Well, I guess I knew this would happen. I was on a role there for awhile with Farm Journal posts and then summer happened. Once the milk starts flowing the days start flowing by, too. FAST! Since my last post, we have been in our normal (hectic) summer routine of milking, making cheese, and growing herbs (and toddlers!). It’s non-stop and even though we are not going to farmer’s markets it has still been hard to find time to sit and write. There is a lot I want to discuss about the state of the world and this pandemic, but for now I’ll stick to some exciting farm updates.
In June, we were able to finish our compost facility with the generous support of the Skagit Conservation District and the National Resources Conservation Service. We are so grateful for this technical and financial assistance and we are already putting this to use! Thank you Emmett!!
Also, we have some new friends on the farm. Pigs! They love our leftover whey from the cheesemaking process and they are very sweet and smart creatures. They live next to the rams and are learning to love their new home.
The sheep are doing well and in the swing of milking. We are part of a national program to improve dairy sheep production, so we are collecting more detailed information on our milk production this season. While we have a lot of work to do in our breeding program, it is great to have the support of dairy sheep farmers around the US–it is a small but mighty group! We are also finishing up our sheep, pasture, and soil health research and I will be posting more about that soon as well.
I look forward to more reflection time in the weeks ahead and hopefully more posts. This might be wishful thinking, but keep an eye out. The transition from spring to deep summer always feels like the busiest time of year and the craziness of the world has added to our general stress these days. However, I am trying to take it day-by-day. How are you all doing out there?
If you missed it we were featured in this Rodale article. The interview and photoshoot seem like decades ago, but it’s a good reminder of why we are here. Thank you Shelby for this excellent piece and thank you Michelle for your great shots!
More soon
xoJessica