Our First Egg!
Name That Cow
I am pleased to introduce four new beautiful bovine to the small farm family! Welcome 1277, 1287, 1288, and 1289. We are currently in the process of giving them names rather than numbers and would love suggestions! These beautiful yearling boys are producing patties to be used in the chicken research project taking place on farm. Keep an eye out for a future blog that will explain the research project in a little more detail. We are still trying to understand it all ourselves. In the meantime, enjoy some fabulous photos of our boys first days on the farm!
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It is official, I love cows and so can you!
Fight Back Those Monday Blues
For those of you who may be fighting some first day of the work week blues I thought I’d share some baby cow photos to help get your week back on track. A dear friend of mine, after hearing the last calf was born 7 days ago, came to visit with camera in tow to capture the calves before their ‘cute stage’ is over.
So alas, please enjoy the final pictures of the most ittiest bitties left on the farm–
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But Fret Not, There Will Be More Itties To Come Next Year! Happy Monday!
Winter Prepping for Spring Planting
Who knew the dead of winter could be so busy on a farm. We have been working hard to get the the chickens all set to be out in the open, protected from the hawks, and easy to move and manage. We’ve been tilling the greenhouses, taking soil samples, checking our seed inventory, and doing a lot of winter cleaning so that we are fully prepared and ready for the spring and summer seasons. Our days our filled with being out on the farm which has left little time to reflect and sit down at a computer. The dreary weather has brought us indoors today where will be focusing on this years farm plan. Soon, the seeds will be ordered, the farm will be cleaned and prepped, and the full season apprentices will begin arriving! If prepping is this much fun and educational, I can’t imagine how incredible it will be when we actually start planting seeds! Let the excitement and joy continue! Happy day!
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On Life, Death & Farming
I came to Goldsboro to farm. What I have since learned is how much more there is to farming than…‘farming’. Consider the language used to describe farm activities—‘growing plants’, ‘raising animals’, ‘nourishing soil’. All actions that require the creation of life and the awareness of death.
The constant presence of new life and death on farm has had a profound impact on my life. I have felt a baby calf inside its mother, have seen calves enter the world, take their first steps, drink their first milk. I have seen laying hens grow from mere chicks to vibrant, ever-hungry birds. This will only continue with the arrival of spring and the planting of seeds.
Along with the beauty of birth and growth, comes the occasional death. I have witnessed (through tear filled eyes) a calf come out of its mother – 60 pounds and lifeless. I’ve watched a Red Tail Hawk capture a chicken and on several occasions have found the remains of the Hawk’s conquests.
I never anticipated such soul-searching would occur here, at a place where one learns how to drive a tractor, plant a seed, till the earth. Yet, each new life and each death brings with it a moment of pause and introspection. The stillness of death and the joy of birth come as a reminder that our time on earth is finite, fleeting. With each death, comes an offering of thanks for the lives that remain.
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Farming is much more than a career or a hobby. It is a spiritual journey, a vision quest. It is a part of our culture that is now all too foreign to many. I feel this disconnect not only relates to our food choices and declining health, but to our ailing relationship with, and understanding of, the land, Mother Nature, life, and death. Our food, our farms, our land have a lesson to offer us and it is my hope that we all take a moment to listen, watch, and participate so that we can once again connect, appreciate, and value all of them.
Happy New Year, Happy Harvest
Although we may be considered the ‘Small’ Farm Unit don’t let the name fool you…we produce an extraordinary amount and variety of fresh food, even in the winter! Since I have been here, we have donated hundreds of pounds of tomatoes, dozens of cases of broccoli and collards, and large quantities of kohlrabi, spinach, cabbage, and much, much more to the local soup kitchen and other entities that provide food for the hungry.
For thanksgiving meals alone we delivered–10 cases of collards, 1.5 cases of cabbage, 3 cases of broccoli, 4 cases of spinach, 10 cases of tomatoes, 4 cases of lettuces, 2 of kohlrabi, 3 of turnips, 1 of mustard greens, and over 3 lbs. of ginger.
Below are some photos of our fall plot and our weekly deliveries!
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As the winter plot comes to a close, the Small Farm is busy planning for the upcoming seasons. We are reaching out to our partners in the community better understand how many people they serve, what they prepare, and the nutritional and dietary needs of those they serve. It is our hope to continue to support our community by producing healthy produce through our stewardship of the land, tedious planning, and the continued and invaluable help of our extraordinary volunteers.
Here’s to a 2012 full of Mother Nature’s most beautiful bounty!
Meet our Newest Addition!
The small farm family just got a little bigger! Busha and I are now the proud parents of approximately 200 Highliner Hens. We were all set for their arrival about a week ago, after having built four chicken tractors for them. Unfortunately, so too were the Red Tail Hawks who have feasted on a few of our birds. For the immediate future the hens will stay tucked away in their homes so they do not become lunch for the hawks. After Christmas Busha and I will be busy working on a network of netting that will allow the chickens to hit the ground and be happy, healthy, and free of worry!
We were blessed with these birds by an NC State researcher who will be using them for a fascinating research project starting January 17th. At that time, our family will be growing even larger with an addition of 4 steers who will be providing patties for the project.
Welcome Highliners! We are so happy you are here!
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‘Tis the Season…Calving Season That Is.
It is hard to believe today is December 22nd. It may be due in part to the fact that it is 70 degrees in Goldsboro today. But I think it has more to do with how I am celebrating this holiday season. I am not doing the usual Christmas shopping extravaganza, hanging lights, singing carols, or visiting family. Rather, I am here on the farm helping look after the dozens of new born calves at the dairy. Although I am spending this Christmas away from the shopping mall, the carols, and the Christmas trees, the spirit of Christmas feels more alive in me than it ever has. I have had the pleasure of witnessing the miracle of life almost everyday. And after all, a celebration of birth is to many the reason for the season. There is nothing more beautiful, miraculous, or spiritual than seeing a mother cow give birth to a healthy calf.
Witness the beauty yourself…
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Happy Day! Happy Life! Happy New Year!
New Season, New Apprentice
As October turned to November, the full season apprentices on the Small Farm Unit departed and a winter apprentice arrived. As 
the new apprentice, I would like to introduce myself and thank the previous apprentices for all the hard work they did that has enabled us to provide the local soup kitchen with a bounty of fresh food.
I am Callie Herron. I have no farming background and in a what now seems like past life, didn’t like to get my hands dirty or interact with animals. In the past year I have gone from college graduation at UNC-Asheville and working at a grocery store, to being a Policy Intern with the Organic Farming Research Foundation on Capitol Hill, to becoming a Small Farm Apprentice and Dairy Assistant here in Goldsboro, NC.
Over the past few weeks I have learned that I now love to get my hands (and pretty much everything else) dirty working in the greenhouses, milking cows, feeding baby cows, etc.,etc. And I have also learned that Baby Jersey/Holstein Cross Calves (don’t worry there will be pictures) are some of the cutest animals in the world. I am marveled by animals, nature, and plants and feel so privileged to have the opportunity to work the land and grow food.
This place, this community, is awe inspiring, breathtaking, and life altering. Thank you for joining me on this farming journey.
Cheers!
Rolling Into Summer…
Hello world, My apologies for the long gap between the previous post and this one; things are getting pretty busy around here. The apprentices have been doing some pretty cool things on the farm and in the community over the past month. One of the biggest highlights was the inaugural Goldsboro Community Garden Bike Tour. Shorlette (and everyone else who helped her) obviously did a great job organizing and advertising the tour, because the attendance was fantastic. People of all ages, from young children up to at least one senior citizen, came out to enjoy the cool evening air and see what’s growing in Goldsboro.
The tour started in the flourishing garden at the Wayne County Public Library. Everyone seemed very impressed by the beauty of the library garden’s design and the healthy plants within.
Getting Ready to Go at the Library Garden
Once everyone was ready, we moved on down the road, with a police escort, no less, to the W. A. Foster Recreation Center. The good folks at the Foster Center have a great garden growing in a collection of raised beds. We saw strawberries, potatoes, and many other good-looking veggies.
Cooling off in the Foster Center Garden
Our third stop was at Freedom Farm, Goldsboro’s own urban farm project. For the past couple of months, the apprentices and Shorlette have been working on a garden with Mrs. Wanda Register, who runs a group home for women transitioning out of incarceration. The spring and summer crops we’ve been growing with Mrs. Register are intended to help offset some of the food costs for the home, as well as providing fresh, nutritious food for the women living there.
Mrs. Register and the apprentices after a work day at Freedom Farm
Next we moved on to Dillard Academy. At Dillard, elementary school children are learning how to grow and prepare food for themselves. Dillard Academy has a large garden plot behind the school which boasts some impressively large cabbages, along with an assortment of other vegetables. Here, the children learn great skills and seem to have a lot of fun while they’re at it.
The vibrant veggies of Dillard Academy
The final leg of the tour took us to Plum Tree Marketplace, a vibrant farmers’ market coordinated by Dreamweaver. After learning about all of the great community gardens in Goldsboro, being able to put money into the hands of growers and artisans from the area was icing on the cake.
Checking out the wares at Plum Tree Marketplace
Everyone who attended the Bike Tour seemed extremely impressed. I even heard several requests for another tour in the fall! We might have to talk to Shorlette about that…
