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It’s hard to believe that our Little Orphan Lambie is almost 6 weeks old!
It’s really hard to believe that we’ve kept her alive this long. Sheep are known to just fall over and die. Luckily, that hasn’t happened to us.
In those six weeks, Lambie has undergone a name change, from Bailey to Baha. She drinks 4 times as much milk as she did when she was born, and she’s at least 3 times her birth weight.
People keep asking me what kind of sheep she is, and I keep telling them, “The kind with four legs.” I think they’re looking for a more specific answer, but right now, I don’t know what that answer is!
Baha has had a couple of vaccinations, and had her tail docked. (Apparently, tail docking keeps sheep healthy. Bart used an elastrator and she didn’t even cry when he did it.) The tail fell off last week and it’s sitting on a hay bale near her pen. Grosses me out every time I see it.
We are no longer feeding her in the middle of the night, thank goodness. Going out to the shed in the cold, dark night was a little too much for me. I mean, I like her and all, but not that much. Most of the time, Bart did the midnight feedings, but whenever I did it, I made sure to make a big stink.
Now, she gets three bottles during the day. The lamb milk replacer we use smells a lot like the vanilla protein powder I put in my smoothies. I’m wondering if they’re interchangeable.
The plan is for Adam to “show” her at the county fair. That means, he has to keep records, do an interview with judges, and then walk her around the ring. Should be interesting, since he likes to purse his lips and look away when adults ask him questions, and she doesn’t exactly like her leash. (I think it’s called a lead rope? or halter? Or something more technical like that.)
In order to participate in the fair, we have to attend four meetings to learn how to care for the animals. We’ve been through three of the meetings. The fourth is sort of a dress rehearsal. We take Baha with us, and she gets checked out by the vet to make sure she doesn’t have any contagious illnesses, which will happen again at fair time. Just another example of biosecurity.
We never really wrote down any goals for this adventure, but I think Bart would agree…the general idea is to teach Adam to care for something other than himself; to willingly be inconvenienced by another being’s needs. It’s a good thing he’s only 5, because it might take a few more sheep before he really gets the hang of it.
At his first birthday, he was going through a period of time where he just didn’t sleep from 2am to 4am. He had chronic constipation that made his poor little tummy hurt.
When he turned two, we started speech therapy, because he just didn’t talk. At all. Throughout the last year, he learned to talk, but he also learned to beat up his (bigger) brother.
And now? Now he’s three. And refuses to give up his pacifier or wear underwear or stay in his bed or eat anything but pancakes and Chex.
But through all the little battles and challenges that Isaac has brought us, he has also brought us JOY.
For a long time, I couldn’t figure out what Isaac’s strengths were. He didn’t seem to have any. But I finally realized, Isaac’s strength is joy.
Isaac can find the joy in any situation. He is never simply happy – he is over-the-moon excited about nearly everything. Of course, he has his grumpy moments, but for the most part, he approaches life with a happy-go-lucky, sunshine-y attitude that rubs off on anyone around him.
Sometimes, Isaac’s joy is a bit misplaced. Like when he delights in hitting Adam. Or giggles like crazy when he sneaks out of bed for the tenth time. Yes, Isaac is a little ornery. But he more than makes up for it with his sweet hugs and infectious smile.
I tend towards “anticipatory stress,” as I like to call it. When I know that I’m going to have a busy few days, or a large to-do list, I start to freak out a bit.
The last few days have been like that for me. Starting last Thursday and ending late (LATE) this Friday night, things have been (and are going to be) a whirlwind of go, go, go and “major project deadline” and fly-to-Florida-to-speak-at-a-conference.
Saturday morning, I read this devotion, and I felt like it was written just for me. Like it truly was Jesus calling me…
Let Me fill you with my Love, Joy and Peace. These are Glory-gifts, flowing from My Living Presence. Though you are an earthenvessel, I designed you to be filled with heavenly contents. Your weakness is not a deterrent to being filled with My Spirit; on the contrary, it provides an opportunity for My Power to shine forth more brightly.
As you go through this day, trust Me to provide the strength that you need moment by moment. Don’t waste energy wondering whether you are adequate for today’s journey.My Spirit within you is more than sufficient to handle whatever this day may bring. That is the basis for your confidence! In quietness (spending time alone with Me) and confident trust (relying on My sufficiency) is your strength.
And, for the most part, I’ve managed to stay filled with Love, Joy, and Peace since then. God has provided me the strength and focus that I needed to get my to-do list done. And now, I’m about four hours ahead of schedule before meetings and travel start tomorrow, and I’m going to go spend the afternoon in the sunshine working at The HomeShed.
I decided to try oil pulling to see if it whitens my teeth. That was the “before” picture. Isn’t it lovely? (I’ll give you a thorough review of the process someday.)
When you’re at the grocery store and you buy gum or a pop, the cashier asks if you want that “left out.” Why don’t they ask if I want my Oreos left out? Because I do.
Adam thinks a thousand is 12. That’s a dozen, not a thousand, honey.
I had to reschedule Isaac’s 3rd birthday party because of the Iowa State game Friday night.
Every time I get dressed up, I go through my closet, hoping I forgot about something adorable in there that I could wear. Today, I actually found something adorable! Then, I remembered that it’s 4 sizes too small, and I laughed out loud.
I bought some lipstick samples from Bare Minerals. I tried on the bright Barbie pink lipstick Saturday night. And Sunday morning, I could not get that color off my lips. The little girls at Sunday School loved it.
I plugged in 4 different hair appliances to get the job done this morning. Blow dryer, straightener, and two sizes of curling irons. That’s sort of ridiculous.
Speaking of ridiculous, I kept trying to get Isaac to say that word the other day, and he got MAD at me! “No, that’s SILLY!” But yesterday, I caught him saying “That’s ridiculous,” (which sounds a lot more like “That’s dickless.”)
I love meeting new people, but be warned…I may pour my heart out within the first 10 minutes of meeting you. Or I may share one of the short stories I shared today. Either way, prepare yourself!
Five short years ago, I was not a farmer. I thought I knew quite a bit about farming. After all, I grew up in rural Iowa! I had uncles who farmed, friends who grew up on a farm, and I married a boy who majored in agriculture.
Now, almost 5 years after getting our first flock of turkeys, I could probably write a book about everything I’ve learned in the past few years.
But instead of a book, I’m narrowing it down to the Top 10 Things I’ve Learned about Agriculture in the Past Five Years.
1. There is no “right” way to farm. Different farmers make different decisions for different reasons. That doesn’t make one decision inherently right and another wrong. What’s right for one farm may not be right for another because of resources, labor, equipment, expertise, land, location, market and on and on and on. My good friends at Red Granite Farm raise their chickens free-range style. But that doesn’t work for my size of a farm. Does that mean one way is right and one way is wrong? NOPE! Different farms, different ways to do things right.
2. Farmers aren’t perfect, but they’re improving all the time. There will always be room for improvement, but today’s farms are better than ever. New technology and knowledge has led to better animal care and more energy efficiency. Farmers are using fewer resources to produce more food, and they’ll continue to make progress in the coming decades. For example, our state of the art barns use a new ventilation system that keeps the turkeys more comfortable in the summer and are easier to keep warm in the winter. Better for the animals and better for the environment.
3. Farmers make decisions based on science, ethics and economics. All three of these are required for a farm to have a good quality product and provide a good quality of life to its owners and employees. If we don’t maintain a perfect balance of these three, our farm will not be around for the next generation.
4. Farmers must start talking about what they do and explaining their decisions to others. Americans want to know where their food comes from, and they want to know that it’s safe. We can help give them the information that they want, if we open up and share information about our farms. Programs like CommonGround are a great start, but honestly, they’re a drop in the bucket. Only 2% of Americans farm now…we need more voices and we need open conversations with consumers. (>> Some fellow CommonGround volunteers and I having a good time, talking about farming!)
5. There is room for all types of farmers. Organic, conventional, GMO, free range, grass-fed, feed-lot, farmer’s market, small, big, medium…we need them all! Each serves a different purpose or a different market, and each is doing what’s “right” for their individual farm.
6. It is hard for non-farmers to understand how complicated farming is. Sometimes, from the outside, decisions seem simple and obvious. I used to wonder, “Why would that farmer do that? Why don’t they….?” Now, I know that if a farmer has chosen a certain way to do something, it’s probably for a good reason! And without knowing the daily ins-and-outs of that farm, I AM NOT in the position to judge their decision.
7. There is a lot of misinformation out there. A LOT. I don’t claim to know everything, but I am continually running into “scary” info that seems hard to believe. When that happens, I turn to a farmer and 9 times out of 10 it turns out that the alarming article I read was full of fallacies. And if the information was true? Most of the time, if I keep an open mind, the farmers can explain the farm practice and I can see the positive side of the farm practice.
8. Farming is risky (and hopefully rewarding.) There are financial risks and safety risks, and almost all farmers are at the mercy of the (completely uncontrollable) weather. Agriculture is in the top 10 for most dangerous jobs, and you can still see the effects of Farm Crisis of the 1980s in our rural area.
9. That being said, the farm is an amazing place to raise children. Working together as a family, exploring the timber and creek on our farm, picking raspberries in the backyard in July, petting a lamb and riding tractors with Grandpa are things that are a daily part of our lives right now. These wouldn’t be possible if we weren’t on a farm. I joke that our farm IS a field trip, but it’s true!
10. To farmers, the farm is like another child or spouse. I wrote about this before, but I want to finish up this list by underscoring our love and devotion to our farm. Sure, farming is hard. And risky. And stinky (literally.) But it is a lifestyle that we are committed to – something deep within us – for the rest of our lives.
I could probably add a few more to the list…
Farmers have a vast network of experts helping them make decisions – vets, scientists, universities and other farmers are always sharing information.
There are many, many things in place that keep food safe: disease testing, antibiotic residue testing, biosecurity, and sterile processing plants are just a few.
Animal welfare and food safety are #1 for livestock farmers.
Agriculture has a HUGE, unimaginable positive impact on rural economies (and the economy of the entire state!)
There are amazing leaders in the agriculture community, including amazing WOMEN.
Big farms aren’t inherently bad farms.
97% of farms in the US are family farms!
…but who ever heard of a “Top 17” list?
Now, readers, it’s your turn. What have you learned about farming in the past few years? What have you learned from my blog? And what do you want us (farmers) to teach you?
(And I’d LOVE it if you’d share this blog post – help others discover the truths about farming that I’ve uncovered over the past 5 years!)
As always, if you have questions about farming, please ask. I am an open book! Read more about Squaw Creek Farm:
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So popular, in fact, that it has its own reality TV show on HGTV!
West End Salvage, the show, originally aired in 2013. There have been 12 episodes so far (on HGTV on Thursday nights, currently) and there is a possibility more will be coming.
On my first visit to West End, I got to meet the owner, Don Short, and make a fool of myself like a teenager at a One Direction concert.
And here’s Jenni! (I totally got Jenni mid-word. Sorry, dear! I couldn’t help but take a pic, though – she was sharing such valuable blog information! She’s been blogging for 8 years! Be sure and check out her blog!)
After coffee and chit chat, we took a little tour of the shop.
The cool thing is, I saw a lot of old junk similar to what we have at The HomeShed (and at a much better price! Junk costs more in the city!)
I also saw stuff that was much cooler than anything we have at the Shed.
But hey, when you’ve got 50,000 square feet, carpenters, welders and interior designers on your team, you can do some pretty neat stuff!
I’ll leave you with this sentiment, painted on an old door and propped in the narrow stairway that leads to the upper floors of the shop…interpret it however you want.
Katie Olthoff is a working mom of three who lives on a farm in Iowa. She is a former teacher and current communications professional who enjoys studying ways that moms can simplify and improve their lives. Katie is also the author of several children’s books about farm life and the host of the School at Home podcast.
