Things were perfectly peaceful around here. Then somebody mentioned Halloween, and more importantly, treats. Suddenly, everyone had an opinion! The Horses: A Pirate and a Soldier Dusty: Hey, Cisco. I heard Mom talking about something called “Halloween.” Know anything about it? Cisco: I think it’s a night when little kids …
** Click ** That’s got to be one of the most annoying sounds in the world. Key in the ignition. Turn it. And… ** Click ** . Not a rumble. Not a roar. Not even an enthusiastic attempt. Just a dead battery and a vehicle that apparently has no intention …
From “Obsolete” to “Back in the Saddle Again” In the last issue, I talked about electricity being the necessity of necessities around here. When the power goes out on a farm, it isn’t just the lights you miss. It’s water, heat, refrigeration, and all the little things that keep the …
We all have things we swear are necessities. The latest iPad. A Starbucks or Dunkin’ run every workday morning. Binge-watching our favorite show until Netflix asks, “Are you still watching?” Yes, Netflix. Mind your business. But when a hurricane, blizzard, or good old New England ice storm rolls through, the …
Crash! If you remember from the last issue, I had a big maple tree with a sizeable crack that needed to come down. Pretty much immediately. I did my due diligence and called for two estimates. They were within a few dollars of each other, but one company could come …
Running a Farm Is Like Running a Town Sometimes I think managing a farm feels a lot like running a small town. You have a Building Department (I have 6 free-standing buildings with 10 distinct “divisions”). A Department of Public Works handling roads, snow removal, mowing, trimming, and weeding. Your …
Back when we first got our horses, I walked into the stable one morning and froze. “Blood!” I thought. “Oh no, who’s sick?” I checked Cisco. I checked Dusty. No cuts, no splatter, nothing that looked like an injury. I cleaned it up, but my stomach stayed in a knot. …
One of the strangest requests I ever got came from my neighbor: “Can I give your chickens some bee larvae?” I had questions. Lots of them. Bees are already struggling. We need them for pollination, for our food, for honey. So why would a beekeeper want to get rid of …
When Loppers Wave the White Flag I’ve got a bit of a recurring problem around here. Saplings and young trees have a habit of popping up in all the wrong places. Loppers can handle some of it… until they can’t. Once you’re dealing with something thicker or tougher (hello stubborn …
Did you know that not all goats come equipped with horns? I sure didn’t, not when I first got into goat ownership. Back then, a goat was a goat, and goats had horns. End of story. Then along came the word “polled,” and I had to learn something new. Now, …
