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!

The Merry Month of May!

May is coming to a close. So much has happened this month. Strawberries have come and gone...we have had a decent crop this year! The fresh-picked berries from our farm definitely had better flavor than the strawberries we bought from a CSA. We ate them fresh, made strawberry cakes, jams and preserves! Sadly, I over-estimated my available time for processing the berries...so, I lost a bunch to spoilage. Thank goodness for chickens and pigs...they are the "redeemers" of food mis-management!



Farmer's Market started May 1st and we have been busy baking on Fridays and marketing on Saturdays! Lots of bread...this year we are making fresh ground wheat, spelt, rye and the favorite baguette. We make wheat cinnamon buns and sell eggs/chickens when we have extra. By Saturday afternoon, we have all had our fill of bread!



The best part of May 2010 has been the birth of our new heifer calf Gingersnap!
It has been delightful to milk her mother Holly. She is a dear sweet animal. Her udder congestion is subsiding. Her milk is very creamy! She is a wonderful mother to Gingersnap, as well as to her other baby...ME!

She really likes her routine of going up to the milking stand for her human-baby to get her milk! Tonight we tried to milk her down in the field, just outside of the cow-pen. We were trying to save time... She let us milk her briefly, and then suddenly took off in the direction of the milking stand...no lead rope or halter...she walked directly to the head-stock, entered and let us "lock" her in...as if she were telling us..."this is the way we do it...you get your milk up here!"

I ladled her cream into our coffe this morning and made creamed spinach with spinach from our garden and Holly's cream. Delicious! We have not seperated the calf from her mom yet...so we are only getting about 1 1/2 gallons of milk per day. We are feeling milk-rich these days...even though we expect Holly to make 4-5 gallons per day at her peak. Cheese, butter, yogurt making will begin soon!

Like mother like daughter! Gingersnap is learning so much from Holly. It is fascinating to watch her learn how to interact with the other cows and goats, nibble on grass, drink water from the trough...Thank you Lord, giver of life, for these "gifts" and for this awesome life!

Welcome home Gingersnap!

On the morning of May 21, our Jersey cow Holly began to labor. She was not due to "freshen" until May 27, however, a low pressure system was coming in, and it is said that that sometimes triggers labor in cows. Around 10 am, I noticed her udder had gotten extremely large. She has some clear, gel-like mucous hanging from her vulva. Tyson had just delivered a beautiful round bale of hay, in preparation for the new arrival. Holly usually chases Tysons truck through the field to nibble at the hay...they love his hay...but on this day, she seemed uninterested. Austyn and I began to spread fresh straw in the small barn, in hopes that she would choose to have her calf in there. Holly was born in the field, in secret, 2 1/2 years ago.


On cue, Holly entered the barn, and rested, chewing her cud. About 10:15 she had a contraction...we knew this because legs and tail extended...her head raised up in the air...it only lasted about 20 seconds. After about 10 minutes, she had another. We watched for an hour as the contractions got gradually closer. At 11:15, gush of water came out. She was still lying down. After a while, Holly stood up, took a drink of water and ate some hay...then she lay back down. The contractions got closer and harder. Hooves appeared, thankfully they were front hooves...which means a normal presentation of the calf. Then a tongue and nose followed....with each contraction, we could measure progress by how much of the calf remained outside of Holly once the contraction was finished. Holly chewed her cud between contractions...she began to softly grunt/talk to her baby.

The mouth was "born" and the tongue was hanging out of the mouth...surely this calf was dead...there was no movement at all...as the forehead pressed against the vulva, stretching it, Holly gave a large push and the calf's whole head entered the world. Definitely alive...another set of pushes moved the shoulders and body out...the suspense was terrible...was it a bull or heifer? Holly's labor seemed to stop at this point. We were trying to peek between the back legs but couldn't see any parts...finally, the calf "wiggled" out and Holly began cleaning HER! We cheered...I'm sure all of Esmont heard our "Wooo Hooos". Nothing against bulls, but a heifer sure is a treat!









We named this little girl "Gingersnap" because of her color! She is half Guernsey, and has white markings all over...very unique looking! We have a lot of decisions to make, since this is Holly's first calf. Do we share the milk with the Gingersnap or separate momma and baby? Most commercial dairies separate immediately. For now we will keep them together for 1 week, milking Holly out 3-4x/day to hopefully avoid mastitis and to at least to have several opportunities to assess for mastitis.

Thank the Lord, that we were patient and waited for our home-grown Holly to be our family milker. Often, I wanted to just go out and buy a cow...but kept feeling like we should wait. Holly trusts us fully. We can handle her without problems. She is not a kicker...we can actually milk her in the field, while Gingersnap is nursing...or even while she is not around! Holly licks us as we milk, just as she licks her calf. It's love, love, love!

The cow-calf relationship is masterfully designed! Once Gingersnap was born and began to nurse, uterine contractions increased...helping Holly to birth the placenta. The rich colostrum that Gingersnap had for her first meal, was like those high-energy drinks...immediately her strength increased, allowing her to stand and walk. Holly licks her baby while she is nursing, stimulating the "toileting" of the calf. So many things working together.

As Holly's colostrum transitions to milk, we watch for milk-fever. This is a dangerous condition common to Jersey cows. It is hypo-calcemia. The demand for milk can cause calcium to be drawn from the bones and muscles of the cow...causing weakness and death if not managed. Sadly we experienced this with Holly's mother last year. Not a happy ending for Sweet Pea, but this journey is all about learning, so I researched milk fever and made many changes this year. Mostly, we did not have Holly on grain during her pregnancy. A diet of concentrates vs. forage contributes to this condition. We gave a Saf-Cal oral calcium right after birthing, and every 12 hours for 2 days. Lastly, we watched Holly for signs of weakness or "depression". Nightly checks in the barn with flashlights, making sure she could get up, she was chewing her cud, and that her ears were warm. I have read that cold ears are an early symptom of milk fever.

We have had a concern with congested udder/ udder edema. We have taken advice from 3 dairy farmers that we trust. Currently, we are applying warm compresses, massaging the udders and milking out several times/day. It is improving. We are watching closely for signs of mastitis (hot udder/painful udder/stringy/clotty milk) So far, none are present. Just a new udder, getting used to the new "function" of milk production. We are enjoying the time spent with Holly and the "investment" in our future years of milk-production with her. She seems to like the special attention she is getting from the family.

Dennis and Alex completed the stanchion/head-stock and milking parlor today! What a blessing that is. We have to walk Holly up the driveway about 100 yards. Thankfully she is halter broken (mostly!). Holly does not like to be sprayed with the natural/herbal fly spray that we have been using...the flies are awful this year...every time she hesitated while walking up the drive, Austyn gave her a little spray with the herbal...she took the cue and walked on! Her reward of beet-pulp, molasses and a small amount of grain was waiting for her in the milk stand. It was a very pleasant experience. This is VERY important, as a cow will not "let-down" if she is upset. I think it is the para-sympathetic nervous system that is responsible for the let-down of milk. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the "fight-or-flight" response. These 2 systems oppose one another...can not work together...so we need to keep the dogs away, use quiet, soothing commands to assure that Holly feels safe when milking...so that she will "let down" willingly!


We are thankful that Holly is well and that she gave us a sweet little Gingersnap! What a great gift!

It has been a long time since my last blog. A lot has been going on at the Bessette home!

The flowers are blooming....Iris are showing off,




the Roses are magnificent!




We have picked our first strawberries and sugar-snap-peas! Alex, the child least likely to eat anything green, said "Mom, if other vegetables tasted like these sugar-snap-peas, I would eat them all the time...are there more growing!" The cabbage is heading-up! Kenebec potatoes have sprouted up beautifully, only to freeze on 2 occasions...not sure if they'll make it. I have learned to wait on the tomatoes, until after Mother's Day...finally got them planted yesterday and I even have the trellises in place for each plant! We've been enjoying spinach several days/week. We must cut it frequently, or it will quickly bolt to flowers/seed. The spinach is delicious...have you ever noticed the weird film/feeling that store-bought spinach leaves on your teeth? I am pleased to report that our home-grown spinach does not have it!

Cilantro is ready to be picked...I love to make salsa, but cilantro is an herb which doesn't like hot dry weather. Because of this, it is ready before the tomatoes and jalapenos are ripe??? Oh well, I'll still make salsa, cuz' there's nothing like fresh cilantro!




Boer/Keiko buck for market-goat project in 4-H are growing steadily.

Nellysford Farmer's Market began May 1st. We are there faithfully every week selling fresh made wheat bread, French bread, Rye bread, cinnamon buns, coffee, eggs/pasta/cookies and mint tea...what a great market! Our Fridays are busy with baking. The kids are selling their products too!


Today was a rainy day and it was nice to be able to spend time indoors with the girls. We are reading aloud, "The Lord God Made Them All" by James Herriot. It is very informative and entertaining. We have laughed so hard we cried in several chapters! I still love reading aloud to the family...they love it too...always begging for just one more chapter! I recently asked our oldest child if she would read aloud to her children...she said she would, but still expected me to read to her, even when grown! I have very special memories of the many, many books our family has enjoyed together.

Well, tommorrow is baking day...busy busy!

I hope Austyn will take some pictures to "document" the home-bakery! It is quite an operation!

Poor, Poor Piggies

Penelope is our only female pig. She is relaxing in this photo, happily enjoying her "femaleness", while her brothers prepare to be castrated...an event that started out quite humorous, but ended in a very different way.
Much of our farming experience has been gleaned from neighbors and friends who grew up on farms. Tending animals is second nature to these folks. They rarely call a vet out to the farm, only for extreme emergencies. We have learned to trust the advice of these successful farmers. We are grateful to them for sharing their knowledge with us.
This round of piggies at our farm has been a unique bunch. After being at our farm for a couple of weeks, I noticed that the males were developing two little bumps on their backside...hmmm...the last round of pigs we had didn't have those bumps...you don't have to be a vet to quickly determine that these male pigs had not been castrated. Oh no!
I investigated our options. You don't need to castrate for meat production, if butchered at a young age, however, the meat may develop an undesirable "boar" flavor. Not good. Two of the pigs are 4H projects, to be sold at the livestock auction at the Albemarle County Fair. The rules state that all male animals must be castrated before they may enter the fair grounds. Ok...I guess that helps in making the decision. I called the farmer who I got the pigs from. He said he would come over to castrate the pigs as soon as possible. He did not seem concerned about the fact that the pigs were getting older. But, time marched on....
We had never seen the procedure for castration of pigs. We have "banded" goat bucks and bull calves. Banding involves using an "elastrator" to put a rubber-band around the dangling sac, causing lack of blood supply and eventual removal of the body part. Pigs do not have "dangling sacs". We knew that banding was not on option.
I'm not sure that the farmer doing the procedure realized how much the pigs had grown until he arrived at our farm. Maybe he would have recommended calling in a vet instead if he had realized? Not sure?
The first scheduled appointment was a disaster! We ran around the pig-pen trying to catch the pigs who definitely knew something strange was about to happen, because they gave us a run for our money! We never did catch them that day, but the farmer insisted that we did not "waste his time" because he thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment of watching the chase! Quite funny in retrospect.

The next day, we coaxed the pigs into a dog kennel, by placing irresistible food inside. Once caught, we put "leashes" around their mid-sections and waited for the farmer to arrive. Then, the funny aspect of this event subsided, and the reality of the procedure set in. Just how was he going to do this? How would we restrain the pigs...we all began to have a sick feeling in the pit of our guts. We had to hang the pigs by their feet upside down. Pigs scream anyway when they are stressed or scared, but we knew what was coming. The screams only added to the awful feeling that we were experiencing.



Once hanging, the farmer located the pigs testicles, made an incision and removed them one by one. Poor, poor piggies! I wish I could say it went quickly and painlessly. After the procedure, the pigs were let down...I tried to make up for it by giving each pigs a bucket of goat milk, which they joyfully slurped down and then ran off. We were quite shaken up. Dennis and I take seriously the call by God for us to have "dominion" over the animals. We were both saddened that we caused pain to these animals. For days, we have prayed over the pigs for speedy healing, comfort from pain and for no infection. God is faithful and all is well with the pigs!

I think the lesson learned for our family is that procrastination in farming leads to animal sickness/discomfort. And this is not acceptable on our farm. We learned to ask the right questions about animals before bringing them home. We are truly grateful to our farmer friends who have helped us learn so much! I continue to be amazed at how much these farmers know and do without a second thought...and without one day in the university!

....how does your garden grow?

Gardening should probably be classified as a hobby for me rather than a chore. If I had nothing else to do, I think I could spend every waking hour out in the garden. Now, I must say that I am not the best gardener, not the most productive, but when given a day to do anything I want...I would be outside, in the sunshine, weeding/seeding/watering/picking! There are so many different techniques to gardening...so many methods. How does your garden grow?



We use an organic method of growing. We have NEVER used pesticides/herbicides of any sort on our land. I love the "Ruth Stout's No Work Garden" mulching system to keep weeds down and moisture in. We compost in place...with mulch of hay and grass clippings, decomposed chicken/cow manure and even use the animals to assist in the tilling of the land. Chickens tractors help fertilize and prepare the soil for planting. Pigs till up and fertilize our old corn fields. I use companion planting methods, where some plants actually benefit others when growing nearby...as a natural bug repellent or to encourage certain insects to help with pollination. Read "Carrots Love Tomatoes" for more information on this.



Last Year Dennis built our little cold-frame boxes, which give us a head start on cool weather planting. We already have pea plants approaching 1 foot tall thanks to these boxes.

My least favorite gardening activity is weeding. If I were doing the Ruth Stout method correctly, there would be little to no weeding, but I am sometimes stingy with my hay/mulch! As of today, in the ground are the following: potatoes, cabbage, beets, rutabaga, turnips, kale, lettuce, spinach, snow peas, sugar snap peas, carrots, radishes, swiss chard, mustard greens, sunflowers, dill, cilantro, onions, leeks, shallots! Coming back from last year we have asparagus, mint, oregano, strawberries, rhubarb, sunflowers, bronze fennel, not to mention a mystery squash that is volunteering in our old pig-pen! We need to get our corn in the ground soon!

After Mother's Day we will plant sweet and hot peppers, tomatoes, pumpkin, melons, squash, green beans, lima beans, butter beans, cukes, okra, basil, nasturtium, sweet potatoes...and whatever else we have room for!

It is a very busy time of year for the Bessette family. We will start with farmer's market the first week of May...then try to keep our garden watered and growing in between bread baking and animal care. I wonder how some people could feel bored??? I could fill my days with this farm/garden stuff! Thankfully the sunsets are stunning here on this hill, because otherwise I would feel sad that the sun had to go down...and that another day is finished!

The dangerous job of chicken farming!

Bessette Family Farm has gotten a little "cocky" this year. We are enjoying the Dark Cornish breeder-flock that we started last year, for the purpose of egg production, but also for the ability to hatch our own meat-birds for butchering. We have had incredible success at hatching (83%) and excellent survival rates...I think we have only lost 3 chicks out of about 70. So far, so good. But we are getting a little "cocky" around here....

To produce baby chicks, there are several key ingredients....in addition to hens that lay eggs, it is important that we have roosters that fertilize the eggs. Of course, unfertilized eggs make great omelets, but not so great baby chicks! Anyway, we have been experimenting at the correct number of roosters that abide with the hens. We have read that a 1:10 ratio of rooster:hens is ideal. We started with 25 roosters to 100 hens, figuring that we would lose some to predators. All roosters survived. This resulted in a small butchering session.... a day when 12 roosters earned the privilege of abiding in the Bessette chest freezer instead of the hen-house!

Last Friday, while the girls were doing school work, I decided to get the chicken chores done by myself. Usually, we feed the chickens outside of the hen house (in their electric-fenced yard),then one person blocks up the entrance to their house with a trash-can lid, while the second person collects eggs and replenishes water. All of this is necessary due to not-so-friendly roosters! On this day, I guess I wasn't thinking about the dangers of chicken farming. I fed the chickens, then entered the house. No eggs yet, so I grabbed the waterer and began to exit the hen house. Just as I was leaving, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a rooster flying up at me...feet-first...attempting to "spur" me! I quickly reacted by shutting the door. What I saw next not only perplexed me, but made me double over in laughter!

There is a gap between the bottom of the door and the frame. I haven't measured it, but it looks to me like it is just about the width of a rooster's leg....




The bad rooster did a little "sit-up" and just looked at me with discouragement as his efforts to kill me were thwarted! I left him there for just long enough to get Austyn to take some pictures, because I couldn't even begin to describe how this happened???? Once set free, he returned to the flock...scolded by his band of brothers and ashamed of his miserable failure. The dictionary defines "cocky" as too sure of oneself; arrogant; conceited....may we all learn a lesson from the roosters!

All flesh is grass

"All flesh is grass..." this is part of a bible verse,Isiah 40:6. This verse is taken out of context, but even in its partial state it holds amazing truths. Think about it...plants are the only "producers" in our ecosystem. They are able to use the energy from the sun to produce food for themselves in the form of glucose through the process of photosynthesis. It is actually a chemical reaction, taking water, carbon dioxide and energy from the sun, along with chlorophyll to produce glucose and oxygen! The producers (veggies/fruit/nuts/grasses/algae/kelp) provide food not only for themselves, but for living things that are unable to produce their own food... a cow eats the grass, we eat the beef that the cow produces. The nutrients that we eat give us energy to survive, but also are the source of any bio synthesis in our body. Remember that we "are what we eat" and that "all flesh is grass".
So, if we eat a hamburger, then we are benefiting from the cows ability to take grass (which is indigestible to us) and convert it into meat. If grass is managed properly, it continues to grow, even thrive, with the frequent grazing that a herd of animals provides. It is a "free" renewable resource! What good news!



The Bessettes have been inspired to take advantage of this free food. We host cattle, goats, chickens and pigs here at our farm. Cattle and goats are herbivores (ie vegetarians). Chickens and pigs are omnivores...like the Bessettes...(eat fruit/veggies/meat or just about anything). Since grass is the topic, I'll stick to the cattle and goats for now.

At this time of year our "free-food" is abundant. In the past, Dennis or Alex would spend hours on the mower and use gallons of gas every week to "manage" the huge lawn that we have. We have now realized, as have many other farmers, that the key to our sustainability is growing (not mowing) that free renewable resource that humans can not digest! GRASS! We are becoming "grass farmers"!

We now set up electric fencing /netting, powered by solar chargers (free again)in areas of the land that have sufficient grass growth. We move the cattle and goats to these areas and they naturally do the rest. They "cut" the grass to just the right height. They release nitrogen and healthy microbes into the soil through their urine and manure. They tread on the ground aerating the soil and allowing "pockets" for moisture to soak into. It is an amazing symbiosis! The size of the grass above mirrors the root matter below. When an animal "cuts" the grass, the roots die back underground to again mirror the grass above. This is great for the soil, as it adds organic matter to the soil, which will then be decomposed by earthworms and microbes, adding necessary nutrient/minerals to the soil to help the grass to stay healthy! What a design! When the grass is grazed to just the right height, we move the pen and the animals to a new spot! Over-grazing kills the grass, so we're careful to not keep them in one place for too long.

So, as the rain poured down last night, I thanked God for free food for our animals! Grass, which will become food for us in the form of beef, milk and cheese!Thank you, God, for your masterful design and for the free food!

Flip Flops in April

The weather in Esmont has been unusual. We are supposed to have temperatures of 91 degrees today. We are opening our pool tomorrow. It is only April 6th! I find myself stressing out about how "late" I am with my garden. I have to remind myself that we almost always get a killing frost just before Mother's Day, which is still 1 month away. But it is very tempting to put out the tender plants like tomatos, beans etc. I did this last year, and found myself in the dark, several evenings with old quilts..."tucking in" my plants to protect them from the cold. The tomato plants never did produce too much...they got some sort of a blight, and fizzled out. So...I choose to be patient. I will stick to my planting schedule.

We had a great storm last night...high winds, thunder, lightening. Dennis loves to watch storms, and is never intimidated by weather. Last night, he called the children down out of a sound sleep, at 2:23 am, to be in a safer place. We thought a tornado was coming...it was a really bad storm. I was thankful that we have trained our children to respond quickly to our requests. They obediently got up from bed without question. They did not whine or wonder why such and unusual request was being made...they just obeyed. Good for them, and good for us...you know the Bible says “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Thankfully there was not a tornado last night, but if there had been, our children would have been in a safe place because of their obedience!

The weather dictates so much of what a farmer does. We are without control over so many aspect of the farm. We depend on rain, but not too much or we flood. We hope for sunny days, but not scorching sun. Breezes are nice, but strong winds are destructive. Kidding/calving during mild temperatures is a piece of cake...but in extreme heat or cold...it can be dangerous to the animals. Last night, one of the children worried that an animal might be struck by lightening. It occurred to me that all that we have could be destroyed in one instant...by one weather event...yuck...what a thought! I guess I realize that it is important to not make "gods" or "idols" out of the stuff we have, or the things we "do". We must live each day, thankful for what we have or can do today...not looking too much into the future...but just enjoying each circumstance, being content with whatever the day brings!

Today, looks like it brings flip-flops in April! So...I will enjoy!

Peep, peep...the muffled sound of a 20 day old chick taking its first breath is heard through the styrofoam incubator. Eggs aren't supposed to make noise...or move on their own... I continue to be amazed at the hatching process. I am a person that likes predictability...and like clockwork, with no reminders needed, the chicks begin the process of entering the world on day 21.


First, it breaks into the air sac (located at the blunt end of the egg) and starts to breath. This is when you begin to hear peep sounds. Then, as the 21st day progresses, the little one uses its egg-tooth to "pip" through the shell. I wonder if the phrase "pip-squeak" came from watching this process? Anyway, it must be exhausting work, because the chick often rests for several hours after it pips...then it begins to crack the shell in a circular pattern, then finally, it kicks out of its "safe-house" and enters the real world! Wet and tired, with a face only a mother could love! Thankfully when kept at 90-95 degrees, the downy feathers fluff up quickly, providing insulation for the chick, and a much "cuter" look for the creature!

We are pleased that we had 35/42 eggs hatch. That's an 83% hatch rate....math is so much more fun for my children, when it is practical...percentages of hatch, ratio of fertile/unfertile eggs, $$ value of live chicks if we were to sell or if we were to purchase from a commercial hatchery...I love math anyway, but apparently, this is not a trait which is automatically passed on to children!

We used to buy our chicks from a hatchery. Prior to hatching, the yolk of the egg is absorbed into the chick's body. It provides enough nutrients for the first 72 hours of life. Hatcheries pack up chicks in vented boxes and ship them out to customers.Hopefully they will arrive at their new home within 72 hours. Survival rates depend on how hard the trip is on the chicks. Now that we are hatching at home and watching the chicks thrive as they eat and drink within 1-2 hours of hatching, it almost seems cruel to put the little ones through the hardship of the US Postal system...We are pleased with our new system...it makes us happy to be providing for our animals in the best way possible. We take the responsibility of having "dominion" over the animals seriously!

Today, something crazy happened. We were sitting on the back porch. It was very warm, so we kept open the door to the brooder-house, which houses the 1 month-old chicks. A couple of them had ventured out eating bugs/worms/seeds...suddenly, out of no-where, a Red-tailed Hawk swooped down, only 5 feet away from us, and grabbed a plump little chick! Thankfully our good friend Todd yelled..."Look out!!!!"...and the hawk realized that he was caught! He dropped the chick, unscathed, and flew up into the big maple tree! Quite impressive! This chick had been named "Lucky" because we helped him hatch...he wouldn't have made it without the help...thankfully he "lived" up to his name today!