Introducing Baby Althea

The pics are blurry, it was still a bit dark in there. I'm heading out now to milk. A bit nervous to milk Gale. Her udder is big, and she is my reformed kicker. Last night I tried to milk a bit of colostrum out and she kicked me. I didn't have her in the stanchion though. I just need to soften her udder a bit, this first milking anyway. Wish me luck!

Gale Calved!

Just about 2 hours ago. I'm absolutely frozen and tired but so glad SHE is finally here! Yes, she had a gorgeous VERY long awaited purebred Jersey heifer. They are snuggled in a bed of straw in the barn. The calf was upside down, and as she started coming out all I could see were upside down hooves and the underside of a chin, then she got stuck there and I had to help pull the calf. Then Gale " played dead " absolutely scaring the sh*t out of me, I got so flustered that I stepped in the bucket of udder wash and flailed around on the milk room floor for a bit before getting my act together. I think she's okay, she is very alert and LOVES her baby, but I'm not gonna get much sleep tonight! Not that unusual, but I'm a sissy about going to the barn after dark in the winter. The coyotes could smell blood and were starting to cause a racket, then the dog goes beserk barking and charging off into the woods.
I still can't believe she actually had a heifer! Pics and more tommorrow, I'm heading back out to the barn.

Practical Sheep Dairying, Chapter 12

Chapter 12:
The Milking Ewe as a Therapy for the Maladjusted and Lonely

Need I say more? I think this is exactly what Zoie was hinting I might be portraying while reading this wonderful book and simultaneously riding 20 miles on a stationary bike, and meeting her new friend's very " normal " mother.

I have not heard a more apt description of yours truly, in quite some time! This has made me laugh so hard, I was doubled over and fell on the ice outside just thinking about it. Every time I pass by a mirror or catch sight of my reflection, I think, " Yup. Maladjusted and Lonely."
Seriously though, she makes a good point about the role animals play in our lives and how valuable that relationship is particularly to children. Animals are commonly used for therapy for a good reason. They know how to LISTEN and comfort just by being near you. Something that is so hard for many of us to master.
How about you? Are you gonna join the ranks of the " maladjusted " with me?

Typo in The Newspaper

So there was an article in a local paper about one of the local buying clubs that I sell to. It was very good except for one glaring typo in regards to my business of course.
It said that I deliver " Holstein Milk ". Where in the world did that come from! I'm trying not to be too offended, but I take pride in our high-fat milk from JERSEY cows, and in fact the majority of my products are based around CREAM. Sour cream, cream cheese, creme fraiche, pints of cream, cream top yogurt, and raw creamline milk.
Taking a breath and then heading out to milk my tiny, 700-800lb FAWN COLORED, 8.75% butterfat producing HOLSTEINS! LOL!
I really am trying not to panic, but without causing offense to Holstein cow owners, PERSONALLY I wouldn't buy milk if it was touted as being from Holsteins. But that's just a matter of personal taste, it's clear we like our coffee with lot's of Jersey cream in it.

Beautiful Bounty

This is a pic of today's buying club order. Right now, I sell to 3 different local buying clubs. It's an interesting model. I still prefer selling direct at farmer's markets, but this has been a fabulous way to market my goods in the off season. Each week I email the 3 different coordinators of the buying club my list of available products and they put together an email listing all the participating vendors goods and customers email their orders. The " leaders " compile and organize the orders, organize a day a week that the farmers drop off their goods and then the customers come and pick up their orders. The coordinators are paid a % for their effort,( they do a lot of work ) payable with food. It's interesting, very grassroots.

Here's what I packed this morning:

9 - Half gallons of Creamline Raw Milk

2 - Pints Raw Cream

3 - 16 oz Plain Whole Milk Yogurts

2 - 16 oz Red Raspberry Yogurts

2 - 16 oz Mission Fig Yogurts

2 - 8 oz Red Raspberry Yogurts

1 - 8 oz Mission Fig Yogurt

2 - 16 oz Fromage Blanc w/ Garlic & Herbs in Olive Oil

2 - 8 oz Cranberry Nut Cream Cheese Balls

5- 1/2 lb wedges of Raw Milk Farmhouse Cheddar

One order down. Two more buying club orders due by Noon on Thursday. Today my Aunt said, " I don't know how you do it all ! " And you know what came out of my mouth? " Well I don't spend all day changing diapers anymore. " That went over well. I think it just might be my new tagline.

Practical Sheep Dairying

Practical Sheep Dairying. The Care and milking of the Dairy Ewe by Olivia Mills.

This is the " Bible " for sheep dairy enthusiasts. I've been wanting to get my hands on a copy for about a year and a half now. Ever since I conceived of the notion to milk a couple sheep in hopes of making sheep's milk cheese. Right now there is 1 used copy available on Amazon for $150.

I requested this book through interlibrary loan, and lo and behold they actually were able to scrounge up a tattered, fragile 1982 edition! Oh, sweet joy!

If anyone ever sees this book for a decent price let me know. It really is good. I've been pacing myself so that I wouldn't read it all in one night.

Naturally, I decide to take it with me to work out. In typical Jessika fashion, I get comfy on the stationary bike and settle in for a good workout and a rousing read. I'm just reading about " tupping " or breeding. ( That's a new name for it ) When Zoie and her friend rush up all in a dither, " Mom, drop the sheep book! Her Mom is coming! " I try to nonchalantly stash my sheep dairy book beside the bike and act normal. I guess it isn't " cool " to meet your daughter's new friend while voraciously reading about " tupping " in a book with an astonished looking sheep on the cover not to mention a pic of the aforementioned sheep's bare udder in all its glory.

By the way, those are my new glasses. Like 'em?

Should I Stop Blogging?

Sometimes I think I might have to right now. I don't really have much nice to say to be honest. I have no amazing homesteading or cheese related techniques or tutorials to share. My brain is so full of thoughts, that I'm amazed I can even fill my orders or get anywhere on time anymore.
I am classically the type of person who prefers to keep all that less than positive stuff to themselves. I HATE to cry in front of anyone. I also am not very good at pretending. Lately, I'm just feeling like I should probably keep the negativity and the honesty to myself. Things are very hard and very complex right now. I should come right out and address it. I feel like so many of you are good friends but maybe for the sake of my kids, I feel this need to protect them and it won't do for me to blab about it here.
Have any of you other fellow bloggers felt this way? Do you sometimes feel like maybe you've divulged too much information and no one really wants to hear you whine anyway? I'm feeling like that right now. There are always worse things that could be happening, but when it is happening to you it doesn't feel that way.
Perhaps I shouldn't have named the blog after our farm. My intentions were to blog about farming and connect with my customers but now I'm not so sure that was such a good idea.