Down on the Farm - December 2016

December the last month of the year and a time for playing catch up on the farm as we continue to recover from such a long lasting cold. It was a time to deck the halls in prepration for the coming of Our Infant Lord on Christmas day. A time to plan gifts for loved one's and tidy up around the farm. Thanks for stopping by on such a special month! Welcome to our farm!

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In the Barnyard...

In our little reading on lambs and experience with them before getting them no one mtioned how dirty they are! Our one goat seems to be nice and tidy yet these lambs seem to find every gross thing to get on them. The exciting adventure of a new farmer! This is Big Boy, who will soon be leaving us to go to the freezer. He is getting a wee bit pushy when it is time to put the food out.

Roscoe our only goat peeking over Little Bitty our Ewe. He is still busy trying to be king of the barn yard but these sheep are getting much bigger than him.

Our excitment for the month has been this vistor. He likes to hang out on the porch rather than his home across the street. Thankfully he isn't very agressive but he likes to make a mess near all the door ways and make sure his presence is known by doing what roosters do best. 

This turkey, I mean turken is one of the most interesting chickens I"ve seen with his bright red bare neck. He is still a messy rooster.

Sorry no treats for you Big Boy and Little Bitty! 

The pasture is still green, but its cooold and the grass isn't growing much. The chickens are quite happy though with all the wet and rain, it makes for some good worm feed.

A close up of one of our hens, she is watching you!

In the Greenhouse ...

Last month we caught bad colds and were not able to water the starts or get them in the ground for the winter garden. Sadly the greenhouse is resting. It is probably really good for the soil to rest but its been ruff not having fresh greens when ever we want them. We are making the best of this season to clean up and debug and get ready for planting in February. 

Thanks to Justin Rhodes  at Abundant Permaculture, we decided to put the chickens in the greehouse while it is 'resting' and let them clean up all the bugs and hopefully come spring, we won't have the pill bug infestation that we had last year. They certainly have plenty to eat out there!

And then..... there was snow! In Oregon some times we don't see one snow flake all year. This year seems to be making up for the drought that we had last year. Not wanting to see how much snow the greenhouse could hold we went and knocked it off the top.

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And then it snowed again....

Around the Farm ...

Despite the cold weather the mint is still growing like crazy and doesn't seem to mind the cold freezes. Like they say, you can't kill a mint plant. No kidding!

Every once in awhile the sun peeks out and these 'mountians sing'.

Some see weeds.... All this farmer's wife sees is a whole lot of blackberry tea! These blackberries are still hanging on in the cold. Fresh blackberry and mint tea must be in order.

We thought we had a never ending wood pile, but with a drought last year that thought is bound to creep in. This year our wood pile is dwendling quicker and quicker. It has been pretty cold outside!

And then.... snow... here though it doesn't stay around too long.

In the Farm Kitchen...

The greenhouse might be resting but our fall crop garden is still giving with an abundance of winter squash in storage. 

Dehydrating mini oranges to decorate the Christmas tree with.

Pulling out strawberries from the freezer that were put up from the Spring Farmer's Market, time to make Strawberry Bread for Christmas breakfast!

Christmas Eve Dinner at our house is the most special part about our Christmas traditions. A three course vegetarian meal served after the reading of the Birth of our Infant God from the Bible. Afterwards we decorate our tree and stay up until Midnight when Christ was born.

In the Farm House...

December 6th brings St Nicholas to our house. In keeping with European traditions the feast of St. Nicholas is when he brings gifts and puts them in the children's wooden clogs. Complete with oranges, nuts and treats.

Wrapping hand towels for a family tradition... brown paper packages all tied up with string. And tea! A few of my favorite things...

Christmas morning, Christ our Saviour is born! Always a favorite tradition to put Baby Jesus in the crib that has been empty and waiting all the month of December.

Up in the mountians picking out a Christmas Tree... think we found just the one!

Christmas inside the farm house, white and golden..... Merry Christmas from our farm to your home!

In the Farm Store...

Packing orders for the Christmas shopping season, some lovely things going out in the mail. We are so excited to a part of our customer's Christmas celebration knowing these healthful items are going to others.

Packing up a special order with a special gift wrapping request.

No these are not Christmas treats but a way to melt down the local bees wax that we use in our herbal salves and lip balms so that it is easier to weigh and measure. But they are beautiful and smell heavenly!

Thank you for stopping by the farm! We wish you and your family a blessed New Year in 2017 from our farm to your home!