Farm Photos

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two.sparrows.farm

We're getting close to the finish line of our mara

We're getting close to the finish line of our marathon hay week! 🤞
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During our 1st cutting, we tried biting off small chunks at a time - over the course of 3 weeks we got everything cut, baled and wrapped a few days at a time.👏
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For 2nd cutting we tried a different approach.
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We cut, raked and baled all 25 acres of hay at once. 😬
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We added in a 20 acre field, too, across the street at the airport that we had fallen behind on due to the birth of Blaine at the end of June. 👶
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In total, we had 45 acres of hay on the ground - which is a a lot for us. So far our takeaway has been that 25 acres here OR 20 acres at the airport is fine but not both at the same time. 😂
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It required us to hire out most of the mowing and all of the baling (which we normally do anyway)
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We made a little over 20% of the hay into baleage which was wrapped by @murrayfarm 👍
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The rest is a beautiful dairy-quality dry hay. 🐄
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It required an obscene amount of tractor time for Dan. 🚜
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He spent 13 hours raking hay plus mowing and innumerable hours moving bales off the field and into the barn.
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We still have to move bales off the airport on Monday but everything will be put away tonight on our ground before rain moves in. ⛈️
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We also had our hay rake break for a third time so we are now up a new-to-us rake and our bank account is a little smaller. 😜
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The good is news that after a crazy long week we have surpassed our hay goals for winter! 🙌
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We *may* be in a position to sell some dry bales this winter, even.😱
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Depending on weather, rainfall, grass recovery & winter stockpile grazing we would like to do a very small 3rd cutting of squares for calf hay.💪
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That's usually the only hay we buy in now because they require very soft, green and easily digestible hay.
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Once the bales are in storage, we can turn our sights to a very-much-needed barn repair project and very-much-needed family time. ♥️
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Between 1st cutting, Blaine's birth, 2nd cutting and other family requirements we've had little to no time together as a family this summer.😭
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August will *hopefully* be the month of our family. 🤞
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#farmlife #hayseason #weneedsleep #andH2O

Carlita is back in action! 🐕 ... When we woke u

Carlita is back in action! 🐕
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When we woke up Monday morning (an already jam-packed day picking up pigs & chickens!) we discovered that Carlita couldn't stand on her back legs 😬
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She basically dragged herself out of the kennel to go outside, then flopped over on the lawn looking like death and yelping when she moved. 🙄
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No symptoms the night before our initial thought was an intestinal blockage?
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After calling around during breakfast, we finally found a veterinary urgent care that could see her and wasn't MSU vet. (Love MSU but 💰)
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Turns out she pinched a nerve in her spine while working cows the night before. 😱
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A few days laying low and some pain meds and she's back to her normal self. 🤗

New piggies! 🐖 ... This group arrived on Monday

New piggies! 🐖
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This group arrived on Monday this week and will finish this winter - which will be here sooner than we want. 😬
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We also stocked our freezer will some super yummy chickens from an Amish friend 👍
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We've been quiet on social media because it's just been non-stop lately 🙈
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Last week, we were awaiting our annual semi-load of bottles when we were told the freight company wouldn't transport our load until we paid an additional 25% on top of the freight they quoted us (and we paid!) 5 weeks ago. 🙄
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Using some choice words, Dan told them - NO.😂
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They claimed they needed more money because of COVID expenses yet they never mentioned that the rate may change even after it was paid. 🙄
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Dan reminded them that the last delivery driver took out a power line and got himself buried in our yard because of bald tires and an inability to drive a semi.
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He then lied to the tow driver and tried to negotiate the rate to remove his semi from blocking our road. Dan had to separate the two because they were moments away from fists flying. 😬
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Long story short, Thursday morning they let us know our semi would arrive Friday 8-10 am at no extra expense.
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To our surprise, the semi then arrived Thursday night at 10:30 pm. 😱
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He was a great driver and backed right in but we explained that there were 3 truck stops within 10 miles of our house to stop at or we could unload that night.
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Nope. He wanted to sleep in our driveway.🙄
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So, we channeled our inner Ho-Jo and told him we'd leave the light on for him.
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Semi was unloaded Friday morning and it took us the rest of the day to put them into storage in the barn.
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We ended up moving 21,000 bottles 3 times to get them into place 💪
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Saturday morning we were informed that we could finally close on Dan's dad's house after weeks of COVID delays.👊
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So, Saturday was spent moving the last items from his house. And a final walk-through of the house. 😭
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Tuesday, we had 45 acres of hay mowed. And delivery prep. And picking up maple syrup & organic blueberry orders for members. 😋
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And we managed to only get 15 minutes of sprinkles overnight. 👏
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Still a long week ahead😴

Pigs living their best life. 🐖 ... We are feeli

Pigs living their best life. 🐖
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We are feeling grateful for the beautiful summer weather and some much-needed rain on Sunday. 👏
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We are itching to get going on more hay making so we're waiting for another 3 day window without rain to cut the airport across the street & start on 2nd cutting our ground. 🌱
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In the next week we're expecting a semi-load of bottles to be delivered & a new group of weaned piglets to arrive. 🙌
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We are (mostly) busy with those preparations, normal chores/work and our daughter is at horse camp this week 💪
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One of the few things this summer that isn't cancelled! 🐎
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#sweetsummertime #pasturedpigs #berkshirepork #wallowawaytheday #pigs #mudhole #happypigs #farmwork #farmlife #haycutting #alwaysprepping #horsecamp #highlightofceciliassummer #cowgirl

Sounds of summer 🌱🐄 ... It's hot & muggy but

Sounds of summer 🌱🐄
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It's hot & muggy but these ladies are staying cool with lots of fresh grass, shade & cold water 💦
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We're staying cool with frequent dips in our "hot tub" which is set to 88 F - a refreshing but warm pool temp 👍
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And the silver lining is that it's iced coffee season, which happens to be one of my favorite treats 🤗
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#stayingcool #grassfed #beef #grassmilk #grazing #grassmanagement #managinggrassland #icedcoffee #howisurvive #summeronthefarm

We interrupt our #farm posts with some #babyspam t

We interrupt our #farm posts with some #babyspam today 😂
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Blaine is 3 weeks old tonight and chunking out! 👶
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He's gained almost 2 lbs and grown over an inch since birth 💪
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We are trying to soak in all the newborn snuggles ✨
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Thanks to the farm wife's kids for this perfect onesie! (She passed away in 2017 and we purchased her and her husband's farm in 2018) 🚜
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They came out to spread their moms ashes on the farm less than 24 hours after Blaine was born and sweetly sent this last week 👏
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Death and birth are the only consistent truths on a farm (and in life!) ♥️
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#blainechristopher #3weeksold #farmkid #newtotheherd #farmfamily #grateful

A little friendship brightens our day! ♥️ ...

A little friendship brightens our day! ♥️
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#farmfriends #carlita #cattledog #blueheeler #pasturedpigs #berkshire #pork #timeforplay #farmlife #summeronthefarm #pigwallow #mealtime #playtime

Two years ago today we closed on our "forever" far

Two years ago today we closed on our "forever" farm. 🙌
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In reality, I should call it our "for-as-long-as-we-farm" farm 😂
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We love this property & we won't be moving to farm ever again.🚜
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This farm has everything we need to thrive as a family & business. ♥️
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And it took tremendous sacrifice and work to be here💪
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But, I also recognize the reality that we may not live out the remainder of our lives here. 🤷
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Maybe we'll have a child take over and need to live on site.
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Maybe we'll want to retire at some point.
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Maybe our farm will fail.
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Life almost never looks the way we think it will (or plan for it to be!)😬
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So, we do our best, cherish the life we've created here and live gratefully one day at a time. 🙏
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#wakeupgrateful #farmlife #lifeonthefarm #farm #anniversary #2yearsandcounting #8thseasonfarming

"Game changing" rain from yesterday. 💦 ... I do

"Game changing" rain from yesterday. 💦
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I don't know what our exact rainfall total was but we got several rounds of drenching rains.⛈️
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It was perfect for soaking the ground and reinvigorating growth in the pastures. 🌱
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It doesn't hurt that the storms brought cooler temps and low humidity 😉
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Happy Saturday! ☀️
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#happydance #raindance #thankfulforrain #farmlife #summeronthefarm

It's starting to feel a little bit like groundhog'

It's starting to feel a little bit like groundhog's day around here. 😂
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Same routine, chores, heat & flies every single day. ☀️
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90+ degree heat is far more metabolically taxing on the animals than mild winter weather. 😬
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Our hay fields are (luckily) rebounding beautifully, as our warm season grasses, like alfalfa, take over more pasture space from the cool season plants, like clover. ☘️
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And we are offering easy access to hay, water & shade during the hottest part of the day to the animals. 😌
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Evening through early morning is the only time you'll find them grazing right now so we need to make sure they're getting enough calories to offset the loss of keeping cool during this crazy stretch. 😕
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I dare not say it has us wishing for fall weather but more seasonable temps do sound tempting. 🤔
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Hope you're staying cool & hydrated!! 💦
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#summeronthefarm #summer2020 #heatwave #crazyhotformichigan #maybewellgetanothermildwinter #weneedrain #keepcool #stayhydrated

Happy 4th of July!! 🇺🇲 ... Dan is coming off

Happy 4th of July!! 🇺🇲
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Dan is coming off 8 straight 12 hour days in this heat but it's only a few hours of chores and then off for the rest of the day (until evening calf chores 🐄)!
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After resolving the bulk tank issue on Tuesday, he was in West Michigan on deliveries all day Wednesday and spent Thursday & Friday baling hay for his mom after working full days on our farm. 😌
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After a breakfast of waffles & berries this morning, the kids headed to my mom's pool where we will join them for a cookout this afternoon 🙌
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I get some house cleaning time in with Blaine and Dan made rice krispies for our contribution today 👏
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A much needed reprieve with a pool & AC today. 🙏
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We hope you're enjoying friends, family & freedom on this HOT holiday! ♥️💙
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#4thofjuly #2020 #farmlife #findthatAC #holyheatwave #insane #dayoffisrelative #only4hoursofwork #afternoonoff #dairylife #lifewithanewborn #farmbaby

We've been quiet these past few days because Dan h

We've been quiet these past few days because Dan has been working through a terrible situation on the farm.
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Unfortunately, I'm recovering from having a baby 5 days ago and caring for 3 other children.
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So, I mentioned a few weeks ago that we noticed the compressor on our bulk tank was running 24/7 to build ice (to cool the milk) when it should only be running a few hours a day.
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Wanting to prevent a breakdown in the middle of hot weather (i.e. NOW), he called our local dairy repair company
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They came out and did a preliminary look, said they needed a part and would fix it on a lunch break since it would take less than an hour to remedy.
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Fast forward 2 weeks and they decided to arrive just 12 hours after I gave birth to Blaine on a Friday morning.
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No matter, we were running behind anyway due to being up for the birth so Dan delayed milking so they could fix the tank.
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2+ hours later and he could milk but we had to dump the entire milking because they had drained the water and ice and it hasn't had time to rebuild to cool the milk. 🤷
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#worthit if the tank would be working properly
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Saturday we awoke to 0 ice in the tank 😱
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Cue emergency weekend service call, several more hours and the repairman just left because the part supply store was closed. 🙄
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So, we went from a 90% functioning tank to pretty-dead-in-the-water after their "repairs."
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Dan spent every milking adding 50 F ground water to the tank, then 125# of ice we purchased to cool the milk to below 40, then immediately bottled it and stored it in the 35 F cooler.
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Morning chores lasted the entire work day into evening chores just to stay functional.
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Monday - repairman returns in the afternoon and doesn't leave until 8pm. Definitely fixed this time.
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Tuesday - we wake up to NO ice in the tank.
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Final service call - the repairman was really cool and admitted that they broke our perfectly functioning equipment (his boss told him to stop working on it and just sell us a $14K new bulk tank instead 😡)
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Our members only have milk this week due to Dan's extraordinary efforts & patience. 🙌
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#givethatmanabeer #farmlife

After a quiet few days earlier this week, it's bee

After a quiet few days earlier this week, it's been holy chaos the last two. 😂
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Dan wanted to get ahead of the hot weather early last week and called our bulk tank service company. 👍
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We knew it needed to be building more ice and thought there might be a leak or need an AC recharge.🤷
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They came out once & needed another part and didn't come back for 10 days - Friday morning, 12 hours after I'd had a baby 🙄
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It had been working decently well in the meantime but they tweaked some things, recharged the lines and thought we would be in great shape going into 80-90 F temps.👏
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Instead, we woke up to no ice to cool milk in the tank this morning 😱
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We quickly poured off what milk was in there to store in the 35 degree cooler and called their emergency line. 🤑
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Milking later than normal due to service techs means the cows are cranky & kicky with more flies during the warm part of the day. 😵
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They're also still wound up from the big storm that rolled through last night (yay for rain!!) so they're all acting ridiculous.😬
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In the midst of all that, the children of the #farmwife who lived here contacted us to spread some of her ashes per her wishes.💔
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We were happy to accommodate them but it was another layer of chaos last night.
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Plus, today is our son Baylor's 3rd birthday. 🎂
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Thankfully, he's been happy with the small gifts we were able to grab for him this week and the rice krispie treats Dan stayed up late to make him last night 🙌
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Our new little man is getting a real introduction to what life will be like as #4 on a farm.😂
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We welcomed Blaine Christopher at 11:15 pm on Thur. June 25 at home after 4-ish hours of labor with my incredible midwife @simplybornbirth 💙
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The good news is that he and I are doing great! 👊
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He was a healthy 8 lbs and 20" - he's been adjusting to the insanity with ease & the kids are obsessed with him. 👶🏼
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#farmlife #evenwhenyouplan #everythinggoeswrong #lifehappens #summeronthefarm #alwayschaos #rollwiththepunches #babyarrives #farmkids

The kids & I set up a new paddock for the herd las

The kids & I set up a new paddock for the herd last night and it was a glorious evening! 🤗
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Due to user error (🙋) the sound didn't record so you can't enjoy the happy munching 🙄
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The tree line is infested with poison ivy & mosquitoes but it's worth it to give th we guys a fresh buffet every day. 🌱
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And that evening light is 😍
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#familytime #farmlife #grazingcows #pasturerotation #newpaddock #mixedherd #dairy #beef #grassmakesthedifference #summeronthefarm

Overcast views for the first time in a long time ☁️
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We're so grateful for the recent rain storms - we picked up over an inch of rain and everything greened back up overnight 🙏
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This is a portion of the hay field we cut the first week of June and in just over 2 weeks it's grown back beautifully! 🙌
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All those marshmallows are like money in the bank for us come winter - so much to be thankful for right now 🤗
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And, for anyone on #babywatch with us - I'm still pregnant at 40 weeks + 1 day 😬
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Not happy about it but not much I can do so we're just working normal days until #babyboy arrives 🤷
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And, enjoying the blessedly cooler weather before the heat returns on the weekend.
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The cows LOVE temps like this - day time highs in the 70s and lows in the upper 50s 👌
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Every high temp next week is close to 90 again 😌
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Realllllyy hoping I'm not still pregnant at that point 😉
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#hayseason #1stcutting #done #feelinggood #makehaywhilethesunshines #grayskies #junesunshine #grazingbeef #grazingdairy #grassfed #grassfinished #grassmakesthedifference #grassmilk #yum

A very happy Father's Day to the man that makes it

A very happy Father's Day to the man that makes it all run around here 🙌
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I had *thought* I may have a new baby by tomorrow but alas, I'm now on the hook to celebrate 😂
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This man works his a*s off while still being the "fun" parent - his attitude makes even the most mundane farm tasks a bit of a party 😊
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I'm SO grateful to be his partner-in-crime. 👏
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There is never a dull moment doing life (& parenting) with Dan 🤗
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PS - here's a photo from our son Beau's preschool graduation. It was HOT 😌
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#happyfathersday #fathersday2020 #farmfamily #flipflopfarmer #danthemilkman #alsomygardener #poolboy #cowboy #theoneandonly #farmlife

I'm calling this darling heifer Polly 🤗 ... Her

I'm calling this darling heifer Polly 🤗
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Her mom & I were due within a day of each other (her 3rd baby, my 4th) and, of course, she had her baby last weekend 🙄
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But this gangly little girl is so cute and came at the perfect time ❤️
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She's mostly Jersey with an Angus-Holstein cross dad so she has this amazing brindle color that I love. 🐄
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I'm hoping she'll be a great dual purpose (meat & milk cow) so I'm keeping her to breed & milk in 2 years. 👏
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We have finally baled the last of our 1st cutting hay on our property 🙌
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It will be wrapped tomorrow morning but we're sitting at 60% of our winter hay needs, which is incredible for this time of the year. 💪
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We still have squares to make on a rented field and a 2nd cutting later in the summer but it feels good to be done for a few weeks. 🙏
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This has been one of those crazy weeks in which everything seems to converge at once - not super conducive to enticing a baby out 😂🤰
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But, hoping for a slower pace this weekend! ☀️
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#summeronthefarm #haymaking #heifercalf #jersey #angus #holstein #makethatmilk #growthatbeef #makethathay #sunshine #perfectjuneweather #comeonebaby #familytime #farmlife

More hay. 🚜 ... Third weekend in a row of mowin

More hay. 🚜
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Third weekend in a row of mowing, raking & baling.😌
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Tomorrow is baling day and we had to make a change of plans with this 10 acre section.
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We initially cut on Friday evening to make more baleage to bale Monday.
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While mowing, Dan pinched something in his neck which caused a really intense vertigo experience all day Saturday.😕
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Dizziness, nausea, fatigue.🤢
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There was no way he could rake the hay so it dried a little too much.😬
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He felt well enough Sunday to rake and we gave it another day to dry and now it will make beautiful dry round bales 👍
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Which isn't the worst thing in the world - we can store them in the barn and feed them off during muddy times when our baleage may not be accessible in the fields 👏
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A trip to the chiropractor today and he feels like a whole new person!🤗
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We also welcome a new heifer calf on Saturday morning!🐄
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Of course, Pearl and I were due at the same time and she had her calf first.🤰
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But mom & baby are doing fantastic! ✨
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And, our daughter made her 1st Communion on Sunday - it had been scheduled 6 weeks ago but delayed due to COVID-19. ⛪
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We made the best of it even though it was immediate family only, required face masks, social distancing, etc 🙏
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She was SO radiant & joyful that we couldn't help but share in her excitement. 😊
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Next up, we have to switch our focus to cutting the hay field across the street and Dan's parent's field. 🌱
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And, have a human baby at some point. 🤷
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Oh and we're having a service tech out for an emergency call on our bulk tank tomorrow.🙄
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Because it's not working 💯 and we need it to be perfect with the incoming hot weather.☀️
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Welcome to summer on the farm - constant (slightly managed) chaos 😝
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#farmlife #managedchaos #summeronthefarm #hayseason #itwillendeventually #winterprep #winterfeed #winteronthemind #grassfed #alwaysthegrass #grazing #baleage #dryhay #puremichigan

The storms this week left us with .70" of rain and

The storms this week left us with .70" of rain and some strong winds (no damage though!) 🙌
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This is just enough to wet the ground and keep things growing but not enough to flood the fields 🤗
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Now we're looking at blue skies, cooler temps and low humidity and we're aiming to keep cutting hay for the 3rd weekend in a row. 💪
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We really have to take advantage of this perfect weather while it's here! 🚜
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Work now just means more time to relax when #babyboy arrives! 💙
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We're plowing through our "to-do" list like reordering bottles & caps for the year, refilling farm fuel, and lots of other miscellaneous projects. 😎
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#makehaywhenthesunshines #summeronthefarm #puremichigan #grazingcows #realmilk #grassfeddairy #grassfedbeef #eatlocal #livelocal #grassmilk #lansingmi #grandrapidsmi #midmichigan #westmichigan #regenerativeagriculture

Work is done for the day so we're just waiting to

Work is done for the day so we're just waiting to see what the former tropical storm Cristobal throws our way tonight & tomorrow 🌀
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We're really hoping for some rain since it's getting pretty dry 😬
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After the storm moves out, the weekend is looking like yet another beautiful hay window!🙌
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As long as #babyboy and the weather cooperate we'll probably try to get some more put up for winter. 💪
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#makinghaywhilethesunshines #thanksCristobal #farmlife #summeronthefarm #winterprep #grassfed #beef #dairy #allthegrass

What a weekend! 😎 ... 1st cutting hay is done &

What a weekend! 😎
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1st cutting hay is done & it accounts for 40% of our total winter needs 💪
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It's been 8 total days of mowing, raking, hauling, baling and wrapping. 😌
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During hay season, normal farm work doesn't disappear, unfortunately.🙄
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So, that means milking, calf chores, pig chores, filling bottles, deliveries, and even a new calf! 🐄
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Every farmer making hay is working dawn to dusk on their own fields, helping others, picking up custom work, etc. 🚜
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The weather has been absolutely perfect and we made it through relatively unscathed so we can't complain. 👊
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It was a great round of hay making but we're definitely making adjustments going forward, including a new hay rake and likely a new tractor. 😬
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We're also tightening up our window for making baleage to keep the moisture where we want it. 👏
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We're ready for a bit of time off and by that I mean a return to some normal work days 😂
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Depending on when #babyboy decides to arrive, we *may* try to knock down a few acres that are getting away from us grazing. 🤞
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But, if we don't get to it then it won't be the end of the world. 🤷
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#makehaywhenthesunshines #1stcuttinghay #baleage #highmoisture #familywork #familyfarming #tractorwork #tractortime #puremichigan #summeronthefarm #summer2020 #feelinggood

Putting up hay makes for some long, uncomfortable

Putting up hay makes for some long, uncomfortable days. 😬
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But the views and light captured are just magical. ✨
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And we couldn't have asked for better weather to work in - absolute perfection 🙌
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#feelingthankful #puttinguphay #winterfeed #1stcutting #baleage #dairycows #beefcows #allthegrass #allyearround #puremichigan #eatonrapidsmi #theonlyeatonrapidsonearth #midmichigan #livelocal #lansingmi #grassfed #grassfedbeef #grassmilk #realmilk

Taking another shot at hay this weekend 🤞 ... D

Taking another shot at hay this weekend 🤞
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Dan is mowing until dark tonight and early tomorrow morning. 🚜
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Then, two days of raking and baling & wrapping.👊
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Just in time for delivery work days again next week. 😬
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He's been going absolutely non-stop but it'll feel great when this hay field is done and we can rest (for a few weeks). 💪
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Here's to hoping that the forecast stays sunny & dry! ☀️
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#blueskies #greengrass #hayfield #1stcuttinghay #baleage #highmoisturehay #wethay #dairycows #beefcows #tractortime #tractorwork #cooperativeweather #cooperativebaby #juneonthefarm #summer2020

Bovine beach day! 😎 ... The temps are climbing

Bovine beach day! 😎
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The temps are climbing again after a cool weekend so the herd is finding some relief in the pond. 💦
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The weather looks like it's going to cooperate for another round of hay this weekend 👊
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We're planning to cut again in the next day or two for round 2 of baleage 🚜
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#makinghaywhilethesunshines #grazingbeef #grazingdairy #grassmilk #grassfed #doingallthethings #beforebabyarrives #maddash #busyjune #cooperativeweather #cooperativebaby #farmlife

Wrapped up our first go at hay in 2020 yesterday!

Wrapped up our first go at hay in 2020 yesterday! 👊
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It was a small victory - it amounted to a little over 10% of our total winter hay needs but the quality was outstanding and it feels good to have wrapped bales already. 💪
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Baling & wrapping was immensely amusing to the kids so we spent a good chunk of time watching all the activity. 😂
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If all goes well, we'll probably drop hay again later this week. 🤞
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Its going to be a lot hotter than last weekend but right now it looks like a good stretch of dry, warm weather to get more hay put away. ☀️
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Thanks to @murrayfarm
for the custom wrapping! 👏
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#haymaking #2020hayseason #customwork #baleage #wethay #grassfed #feedthecows #makethatmilk #growthatbeef #blazeofgrowth #springgrasses

Busy beautiful weekend! 🙏 ... Dan decided to ta

Busy beautiful weekend! 🙏
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Dan decided to take advantage of the sunshine, cooler temps and low humidity by cutting some hay. ☘️
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He dropped hay on Friday afternoon, raked Saturday & Sunday with baling and wrapping on Monday. 💪
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Given our equipment and labor limitations, we've found that 10 acres of hay at a time is the maximum we're able to do in an available window. 🚜
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So, our first cutting will happen in probably 3 windows of 10 acres each. ...
We're really hoping to have all 30 acres done by the time baby boy decides to make an entrance. 😬
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But, that's entirely dependent on a cooperative baby and cooperative weather - and neither tend to be very cooperative in nature 😂
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In addition to normal farm work and hay, we purchased a new bale spear and had it welded by the awesome @murrayfarm 🙌
... Since I don't do tractor work, I spent much of the weekend cleaning the house, rendering lard, stocking the freezer with butter, baking bread and making a mega batch of blubarb jam. 🍞
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I was either a super homesteader/farm wife OR had a weird early nesting burst 🤷
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Here's to a new month, new baby and new hay cutting! 👊
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#farmlife #finishhay #finishalltheprojects #babyprep #37weeks #stillgottime #wecandothis #1stcutting #baleage #blueskies #sunshine #lightbreeze #lowhumidity #perfectweather #tractorwork

GRASS. 🌱 ... As Joel Salatin says, we are reall

GRASS. 🌱
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As Joel Salatin says, we are really just grass farmers here.
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Even in our brutal Michigan climate, we manage our pastures to maximize grass growth (& gain!) - this means our animals are always grazing the most nutrient-dense forage available. 💪
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Last year, we started grazing mid-April and didn't switch 100% to hay feeding until mid-January 😱
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Sometimes this means moving cows to fresh forage every 12-18 hours. Sometimes it means we move them every 24.👊
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It's a flexible system that is dependent on our judgement of rainfall, field conditions, growth rates, soil temperatures, stocking capacity, weed management and animal gains/production.
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It is NOT simply turning animals out onto a patch of grass and letting them drive it into the ground. 🙅
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We supplemented during some cold snaps in December but were back grazing by mid-April again. 👏
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We plan for 4 months of exclusive hay feeding and a few extra weeks on either side to be safe.🚜
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As we stare down our first cutting of baleage in the next 2 weeks, we're trying to remember how grateful we'll be for this incredible forage next January - March.🙏
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And also how grateful we are for the regenerative power of grass. ☘️
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#grassmilk #grassbeef #evenourpigsgetgrass #grassisbest #herbivores #holisiticmanagement #grazingschool #grazingmasterDan #healtheland #healingfood #regenerativeagriculture #makingtheworldbetter #solarconversion #nutrientdense #wapf

What a stunning way to wrap up the holiday weekend

What a stunning way to wrap up the holiday weekend! 🌈
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It felt like our own private rainbow after a brief but intense rain storm. ⛈️
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It's been HOT but I'm not complaining - as someone who is perpetually cold, I love a good heat wave 😝
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The cows are a little unnerved by it still - just two weeks ago we had overnight frosts & highs in the 40's (15-20 degrees below average) ☃️
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Now, we're experiencing 15 degrees above average with highs in the mid-80's 🤷
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So, the animals aren't quite adjusted yet and they're spending most of the day in the shade, hydrating & ruminating on their lot in life. 🤔
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Early mornings, evenings & overnights are when grazing is done. 🌱
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We've switched from setting up new pastures in the morning to giving them fresh grass in the evening since that's when they're utilizing it better. 💪
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Either way, we're seeing the results it in the cream line on the milk & the color of the butter I'm making. 😍
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One of my favorite parts of spring is when the cows shed their winter coats and grow in their sleek, shiny summer coats. 🐄 They look beautiful! ...
Also, the extra milk they produce when grazing exclusively gives me lots of extra cream for homemade ice cream. 😜
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So, there's that too.🍨
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#rainbow #calmafterthestorm #springstorm #springrain #hot #humid #thisweatheriscray #grazingcows #grassmilk #realmilk #allthefat #realgood #reallocal #localfood #puremichigan

We are so excited for the incoming weather this we

We are so excited for the incoming weather this weekend! 👏
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We *may* have forgotten that it's actually a holiday weekend 🙄 🇺🇸
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But, our big plans include shifting our focus from farm projects to home/yard projects (like everyone else right now!) 😝
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Weeding garden beds, mulching, fixing random broken items (lawn mower, hot tub), and Dan even scored a new playset for the kids off FB marketplace already. 💪
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We had a herd member gift us some tomato plants that I'm potting and going to *attempt* to grow this year. 🍅
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In spite of farming, I have no green thumb and tend to seriously neglect my plants. 🤦
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But, a few pots of tomatoes can't be too difficult, right?! 🤷
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Give me these pigs to raise - zero anxiety. 🤗
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Give me a plant to keep alive - I can't even. 😂
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#thankful #grateful #warmweather #sunshine #blueskies #pastured #pigs #pork #localfood #stillstayingathome #farmlife #familytime

The not-so-great news is that our flooding this ye

The not-so-great news is that our flooding this year is worse than it was last spring, but last season it took months of rain to reach the same levels we reached in under a week this season. 😱
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But, the good news is that we have sun and warm temps moving in, which should help to evaporate and dry up a lot of the water. 🤞
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And, the cows can still graze - just on higher ground closer to the barn complex v. in lower ground. 🌱
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So, we're doing fine! 😎
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Feeling horrible for all the evacuations a little NE of us due to a dam collapse and rupture in the Midland area. 😱
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We are counting our blessings and soaking in this gorgeous spring weather (finally!) ☀️
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#farmlife #freshmilk #grassfedbeef #grazinglife #springgrazing #2020crazyyear #holisiticmanagement

Throwback to a peaceful + serene Saturday night 🌱
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We are inches under water now 🌧️
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Our ponds are swollen, the pastures have standing water and there's no sign of letting up until Tuesday morning 😱
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Just based on our rain gauge, it looks like we've picked up over 4" in the past 5 days 😬
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To put that in perspective, we average 3" of rain during the entire month of April (and 2.5" in May!)🤦
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While we certainly needed the rain, a washout is a lot of water to deal with! 🙄
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We're looking forward to some warm, dry weather to help absorb some of the "squish" we're wading through 😂
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#grassfed #beef #dairy #grazingcows #munchmunchmunch #happycows #somuchfood #onpasture #springblazeofgrowth #holymosquitoes #farmlife

To be completely honest, when Dan and I said "I do

To be completely honest, when Dan and I said "I do" 11 years ago today, this is not the life I envisioned. 🙈
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At. All.
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Like, not even on my radar.
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But, you know what?! I'm hella glad it is our life 11 years later.
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And I'm even more grateful that I chose a spouse based on character, a shared vision & values.
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Because those things tend not to change - sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse 😉
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I read this morning that the traditional gift for your 11th anniversary is steel, which I found rather appropriate.
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Steel is forged together by iron and carbon to be stronger than the individual elements.
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It's not flashy or sexy but steel is damn strong, forged by crucibles and tested to withstand almost any condition.
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It's a beautiful metaphor for marriage. ...
Neither of us bought a steel-related gift, unless you count the innumerable steel pieces of equipment and machinery on our farm. 😂
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Which (I hope) are outward signs of the inward reality - 11 years of marriage is not a banner year with diamonds and trips and fancy dinners (especially during COVID).
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But 11 years is strong, unassuming and tough.
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For us, it's filled with our joint farm work, mutual reliance on each other and the joy of our children.
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It's forged by the fires of so many unexpected experiences.
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11 years doesn't hold a candle to the 69 years of marriage my grandparents will celebrate this year. But 11 years isn't nothing, either. ...
#11yearanniversary #11yearsofIDO #farmmarriage #marriedlife #farmlife #kids #horses #cows #pigs #chickens #tractors #steelanniversary #familylife

Not a bad way to end each day 🤗 ... We've been

Not a bad way to end each day 🤗
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We've been experimenting with multi-species grazing this year and are pretty happy with the results so far! 🌱
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While the cows (beef & dairy) have access to a strip of pasture 24/7, we add our horses in each afternoon & through the evening before putting them away for the night. 🌙
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The horses need a "maintenance" diet compared to the cattle who need an all-you-eat-buffet of calories to pack on meat and produce milk. 🥛
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Restricted eating time ensures they won't get too fat 😉
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Horses tend to browse and move more consistently than the cattle herd so their presence naturally encourages more movement from the cows. 🐄
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They also select for different grass species so the result is a more even clipping graze across the pasture - both in terms of height and what species are eaten. 💪
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It's been really beneficial for the horses' health and working them daily is a good rhythm for them (and us!) 🐴
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We've read about farms who practice a similar concept with other herbivores like sheep and goats. 🐏 So, why not horses? 😂
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#experimentalfarming #farmlife #mentalhealth #pasturehorses #lotsofwalking #naturalhorses #calmhorses #grassfed #dairy #beef #farmlife

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