King of the Mountain

We live on Old Green Mountain Road which runs along the ridge of Green Mountain. It is a tiny mountain compared to the Blue Ridge Mountains just west of us. In fact, it really seems more like a big hill. Anyway, seeing this photo that Austyn took reminds me of the Mountain, as the kid goats climb upon Mount Holly and playfully slide down her slopes.

Spring is in full swing. I have decided to make "permanent" bed 3'x15' in the garden using the "Lasagna Garden" style. This is great because it eliminates tilling. Each bed or mound will have organic matter added to it throughout the growing season to reduce weeds, conserve moisture and add nutrients to the soil. In the fall, I will layer leaves/manure/old hay on each bed to allow for slow composting over the winter months. I have completed 8 beds. Planted the potatoes in a large patch instead of the mounds, because a lot of the soil has eroded down the hill in that section of the garden. After the potatoes are harvested we'll have soil delivered.

We have the cutest pigs ever. Here's a favorite picture of one piglet after enjoying some broken eggs. Notice the yolk stains on the face of this contented little "Babe". This photo is a testimony to the fact that Bessette-raised pigs live a completely stress-free life! If you look really closely, you may see Charlotte spinning a web that says "Some Pig"! I know everyone is familiar with that story...but if you have never read Charlotte's Web by E.B.White you are missing out on a great family read-aloud.

One of our dear neighbors has a very successful small animal farm. She has several Great Pyrenees to protect her herds. The oldest, semi-retired dog is named Badger. He is a big guy...in stature as well as heart. He has always loved children and often comes to visit us dragging his aging body about a half mile to see HIS kids. He is old and stiff. Yesterday morning as I went out the basement door to start chores, our own two dogs (Gus and Loretta) ran down the hill to greet me. They were jumping and wrestling each other, rolling around under my feet (I'm convinced they were trying to trip me). Suddenly Badger appeared. He wanted in on the fun. This old guy began leaping and wagging along with Gus and Loretta. He looked so happy... I'm sure he was smiling! What a good dog!


In other news, everything is growing!

Baby goats mean that Spring has arrived. This year our Alpine goat "Flower" had the usual...2 bucks...despite my "wishful thinking" I did not get a doe...never have...from this goat. Unfortunately this year she did have a doe, but sadly it was dead at birth...maybe next year. This goat usually has her kids out in a field...perfect mom..never have had any complications...I guess the trauma of having 2 kids..then a mal-positioned dead kid made her reject one of the bucks.... so, we have had the pleasure of bottle feeding this little guy named "Peanut". It amazes me how quickly an animal bonds to the first species that feed it. This guy just loves us!

Esmont had some high winds this month and lots of rain...good for the grass/pastures, but not so good for the chicken coop. One morning I looked out and saw that the 400 pound coop was no longer in the chicken yard. It had lifted up and over the fence, landing on the corner of one of our portable chicken coops...unbelievable! Only one chicken died...probably of a heart-attack at the startle, because we couldn't see a scratch on her!

Today we finally completed the fencing that opens up about 5 acres of grazing for our cows. We have been working on it gradually, buying fence posts and electric wire, as we had the money...installing as we had time. The 3 big cattle gladly moved into the new pasture to munch on the virgin-grass! It has been over 15 years (or more) since animals grazed this land...we are happy to increase the fertility of the land with the presence of cows. God provided this awesome cycle of energy. The sun provides energy to the "producers" (grass)...the "primary consumers" (cows)eat the grass...that energy converts to meat and milk, which the "secondary consumers" (humans) eat...providing energy via protein/sugars and fat to nourish us! Amazing! Not to mention that the bacteria present in the soil improved the cows rumen/stomach for good digestion...and then the manure decomposes, passing nutrients to the soil so that the plants can grow more strongly! Miraculous if you ask me!

The girls and I visited Colonial Williamsburg last week. I was inspired by the beauty of the Colonial gardens. They utilized raised beds and cold-frames, with lettuce and chard growing beautifully. Today I worked in my garden...setting up semi-permanent "raised beds". These beds are 3'x15'. I planted beets in the 1st, turnips in the 2nd and prepared a 3rd bed for spinach, which will be planted next week. I planted peas (snow-peas and sugar snap peas) several weeks ago, and they are finally peeking up out of the ground. They are located near our pool-deck so that they may be supported by the deck, as they need a trellis. Onions, cabbage, broccoli, basil, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and some hollyhock flowers are growing indoors under lights! I have all of my seed/potatoes ordered and a fairly well-planned garden this year. So far so good!

I am most excited about the hops vine that I bought for Dennis this year for Valentine's Day...quite romantic...I know! It should grow to about 20' high...we plan to let it grow up on our pergola to shade us while at the pool. Hope we can learn to make beer this fall. We will grow corn and barley to add to the mix. A local brewery, Star Hill, recently released a beer that was made with the same ingredients Thomas Jefferson's Monticello produced quite some time ago. My grandma "Mutz" used to drink an occasional "light" beer, in a glass, with an ice cube! Sounds so funny to me...I must take after her though, because I do prefer beer over wine, especially after a long hard day of gardening. I'll have mine dark/amber...in a frosty-mug...no ice-cube please!

What's new in 2011

We celebrated the new year with a party and friends. Some stayed very late...which pleased us greatly! Dennis and I actually slept in until 10:30 the next day! I tried to analyze any symbolism that may have been attached to that unordinary act of sleeping in...what does this mean for 2011? Should we have a restful year? A lazy year? Still not sure, but the days of sleeping in have been limited to one this year..so probably not indicative of the rest of 2011!

On the first Monday of 2011, the Bessette's began a new diet...The Liver Cleansing Diet (LCD) by Dr.Sandra Cabot. This is an 8 week cleanse that eases into a Vegan diet. Not only is it Vegan, but it is no sugar, no sugar/fat-substitutes, no white flour or white rice! WOW! very different from the Bessette's normal diet. With the abundant supply of meat, eggs and dairy we have here at the farm, I confess that our plates have gotten out of proportion. My meals were centered around which meat we would eat. Then I would have the obligatory side of grain/veggie.

We are pretty much sticking to the new diet(minus Den's Birthday and a couple of other special occasions). The results have been remarkable. We have all lost some weight. We feel so much more energetic. We have generally not had food/sugar cravings. I realized what an emotional attachment I have had to my favorite food and how much I over-used them. Bacon, butter and cream/cheese are my comforts....I had been a big "supporter" of the Weston Price Foundation (which is almost anti-Vegan). This foundation claims that meats/fats eggs and dairy products are very good for you as long as they are raised without conventional farming methods. They too discourage the use of refined products such as sugar/white flour and oils/fats that are processed or produced in high temperatures (unless expeller or cold pressed, even olive oil can fall into this category). Unfortunately, I approached my diet "cafeteria style" picking out what I liked about each food philosophy and ignoring the biggies.

We would justify over-eating of our farm products because they are "healthy". Even though I own and milk a Jersey cow, I still bought butter at Sam's in 4# quantities. I'm sure I would use much less butter if I had only home-made butter to use. Same with tubs of sour cream or pounds of processed cheeses. I think it is not the dairy that is an issue, but the processed dairy products. I would justify drinking Jones Soda because is had real sugar instead of the evil High-Fructose-Corn-Syrup! 2011 realization....white sugar is harmful too.

So, I think after the "cleanse" is finished, the Bessette's come out of it with a more balanced approach to life in the year 2011. We are really enjoying our vegan meals and beans/rice combos. We really don't miss white flour that much. We ate way too many desserts in 2010. We did not eat enough vegetables. I still LOVE cheese...and bacon...and butter.



My new-year's resolutions look like this:

*Have a super-big vegetable garden this year!



*Raise fewer animals... because we are eating less meat than ever! So we can swim/relax more during the time we used to be managing animals for food!

*Chose wheat over white, green-tea over coffee, drink more water.

*Make more of the foods we love instead of buying them at the store...my gut says that raw-milk products and free-range eggs are just fine for our health. (Why not try home-made mayo? I should make butter/cheese/yogurt and sourcream consistently and NEVER buy these products at the store.

These bodies that we carry around for 70-80years on average, are entrusted to us to be used here on Earth for God's work and for His glory. I want to be a good steward of this gift. I acknowledge that my health and well-being is in the hands of a merciful and loving God! So, in the end, I resolve to pray to Him more, that he will guide us to ways that would serve Him. What an abundance He has provided for us... to actually be able to pick and choose what we eat instead of just "surviving". God, I want to be satisfied with whatever you provide for nourishment to our family and grateful for your provision. May our 2011 honor you Lord!

Time flies when you're having fun!

Wow...I haven't written in 3 months! What have the Bessette's been up to since mid-September?

Well, as far as farm-stuff goes, we have butchered about 70 broilers. They were "roasters" weighing in at around 5 pounds each! We can get 2-3 meals out of one bird! Delicious meat and the carcass makes amazing stock...golden yellow and clear! Not something you can do with store-bought chickens.

Sadly, the turkeys finished out at only 10-11 pounds at Thanksgiving, so we only filled a few orders and let the rest of the turkeys grow until Christmas. It was a very bad turkey year for us. I have heard people say that it's like that with turkeys...either you have an awesome year or terrible? No middle of the road with them??? I wonder why?

We also butchered the hog, at home. He had a wonderful life...never experienced the stress of having to be loaded on the trailer...he just woke up one morning and began to eat his breakfast...died with a smile on his face. That's the way to go, huh! We now have pork-chops, bacon, ham and sausage, enough for the year! We've purchased 3 new piggies for sale/next-year's pork.




We had our grass-fed-steer butchered at a USDA butcher...a little pricey, but we couldn't be any more happy with the results. The beef is vacuumed packed, dark red with just the right amount of marbling and TENDER! I feel really good about the quality of this beef. Excited that we produced it in a sustainable way and that we did not sacrifice quality for sustainability. We sold 1/4 of the beef, so our initial cost and butchering expenses were mostly paid for by the customer....that means 300-350 pounds of FREE BEEF for us!!


We have 2 cows bred and are trying to sell our Jersey bull to avoid having that mouth to feed this winter...hay is gonna' be expensive and scarce due to a very wet Spring (making hay-making difficult)and a very dry Summer (nothing grew after July 4th). We are finally beginning to wean the 7 month old calf...with once/day milking...she still gets to be with her momma during the day...but not for long! We are getting an adequate supply of milk for now. Look forward to some cheese-making as our supply increases.

I did not have a Fall garden this year...ran out of time! I do need to harvest the horseradish, but it may be too late...the ground is frozen already. For the first time this year, we enjoyed a bountiful peanut crop...if you have never read anything about George Washington Carver and the peanut...please do...he was an amazing scientist and the peanut is an amazing plant! My neighbor gave me 2 Meyer Lemon trees. I don't have a greenhouse but hope to raise them indoors while it is cold, and move outside when warm! The Quakers used to raise lemon trees in the 1800's, in Maryland...hopefully they'll be productive here on our farm!

What other things kept us busy this season? The kids played soccer in Scottsville and at Fork Union. Austyn and I trained and ran in a 5K race. Teaching and learning at home/ACTS coop/FUMA. The girls took a sock-knitting class. We enjoyed a 9 day family vacation to the Bahamas over Thanksgiving break. 4-H meetings, church, getting together with friends. Whew! No wonder I have no time to blog!

For He's a Jolly Good Fella'....

Introducing....some important guys on our farm! All of them are important, for different reasons....we are grateful for each guys contribution!

First of all, Dennis. He works away from the farm to provide us with many "modern-day" provisions, such as health insurance, a regular paycheck, and a top-notch private-school education for Alex. It's a bonus that Dennis loves his job away from home! Here in Esmont, though, he keeps very busy with other jobs. Dennis builds and fixes almost anything we have here. Other people in the family can mow, but Dennis is the "make-it-look-pretty" mower. Somehow, he puts a finished-edge on the landscape that no one else in the family can copy. Dennis is the guy who goes outside with a gun in the middle of the night when we hear strange noises or animals bawling... not knowing what he may encounter...to keep us all safe! He splits all the firewood in record time! He is the chicken/pig butcher...praying over any animal that gets killed here, to protect his heart from hardening to the process. He also grows grapes for wine making, likes cheese making, enjoys restoring old "things" (furniture/architectural items/cars). Den is the parent that "plays" with the kids. In the pool he gets them rowdy. He's the one that takes them to the river or takes them exploring through old abandoned houses....they rarely choose to stay home if he is going somewhere!

The next important guy on the farm is Alex. He is currently in 9th grade at Fork Union Military Academy. He is and always has been Dennis' right-hand-man. If Den is doing a job, Alex is next to him, handing him tools or running to get something for him. Alex has spent all his life mentoring under Dennis. He can shoot a target more accurately than most men! He is strong...coming to my rescue for moving/lifting things many times when his dad is not here. He has enjoyed soccer, football and wrestling over the years. I feel safe, even when Dennis is gone, if Alex is here on the farm!

Next is our favorite dog GUS! He's an Esmont mutt that was brought home by Dennis, just a fuzzy little fur-ball. He had a rough start...he killed a chicken soon after we fell in love with him. Although it is instinctive (and great fun!) for dogs to chase and kill chickens, it is not an option for a dog who lives on a farm where eggs and poultry are produced! Dennis was out of town when it happened, so it was my problem to solve. The weather was cold (no issue of rotting), so I took the dead chicken, smacked the pup with the dead chicken in a very loud, scary (but gentle) way. I then put the pup in the dog kennel and the chicken on top of the kennel. I left him there for 1 hour. I let him out of the kennel and watched him closely. As soon as he got the chance, he chased another hen. We repeated the above procedure (with the dead chicken) only this time even more loudly and scarily...maybe not so gently...and put him back in the kennel just as before. This time when I opened the cage I had a live hen waiting. I held her legs and let her flap around wildly, close to Gus's face...he cowered, not sure if THIS chicken was as strong as the dead one that he had encountered twice. Live chicken was definitely scarier than dead chicken...so, since then, he has NEVER chased or killed a chicken. In fact, he is the most obedient dog we have ever had. I say "Gus come" and he does 100% of the time. Now he does a good job protecting our animals by alerting us when a predator is lurking...that is if he is not sleeping on our couch, which he likes to do too much! We DO love that little dog!

And last, but not least, is Champion...our Jersey bull. We have raised many steers (bull without the testosterone and other important parts) but never have we kept a bull. Bulls are useful in breeding cows...something that steers cannot do! We appreciate the "maleness" of all of the guys here on the farm, but in some animals, there is a cost to all of that machismo...bulls can be very dangerous. We bottle fed this guy and that gives us an advantage because he knows us and trusts us...but when the hormones are flowing...watch out. They say that Jersey bulls are some of the meanest around and to NEVER turn your back on them. We do not!

The vet was out today to Artificially Inseminated (AI)our Jersey cow who was in heat. We wanted to mix up the genetics a little, but the vet said that most likely, the bull already bred her..."it will be a race...it only takes "one" to fertilize the egg and the bulls are so much better at it than the vet!"...so, in about 285 days we will see if the calf resembles Champ, or some other Jersey bull! While the vet was here, he did a pregnancy check on our Angus heifer and told us she was 38 days pregnant....I was amazed at his accuracy and asked..how do you know...he laughed and said that he was just showing off...but that she was over 35 days preganant. We are grateful to Champ!
To all the guys on our farm we sing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow"!

Surely, the presence of the Lord in is this place...

We used to sing a song in our little church in Esmont, that went "Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place, I can feel His mighty power and his grace"
I am reminded of this song, as I look at some of the pictures my children have taken while just "hanging out" here at the farm. They take my breath away and I think to myself...is this really where we live?

It is rare to see a "boring" sunset from our west-facing balcony. The colors, clouds, hills and trees are an ever-present reminder of the beauty that God has created for us to enjoy as we journey through this life here on earth.

In the morning, the fog/mist rises up from Hog Creek, above the cedars, clearing the way for a fresh new day. It reminds me of the scripture that tells us "His mercies are new every morning". As a person with a BS in Biology, I look at the magnificence, order and beauty of things in nature. I have a hard time coming up with a "hypothesis" other than "God as creator" to explain the source of these wonders.

As a farmer, I realize how well-designed a simple seed is...exploding into a giant sunflower in just a matter of months.
I watch a calf being born and the mother-cow's built-in knowledge of how to care for her new calf...with no books to study, no "mentor" to teach her?

I also realize how dependent we are on the intricate systems that the Creator, God, has put in place to sustain life. Every day, the sun rises. Every night, it gets dark. Animals are born, animals die. Every season comes and goes. Order. Our God is a God of order, not chaos. Our God is a God of beauty. Now, I am sure that there are some places on Earth that would be considered more beautiful than Bessette Farm, but I am still blown away at the beauty we experience each day here....surely the presence of the Lord is in this place!

June In Review

I guess I've been too busy to blog....but we really do want to document the happenings of the family and farm, so here is June 2010 in review:

I made up a rhyme last year to remember when the day-lillies bloom...it goes like this "First week of June, the day-lilies bloom" Sure enough, as I looked for these orange lilies that grow along the roadside, in the ditches, I saw them bloom, just at the right time.


This month we have continued to enjoy the garden. We have spent many hours pulling weeds, mulching and picking things like swiss chard, garlic, onions, peas, carrots, green beans, cabbage, herbs like cilantro and dill.Our potted fig trees are producing tiny figs! I can't wait for them to ripen...I love fresh figs!

Farmer's Market in Nelson continues to be profitable, but we are re-organizing. We are training the children to bake and sell the products and in return they will each get a percentage of the profits. They worked hard this week, but were well rewarded, as the market was very busy... we sold out before 10:00 am!


We continue to milk our Jersey Holly and train her little calf Gingersnap. Holly definitely likes giving Ginger milk more than us, but we're working things out!



If left to my own "flesh" I would neglect my relationships and work all the time....so this year I have purposed to relax more....laugh more...bite my tongue more...nurture relationships so these too will grow, as our farm grows. We have enjoyed swimmming with friends and family often. Almost every Sunday we gather for an afternoon of great fun! Then men and kids play rough games like water-rugby while the ladies have fun talking.
While driving into Charlottesville one evening I saw the most peculiar thing. People were just sitting on thier porches! I realized that we never just "sit"! I want to be able to sit on my porch, knowing that the day of work is done! So, we are spending time "sitting" this summer!

We suffered a tragedy in our family this month. Our niece Misty died suddenly on June 23. She was 25. It is hard to convince people that we have a kind, all-powerful and loving God during times like this. It is hard for me to accept that God did not "jump in and save the day" in Misty's situation. I have no answers. But, I know God is real. I know He loves us beyond measure. I trust in him.



Now it is July. The world continues to turn, even when we think it should stop and grieve with us. My nature memory for July is that by Independence Day, the wild blackberries are ripe...we have had an exceptionally hot month, so when I went to check the berries I wasn't surprised to see that they were at peak of ripeness. We have 300 acres of logged-property behind our property. All along the edges of the logging roads, the wild blackberries grow. Needless to say we have been picking picking and picking...Dennis is requiring the kids to collect 1/2 gallon each day...today they took a break, but Dennis and I picked about 2 gallons ourselves! Jelly, cobblers, freezer for winter!

I'm not sure that anyone reads our blog, but that's ok. I am thankful that my children like to take photos. I have never been a good family-historian, so this is a way to record our "history". It is really for the Dennis and Michele Bessette family...but if anyone out there does read it, I hope to bless them too!