Autumn

" And all at once, summer collapsed into fall...".  Oscar Wilde

The cooler nights bring out the spunky in these guys - well, as spunky as a couple of senior horses get... We're wondering if the early appearance of winter fluff is a harbinger of winter weather to come? 

These rainbow rangers have a few weeks to go - our second attempt at raising some meat for the year after the first batch was lost. There are a lot of roosters in the bunch and they have a strange crow that they like to practice...often...and early. 

It's almost time for the great fig harvest of 2017. Ok, there's like 10. But 10 more than last year. This particular tree is growing like mad, considering we thought it was dead this spring it bounced back extremely well. I had already bought 2 more to replace it and now I'm not quite sure where to plant them. Having too many figs is never a bad thing.

The bacon seeds have grown incredibly fast. They've been dining on apples, beets, peppers, corn and milk. Lots of milk. They slam the trough down every chance they get to let us know when the milk is gone and just stare at us when we dare give them water instead.

The girls are coming in to heat, a little later than normal given the crazy unpredictable weather we've had. 4 bred, several to go. We did appraise the herd this fall and overall it was a positive experience, several of the girls raised their scores and our herd average was higher than anticipated. 

Yes, love is in the air. . . or is that urine? The boys are raring to go, fighting, stinking and difficult to handle. 

Even though the weather has been pretty fantastic this fall so far, all around us there are signs of the impending winter. Annie-cat is fattening up. Well, she has always been fat. She's also really fluffy but she does like to sample the milk before we feed the pigs every day. 

And we're stocking up on and stacking up wood to feed the fireplace. It's coming. . . 

So for the next few weeks we're going to focus on sunshine, sunsets and porch time. Soon the changing leaves will be gone and the drear will return for another long windy winter. 

A Case of the Mondays. . . Food Ignorance

This week's news gave me a case of the Mondays. My 'real' job requires me to be educated - to be self-directed in regards to continual learning. As does life, in general. So how do educated people make a conscious decision to stop learning? Or decide to learn only online? To be swayed by propaganda or photos, or by terms like 'free range' or 'cage free' without researching the true meaning? Ugh.

So what do food terms really mean?

Free Range - Regulated for meat poultry only - not eggs, beef or pork. Indicates that the birds are required to have 'access' to the outdoors with no regulation regarding time of use or space given.

Free range poultry

Cage Free- Term used for both meat poultry and eggs. Indicates the animal is free to move about an enclosed barn with constant access to food and water.

Cage free poultry

All Natural - Implies the product is free from artificial colors and flavors and is minimally processed. The term is, however, completely unregulated.

Organic - Produced without fertilizers, pesticides or GMO's, no use of antibiotics or hormones and are fed only organically produced feeds. Regulated by the USDA, requires extensive record keeping, inspections and testing.

Pasture Raised - similar to grass fed, completely unregulated. Term developed by farmers to differentiate their product from 'free range' products once the public realized these animals, too, are kept indoors.

Pastured poultry

Grass Fed - the ruminant animal (beef cattle, sheep, goats) are raised on fresh pasture and hay throughout the year. This indicates the majority of the diet is grass but does allow for supplementation with grain as most  livestock are grain finished for an undetermined time bfore slaughter. As of 2016, not a USDA standard, it is a voluntary claim made by producers.

Grass Finished - the animals in question have reached physical maturity, they will be fed exclusively grasses until slaughter rather than being grain finished, as are the majority.

Humane- Implies the animals were raised with compassion with space and ability to engage in natural behaviors with sufficient space, feed and shelter. The term 'humane' is otherwise unregulated although there are certifications available with variable standards.

Antibiotic Free / Hormone Free - Antibiotics are primarily used for disease prevention while hormones typically increase growth rate or milk production. These are USDA regulated, documentation is required though testing for hormones is not routinely performed.

Artisanal - Implies that products are made by hand in small batches. Completely unregulated and often used by large manufacturers to sway consumers.

Here are some recent news stories that highlight the epidemic of food ignorance and miseducation regarding animal husbandry.

1. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/07/20/538062911/whats-it-really-like-to-work-in-a-prison-goat-milk-farm-we-asked-inmates

I don't plan to go to jail. But if I did, goats would make it better. As would milk and cheese.

2. http://prichardfarms.com/why-whole-foods-big-poultry-revolution-is-chicken-shit/

3. http://denver.cbslocal.com/2017/07/23/goats-yoga-workout/

If I had a dollar for every time I've been asked about goat yoga recently! No, we don't do it, no we aren't going to start. Yoga is like cilantro. Or black licorice. You either enjoy it or you don't. I don't. What I wonder is if suburbanites like being showered in goat berries or urine while they stretch? Come on. . . its got to happen!

4. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/animal-sanctuary-wants-pot-belly-pig-pet-trend-to-end-1.4217049

Pigs are smart and social. They need a lot of  stimulation to prevent boredom. And a lot of food that will inevitably come out their rear ends. I realize they can be housetrained and are quite clean but I guess I just don't get the appeal of having one INSIDE the home. There is odor, and lots of it. Having a dog pooping in your backyard just doesn't come close to having a pig poop in your backyard or even worse, in a litterbox inside your house. Not a fan.


5. http://www.grandhaventribune.com/Agriculture/2017/07/22/Michigan-salmonella-outbreaks-linked-to-backyard-chickens

Birds are terrifying enough outside. I'd need a bomb shelter if they were in my home. They are also involuntary copious poopers.  Why on earth do people feel the need to humanize chickens and let them sleep on the couch? Gross.

Looking forward to Tuesday 😃

Happy Birthday Luna!

Luna is 10 years old! A little shaggy, a little gimpy but still going strong. Luna was retired from breeding and milking a few years ago after a leg injury, she has bounced back well from a now fused knee, followed by founder and a year of casting and bracing. She manages to wander daily to the far ends of the pasture and she can really haul ass when she hears treats coming.

Her birthday celebration was pretty exciting. First we took a messy snotty hay nose photo.

Then she wore a farm-style party hat.

She stared lovingly at her favorite treat - peeps!

And she didn't have to share.

So happy birthday to goofball Luna- may she have more to come...

Spring...winter...spring...winter...

The Ohio weather is at it again. The lilacs budded, the daffodils are up, the horses shed out their winter coats weeks ago- and now it's snowing. The clover is peeking through the brown dried grasses and Ranger Roger has informed me that the redwing blackbirds are ahead of schedule. And it's that time of year- we're drowning in baby goats!

February 16 started the downward spiral when both Linden and Paloma delivered mixed twins each without difficulty. They had an easy time.  I, on the other hand was a little sluggish after helping them at 3am and 4am respectively. I guess of practice. Several hours later, Charlotte gave birth to triplet bucklings, darn it! I. I'm thankful they're healthy and thriving but she hasn't had a girl in 3 years! So, day one- we're off and running.

The following Wednesday, February 22nd, brought a shower of toggenburgs. 3 does, 3 more sets of triplets. Maribel had 2 does, 1 buck. Emilene had one doe, two bucks. And many hours later, Crazy Clingy Embry had two does, one buck as well.

Sofia, too had triplets- one doe, two bucks, one of which is a rabbit, I think. And to round out my striking out on Alpine doe kids, Chicory had twin bucklings as well. Over the next 24 hours a set of mixed saanen twins from Filomena and a set of twin bucklings from Elliot completed a long three days. Elliott, as you'all remember was the crazy kid who scaled walls, squeezed through 4 inch gaps and broke her leg last winter. Since she had boys, she is dam raising them and I was extremely impressed with her mothering ability and quick bond with the kids. The morning after, however, I found her standing in the middle of the barn, gate still latched, thankfully unharmed. I guess old habits die hard.

The next week was a bye week for the Capra Lane crowd and it's a good thing. It was one of those weeks when everything we touched turned to disaster. Including the milker, various water lines, the dogs had more escapades, we each had a cold, work was super hectic for both of us- you know, THOSE weeks where you eat a lot of hot dogs and eggs for dinner. Luci was the lone momma-to-be for the first of March and that huge belly was hiding three giant bucklings. No girls...again unfortunately but that's ok, it will help me control numbers for 2018! All the babies are doing great, some have already moved on to their new homes.

We're going to take a short breather, maybe even sleep in for an hour. Next week Iris, Sabine, Carolina, Charming and Massey (Masquerade) will kid. I'm thinking about a buy one get two free sale...😉 Meanwhile, Charlotte and Sofia are anxious to show off their trim bellies.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you all a very happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous 2017! Yet again, we failed to send holiday cards, emails, texts. Yet again, we failed to maintain contact with old friends and family. At home, Christmas wishes are flooding in, from photo cards to greeting cards to yearly update letters. The year flew by, as most years do. Here is our year in review, from the Capra Lane Farm house to yours. . . 

Down on The Farm

This will be our second holiday season at the new house and its feeling more and more like home. We've transformed the land quite a bit, and we've celebrated the first year ever having a surplus of hay. Did I just jinx it? Stalls up, stalls down, wiring in, fences up. Trees down, trees in, mowing, tedding, baling. We asked for it!

Home Sweet Home

The house itself is still a work in progress. the largest renovation of 2016 is conversion of the old fireplace to a woodburning insert to help heat the house. Its been wonderful and toasty warm, the dogs have permanent residence in front of the blower. We're known amongst family and friends as keeping a chilly house, but no longer. Men + fire = stifling at times. We're still tweaking the milk room and will hopefully get to painting and staining later this winter. Having hot water in the barn has been fantastic. The powder blue carpet is disappearing room by room, replaced by wood, stone and tile. The basement is now dry, thanks to many hours of moving stone and dirt by Rog and his father (aka Capra Lane Farm's #1 intern). The new landscaping was a bit stunted by this summers drought, but next year will hopefully bring growth and lots of color to the new garden plantings.

Death Defying Stunts

This is just one of the many reasons women live longer than men. Many of this years projects required ladders, and sometimes the ladders weren't high enough. No worries, noone got hurt. Leaky roofs, loose gutters, dead ash trees and 36 acres of hay all needed attention before winter set in.

Lives on the Farm

The goats are well. We've bred 19 for the spring of 2017 so it will be a busy few months shortly. All of the older girls have their 'spots' in the barn. Blessing the guard llama is working hard from her perch atop the manure pile. She was a bit put out by the angus calves next door. We only made it to one goat show this year and we left with several first places and a handful of GCH and RGCH wins. We can't let them get too lazy thinking they can go all summer loafing at home. We raised 520 lbs of pig this fall due to be picked up this week, bringing milk fed fresh bacon back into our lives. That is a very good thing. 

Speaking of Bacon. . . 

Summers are generally rich with 'farm fresh meals' which has turned into a bit of a joke for us. We compete nightly to put nothing store bought on the plate once the garden is in production. Despite the lack of rain, our garden turned out to be quite productive. Not pretty, as usual, but productive. I went on another canning rampage and stockpiled beets both plain and pickled, tomatoes, marinara sauce, green tomato pickles, green tomato marmalade, applesauce, apple butter and apple jelly. I think Rog was ready to hurl my pressure canner and copious jars out the back door at one point. I may have gotten a little obsessive about preservation.

Roger

Rog hit the big '4-0' this spring, which was nothing short of traumatic for all. We reminisced with childhood friends over Lu's pizza in Grafton, a common hangout during their high school years. We also had a beverage at the absolute shadiest bar I've ever had the pleasure of entering. Again, noone got hurt. His now much longer commute to school was made easier by a mild winter and a shiny new truck - working brakes and reliability are not overrated. The acreage expansion at home shifted Rog's focus to collecting larger equipment in greater number. He gave up his long term state park naturalist position to focus on farm work and found himself busier than ever and seemingly always teetering on the edge of a haywagon. Rog's newest adventure has him leading a grant funded water quality initiative studying the environmental impact of runoff from Lorain county's large farms.

Amanda

When asked how I am my standard answer is 'living the dream every day'. Sarcasm? Yes. The healthcare industry routinely gives me heartburn but so far I've managed to stay independent in practice and am gifted with a thriving office and wonderful staff. A couple years ago I accepted a teaching position twice yearly in Memphis- truly, Memphis is kind of a shithole. Aside from one spectacular restaurant I'm usually anxious for the sessions to end. I was recently invited to speak in China (still attempting to weasel out of that one) and I tucked a few more publications under my belt this year. Hospital meetings, resident journal clubs and speaking engagements rounded out my year. Gosh I'm boring...

The Kids

Don't be silly, your didn't miss anything, no kids here of the two-legged variety! Just the cute little ones with fuzzy ears. On January 1st of 2016 we woke up, went to the barn and found a kid with a broken leg. Happy New Year! Always the way things happen. The rest of the crew did just fine this year. Birthing season was uneventful, kids were sold, some were retained. They bounced happily in their new pasture and made it their job to torment the chickens through the adjacent fence. 

The Other Kids

Luna and Tinder are suffering from 'only child syndrome' - yes, both of them. Without Kaelyn's guidance and Rosie-cats discipline they've basically become suicidal. And some days we want to strangle them. How can 13 lbs (collectively) of dog cause so much trouble?? Luna started the parade by eating a tilex soaked shower-cleaning sponge. All except the scouring pad, it must have been uncomfortable to chew. Why? Seems a logical question. She was fine. Canned pumpkin meals and poop checks for well over a week until the last of the purple sponge bits made an appearance. Next incident- we came in from chores and those buggers had pulled a backpack off a counter height table, unzipped it, unpacked it and ate 2 packs of gum. They're tiny-how'd they do that? Remains a mystery. Gum with xylitol is highly toxic, meaning quick death in such small dogs. Even the emergency vet was dumbfounded by the fact that they weren't sick and their labs did not show multiorgan failure. Especially since Tinder pooped out two Trident wrappers on their floor. Again, they were fine. A few days later they had passed the 'worry phase' for liver failure and then I caught them in the garden eating nightshade berries off of a weed. Again, they were fine. Over Thanksgiving they broke into Ava's (our niece) diaper bag and helped themselves to 3 full quart sized ziploc bags of vanilla wafers, goldfish crackers and cheerios. You guessed it, they were fine. They have us well trained. They have a cozy bed in front of the fire, a newly decorated room (bathroom), an impenetrable (not!) baby gate and various furry blankets to snuggle into (and pee on). I hope they make it through 2017. 

Equine Events

Yes, we are officially horse owners. Two senior, somewhat crabby mares have joined our motley crew. Sierra and Rain have fit in somewhat seamlessly and have chubbed up in time for winter. We've enjoyed learning their quirks and taking leisurely rides. seeing how they respond to unpredictable winter weather and screaming goats in labor should be interesting.

Ohio Weather

Unpredictable. Multiple personalities disorder. Gray. Generally crappy. All over the place so far this fall after a dry, hot sunny summer. If this is a predictor of whats to come in 2017 I can't say I'm looking forward to it. The picture of the roses is from a 70 degree day November, the snow is from 24 hours later. 

Family

2016 was full of unexpected excitement, retirements, parties, growth and loss. I suppose all are par for the course in adulthood. 2017 will bring extended vacations (not us), new homes (not us, are you crazy?), and probably block parties like the Columbus area has never seen. As old traditions give way to new, we wish all of you who read this far (!) a fulfilling and rewarding New Year. Happy Holidays from Capra Lane Farm!

With much love, 

Roger and Amanda

Horsing around

I never really wanted a horse. Except maybe when I was 5 when every girl wants a horse for Christmas-- or a unicorn. We took a few trail rides over the years on 'family fun day' and had some distant relatives with horses but other than that my life in Youngstown was quite far removed from what it has become. Rog and his family lived with "Happy" the horse who took up residence in their barn for many years but Rog himself never took much of an interest in horsemanship.

It wan't until we moved to the new farm that the desire to add larger animals set in. The farm was previously used for boarding off track racehorses and was therefore set up as such. 28 stalls, wash room, tack room, drylots, pastures with run-in sheds and plenty of hay. A few of the smaller pastures had been rearranged or scrapped by the time we got here. So I decided I needed a cow in my life. Specifically a mini-Jersey.

Yes, that's a real thing and yes, they're exceptionally cute. Jersey cows make higher protein, higher butterfat milk that makes wonderful fatty cheese. I need that in my life. 

Mini Jerseys can give about 2 gallons a day, which I thought would be ideal so that we wouldn't be overrun with milk given that the goats give is 10-ish gallons a day already. They're also small, cute and more manageable in terms of clean up than a standard size cow. Which is important since we had already built a milking parlor with a door through which a standard cow would certainly not fit. I started shopping, Rog started panicking. Jersey minis, it seems, are quite expensive, surpassing $3000-4000 when sold bred. Cross contamination with manure and parasites when housed with the goats would be a concern. Housing it alone would be another concern. We discussed the possibility and Rog had some concerns with milking yet another animal that would tie us down and he uttered those fateful words "I guess I'd rather have a horse."

To Rog that means someday, many years from now, in the future, potentially never. To me that means I put down 'Cows for dummies' and picked up 'Horses for dummies' and started reading and shopping. The attraction about horses is that there are countless horses that need a home. Unscrupulous breeding practices, financial burden, poor management and judgement make horses an easy target for neglect and abuse. 

I started taking horsemanship / riding lessons over the winter and then began working with a midwest rescue program and waited a few months until someone came in that would be a good fit for aging-beginners-who-don't-want-to-get-hurt. Ultimately the chosen rescue horses did not pan out due to severe medical conditions that showed up once the weather warmed so we were back to square one. The goal being aged senior horses in relatively good health who were in need of a good retirement home that we were certain we could provide. Riding would be secondary, but soundness a plus, of course. Above all, safe, calm animals that would try their best not to kill us. Not asking too much, right? :-)

Enter Sierra - a well loved quarter horse / paint cross, 23 years old. Our trainer met Sierra's owners by chance at a show and they expressed their desire to rehome her due to an upcoming move and other obligations. Sierra is friendly, mild mannered and quite cooperative (most of the time!). 

Sierra - not abused, not thin - in fact, a little chubby

They were gracious enough to send Sierra with loads of tack and supplies and she soon made the journey home. Her adjustment to Capra Lane had its ups and downs, naturally. She traveled from a busy horse boarding facility near Cleveland to a quiet (sort of) goat farm - pretty traumatic to most any critter and she made it clear she missed her equine neighbors. She was especially wary of the loudmouth rooster and our neighbors cows at which she snorted incessantly. Her anxiety waxed and waned until a short time later we located a potential new companion, Rain.

Sierra's nervous corner.

                                  

    

Rain - and her 'feed me' look.

                           

Rain is earning her retirement from a girls horse camp in far northeastern Ohio where she worked long hours for the past 15 years. Rain is a 22 y/o Belgian / paint cross who is extremely well trained, a bit slow and quite social. Again, a good fit for aging first time horsemen.

Rain is happy to fit 'second wheel' position and does not challenge Sierra's role as leader. She is the more vocal of the two and is most excited at mealtime. Her 'Barbie-horse' flowing mane is quite a trap for shavings and dirt in which she likes to roll nightly, daily, frequently, thoroughly...

           

We think the two old mares have retired to a pretty nice place. They spend their days grazing happily in about 8 acres of pasture with a run-in shed for shelter, they now tolerate their goat neighbors antics without fear. Sometimes we rotate them to a smaller 2 acre pasture filed with treats (ie weeds) like chicory, plantains and trefoil. They're comfortable and content in their stalls at night, we'd cut a window between them to allow them to interact and adjust. We ride (slowly) around the property, mostly together as the two ladies are now bonded to the point of being 'buddy-bound'. They test our 'growing' knowledge on occasion but that is to be expected.

                   

Yes, we've added a bit more to the daily routine but there's something a bit therapeutic about sifting turds and shavings into a wagon - really! There is. And horses smell pretty good too. No, I'm not a horse person now, my muck boots still outnumber my cowboy boots, there's no bling on my jeans. I have no desire to attend a horse show and the goats still rank #1 at Capra Lane. For Sierra and Rain I hope they feel safe, well fed and cared for and can benefit from being a little lazy these days. For us they've brought another level of companionship and challenge to the farm and have presented another distraction as as they contentedly stroll across the property in the rear of the house. They look quite good there.