tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54025858070645731902024-03-14T07:08:52.146+10:30Jembella FarmBio-dynamics - Sustainable Living & Self Reliance - Raising Livestock Ethically for Food & Profit - Beekeeping - Frugal Living - Cooking & Preserving - Nutrition - Alternative Therapies - Growing Vegetables - Living the DreamJembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.comBlogger239125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-36491123373097073072021-09-23T14:38:00.000+09:302021-09-23T14:38:21.338+09:30Wandering through August and September<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jr_R5owWA3E/YUrAHz2jnUI/AAAAAAAAE4o/GnkRAWStA38x6kl7HUPTD-ol-qn6aMc8gCNcBGAsYHQ/s1280/IMG_9572.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jr_R5owWA3E/YUrAHz2jnUI/AAAAAAAAE4o/GnkRAWStA38x6kl7HUPTD-ol-qn6aMc8gCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/IMG_9572.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>In August, as we loomed closer towards lambing the second mob of merino ewes, and weaning the two six month old calves, it was becoming more apparent that we wouldn't get our week at the beach in the caravan. <p></p><p>The previous three weeks had been wet, not complaining about that, but definitely was not conducive to a relaxing time at the beach wrangling two wet dogs in a teeny tiny Avan. Then the weather cleared, we made plans to go, and the entire state of SA went into a week of lock-down. Thanks Covid.</p><p>When the lock-down was over our ewes had begun lambing and when Brian suggested I should go away for a few days on my own, (was my cabin fever showing?) I jumped at the opportunity.</p><p>A pet friendly Air-BnB cottage at the beach on the Yorke Peninsula was hastily booked, a few supplies loaded into the car, and the following day Meg and I hit the road.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WiFa8K3ChmU/YUrDXjYBSJI/AAAAAAAAE4w/Z4pjnPaLZAAiCDpoy-PgMpG569htTCKdwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9586.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WiFa8K3ChmU/YUrDXjYBSJI/AAAAAAAAE4w/Z4pjnPaLZAAiCDpoy-PgMpG569htTCKdwCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_9586.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>Four days with my best four-legged mate. We walked and explored, I slept and read a lot, ate meals at odd times, and generally had a complete shut off from the busyness of farm life. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PF6MShY0NdI/YUrE48WLkPI/AAAAAAAAE44/7tVtE0aziL0izymyLdkTHCZz2gestLD-QCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9603.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PF6MShY0NdI/YUrE48WLkPI/AAAAAAAAE44/7tVtE0aziL0izymyLdkTHCZz2gestLD-QCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9603.JPG" width="480" /></a></div> Mid August, calves weaned and a return to milking Honeysuckle and Poppy twice daily. I didn't realise how much milk those big calves were consuming each day. <p></p><p>On the evening of weaning day I milked seventeen litres from Honeysuckle. The following morning I milked eighteen litres. So her foster calf was drinking more than thirty litres of milk each day! Aha, that would be why he was growing so big and fat.</p><p>Poppy also milked more than I realised, with fifteen litres per day over two milkings. </p><p>What could I do with more than forty litres of milk every day?<br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_kC9GRd9Bo/YUrGt2yskiI/AAAAAAAAE5E/cdR8TQefRl0K7v4sEM1O7Udpth95wZ3UwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9613.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_kC9GRd9Bo/YUrGt2yskiI/AAAAAAAAE5E/cdR8TQefRl0K7v4sEM1O7Udpth95wZ3UwCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_9613.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Welcome to Lucy, the Angus cross calf purchased at three days old from our dairying friends.<p></p><p>She is the fourth foster calf for Honeysuckle during this lactation since her own calf was born in June last year (2020). Her milk just keeps coming. </p><p>She isn't due to have another calf until mid next year (2022) if her latest attempt at AI (artificial insemination) is successful. Her body condition is good, she enjoys babies, so it's the logical solution to grow another calf. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-REgyOgtYy_4/YUrgeaZ8CBI/AAAAAAAAE5M/nBUfW_D_aSQLivm84ueYZOwhvYG1X63IQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9635.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-REgyOgtYy_4/YUrgeaZ8CBI/AAAAAAAAE5M/nBUfW_D_aSQLivm84ueYZOwhvYG1X63IQCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9635.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Using the electric separator to take the cream from the milk.</i><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4r96bnK-Kp4/YUrhVNjhU8I/AAAAAAAAE5U/UoF5xi0FPM0nQJ_pAp_t1qRl-cYS-LSZgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9632.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4r96bnK-Kp4/YUrhVNjhU8I/AAAAAAAAE5U/UoF5xi0FPM0nQJ_pAp_t1qRl-cYS-LSZgCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9632.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Making this much butter every day.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DdEDIPXlZ6M/YUrhtaqAqcI/AAAAAAAAE5c/R5YG2y78FUsSwu13uM0BHwOnpFFb7TL_gCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9695.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DdEDIPXlZ6M/YUrhtaqAqcI/AAAAAAAAE5c/R5YG2y78FUsSwu13uM0BHwOnpFFb7TL_gCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/IMG_9695.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A year's supply of butter. This is only one of the freezers.</i><br /></div></div><div><p>But still there's too much milk so..........</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-98tYxKpS3pM/YUriNhgnI2I/AAAAAAAAE5k/H0DPWVJy7DED_w9OX28yDEPrCQK-YiFRwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9700.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-98tYxKpS3pM/YUriNhgnI2I/AAAAAAAAE5k/H0DPWVJy7DED_w9OX28yDEPrCQK-YiFRwCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_9700.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We ordered another calf, and came home with these two.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-itjKD89KeBE/YUrjVmEGyMI/AAAAAAAAE5s/RvxMkQMFEAMxk5IFsVuVdrRWM-SqQLR6ACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9704.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-itjKD89KeBE/YUrjVmEGyMI/AAAAAAAAE5s/RvxMkQMFEAMxk5IFsVuVdrRWM-SqQLR6ACNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_9704.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></i>Quarantined from Lucy and the other cows until their poos are a solid consistency and any signs of bacterial infections are ruled out.</div><div style="text-align: left;">And separated from each other at feeding time because Bambi (foreground) is a guts, gulping his milk quickly and then butting Blackie away from his. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u0ME8QInZWI/YUrlfKlU42I/AAAAAAAAE58/0HPetxnxieMzKqrdwZCf4HpQJ5_lpLKnwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9674.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u0ME8QInZWI/YUrlfKlU42I/AAAAAAAAE58/0HPetxnxieMzKqrdwZCf4HpQJ5_lpLKnwCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9674.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>September and bee season is upon us again. The weather has been cool, with just one day last week warm enough to begin harvesting honey. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9k6oQHAgyZ8/YUwCZaszhqI/AAAAAAAAE6E/NvkQEUfUpbwCtHUTKT040la_K88gXUOlACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/FullSizeRender%25284%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="640" height="331" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9k6oQHAgyZ8/YUwCZaszhqI/AAAAAAAAE6E/NvkQEUfUpbwCtHUTKT040la_K88gXUOlACNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h331/FullSizeRender%25284%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lambs are dropping. There are lots of twins and this blurry photo is of Meri, one of the rescued lambs from last year. I didn't want to get close and upset her<i>.</i><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eSAzUJP7c-g/YUwC5y9TuRI/AAAAAAAAE6M/IXT1KPhviVIb7f9MATWa67F3XwzWecvfQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9694.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eSAzUJP7c-g/YUwC5y9TuRI/AAAAAAAAE6M/IXT1KPhviVIb7f9MATWa67F3XwzWecvfQCNcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/IMG_9694.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>The hens are laying more than we can deal with so the incubator is full. </div><div>There will be chicken meat for the freezer and replacement laying hens.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SC5OOGLDav4/YUrk9_ZasTI/AAAAAAAAE50/GuXyCTATF5wkfsWH0mEk59KTej5X8D0dQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9693.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SC5OOGLDav4/YUrk9_ZasTI/AAAAAAAAE50/GuXyCTATF5wkfsWH0mEk59KTej5X8D0dQCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9693.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>The days are flying by too fast. When the sun goes down and all the chores are done, this is where I'll be. </div><div>The granny square rug is almost finished and there's a lovely silver grey sheep fleece ready for spinning.</div><div> </div><div>Thanks for dropping in, I hope you're finding some joy in your days despite what's going on out there in the world. I'll be staying safe in my bubble for awhile to come. </div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers for now, Sally XX<br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><i> </i><br /></div></div><div><p><br /></p><p><br /> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-65664320249111547622021-07-20T15:07:00.001+09:302021-07-20T15:09:44.421+09:30Let's Do This<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8YzwhV9U6Dg/YPZIl5wmDvI/AAAAAAAAE2M/A6i_0-ehgqcpAoO6Ecm2hmM2OCcB0KZDwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_8485.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8YzwhV9U6Dg/YPZIl5wmDvI/AAAAAAAAE2M/A6i_0-ehgqcpAoO6Ecm2hmM2OCcB0KZDwCNcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/IMG_8485.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>It's been awhile since I wrote. The format on Blogger has changed, so I'm negotiating my way around this with my very limited computer knowledge. But challenges are good for us, so they say.<p></p><p>Hello again, after a whole year of no writing it's time to get back here. Well... actually the prompting from well meaning friends is giving me the impetus to push through this pain barrier.</p><p>Laptop on the kitchen table, the wood stove is cooking a leg of lamb from the sheep processing we did last week, and our state is going into lock-down again this evening.</p><p>There's no excuse that I don't have time to write.</p><p>Let's do this.</p><p>In briefly re-capping our year, I'll do a story with photos.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ggxMPvEQnGc/YPZMShMXv1I/AAAAAAAAE2k/Tot0W__4SFsKNwvohO41XzM0dnBx6B_5wCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9013.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ggxMPvEQnGc/YPZMShMXv1I/AAAAAAAAE2k/Tot0W__4SFsKNwvohO41XzM0dnBx6B_5wCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_9013.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>On Christmas Eve, our neighbor started a fire with his angle grinder which quickly enveloped a large portion of our grazing paddocks. </p><p>I ran up that hill from our house to move cattle out while Brian joined the throng of CFS trucks, water bomber planes and volunteer farm fire fighters who appeared out of nowhere.</p><p>The flames were right behind me as I moved the cows and a four hours old calf to safety.</p><p>After the flames were out we stayed awake all night, on watch, comforted by the flashing lights of CFS trucks full of volunteers working through the night. </p><p>They gave up their Christmas Eve to help us and the many other landowners who were affected.<br /></p><p>The following day, Christmas Day, we had a very ill cow that required all of our attention and prayers. </p><p>A wonderful friend who is a vet came to our aid, and neighboring dairy friends supplied us with the medications required to treat her. </p><p>She was up and moving about, feeding her calf again by nightfall.</p><p>We had lost half of our grazing land, most of our fences, but there was much to be grateful about. </p><p>We didn't get a Christmas but we had a fridge full of Christmas food that sustained us in the following days of recovery, along with the many offers of help and condolences from community and friends far and wide. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iNoFUk65AqA/YPZRIZ_ScEI/AAAAAAAAE2s/OOky8i-6HwQAMAjmdpEv6uo9eFCCCw_fACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9308.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iNoFUk65AqA/YPZRIZ_ScEI/AAAAAAAAE2s/OOky8i-6HwQAMAjmdpEv6uo9eFCCCw_fACNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_9308.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The property where the fire began had been sold, the old owners were about to move out. The new owners came to our aid, allowing us to lease a section of their land adjoining our property. A life saver. Somewhere to put the cows. Another blessing.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was feeding out hay to them in the wheelbarrow, six barrows a day and a distance of roughly five hundred metres across to the leased paddock. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had talked about getting a small side by side with a tray on the back, for those times I need to get up the hill in a hurry and to cart hay and firewood, do paddock work etc. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Brian saw this for sale on Gumtree and we snapped it up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LRylkDAsRHM/YPZUZttAcWI/AAAAAAAAE20/FLJ-_YR9jpIAkrSQnuNSPj6d12gAI-rVwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9194.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LRylkDAsRHM/YPZUZttAcWI/AAAAAAAAE20/FLJ-_YR9jpIAkrSQnuNSPj6d12gAI-rVwCNcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/IMG_9194.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All the summer things; </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Beekeeper teaching and consulting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Y3xzuGVVVk/YPZVG9NzPuI/AAAAAAAAE28/gL6gex4GfIE6xGtofwix4FsbMvhD8bJggCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9324.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Y3xzuGVVVk/YPZVG9NzPuI/AAAAAAAAE28/gL6gex4GfIE6xGtofwix4FsbMvhD8bJggCNcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_9324.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Harvesting fruit and preserving.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--cD3IRJ-Kvg/YPZVcCv6PnI/AAAAAAAAE3E/fjkZ9ZXOcKgU3_kzMlJOhLnack-2-x3kQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9321.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--cD3IRJ-Kvg/YPZVcCv6PnI/AAAAAAAAE3E/fjkZ9ZXOcKgU3_kzMlJOhLnack-2-x3kQCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9321.JPG" width="480" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F3Nuuv4cAKM/YPZWKMkc3ZI/AAAAAAAAE3U/gaC2cVQUv8wI7p-TAeaswSYziBTQCVg1QCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9274.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F3Nuuv4cAKM/YPZWKMkc3ZI/AAAAAAAAE3U/gaC2cVQUv8wI7p-TAeaswSYziBTQCVg1QCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9274.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZHAcO5iSLk/YPZWb4m7uYI/AAAAAAAAE3c/tRHGqfHGde4FCU5KvTGC93W4PteboBfbwCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_9119.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZHAcO5iSLk/YPZWb4m7uYI/AAAAAAAAE3c/tRHGqfHGde4FCU5KvTGC93W4PteboBfbwCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9119.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Crushing grain for chickens and livestock in the grain crusher that he found in a friend's paddock. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's older than me and took many hours of restoration, but it works beautifully.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ml0qwaI1FdU/YPZXKK0QIyI/AAAAAAAAE3k/Y-DgLfvphrQuJhBHIwNtFDng7I9j3PSrwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9371.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ml0qwaI1FdU/YPZXKK0QIyI/AAAAAAAAE3k/Y-DgLfvphrQuJhBHIwNtFDng7I9j3PSrwCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9371.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Eight days post knee-replacement surgery in April.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I stayed in a hotel in the City while he was in hospital. I'd been looking forward to a break away from the farm but was itching to get back after three nights. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">His recovery has been good with very little pain, and was back at work after ten weeks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4G7vLjveZLQ/YPZYT5_9SPI/AAAAAAAAE3s/EdH09pEv-OwlCosQBMu-JTKVvApZ-ICBQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9233.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4G7vLjveZLQ/YPZYT5_9SPI/AAAAAAAAE3s/EdH09pEv-OwlCosQBMu-JTKVvApZ-ICBQCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9233.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was an excellent breeding season from September until April, with almost eighty chicks hatched to these Pekin hens. I sold most of the new hens when they were big enough to leave their mums. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In late April this hen disappeared and returned three weeks later with a dozen chicks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fdBDk5G9AcA/YPZZbgLMTdI/AAAAAAAAE30/w875IZTEiZg1QDLmUxn22uGF6I0OZSjJwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9402.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="361" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fdBDk5G9AcA/YPZZbgLMTdI/AAAAAAAAE30/w875IZTEiZg1QDLmUxn22uGF6I0OZSjJwCNcBGAsYHQ/w360-h640/IMG_9402.PNG" width="360" /></a></div><p></p><p>In late April, one week after Brian's return from hospital, I leaned into the bottom of the cow's feed bin and broke a rib. Rest for six to eight weeks they all said!</p><p>I was the one caring for Brian and running the farm during his absence from heavy work, so it was inconvenient but together we got through it, in our tag team kind of way, and a bit of occasional help from family. </p><p>I was forced to adjust the way I work here, learning to take things at a slower pace, and moving my chores around to suit me. </p><p>I learned to crochet, thanks to dear patient Inge, and Utube.... and discovered a new meditative calm in my days.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NZPMkdN6Ng4/YPZcwfLtmBI/AAAAAAAAE38/mZL6f3Ghbuw1LV8PWvKvyrprpw6f2aH6gCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_9538.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NZPMkdN6Ng4/YPZcwfLtmBI/AAAAAAAAE38/mZL6f3Ghbuw1LV8PWvKvyrprpw6f2aH6gCNcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_9538.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p>Wherever you are I hope you're finding your way to calm in these strange times. </p><p>Thanks for visiting here, and now that I seem to have almost got this sorted out, I promise to see you again soon. </p><p>Leaving you with a drawing from my current favourite illustrator Charlie Mackesy.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HfqXrH2fPD8/YPZKoNrcCwI/AAAAAAAAE2U/vtsbESZSOoM9TJ6foui9ULgXAiTIk1MmQCNcBGAsYHQ/s960/IMG_9015.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HfqXrH2fPD8/YPZKoNrcCwI/AAAAAAAAE2U/vtsbESZSOoM9TJ6foui9ULgXAiTIk1MmQCNcBGAsYHQ/w360-h640/IMG_9015.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-64735480263939380922020-06-10T15:28:00.000+09:302020-06-10T15:28:00.327+09:30Winter<br />
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The hay shed catches the first rays of sun in the mornings when I fork out enough hay to fill the cow's hay rack. Just a short walk to the rack on the other side of the fence, but it takes quite a few trips, so I often think I've done the equivalent of a morning walk after the exertion that warms me to the bone.<br />
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The past few mornings have been frosty with temps of -2C degrees at sunrise; two pairs of gloves are required to keep the fingers from seizing up.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xQY7DbS7jiI/Xt8Ik5i4iKI/AAAAAAAAEts/mUUSx4rRdlM22LWrlxbwVK_AZr1SVRWkACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xQY7DbS7jiI/Xt8Ik5i4iKI/AAAAAAAAEts/mUUSx4rRdlM22LWrlxbwVK_AZr1SVRWkACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_8448.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Some rain last week accompanied by this rainbow in the late afternoon.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dfY_0YfMIZ0/Xt8KK18HopI/AAAAAAAAEt4/Yq8a1X1PwtUgk7T7mCh0-VaC7SYsQ0LMACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1264%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dfY_0YfMIZ0/Xt8KK18HopI/AAAAAAAAEt4/Yq8a1X1PwtUgk7T7mCh0-VaC7SYsQ0LMACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_1264%25281%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Pekin bantam shenanigans in the house garden. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E0WSvdJ3nY0/Xt8LJeSZJTI/AAAAAAAAEuA/mauXdouleqcRIc4E1RRgutyUUzjNL5JoACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E0WSvdJ3nY0/Xt8LJeSZJTI/AAAAAAAAEuA/mauXdouleqcRIc4E1RRgutyUUzjNL5JoACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_8355.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I could not imagine life without this. </div>
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Day and night, a fire burns or coals glow; always at the ready to warm, revive, boil a kettle, bake bread, cook all of our meals, incubate cheese and yoghurt cultures. All round most useful and appreciated appliance and much loved soul of our kitchen is this Irish made Stanley wood combustion stove.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2qUt8oDvC2w/Xt8MpPAUSUI/AAAAAAAAEuM/41NlRVb9nlotKZ-1nKmy0_XbU8q_1ahhACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2qUt8oDvC2w/Xt8MpPAUSUI/AAAAAAAAEuM/41NlRVb9nlotKZ-1nKmy0_XbU8q_1ahhACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_8357.JPG" width="480" /></a> </div>
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One, two and often three per day. Thankful that orders from buyers enables my obsessive sourdough making. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ahb07MKLqAo/XuBnJMMgnaI/AAAAAAAAEu8/wQe9PcPfXBsG0qCIwBSmz18eRyVQv9tAQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ahb07MKLqAo/XuBnJMMgnaI/AAAAAAAAEu8/wQe9PcPfXBsG0qCIwBSmz18eRyVQv9tAQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_8485.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Working from the kitchen today as a pot of dried apricot jam bubbles on the wood stove. I cannot be trusted to leave the room when cooking, such is my propensity for becoming easily sidetracked. </div>
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Dried apricot jam will guarantee to stick to the bottom of the pan as soon as my back is turned.</div>
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Thank you to those folks who have sent emails and messages following the publication of my
article in the latest Grass Roots magazine. (No.259 June/July 2020
issue.) </div>
A couple of emails from people who wanted more information on
skin moisturisers and deodorant that I mentioned in the article.<br />
Maximum
word limits sometimes make it difficult to elaborate in the magazine,
and I tend to be a bit too wordy. My thanks always to the editors,
Megg and Jessamy for their unwavering patience and encouragement.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SsOa848B6r0/Xt8NowmlYFI/AAAAAAAAEuU/Kvt_64LdcBcU4YjKkeNFI750U-3vIFlTwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SsOa848B6r0/Xt8NowmlYFI/AAAAAAAAEuU/Kvt_64LdcBcU4YjKkeNFI750U-3vIFlTwCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_8468.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
My deodorant for everyday use is simply organic coconut oil mixed in a small jar with a few drops of essential oil. I prefer a very slight hint of fragrance and find that lavender oil does not change its scent on my skin as some fragrances do.<br />
I once made deodorant using lemongrass essential oil which, after a few hours on my body, started to smell like urine! However it wasn't wasted, we used it as bee pheromone to attract a swarm to a bee box, but that's another story for another time.<br />
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To avoid leaving oily residue on our clothes, a small amount is all that is required. I especially like it on these freezing winter mornings, when deodorant roll-on or from a spray bottle feels cold to the touch and takes a minute or so to dry.<br />
Coconut oil is also used as body moisturiser. Unscented, rubbed on arms and legs especially during summer is cheap and chemical free. Add a dash of lavender oil to repel flies and mosquitoes. <br />
Did you know that Parabens in many cosmetics and body moisturisers, are the cause of hormonal issues? Parabens and many other chemicals are scientifically proven hormone disrupters.<br />
Our skin is the body's largest organ, is very absorbent so we really need to be careful what we put on it. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R5zlpKhvswc/Xt8SSWjQ-4I/AAAAAAAAEuw/mOxtipdBmyU5A2PgrFJkr9hSq5D7BWCTQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8472.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="361" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R5zlpKhvswc/Xt8SSWjQ-4I/AAAAAAAAEuw/mOxtipdBmyU5A2PgrFJkr9hSq5D7BWCTQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_8472.PNG" width="360" /></a></div>
And hand moisturiser?.... is right there on the kitchen bench in a squirty bottle.<br />
Olive oil rubbed in well, as often as required, is also cheap and chemical free.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r4DbZZ6wG7I/XuBsDeBD31I/AAAAAAAAEvc/6fpTnXVsXrQg4rfyZaDlCxyG1TsrNJkZwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r4DbZZ6wG7I/XuBsDeBD31I/AAAAAAAAEvc/6fpTnXVsXrQg4rfyZaDlCxyG1TsrNJkZwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_8478.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
We have some excellent local producers here and our trade economy is always welcomed. This is one of our favourite extra virgin oils, from John and Vicki at <a href="https://www.barossamag.com/theexperience/john-williams-of-cornucopia-farming/" target="_blank">Cornucopia Farming.</a><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kmj1sjPeorg/XuBtQ7EgskI/AAAAAAAAEvo/DDgA3Gq1sf4wULizjYkwjotPnTI4NfWiQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kmj1sjPeorg/XuBtQ7EgskI/AAAAAAAAEvo/DDgA3Gq1sf4wULizjYkwjotPnTI4NfWiQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_8473.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.glenaftongoatsoap.com.au/shop" target="_blank">Glenafton Goats milk products</a> are chemical free and extremely well priced.<br />
I love this facial moisturiser for my weathered and dry old skin. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z1PVpaoxtfM/XuBtuCpQ-MI/AAAAAAAAEvw/K1WyKVOpuI0t-ZJ-gHXp1hi7hAdk2w5YACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z1PVpaoxtfM/XuBtuCpQ-MI/AAAAAAAAEvw/K1WyKVOpuI0t-ZJ-gHXp1hi7hAdk2w5YACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_8476.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
What I reckon is... if you wouldn't put it in your mouth, then why would you rub it onto your skin?<br />
For $12 a pot, and free postage, I usually order three pots at a time to cut down the postage costs for the small family manufacturer. I get almost a year from three pots, using it every morning and night.<br />
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When I think of the dollars that I wasted on 'products' during my lifetime, I squirm. But when I think of the chemicals that I used to slather onto my skin and hair that were washed down in the waste water, the plastic bottles and containers I unwittingly encouraged, I cringe with shame.<br />
There's no point stressing over the past, but once we have the knowledge we can be empowered to do better for our health and well-being, and for the sake of the planet.<br />
Choose wisely folks.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
Sally XX <br />
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<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-63710980806555650402020-05-29T15:06:00.001+09:302020-05-29T15:06:58.087+09:30The End of May - Pruning and Cows <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gpdXhkTUQM/Xs8xZwIAfNI/AAAAAAAAEsY/JGWxo9xTloQvedix_UkZshISjOp_mbpjgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1gpdXhkTUQM/Xs8xZwIAfNI/AAAAAAAAEsY/JGWxo9xTloQvedix_UkZshISjOp_mbpjgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_8329.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Hello Friends,<br />
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It's the end of May and the last of the Glory Vine surrounding the house verandah has been pruned and mulched.<br />
Brian did the pruning in less than an hour. Before I could offer to assist it was all on the ground.! That man! He certainly gets on with things without a minute's hesitation. He is truly motivation on steroids.<br />
"Leave the cuttings on the ground." I said. "I want to go through them and make a wreath." <br />
The least I could do was pick up the mess on the ground, and I needed to find a valid excuse so that he didn't rush to do it all, and leave me feeling guilty for not helping.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k66ftB2aKM0/XtCGCU-w9VI/AAAAAAAAEs8/CtGm43oJZ1Ucpa9fNxdXr3bhPtlB2tNcgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k66ftB2aKM0/XtCGCU-w9VI/AAAAAAAAEs8/CtGm43oJZ1Ucpa9fNxdXr3bhPtlB2tNcgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_8447.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
Later in the day, when I'd finished what I was doing, I made a wreath.<br />
The remainder of the vine sticks went onto the mulching pile for Brian to run over with the tractor and mulcher. After rotting down over winter I'll shovel it onto the garden. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjisjuE96LI/Xs80xpk52WI/AAAAAAAAEss/yMr2_O05xBAr7Hw9jikJf2MYEcrMgbIIACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjisjuE96LI/Xs80xpk52WI/AAAAAAAAEss/yMr2_O05xBAr7Hw9jikJf2MYEcrMgbIIACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_8396.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
Honeysuckle is almost unrecognizable from that timid and thin cow that we brought home from the livestock market roughly two years ago. You can catch up on bringing home our new Honeysuckle cow <a href="https://jembellafarm.blogspot.com/2019/01/honeysuckle.html" target="_blank">here</a><br />
After numerous AI (artificial insemination) attempts we took her to visit a bull last October, and is due to calve at the end of June. Next month!<br />
Unlike our other two house cows, Lavender and Poppy, who were hand raised here and learned to trust us from an early age, Honeysuckle was raised on a large commercial dairy. Understandably, she was shy and had very little trust in humans. It has been a long process to gain her trust, I can gently stroke her head now, but only when she's in the right mood. She will follow me into the dairy but will not comply if any other person is within sight.<br />
It is more than a year since I stopped milking her, allowing her to dry off and put all of her energy into gaining weight, conceiving, and carrying a calf.<br />
She has been enjoying life, as she rightly deserves, and now it's time to resume her training to walk into the dairy each day.<br />
After her calf is born I will be milking her every day, sharing the milk with her calf which will stay with her. Cows love their babies, as much as we humans love ours, and it aggrieves me to see calves taken from their mothers.<br />
After the calf is born, I don't want to put Honeysuckle through the stress of re-training, re-learning to walk into the dairy. So, for the past month I have been putting in the effort every day, to remind her how great it is to walk into the dairy for her special treats. I'm also able to check her thoroughly each day and when her calf is awake I can feel it moving about in there when I rest my hands on her belly. <br />
Last weekend I found a lump under her jaw that worried me, so I called a vet to come and check it out.<br />
Honeysuckle would be easily stressed if we tried to move her away from the other cows so we brought all three of them into the cattle yards attached to the cattle crush. She has never been into our crush, there has never been a need, and I absolutely didn't want the vet to treat her in the dairy. The dairy is to be associated with pleasant things, not traumatic events.<br />
<br />
After drafting off the other two cows, Honeysuckle moved calmly into the crush, poked her head through far enough for the mechanism to close, holding her head to prevent any movement.<br />
We really struck it lucky with this new (to us) vet. Georgia from Barossa Vet Services is wise and experienced beyond her years. A young woman, slight of stature, really knows her way around a cow. I admit to being a bit stressed, but she certainly put me at ease with her gentle and respectful treatment of both animal and humans. <br />
She told me that most farmers wouldn't notice a lump of that size, and she would usually be called when it was much bigger and required more intensive treatment.<br />
Thanks to the close daily contact between cow and owner, we are able to get on top of this infected cyst, requiring a course of anti-biotics, before her calf is born.<br />
Had I left it longer, and she had required anti-biotics whilst lactating, neither calf nor other creatures could consume the milk for seven days or more. In such a case, taking her calf away from her would be required. A stress neither cow or this owner would want to endure.<br />
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Here's another valid reason for all cow owners to have a working and reliable crush. I can't believe how many folks buy cows but don't think to build the infrastructure to properly care for them.<br />
I can't tell you how many times we have needed to bring in a cow to remove a grass seed from an eye. Often this simple procedure can be done in the milking bales, which is fine for those cows that are used to being restrained for milking.<br />
But what happens when a beef cow gets a grass seed in its eye? If it isn't removed within a day or two the eye will become ulcerated and blindness will rapidly follow. A devastating result caused by a neglectful owner. <br />
Hobby farmers - Please ensure you build the proper infrastructure before taking ownership of cows. You will need secure yards with solid fences high enough for cows not to jump over, a loading ramp and a crush of some type.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MGhraZ-gwpk/XtCGttDOj0I/AAAAAAAAEtE/MuXYQ2g3otkrjYbsUi0M4q_XqIxjAa3CwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8270.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MGhraZ-gwpk/XtCGttDOj0I/AAAAAAAAEtE/MuXYQ2g3otkrjYbsUi0M4q_XqIxjAa3CwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_8270.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
In the latest Grass Roots magazine I've written about what's been happening here, while the front gate is shut to all visitors while we are in isolation. Actually not much has changed but I have enjoyed the more relaxed lifestyle, with no calls to host guests or to be sociable. Perhaps I'll keep the gate closed for awhile longer.<br />
How about you? Are your bursting to get out or are you secretly enjoying the peace and solitude as I am?<br />
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<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-83745417646203998042020-05-06T14:17:00.003+09:302020-05-06T14:17:56.002+09:30Sourdough Discard - Muffins<br />
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I haven't been baking many sourdough loaves lately, but I need to feed my "Mother" occasionally to keep her alive and healthy. As you know, I never like to waste a thing, so there's a jar of discard (flour and water sourdough) in the fridge that needs to be used.<br />
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When I'm baking sourdough loaves regularly I don't accumulate any discard at all.<br />
<a href="https://jembellafarm.blogspot.com/2018/07/sourdough-so-you-thought-she-was-dead.html" target="_blank">Here</a> is the blog post that explains how to NOT waste flour.<br />
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Last time I made <a href="https://jembellafarm.blogspot.com/2020/04/soudough-discard-crackers.html" target="_blank">Crackers using some of the discard</a> and this morning I felt like making small cakes (or muffins) to put into the Farmgate stall.<br />
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As usual, I have adapted the recipe from various ideas and previous bakes, using basic supplies from the fridge and pantry. <br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Apple and Spice Muffins</span></u><br />
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1 cup sourdough discard (straight from the fridge or the bench, it doesn't matter)<br />
1.5 cups plain flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon bi-carb<br />
2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg<br />
pinch of salt<br />
2 dessertspoons butter melted in 1/2 cup milk<br />
3/4 cup sugar (we don't like them too sweet)<br />
1 egg<br />
1 peeled and chopped apple<br />
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Put sourdough discard in a mixing bowl. Mix flour, baking powder, and bi-carb together before adding to the bowl. Add sugar, spices, butter and milk, and stir with a wooden spoon before adding the egg. Add chopped apple and stir until well combined.<br />
Mixture should be the consistency of cake batter. Your sourdough discard may be wetter than mine so you may need less milk. <br />
Spoon into paper muffin cases and bake at 180C for 15 - 18 minutes - turn the tray after the first 10 minutes.<br />
Makes 10 muffins.<br />
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These basic muffins can be adapted in lots of ways and variations.<br />
Leave out the apple and use a mashed banana.<br />
Leave out the spices and add berries or cocoa, or choc chips. <br />
Add dried fruit, dates, dried apricots... the possibilities are endless.<br />
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How long will they keep?<br />
If you want to keep some for later, you will need to wrap them well (after cooling) and put into the freezer before anyone sees or smells them.<br />
Unfrozen they will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container and are good for lunch boxes or smoko (morning tea) for the workers.<br />
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There's absolutely no reason to throw away flour and water from our sourdough excesses and what good fun it is to discover new ways to use it.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
Sally XX<br />
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<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-78547236097712349492020-04-15T13:25:00.000+09:302020-04-15T13:25:12.996+09:30Soudough Discard Crackers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yqakSG8Ako8/XpZsAttWnVI/AAAAAAAAEq8/DKiWhuvORNE3KzBETDoC0AYQ51HeTFMvgCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_8283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yqakSG8Ako8/XpZsAttWnVI/AAAAAAAAEq8/DKiWhuvORNE3KzBETDoC0AYQ51HeTFMvgCNcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_8283.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I hear a lot of sourdough bakers mention the waste of flour during the sourdough mother feeding process, but there's absolutely no reason to waste any flour at all. <br />
When I'm baking loaves regularly (four days a week) there's never any waste to deal with because I'm feeding and using the sourdough mother with each bake.<br />
You can read about my method of sourdough baking <a href="https://jembellafarm.blogspot.com/search?q=so+you+thought+she+was+dead" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://jembellafarm.blogspot.com/2018/07/sourdough.html" target="_blank">here</a> <br />
At the moment though, I'm not baking loaves for selling in the Farm-gate stall, so I'm baking just a couple of loaves each week.<br />
There is discard, but not waste.<br />
Our supply of shop bought crackers has been eaten, and as I'm still not going into shops (sixth week of no shopping) I searched for a recipe.<br />
I can't tell you how many times I have attempted to make crackers, only to end up with hard lumps of unchewable cooked dough that were good enough for dogs only.<br />
So I searched and found lots of recipes for these Lavosh style crackers. I've seen them for sale in gourmet shops, but crikey, I could buy enough food to feed us for three days for the cost of one pack of those fancy crackers.<br />
As you will know me by now, I can never stick to a recipe. I almost never have exactly the correct ingredients on hand, so I substitute, plus I like to find an easier way without all the palaver. Honestly, some recipes go on and on don't they?<br />
So, for the purposes of recording this (fluke?) success for future reference and for anyone else who may want to whip up a few, here is my new crackers recipe.<br />
So save your excess sourdough mother in a separate bowl or jar in the fridge. There are lots of ways to use it up.<br />
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<u><i> </i></u><br />
<b><u><i>Sourdough Discard Crackers - Often called Lavosh or Bark (in the Barossa</i></u></b><br />
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200g sourdough mother - It need not be active but should not be smelly.<br />
1 cup (120g) bread flour - I used white unbleached<br />
2 desert spoons of olive oil<br />
1/2 teaspoon fine salt<br />
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Salt flakes, sesame seeds, chopped herbs, poppy seeds - Choose one or more for topping.<br />
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In a bowl combine sourdough starter with flour, olive oil, and salt. Mix to combine until it comes together as a medium stiff dough. If it feels too dry add a dribble of water, 1 teaspoon at a time. It should be the consistency of pastry. Work it into a ball, wrap up to be airtight and place in the fridge for at least 30mins and up to 24hrs.<br />
The recipes all said to wrap it in cling wrap but I used a waxed food wrap because that's what I have.<br />
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The next bit is just like rolling out pasta. I use a hand-wind pasta machine, but if you think you can roll it thinly with a rolling pin do have a go. If you're OK with rolling pasta you'll be fine with this too.<br />
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F) <br />
Break off small lumps of dough, roll into an oblong shape on a floured bench with your fingers. Roll the flattened oblong dough shape through the thickest setting on your pasta machine. Don't forget to dust your pasta machine with flour first. Work your way through the settings until the dough is thin. I stopped rolling at number 7on the dial.<br />
It takes a bit of dexterity but honestly, if I can do it, so can you. If you haven't rolled pasta before you will work it out, just persevere. Practice makes (almost) perfect. <br />
Lay long thin sheets onto baking trays lined with parchment paper. Do not overlap. You may want to cut the shapes into smaller pieces to fit more easily on the trays.<br />
Spritz with water using a spray bottle and, working quickly, sprinkle lightly with salt flakes, plain sea salt or Himalayan salt. Then sprinkle on your toppings of choice.<br />
Put trays in oven. Cook for approximately 10 mins, rotating the trays mid way through. They will burn very quickly, so watch carefully.<br />
When cooked, place on cooling racks until cool, before packing away in airtight jars.<br />
Repeat with remaining dough. This amount made two large jars of crackers.<br />
I have no idea how long they will maintain their crispness, but I estimate maybe a week. Ours will be eaten before the end of the week. <br />
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Apart from all the obvious ways to enjoy crackers, they were a delicious accompaniment to our lunch of leftover Moroccan Beef stew, having eaten all of the couscous last night.<br />
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There are so many ways to use up sourdough discard. Crumpets and pancakes are delicious, and very high in carbs too, which is not such a good thing, so I'm super excited about these light and versatile crackers.<br />
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I'd love to know how you go with making these.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
Sally XX<br />
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<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-43567451694057331682020-04-04T14:06:00.000+10:302020-04-04T14:07:49.774+10:30Icecream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A reader (Kathy) asked for my ice-cream recipe. I have a few that I use depending on various factors; </div>
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- the type of cream on hand, </div>
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(shop cream, cream from our own cows, very thick, or thin cream)</div>
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- the amount of eggs I have on hand.</div>
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(are the hens laying or are they having a spell?)</div>
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- do I want to use the ice-cream churn or not?</div>
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The ice-cream that I made this week is the original recipe from the instruction booklet supplied with my cheap ice-cream churn purchased approximately eight years ago. </div>
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The freezer bowl of this churn lives in the freezer until I'm ready to use it.<br />
This is a quick and lazy ice-cream but of course, as you will know me by now, I have adapted it slightly to improve the texture and flavour. The original recipe is below and my adaptions are in red. <br />
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<u><i>Vanilla Ice-cream </i></u><br />
<u><i> </i></u><i>1 1/2 cups milk </i><br />
<i>1 1/2 cups cream <span style="color: #cc0000;"> 2 cups cream</span></i><br />
<i>1 egg <span style="color: #cc0000;">Separate egg. (Save egg white until later)</span></i><br />
<i>1/2 cup castor sugar <span style="color: #cc0000;">Icing sugar for a smoother texture. Icing mixture is OK too.</span></i><br />
<i>1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence <span style="color: #cc0000;"> or 2 dessertspoons runny honey</span></i><br />
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<i>Method; Process all ingredients <span style="color: #cc0000;">(except egg white)</span> in a blender or food processor until well blended. </i><br />
<i>Place mixture into a pouring jug or bowl, cover and place in freezer for an 1 - 2 hrs until chilled and starting to slightly freeze at the edges. <span style="color: #cc0000;"></span></i><br />
<i>Stir mixture quickly and pour into rotating freezer bowl. </i><i><span style="color: #cc0000;"></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Just before pouring into ice-cream churn beat the saved egg white until fluffy and fold into chilled mixture.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #cc0000;"></span></i><i>Process until it begins to look like soft ice-cream. </i><i> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></i><br />
<i>Scrape into a bowl, cover with lid and freeze.</i><br />
<i>Ready to eat after 4-5hrs.</i><br />
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With so much cream and no artificial fillers this ice-cream is rich. The ice-cream addict here takes just one scoop instead of his usual two.<u><i> </i></u><br />
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However, if you don't have a churn this <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/no-churn_ice_cream_72012" target="_blank">Mary Berry Ice-cream</a> is very very good. </div>
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And my old blog post <a href="https://jembellafarm.blogspot.com/2014/11/make-icecream-without-using-icecream.html" target="_blank">here for easy ice-cream without using a churn</a></div>
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We're ticking over to four weeks of isolation and no shopping. The trade economy in our neighbourhood circle has kicked in; bringing with it a deeper sense of appreciation for things we may have taken for granted previously. </div>
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I filled Meg's bottles with fresh milk and received these treats that we don't have growing in our own garden. </div>
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Brian and Damon are doing some poultry trading......but I got the best end of the deal. </div>
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This was a total surprise, and delivered to our gate too!</div>
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Never before have flour and yeast, eggplants, beans and capsicums, made my heart sing quite to this extent.</div>
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I hope there is the joy of a generous community where you are too.</div>
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Cheers,</div>
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Sally XX</div>
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Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-8659912083132425142020-04-02T18:33:00.000+10:302020-04-02T18:33:40.029+10:30Every Day Feels Like Sunday....but without Landline (ABC TV) at lunchtime.<br />
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We are well into week three of self isolation and every day is like Sunday.<br />
With no structure to my weeks, library volunteering, visiting elderly friends, shopping, meeting friends for coffee, and visitors, each day flows into the next. As a self confessed introvert I'm rather enjoying it.<br />
We're both busy with our work here on the farm, and never before in my sixty four years have I valued our lifestyle, growing our food, as we do right now.<br />
Brian is finding isolation more difficult than I am, which is to be expected. Just three months into "retirement" and transitioning from his previous sociable work life to this one.<br />
And what a transition it must be!<br />
Into this new territory that is affecting the global population in ways we could never imagine.<br />
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However, we are counting our blessings. There is so much for which to be thankful.<br />
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Never before have we felt this intense value of all that surrounds us, the ability to live well for as long as it takes without the need to buy anything from a shop.<br />
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With well stocked pantry, cellar and freezers there was no need to go into a state of panic bulk buying when I last did my fortnightly shopping. I did buy an extra packet of tea and ground coffee though.<br />
Now into week three; the packet of potato crisps, the bag of mixed nuts, the Aldi block of chocolate and the tub of icecream are memories of the past.<br />
All luxury items that we can well do without. However we are not feeling deprived of anything - the wine cellar is well stocked - and with this challenge we're probably eating better than ever, to be perfectly honest.<br />
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Garden pickings for our daily juice. Necessary to maintain immunity.</div>
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Daily routines for healthy mind, body and soul. </div>
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This morning I was able to gift some butter to one of my young friends who is five months pregnant. She is finding it difficult to find butter in the shops, along with all the other shortages.<br />
The round of cheddar remains maturing in the fridge. </div>
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My days are busier now that I'm using all of my homesteading skills to produce all that we eat from scratch. </div>
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Making our ice-cream was one of those jobs that slipped off my schedule these past couple of years. The flavour is far superior to the shop bought stuff because I'm using our own cream, milk, honey and eggs.</div>
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My ice-cream recipe would probably read something like this;</div>
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First milk your cow,</div>
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Put milk through the separator.</div>
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Chill cream whilst washing all thirty something parts of the separator, feeding the poultry and collecting the eggs.</div>
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The Barossa Valley has been locked down since last week owing to a spike in Covid-19 cases. All tourist related, and some community cases as a result. </div>
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All non-essential travel between the towns of Angaston, Nuriootpa, Tanunda and Greenock has been discouraged.</div>
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With this in mind it was an easy decision to close the Farmgate Stall. Our last day of trade on Monday was a record breaker as I had notified our supporters via the Facebook page giving them one final day's notice in order to stock up on our produce and honey. I was kept busy all day restocking the shelves and pouring honey into more tubs and jars.</div>
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Closing up this funny little stall at the end of day was sad, but it's just for awhile. However, I felt a new calm, less anxiety and an acceptance of this quiet time ahead, just Brian and I, comfortable and deeply grateful to have all that we need to survive the duration.</div>
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Eating well with what we grow. </div>
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Eggs, milk, honey...</div>
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Bread and Butter Pudding baked in the wood oven and served with baked apples from our abundant harvest. </div>
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We don't know when we will enter a shop again so I'm using my most frugal living skills to stretch out shop bought supplies to last as long as possible. </div>
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Used tea bags can be used a second time to make a pot of chai for two.</div>
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Ginger, turmeric, cloves and a cardamom leaf. </div>
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If you don't grow cardamom a couple of pods will do. I keep ginger and turmeric (from our garden) in the freezer and scrape off what I need with a knife. </div>
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Simmer spices in 1 cup of water and 1 cup of milk with 2 used teabags (for two cups of chai) allow flavours to infuse for five minutes before straining into cups. Stir in honey or sweetener of choice.<br />
Save the spices in the pot, and keep in the fridge. You will get another two lots of chai before the flavours become too weak. Replace teabags with another used tea-bag or two for each batch of chai. </div>
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Without focusing too much on Covid-19, (I'm becoming information fatigued are you?) I think it's really useful to document our experiences during this surreal time.<br />
I hope to spend a bit more time writing and sharing some of the frugal things we're doing with a positive outlook.<br />
Not only is it allowing us to stay away from shops and people, we're not spending any money either.<br />
As self funded retirees, too young to get aged pension and not eligible for a pension when we are old enough, our superannuations have taken a severe hit. Fortunately we were prepared for a financial down time and we're confident the stock market will come back eventually. We don't qualify for any of the stimulus packages and government assistance. We will be living close to the bone for the foreseeable future and all I can see are the positive challenges ahead.<br />
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"Fear is contagious, but so are faith, hope and love"<br />
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Take care. Stay home. Be kind.<br />
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Sally XX<br />
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<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-38881595809589888132020-03-03T15:19:00.000+10:302020-03-03T19:15:59.772+10:30We're Still HereHello friends,<br />
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As summer draws to an end and the hectic pressure of summer is easing, there's time now to take a look back on the past few months since I last wrote here.<br />
It's always a very busy season here on our place and I'm not going to bore you with all the details, so here's a pictorial snapshot of our summer.<br />
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The original apricot tree, already past its prime when we moved here fifteen years ago, and kept alive with lots of TLC, this was it's final harvest. The apricots were not suitable for jam making or preserves, so the wildlife carers in the family made good use of the fruit for the rescued animals in their care.<br />
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Swamp wallaby Ivy visiting with her foster mum carer Indi and puppy Molly.</div>
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Between October and January we hosted three Beekeeping workshops and connected with thirty three new beginner apiarists. </div>
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We also maintained our own hives.....</div>
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rescued so many swarms around our area that we lost count...</div>
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harvested over a tonne of honey..... </div>
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visited and mentored various new beekeeper students......</div>
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made and sold more bee boxes, bees and beekeeping equipment than any previous year...</div>
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Christmas came, and with it came Honey Biscuits... because this is the Barossa and no Christmas is complete without them.</div>
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Brian and Michael butchered a steer that I raised from a wee calf we brought in last year. At a year old he didn't look very big but when hanging up, the carcass was huge and, although cut into four quarters, only just fitted into our refrigerated cool room. After two weeks hanging, our butcher friend came over for the morning and did a fantastic job of cutting into all the correct cuts.</div>
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Packing up an entire beef carcass took three days, and once again we were grateful for the cool room, where more than 200 kilograms of beef was stored safely until I could get it all into our freezers.</div>
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We have enough steaks of all types for a year. We made lots of mince and some preservative free sausages too.</div>
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Linking snags (sausages) like a pro..!</div>
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The driest and hottest summer in living memory, with bushfires covering more of Australia than is bearable to think about now.</div>
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We folks on the land and country dwellers' anxiety levels reached a new high, day after day, and nights too.</div>
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Is it any wonder that we breathe a sigh of relief as we herald the coming of Autumn?</div>
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There are pumpkins! I hate to think of our summer water bill when it comes, but we have been picking enough tomatoes to restock our supplies of sauces and chutney.</div>
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Zucchini, cucumbers, and the usual summer vegetables have been landing on the kitchen table daily. Jams, relishes and preserves are a daily task right now, but oh, how grateful we will be for these jars of supplies throughout the rest of the year.</div>
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A hand made gift for a special baby girl.</div>
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During the hottest of hot days with temps soaring above 45C degrees there were plenty of things to keep me occupied inside the house. </div>
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After the yearly purge of cupboards cleaned out, "stuff" donated to the local op-shops, I did a bit of sewing and made this bunting for a friend's baby girl. </div>
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Don't look too closely at the stitching - sewing is not my thing - but I did enjoy making this with love.</div>
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The cows are on dry feed (hay) as South Australian summers are dry. (Our wet season is typically winter and spring)</div>
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It's always interesting to note the colour difference in the butter that we produce here. The yellow butter was made in Spring time when the cows were eating green grass. </div>
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(I freeze and vacuum seal the butter as I make it, for use throughout the year.) </div>
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Butter that I make during summer is colorless due to the lack of carotene that is present in green grass. The flavour is still very good, but is missing the Vitamin A (carotene).</div>
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There's plenty of thick fresh cream to enjoy after a hard working day.</div>
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Raw milk cheeses.</div>
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Brian's "retirement" has seen him busier than ever. We're slowly getting the hang of this new type of living with occasional days out - the only way we actually stop is to go out, shutting the gate and never ending work list behind us. </div>
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Every couple of weeks we try to go out somewhere new, have lunch, and see new things. We're not able to actually take a holiday at this time of year, but we <u>can</u> take a day off. </div>
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A 'mental health' day does wonders for our spirits and when we spotted some (very expensive) quaint bird nesting boxes at a trendy garden shop in the Adelaide Hills, The Handyman came home and whipped these up.</div>
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This is certainly something new that I'd never seen in The Handyman in all our years together. Time for creative pursuits!</div>
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I asked him to make some carrying boxes too...</div>
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.....and sold them all at the market last weekend.!</div>
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Meanwhile, all is well here as Autumn pokes her head around the corner. The weather has been cool enough for the wood oven these past couple of days and the sourdough mother has come out of retirement in the back of the fridge. </div>
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From all of us here at Jembella Farm, we wish you good health, calm and productive days, and peaceful nights.</div>
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Cheers,</div>
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Sally XX </div>
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Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-41698175622876587962019-12-05T14:17:00.000+10:302019-12-06T14:50:34.554+10:30A New Calf and Other Happenings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Baby Asher made her way into the world without a hitch on the night that a bush-fire had caused havoc, just over the hill from us, earlier in the day.<br />
It was a tense day. Brian had gone with his fire unit to assist in dousing the flames while I actioned our fire preparation plan at home.<br />
We were exhausted after the day, running on fear and adrenaline, and needed sleep more than anything. It was during our evening rounds, locking up the poultry into their night sheds, when we noticed Poppy was in her early stages of labour, five days early.<br />
A new form of anxiety then set in, I'm always fearful of birthing difficulties in new heifers, so sleep was the last thing on my mind.<br />
What a hot night it was. The daytime temperature was 43C degrees and fiercely windy, hence the fires sparking up in all over our district. The evening was still hovering around 39C degrees and although the wind had dropped, it had blown in billions of flying insects that clung to the torch beam and found their way into my shorts, rubber boots, t-shirt and bra every time I walked down to check on Poppy's progress through labour.<br />
At 11pm, just 40 minutes after my previous inspection, I found Poppy licking a perfect little silver heifer calf. It was a perfect delivery and, feeling extreme relief and highly emotional, I took myself off to shower and fell into bed.<br />
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Three days after calving Poppy was eager to trot into the milking parlour, while leaving her calf to sleep in the grass. I had begun training her to be a milking cow when at just five days old we brought her home from a friend's dairy to raise here on our farm. Over the ensuing two years her and I have developed a firm trust in each other, and this trust and love was evident when I put the milking cups onto her teats for the first time.<br />
Her udder is tiny compared to Lavender's which is ample and pendulous, having fed three calves and supplied hundreds of litres of milk to us over her six years. <br />
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Today I have a batch of feta cheese on the go from the combined milk of both cows from this morning.<br />
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In other news, I completed sewing the shade panels for the outdoor kitchen/deck.<br />
I planned on buying some light canvas from Spotlight to make up panels that can be removed and stored after summer is over. We enjoy the warmth from the sun during winter.<br />
How lucky I was that Aldi just happened to have painting drop sheets out on special the week before my planned trip to Spotlight. I bought four at the knock down price of $10 each, and all I had to do was trim and hem one side of each drop sheet and sew a pocket at each end for the curtain rod to slide through.<br />
However, the trip to Spotlight could not be averted as there were rods and brackets to purchase but, as usual, I had a list of things to purchase whilst in the 'Burbs', a forty minute drive from here. <br />
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The outdoor kitchen is useful when it's too warm to light up the wood stove in the house.<br />
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One of the highlights of the past months has been meeting my blog friend Tania and her husband Phil. If you don't already know Tania you can read her blog <a href="http://outbacktania.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Outback </a>here.<br />
It was an early morning catch up over a cuppa when they came to buy some bees from us. <br />
I experienced Tania's true country generosity when they arrived loaded with jars of Phil's pickled olives, two of Tania's home made Quondong pies, (otherwise known as Native peach) and lots of Quondong seeds for us to plant in our gardens. <br />
The olives are the best I've ever tasted Phil, better than those I pickle myself, so I'll be looking on Tania's blog for the recipe next olive season. <br />
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We have chickens and more chickens. Chickens hatched in the incubator. Chickens hatched under hens. And surprise chickens that suddenly appeared from under a hedge with their proud mother hen.<br />
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Summer is here and thankfully we have had a slow start to long stretches of really hot weather. They will come though and my garden will dry out and go into limp mode, just surviving, until the rain arrives next autumn. I always snap a few pictures to remind me of the good times when 'the dry' starts to get a bit much for everyone's mental health.<br />
Earwigs are destroying almost every new vegetable seedling I plant in my small patch near the house, and I'm reminded that, in the past few years, they have been at their worst and most destructive early in the season. So, I'll plant again in another few weeks and hope for better success then.<br />
I just can't imagine a summer without a glut of cucumbers, zucchinis and capsicums.<br />
Brian's rows of tomato plants are doing well down in the big vege garden where the Jap bantams roam and keep the earwig population under control. The Pekin bantams up here in the house yard are a bit too well fed and don't seem to be working at earwig control as they should be. They redeem themselves however, with their cheeky personalities and good looks.<br />
So here we are, December already. I hope to catch up with a bit more blogging this month so I won't share Christmas greetings just yet.<br />
Thanks for dropping in. <br />
Cheers for now,<br />
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Sally XX <br />
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<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-21553143866875786782019-10-13T13:53:00.000+10:302019-10-21T15:17:20.952+10:30Talking about $$ and that 'Enough" Figure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="color: lime;"><span style="color: purple;">Meg and Jack ready for work. Photo taken last summer with paddocks looking vastly different to the lush green of our present Spring 2019.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br />There was a pleasing response to my previous post <a href="https://jembellafarm.blogspot.com/2019/10/what-news.html">What News?</a> where I talked about Brian's impending 'retirement' and our collective need to quash some of the taboos around discussing and sharing financial planning and monetary strategies/advice/ideas.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />So I thought I should run another post to open more discussion and address some of the issues raised in the comments received.<br />Thank you to all who commented and sent emails. Your generous well wishes are wonderful and very much appreciated.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the comments on the previous blog post mentioned having a contingency plan for our old age, if we can no longer manage the physically demanding aspect of running the farm.<br /><br />We do have a plan for when that occurs. Maybe in our eighties? Hopefully not until then. <br /><br />We would need to sell this property and purchase something smaller which would also deem us eligible for the age pension. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some people are not aware that, according to current Age Pension rules, the primary residence and up to five acres is not included as an asset when assessing an individual's age pension entitlements. In our case, we have sixteen acres so we would not be eligible for the age pension as the rule stands at present. <br /><br />Where the Age pension is concerned the goal posts seem to move according to which party is in government, so in our $$ calculations we have factored in a lifetime of being self-funded retirees. If we do become eligible for the age pension, for whatever reason, it would be an added bonus that we would gladly accept. <br /><br /><br /> The writer of the comment below (wishes to remain anonymous), is finding it really tricky to know how much they would need to live on at their current standard of living.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: blue;"><i>"Deciding that magic figure which is 'enough' to retire on is truly<br /><br /> doing my head in. One website based on extensive research of retired<br /><br /> couples suggests the amount of around $60,000 a year and states<br /><br /> that by the time retirees reach 80 they live on $50,000 or so a year<br /><br /> and that includes inflation. I have asked my retiree friends what<br /><br /> their magic ‘enough’ figure is. One couple are on $72,000 per year as<br /><br /> they travel extensively and will continue to do so for the next 5<br /><br /> years. Then they plan to pare it right back. Another couple are on<br /><br /> $50,000 a year and they also manage to have overseas holidays every<br /><br /> couple of years."</i></span><br /> <br /><br /> How do we know how much will be enough to live on? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She is already very savvy about her spreadsheets and projections, she seems to have thought of all the possibilities, inflation etc.<br /><br />There is no ONE answer to how much we're going to need. It depends on our lifestyle, interests, hobbies and what we expect to be doing to fill our days. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do we want to travel? What type of travel?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do we want to regularly eat out in restaurants or will it be fish 'n chips on the beach twice a year? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do we want to own the latest car or are we content with a good second hand car that we will keep for as long as it performs safely?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will there be a possibility to earn money from a part time job, a market stall or a skill that we can do from home and earn some money?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do we have expensive food tastes? Wine, beer and spirits?<br /><br />That 'enough' figure for us will be different to someone else's 'enough' figure.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One way to get an idea of how much we will need is to track all of our spending for a year or preferably two years. <br /><br />I have a <a href="https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/">Money smart</a> app on my phone and I write down every dollar that we spend. Some months are big spenders when rates or utilities bills come in, or we need to mend or buy new equipment. Our house and car insurances are deducted from our joint access account each month. I include these figures in our monthly spending. <br /><br />Every outgoing is written into my phone app. (Or just in a notebook if that works better for you). At the end of every month I write the total expenditure figure into a notebook next to a column that tracks all that we have earned during that month. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Credit card purchases are written into my spending app too, so there are no purchases that slip through without being tallied. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our credit cards are paid automatically every month. A simple procedure that can be done through our bank or on-line banking.<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Incomings and outgoings</u>. My method is unsophisticated but it works for me.<br /><br />It's amazing (and interesting) how a few dollars here and a dollar there, in either column, adds up over the month... and the year.<br /><br />Once you have an 'enough' figure in your head, try to live on that amount for a year; try it for size. You may be pleasantly surprised, but you may also get quite a shock. <br /><br />I'm quite shocked at the amount we pay in outgoings (registrations and insurance, tractor, trailer, farm and livestock expenses) but pleasantly surprised at the in-comings from selling our produce at markets and the Farmgate stall, the small bee-keeping business, and writing for Grass Roots magazine. <br /><br />Keeping this record was one of the clinchers towards knowing that we could cease employment. Working for the boss will be a thing of the past, and gosh that's a feeling like no other.<br />For self confidence in managing our own money we need to educate ourselves. Read, study, explore, research. There is so much free information at our fingertips (on-line) and at our public library but sadly, there is a shortage of places where we can get advice at no cost or have informative discussions/ sharing knowledge and experiences. <br />It's our money, we worked hard for it, I don't want to fritter it away on costly financial guidance and an advisor who is out to feather his own nest on my hard earned savings.<br />I'm so very pleased that I found <a href="https://barefootinvestor.com/">Scott Pape - The barefoot Investor</a> a few years ago and recommend the book to everyone of all ages. Every library has a few copies, have a read, buy your own copy, give a copy to each of your children. It will be the best $20 (approx) you ever spend.<br /><br /> To the younger readers who imagine retirement as two lifetimes away; get involved in making your money work for you now by paying attention to your superannuation. Do as Scott Pape says and flick it from 'default mode" ASAP. Your'e likely to be paying higher fees because that's exactly what your superannuation managers want you to do.<br /><br /><br />For great advice on managing money and savings, tips and inspiration on how to save money, go to Rhonda's <a href="https://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/">Down to Earth</a> blog for her gentle wisdom and traditional, but still absolutely relevant, common sense and logic. Rhonda's books hold bible status to many people. Mine is well thumbed with sticky notes at relevant (to me) pages.<br /><br /><br /> There are countless valuable nuggets of wisdom on Scott Pape's blog and you can sign up to receive his free regular and educational emails. <a href="https://barefootinvestor.com/a-super-fund-option-with-zero-fees/">Scott Pape Barefoot Investor</a> <br /><br /><br /> Education and advice on investing in shares at Dave's blog <a href="https://www.strongmoneyaustralia.com/">Strong Money Australia</a> <br /><br />and Phil's generous wisdom on <a href="https://mistahomemaker.blogspot.com/">Mr Homemaker</a> are both incredibly informative. <br /><br />(Mr Homemaker's blog is about to move, but we can follow it through the links on his current blog)<br />Mr Homemaker (Phil) has taught and guided me through some stressful moments when I needed independent advice more than I needed a stiff drink. For that I am forever grateful and this is why I want to pay it forward, open the discussion, prevent someone else from making mistakes that we almost made. <br /><br /><br /> For inspiration and an interesting female viewpoint on all things finance I regularly check in on Miss Balance at<a href="https://www.allaboutbalance.com.au/"> All About Balance</a><br /><br />In all things, I try to gather as much advice from all directions before making a decision on which method is right for me or us. Always being open to new, different suggestions can be an enormous help, and this is where other people's ideas are valuable. <br /><br />I hope you find this discussion as helpful and enlightening as I have.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do you have any anecdotes or words of wisdom to share? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hop in and join the discussion... your experience may help us.<br /><br />Cheers, <br /><br />Sally XX <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
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Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-13000991291480830162019-10-03T15:44:00.000+09:302019-10-03T15:44:17.763+09:30What News?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some big changes will be happening around here next year. There's a list of maintenance jobs to be done that is as long as my arm, plans to re-jig some of the gardens, ideas of hooking up the van and going fishing occasionally, and dreams of living less by the clock and rather by the sun and moon rhythms. <br />
It's official.... Brian is "retiring" at the end of this year. What I actually mean when I say "Retiring" is that he will be leaving his paid job after forty five years with Yalumba Wines, but he won't stop working. He will instead be his own boss, working his own hours at doing the things he enjoys doing, and with no staff to manage.<br />
His position at Yalumba has grown with him over those years, so much knowledge is in his head, not written down or documented in any 'procedures' manual. He will be difficult to replace, but replace him they must.<br />
It's now his turn to live the life of his choice, and my turn to see more of him.<br />
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Turning sixty in June, and a minor health scare that made him think about his mortality, has brought about a change in his way of looking at life. It also happened to me at around the age of sixty, and I was wondering when, or if, he might start to consider making some changes to enhance the quality of the time that we have left.<br />
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A few months ago I gathered up all of our financial figures and asked a couple of finance people to look over the numbers that I had crunched. It seemed too good to be true that we would be able to live on our superannuation and some investments until the end of our days, hopefully into our nineties. When they gave us the nod we were justifiably ecstatic.<br />
Euphoric, but difficult to get my head around for many reasons; firstly I don't feel old enough to be "retired" but I'm certainly reminded of it every time I look in a mirror.<br />
Secondly, we have become so accustomed to living a frugal and simple life that our savings just kept growing to this point where there's enough to live on.<br />
And there's that word. Enough!<br />
When do we reach the point where we feel that we have enough? I suspect that in our modern society many people will never feel that they have enough, regardless of how abundantly wealthy they are.<br />
We are so very lucky that, as a team, we are both on the same wavelength regarding excessive consumerism. A simple and meaningful life of living within our means and close to nature is our manifesto, and we plan to continue living this way as long as we possibly can.<br />
I mention this because I wonder if you can imagine the surprised look on the faces of the professional money people that we spoke to.<br />
"You can live comfortably on <u><i>that</i></u> amount?? Per month??"<br />
and<br />
"We need to come and learn how you can live on that amount of money."<br />
And yet, here's the thing, we don't feel deprived of anything. We live a beautiful, simple, abundant and thriving life.<br />
We're rich!<br />
Admittedly our meaning of 'rich' may differ from the way many other folks define the term.<br />
We're happy to own and live in a small but comfortable home that we worked on to make it suitable for our needs. There may be a couple of small changes made as we age, small tweaks to assist us with our decreasing mobility in later years, but here is where we hope to be.<br />
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So this retirement thing!<br />
I don't describe myself as retired. After those first few months of "retirement" turned out to be <strike>busier</strike> just as full as when I was in the paid workforce, I soon decided to use the term, work from home.<br />
I love having things to do, being busy. I love caring for the animals, growing our food and operating this small cottage industry that quietly churns along here with the Farmgate stall outside our front gate.<br />
We both love teaching and running workshops. The people we've met, the warmth of the new friendships made, the community belonging-ness of it all. Sharing our produce and our knowledge, paying it forward, is immeasurable on any monetary scale. There's no price on it.<br />
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Funnily enough, no one has asked "What will he do after retirement?" because we all know that he will have plenty to do. Well, that long list that I've got will keep him busy for awhile, but he has plans.<br />
So, apart from the bees and maintaining our farm and livestock, he will be taking on small jobs that will come his way.<br />
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Sheep management for hobby farmers looking for someone to shear their sheep, mark lambs and general livestock maintenance.<br />
Pruning fruit trees, regenerative land management consulting, and spraying of biodynamic preps, to name just a few of the jobs that will fill his days and keep him socially involved.<br />
There's no denying that it will be a big change for him, and indeed for us as a couple, but I believe we're ready.<br />
Bring it on.<br />
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We could not have got to this point without the financial advice and helpful guidance of <a href="http://mistahomemaker.blogspot.com/2019/09/eight-paydays-till-christmas.html" target="_blank">Mr Homemaker</a> I am indebted to Phil, for his easy to understand, informative blog posts on superannuation, financial planning and shares investing. His generous personal guidance has been the clincher for us.<br />
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How do ordinary folks like us find their way through the maze of conflicting, (and expensive) financial advice?<br />
It's a jungle out there, full of sharks who will weasel as much commission and fees as they can get for their own benefit, whilst maintaining they're interested only in our best interests.<br />
In our society talking about finances seems to be a taboo subject, but surely it ought to be discussed more to educate people about their options. Almost every day we hear about someone who has been robbed of their life savings by a shonky bank or dodgy financial advisor.<br />
Or people with no idea of what fees they are paying to have their money managed for them. You would be shocked at the high percentages that some folks are paying.<br />
For the internet savvy there are many forums and financial education blogs at our fingertips, but for those with no access to the internet I believe there should be local discussion groups where people can exchange ideas and become informed through the sharing of knowledge. But it's all kept to ourselves because it's not polite to discuss money matters and this is where the sharks get the advantage.<br />
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What do you think?<br />
What has been your experience in navigating towards funding your retirement?<br />
Do you have an interesting story to tell? Do you have a warning for us all?<br />
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Your comments and sharing of your experience just may help someone avoid making a wrong judgement or decision. If you prefer to remain anonymous, send an email so I can share your story without your name appearing.<br />
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Thanks for dropping in.<br />
Cheers,<br />
Sally XX <br />
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<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-78836271438584926072019-09-19T14:25:00.000+09:302019-09-19T14:25:10.971+09:30What's Happening at Jembella?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The quest for a calf from Honeysuckle continues. After three separate tries with AI (artificial insemination) in January and February and then again in April, we had no luck.<br />
I scoured the internet for ideas and remedies for infertility and found that an injection of Vitamins A D and E is often helpful in improving fertility and holding a pregnancy in cows.<br />
After searching online to purchase a $65 bottle of the vitamin solution, of which I would likely use just one dose, I called into our local vet who supplied me a single dose in a syringe with needle for $15.<br />
One dose is required, injected into the muscle before the next estrous. <br />
On Saturday, as her fertile time was approaching within a day or two, we loaded her onto the trailer for the short drive to our friend's farm where she is running with his Murray Grey bull this week. She is due to cycle today or tomorrow and I have everything crossed for a successful mating.<br />
When I visited her yesterday she looked very relaxed and was settled in with her new paddock mates for the week.<br />
Huge thanks to our friends Mick and Lynn for allowing us this generous favour. <br />
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Do you remember when I wrote about how this would be her last chance? If she can't get in calf she will have to be sold?<br />
Well... the pressure has lessened somewhat, because...<br />
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Brian is learning to AI....! </div>
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Here he is Artificially Inseminating Lavender last week under the guidance of our wonderful friend Murray, who has been doing our AI for many years. <br />
What does this mean to us?<br />
It means that we can add one more skill to our repertoire of self sufficiency.<br />
We will not need to rely on Murray, calling on him to visit when he already has more than enough of his own work to do.<br />
We do not need to pay approximately $100 each time we call the other AI practitioner in our area.<br />
We can buy relatively inexpensive semen straws direct from the supplier and AI our cows while they're standing in the dairy munching on their favourite treats. If they don't conceive the first time, we can keep trying. No pressure!<br />
"So my darling Honeysuckle cow, the pressure is off....!! We will keep going with AI until you get pregnant."<br />
So now that the pressure has diminished, I feel that Murphy's law may move in a positive direction towards her becoming pregnant after this visit to the bull. Fingers crossed. <br />
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Despite lower than average rainfall for the third year, our hay crop is looking good. Brian took a punt and sowed a pasture mix of Triticale, Italian Rye, Vetch and oats after the first significant rain of the season back in May.<br />
It's always a gamble, the cost of cropping grain and seeds is big dollars and there are so many uncertainties, from the time of sowing until harvesting and baling.<br />
Will there be follow up rain to get it past germination and further growth?<br />
Is this the break in the season or will it be late again?<br />
Will we get a crop or will it just end up being a very expensive grazing pasture for the cows?<br />
Growing our own hay is crucial to us. The hay we grow and store will be the sole source of food for our livestock after the grass has browned off in November and there is no further growth until May the following year. This is how our seasons run and as responsible land and livestock owners, we must be prepared.<br />
It's pointless relying on bought in hay. This past year has been a perfect example of what happens when landowners rely on someone else to supply the hay for their livestock.<br />
Much of the locally made hay was sent to NSW and Queensland to aid the drought stricken farmers there, whilst leaving our own state in a situation of critically short supply.<br />
<u>IF</u> hay could be found it was priced at more than triple its true value.! People were forced the sell their stock at the worst time, when no one had any hay or feed in their paddocks. What happens then? The prices of livestock plummets unrealistically low and huge losses result.<br />
It's not rocket science. It's logic. When we farm year after year, we follow the weather and seasonal patterns, always planning our stock ratios to match the available feed supply.<br />
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The mottle Pekin bantam eventually sat on eggs and hatched six chicks. At a week old I can see that two chicks have the ruffled wing feathers of frizzles, while the remaining four chicks are smooth feathered. I hope there are not too many roosters.<br />
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Strategically placed electric fencing strands to stop curious dogs getting too close to chicks and chook food. Don't tell the dogs that the hot wire is not connected tho.<br />
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In the vegetable gardens Mama Jap bantam hatched nine chicks and it has taken a week to get close enough to photograph them. This tiny hen is as protective as any fowl three times her size, and then some.<br />
This family are doing a wonderful job of eating the pesky earwigs that were previously the bane of our vege growing pursuits.<br />
I hope there are not too many roosters.<br />
Why do I keep mentioning that?<br />
Well, we know where excess roosters end up don't we?<br />
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Beetroot at every meal.</div>
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Success with Brussels sprouts at last.<br />
We love eating them but gave up growing them years ago when aphids were impossible to control without the use of pesticides. I didn't buy them either, knowing they would have been conventionally grown and sprayed with chemicals.<br />
Bio-dynamics and fermented nettle tea spray has strengthened the cellular structure and kept the aphids away. They will be on our regular brassicas planting routine every winter from now on.<br />
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Some of the celery plants had a pruning to start them off again. So simple to grow, I really love picking a few stalks every day to eat fresh or add to our meals.<br />
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Kale grows like a weed, always plenty of greens for our meals, and self seeded Calendula fills in the gaps; useful in so many ways, and great for encouraging good bugs, aiding in pollination, and generally adding smiles to the garden.<br />
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A farm tour and morning tea was organised after a reader contacted me requesting a visit. We often receive requests to come and look at what we do here, but as we're so busy running the farm and with Brian working full-time all week, we hardly ever have enough time just for ourselves and catching up with family and friends. I explained this to the reader and suggested she may like to get ten people together for a morning tea/farm tour. Within a day she had found eleven friends, and a date was set.<br />
I think they all enjoyed themselves as much as I enjoyed hosting them. The weather was perfect, new friendships were formed and information was shared both ways.<br />
Brian took a few minutes away from crutching the ewes to join us for morning coffee and tell some beekeeping stories.<br />
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There will be news to share in the next post. Something we have been planning for quite awhile but are managing to pull it off a few years sooner than expected.<br />
Watch this space.<br />
Toodeloo.... and thanks for making it all the way through.<br />
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Sally XX<br />
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<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-49632415588794931932019-08-12T12:35:00.003+09:302019-08-12T12:35:52.913+09:30How I Make Soap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple of months ago I put a photo of soap making on my Instagram account. There was a lot of interest from people who wanted to get started with soap making but didn't know where to begin so I promised to write a post about the way I make soap. But first I need to clarify that I am not an expert at it.<br />
We have been using my homemade soap for roughly six years and would never go back to using commercially produced soaps.<br />
I also wanted to find another use for the tallow (rendered fat) from our on-farm killed beef and it is a very good base for the soaps that we use here.<br />
This soap is our shampoo and for hand and body washing, and I'm happy that we have no more plastic shampoo bottles to dispose of.<br />
It's a beautiful shampoo, leaving no soapy build up in our hair, as would happen with commercial soaps.<br />
When I used to have my hair cut by hairdressers, they were surprised to hear that I used soap/shampoo bar and agreed that my hair was in great condition. They soon gave up on trying to sell me their "products."<br />
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There are many bloggers who write about their experiences with soap making so, as I am not the expert, I will direct you towards the ones I have found most informative and interesting.<br />
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I started off with Rhonda from <a href="https://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-make-cold-pressed-soap.html" target="_blank">Down to Earth</a> who has an excellent soap making tutorial. This
is a very clear tutorial with lots of photos and easy to read
instructions that I recommend to anyone wanted to have a go at making
soap. I used this recipe of coconut oil and olive oil to make my first
batch of soap.<br />
It is not necessary to use the best quality
organic coconut oil that we cook with, so I use blocks of Copha from the
butter and cheese section of the supermarket. I wouldn't eat Copha,
but I think it's OK to use it in soap.<br />
I also buy large containers
of cheaper olive oil from Aldi for the sole purpose of soap making. Once
again, I wouldn't eat that cheap olive oil, but it's perfectly fine for
soap.<br />
When I make soaps from olive and coconut oils I don't add any
fragrance because it has a pleasant smell and many people prefer to use
unscented products.<br />
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I strongly recommend you then read more of Rhonda's various soap tutorials for all of the small details and
information to get started.<br />
If you are like me you will read them
over and over to get a very clear idea of how to proceed, you might take notes, and then you
will choose a day that you can afford the time to set aside a couple of
hours to slowly and methodically go through the steps.<br />
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Once
you learn the process and get into a rhythm, you will be whipping up
soaps of your own concoctions in a spare hour at any time. It can be as
creative as you want to make it.<br />
Your home made soap will be graciously received when gifted to friends and family too.<br />
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<u><b>It is very very important to follow the exact amounts/ratios of oils to lye (caustic soda).</b></u><br />
I use this <a href="https://www.brambleberry.com/calculator?calcType=lye" target="_blank">Brambleberry lye calculator</a> for calculating the exact amounts of caustic soda and water that I need to add to my various types of oil to produce the correct chemical balance for perfect soap every time.<br />
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<i>I always make up 1000g (1kg) batches for easy round figures.</i><br />
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As an example;<br />
500g of beef fat (tallow) <br />
250g block of copha<br />
250g of olive oil<br />
When I put all of these oils and fats into the calculator it tells me that I will need<br />
145g lye (caustic soda)<br />
330g water or other liquid<br />
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Use digital scales to ensure exact weights<br />
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<u>OR</u><br />
<i>I might use 200g olive oil and 50g of another type of oil, a few grams of beeswax etc etc to make up the remaining 250g</i><br />
<i>All of these oils and fats must be entered into the soap calculator at their exact weights.</i><br />
<i>Different oils and types of fats have different qualities and require the exact amount of lye and water to produce a soap.</i><br />
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When using tallow or animal fats I find it necessary to add some fragrance to mask the fatty smell.<br />
Our favourite is eucalyptus oil. *It must be the real oil, not the water soluble stuff.*<br />
This oil holds its fragrance when stored for many months and is neither sweet nor artificial. Far more acceptable for folks who don't want fragrances.<br />
For the above recipe, <b>42g of eucalyptus oil</b> added at trace produces a very mild smell that is not overpowering.<br />
<b>*</b>Trace is the term used when the oils and lye mixture thickens to a custard like consistency. <br />
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Another very good resource is this<a href="https://eight-acres.com.au/products/ebook-make-your-own-natural-soap?variant=42539503506" target="_blank"> ebook from Liz at Eight Acres</a> who is a very experienced and energetic soap maker, among many other things. <br />
I wrote a review about it <a href="https://jembellafarm.blogspot.com/search?q=liz+eight+acres+soap" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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As you can see, I have not purchased any special equipment for making soap. After all, I've had years of making-do and finding things at op-shops.<br />
I didn't even buy these disposable moulds... they were gifted by friends who purchase their milk from a shop.<br />
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In the first photo you will see that I use stainless or enamel saucepans. I did use a pyrex jug initially for combining the lye with water, but it cracked under the intense heat so, a small stainless steel saucepan from the op-shop is perfect for the job.<br />
The larger stainless saucepan is used for melting the fats/oils and <u>then</u> the lye/water mixture is poured into this same saucepan for the mixing.<br />
** To avoid spills and splashes while mixing I use this larger saucepan.<br />
Soap making equipment is used solely for this purpose and stored in the laundry cupboard when not in use. <br />
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<u><b>DO NOT USE ALUMINIUM </b></u>containers and do not let any of the raw soap mixture touch your skin or kitchen surfaces. <br />
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The soap is easy to remove from the moulds after allowing to set for twenty four hours.</div>
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A cutting tool and guide is not necessary if you don't mind the bars being a bit irregular.</div>
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After cutting into bars they should be stored in a cupboard for four to six weeks before using.<br />
The soap will go through a process called saponifacation. <br />
(to saponify - the hydrolysis of fat by an alkali with the formation of a soap and glycerol.)<br />
Allow air to circulate between the pieces while aging as in the photo above. <br />
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I always enjoy reading <a href="https://goinggreyandslightlygreen.blogspot.com/2019/08/aloe-vera-and-cucumber-soap-one-of-my.html#more" target="_blank">Nanna Chel's wide range of soap recipes</a> on her blog "Going Grey and Slightly Green"<br />
She is the queen of experimentation, using unusual and colourful ingredients. Check out some of her soap making blog posts for knowledge and inspiration. <br />
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So why not have a go at making your own soap? Once you've done it once you will want to keep going.<br />
Do you already make your own soap/shampoo bars? What are your favourite ingredients? <br />
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Feel free to ask any questions, no matter how 'silly' you may think they are. I can't promise to have all the answers, but between us, we will work it out.<br />
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My supplies are running low, so a soap making session is on the calendar for next week.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
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Sally XX <br />
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Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-47842719726742503672019-08-09T09:57:00.000+09:302019-08-09T10:24:23.761+09:30The New Electric Cream Separator - (All guesses were correct)<br />
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We have been using this old cream separator for all of the years we have been milking cows and I'm very grateful to have it.<br />
I taught myself to turn the handle at just the correct speed to get delicious thick cream from our cow's milk. It requires a bit of fancy foot work and juggling whilst tipping heavy buckets of milk into the bowl while the handle is still in full spin mode. But we country women are multi-taskers and multi-skilled, determined to get the job done when there is no one about to lend a hand.<br />
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Occasionally we have made an effort to find an electric separator like the one on the farm that I visited as a kid.<br />
Memories of milking time on the farm as my friend's mum hand-milked all eight house cows of varying colours and breeds. Hand milked...! Here's me fifty years later, like a princess.. needing a machine to milk my one or two cows because my hands get too sore after the first five minutes. (Rolls eyes with shame!)<br />
She would let us milk one of the quiet multi-coloured old girls, squirting each other with warm milk straight from the teat. The cats lined up, happily accepting our squirts of milk onto their coats before slinking away to lick themselves clean.<br />
After milking was done I loved to follow Mrs A into the cream room where she tipped the milk into the electric milk separator. Golden cream poured into a container from one spout, and the whitest of white milk poured into buckets from the other spout.<br />
Perhaps that is where it all began? My ingrained love of cows and obsession with all things cream, milk and cheese. Who knows, but I've always had a hankering for one of those electric milk separators.<br />
All of my searches for the holy grail of separators, over the years, amounted to nothing. All that showed up on Gumtree and similar on-line market places were old and beyond repair.<br />
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<span style="color: #0000ee;">Recently</span> we were invited to a long lunch as a thank you for hosting some organics agriculture students at our property <span style="color: #0000ee;">last</span> summer. <br />
The three course lunch was entirely made up of ingredients grown and cooked by the students.<br />
Can you imagine how thrilled we were to be attending this beautiful event?<br />
And by the way, it was held on a weekday. You already know how we never commit to lunches out during our busy working weekends.<br />
*Edited to apologise for the blue coloured words. All of my editing efforts will not remove them.*<br />
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One of the students had supplied the fresh jersey cream for the amazing citrus desert.<br />
I was chatting to him across the table about milk separators (as you do) and which type he uses. I mentioned that although we have a hand winding one, we have been looking for an electric model for years, with no luck. <br />
The older couple sitting along from us heard this and called out that they had one they wanted to sell.<br />
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No time was wasted agreeing on a time to visit them early on the following Saturday morning. All planned farm jobs were moved aside to accommodate this special excursion.<br />
We bought it for a song at twice the asking price. Neither of us could walk away without paying a fair price for this beautiful piece of working history, but it was definitely a "start the car" moment.<br />
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So to all of you who guessed correctly, it is indeed Alfa Lavel brand, congratulations and well done!<br />
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There were just a few minor teething problems, getting the the thickness of the cream just right; the tiny allan key was missing so we had one made up by a friend.<br />
At present I'm not into full-swing milking mode as Lavender holds back the best part of her milk for her calf Minnie, and I'm milking only a couple of times each week. But come October, when the calf is weaned AND Poppy's calf is born, there will be milk and cream and all the good things.<br />
So I will enjoy this relatively relaxed milking time, using my energy elsewhere for now.<br />
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As I've been writing this, the rain has been pelting down for two days, with 20mls in the gauge so far. It couldn't have come at a better time. Our rainfall is well below average again this year, our crops are only just hanging on. It is also allowing me some respite from outside work as I've injured my shoulder and am feeling rather helpless until it recovers.<br />
Brian is on hay feeding and firewood duty for another couple of days, while the-up side (for me) is having the time to sit at my laptop and write.<br />
Covering for each other when one of us is away or ill/injured is a good reminder of the work and effort that each of us adds to the smooth running of our home or farm. We can easily take for granted all the work that the other does. I can't help feeling that the universe throws these hiccups at us for a reason.<br />
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And as the rain falls here, filling our tanks with precious water, I feel so terribly helpless for all of the parts of our country that haven't seen rain for too long. Stanthorpe in Queensland is only hours away from running out of water. Millions of dollars of water will be trucked into the town until it rains again. Our thoughts are with all of the residents there and in surrounding districts.<br />
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Thanks for dropping in friends.<br />
Cheers!<br />
Sally XX<br />
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<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-53626487107353084392019-08-06T15:32:00.001+09:302019-08-06T15:32:34.296+09:30Sheep Maintenance - A Farmer's Work is Never Done<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Whilst Brian is still employed full time, our weekends are always full of farming maintenance jobs. Never ask a part time farmer out to lunch on a Sunday, or expect us to commit to anything.</div>
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Saturdays and Sundays are when we are head down, bottoms up!</div>
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There's an almighty long list of all the jobs to be done over the coming weekends, and that's just my list. His list is probably just as long. </div>
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Oh if only it were possible to work a four day week, we might actually get on top of things.</div>
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We brought the young ewes in for crutching (trimming wool from the breach area) and wigging (trimming wool away from the eyes).</div>
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All of our sheep will be shorn in October when the weather is warmer; Brian will be taking some annual leave. </div>
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Feet are trimmed while they are in the shed and getting a once over.</div>
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We usually use a natural mixture of seaweed, apple cider vinegar, aloe, minerals and herbs to manage worms and internal parasites, whilst boosting the animal's immune system at the same time. However, upon close inspection of the droppings, which all stock owners should do regularly, we found some worm eggs. A sample was sent off to the lab to determine which parasites we needed to treat, and a commercial worming preparation was purchased from the local Stock and Agriculture outlet.<br />
The use of commercial chemical wormers should never be routinely administered to livestock (sheep, cattle, goats, poultry). This is what farmers had been doing over the last sixty, or so years and it is why stock have developed a resistance to them. New, more powerful preparations are always coming onto the market but soon they will run out of ways to make an effective wormer for when we really need to eradicate harmful parasites.<br />
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These two dogs are worth two farmhands, but are much cheaper to feed, super loyal and lovable, and never argue the point. Where would we be without them? Oh and the bloke is rather useful to have around too. <br />
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Can you guess what this is?</div>
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A serendipitous find a couple of weeks ago, which prompted one of those "Start the car" moments.</div>
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I'll tell you about it next time.</div>
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A very dry July, we have had frosts for the past two mornings, but thankfully, the hay crops are hanging in and still putting on growth. Rain is forecast and Brian's dowsing apparatus tells him we're in for a nice few drops over the coming days.</div>
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This afternoon I'll bring up a couple of extra wheelbarrow loads of firewood from the wood heap down the back and fill the kindling bucket to keep me going with dry wood for starting the fires. </div>
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I hope there is some rain coming your way too if you're in one of the many places that is in dire need.</div>
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Until next time when I share the story of the mystery object,</div>
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See you!</div>
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Sally XXX </div>
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Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-63342595063551468542019-07-29T14:51:00.001+09:302019-07-29T14:51:30.935+09:30Screen Time Avoidance and Viola..! a Garden Takes Shape<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You may well ask. Where the heck have I been?<br />
Here.<br />
Here is where I've been.<br />
I'm alive and very well, but afflicted with a dread of screen time and social media for the past few weeks.<br />
It's not such a bad thing though. I've achieved mountains of work in the garden... the Magnesium oil bottle is almost empty. (Rubbed on back to relieve sore muscles from overwork)<br />
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My helper can't understand why it's OK for me to dig holes but not OK for him to do the same.<br />
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Today I've exceeded my daily goal of laying three paving stones, laying six pavers instead, so there's a spare hour for paying some bills and a quick blog post while the computer is on the table.<br />
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After the completion of the new deck, we were left with a corner that needed some love. I snapped this photo after I had already begun the work, so strictly speaking, it's not a true <i>before</i> shot.<br />
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A few water wise plants, some tree branches (from the firewood heap) a load of aged wood chips, and a dummy hot wire to prevent little helpers from<strike> digging</strike> gardening.<br />
I still have the external window frames to paint, and am waiting for a free couple of hours and a warm sunny day to coincide before I get the very tall ladder out of the shed.<br />
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Our hill, visible through the windows, is magnificently green with a healthy hay crop and paddocks of pasture for the cows.<br />
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Speaking of cows.. The bad news is that Honeysuckle is not in calf.<br />
Her AI in January appeared to be successful but after two months she came into estrus again. We had another AI done but it wasn't successful either.<br />
If she can't have a calf, she can't be milked. Keeping a dry barren cow is not an option, especially in our small-holding situation and with another dry year on the way. Every animal has to pull its weight.<br />
I have invested a huge amount of emotional energy into this cow and it will just about finish me if I have to send her off to market, but there is one option remaining.<br />
A visit to a bull.<br />
I'm planning the process of a trailer ride across the valley next weekend for a sleep-over with a very handsome boyfriend.<br />
Your positive thoughts and energy towards assisting the planets to align will be so very much appreciated.<br />
I'll keep you posted.<br />
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And now back to paying those bills.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
Sally XX <br />
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<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-88944855248882678022019-06-25T14:59:00.000+09:302019-06-25T14:59:30.780+09:30Outdoor Kitchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Celebrations and jubilation....the outdoor kitchen project is finished.</div>
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I think I have already exhausted my repertoire of the misgivings I had as the project was slowly moving along. Really, I need to give myself a good slap sometimes. </div>
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In fairness to myself though, when making changes to something that is already lovely and well functioning, I have feelings of anxiety that we are at risk of spoiling what we already have. </div>
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I have come to realise that this seems to carry through many areas of my life. It's a kind of "If it ain't broke why fix it?" mentality which I'm not all that concerned about to be honest.</div>
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We live in an era of excessive consumerism and I know, from the very core of my being, that I don't want to be a part of that. </div>
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Anyhooo.... getting off topic, as I so often do, my dread of changing our already lovely outdoor space has caused me some sleepless nights.</div>
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But here we are, and it has turned out to be a beautiful space that still takes my breath away as I get first glimpse from the kitchen window each morning. </div>
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I was concerned that my view of the garden from the kitchen window had been compromised, but there is still plenty of garden to see. And when perched on the new cafe bar stools, that are yet to arrive, the remainder of the back garden will be visible. </div>
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I have always enjoyed a garden that holds little surprises just around the corner, or over the hedge or wall, and this is the effect that the slightly higher cafe bar gives us now. </div>
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This old restored stove is what started the whole process. How plans and thoughts can snowball..! Salvaged terracotta tiles that didn't quite fit the space. I'm totally in love with what Brian has done to create an interesting fit. </div>
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The beauty in the detail of this old piece of functional art. A tiny sliding door allows extra heat to escape from the oven if needed.</div>
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The oven door knob is shaped in a fist. All of these fittings were seized up or had been separated from the stove when Brian brought all the pieces home on the trailer a year ago.</div>
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The benches are built from the old decking boards.</div>
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The old butler's sink had been used as a water container in the poultry shed. Scrubbed up and very heavy; too heavy to sit atop the bench so Brian made up a little table to safely support its weight and has plumbed in a water tap. </div>
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The deck is on the eastern side of the house, facing the morning sun and the windows either side of the stove are on the northern side, creating a sheltered sunny spot on wintry days.</div>
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An outdoor room, sheltered and dry. A transition between inside and outside that is a beautiful space to be in for this outdoor loving family.</div>
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A family pizza night to test the oven is planned for later this week.</div>
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And now that we've finished this project, there are so many other jobs to catch up on, so back outside I go.</div>
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Cheers for now and thanks for dropping in.</div>
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Sally XX </div>
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Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-16393626791059881542019-06-24T14:06:00.000+09:302019-06-24T14:06:57.370+09:30Kelpie Kids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello! I really need to catch up as this news is already becoming old news.<br />
The annual Kelpie Muster in Casterton Victoria is held every Queen's Birthday weekend and we would not miss it for quids.<br />
This time with two dogs, Meg and young Jack, our preparations stood us in good stead as all went smoothly with them both.<br />
Meg is an old hand at the Triathlon, this year being her third time competing, and as usual she had a most wonderful time.<br />
Jack's first time out in crowds of people and dogs; he was overwhelmed at first, barking and jumping around, pulling on the lead, but in less than an hour he was settled and well behaved, trusting me to guide him quietly and remind him to correct his manners.<br />
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With our hands full, we didn't get many photos of the competitions, but the Casterton News photographers were out and about.<br />
I found this photo of me with Meg, lining up for the High Jump at 2.055metres. She cleared it to secure equal third placing for High Jump.<br />
She enjoyed the 50metre Street Dash and made very good time.<br />
The Hill Climb was the third event in the Triathlon for the day. Oh gosh, she loves all of this fun and becomes super excited, as you can see from her body and facial expression.<br />
Jack, at eight months old, competed in the 50 metre Street Dash, and lolloped along towards Brian calling out to him at the other end. He felt so special and just like a proper grown up boy.<br />
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Earlier in the day I asked the photographer to use my phone for a pic after she had finished clicking with her hi-tech camera.<br />
Just look at this gorgeous boy! What a face!<br />
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Meg scales a seemingly impossible height, and then went on to leap the next level of one board higher. </div>
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The wonderful thing is that the dogs really do love what they're doing. Those stewards wearing high vis vests are there to catch any dog that can't make it up to the top. Although many of the dogs are not able to jump as high as they want to, no dogs are harmed or allowed to fall back to the ground.</div>
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Strict veterinary checks are made in the morning before competing and throughout the day. </div>
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Our quiet camp spot far from the crowds. This is a well guarded secret spot where the dogs can run free under supervision. </div>
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We humans appreciate the solitude after long and hectic days of volunteering and competing. Although we always have plans of trying out the pubs and restaurant each evening for dinner, the attraction of take-away or snags on the barbie "at home" with a glass of red wine around the camp fire usually wins out. </div>
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We had a very good meal at the Albion Hotel one night though. Generous sized meals for we hungry workers at reasonable pub prices. </div>
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Brian's reaction to the prices of meals is a funny sight, and the eye raising expression at the cost of a drink would have one think that it's a long time between our eating out experiences. And you'd be right. </div>
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On our way home, and just inside the South Australia border (phew) we came upon a farmgate table selling pumpkins. This was all that remained after I bought up most of their beautiful Queensland Blues and Butternuts.</div>
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We filled up every empty space with pumpkins. I can't tell you how excited I am about getting these pumpkins. After we had such a dismal pumpkin growing season I bought a whole pumpkin at the super market and almost choked on the price. Now we have a good supply of home grown pumpkin to see us through winter.</div>
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We have been back home for a couple of weeks and working like mad to catch up. </div>
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Brian finished off the outdoor kitchen...!!! Oh yeah, after some trepidation (on my part) and quietly wishing we had never begun the huge task, tired of the mess, and doubtful of the design....</div>
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I LOVE IT..!!!</div>
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I'll show it to you next time.</div>
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I hope you're able to be warm if you're somewhere near our winter; perhaps you love it just as much as I do. Energy to burn and copious gardening jobs being ticked off daily.</div>
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Cheers for now, see you next time.</div>
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Sally XX</div>
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<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-9379114610067834232019-06-05T23:00:00.000+09:302019-06-05T23:00:13.817+09:30Kelpies and Friends <br />
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Are you a fan of Emma's blog <a href="https://asimplelivingjourney.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Simple Living Journey</a> ? <br />
As well as her interesting articles about raising a family and living off-grid in a Yurt, her "Weekend Reads" post at the end of each week is a gentle nudge towards further reading and discovering new bloggers.<br />
So, late one night, along the breadcrumb trail I went, to discover <a href="http://theartistasfamily.blogspot.com/2019/05/teaching-neopeasant-lifeways-love.html" target="_blank">Artist As Family; teaching neopeasant lifeways</a><br />
I had seen this family featured recently on Gardening Australia (ABC TV) so I was excited to find their blog written by Megg Ullman and Patrick Jones.<br />
They live and teach Permaculture in Daylesford, Victoria, and their attitude to life makes my heart sing.<br />
Go over and check them out for some seriously good inspiration and a feel good boost.<br />
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Spirits are high, as green is the colour that surrounds us now that winter has set in.</div>
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Grass Roots magazine has gone coloured!! Not just the cover, but the photos inside are in colour too.<br />
So I'm <strike>a little bit</strike> very excited to be a part of this history making issue with TWO articles this time. Well, that's what happens when you get ahead of yourself, and think that sending two articles will take the pressure off meeting the next deadline, and they publish both in the same issue.<br />
So I'm back to my laptop again to come up with articles for next issue.<br />
Emma <a href="https://asimplelivingjourney.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Simple Living Journey</a> also has an excellent article in this one. Congratulations Emma!<br />
What a pleasure and a great honour it is to work with editors Megg and Jessamy. I am truly grateful.<br />
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Jack is determined not to be left behind as we prepare for the Casterton Kelpie Muster this Queen's Birthday long weekend. The sheep hurdles on the back of the ute with the recycled green garbage bins; a kennel each for both Kelpies.<br />
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<i>Photo by Casterton Kelpie Muster</i></div>
<i> </i>Meg is entered in the Triathlon which entails; the fifty metre street dash, the high jump, and the hill climb.<br />
Jack is just six months old, his first time competing among the huge crowds, so is entered in the fifty metre street dash only.<br />
It's a full day of fun for the dogs and their humans on the Saturday.<br />
The working dog demonstrations are held on the Sunday, followed by the auction of those dogs in the afternoon. Last year the top prices for the dogs went as high as $16,000 and $22,000. <br />
We have made some lifelong friends there in Casterton since we began volunteering to help set up the venues on the Friday before the two day event, and we look forward to catching up with them again.<br />
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The Avan has had a wash and will be packed and ready to go first thing in the morning.</div>
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The cows have grown their winter coats. Isn't nature incredible?</div>
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Autumn leaves are hanging on.</div>
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Alan is giving me that look. Yes it's very unfair of me to block his access to the fire and I felt suitably reprimanded.<br />
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Only just enough space for all three.</div>
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We went for a drive to the Adelaide Hills on Monday to purchase this little cream coloured fitting for the top of the old stove. It was also Brian's sixtieth birthday and the first day of his two weeks of annual leave, so we had lunch at a cafe in the Hills to celebrate. </div>
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He worked hard yesterday at installing the flu and roof capping so the old stove was given its inaugural first lighting up with a bottle of red wine. </div>
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Happy Birthday Brian!!</div>
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We also had a look in a salvage yard for some reclaimed timber to build the benches and shelves on both sides of the fireplace. The prices were exorbitant, so it was decided (thankfully) to use the old decking boards that were taken up at the beginning of this seemingly endless project. Phew... that's what I had wanted to use in the first place, but if there's one thing I've learned in my long life, is never to get in the way of a bloke on a mission. Just hold back and eventually the right way will prevail. </div>
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I am much relieved. My idea of keeping a rustic/industrial feel to the outdoor kitchen is falling into place. </div>
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The gate to the Pekin bantam shelter is left open during the day so they can free range in the house garden, controlling the earwigs and generally looking gorgeous as they wander about the place. The three dogs also have free range of the house yard and although they all co-exist peacefully, a certain dog likes to wander into the bantam house to steal eggs and other tasty morsels. Poultry pellets are especially delicious.</div>
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The answer to this little conundrum was to put up some strands of electric fence wire outside the gate. The dogs remember this wire from when they got too close to the cow paddock dividers so the dummy wires do a great job of preventing dogs from going where they're not welcome. </div>
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I'm late night blogging again and there are still a few more things to write on the list of items to pack in the morning. </div>
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The thermos and lunch bag are on the kitchen table ready to be filled in the morning before we set off on our six hour drive to Casterton. </div>
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See you on the other side.</div>
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Cheers,</div>
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Sally XX </div>
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<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-8969900951057062352019-06-03T22:39:00.000+09:302019-06-03T22:39:23.866+09:30Hooray for Winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Winter in our home means wood fires, cups of tea and comfort food. </div>
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Autumn brought rain and we are thankful for every drop. Our tanks are filling, the crops are pushing upwards and the pasture paddocks are green.</div>
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As lovely as it would be to hibernate in front of the wood fires, drinking endless cups of tea, our work goes on. </div>
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Chicken processing over two weekends has filled our freezers to capacity.</div>
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Nothing was wasted. These giblets and hearts will be added to chicken bone broth and vegetable soup.</div>
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The outdoor kitchen is still a work in progress, but there has been significant headway made. The light-fittings and power points were wired in yesterday and we couldn't wait to try the lights last night. I snapped this photo from inside while standing at the kitchen sink. </div>
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The old stove is finally bricked in place. The plaster board is all up and undercoated. Fitting the fireplace flu and roof capping is Brian's project tomorrow while I prepare the recycled timber floorboards for the bench tops. We have tried to use as many materials as we could recycle and have found some discarded tiles that will be perfect for the splash back. </div>
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Brian has taken two weeks of annual leave so we hope to complete this project before he returns to work. It seems to have dragged on and on, but in all fairness, there have been so many other things going on that have required Brian's immediate attention. And not forgetting that he works full time, allowing only weekends to work on farm and animal maintenance and other projects. </div>
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Low food miles - Spicy Indian Chicken made entirely from our small patch, except the rice of course. </div>
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I've been busy in the garden, tidying up, cutting back and planting new water-wise plants that will have a better chance of survival during our next hot and dry summer. I believe that we need to face up to these dryer and hotter conditions and adapt our gardens to cope with less water use. </div>
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All of my plans to write every day have gone by the wayside as I try to catch up on maintenance around the farm and house that were the least of priorities during the demanding summer months. Now the inside kitchen needs a fresh coat of paint and some cracks plastered as soon as we can finish the outdoor kitchen. </div>
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It never ends.<br />
I've also been reading, (when it's too dark to be outside), Liane Moriarty "What Alice Forgot" is on my bedside table at present. I think she has become one of my new favourite Australian fiction writers.<br />
And when working in the kitchen I'm listening to podcasts. <br />
Today's listening was one of my favourites - "Long Distance Call".<br />
Geraldine Doogue - ABC broadcaster- and her daughter Eliza Harvey, who lives in Beirut, Lebanon, with her husband Adam Harvey- ABC reporter- podcast their weekly skype conversations.<br />
Do you listen to podcasts? What are your favourites? <br />
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Late night blogging and I'm about to turn into a pumpkin.<br />
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Thanks for dropping in, thanks for making it through to the end. I appreciate that you did more than I can say, and I'd be tickled pink if you left a tiny comment.<br />
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XXX Sally<br />
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Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-33748687097549884092019-05-19T14:24:00.001+09:302019-05-19T14:25:16.030+09:30Holidays <br />
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Last Sunday I was listening to snippets of the talk-back gardening program on our local ABC Radio with Sophie Thompson. A listener called in to ask about pickling his home grown olives, but neither Sophie or the other presenter had ever pickled olives and didn't know of any recipes.<br />
I sent a text to suggest their listeners could look at my blog post about olive pickling that I wrote a couple of years ago. I wasn't really expecting them to read out my text on the radio, but they did..!<br />
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When I heard it, I jumped, and immediately sat at my laptop to write a short introduction, with links to the recipes, for anyone who might actually go to my blog.<br />
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So just in case you were wondering, no I wasn't on the radio.<br />
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I'm feeling refreshed after a week's holiday in Victoria. The first couple of days spent with friends at their large cattle property where I had the pleasure of being absolutely in the thick of all things Angus beef cows.<br />
How blissful it was to wake up surrounded by bird song and the gentle lowing of fat cows waiting for their morning feed.<br />
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There was a tinge of green in the paddocks which was a pleasant change from our dry and dusty conditions that I had left behind me at home. Their gardens were a magnificent oasis of green, with their access to good quality bore water.<br />
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Just two hours further south from Casterton, Victoria, is the beautiful coastal village of Port Fairy, near Warnambool.<br />
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I had booked <a href="https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/2161648?location=Port%20Fairy%2C%20Victoria&guests=1&adults=1&sl_alternate_dates_exclusion=true&source_impression_id=p3_1558240110_5qnxzAXRcb08BTPc&s=i8MI-wbk" target="_blank">this airbnb accomodation</a> for myself. Three nights in a <u>delightful,</u> <u>cheap and cheerful</u> granny flat at the rear of a family home just a few minutes walk from the town and marina. <br />
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I did lots of walking. I didn't know that Muffin Birds are also known as Shearwaters.<br />
Sadly, there is a severe fox problem there and I counted more than a dozen dead birds on the track as I walked the three kilometres around the island. Fox bait 1080 signs were displayed clearly and dogs are prohibited on the island.<br />
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After years of communicating to each other, I finally met up with Heather, who lives in Warnambool. We had lunch and spent the afternoon chatting like old friends. <br />
Long time reader of this blog and Instagram inspirational gardener, Heather Ryan can be found on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/heathers_potager/" target="_blank">@heathers_potager</a> on Instagram. <br />
I found another interesting piece written about Heather <a href="http://www.neutrog.com.au/heathers-community-garden-plot/" target="_blank">here</a> when I googled her to add these links.<br />
She is a mine of information and a delightful person, so it was little wonder that four hours would pass so quickly at our first ever meeting.<br />
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The last thermos cuppa and lunch stop before returning home.</div>
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I always carry my own food and thermos when I'm on the road. Peaceful country stops with a walk to stretch the legs are far more pleasant to me than perching indoors on a cafe stool drinking a lukewarm beverage and eating overpriced and over rated food. But I'm a bit of an odd fish I know.</div>
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The break was just what I needed to refresh and reinvigorate after our long hot summer, and although we have had a little bit of rain, we need some now to germinate the crops. </div>
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The paddocks are turning green, the cows and sheep are eating less hay and more grass, my broad beans and kale are up, so all seems as right as can be within my world.</div>
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Thanks for dropping in,</div>
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Cheers,</div>
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Sally XX </div>
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<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-51340937983986555772019-05-12T11:49:00.001+09:302019-05-14T14:15:48.810+09:30Pickling Olives<br />
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<br />
Hello to the ABC listeners who have come over here from Sophie and Peter's gardening program this morning.<br />
Here is the link to <a href="https://jembellafarm.blogspot.com/search?q=pickling+olives" target="_blank">Pickling Olives</a><br />
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I hope you will enjoy the process, and the taste, as much as we do.<br />
Don't forget to keep them for six months before testing for taste and readiness.<br />
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And please leave a comment if you want to.<br />
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** Edit post - Last year I tried making a couple of jars of dry salted olives that I found on <a href="https://growgatherenjoy.blogspot.com/2018/06/preserving-olives-three-ways.html" target="_blank">Laura's wonderful blog</a> They are ready to eat much sooner and kept us going with olives until the other jars were ready to eat. Six months is a long time to wait and I usually make enough jars to keep us going all year until the next batch are ready, but I gave too many away which left us olive-less!!.<br />
The dry salted method produces wrinkly and rather salty olives, but they were perfect for our home made pizzas and I made some tapenade from them too.<br />
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Cheers from Sally Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-62375304377455300262019-04-27T10:59:00.000+09:302019-04-27T11:07:54.391+09:30An Accidental Outdoor Kitchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It all started when Brian brought home a crumpled pile of wreckage that used to be an old wood stove. Whenever there were a few spare minutes in his already busy days, he tinkered away in his shed until it was restored to it's former glory. He rebuilt the oven, made a new fire grate, rebuilt the ash draw, fixed the oven door and lined the back and sides with cast iron sheeting.<br />
All the while we were pondering the perfect spot to install it for use. There were many things to consider as it would be functional and very useful in summer when it is too hot to light the wood fire inside the kitchen, and perfect for winter outdoor evenings. <br />
It needs to be;<br />
- Close enough to the house for practicality. <br />
- Under cover- from rain and to provide shade for the cook on hot days.<br />
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An outdoor pizza oven had been on our list of things we wanted to build and while ongoing research of building methods were stretching on, we had never been able to settle on a suitable position.<br />
As we age we need to think of the practical side of our <strike>madness</strike> projects, so the Pizza oven plans had been put on hold.<br />
As well as running the farm there were plenty of other projects going on in the meantime though; building the perfect shearing sling, the new sheep yards, the instant gas hot water service in the shed, the bigger meat saw. Oh, and he goes out to work full-time too.<br />
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I'm not certain which one of us came up with the idea of adding a small section onto the deck outside the kitchen door, and installing the wood oven there, under cover.<br />
Oh joy, this could be a part of the outdoor kitchen I had always wanted. I could cook all the things I usually cook in my kitchen wood stove on the days when it's too warm to heat the house. And lo... it would be suitable for outdoor pizza cooking too.<br />
I often wondered at the practicality of the pizza oven when, in fact, we cook pizzas about six times a year. Yep, not all that practical really, and don't forget, practical is my middle name.<br />
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So work started on adding a metre to the deck. The first rotten joist was discovered, and from there it snowballed into replacing all, except one, of the joists. The existing decking boards would be better if they were placed closer together to prevent draughts in winter. And besides, we didn't want to have a small area of new decking boards next to the old ones did we? So up they all came and all new decking boards were laid.<br />
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Each evening at beer o'clock, or wine o'clock in my case, more ideas came to mind and were tossed about. Perhaps we should have some windows at one end to block the draught and semi-enclose the space to make it cosy. Oh, and the galv cladding would look better if we extend it along the other side too. We can make a cafe bar on that section and buy some of those trendy Tolix cafe stools. <br />
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Of course then we need to cover the entire deck in clear sheeting to make it all waterproof while letting the light in. It will be hot in summer so we'll need to have a shade cloth awning made to put over the top in summer, and buy a trendy industrial fan.<br />
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The old ceramic butlers sink on the bench down in the vege garden would look lovely up here on one the work benches. Yes, kitchen benches on both sides of the wood stove.<br />
Do you see where this is going?<br />
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Electricals were next; enter the electrician. Light fittings and power points to be installed.<br />
Plumbing to and from the butler's sink. Brian can do that. Phew!<br />
Shelves under the bench tops, and a couple of cupboard doors at one end.<br />
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How did that free wood stove turn into this?<br />
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Meanwhile the mess of building materials, old and new, must be endured, while thinking ahead towards the finished product.<br />
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Whilst Jack is chilled out about the mess am I the only one who has experienced anxiety during a building renovation project?<br />
For the first two days I could not get used to the way it looked different to what I had envisaged. It has changed my outlook from the kitchen sink; I can't see all the way down to the garden, and that bothered me more than I thought it would. I keep reminding myself how good it will be when finished. How much fun it will be to style the new 'room' and make into a more practical and homely space than it was previously.<br />
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There is still much work to be completed, but I'm going away on my planned break for a week of rest and visiting friends.<br />
The control freak in me has instructed Brian to hold off work on any more of the aesthetic parts until my return, but there are plenty of unseen jobs to be completed so he won't be idle. Ha, we can't have that can we?<br />
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See you on the other side folks.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
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Sally XX<br />
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Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5402585807064573190.post-8962585303530066182019-04-23T20:39:00.000+09:302019-04-23T20:39:30.403+09:30Minnie.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm very late in sharing the news of Lavender's new calf Minnie. I hope you were not holding your breath in anticipation.<br />
The event took me by surprise last Wednesday morning. (April 17th)<br />
At feeding time Lavender's udder did not look large enough for imminent calving, but two hours later there was a small black shape on the ground, being licked by her mama, almost to the point of being rubbed out.<br />
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Honeysuckle watched with increasing interest as Lavender welcomed her new baby.</div>
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Honeysuckle moves in for a closer look....</div>
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....and closer.</div>
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The heifers in the adjoining paddock were fascinated with the proceedings. </div>
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The most frustrating part of watching our animals give birth is observing the clumsy attempts of the newborn trying to locate and latch onto the teat to take its first nourishment. I decided to leave them alone for an hour while I attended to other jobs, and hoped the new calf would have found the teat during my absence.</div>
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<i>In my experience, I will intervene if the calf has not had its first drink within two hours of birth. It is a simple matter of putting a halter on the cow, one person holds her still while the other person guides the calf to the teats. </i></div>
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When I returned - <u>without</u> my phone to capture the moment- I found the calf suckling on Honeysuckle, who wore a blissed-out look of love on her face. Lavender was standing next to them licking her calf. </div>
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Great suckle Minnie, but wrong cow! </div>
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With the aid of a feed bucket I lured Honeysuckle out of the paddock and walked her over to join the other cows. </div>
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The poor girl was visibly upset, pacing the dividing fence and calling out to the calf for nearly four hours until she settled and joined her new paddock friends. </div>
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Lavender's instinct was to stay close to her calf and although her water trough and hay rack were only ten to fifteen metres away she would not walk that far to drink. Calving is thirsty work; I filled the bucket three times before she was sated and returned to munching the pile of hay that I placed close by.</div>
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This is the second time I have witnessed
Honeysuckle allowing a strange calf to suckle her, so it seems she may
become a good foster mother to future brought in calves. </div>
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And in future I will separate her from other calving cows as her maternal instinct appears to be exceptional. </div>
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But
don't feel too bad for sweet Honeysuckle, her own calf is due to arrive
in October, and because she is a Jembella cow, she will keep her baby. </div>
According
to the details from her previous owners, she has given birth to one
calf last year, but as she was part of a commercial dairy herd, her
motherhood was very short lived. That is just too sad to contemplate and
I am grateful everyday that we choose to farm naturally, to consume dairy
products from cows who provide milk with love for their offspring. <br />
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Lavender and Minnie have been kept in a paddock separate from the other cows for five days so I can feed her a special food mix of chaff and minerals to boost her calcium and magnesium requirements. Today she was ready to join the other cows and show off her new calf.<br />
After opening the adjoining gate, I watched closely as Minnie and Lavender joined the other cows, and wondered if Honeysuckle would try to kidnap the calf again.<br />
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Whilst Lavender's udder appears to be very full right now, and the calf is not drinking all the milk she is producing, I will let nature guide her to adapt to supply and demand. However, when she walked into the dairy and stood waiting for me yesterday morning, it was a sure sign that she wanted me to take a bit of milk to ease the pressure. I took three litres of lovely fresh Lavender milk and she looked more comfortable.<br />
Our milk needs are small at present with no pigs to feed and cheese making taking a back seat, so I will milk her once or twice a week. This is how adaptable we can be with managing a dairy animal.<br />
If we plan well, leave the calf with its mother, and have no need for copious quantities of milk, we are able to manage the milking to suit our requirements. This will not work for all breeds of cows, but it has been successful in managing our mixed breed dairy/beef cows. It is another reason why I love the mixed breeds.<br />
I am enjoying a break from everyday milking, (the outside milking) and all of the tasks involved with using the milk (the inside milking).<br />
There is more time available for replanting and revitalizing our sad drought affected gardens, some house renovations, and holiday plans for spirit and energy renewal.<br />
I hope you all had a wonderful break over the Easter weekend. We swore off chocolate this year, but I made a huge and delicious batch of Easter buns which we are still eating.<br />
House renovations are ongoing, and I will tell you about that next time. <br />
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Cheers,<br />
Sally XX<br />
<br />Jembella Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07646075804716647311noreply@blogger.com16