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!