Filed under: December 2020 | Tags: Apples, draft horses, Growing up, Small Farming, Suffolk Horses, Suffolk Punch, Suffolk Punch horses
December 15, 2020
The old saying goes; Anyone can count the seeds in an Apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed. That is a profound statement. I believe it to be true. Apply it to daily life. As I look at my young horses, I wonder how they will turn out. I do my best to train and nurture, but things can happen. I hope for the best as I work hard to instill trust and confidence into the young ones. I maintain that level of trust in my broke teams. Patience is not always easy, but it is always necessary.
In the above photo taken of Bree of Riceland being led by our son, I can’t help but be amazed at her growth. Nine months ago, she was a little girl learning to wear a halter and stand tied just a few days after her birth.
She learned to tie and lead very quickly. She has been a challenge at times because of her intelligence. She is a very smart horse who learns quickly. She also tries to outsmart me once in a while. As long as I correct bad behavior quickly, she yields. If I let her do something even twice, then she thinks that she is in charge and never has to do it my way again! She will be a great addition to our working horses because she likes routine. Do it the same every time and she is happy…change things up…not so much!
In this photo, my current main team, Amee and Abby taken when they were young fillies. Their owner at the time Joe Cervanka stands proudly with his “Lakeview” babies. I am sure that he wondered how these girls would turn out and where they would end up. Well Joe, they turned out great and ended up as foundation mares for our breeding program at Riceland Meadows. They are more than that though; they are my partners in powering the farm!
They are a joy to work. They make my farm days fun. I look forward to a bright future working these fine animals. It is my hope to help advance and promote these rare Suffolk horses. The farmers, who for over 400 years, have bred and preserved their fine qualities could obviously see “the apples in the seed”. I am grateful to those visionaries. I hope to continue in their strict adherence to old style qualities, to breed, train and love these great beasts of burden. They deserve every effort that I can manage to give them.
Filed under: December 2020 | Tags: Draft horse, Draft horse training, long line, Suffolk horse, Suffolk Punch, training a young stallion
December 10, 2020
All of us remember our first steps, perhaps not when learning to walk, but for sure starting a new venture like a job or relationship. Hank is taking his first steps in learning how to be driven. He is doing very well. His biggest problem on lesson one, was being very relaxed. This made it a wonderful problem for both of us. He much preferred to just stand and look around, rather than walk on. My son led him a bit. Hank was very content to just follow him. Once my son would let Hank take the lead, Hank would just stop and wait for him to catch up.
I encouraged him from behind with words of encouragement and clucks from my mouth, but Hank simply rested on three legs waiting on my son to give him direction. It took awhile, but he finally caught on, that I was guiding him from the rear. I have driven him every single day since. We keep the lessons short. He is responding well and allows me to be in control from the back. He is gaining confidence and learning to walk on, turn and stand when told whoa. He is very patient with me.
Our only issue came when Hank saw his reflection in the barn door window. He made a sideways jump, then turned his head to look. I let him stand a minute to process what he saw. We then walked away. On the next round, he looked at the window again, slowed but didn’t stop. Now, when we go by the window he pays it no mind. I walked him near my truck to again catch his reflection in the mirror or windows. He does see it, but is not frightened by it. Progress is a wonderful thing
Soon, he will be hitched as part of a team. First he needs to hear and understand basic commands. He needs to hear strange noises and feel things drag behind him. I will introduce him to all of these things, slowly and safely. I want to continue to be able to keep him learning in his relaxed, calm manner. He is a big boy who won’t be two years-old until next spring. This early training is to keep his mind on something other than the ladies. Hank is and will remain, a stallion. It is very important that he respects me, trusts me and becomes a working member of our farm. I will say that he is off to a great start…even though we are just taking our first steps.
December 5, 2020
I took this picture last night at sunset. It was a beautiful exclamation point. Yesterday was my mother’s birthday. She celebrates with the angels now. It was her 80th. I though about her many times yesterday. This sunset just seemed to signify that all is well.
I visited her gravesite, hot coffee in hand. I shared with her stories, tales of life events and happenings here on the farm. It makes me feel better. Mom passed too soon. I hope to keep her memory alive, as long as, I can share her stories, she can live through me.
Later in the day, our son Jake came by driving his yearling for the first time. She did great. He was all smiles too. I watched them walk up and down the driveway, as I cleaned the pig pens and horse stable. When he put the yearling “Anna” away, he was soon dashing through the snow with his horse “Belle”. That scene was made sweeter because he was pulling his kids behind him in a sled. They swooped around the farm lane and made a pass near mom’s resting place. The laughter was easy to hear as it echoed off the snow. It truly was a beautiful day…from beginning to end.
Filed under: December 2020 | Tags: Hand forged, one horse wagon, seasonal snow, training aid
December 3, 2020
The first snow storm of 2020 dumped about 18 inches of snow on us. I snapped this picture during a short lull as I scraped some of it away. Here we go!
The wet weather followed by the big snow storm, allowed me time to work in the shop. I have been reworking an old pony wagon. I am switching it over for one horse to pull. I will use it to train my stallion. I can hook a tire behind it to add more weight when needed too. I think it will be a handy size for all sorts of jobs.
I had to make tire repairs and I switched the seat to this old school bus seat. I next forged the decorative buckboard rail to add some function. I hope it keeps stuff from rolling off. I forged the rails and made the brackets. Our grandson, visiting from Montana, welded the rails and brackets together. Then we installed them on the wagon.
Now…to just get the colt trained to pull it! He is doing well, so he should be pulling it soon.
Filed under: November 2020 | Tags: do horses lie down?, R&R, Resting horses, Small Farming
November 12, 2020
Whew! We had an amazing stretch of warm sunny weather in the mid and upper 70″s. This is very unusual for us here in northeast Ohio at this time of year! We worked on several projects as we prepare for winter. Hard stuff like; putting away patio furniture, rolling up hoses, mowing the lawn for the last time and putting garden tools away. Ok it wasn’t hard, but the hot weather made us sweat like it was still summer!
The horses weren’t impressed with the hot weather either. They are putting on their winter coats. I kept the jobs light for them. It will cool down soon and our outside will continue and be more comfortable to boot.
The girls and I spent time working with the wagon. Daily work keeps us all fit and in tune. We hope to do a little plowing next week. We will try out our walking plow. The first time since having my knees replaced two years ago. Stay tuned for details.
It has been an amazing autumn. The recent rains, before the dry stretch, caused much concern, as farmer scrambling to harvest crops came to a stop. The welcomed wonderful weather, got everyone back into their fields. You could almost hear the big sigh of relief, as the combines roared to life again.
It is a wonderful feeling to have our harvest complete and be working on the little things. It is even better to be able to slow down, take breaks and enjoy the season. Thanksgiving will soon be here and what a great year to be thankful!
Filed under: November 2020 | Tags: apple crisp, apple pie filling, Apples, applesauce, Blessings, Bounty, Small Farm Kitchen
November 3, 2020
Autumn brings much bounty. The last of the harvest is gathered. I accidently tripped the breaker on our freezer, causing some chicken parts to thaw. We spent a day cooking chicken and making broth. The shredded chicken will be nice too, but I am sure that it wasn’t on my wife’s agenda for that day. Oops!
Our apple order came in last week. We are busy getting them put up. The eating part is wonderful, but I look forward to pies and applesauce. It makes for a few long days in the kitchen, but it is well worth it! I pitch in quite a bit. My wife even praises me, telling me she wonders how she ever got along without me…telling her how to do everything!
The deer are starting to move, as their breeding time is here. Hunting season is in full swing for archery. Hunters are bagging a few. We haven’t been out much, but we hope to get some venison for the freezer this fall.
We had a skiff of snow on the ground yesterday. My great grandpa called it “squaw winter” and now we should get some very nice “Indian summer” days. The days for putting the lawn and porch furniture away, rolling up hoses and tipping unused water troughs over. All in preparation for the coming winter.
We have had a very rainy period. We got 7.25 inches of rain in 15 days. We are wet now for sure. I am glad to have our fall harvest all in. The blessings abound and for that we are thankful.
Filed under: October 2020 | Tags: brown eggs, free range, Grazing, hog butchering, small farm effciencies, Small Farming
October 28, 2020
We finished husking/picking our corn last week. We got done just in time to beat a whole lot of rain. We have gotten six inches of rain the last ten days. The dry ground sucked up quite a bit of the moisture, but now the ground is saturated. I am glad that I don’t have to navigate the the mud!
We turned five growing pigs into the corn field. They are gleaning any missed ears and those knocked to the ground by raccoons and deer. They are happily munching and rooting. They have a shed, where dry bedding is supplied, to lay in to sleep. They are also fed additional grain as needed, but so far are mostly just eating from the corn field and surrounding pasture and fence line weeds.
Our hens are still enjoying their lot even though it too shows the effects of the recent rains. They have been eating the last of our cull garden produce as treats to supplement their diets. They reward us with nice brown eggs for our efforts.
Autumn and cool weather allows us to start butchering our hogs. The family’s meat for winter, grown here, processed here. We have been blessed with an amazing autumn. The crops did well all summer, in spite of the mid summer drought. Now, the wet, cool, days of late autumn, are proving beneficial too.
Winter is just around the corner. A few outside jobs remain, but for the first autumn in a long time, I am caught up. I owe this success to a great wife, wonderful family, good weather and good work horses to help me get the crops out and the harvest gathered. To everyone involved, I say Thank You!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: autumn color, Small Farming, Spelt, Suffolk Horses
October 19, 2020
October is fading fast. We keep working through the jobs at hand, but every now and then we pause to look at the beauty around us. The corn harvest is almost complete. The leaves are in peak color. The young horses continue to grow and learn. It is good to enjoy the sights along the way.
Our recent rain is helping the landscape too. The pastures have greened up. The speltz crop is growing well and I think even the trees appreciate the moisture.
As we wrap up the farm work leading into winter, it is with a blessed spirit that I say thank you! We have had an awesome year for crops and animals. The work is slowing down and I see some rest and relaxation in our future.
I will work with the young stallion, “Hank” and get him started in harness. I plan some time in the forge shop to make a few items and of course some home butchering is in the future, but for now, I will take some time to just enjoy the view!
Filed under: October 2020 | Tags: draft horses, hand picking ear corn, open pollinated, Small Farming, Suffolk Horses
October 10, 2020
The corn harvest is going very well so far this fall. The ground is dry instead of our usual mud at harvest time. The Suffolk horses are doing a great job and the corn is husking fairly easy.
I added a nose guard on Amee. Its a wire basket that keeps her from eating corn the whole time we are working. I wouldn’t mind if she grabs a leaf or stalk once in a while, but she is a hog! The worst thing is, she gets her head into the next row, then when I ask them to move up, she heads down the wrong row! This did not please me at all!
The wire basket cured her bad behavior. She now walks and stops just as expected with no unexpected movement of the wagon as I walk alongside. They have settled in and are doing great.
We pick 8 to 12 rows a day. My cousin has been helping me do it. We share laughs and chuckles along the way. We also enjoy finding the different colored or very large ears. It has been a wonderful season so far!
Filed under: October 2020 | Tags: corn harvest, hand picking ear corn, Large ears, open pollenated corn, Small Farming
October 7, 2020
I have begun picking our 2020 ear corn crop. I am picking an open pollinated variety called “Dublin” from Green Haven seed company in New York.
I have planted open pollinated corn many times in the past, but I have finally found one that is very well suited to our micro-climate here in the snowbelt of lake Erie.
Some of it is quite tall. The ears are large. A few require me to reach up to pick! It is fun husking these whoppers. The horses walk beside the rows as I pick and toss the big ears into the wagon. The ground is still dry, even with the recent rains. So far, this has been a wonderful harvest.
I am saving some nice ears for next year’s seed. It is fun to choose. The small ears are nine inches long. Many ears are a foot long and every now and then we get a Whopper that measures fourteen inches and more!
I have a couple weeks to go before I will be finished, but this job, so far, has been nothing but fun.
Hank, our young stallion just turned 17 months old. He is growing well and will soon join the mares as we pick corn. Currently, he waits in the barn with our filly Bree, but his training is progressing and it’s almost time to accompany our main team. He won’t have to work. He will just walk along, starting , stopping and standing, as I pick. It teaches patience.
