Saturday, June 23, 2007

New Moo!

Jody and I himmed and hawed about getting a cow again this year. It was tempting to think of not hauling hay and water all winter yet again.
But, then we looked in the freezer and saw the dwindling supply of beef and realised it is well worth the effort.

I thought maybe I had kinda missed the boat as we are looking at the end of June and I usually get a calf by May.

Soooo- on Thursday, I made a call to Goods Cattle Co. They are the middle man between the local farmers and the big beef growers in the south. I heard that they sometimes have left over calves and local folks can get them.

Well that is the deal. I made the call and Vayda and I swung over and picked out a little red head cutie. Our first cow was a black jersey cross and the second is a black and white Holstein. This is our first little red guy. He is also the biggest one.

Upon our return Vayda, Ben, and I spent 2 hrs in the rain and thunder....and lightning....building a tent and pen for him. I didnt exactly plan ahead. Once he was tucked in bed all was well. He is healthy and spunky.

#'s..... Our first cow was $53 counting gas to and from (he was scrawny though), the second was $65 and this one was $71 (he is big AND I didnt have to drive an hr + to get him).

We saved our left over milk replacer so thats starting him out of the cheap. I wont be keeping track of all the calf starter, grain and hay that goes into him over the next 18 mo. That with the butcher price still comes in under the cost of grass fed beef (he will be finished on grass alone) at about $6 per lb. The quality of the beef is outstanding! And- its so nice to have 200 lbs of hamburg, a hill o steaks + roasts etc etc etc in the freezer.

Back to the cuteness.....I forgot how nice it is to have a baby on the home stead. Hes sweet with his red head and freckled pink nose. :)

JAMMIN!

Strawberry Jam! YUM!!!

Its just not possible to be unhappy while canning jam.
The entire house smells of sweet berries and sugar. Every kid who enters the house comes bouncing to the kitchen for a sweet taste of the good stuff.


Elanee, Vayda, Maya Rae and I went to
Cassim farms and did the U-Pick thing. We brought home over 40 lbs of berries. Then it was to Sauders for a 50lb bag of sugar and a load of powdered pectin.

The girls and I, with help from neighbors, Saige and Ravyn, removed all the tops from the berries. Vayda washed and measured them into quarts. I spent all day yesterday canning. It was a perfect day with bright sun and a cool breeze through the kitchen.

In the end we had 62 pints of jam.

Here are the #'s rounded.....sugar $20, lids $10, pectin $22, berries $43, Lemon $3 for a total of $98. Sounds like alot but.....thats just $1.58 per jar for a top quality jam with no toxic waste in it. Sauders sells a comparable jam for $3 ish. Thats a savings of $1.48 each or $91.76 total! Not too shabby!!!

I would make this jam even if it cost more than the store. Its just TOO good. mmmmmm :)

The Bag Lady

A few weeks ago I sat down and sewed 20 fabric bags. I used all recycled fabric. Most of it had been handed down to me from friends.
The striped bag was once a sheet turned curtain....now bag. The black bag was once a bathroom sink skirt. There are several flash backs to the 70's. Some cute plaid. A rooster picture. All are fun.
We are getting into the habit of bringing them shopping with us. We have had some nice comments.
It feels good down size the piles of fabric and to stop the flow of plastic bags from coming into the house.

Letchworth State Park



Jody and I took a trip to Letchworth State Park for our 10th wedding ann.

We spent 3 days camping, biking and hiking. We had a great time. We ate at the Glen Iris our first night in the park. Fancy dancy!The park was beautiful and we enjoyed lots of interesting wild life including baby deer, beaver, 3 colors of skunk, and even an otter!

Nice time with the spouce. ;)