Farm Photos

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two.sparrows.farm

Favorite date night 🔪 ... We've been processing

Favorite date night 🔪
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We've been processing deer together long before farming was ever on our mind 🦌
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One season we had an amazing Yooper friend teach us how and we've been on our own ever since! 🤗
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Interesting side note: an engineer by trade, that friend left his job to launch his dream company @orionhunting in the UP and is named Beau (inspiration for our first son's name!) 💙
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When we first began processing our own deer, it was because hunting filled our bellies cheaper (& healthier!) than food from the store. 👍
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For the cost of a license, a borrowed gun and ammo, we could have clean & healthy meat that we could never otherwise afford. 💸
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And we never had an extra cent to pay someone else to do the processing. 🤷
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It was the poor man's way to fill the freezer, save money & invest in our relationship 👏
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But, it also put us deeply in touch with our food.
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Taking an animal from life through death, then breaking it down into "meat," which then nourishes your family is an incredible process to experience.✨
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And that's why we continue to process our own deer to this day.
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Now, we could probably afford to pay for the processing and receive neat & tidy packages back after dropping off a whole animal.
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But, we choose to use our own backyard & kitchen instead
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I know this animal had a humane death and I love making sure we make use of the entire animal, not wasting a bit and ensuring that it's sacrifice is appreciated. 🙏
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I love working together with Dan - we enjoy each other and there's nothing like putting the kids to bed, enjoying a hot pot of coffee and staying up late processing & packaging & talking. ☕
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And, I want to set that example for our kids. 👫👬
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I want them to see us work as a team. I want them to know that just because you have the money to outsource the work, doesn't necessarily mean you should.
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I want them to see and truly understand why we make the lifestyle choices we do.💚
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I need them to know that eating meat means an animal has to die and it should ideally be you doing that dirty work. 💪
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#datenight #farmstyle #dateyourspouse #thatswhattheymeantright #ohdeer #liveyourvalues

We've been busy with the business of life lately.

We've been busy with the business of life lately. 🤗
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We had 140 yards of sand delivered last week for the cow sand beds and riding arena. 🐎
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The sand for the barn project is all in place so we're moving on to curbs, rails and electrical work. 💪
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Projects happen slowly since we have to balance project work with regular farm work and family life. 😬
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Ceci had her last 2 speed shows of the year and she took Reserve Grand Champ at both. 👏
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Now, we're in the midst of hunting season! 🦌
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Dan took a doe on opening day and is hoping to have time to get a second deer this week so we can process them together this weekend. 🤞
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We're also trying to wrap our head around the Thanksgiving holiday next week 😱
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Deliveries are shifted and we're organizing an apple & pie order, plus hosting at our house! 🦃
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And some people in our house are already talking about Christmas decorations! ✨ (Not me!) 😜
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#fallonthefarm #huntingseason #barnprojects #neverend #ridingarena #fillthefreezer #deerpopulationcontrol #holidayseason

An early & frosty start to the day - I just couldn

An early & frosty start to the day - I just couldn't resist snapping a photo of the gorgeous morning!✨
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We had 7 loads of sand delivered for a total of 140 yards - some will be used in the cows' sand beds and most will be used to fill the sand riding arena we've been working on. 👏
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Dan continued to work on structural issues with the trusses in the cow barn - ideally, so we don't have to modify the tractor to fit into the barn. 🤞
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We picked up two deer tags for hunting this weekend. #fillingthefreezer 🦌
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And, today I was alerted to fraudulent charges on my credit card from across the country 😱
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Luckily, the company caught it early and I'm not responsible for any of the purchases. 🙌
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I'm glad to have it cleared up since we have a big weekend of work ahead of us! 😂
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#farmlife #fallonthefarm #frostymorning #puremichigan #gettingexcitedforvenjson #ridingarena #cowbarn #dairylife #familyfarming

Ceci is all of us right now with this weather!! 🙌
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70 in November is rare - let alone a 6 day stretch of 70's!! ☀️
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We've been prioritizing projects that are much easier and/or more enjoyable in warmer weather (which is basically everything 😂)
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We are waiting on sand to be delivered for our new cow barn this week and have our other materials gathered. 👍
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Additional supports have gone in and we're likely going to need to modify our tractor to fit into the barn a little. 😬
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We thought that we *may* be able to keep the cab on but it's just too close to the beams so we're hoping to take the cab off but find a way to put it back on for hay season. 💪
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Additionally, we've been making several runs to scrap items that were left on the farm when we purchased it or we've accumulated over the past 2 years.
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And, we were able to make lots of progress fencing our riding arena! 👏
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Plus, campfires and family time soaking in the last of the warmth! 🤗
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I'm sure once the cold weather returns we'll find thing that we WISH we would've done with nice weather but, it is what it is 🤷
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#fallonthefarm #farmlife #familieswhoworktogether #wahm #wahd #lookslikenovember #feelslikeseptember

Apparently it's already Thursday tomorrow 🤷 ...

Apparently it's already Thursday tomorrow 🤷
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Does anyone else feel like it's just been a week?! 🤦
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We've been slammed since late last week, which has been a welcome distraction from the sh*t show that this election is. 😂
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Our barn renovation is cruising along and we had cement poured on Monday! 🙌
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The molds came off today and we can drive equipment on it this weekend 💪
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Still have a few supports going in, electrical, and SAND. ⛱️
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Another element we've been waiting on was our tractor loader. The hydraulic cylinders had to be rebuilt (after hay season was finished but before hay feeding season began!) 😜
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It ended up being 6 weeks without a loader 😱 but it's back just in time!
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This week, we've also had to change a flat tire mid-haul on our livestock trailer, squeak in a farrier visit, two dentist appointments, and finally got to the polls on Tuesday! 🇺🇸
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We waited 2 hours to vote but we did it! 👏
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PS - Here's Carlita showing off our new cement slab in the barn. 🤗 Who knew some new cement, lumber and electrical could be so exciting in an old barn?! 😂
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#barnrenovation #cowbarn #freestalls #sandbeds #winteriscoming #barnreno #fallonthefarm #blueheeler #cattledog #carlita #farmdog #workingdog #wahm

All Hallows Eve!! 🎃 ... Last year it was a snow

All Hallows Eve!! 🎃
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Last year it was a snowstorm. ❄️ This year, the snow will wait until tomorrow. 👍
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We're (fittingly) attending a barn party for the evening and admiring the full moon. 🌕
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With so many hard frosts in October we're nearing the end of our grazing season. 🌱
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Our goal is always to get to December but we're looking at feeding hay around mid-November. 😬
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A long grazing season just wasn't in the deck of weather card we were dealt this year. 🤷
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Thankfully, we were able to stock up with extra hay going into winter so we're feeling grateful. 🤗
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#grassfed #hayseason #horses #cows #dairy #beef #fallonthefarm #fallgrazing #fallcolors

Life on the farm this week got pretty muddy pretty

Life on the farm this week got pretty muddy pretty fast 😂
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We received over 3" of rain since mid-week so our once-dry ground is just a tad soggy now. 🌧️
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We added more water to our life when the main pipe that brings water from the well into the barn rusted through and burst on Friday! 😱
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Thankfully, milking was already done and we happened to be in the milk house when it burst. 👏
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Had it happened at night, or during the afternoon when we weren't right there it may have been spraying water for hours without our knowledge. 😬
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So, repairing that pipe was Dan's day but he got it done so we had minimal water supply interruption. 💪
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Other than that, we've been working on normal chores (like cleaning out calf stalls!) and adjusting to the much colder weather of late fall. 🍁🍂
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#fallonthefarm #calfchores #fixingwaterlines #alwaysrepairing #alwaysfixing

Those fall colors 🤗 ... Big work is being done

Those fall colors 🤗
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Big work is being done on our barn project this week 💪
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I'll share progress updates in our stories soon. 🤞
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It's been a rare experience for us, hiring outside help but we're hoping it'll be worth the investment in the structure. 💸
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For now, the kids are fascinated watching the equipment work all day 😝
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#barnproject2020 #fallcolors #grassfed #dairy #beef #grazingmanagement #buttercup #fallonthefarm #winteriscoming

A whole lot of October going on right now 🍂🍁

A whole lot of October going on right now 🍂🍁
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Lovely grass for fall grazing 🌱
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Always the storm clouds before the sun disappears for the next 6 months ☁️
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And the most vibrant, stunning colors 🌳
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We've had some heavy frosts now so the growing season is certainly over now. ❄️
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All signs that winter is coming sooner rather than later 😬
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#fallonthefarm #fallcolors #fallgrazing #allthegrass #heavyfrost #cooltemps #goodbyesunshine #pleasedontleaveme #winteriscoming

Being 3 is hard. 😂 ... Yesterday, we had a melt

Being 3 is hard. 😂
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Yesterday, we had a meltdown because I wouldn't let him scoop his applesauce with a pair of scissors. 🤷 #meanmom
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But, being a #farmkid makes being 3 a little easier sometimes. 🐄
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For all the wildness that Baylor brings, he also adds an enthusiastic work ethic and joyful presence to everyday chores. 💪
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And he reminds us to soak in all the small moments of working together.🤗
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#farmlife #familyfarming #preschool #toddlerlife #3yearsold #fallonthefarm #puremichigan #pasturedpigs #farmchores #lifewithbaylor

We were all about the gorgeous fall weather this w

We were all about the gorgeous fall weather this weekend! 🍁
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We passed the time setting fence posts, removing brackets from fence posts, digging holes for an upcoming barn project, riding horses and having a campfire. 🙌
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With the darkness coming earlier, we're also able to sneak in an episode of Dirty Jobs most nights before everyone crashes 😂
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Monday was eventful with an emergency vet call for our horse Annie (the paint on the right in this photo) 🐎
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We trailer her to Cecilia's lessons each week and she is an anxious rider so Dan have her a bit of grain to calm her a bit for the ride today.
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She then developed choke by the time we arrived 😱
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Basically, she was so nervous that she ate too quickly and swallowed the grain in a big ball that was lodged in her trachea.😬
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With no way to swallow, eat or drink it can get pretty serious pretty quickly.
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We spent 45 minutes massaging it since 8/10 times you can help them pass it themselves.
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Today was not that day.
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Thankfully, we have a wonderful large animal vet who was out and with some sedation was able to flush it out and she's back to feeling great. 🙏
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What we *had* planned for today was thrown out so now we're able to work on a project I'll be sharing soon! 👏
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#horses #hayburner #expensive #butsofun #farmlife #gottalovevetcalls #fallonthefarm #farmkids #fallcolors #puremichigan

It's looking pretty October outside!! 🍁 ... The

It's looking pretty October outside!! 🍁
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The warmth of the sun is fading already and the nights are cool & crisp. 🍃
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These storm clouds were rolling past the farm while I was moving pastures a few days ago - what a gorgeous sight! 😍
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We've been keeping busy playing "catch-up" after the chaos of September. 👍
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Picking up feed, straw bales, ordering parts to fix equipment, getting quotes for an upcoming barn project and lots of computer work as we enter the last quarter of the year. 😬
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We have a few more beef animals heading into butcher next week then a break until December when we have more butcher dates scheduled and more cows due to calve. 🤗
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Summer is such a high-energy time that it makes us grateful to slow down and turn inward during the fall season. 🙏
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#fallonthefarm #welcometooctober #harvestseason #grazingseason #farmlife #doingallthethings #fixingupeverything #fixingbarns #fixingequipment #fixingcement #fixingwiring #allthefarmjobs

It's October 1 and we've been moving cows every 18

It's October 1 and we've been moving cows every 18-24 hours for almost 6 months now. 🙌
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With frost likely tonight or tomorrow night, much of the grass growth will halt for the year. 🌱
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There are a few species of cool season grasses that will continue to grow a bit with warmer temps and some light frosts.🌬️
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But, for the most part, the growing season is over. That doesn't mean the grazing season is done with yet! 💪
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We have large swaths of the pastures that are basically stock-piled for grazing after the frost and into winter.❄️
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As long as the cows aren't plugging up soft pastures, we'll let them continue to browse for forage - usually this is well into December.🎄
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We don't usually plan on supplementing with hay until Thanksgiving or early December, depending on the weather.
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So, we still have weeks left of this farm chore which is fine by me! 😍
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Also, just ignore the baby coos coming through the video 😜 #babywearing #farmbaby #wahm
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#grassfed #dairy #beef #regenerativeagriculture #pasturemanagement #rotationalgrazing #intensivegrazing #whenwesaygrass #wemeangrass #grassmilk

We are 100% DONE with hay for the season!! 🙌 ..

We are 100% DONE with hay for the season!! 🙌
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It's been a family effort with the kids and I on daily "maintenance" work on the farm in order to free up Dan to work in the field.🚜
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Milking, filling bottles, calf chores, pigs, a homeschool farm tour, driving deliveries, all while baby wearing a kid who has doubled his birth weight in 3 months.👶
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The older kids are getting to be actual help even if it's talking to and holding Blaine, feeding calves and filling water tanks. Every little bit helps!🤗
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We're really happy with the 600 bales of third cutting squares in the barn and Dan fought through a broken baler and limited man power to get the job done. 💪
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Our bodies are in an unspeakable amount of discomfort and soreness after wrapping up the week at 9pm last night.😂
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We're recovering today, wrapping up a few small loose ends and a family hayride at a nearby orchard.🍎
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It's the beginning of Dan's birthday weekend so it's the perfect excuse to take a day or two off from projects. 😜
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FYI - this photo is from Wednesday and everyone looked decidedly more haggard by Friday evening. 😱
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#thirdcuttinghay #ohthepain #icantmove #familytime #familieswhoworktogether #fallonthefarm #farmlife #allthehayforwinter

If you're local to our farm, we're looking for fol

If you're local to our farm, we're looking for folks who want to work out! 😜
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We're finishing our 3rd cutting hay and would appreciate extra hands to pick square bales off the field & put them away in the barn. 💪
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We can pay in beer or milk and you must be able to sling 50# + bales without damaging them 🤣
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We'll start loading bales onto the wagon around 4 pm (Thursday). DM us if you're interested!
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#makinghay #whilethesunshines #3rdcutting #squares #fallonthefarm #readytobedonewithhay #lansingmi #eatonrapidsmi #farmmuscles #farmlife

#farmlife #freshcow #freshcalf #familyfarm #famili

#farmlife #freshcow #freshcalf #familyfarm #familieswhofarmtogether #worktogether #wahm #wahd #thefarmisourclassroom #fallonthefarm

A fresh calf is a great way to wrap up a very busy

A fresh calf is a great way to wrap up a very busy week! 🤗
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Our cow, Millie, had this beautiful little heifer early in the morning out in the pasture. 🌱
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Mom & baby are doing great! 🐄
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We had 20 acres of hay cut on Friday so this week includes raking, baling and picking bales into the barn. 💪
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We're really excited for some beautiful 3rd cutting squares for calves this winter. ❄️
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We're probably MORE excited to not think about hay again until next June 😂
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We are so grateful for a slow Sunday at home - regular chores and prep work for the week ahead, catching up on dishes (😬!), laundry and stewing a bushel of tomatoes for the freezer! 🍅
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What a gorgeous fall day! ☀️
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#puttinguptomatoes #fullfreezer #wesurvived #anotherweek #fallonthefarm #nowineedanap #catchupday

Hazy sunset over the farm. 🌄 ... We've been fol

Hazy sunset over the farm. 🌄
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We've been following the wildfires out West and the entire situation is devastating.😭
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But, our hearts are especially broken for farmers & ranchers who must make incredibly painful decisions. 🚒
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The hazy sky here is nothing compared to the effects those farmers will feel 🔥
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I'd love to hear more first-hand or personal accounts of what it's like to be a rancher or farmer affected by the wildfires.
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Any good post or account recommendations?
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#2020wildfires #smoke #haze #upperatmosphere #alwaysask #wherearethefarmers #whereisthefood

We are marching through this week! 💪 ... We hav

We are marching through this week! 💪
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We have pork back from the butcher and into customers' freezers. ✔️
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Milk deliveries were made 1-2 days early because of butcher schedules & our refrigerated cooler is still down (since Sunday) 😬
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Trips to TSC, cleaning barns & trailers, mountains of emails, tour prep 😱
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Tomorrow, our beef head into butcher, our tractor's hydraulic cylinders are still being rebuilt, and we're hoping our cooler will finally be fixed. 🤞
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It's a pretty vital piece to the daily operations of the farm - keeping our filled milk bottles cool and extra storage for calf milk. 🐄
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Dan keeps reminding me that equipment doesn't break if you don't use it. And we use the hell out of what we own. 🤣
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And the good news is that I only have another 3-4 weeks before my NEW dishwasher and dryer arrive 🙌
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Buying new appliances isn't normal for us - we tend to snag used items locally but we haven't been able to find what we need used and stores are super backordered, too! 🤷
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What's another few weeks of hand washing dishes and air drying laundry with 4 kids and a farm?! 😂
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In total, I'll have been without them for 4 months with a newborn and 3 months with only one burner on my stove before Dan fixed that. ✨
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I'm proud of myself for surviving that Amish experiment but pretty geeked about the modern amenities. 😜
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#fixingallthethings #everythingbreakseventually #itsallatonetime #fallonthefarm #pasturedpork #pigsonpasture #lovingit #butineedsleep #andcoffee #farmlife #winteriscoming #winterprep #alltheprojects

We're getting excited for our Coffee & Muck Boots

Another long weekend packed with projects & beauti

Another long weekend packed with projects & beautiful weather. ✨
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We have a jam-packed week coming up, which isn't something we relish but sometimes that's how things line up. 🤷
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We tried to set aside today for some slow-paced family time which went to h*ll when we woke up and found our 3 door commercial cooler had died overnight. 😭
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The good news is that it was only storing calf milk and the first service person we called arrived within an hour! 🙌
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He's *hoping* to find the compressor in stock tomorrow and be able to have it up and running by the afternoon.🤞
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The bad news is that the compressor (which broke) is 90% of the units function and will cost half of what we paid for the whole unit. 😱
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It turns out, the more equipment you own the more repair costs you incur. 😂
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No matter, #farmlife happens 😜
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#sunsetonthefarm #fallonthefarm #familytime

Many children were tugged from their warm beds thi

Many children were tugged from their warm beds this morning, headed to school. 📚
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Not this girl.
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She was pulled out into her barn clothes, in the pouring rain to save a calf 😬
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A different kind of school, I suppose 🤷
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We expected rain over the weekend - 3/5 days of was predicted and we received exactly zero drops of rain. 🙄
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So when the meteorologists said there was a chance of showers Monday night into Tuesday, we weren't holding our breath. 🤣
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But, a huge storm rolled through and around 5 am Dan's"Spidey sense" woke him up. (It's not unusual for him to wake from a dead sleep when he feels something is "off" 🤷)
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He had a feeling he should go check the herd. 🐄
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So, out into the storm he went and found one of our cows had just calved! 😱
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This was her 6th calf and she only yesterday had started to look a little bagged up like she might calve in the next week or so.
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Little did we know that she meant overnight in a storm! ⛈️
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While the rest of the cows sought shelter, she chose a terrible spot to birth - behind our main barn where all the gutters converge and run off into a low spot away from the buildings 😬
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As the storm continued, he could see the water rise around the newborn calf and she couldn't free herself from the muddy banks.😭
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Her mom stood over her to protect her from the rain but she was risk of hypothermia in the cold rain and drowning from the rising water. 🌊
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I had three boys sleeping in the house (including a 10 week old) so I wasn't able to abandon my post.🏚️
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But, Cecilia cheerfully sprang out of bed, held the flashlight, opened gates and dried off the calf with towels and our handy hair dryer! 😊
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Later in the day, Beau found a 4 leaf clover & we took it as a sign that her name was Lucky 🍀
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Once they dried off, warmed up & ate breakfast, we walked out to start chores and our power went out. 😭
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The storm was gone at this point but a tree had damaged some line and knocked the power out in 30 or so houses in our immediate vicinity 🌳
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It was out for 4 hours! The remainder of the day was a mad dash to make up time. ⏳
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It was a DAY. 😴
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#farmschool #homeschool #farmlife

Labor Day Special! 🤗 ... Well, this little lady

Labor Day Special! 🤗
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Well, this little lady was technically born Sunday evening. 🤷
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We were able to watch mama labor and birth in the pasture, then brought them up for the night together. 🌌
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The kids named her Pumpkin Pie for her orange color, exactly like her mama's (Patsy) 💘
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We are finishing the weekend with all of our corners drilled for our fencing project - not an easy feat with a 12" layer of clay below the soil. 😭
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We didn't get a chance to pickup a dishwasher but we did order one! 👏
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So. Progress. 😜
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#laborday #projectweekend #fencing #barnfixing #familytime #fallishere #winteriscoming

Labor Day is usually a big project weekend for us

Labor Day is usually a big project weekend for us so we've enlisted some big help! 😂
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This year we aren't able to tackle one project start to finish so we're making progress on a couple different projects. 🔨
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We're heading to the hardware store for lumber for an upcoming cement project 💪
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There are several areas within barns that weren't cemented (for whatever reason) when we purchased the farm in 2018.
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We're finally to the point that cement work is being done for winter! 👏
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We're also working on a fencing project in our front pasture - during which we had to dig up and remove some exposed rocks.
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What we discovered was the foundation of an old structure!
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The kids (and us!) have had fun playing archaeologist as we find nails, door hinges, charred wood and rock. 🏚️
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All the hardware has been commercially produced instead of hand forged so it was likely built after 1900.
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The last thing on our list this weekend is a new dishwasher (not a farm project but I'm pretty excited!) 😂
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Within 10 days of Blaine's birth back in June, I had our dishwasher start smoking and die, our dryer finally kick the can and 4/5 burners of our stove stopped working.
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In addition to our bulk tank being broken by the repairmen.
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You can guess which items were on Dan's "winter list" to fix 😝
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Last weekend, he fixed up my stove so I can cook more than one thing at a time now 🙌
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This weekend we're installing a new dishwasher 👏
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And eventually we'll get a working dryer 🤷
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I'm all about the simple life but having a newborn, adapting to life with 4 kids and surviving 2nd cutting hay without those appliances made for very long work days 😂
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Yay for modern household help! 🤗
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#farmlife #workingfamily #projectweekend #getallthethingsdone #winteriscoming

Are you missing sports (college football!) like we

Because it's only fair that I share Dan's 💩phot

Because it's only fair that I share Dan's 💩photo after mine was shared!
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Pigs were successfully loaded with lots of patience - and that's not mud that Dan is covered in 😝
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Thankfully, he showered before making the haul. 👏
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#farmlife #pasturedpork #pasturedpigs #summeronthefarm #showersaplenty #dirtylife #immunesystem #strongashell

Last night on the farm is bittersweet. 😢 ... We

Last night on the farm is bittersweet. 😢
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We enjoy raising these animals tremendously and honestly miss them when they're gone. 💔
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But, their purpose is to fill freezers and provide income for our family. 🙏
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And for that, we are eternally grateful. 🐖
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We also brought them all kinds of table scrap treats for their last hurrah 😜
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#pasturedpork #pasturedpigs #farmlife #realtalk #summeronthefarm

Sunshine has returned after much needed rain and a

Sunshine has returned after much needed rain and a cool down in temps. 😊
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September always lights a fire in us to knock through some farm projects and this year is no different 🔥
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We'll finally have time (and nice weather!) for things like winter prep and farm tours that have taken a backseat to more pressing issues earlier in the season. 🔨
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This week we're taking pigs into butcher and in two weeks our steers will go in. 👍
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Processing continues to present obstacles this year with harvests split over several dates with smaller groups and facilities that are a little further from the farm.🐖
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But, we're incredibly grateful to have nailed down dates back in April for the rest of 2020. 🙏
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Most places are scheduling February through April 2021 right now. 😱
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We will be seeing the ripple effects of COVID for a long time in the food system, folks. 😬
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#localfood #eatlocal #livelocal #grassfedbeef #pasturedpork #knowyourfarmer #summeronthefarm #2020 #whoknowswhatsnext

The only *reasonable* dinner option when it's 92 F

The only *reasonable* dinner option when it's 92 F and 92% humidity 😂
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Homemade vanilla ice cream made with fresh cream and low sugar. 🍨
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Homemade topping made with fresh peaches from @countrymill - caramelized in a little bit of brown sugar & maple syrup from Clark SugarBush. 🍑🍁
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YUM. 😋
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The good news is that we are FINALLY getting rain today after 26 days without any precipitation. 🙌
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I never thought I would say this but a rainy overcast day is seriously what we all need on the farm. 🌧️
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A break from the heat for the animals and soil and people is most welcome right now.
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We had several rounds of storms pass just north or just south of us so we are incredibly grateful for this round of rain & storms to (hopefully) refresh our hay fields and pastures for fall. 🍂
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Happy Friday! 🤗
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#homemade #icecream #freshcream #realcream #lowsugar #freshpeaches #maplesyrup #localfood #eatlocal #thankyourain #weneedalltherain #summeronthefarm #farmlife

Our #barnkids ♥️ ... Blaine will be 2 months o

Our #barnkids ♥️
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Blaine will be 2 months old on Tuesday this week and we are still soaking in every moment with him. 🤗
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We've joked that he's logged more work hours in his 2 months of life than some adults have since March 😂
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He's been in the barn every day with us since he was a week old - milking, filling bottles, feeding calves, feeding pigs, cleaning and just generally being part of the human kid herd. 😜
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He hasn't been on a horse (yet!) but he's spent hours watching everyone else ride. 🏇
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And he's still a pretty darn chill baby. 🙌
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Happy 2 months Blaine! 💙
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#farmkids #barnkids #familyof6 #familieswhoworktogether #farmlife #familylife #familyfarming #everyonehelps #everyoneworks #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #whatsadayoff #nocovidhere

It's officially been 3 weeks without a single drop

It's officially been 3 weeks without a single drop of rain on the farm 😬
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We've had a beautiful (almost cloudless) stretch of 85-90 F. ☀️
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It's been classic hot summer weather, but we're starting to get a *little* nervous 🙄
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It's quite dusty and our cool season grasses, like clover, are starting to curl and even turn brown and crispy. 🤔
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We're also are noticing many trees in our area showing signs of distress, turning brown and losing dead leaves (not in a pretty fall way) 😱
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Apparently, there's a chance of rain later this week so we're hoping for that so we can jump-start some growth for fall grazing and a 3rd cutting of hay.🌧️
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In the meantime, we are chipping away at our fall project list which includes a fairly in-depth barn repair and some "easier" fencing.😂
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And waiting on two cows to calve by early September.🐄
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And finishing our first batch of pork and beef that will be at the butcher in just a few short weeks! 🐖
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#farmlife #summeronthefarm
#sunshine #weneedrain #itshot #notwishingforfallyet #grassfedbeef #pasturedpork #2020 #strangestyearever #whatsnext #barnproject #alwaysfencing #grassfed #grassmilk #eatlocal #smallbusiness #knowyourfarmer

We didn't end up getting a drop of rain this weeke

We didn't end up getting a drop of rain this weekend 😱
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But, cooler temps have rolled in with lower humidity so we can't complain! 🤷
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Interestingly, Dan found this baby snapping turtle swimming in our gutter chain while cleaning the barn this weekend. 🤔
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I'm really stumped as to how it arrived in such a place.
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We have two seasonal ponds in the front 20 acres of our property but both have been dry for a looooong time now.😬
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There is a swampy-ish area behind the barn but it's mostly just moist soil where rainwater gathers and the liquid from the gutter chain drains into.🌧️
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We really don't have a good turtle habitat on the property and certainly nowhere I can imagine a turtle nesting without being disturbed.🐢
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The kids were (of course) pretty geeked and we spent an afternoon discussing and creating an environment for him to temporarily live in.👏
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We had just finished up our unit on ponds and lakes and are starting rivers this week (focusing on freshwater this month)!🌊
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We re-homed the little guy in my In-laws' pond which will be perfect for him.👍
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Of all the wildlife we see on our farm, this has been the most surprising!💚
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#farmlife #somethingneweveryday #easyhomeschoollesson #freshwaterstudy #puremichigan #snappingturtle #hatchling #summeronthefarm #2020 #noexplanationneeded #familyfarming #wildandfree

We're crossing our fingers for some much-needed ra

We're crossing our fingers for some much-needed rain tonight. 🤞
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There is the potential for storms to move through the area and we could really use the precipitation & break in the humidity. 😰
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Dan finally had time to brush hog some large areas of the farm that were overgrown & weedy today.👊
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Plus, he fixed some leaking water issues and the pigs' water tank. 💪
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I'm addition to normal work, that was about as much as we could accomplish given the 90F + temps with 90%+ humidity 😂
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We're callin' it a night! 😜
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#farmweekends #farmwork #rainraincomeagain #summeronthefarm

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