Parker Farmstead, a Family Farm since 1870

April 18 and it’s 30 degrees. Even with unseasonably cool temps, snow flurries, and winter like winds-the very welcome signs of Spring are here!

I planted spinach too early but a few tiny leaves persisted through the cold. I’ll be planting more. Hosta corms, snow on the mountain, tulips, sedum, and green grass shoots are pushing through to reach the sun. Of course, the thistles arrived first.

Our 4 Bielefelder Kennhuhn and 4 Delaware hens are beginning to lay little brown “hen fruit”. I ordered them via mail from a hatchery in Iowa last fall. Over winter they’ve grown to beautiful fluffy ladies.

Both of our sons are getting new beef calves. 6 girls and 1 boy so far. They are the cutest little black and red pints of spunk!

There is a palpable longing from the animals and us for pasture season! We are preparing existing pastures and planning to expand some. This means fence mending, fence building, and some wild cattle rodeos ahead.

Another hint of Spring-our youngest began riding a bike to the barn last week.

There is constant work preparing equipment and tractors for the upcoming tilling & planting season. Farmers are like caged lions when it comes to “getting in the fields” to start working the land and planting seeds. There is so much planning, worrying, and excitement tied up in the season. This year brought some seed shortages and increased prices. Our fuel use will also increase and the higher prices are hard to swallow.

Income taxes have been filed! I often have to push through this task. My only motivation is to finish before warmer temperatures arrive, then I pretty much have to chain myself down to do office work.

Last week our last 2 lambs of the season arrived. Momma accidentally laid on one and he’s needed a new mom- Farmer Me. So I’m back to 3am feedings. Right now he needs warm milk 4x a day.

Today, we have a doe goat in labor. She’s looking like she may have triplets. We have a doe still nursing 12 week old triplets and doing great, so hoping Coco does as well.

More little hooves are arriving in the Dairy herd too. We are expecting about 6 over the next 2 weeks.

The milk truck keeps arriving and bottle wagon keeps rolling!