Tasty Acres Homestead (From 2020 jump to 2023)

[farmerjan]

WOW, just wow..... Glad you weren't adversely affected by the earthquake. Wonder how they will get that red car off/out of there.... I'd have been scared senseless.....

 

[Rammy]

Probably get a tow truck with a boom arm or whatever their called to lift it out. Love watching Highway thru Hell. Its about the towing industy in Canada. Amazing how they get some of those vehicles out of tight spots.

 

[TAH]

Good morning you all!

Life is good... Just busy!

Been super busy with 25inches of snow we were plowing, shoveling, and working really hard with pulling feed down to the barn, and making sure all the buildings were shoveled... Little tip, better to not have 9buildings that need shoveled.

Also, we are working on plans on what to grow in the greenhouse and in the outside garden this year (I can finally say this year), it will be lots of salad mixes but we also will be doing a huge garden for our self's to can and put up for winter! So pretty exiting!

Also figuring out kidding situation's... The barn just isn't big enough for anymore stalls so plan is once march hits we are going to chop there main pen into 2sections and then fence and outside area so they aren't so trapped trapped. But also if the snow melts early they will be moved completely to the fenced area up by the house so we will see.

We decided to go ahead and breed 1 more Doe... Drift! I am thrilled that dad finally decided I could, this is the 1 Doe I am allowed to retain from!

I've been headache free for just under six weeks! I am so grateful!

We had a wonderful new year.

My phone is flaring up with typing so will try to stop in soon.

 

[farmerjan]

So glad to hear your updates. That is great about the headaches not flaring up anymore so far. Hope that continues.
So how's the long winters? I think that you are all home schooled right? So at least no worries about getting out to a bus!!!! Has the weather been real cold? Is this the biggest snow you have had?
One question I have wondered about. Are there farmers that actually grow hay up there? Does the weather allow for that? Otherwise, you have to truck it in? Because there are alot of months that they have to have hay to eat. It has got to be expensive. Just curious.

 

[Bruce]

Little tip, better to not have 9 buildings that need shoveled.

Or if you have them, also have a snow blower to clear them out.

Happy 2019 TAH!

 

[TAH]

So glad to hear your updates. That is great about the headaches not flaring up anymore so far. Hope that continues.
So how's the long winters? I think that you are all home schooled right? So at least no worries about getting out to a bus!!!! Has the weather been real cold? Is this the biggest snow you have had?
One question I have wondered about. Are there farmers that actually grow hay up there? Does the weather allow for that? Otherwise, you have to truck it in? Because there are alot of months that they have to have hay to eat. It has got to be expensive. Just curious.

Well, winter roughly starts around mid November all the thru to end of march. So 4-5 months. This winter has been exstremly mild, usually we get 5-6feet of snow but this last 2years have only been about 2-3feet. It is pretty cold at times and then really warm also... Just today's ago it was 40d and raining but the week before was down to 16d so it really is hard to say for sure... Now most of February is when it is coldest till mid march.

We get all our hay here... There are quite a few farmers here that grow hay but it has to depend a lot of the weather. So like this year was one of the best years yet... They were baling hay all the way till September. Unlike last year where almost half of the hay was shipped up. When we get hay here we pay roughly 9bucks a bale (60pound square) of 170bucks for round bales (850+pounds). Which is what most hay runs at.

We go thru 8round bales thru the winter and one ton of Brome pellets. All of which is grown here in delta junction. For 8goats.

The Farm in delta junction that we get all our feed from has been working really hard to put together a hay mix that will grow here well... So this year they have a Timothy, brome, fescue, and alfalfa mix that the are going to try. Very excited to see how this works for them... They have worked so hard for this.

We also get barley, oats, peas, for our chickens and goats from this farm... We get our hay from the peninsula.

It is expensive but not as bad as I expected... Atleast we can keep our animals well fed even with it being spendy.

 

[farmerjan]

WOW, I am impressed on the farming capabilities. I guess that the very long days helps to make things grow better/quicker. I have heard about the vegetables growing fast and big.
I know fescue is grown in alot of places. But find out if they are using a "neutral endophyte" type fescue. The old standby, Kentucky 31, has an infectious endophyte that is in it, and it can cause abortion in pregnant animals. Also, they don't like the taste of it for grazing, until after it has been hit with frost when the starches turn to sugars. I HATE fescue.... but the new strain, and MAX Q is one, has shown some real promise. There is an endophyte free fescue, don't know a name off hand, and it is safe for anything to eat and I think is more palatable.... however it is not as hardy and the plot will get infested with the old infected K-31 if it is in proximity. They say that it does stand up pretty well to rotational grazing, but just doesn't last as long. It can be especially toxic to mares in foal... and cattle have been known to abort. Don't know about sheep or goats.

 

[Mike CHS]

I planted some of the neutral endophyte seed and found that it is something I won't plant again. My farm center contact told me as much but it didn't do well in a mixed grass field. He referred me to a farm that was experimenting with it and they had a field that had everything killed off - it did fairly well but didn't hold up to even light grazing. It may just be that our climate isn't favorable for that grass so I don't know.

 

[farmerjan]

@Mike CHS you might be too warm for it. From what I am hearing it does better in cooler climates. But, like many things, it is fairly new and really, anything is better than endophyte infected fescue in my opinion. If you are just running steers, or feeder heifers, something that won't be pregnant, then it is okay. But fescue is funny, and I just don't like it. Personal thing.

 

[TAH]

Good morning everyone!

I have been super busy... Getting ready for mom to go back to work, dad starts work in May, kidding season have started, school, and the long list goes on... But I am doing good, so far I have had enough energy to keep up with life and no headaches! I have gone 5months with almost no headaches... I still get them if I am not careful of over work myself but I am doing way better!

Daisy kidded 4days ago with 2 beautiful doelings!

Tabby was due 28th but still no signs but this morning she is looking off so we will see what's going on... Hopefully kids will be on the ground soon and everything will go smoothly.

Stella is up next in just 5days and then Maybell in 9days... Then a 2 months break before Drift is due 6/13/19.

I decided last minute to breed sugar... If she took then she is due 8/9/19.

We ended up with there being a huge mold problem in this house... We are going to send in a mold test in a week but we getting it under control now. But because of the mold issue we were seriously debating building a new place, anyway we have decided to move forward with this place still but it is going to take a lot more than we expected... Dad knows more so I will try to dig up his paper where he has written down everything that will need done.

I know the attic doesn't have enough vents and isn't insulated right so when it got really cold the condisation frozen but then when it warmed up and melted the whole ceiling was dripping wet... Which lead to mold growth.

Spring is in full... Trees have buds, grass is growing, and it is sunny for over a week now... So that means lots of outside work being done! Monday we are going to be doing a HUGE burn pile, and another shed is being destroyed (rotten and leaks like crazy), and this year we get to have a garden!

Dad's been tilling the soil in the greenhouse and around. Also, getting ready to put in a raspberry and stawberry patch.

With summer here some very interesting people have been arriving in town... Drugs and theft are a huge problem here so we have been being extra careful... But thankfully our neighbors are all very kind and watch out for anything out of the norm. Just not the coolest thing when you here of cars, bikes, house, being sotlen of broken into. Dogs are on full guard.

Molly is being such a good girl with the new kids... Last year when Bella was born she was just so excited but a bit to excited. This winter she has grown up a lot! Not so puppy like anymore... Although only 18 months I can't wait till she is 2. Boaz seemed to change so much in his second year in life!

Boaz is 6 years old... Never thought time would go by so fast with that goofy dog. He was just 9months when we got him. Over 5 years.

And yesterday we added 3 little pets to the homestead... Nigerian Dwarf wethers. One of my dad's friends was rehoming them so yesterday we went to look at them... It turns out it was more of a rescue but they were liked just they didnt know how to care for them at all! They have been feeling fruit and veggies there whole lives (they have had them since they were 12weeks), 2 have a bout of hoof rot, all have lice, they need wormed, etc... Their pen was just filthy! Last night I got them Hay... I don't think i have ever seen goats so happy for Hay and fresh water.

Anyway, we will see how they turn out after being in quarantine.

I will get pictures in a little bit!

Also, me and my sister have been saving up for a horse for quite a while now... It seems like we may be able to get one at the end of the summer. We have already started searching for a horse as there aren't very many in Alaska so it will take a bit... But there is someone local who have 8 horses. She does trail rides during the summer for tourist but this year is her last year so she is already looking for homes for her horses. We have our eye out on a few... Anyway, we will see but it is a dream come true to own a horse!

I have finished dinner now and have to get back to our crazy day but I will pop on in a bit with pictures of the new arrivals!