Farm Update
Dear shareholders and friends of the farm,
I’ve switched to using a “real” newsletter for my farm updates and I may have added you to this list, thinking you might be interested in receiving updates like these. If you don’t want to receive them, you can unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this message.
It’s been far too long since my last update! Case in point: I wrote a “year in review” in January and I still haven’t shared it. Here are a few other quick updates:
Rain. Wow, what a summer it’s been! The last two summers have had tough droughts and for the first time, I actually feel pretty good about growing grass to feed to cows. The ladies have been loving it and producing really well all summer long.
Season Updates. I’ll be drying off the herd in late December sometime — around the 20th — to take a break until spring. Several of the ladies will be gestating new calves by then and besides, there’s no green grass to eat (which means the milk isn’t as nutritious).
Sadly, breeding didn’t go as planned this summer: only two are bred for the spring, but I’ll need at least three to keep the herdshare going at its current capacity. I’m not exactly sure what I’ll have to do; I emailed Meadow Creek, where I originally bought the cows, to see if I can get another bred heifer from them for next year. It’s a longshot, but can’t hurt to ask.
A Tractor. I finally went for it: back in January I bought a John Deere 2240 (55HP diesel, c. 1976) off Facebook Marketplace in non-working condition. I wanted a learning opportunity, and boy, did I do some learning. Ask me sometime about the hydraulic drive shaft, the loader spool valve, the loader control cable, the fuel return line, rebuilding hydraulic cylinders, bleeding the fuel line, flushing the hydraulic fluid, reinstalling coolant hoses … you get the picture! At this point, all its fluids and filters have been replaced, everything* is in good working order, and it has no leaks! The big downside is that it isn’t 4×4, which I think would help on all my hills.
* Well, one of the rear hydraulic connectors isn’t quite right yet…
The big wins here are that I can now unload my own hay, even when it’s stacked two bales high, and I can mow pastures. (I also bought a 7½’ bush hog several weeks ago.)
St. Dunstan’s Academy. This spring, I spent a lot of time out at the St. Dunstan’s campus in Nelson County, mostly working on the timber frame for their new dorm. We raised it! I also wrote up a small pasture assessment this summer.
Earthworks. My to-do list this year includes installing some simple earthworks to retain rainfall better. I didn’t make as much progress yet as I hoped, but I did run St. Dunstan’s Academy’s subsoiler across the pastures, on contour, to improve absorption. There’s still time this year to install swales, and I now own a tractor and the right kind of plow… so I’m getting there!
Empty Bottles. Have you mysteriously accumulated a stash of convenient, rustic-looking half-gallon mason jars with dark gray plastic lids? Maybe some of them have “Lake Road Farm” stickers on top? If so, please return them — I have to buy more when they don’t show back up. And: thanks to those of you who return bottles every week — or two — it makes my job a lot easier!
With crisp mornings back in the forecast, fall is definitely coming. Pray for more rain — and good fall grass growth — so we’ll have plenty of good forage on the ground through the end of December.
I’ll be trying to get one more frost-free waterer in the ground so that I can feed hay on the high, dry south hilltop this winter. That spot could use the extra fertility and besides, it’ll stay relatively dry during the “mud times” of winter and early spring. Also, I’m still sorting out my winter hay situation. Since the cows will be dry, I won’t have to buy alfalfa mix hay ($$$!), so I’m on the lookout for some well-made second cutting hay from here in western Albemarle. Let me know if you have a lead 😉.
I have a fall round of boilers (meat chickens) on the calendar, arriving in two weeks or so. If you’re interested in learning more about “where your food comes from,” you’re welcome to come meet them and help out on processing day — just respond to this email to let me know you’re interested. You’ll go home with the freshest chicken you’ve ever seen.
As always, thanks for being part of this adventure. Please get in touch if you have any questions or comments about what’s up at the farm. Best,
Robert