Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

Got up to 35 out there. Sun is out. Temps will come up a bit more today. There is a light breeze out there so far... but not the strong breeze like yesterday. But that could change.
We also have a burning ban for the hunting season... because it takes only a day or 2 of this breezy weather to dry out the ground... I am not sure if it is statewide, but probably is.

Got the bottles in the trays to put in the car. Have to get the meters and hoses. I will have to change brackets on some of them since I had used 24 back a couple weeks ago. I think I have 12 already changed so only a few more to change back.

Slept hard last night. But I am not as sore as I thought I would be...

Got to get my stuff together so I can leave early. Need to uncover the plants before I go.

 

[Ridgetop]

I probably wi have to buy more hay this year. Cody said he had plenty so I will be ok. Better give him a call though just in case. LaNina is supposed to to bring dry ht weather to Texas this year.

 

[farmerjan]

Friday eve. Temps started at 38 and up to 68 with nice sun today. Light breeze.

Went and tested the herd yesterday afternoon. Everything went good, hardly ever have any problems there. They are up to 205 going through the parlor which is 10-15 more than normal... and they had just sold 6 cull cows that morning. They have had a bunch of heifers calve in the last month. They will be selling another 10-15 to a dairy farmer looking for some... Getting to the 200 mark is really more than their bunk space can comfortably handle so like to stay around the 190-195 number... They believe in having the max number in there all the time though... I don't agree with some of their practices, but the cows are there for a job and that is to produce milk... if they are not up to the job, they get culled... very very business like about it, but that is typical for mennonite farmers... There are no allowances made for problems.... none are pets.... just a commodity that is there for a job or sold. Efficiently run but not my way..... too impersonal. They take good physical care of the herd, and the feed is very good and a nutritionist is utilized to keep the ration as exact as possible.... Nice enough people, I have been testing him since he started this farm, tested his father's farm until they expanded the parlor from a double 7 to a double 13....when I was close to getting my ankle replaced... and I gave them both up to another tester, for about 2 years; Then when she wanted to go part-time, I got the son back but said I could not do the father's bigger parlor... they milk toooooo fast for me to keep up. I guess I will keep them until I retire....

Anyway... this morning DS called to see if I could help him put a couple more wagons in the arena (the opening is like only 12 ft wide so a tight fit...) at deb's so I met him up there so I could watch the sides... you can't see around the wide wagons with the truck mirrors...

Then I came home and eventually got the samples packed... also had to go back to deb's to feed the cats their canned food and scooped the kitty litter box for the 2 cats... then took the samples down to UPS and went in the store for a little bit... did some "browsing" that I don't often do... then came home. Been in since dark and going to get a shower and get my clothes laid out for tomorrow morning to go to the mill. I need to be there about 8 or so...

Need to eat something.... not sure what I want but stomach started to growl a few minutes ago. Feeling fairly lazy today... maybe just subconsciously resting up for tomorrow...
Weather is supposed to be around 70 and sunny so a NICE day for the festival... Sunday supposed to be nicer... No rain right through next weekend...
DS was going to cut more hay today... I honestly hope he gets it all cut in the next 3 days so we can get the rest of it made and be done for the year.

Okay, Okay... stomach.... I will go find something to feed you.

 

[farmerjan]

Good thing I "rested up" some yesterday.... we worked our butts off today. The weather was BEAOOTIFUL.... I mean just beautiful out there. Started at 42, got up to 72... Sun, no wind....
It was insane at the mill.... There was a steady stream of cars in there off the road for nearly 4 hours... I understand that one of the guys had a "clicker counter" thing... and they had 1050 cars before 2... It was non-stop cars "forever" it seemed.
The friends that do the Apple Butter in the copper kettle there... also do a batch before they come to the festival so they have something to sell. The apple butter takes 6-10 hours to cook down according to the apples, weather, humidity, all that. So they make a batch at a "canning kitchen" ahead and then when the batch comes off, they put it in jars right there... Get this, they made 45 cases which is 540 pint jars ahead... and what they "jarred" off the stuff cooking was about 160+ jars... so they made and sold 700 jars of apple butter... Well, I think Glen said he has a case of 12 jars to take home.... That's $10 a PINT...... HOLY COW.... Now apples cost over $50 more for a big wooden crate of them... He probably has over $1500 in the apples, cost of the canning facilities... and the jars... At say $15 a case... 60 cases... that's $900 just for the jars.... then the hours to cut the apples to take to the canning facility and get the apple butter cooked down and "canned".... so a couple days.... but still, that 's a good return.... But, they are selling the pints in the mill for $9 that are made for them by another company and they have them all year round... so not out of the range...
I remember paying $4 a pint and $7 a qt when I was working there 10-12 yrs ago....

I hate to admit that I didn't buy any of their apple butter this year. Normally I buy a half dozen jars.... I bought 3 cases at Sharp Shopper, made by a company in northern Va.... for $2.99 a jar... a month or so ago... No sugar added, like I like it.... more within my budget.... Granted it was most likely last years crop... but it is canned, sealed... and will last for years.... and I realize that Sharp Shopper is more of a discount/surplus type store... but still... I will have to look at what it is bringing in the grocery store next time I am in there....
Things are just getting so high for everything. I do not begrudge Glen and his wife, getting the "going rate" so to speak... just I am not going to pay that....

It seems that most all the vendors did very good business... I understand that one food vendor, with pizza, sold out... and the guy with the apple cider donuts had a HUGE line all day... luckily I got mine first thing this year... last year, they ran out and a friend had gotten some so I got one "mini donut" ... he did run out of all his batter right towards the end... and the local beer brewery, sold out all the beer they brought too, from what I was told...
SOOOOOOOO..... it was a very successful day for everyone I think.

Could not have been a more perfect day weather wise so I am glad for everyone....

I am going to collapse here shortly. I am beat... Back aches from being on my feet for nearly 8 hours... with about 3 or 4 times that we sat for about 5 minutes...It was a great day as far as the business went... I never got away from the "table" where we were so busy, so never got to see any of what was there this year. Oh well... maybe next year I will just go as a "normal tourist".....

Went to deb's and fed the cats this afternoon. Then went to the nurse cow pasture, and fed the calves. The one heifer that was checked pregnant that was way farther along... so got bred young... had a nice lively little bull calf... and is mothering it well... so that is all good. Have to get the rest of the heifers in to get preg checked... will call the vet Mon morning... to see if he is going to be down this way, or if not, just set up a day to do them...

DS did get the 26 heifers moved home from WV... and they will be "gone through" and decide who we are keeping, who is getting bred etc. So have to get the older bred ones out of the nurse cow pasture so the ones to be bred can go there and the bull will go in early Nov... so the calves are born earlier in the fall next year... Plus there are 5 cows there that need to get checked that have calves on them from the spring... and those calves need to get worked also... Guess all told there are another 20+, to come out of the nurse cow pasture to get preg checked and moved around. All depending on the hay, I hope maybe to get to them this week...

It is not 9 pm yet and I am going to eat a bit more... we never got any lunch... never really gave it much thought til after 3 when it slowed down... so I ate a little when I got home and changed sneakers and went to do the cats and then the calves. Am hungry enough to eat, so think I will make some soup maybe? I will be in bed here in a little bit...

 

[Mini Horses]

Glad it was a good day for vendors! I made apple butter last year and this year! Free apples from a friend with 2 trees and "done" with preserving more. good deal.

 

[Baymule]

A friend gave me a tiny jar of apple butter one time. She added red hots cinnamon candy to it. It was soooooo good! Glad you had a good time and all the vendors sold out!

 

[Mini Horses]

I just use a lot of cinnamon -- a some clove. Spicy, not hot.