Filed under: October 2021 | Tags: Ohio sunset, small farm life, Small Farming, Spelt, speltz, Suffolk Horses, Suffolk Punch horses, Suffolk stallion
October 13, 2021
Yesterday was a very good day. We worked with Hank, our young Suffolk Punch stallion. He just turned 2 last April. We were pulling an old tire around the field for awhile. He has done this job before, but yesterday his brain “clicked”. He figured out how to start the load, but also how to enjoy a break. You can see a little sweat coming from under his harness. That sweat along with breaks at the right time, lead to just standing still, minding your own business and listening for me to give direction. He is getting it. I am very happy with his progress.
I won’t push the young guy too hard. He only gets light loads for now. We are more training his mind than his body. He likes the ladies, so we need to make him understand that life has other things in it too. Some of you may notice the “jockey stick” running from his halter to his partner Abby’s harness ring. This spacer keeps him from trying to whisper sweet nothings in her ear. He stays in his place and she is not bothered by his nonsense this way. Abby is a wonderful partner. She moves and stops when I ask. She teaches him stuff by just being there and she is one big anchor if I need one!
I snapped this picture of the growing speltz yesterday. I am pleased with these results so far. The crop should be well rooted before winter sets in and freezes the ground.
All I can say is that it was a very good day!
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: September 2020 | Tags: daily grind, Small Farming, Spelt, speltz
September 30, 2020
What a crazy, full month it has been! Plenty of work got done and as always plenty remains, as we wrap things up before the winter snow flies. Our baby horse has now been weaned. She had a few unhappy days, but now has adjusted to the absence of milk. Her appetite has always been good, so switching to a diet without mom’s milk, still has her in good flesh
We got our speltz crop all planted. Soil prep and planting went well, but the ground was very dry. Last night we got 3/4 inch of needed rain. The pastures and the newly planted speltz all benefited from the moisture. Now, it is time to focus on picking our ear corn for the animals.
I attended a draft horse, mule and pony fun day in southern Ohio last week. The crowd and participants were condensed due to Covid, but it was still a beautiful time to be outside and around horses. This little team pulled a small wagon, giving children rides. They made me smile.
September closes today, as we look towards the corn harvest and the butchering days of fall. A nip is in the air on this cloudy afternoon. The corn field has been opened up so as to make turning the team and wagon much easier. The main harvest will happen in these next few weeks of October. The horses and I are ready. The corn just needs to dry down a little more so it will “keep” in our crib without spoiling. So, goodbye September, thank you for the nice weather, the final garden harvest and the memories made with family.
Filed under: July 2020 | Tags: grass growing in grain, lemons/lemonade, maize, open pollenated corn, Spelt, speltz
July 13, 2020
Some folks call this crop spelt. We have always called it speltz. It is a small grain like oats, that we grow for horse feed and straw. This year’s crop was part of an experiment that I won’t try again. I planted them on plowed sod. The grasses tried to overtake the grain. I salvaged what I could by setting the combine head high as I harvested them.
We only got about half a harvest because the grasses choked some of the grain out. It will still make great horse feed, it’s just that our yield was down.
The green in the combined mix shows just how much of a problem the grass turned out to be.
I will make the best of it. I mowed the grass and straw mix. I will take care to get the fluffy stuff dry for baling. The animals can decide what they want to eat, then lie down on the rest. It will all work out, just not like I had planned.
On another note, we got two inches of much needed rain. The pastures, gardens and corn crop all jumped from the moisture. Things are greening up again…including t he lawn. It looks like our corn crop will be a success. It surpassed the knee high by the fourth of July criteria. Here it is yesterday 7-12-2020.
Filed under: September 2019 | Tags: seedbed preparation, Spelt, speltz, Sunday, Tractor-vs-draft horses
September 23, 2019
Whew, what a week last week was! Tuesday, I helped a friend on a logging job. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I worked from early until after dark, getting the speltz planted. The fields had to be plowed, then a seedbed prepared. I used the tractor, due to the tight timeline. The celebration came at 10 pm on Friday night, at the completion of this job.
The field in the photo above is one of three small fields that I planted. I want to ensure that I have horse feed and bedding for next year. This crop is very important for us. Using mixed power, sometimes makes sense. The tractor allows me to “catch up”. I prefer to work horses, but I don’t shun modern technology.
My lack of planning and letting myself get too busy, crowded my speltz planting window into just three days. This forced me to push hard without rest. The tractor can stand being pushed that hard. I wanted to beat the rain. Thankfully, I did just that. The rain came on Saturday, just after lunch. I had just finished cleaning the grain drill and putting all the equipment away. The rain came quick. It dropped about a quarter of an inch in just minutes. I smiled and thanked God.
I rested Sunday. The tractor can take the abuse of many hours of hard work without rest…the horses and I cannot. I did chores and not much else. The rains came again last night and continues into today. The life giving water will sprout the seeds waiting in the warm ground. Our crop should be off and growing in no time.
My mother always followed the progress of my speltz crop. I’m sure she would be pleased by my efforts. Autumn is a busy time on the farm, as we wrap things up and make ready for winter, The speltz being planted, takes a huge burden off the list. The corn harvest will begin very soon. Right now our cows are calving making it a wonderful time of year to watch, wait and work.
Filed under: July 2018 | Tags: bed and breakfast, draft horses, Hay help, hay loft, hay tedder, haying, Spelt, speltz, straw
July 16, 2018
The last week has been a whirlwind! Hay dried very nice in the sun. We raked and baled, hauled and stacked until we got it all in off the fields without any of it getting wet.
I modified the the hay loft door and am able to set the hay bales up into the loft with the skidsteer. I can set 5 bales up before I have to go up and roll them out of the way. This makes haying much easier for me. Most importantly, I don’t need help. Hay help is getting harder and harder to find, having overcome this fact is awesome! I can store the equivalent of 400 small square bales by doing it this new way. I will unroll the bale at feeding time and fork the hay down chutes to the horse mangers below.
The speltz straw also had to be mowed and made ready to bale
The horses and I fluffed the straw with our hay tedder. There was a lot of nice, new seeded grasses in the straw. I treated this bounty as hay. The animals will get to eat anything they want, then sleep on the rest. It gives new meaning to “bed and breakfast”. It was a hot week. The temperatures were 90F and above for many of them. The horses and I both sweated together, but we made 42 nice bales. Those bales have all been hauled in and stacked near where they will be used.
We are now ready for some needed rain. We are thankful that it held off while we scrambled to get the last of the first cutting hay harvested, the speltz combined and the straw gleaned as well. Today, it’s hot and sticky, but all of us will rest and wait for the rain…while I make a new list of work for us all.
Filed under: July 2018 | Tags: baby, childbirth, granddaughter, harvest, Spelt, speltz, straw
July 9, 2018
The 2018 Speltz harvest is done. It was a good crop. This will meet the grain requirements for my horses for the next year. The straw will be clipped and baled soon as well. The weather was perfect, the combine worked great and the field was in great condition.
The crop grew well with no lodging. (Lodging is when the crop goes flat to the ground) Wind can sometimes knock the crop over, but lodging usually comes from weak stems. I am very pleased with the speltz crop, but also with the emerging hay that the speltz “nursed” through the winter. The new seeding hay is robust and doing very well.
I was busy combining the speltz, while my daughter-in-law was busy too. We welcomed a new baby girl to our family. She is sweet as ever…of course she is made from… ” sugar and spice and everything nice”!
Filed under: September 2017 | Tags: autumn, beef cattle, fall, metal roof, Small Farming, Spelt, speltz, winter
September 30, 2017
As the last day of September comes to a close, I am happy to report the calf crop is coming along well. The little black one in the picture was born last night. So far two little bulls (soon to be steers) are running all over the pasture. They will be joined by a couple more babies before foul weather sets in for winter. They are sure having fun!
Last Saturday, we put a new roof on my shop. The shingles were curled up and were in rough shape. They were 18 years old, so rather than wait for a leak, I put on a new roof. My friends helped me. We had a great day. It was an Autumn Frolic too! We finished the day with fellowship and ice cream…Yum!
We are working steady to be ready for winter. Projects keep getting marked off the list. The speltz are growing very well. We got a quarter of an inch of rain yesterday and everything seems to have benefited. The speltz especially. They jumped a couple of inches and look real good. The lawn too appears greener. It will have to be cut at least once more. The weatherman says frost for tonight, so, our growing season may end by tomorrow.
The trees are taking on their colorful hues. Some leaves litter the ground, nuts are falling and small animals are gathering for winter. The north wind blew today signaling all of us to take note, turn up your collar and stay busy. A little more wood for the shed and we are good. So, perhaps just one more Autumn frolic and we will be ready to welcome the Winter Wonderland!
Filed under: September 2017 | Tags: end of summer, grand children, Labor Day, Percheron horse, Spelt, speltz
September 4, 2017
Walking on the flat ground, without my cane. My grandson was concerned that I didn’t have the cane. He has been a great watch dog for me. My knee is healing and I am working on strengthening the new stainless joint. Our horses greeted my grandson and I not caring in the least about my plight, but looking for love.
Today, I watched from my truck as my buddy Ken, planted our speltz crop. It is a little earlier than usual, but still right on time. He finished right at dark, just ahead of much needed rain! Whew, what a great day!
As most of the country relaxed from their labor, many folks worked. Policemen, firemen, doctors nurses and factory workers in some places, labored on, in spite of the holiday. My friend was no different. I am grateful to him as well as the safety folks who work on tirelessly, holiday or not. Perhaps that is why the call it “Labor Day”?
In any case, it was a great day. The only work remaining is to cut and split a little more wood for the sugarhouse, clean and lubricate the farm equipment to put them away for winter and lastly, plow a few acres for next spring. Summer is over as signified by the calendar. Hopefully, autumn will cooperate along with my new knee, so that I can labor soon, much to my delight.
Filed under: July 2017 | Tags: building, friends, lumber, pine trees, planning, Small Farming, Spelt, speltz
July 17, 2017
In this photo above, the skid trail from our pine forest is evident. I got this all mowed and ready to harvest a few logs for an addition on our machinery shed. The addition will allow me to store the last two pieces of equipment that I am forced to leave outside all winter. The structure will also make a place to store a quantity of round bales, protected from the elements.
The pine trees were to supply the rafter material, as well as a few boards to close off the north end of the building. The overhang structure, will be open to the east, but closed off from the brutal north winds of winter. It is amazing how much protection a roof gives your equipment. The fact that I can also store some hay there, means I will have less waste from the effects of the weather on bales stored outside.
I got this area of the woods ready for the lumber harvest, just a few days before I got the news that we would be replacing my knee. This project is on hold, until I get healed, but it is still on my “to-do” list. I drew my diagram and figured out the lumber list last winter for this project. A list of projects, helps me to stay on task and find my way. The filtered light on the skid road in the photo, helps me to realize that there is light at the end of the tunnel as I pause to rebuild and heal.
In life, especially on a farm, it is a good idea to have a plan. It gives direction for your energy. It helps to keep your finances on track. It gives opportunity for discussions and research. There are times when the plan serves to show you that you are going in the wrong direction. Defining your goals and working towards them, is great for your mental health. The feeling of accomplishment fills the mind and refreshes your soul.
The logging job is on hold for now, but the speltz crop has been harvested. The last of my first cutting hay has been mowed and is curing in the sun. The speltz straw too, has been mowed and waits for the baler. These projects were all completed with the help of friends. I watched from the porch as my buddies, did my summer work. It is humbling for me as people help me do what I can’t. It will all work out. It won’t be long and I can reciprocate. A good plan, a bunch of good friends….let me tell you, you can’t help but find your way!
RicelandMeadows 