Ebersole Cattle Company

Well, we avoided the weather for an extra month.  But Mother Nature shure wolloped us this weekend.  She blew in 30 degrees colder with blizzard conditions. 

So when most people were snug inside staying toasty - most of us farmers & ranchers were outside taking care of the livestock.  Water had to be checked, calves moved out of the elements, a sick cow doctored, mares checked & hay moved again to the new wind direction.

It seems like no matter how much you plan & prepare, there will always be some work to be done in the cold weather.  No matter what, the animals come first & need to be cared for twice as much in this cold weather.

But, we wouldn't change it for the world.  I enjoy going outside in the quiet crunch of the snow & checking the sleeping calves.  I will admit that breaking ice out of waterers is NOT exactly my most favorite chore, but it has to be done.

The grass-fed beef are getting supplemented with some great alfalfa cubes & our own hay made on the ranch.

The pasured beef are getting bigger & are certainly enjoy their grains keeping them warm with fresh hay to eat & snuggle in.

If you haven't checked out our new website, stop by & take look because we have some great beef sticks! www.EbersoleBeef.com

Shanen - Mama to the Momma cows at the ECC Ranch

Last night Honey came home & talked about a family he met at the co-op.  They were a couple in their 50's-60's with their 20 something son. 
They were traveling in a covered wagon. 
From Arkansas to Nebraska. 
They left home in November.
They stopped in to buy some corn & hay for their 3 horses.
They did stop for a while in Illinois this winter & work.
The horses were in good shape (not skinny).
The people were clean, nice & happy.

Of course after they left there was quite a bit of "shop talk".
WHY would you do that? 
Just BUY a truck.
CRAZY?

I was really impressed that Honey had quite a few questions in return for the guys.
Why NOT?
What if they just WANTED to?
It would be neat to REALLY see the country like that?
What IF they couldn't afford a Truck?
The wagon WAS really nice.  It had a completely enclosed (clear plastic) front that they had some Amish make for them.
Don't you think it would be really nice to just live that simply?  No bills & debts?

Hmmm, wow, we have come a LONG way in the past 2 years in our way of thinking!  Today, we ran the truck to get some new tires before Honey had to go to work.  We traveled only 10 miles west, and we saw them setting out for the day (8 or 9 miles west of where they were at noon yesterday).    Indeed 2 big paint horses pulling a covered wagon & leading a third paint horse.

I know that we get LOTS of questions about why we have chosen our way of life & finishing cattle.  I am constantly defending my choice to harvest our calves younger & at 1000# instead of the 1300# (FAT) cattle.
It is wonderful that Grass-Fed & Pastured Beef is becoming more widely known!  (Even our Banker yesterday knew about grass-fed beef!)

If I had to make choices again about downsizing & completely changing our operation 2 years ago ...... Would I do it the same?  YES!!!  I might change some details, but the BIG picture would stay the same.  We'd still be in debt, but, we'd still be cattle ranchers.
We'd still have to have off farm jobs.
We'd still be moving towards more grass & less corn.
We'd still be working towards raising ALL of our own feeds (but we'd still buy our outside feeds from our neighbors)
We'd still have our wonderful Maine-Anjou cows!

And yes, Freedom would still get loose on a regular basis, no matter how many new knots we tie on her *locked* gate.  (She was in the front yard again this morning)

I'm off to work on our website & get some prices up, so drop me a note ebersolecattleco(at)yahoo(dot)com if you're interested in learning more about our fall GRASS-FED beef & setting up a payment plan to reserve your beef!

I hope you have a great day!  The sun is shining & we're off to go play in the barn.

~Shanen - Mamma to the Momma Cows @ the EbersoleCattle Co

Fall calves are being weaned.  Its nice when you wean fall calves this time of year, they've mostly weaned themselves.  Not much bawling, or crying, because they've naturally weaned themselves.  They've been on grass & hay all winter with their cows, so they are great foragers.  We like to keep them on the cow through the winter to help them learn to forage & keep drinking from thier mamas.  The extra protien from the milk keeps them gaining a little weight & be healthier calves.

I LOVE our fall-calves.  They don't take much work when they're born & are quite easy to wean.  Another reason that they get along great after weaning is because they will stay on grass.  We try to keep all of our Fall Calves for 100% Grass-Fed Beef.

We don't have a big group of Fall-Calvers, but they're a nice little group.  This year we have 12 extra Fall calves.  So..... I'm having a special on our Grass-Fed Beef.  If you reserve your Grass-Fed Beef now, you will recieve a 5% discount.  These calves will finish in Late November. 

I encourage you to keep checking back.  Each calf that is reserved will be updated with their growth & progress on this blog.  By reserving your beef now, you'll get to watch your calf grow & see the beautiful pastures where they reside.

I look forward to talking with you!!

Sorry for the bad picture, it was taken this morning at dawn.  Beautiful soggy morning, but bad light.

~Shanen Momma to the Mama cows @ the Ebersole Cattle Co

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GRILLED TRI-TIP ROAST

1 beef tri-trip (bottom sirloin roast, approx. 2 lbs.) We used a small Rump Roast & it was still YUMMY!
2 T. minced onion
1 T. packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. bottled hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
Salt to taste

Combine onion, brown sugar, hot pepper sauce, chili powder, cumin and cinnamon; spread evenly over surface of beef tri-tip roast. Place roast on grid over medium coals.

Grill 30-35 minutes on open brazier (25-30 minutes in covered cooker), turning frequently. (Roast will be rare to medium in its doneness.) Remove roast from grill. Allow roast to "stand" tented with foil for 10 minutes for easier carving. Carve roast across the grain into thin slices. Makes 8 servings.
 

This is the official recipe from a Yahoo Group that I am a member of  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/meat-recipes/  This group has all sorts of Great Meat Recipes!

NOW....For the Ebersole (GreenRanchinMom's) Modifications.

I didn't use all the fancy seasonings.  We like our BEEF to taste like....BEEF!  So usually the only seasonings we use are Lawry's or some Garlic & Onion.  So, If you're looking for a way to cook those roasts without using the CrockPot or heating up the house with the oven...Just thaw your beef in the morning, & FIRE UP THE GRILL!

 If you are interested in Spring Beef, call us today to reserve your quarters now.  You will get several yummy roasts to grill or bake!

Enjoy!

~Shanen - Mama to the Momma cows at the Ebersole Cattle Co

Wow, these couple of weeks have been crazy!!  But, this past Friday was Beef Pickup Day!  I have just tried out a new locker & went to pick up our Grass-Fed Ground Beef.  The new part is that I also had them make some of their AWARD WINNING Beef Sticks!  Remember, this is GRASS-FED, All Natural Yummy, Ebersole Beef!

These Beef Sticks are AMAZING!  Yum!  Just the perfect amount of fat.  Enough that it is Juicy, but not greasy in your mouth.  The spices are great too.  They have a great spicy flavor, but they are still mild enough that the kids are loving them.

They will make great snacks in the truck.  For those days that you are on-the-go and you need a protien punch, but don't want to go thru the Drive thru.  We will have the Sticks in our Local Harvest store very soon!  If you are interested in trying some of our Beef Sticks, just drop me an e-mail.

The Grass-Fed Ground  Beef also turned out great!!  Extra Lean and very flavorful!!  YUMMM!! I have "re-stocked" our Ground Beef Freezer & hope you take a look.

I will soon have more pictures of life on the ranch.  Just think Snow, Snow, & MORE SNOW!!!

Our new Website is also becoming more functional.   Check out EbersoleCattleCo.com

Wow,  so first I'm humbled!! Diana is a great friend and Foodie.  I had facebooked the other day about having steaks in the oven.  The next night this wonderful foodie asked ME how I made them.  WOW!  I was humbled!  I guess my busy mama way of cooking is different to those who love to cook.

Then another friend wondered how I was making steaks this time of year.  Because the wind is blowing @ 20 Below Zero and its too cold to even go check on the gril this week.  Hmm, really, they want to know how I'm meaking steak??  You see, I love to LOOK at recipes, but I rarely follow them.  I very rarely have time to cook, let alone something fancy.  But, BEEF, real BEEF is a requirement around here at least 5 nights a week.  So, I guess (suprised me!) that I have found some innovative ways to cheat on time, and still make our beef taste great.

So here goes...

Steaks, The Busy (Forgetful) Mama Way

10 min before supper, you wonder what you're going to eat.  Grab some steaks out of the Freezer.
Perhaps 2 RibEye's or 2 Flank Steaks

1   Place steak packages in the sink under warm running water.  Select Pan & start thinking of vegetable sides (in default choose potatoes & corn)

2    Unwrap steaks & split 2 frozen steaks apart. (Use warm running water, not microwave if you need help)

3   Heat up cast iron skillet with a little olive oil.  When pan is HOT place 2 steaks in the pan. 

4   Preheat Oven to 350 with a cookie sheet or glass caserole dish already in the oven (to warm the dish)

5   Flip steaks & season with your favorite seasonings.  I used some Lowry's type seasoning.  Yes, really flip them after about 2 min.

6   Get out the veggies.  I selected some frozen sweet corn & a couple of potatoes & started chopping.

7   Take the first 2 steaks out of the pan & place them in the Oven Dish.  Put a little more Olive Oil in the pan & start cooking the next 2 steaks.  (we usually eat about 3-4 steaks for our family of 5, & I can't fit them all on at once)

8   After 2 min on each side (or just a good sear, if you like yours a little rare) Put them both in the oven with the other steaks.

9   Fry or warm your veggies.  I usually cheat & use the same pan (some would call this de-glazeing) to cook the veggies.

10   As soon as your veggies are ready, the kids are called, and the table is set (in our house about 15-30 min) Your Steaks should be ready.  I usually pull out the bottom steak to check done-ness & start cutting for the kids.

Total Cook & Prep Time     UNDER 35 Min!  From Freezer To Table!

So, If you don't know What's For Dinner....Its BEEF STEAKS in the Winter  (the Busy Mama Way)

 Hope you enjoy!!!

Shanen - Mama to the Momma cows & the EbersoleCattleCo

Just thought you might enjoy a dusk shot of next year's Grass-Fed Beef out on pasture with their cows.  When it snows we roll out grass on top of the snow so they have some fresh food.

We have about 2 feet of snow right now, so we are feeding quite a bit of hay.  We haven't had this much snow for about 8 years. 

We are thankful for the beautiful gift of CHRISTmas and all of our families.

We hope you and yours are all safe and sound, with full bellies.

Merry CHRISTmas!!

Shanen - Momma to the Mama cows at the Ebersole Cattle Co

ps - Our beef will be cut this week, so we will be delivering 100% Grass-fed beef to those that have purchased.  We do have some 100% Grass-fed GROUND BEEF available in our store.  This will be ground and delivered this week also!  THANK YOU!

What breed is best for finishing on grass?  Well, there is tons of debate, and no "right" answer.

We raise Maine-Anjou and (Black) Angus cattle.  First a little about our Maine cows.  They are a dual purpose breed of cattle that was imported from France.  The Maine-Anjou breed was developed in the Maine and Anjou counties of France.  Most cattlemen in France do not feed grains to their animals, thus the Maine-Anjou cow is perfect for grass development.  These cows were originally Red and White. Maine -Anjou cows have a great disposition and are perfect for a small family farm.  The cows have a good amount of milk, and are very good mothers.  Another benefit to finishing Maine-Anjou calves is that they are quick growers.  A typical Maine will finish in 12-16 months in a grain-fed operation.  We harvest our grass-fed Maine  calves at about 14-19 months.  This is a great benefits to both the animals and our bottom line.  When you harvest an animal younger you will have meat that is much more tender and flavorful!

Angus cattle or "Black Angus" cattle have been the best marketed cattle in the united states.  They have tons of consumer recognition and can be good cows.    Angus do have more marbling traits.  Meaning that you should get more internal fat in a steak which will provide additional flavor.  We have selected our Angus cows for maternal ability and carcass traits.

We have crossed our foundation Maine-Anjou Cows with Registered Angus cows.  This cross has tons of benefits.  With a cross of two purebred animals you will get the best of both worlds with milk, muscle and flavor.  I hesitate to use the word "hybrid" but with crossbreeding you will get NATURAL Hybrid vigor without any chemicals, antibiotics or hormones.

I hope I haven't bored you with a discussion of our beef genetics.  I just thought you might like to know a little more about our cows and why our beef is EXTREMELY tender and flavorful!!

We do have a quarter of 100% grass-fed beef available.  And we have more 100% ground beef bundles available.  Check out our store.

Have a great day!!

Shanen -Momma to the Mama Cows at the Ebersole Cattle Co

I have suffered with low Iron for 9 (diagnosed) years, and probably many before then.

This is what a small scrape will look like only hours afterwards if my Iron is low.  This scrape was barely noticable when it happened.

When I had our son, I had an emergency C-Section and bled aLOT on the table.  I lost over 2.5 pints of blood.  They wanted to give me blood and a transfusion, but I politely declined.  I was also told that my Iron was 6 points too low, and if it did not improve within the next 48 hours I would NEED the transfusion. 

Well, we set out to fix that in the next 24 hours I had eaten over 20 ounces of beef  (EBERSOLE BEEF).   I kept eating beef and everything green under the sun.  Plenty of yogurt too, so that the Calcium would help me replentish my blood supply.  My iron improved several points and I was allowed to go home (while nursing my son) and have my levels checked in 3 days.  As long as I was able to keep increasing my levels, I would not need the transfusion.

Once we were home, My wonderful Husband cleaned out our deep freeze and found every last package of liver possible.  (EWWW)  I don't like liver, but I wanted to keep my body mine and not have a transfusion.

My doctors were impressed.  That is an understatement.  He asked me EXACTLY what was I doing and eating.  I simply said beef, lots and lots of HOME RAISED beef!  Wow, was he amazed.  I don't have high cholesterol, and he now understood how.....  HOME RAISED.  He even went so far as to ask how we raised our cattle.   He was happy to hear that we pastured our beef.  huh?? 

What I didn't know then, was that he had been researching nutrition and the relationship to what each animal was fed.  This led me to start doing some of my own research and observations.

When I am consistent with a low carb, high protein (MEAT) diet, I have NO iron issues.  When I am off track, and we eat alot, and eat a ton of pasta.....IRON problems (like the one you see above).

So, if you have low iron, EAT MEAT, specifically home raised pastured beef!

EBERSOLE BEEF

Eat happy beef!

Shanen - Mama to the MamaCows at the Ebersole Ranch

Just wanted to let everyone know that we have a new product in our LocalHarvest Store.

http://www.localharvest.org/small-pastured-beef-bundle-C13892

A Refrigerator/Freezer Bundle is the perfect size for a small family, or just the family that doesn't have a Deep Freeze.

http://www.localharvest.org/small-pastured-beef-bundle-C13892

Check out this new product and drop me a line if you would like to reserve your bundle for an OCTOBER HARVEST.

http://www.localharvest.org/small-pastured-beef-bundle-C13892

We will have these bundles available in the end of October, but reservations should be made by the end of September.

On other news, the Farm to School program is wonderful, check it out here.

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2009/09/0441.xml

We do have larger bundles (quarter and halves) available, so drop us a line if you would like to reserve your portion of beef.

ebersolecattleco@yahoo.com

We look forward to talking with you!!

Shanen -The Mama to the Ebersole MamaCows

Wow! It seems like just yesterday that these little guys were trying to walk into my house.

Now, those little guys, are this big out in the pasture. Next weekend, we will have our first round-up of the fall season.

We will be grouping about 50 cows together and driving them about a mile on horseback and up into the corrals set up in the pasture. Its scheduled to be a fun and sunny day!

If you would like to come and visit and reserve your beef for next year, just call me and I can probably get you directions. (btw, we'll be at a pasture that has all dirt roads leading to it)

Take a look at our LocalHarvest Store, I'm trying to put up some new smaller bundles that will fit in a typical, refrigerator/freezer and are very economical! Keep checking, as it might take a couple of days to get to view the new bundles that are available for purchase NOW.

http://www.localharvest.org/store/M24259

Shanen

A happy Mama to the MamaCows at Ebersole Cattle Co

WOW!! This summer has flown by!!  State Fair is over, and I'm ready for an Indian Summer (or a continuation of our cool summer).

Fair went well.  My little cowgirl showed her first calf at State Fair & did a great job!  She had Reserve Champion Winter Calf with her heifer.  Freedom (the heifer) did great and ate well the entire week.  I'm a nervous Mama and always worry excessively about my animals when we take them off the farm.  The Winter Bull we took (ULTIMATE 879U) was Champion Winter Bull.

So, it was a pretty good week!  We had fun at the fair too!

The kids & I rounded up our escape artist of a Red Beef Calf this morning and took him to the locker.  All went well, and he followed me right into the trailer without any stress. 

This is SO EXCITING!!!! Why, you may ask???

Well, this means that "I DID IT!"  I sold all of our SpringBorn Beef Calves!! And I have all of our Fall Born Calves pre-ordered!

This is AMAZING to me!!!  I knew that if I took care of our calves well, treated them with respect and love, that other people would know this and also want to enjoy our beef.  In the past we have only raised a couple of select beef calves for us and our family.

So, we are now planning next years beef herd.  We have been carefully selecting our beef calves and replacement heifers that we will keep for next year.  These animals are of the highest quality with the best mama cows.

If you want to reserve your beef for next year, now would be a great time!  You could even come to round up day, and enjoy a beautiful day out in the pasture moving the pairs to the hilltop and bringing them home to wean.

This is also a wonderful time of year because our fall cows are starting to calve.  We have to drive very carefully out in the pasture, so that we don't accidentally find a new calf in the tall grass.  It is so cute to see a little head peeking thru the tall grass while mama grazes nearby.

I hope you are all enjoying the summertime weather!

Shanen : )

Mama to the MamaCows at EbersoleCattleCompany

Buy Great Beef at http://www.localharvest.org/store/M24259

Well, it is that time of year.  HARVEST TIME.  We have been busy AI'ing cows, and making sure that all of the calves are healthy on pasture.

And feeding the beef.  The beef have been growing great and we have 2 calves that are finishing size.  All of the beef that has been sold is currently "aging" at the locker.  These steers will be aged for 21 days to get the best flavor and tenderness.

I do have 1 more steer that is finished and just needs to find a home in a couple of people's freezers.

So, if you want great beef, with GREAT flavor and tenderness, drop me an e-mail and I will get you a very great price!

Hope the spring rains have treated you well!!

Shanen : )

Well, calving season is REALLY here!  We are almost half way through the season.  We now have our first group sorted so we can start breeding them.

Last week we were able to turn the GRASS FED BEEF calves out to pasture.  They are still supplemented with hay, but the grass is starting to grow.  Such a beautiful sight!  Calves grazing and foraging is a wonderful sight after such a long winter.

Here's a cute picture of a little one who was born on a cold rainy night, and was escorted into the house to warm up.  In the morning, I awoke to him trying to open the door to come IN my kitchen.  He didn't want to stay in the laundry room.  We took him back out to mama, and he drank like a pro!  It's always my worry that I have touched them too much, and then its a ton of work to get the cow to readily accept them again.  Not this mama, she wanted him the second we pulled him (on the sled) into the barn.  YEAH!!

You can see, by the calf in my house (one of many) that we REALLY care for our cattle.  We give them the BEST care possible!

All of our Spring BEEF has been sold, but we do have some fall beef still available!  Stop here and take a look.  We would love to customize your order of a full share of beef.  We can make sure you get the specific cuts and sized packages that YOUR family will enjoy!  We deliver to Omaha, Kansas City and the Quad Cities.  So, odds are, if you are within 300 miles of us, we can make a stop in YOUR area to deliver some fantastic beef.

As always, if you are in the area, just drop me a note and you can stop by the Ranch and see the calves and cows.  We even have a bottle calf you might get to feed, and the chickens ar making plenty of extra eggs if you need any. 

Happy Easter!

Well, spring has sprung on the ranch.  That means cows mooing in the pasture to new calves, babies everywhere, and new grass. 

We have had some grass start to grow, and are looking forward to new entirely green pastures in about 2 weeks.  The AI season has begun and we are planning to breed several hundred head of cows for other cattlemen in the next couple of weeks.

I am enjoying my time away from 20 buckets of feed for the calves.  All of the Corn-fed calves are now on self feeders, and thus we only have to fill them about once a week.  The replacement heifers will be on grass soon and we won't have to feed them as much either.

We have sold all of the calves except those we will make into beef, so speak up soon if you would like to try some of our great beef!

If you would like to stop by the Ranch and see the baby calves, call and I will set up a time.

Now that the Spring Calves have been sold, it is time to concentrate on the Fall Calves.  Beef that is.  We are now starting to sell Fall Shares.  This beef will be harvested in September.  We have a total of 8 calves that we are keeping for beef this fall.

It is imperative that you reserve your beef in advance.  This is especially important if you would like GRASS-FED beef.  The Grass calves will be turned out to pasture in a week, and the rest will be fed corn.

I really like the way these fall calves are looking, and will have some pictures for you soon.

Sorry I don't have much time to post right now, as we are in the middle of calving season.  We have about 30 calves on the ground, with more coming every day.

Well, we are in the thick of it!  Calving Time.   So far, we have about 20 calves alive and healthy. 

As you can see, we have been doing everything we can to get them warm and dry.  Including letting them inside our house, well the laundry room.

This little gal was born last night in single digit weather and was very cold.  You can see how new he is by his still red umbilical cord.

We have had 6 "houseguests" in the past 3 days of rainy cold weather.  All of our previous houseguests are doing great and are back outside with their mothers.

I have been exited by all of our calves, because they are soo food.  We think that this year's crop will be some of our best beef yet!

We have sold out of beef to be harvested in June.  We are starting to reserve calves for September Harvest.  Take a look at our store, or drop us an e-mail.

Our life on the Ranch has reached the busiest time of year! Calving time!  We also have been able to (so far) keep all of our '08 spring and fall calves.  We have sold several steers in our CSA pay as you go program, and have selected 13 heifers to stay in our herd.

We have 10 (hopefully 11 when I check heifers after posting this) calves on the ground right now.  Most of these early calves are purebred Maine Anjou calves.  We will keep some of these heifers in the herd, and offer the rest of the great ones to other MaineAnjou breeders.

Unfortunately, we must sell some of our calves.  Fortunately, we have Local Harvest, to help us sell some of these calves to locals (we will drive a long way to deliver great beef).  So, we are again having a BEEF SALE!  If you sign up for any size CSA share this month (February) we will also add an additional 25 pounds of Ground Beef.  The ground beef will be delivered immediately upon receipt of your down payment.  This will allow you to taste some of the great flavor that will be harvested in June.

Call us to help you determine what size share will best fit your family.

We LOVE to have visitors, and now is a great time with all of the cute calves on the ground!

Shanen

First of all, sorry for all of the time away from blogging.  Hope all y'all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We have 3 new puppies!!!  There are only three, because Rosie wasn't supposed to get bred this time, but Chilli, (our blue heeler working dog) couldn't help but take his girl for a 2 hour run one day.  Theese dogs will be great workers and family members.  If you are interested, just drop us a line.

Meanwhile back at the ranch...We have been busy!!!  We realised in early in December, that the Tax Man was gonna get us this year if we didn't act fast.  You see, he doesn't like it when you sell a large ranch and downsize.  Even if you use all the cash to pay off debt and purchase the new farm.  So, after a couple of meetings with our CPA, we decided to increase our cowherd!   YEAH!!  We don't have to run as many outside cows (cows other people own).  So a shoppin we went.

We bought 15 new cows at two Maine-Anjou dispersal sales.  And, we also purchased 18 new Angus cattle from Werner's in Diagonal.  With some heifers, we bought at some local sales, we have increased our herd by 40 head.  I can't tell you how excited I am for my new girls to calve!!

Our barn finishing touches are coming along, and we will soon have lights and our waterer pads poured.

We have a couple of beef that will be harvested on Tuesday.  We will have about  800 total pounds of LEAN ground beef.  YEAH!!  I have a hundred pounds that isn't yet spoken for, so if you would like to try our beef before you join our CSA, just drop me a note, and I'll arange shipping.

More stories and pictures to arrive soon  : ))

Shanen

Old man winter has arrived!  He blew in with a 45 degree temperature change on Sunday and Ice on Thursday.  Right now we have 2 inches of snow covered with 3/4 inch of ice and another 1/2 inch of snow.  Talk about SLICK!!  I skated to the barn this morning and found all the stock doing well (except 7-up).  I fed and watered and checked out 7-up. 

7-Up is our resident shetland pony.  He is a tiny one, about 36 inches high and has a sore leg.  We can't seem to locate the problem and are hoping it is a stone bruise from the cold rough ground.  With all that hair you can't tell if anything is swolen or hotter than it should be.

The calves are all eating and enjoying the weather.  The little ones have even figured out what a feed bunk is and that I'm there to fill it.  The heifers we have decided to keep are looking good.

My Lacey (my pet cow, good story to come) is doing well in the lot, and her calf is taming down really quickly.

Now, on to the CHICKENS!!  I am finally getting chickens!  I have wanted chickens (and their yummy eggs) since we planned out move in March!  A neighbor is picking them up this weekend.  They have just started laying eggs and I hope to keep them laying in the cold weather.  I have to start building an official chicken coop.  Until that is built, they'll stay in a dog kennel and doghouse inside the barn.  I hope I can let them loose after a day or two, and hope to teach the dogs that chickens are NOT toys to chase.

My  hope is that when the weather is warmer, the chickens will be free range and clean up after the calves and help cleaning the garden scraps.  I'll keep you posted in the chicken adventures.

Beef Shares are almost sold out, but please contact me if you would like me to reserve a half or full share for your family.