields are not reduced to mud during the winter.  This paddock is where they stay all winter.  The paddock will end up being nothing but dirt by the time spring comes and contains shelter and water for them during the cold winter months.   We provide balage as feed for them during the time they are in the sacrifice paddock.  The balage is made during the summer from our hay fields.  The balage can contain many different grasses.  The grass is baled while it has moisture and formed into round bales.  These bales are then wrapped in white plastic and allowed to ferment.

We have most of our cows calving in the spring.  The calves stay with their moms until fall.  The calves are weaned from their cow by moving the cows to one paddock and the calves to a paddock along side.  It is less stressful to both cow and calf if they can see each other.

We select the calves that we want to add to our beef group from this weaned group.  They are then added to our finishing herd after the weaning is complete.  Any that we do not keep we sell as feeders to other farms.

Over the years, we have selected our bulls to be gentle and calm, creating the friendly and gentle herd we have now.   In the last 10 years, we have had a Black Angus bull, a Red Angus bull, another Black Angus bull and the newest is also Black Angus.  We have been working on improving our herd genetics.

Mr 33  taking time out to sunbathe

The second year we bought more pigs and raised them and sold them at harvest time.

Our grandson started the pig project on our farm.  He belongs to the 4-H pig club.  He has several female pigs and one boy pig.  Now we will be raising our own baby pigs till harvest time.

 

And Miss Ruby

We have several small groups of chickens.  The oldest of the laying chickens live in a rain shelter in the fields.  They can be moved around our pastures. 

They are fed feed that we make from our corn and are fed natural feed purchased from Purina.  They are given oyster shells for calcium and scratch feed (corn, oats, rye and sunflowers)  They also scrounge for any bugs they can find in the grasses.

 The retirement Coop

Then, of course, I have to tell you about the chicken retirement coup.  The chickens that live here are the few that are left from first group we raised.

We get a flock of chickens every spring.  They look like this.

And this...

Published in the 1914 Farm Journal

“ The Model Farm of Thomas A. Graver”

Charles and Janice Graver had spent time doing research on the family and farm during the last year. The Graver family has owned the farm since 1804, when George Graver purchased it. The Graver family, over the last 200 years has been able to pass the farm from one male relative to the next. Since 1838, it has transferred from son to son. Making the research much easier, but also confusing. The family enjoyed naming their children after, parents, uncles and grandparents.

George to George to Andrew to Mifflin to Thomas to Albert to Thomas and Charles.

In 1994, the brothers ended their partnership and now Thomas and his son Tim continue to farm under the name Graver Farms. While Charles and his wife, Janice farm under the name of Graver Farmstead. The original farmstead now belonging to them.

The farm as it is today!

Our address is  820 S. Delps Road, Bath, PA