We met the frost in the forest, in the small hours of the morning when the sunlight is just starting to grow to bright enough to penetrate between the branches and dead leaves. Our boots crunched across the leaf littered ground, breaking through the ice that had formed over the puddles in the middle of the mud road. The engine of the old farm truck rumbled and the steam from the exhaust crept out from behind us. Today was a day for lumberjacks, and that’s just what we were that morning bundled in our plaid coats, mittens and toques.

There is something so peaceful about spending a day in the woods; cutting splitting and stacking. I think, perhaps, it’s one of the best ways to cleanse the soul. Dan handles the saw work, using his chainsaw like a painter would a brush, slicing and cutting through the timber in swift, equal movements. I follow behind, gathering the smaller of the pieces into the back of the truck, and using the wood splitter to break down anything that wouldn’t quite fit into the woodstove. Bending over to gather is getting to be a bit of a chore, working around this growing belly, but I can run that splitter like no one’s business! In one tank of gas on the chainsaw, we have it down to a science to fill exactly one full load in the truck. Four years of cutting wood together got us here. The greatest reward, our home stays warm and cozy all Winter long off of our hard work, and you just really can’t beat the smell of that wood stove.

Early September found us out with the bees, removing the honey supers from our two established hives and replacing them with boxes that held the feeder pails. The feeder pails remained for all three of the hives until the freezing temperatures started at night, and got us about three whole buckets of sugar water fed to each of the hives. A quick check and we were happy to see everyone was in a good place for the change of seasons, even our split hive was establishing themselves well. We completed our final treatment of the season, this one for varoa mites, using oxacylic acid (derived from rhubarb leaves) and a fogger inside of the hive. After a couple days of rest after the treatment was completed, the feeder boxes were removed, the top boards of the hives were closed and each hive was individually wrapped in their own insulation cozy. We slid each hive closer together, with our weakest of the three our split hive snuggled in the middle of the two, then they were ratchet strapped to the bench so they couldn’t be bothered from wind or snow accumulation. Now, they will sit there for the Winter months, as the bees cozy down and work hard to stay warm and fed for the season. All we can do now is keep our fingers crossed and hope we see them all again in the Spring!

The FlowHive supers were brought into the house to warm before extracting honey. The technology behind the frames is that you are disturbing less of the comb structure and saving the wax for the bees to re-use. Essentially, a tool is inserted into the top of each frame, which cracks the comb and then splits the cells, allowing the built up honey to flow out of the frame while leaving the comb structure and wax intact. The bees had a late start into the supers this year, due to weather and conditions, so only one of the super boxes was partially framed in with honey. But this was the first year any of the bees had ventured into this part of the hive and we are beyond excited. A total of 14 lbs of late summer honey was collected and jarred. Thank you bees!

We also finished up our first garden season in the new plot this September. Summer might not have exactly cooperated with us this year, but the little harvests we had to show throughout gave us hope for the years to come, as we continue to break the ground and add what is needed to the soil to make it work. If there was one thing we did grow this year, it would be peas. We had peas for days! They still were still blooming and going strong in September, which goes to show what an odd growing season we had this year. With all the rain, creating mud, weeding became almost impossible and the garden was soon enough a jungle. There were times I contemplated getting serious about the weeds, until I noticed our honey bees and bumble bees busy in the flowers of the thistles and dandelions that had taken over. I left everything as is, and decided this year letting the bees collect pollen and nectar from the weeds for winter made more sense to me than clean,tidy rows at that point. I’m hoping they pay me back next year in honey!

I had some of the best help for garden clean up this Fall, as my Mom and Dad were out visiting. I took full advantage and we spent a whole afternoon in the vegetable garden getting things wound down for the season. Pulling out pea trellis and beans, digging up potatoes, picking little pumpkins to ripen, and even managing to fill a couple buckets of corn cobs. Dad even took on the task of removing Dan’s soaker hose system which had become entwined and overgrown in the rows of weeds. It was a successful cleanup, and the next day Dan and Dad built a little alleyway to accommodate the travel of our clean up crew, the three little pigs! They were some happy pigs each morning when the gate was opened and they followed me across the yard to the garden. They spent days in there rooting around in the carrot clean ups, taking down the corn stalks and basking in all the yummy goodness.

A change in temperatures and a decrease in daylight has begun to take it’s toll as the change in season becomes apparent in the chicken coop. We made it through the moulting season, and have moved on to the ” I don’t think I’ll lay eggs” season. Which is ok with us, as the ladies provided a surplus of eggs to us this Summer and deserve the break they get in laying over the Winter months. The coop is ready for the cold, wrapped in it’s usual plastic wind break around the run and the nesting boxes snuggled in their insulation wraps. A last big clean was done, walls washed down, new bedding added, poop hammock emptied and we are ready for what this next season brings us.

We had a sad start to October on the farm, as we had to say goodbye to Little Black Hen unexpectedly. I never knew how much room one little chicken could take up in your heart, but I’ll tell you, it’s a lot. She was such a special little chicken, always greeting me at the gate of the coop, always checking out the dogs along the fence, taking treats from my hands, tolerating me holding her for all of the pictures. She even spent an afternoon as a house chicken, which I may add she was not a fan of but made me very happy. She spent four amazing years with us here on the farm and is already greatly missed in the coop. My little greeting crew is gone and with it a piece of my heart. Sometimes, farm life is just plain hard.

Everyone out in the back field is doing well and enjoying these last few bits of autumn we are offered. The donkeys and alpacas spend much more of their time away from the old hog pen and closer to the bush line. We’ve even seen them a couple times on forest adventures, the donkeys leading and alpacas in tow. Soon enough we’ll be using up all that hay we stored in the shed, but for not there is lots for the eating still out back.

Deuce over the summer has developed a lump on the left side of his face just above his lip. We had coordinated a vet visit for him, but after struggling to get him on the trailer for a couple of hours, we were fortunate enough to have the vet come out to us to take a look. It turned out to be what he called a sarcoid, which is a benign tumour like growth that can be quite common in donkeys and horses. He was able to remove the lump and stitch him back up, all the while Deucey was the best little donkey patient. I knew I loved these donkey boys, but watching him get his sedative and start wobbling, leaning up against Dan while the vet worked on him, made my heart hurt. Setting a hand on his rump for reassurance while he teetered and stood like a champ. This was very minor surgery, I can’t even begin to fathom otherwise. I think it’s safe to say these two are far from just farm animals. They are loved and cherished, they are large pets and I’d sure be lost without them. Big hugs from Dan afterwards made everything ok!

A few weeks ago I arrived home to see that we had acquired yard goats throughout the day. Thank goodness they are very cooperative goats and accompanied with a small bucket of grain, everyone followed me back to the pen and through the gate. This continued for three days as we were completely stumped as to how they kept managing to escape the pen they had been in for a year with no problems. Turns out, all the moisture and puddles we had laying in the front yard that adjoins the goat pen, had started to dry up and disappear with the weather cooling and the sometimes freezing temperatures. There was a nice little goat sized space where they had been crawling under the fence where the fence post had heaved out the freezing ground. Dan was quick to pound it back into place and there have been no escapees since, although they will yell across the yard to tell you how mad they are about this daily!

Thanks to the LOOP program, everyone on the farm has even already been able to start enjoying pumpkin treats. Pumpkin is so good for the animals here on the farm, as a high source of fibre and a source of protein. It also helps to act as a natural deterrent for worms. I am sure as Halloween draws near we will be up to our ears in pumpkins, but nobody here minds!

Hank continues to grow like a weed, standing well above both of his sisters now. For such a big dog, he has the sweetest of personalities and continues to fit more and more in on the farm. There are some days I am not sure whether or not he knows he’t not a donkey, and I don’t want to be the one to crush his hopes. I think they’ve accepted him as one of their own anyways. He’s always close by when its time for feedings and is the best chore dog there ever was. I think it would be safe to say he is a Momma’s boy, and that makes my heart happy.

The best part of the Fall by far, was getting to have my Mom and Dad visit for a week at the end of September. I think Mom showed up with a whole carry on suitcase full of baby items, ready to take on the Grandma role. We spent the week at work here, turning our old spare bedroom into the nursery of my dreams. How special it will be to tell this child how much love and hard work Grandma and Grandpa put into this room, just for them. With Dad’s help on construction, Mom busy painting, we redid the entire room right down to the trim and added in a shiplap wall. We built the crib, put up and filled bookshelves and really made the space come to life. Refurnished antique pieces from Dan’s dad are found in the nursery, along with my antique set of Wade figurines I collected as a little girl. A special book from my brother sits front and center on the bookshelf and the beautiful handmade blanket from my Mom hangs on the side of the crib. Not to forget are the many hand me down’s from friends and a couple special little gifts from an old friend who refers to me as “the daughter he never had”. We are beyond thankful and feeling so blessed. Little one, you have a village waiting for you, who already love and adore you.

All work and no play wouldn’t make for much of a holiday, so we made sure to have a day of fun away from the house. Dan took my Dad with him to work for the day, showing him the ropes of the oilpatch. Mom and I took a day trip to my favourite local flower farm, where we hand picked and arranged our own bouquets in the most quaint greenhouse you ever did see.

The time always flies by when Mom and Dad come to the farm, but I am always so grateful for their company, help and never ending support. We’ll be seeing them again soon, as the count down to our little Winter babes arrival starts to dwindle. It is hard to imagine that in just three months, Dan and I will be first time parents. Oh, what a wonderful though that is!

In the mean time, here’s our BUMPDATE photos, since we’ve been slacking on the blog here in the last month.

The seasons are shifting here on the farm. The days are getting shorter and the mornings a little darker; the air is cooler in these moments of change. The yards and fields are filled with the sound of busy insects, preparing for the next season. The clicking of grasshoppers, taking off from underfoot through the grass, the buzzing of busy bumbles and honey bees as they forage and frenzy on wildflower pollen. The hogs have been shipped off of the farm for yet another year. The corn in the garden is tassling out in cobs, popping here and there between rows. And perhaps best of all, the sunflowers are arriving in all their glory around the beehives. Fall is definitely in the air already!

Perhaps I feel the change most on our walks we’ve taken up during weeknights through the woods out back. The colours are changing, ever so slightly, in the leaves on the birch trees looking over us. Some leaves are already scattered across the trails, starting their mosaic of colour that will blanket the forest floor. I’d like to blame it all on the rainy season of Summer we had but deep down I know this isn’t the only action of Mother Nature causing change. There’s a smell in the woods, left over from rains and damp, where the mushrooms are growing in abundance, that tickles my senses. The slight chill in the shaded overgrowth of trees sends a little shiver down the spine. Soon, it will be time to replace my open toed sandals for moccasins, my t-shirts for flannel and sundresses for jeans. But I’m not letting go quite yet!

The ladies, Hank and I have thoroughly been enjoying our evening jaunts. It’s doing us all some good and it’s good for the soul too. Some nights we criss-cross through the donkey field trails, wandering to the wooded back, zigzagging through the trails my husband has so lovingly cut for us. Some nights take us to the goat pen, following the little cut paths through the underbrush, over the bridge and across the streams still running this time of year. It’s not long before we’re spotted, and the bleats of curious goaters follow us through the foliage. These are some of my favourite walks with all the creatures in-tow. We’ve even been brave enough to venture out of the fenceline on occasion, slipping out the gate in the back pasture and following the lease road south. We were a little late in the season this year, and I don’t think the rains helped our cause, but we managed to forage on the patches of wild raspberries on our very back cutline on the property. There wasn’t enough this year for our usual batch of wine, but they did make for a yummy raspberry mint limeade when we got home!

Life felt so busy all Summer here on the farm, and I’m welcoming this slow down with open arms. First, the kettle is put on the stove to boil, as I fetch my french press from the cupboard and my coffee grounds out of the pantry. I allow myself one cup on the weekends, because what would a Saturday or Sunday morning be without a hot coffee?! Mug in hand, it’s outside to the greet the day.

My first stop is usually at the beehives. There is something about watching the hives come to life in the mornings, as the sun touches the hive entrances and warms the bees awake. Slowly, one by one, the first bees lazily fly from the hives to start their day of forage. Come mid-day the hives are bustling with bees coming and going, it is such a sight to see, and can be heard far from the hives on a hot day. It’s been another Summer of learning for us with our bees, as we completed our first ever hive split, had to re-queen not only our split but one of our established hives as well and learned that not only did the rain effect us, but had a large part to play in the bees lives this season too. Having done the split, and robbing frames from our established hives, this won’t be the year yet for us for honey harvest. But we are excited that the yellow hive has decided to start using the flow frames in their honey super. Whatever they have stored up their will be the only honey we take this year for ourselves, as we hope to help out our split hive for the Winter to come. In the next week here, we will remove the honey supers and set up in their place our fall feeders, as well as completing our fall treatments for mites. I never thought I would ever call myself a beekeeper, but I think this Summer we have definitely earned the title.

Next, you’ll find me in the garden. It has easily become one of my favourite places to pass away the time this Summer. And if I may, just toot my own horn a little here, I am absolutely in LOVE with the fence Dan and I built this Spring. I often feel like I’m in the English countryside, surrounded by my waddle fence we built by hand. Even though the garden has gotten a little out of control this year, it was our first year in the new location and these things take time to establish. Just the other morning while out picking peas and beans I thought about attempting some more weeding, that is until I noticed how many of our honeybees and bumblebees were busy in the flowers of the thistles and dandelions that have taken over. I left everything as is. Because letting our bees collect pollen and nectar from the weeds for their Winter storage makes more sense to me than having clean, tidy rows at this point in the season. Here’s hoping they’ll pay me back next season in honey!

While it may not have been the best year in the garden, there are still vegetables in there persevering despite the weeds. We’ve had lots of salads with dinner with lettuce from the garden. We had the best pea harvest I’ve seen since moving to the farm. The beans are just getting started, but so far are looking good and have made appearances on our dinner plates. I have one little squash, a couple little bitty pumpkins, my first ever kholrabi and some hopeful cabbages. There’s even some tomatoes holding onto hope in there too. It wasn’t the best season for strawberries, but the ones we did get to pick were big and juicy. While there won’t be much for canning this season, we’ve been enjoying some little harvests and that makes me happy, and the work worth it.

If you look close enough from the garden, often you can see at least one of the three little pigs suntanning in the far corner of their pen. Soft little snorts of content float through the air, as they root and explore in the long grass beside their own little personal stream. If you call out, Tui stops short in his tracks, head up and ears alert, before bee-lining it for the gate. Good morning greetings mean breakfast, obviously. You can tell these little pigs are starting to trust us and feeling at home. Tui especially. The other morning a quick snout scratch turned into Tui laying down and rolling onto his side for belly rubs. Oh my heart exploded. This little grumpy gus wanted my attention!

They may be the smallest animals on the farm, but most mornings the chickens are by far the loudest. Our little flock is one of the first on the farm to wake up, with rooster calls and clucking heard across the yard. I love how everyone comes running when they spot you coming towards the run, hopeful for treats and goodies. You can tell the seasons are shifting in the coop, as feathers start floating around everywhere. Molting season is upon us! Along with molting, comes a slight drop in egg production. We start supplementing in the Fall with black oil sunflower seeds for the chickens. The increase in proteins and vitamins helps them to grow those feathers back and give them a head start as they head into the Winter months.

The next pen in line would be the goats on our morning farm tours. Depending on what time you’ve drug your butt out of bed and got your coffee, the goats may or may not be waiting with morning greetings. If you’re behind schedule, they’ll be long gone to the woods exploring. Doc is especially curious about morning coffees. These four sure are entertaining, and once you’ve been spotted in the yard, there is no end to the bleating and calls from the goat pen.

Of course it wouldn’t be morning rounds without a visit out to the donkeys and alpacas. The boys still spend most of their days over by the hog pen, even though the pigs are now gone for the year. They also have a habit of following along the chicken tractor when it is moved each day. They’ve become the clean up crew along with the dogs. I love looking out the kitchen window and seeing everyone in the back field.

Of course Hank is always with me for our morning checks, he has turned into the best not so little chore dog there ever was. He is the best big little farm dog, and we are so lucky to have welcomed him to the farm. He is going to be a big boy, but he has the right personality for it, and is just the sweetest boy. He’s even grown on the girls. The three of them had a spa day the otherweek, and Hank was a rockstar for his first bath. Also, have I mentioned that Hank loves peas? He also loves pieces of apples and blueberries, but only one at a time. He is one healthy pup!

The last stop before we head back to the house in the morning, is always at the wildflower gardens to watch the bees. Hank loves to stop and smell (or eat) the flowers and I like to see him watching the bees buzz around with curiosity. A little late to bloom this year, the wildflowers are taking off now. Poppies have come and gone, cosmos are starting to bloom and there is lots of borage for the bees to feed on. My gladiolas are in full bloom right now, to mine and the bumblebees delight. It’s a magical little space.

Outside of the farm, Dan and I love to take time in the Summer to enjoy all that Nature has to offer around us. On a sunny day off, we pack up the truck and head on down to the river! Canoeing the Pembina river is one of our favourite ways to spend a Summer day. We were lucky enough to steal one day this season and head out in the canoe. Fishing, relaxing, floating and paddling the day away. Always a beautiful sight to see from the river.

OK… let’s get to the part we’ve all really been waiting for….

The BUMPdate!

I know I’m one of the lucky ones, but I have felt so good so far throughout my pregnancy. Despite a little fatigue in the first trimester, a little heartburn showing up in the second, my body and I have been feeling great. I’m feeling the magic. My body is slowly starting to change, and you know what, I think every now and then I feel a little something happening in there.

I feel so blessed, for each and every moment of this pregnancy. It was a struggle, a battle, an emotional roller coaster and a lot of heartbreak getting to this point. But we made it, and we couldn’t be more thankful.

Dan has been a trooper; dealing with the crazy mood swings, the random requests for night time popcorn snacks and the middle of the night pee breaks. Also, he’s been wonderful at helping me to capture all the little moments of this journey we are on.

“Let’s just sit quietly and listen to the secrets the rain wants to tell us.”

-John Mark Green

It’s been raining for weeks here on the farm. The sunshine tries to make a break for it in the sky, as the clouds part and her light shines down, but only momentarily. Then the rain clouds move back in and begin their deluge again.

To say everything is wet, would be an understatement. The ground is so saturated the rain is simply pooling and puddling at this point, and there is MUD beyond all mud. We have definitely had a monsoon June kind of start to summer.

All this rain has turned the pig pen for the meat hogs into a flowing torrent of stink. The pigs do have some high ground where their shelter is to escape from the elements, but the remainder of the pen is just muck! It makes for some tricky chores, wading through the mud and fighting off hungry hogs. We are ever so thankful for our LOOP pickups, and the pigs enjoy four to five 5 gallon pails full of goodies each day.

The little broiler birds, who are definitely not so little anymore, have made the big move out to the back field. They now share the grassy area with the donkeys and alpacas. Each day they get moved one coops length onto new grass, so they are free to range, while still having free access to grain and fresh water. So far so good out back for the birds! The donkeys are sure to follow along after a coop move, cleaning up any spilled grain!

I think the boys out back are getting just as sick of this rain as we are. The donkeys usually take to the bush for cover from the weather. But the alpacas have quite taken to the pigs, and hardly leave the side of their pen. We think this is because of their herd nature and protective instincts that they like to stay close to the group of hogs out back.

Dan used to tease me that we weren’t building an ark and we didn’t need to collect all of the animals. I think he may be taking back those words as the rain continues to fall today.

Along with everyone out back, the three little pigs, goats and laying hens have all been enjoying their LOOP foods as well. The little chickens from the Pickup Palace coop have been integrated into our flock, and they spend their days out with the older girls exploring and checking out their new surroundings. I think they are going to fit in well! The three little pigs do not venture too far from the pig haus in the rain, but on the occasion the sun does shines, they can be found out back of their pen taking in the rays. The goat pen has also become a lush oasis, with the creek flowing heavy and little pockets of water forming mini ponds in the bush.

Despite all the rain, our garden seems to be surviving. It was such a good decision this year to move the garden, allowing us a sloped pitch for drainage. All this rain seems to be running right out, and there has thankfully been no flooding. While we need the heat and some sunshine to help everything out, there is flowers on the tomatoes and pumpkins, we are actually growing peas this year that are thriving and our potatoes definitely look good, but need a hilling. One of these days I’ll be able to get in there and get my weeding done!

My flower beds are also blooming in spite of the weather, spreading joy with colour. They are also in a desperate need of weeding, which won’t be happening anytime soon. My lupines have taken off this year and I am so excited. I started them from seed two years ago and placed them through out the beds at the front of the house. My side garden of hollyhocks is suffering a little this year, but with time, it will be full and beautiful.

Our fruit trees suffered this year from the weeks we had of below minus forty cold in the winter. The tops of the trees all died, leaving only some new growth sprouting from the bottoms. It was a hard blow for us, as some of our trees had been here for four years. So far, it would appear that the berry bushes have all survived. We had our first harvest of haskap berries. These arctic berries as they are sometimes called, are almost a mix of a saskatoon and a blueberry. I look forward to having enough one day for mead or wine! My raspberries all look at though they will be back in full bloom this year and we look forward to that season as well.

I made sure to take advantage of a break in the rain to collect wild rose petals again this year. They flourish all over our property here and have so many benefits when made into rose water. Wondering how to make your own?

• Collect fresh petals. I like to leave one petal on the bud so that the roses will still turn into rosehips later in the season.
• Rinse with cold water to wash away any bugs or pests.
• Put the petals into a small pot, adding water to just cover the petals.
• Heat over a low heat, making sure to not let the water come to a boil. A boil will cause the properties of the petals to be destroyed, and will alter the colour of your water.
• Heat for 20 minutes, or until the colour has left the petals.
• Strain off and store in a jar in the fridge for up to two weeks.

The rainy days have also made it a little harder for hive inspections, but we make sure to take advantage of any breaks in the rain to check on our busy little friends. A couple weeks ago we did out first split on one of our hives. We didn’t want the bees to swarm and leave, so we took several frames of eggs and brood, along with some bees, and put them into a smaller box called a nuc. They will stay in the nuc until they are able to create queen for themselves, or we intervene and add in a queen bee. At that time, they will be moved into their own hive box to start saving up supplies for the Winter. Both of our other hives now have the honey supers on top, and we are keeping our fingers crossed the rain won’t hold them back too much for honey production this year.

The rain may be here to stay for a little while yet, so we are not letting it get our spirits down. We take full advantage of the sunny days we get, and on rainy days, we take some well deserved down time. I’m keeping up with all my summer reading, am excited to be starting a new book club with a good friend and as always, take advantage of the time indoors to knit. We’ll wait out the rain knowing the sun has to be coming back out soon!

Where in the world did Springtime go? With the blink of an eye we have headed straight into June, and I’m at a loss for where the time has gone. The hustle and bustle on the farm has filled our days and nights, as we busily prepare for the Summer season ahead of us. So….ready or not, here we go Summer!

Since we haven’t written in what feels like forever, I think the most important news to share is that we have a new family member, of the fur variety. Hank arrived on the farm on May 9th, and has since stolen our hearts and tested the patience of Sophie and Lily. Hank is a Leonberger / St. Bernard cross. He is going to be a big boy! We love him so much already, as he sprouts like a weed, and even the girls have come around and accepted their little brother. He keeps us on our toes, fills us with joy and is always putting a smile on our faces. He has such a personality, and yet is such a chill guy. He has done so well with all of the animals on the farm, including the donkeys who I was the most nervous about. He is shaping up to be the best little BIG farm dog there ever was. Sophie and Lily are the best of teachers too, making sure he sticks to the rules and learns his manners.

One of our biggest Springtime projects was moving our vegetable garden to a new location in the yard. While our previous plot served us well and gave us harvests each year, the looming Spruce trees at the side were cutting down on the sunlight and keeping one half way too wet.

We picked a new spot, with full sun, a little incline for drainage, and located right beside the bee hives for optimal pollination. Dan dug off the first layer of sod, rototilling the soil underneath to break it up. We added in the soil pile we had been saving up in the back field, filled with aged manure and nice top soil, working that into the ground. Once the plot was worked and ready to go our next task began…a garden fence!

Mostly, we needed to keep Hank out of the garden, so we devised a plan, grabbed the chainsaw and headed out back to the bush. Dan bucked down tamarack logs for the posts, sharpening them at the ends so we could drive them into the ground. After each post had been pushed into the ground around the garden, we started the hard part. Of course Pintrest was to blame, but I had fallen in love with a picture of what they call a wattle fence. So back to the bush we went, this time for all the willow, ten truck loads to be exact! The willow was weaved through the posts of the garden to a generous height, and voila, our wattle fence was complete. It was a labour of love. There were times I regretted my decision. But it is beautiful, its finished, and it does it’s job of keeping hank out of the vegetables.

Spring also welcomed some new residents to the farm, who will hang out here for the Summer and then hit freezer camp come Fall. That’s right, our hogs have arrived for the season. This year is the most pigs we have raised yet on the farm, but so far, things are going well. We have nine hogs in the usual pig paradise section of the field, where they have access to a shelter, grain and fresh water, as well as all the mud holes a pig could wish for, lots of willow for shade and shelter and tonnes of room for exploring. Thanks to our LOOP program, we have also been able to almost cut our feed costs in half! We have been lucky enough to have a couple of store pick ups in the last month, as well as an impromptu pickup with the flat deck trailer that included all the spinach, kale, beansprouts and watermelon! Needless to say, we have some happy pigs on the farm!

Our other group of Summer residents are forty little broiler birds. My husband is a handy man when it comes to all of our animal pens and shelters, and he created the perfect meat chicken mobile coop. Our littles are enjoying life on fresh grass, and can be moved along as needed. They are also getting in on some LOOP spoils! These birds will stay until fall when they get processed and sent to the freezer. Hank also finds them very interesting, and can often be found sitting outside their coop with Lily.

A select few of the littles whom we hatched here on the farm, and whom became friends of those we hatched, are living out their days in the pickup palace as they grow. This way, they have access to our other chickens through fencing so they can become familiar with them until they are big enough to be let out with the entire group. I will admit, having no chickens in the house feels a little weird after two batches of hatches and a couple of pools filled with chicks in the garage. Oh Springtime chicky babies, you never get old!

The ladies of the big coop are enjoying the longer days and the long grass in the run as the season have changed. Chantecleer as always, keeps his eyes on all the ladies, and they all love free ranging in the run on a warm day. The ladies are not forgotten when it comes to the LOOP goodies, and the coop in the morning is a real buffet!  All this love means one thing for us too, all the eggs! We are averaging at least a dozen a day at the moment, and with that, eggs orders are flying out the door. And of course, egg pictures never get old, especially in Summer.

The three little pigs can be found most days lounging about their forest pen. Tui likes to sun tan, although it makes me a not happy farmer as he tends to get a little sunburnt if he stays too long. Thankfully there is lots of treed shade and even a little stream running through their pen. Perfect for cooling down. The three little pigs are eating like kings with their LOOP foods, indulging in yogurt, fresh fruits and vegetables and juices. We are so thankful for this program and for everything it does for the animals on the farm.

The donkey boys are shedding out their winter coats and getting their sleek summer look on. They spend their days running around the field and often can be found over by the pig pen. I am sure they are trying to negotiate for grain from the hogs. They are so funny to watch out in the field in the evenings, chasing each other back and forth. We look forward to all the summer woodland walks with the donkey boys.

Beetle and Bailey are looking a little different these days as they both sport their new hair cuts. Thanks to the help of my father in law and a friend of the family, both of the alpacas received their Spring shave down. I am so thankful for all the help we had and the amazing setup which made the job so much easier than anticipated. While they look a little naked now, they will feel so much better in the Summer heat and they will have their coats grown back in time for Winter. We saved the fiber and took it to the local mill where it will be turned into wool. Enjoy the following before and after pictures, I know they still make me chuckle.