Solace Farm

Finally someone talking sense!!!   http://youtu.be/vpTHi7O66pI

The shearer has arrived.

Remind him that your primary focus on shearing is to get quality fleeces with minimal second cuts. You are selling the fleece not slick shearing for the show ring. Be sure to provide a clean hard surface for the shearer to work on…if you don’t have a clean hay free barn or shed to work in then lay out a 4 x 8 foot sheet of plywood. As the shearer begins have him throw the belly wool and tags off to one side (this make great compost). Have a skirting table set up nearby (I use a 4 x 8 foot piece of PVC garden lattice supported by 3 saw horses) to throw the freshly shorn fleece on for its first skirting once over.

At this point you will understand the need to have help on shearing day. You need someone to sweep the shearer’s work surface clean between each sheep, someone to bring in the next sheep to the shearer, you also need someone to skirt the fleeces by removing all large pieces of hay, any wet fleece, dung clots or second cuts. Each fleece then needs to be bagged up with the Sheep’s Name and/or tag number so you can identify each sheep’s fleece when you are preparing them the fleece to spin and sell.

The more help you have at shearing the better as. This is an ideal time to also vaccinate and give each animal a thorough once over. You shearer is an invaluable resource. He sees 100’s of sheep and part of his training included identifying nutritional issues, parasite infestations and general sheep health.

Once the hustle and bustle of shearing day is over you get to weigh each fleece then take each fleece out of its bag and put it back on the skirting table. This second skirting is one of my favorite parts of shepherding. I use a notebook every year with a page for each sheep to keep track of all details like weight, staple length etc….

Check that your fleece is healthy and has no breaks by pulling a couple of I inch Locks from the back of the fleece and holding one end in each hand snap the two ends apart rapidly. Listen for a crisp twang sound and check that the fleece does not break apart. If the Lock does break anywhere along the staple than this fleece is suitable for felting but not spinning. Record this as a weak or broken fleece on the card in the bag and in your notebook.

Later look back over the health records for this animal since last shearing. Was there a time when the animal was ill, or stressed in any way? If several of your fleeces are broken you need to evaluate your nutrition and your shearing schedule. Shearing should always take place within 3 weeks of lambing as the stress of lambing is a common cause of broken fleeces.

Make shearing day a fun event, invite friends over to help…many fiber artists love to take part in shearing and will jump at the chance to wheedle a fleece or two from you stock of freshly shorn fleeces. You have worked all year long to produce this amazing fiber now enjoy the harvesting of it.

Getting Ready to shear!

You have fed your flock the perfect nutritional diet and kept their fleeces clean by using 18 inch deep, ground level feed bunks for hay and clean, weed and sap free pastures. You have petted, praised and picked out any stray veggie matter on your daily visits.

Two days before their shearing appointment pen the sheep up in a covered area and keep their fleeces dry. Shearing wet fleece is harder on everybody and you may end up with moldy fleece, remember that wool can hold up to 70% of its weight in water before it feels wet.

One day before their shearing appointment withhold feed from the flock as this will make the whole shearing experience more comfortable for the sheep. This will not hurt your sheep they can easily go two days without even water without any long term ill effects.

The shearer has arrived. Remind him that your primary focus on shearing is to get quality fleeces with minimal second cuts. You are selling the fleece not slick shearing for the show ring. Be sure to provide a clean hard surface for the shearer to work on…if you don’t have a clean hay free barn or shed to work in then lay out a 4 x 8 foot sheet of plywood.

As the shearer begins have him throw the belly wool and tags off to one side (this make great compost). Have a skirting table set up nearby (I use a 4 x 8 foot piece of PVC garden lattice supported by 3 saw horses) to throw the freshly shorn fleece on for its first skirting once over.

 At this point you will understand the need to have help on shearing day. You need someone to sweep the shearer’s work surface clean between each sheep, someone to bring in the next sheep to the shearer, you also need someone to skirt the fleeces by removing all large pieces of hay, any wet fleece, dung clots or second cuts. Each fleece then needs to be bagged up with the Sheep’s Name and/or tag number so you can identify each sheep’s fleece when you are preparing them the fleece to spin and sell.

The more help you have at shearing the better as. This is an ideal time to also vaccinate and give each animal a thorough once over. You shearer is an invaluable resource. He sees 100’s of sheep and part of his training included identifying nutritional issues, parasite infestations and general sheep health.

Once the hustle and bustle of shearing day is over you get to weigh each fleece then take each fleece out of its bag and put it back on the skirting table. This second skirting is one of my favorite parts of shepherding. I use a notebook every year with a page for each sheep to keep track of all details like weight, staple length etc….

A local Dairy friend shared this with me and I just had to share it with you...

Organic Farm Conservation: A Virtual Farm Tour

Webinar third part of series on becoming NRCS Technical Service Provider

The January 31 webinar “Virtual Tour of Organic Farm Conservation Activity Planning,” will be presented by Harriet Behar, organic specialist with Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES, organic inspector, and approved Technical Service Provider (TSP) with the NRCS.

She will take participants on a virtual tour of a farm, identifying conservation concerns and possible mitigation strategies to address those concerns as well as areas that affect organic certification. In addition, she will cover the manner in which these issues will be incorporated into the written NRCS Conservation Activity Plan 138 for the transition to organic.

The webinar will be the third in a four-part series providing aid to those who might want to become an NRCS approved TSP. The two previous webinars can be found under the list of webinars at www.attra.ncat.org, and the links to the individual webinars are listed below.

Harriet will draw on her experience from efforts in Wisconsin. This webinar will be a great opportunity to better understand the details of being a TSP for NRCS working specifically with organic production systems.

The final webinar in the series will be presented Thursday, March 21, at 1 p.m. EST and will be on the topic of how NRCS TSPs can support biodiversity conservation in organic systems.

Date: January 31, 2013

Time: 1 p.m. EST

Title: Virtual Tour of Organic Farm Conservation Activity Planning

To register: Go online at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/576856170

About the presenter:

Harriet Behar, an Organic Specialist with the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), has 16 years experience as an organic inspector of crops, livestock, and processing facilities in addition to more than 30 years of experience in the growing and marketing of organic crops, vegetables and livestock products. She and her husband have a biodynamic farm near Gays Mills, Wisconsin.

January is the Planning Month here on Solace Farm. The Holidays are over, the hustle and bustle of ending the old year on a high note with friends and family has settled into the solid cold of winter as we begin the New Year in the North.

The first week of January is always spent closing out the books for the farm. This is not just getting the last of the expenses and receipts recorded in preparation of doing taxes. This stint of working in the office also involves collating all the information that I have been collecting, recording and filing for the past year. This includes such information as how many pounds of fleece each ewe produced and what quality of fleece as well as how fast the market hogs grew on what ration. When I review this information along with my written farm goals from 2012, I shall be able to answer a lot of questions about 2012 with hard facts not just gut feeling.

I love the sense of control that knowing the details and profit margin each animal and each endeavor on the farm brings. But I must I must be honest, I hate office work. I would much rather be spending my winter hours engrossed in my latest weaving or knitting project, but over the years I have come to appreciate what those few hours of office work (torture that it is) accomplishes.

By the end of this January we will have reviewed the progress that our farm has made in the last 12 months. What worked and what didn’t. This information will be the foundation of our Farm Plan for 2013. This review will help us make good decisions on the numbers in the flocks and herds as well as breeding and culling decisions. Although I am not a genetic wizard I am able to see patterns emerge by keeping detailed records. I am not an economist but I am able to verify which endeavors made money or just made memories.

Start 2013 with a clear picture of what you have accomplished in the last 12 months. Use that information to shape your plans in the New Year. Be proud of what you have accomplished but do not rest on your successes or dwell on your failures. Accept what they have taught you as you plan the next stage in the journey.

General traits of the Finnsheep:

by Hiedie Trimbur

- Finnsheep mature earlier than most other breeds

- Finnsheep ewes naturally cycle out of season

- Finnsheep ewes naturally produce larger litters (2-3/litter) than competitive breeds

without flushing for increased ovulation rates.

- Quality Finnsheep possess better wool traits than other breeds known for high

reproductive abilities allowing farmers to shear a premium, saleable wool clip.

- The single coated Finnsheep fleece possesses better crimp, luster and handle than all

other short-tailed breeds, allowing a much more diverse use of the wool by a larger

variety of markets.

- The docile, friendly temperament of the Finnsheep makes them one of the easiest

sheep breeds to safely work with (children, adults and seniors).

- The Finnsheep is a polled breed, providing additional safety for handlers, preventing

the sheep from getting their horns stuck in fencing and eliminating the risk of

infections or infestations of the horn.

- The naturally short tails of the Finnsheep require no docking

- The Finnsheep crosses well with most other breeds, improving wool, temperament

and production traits in the cross-bred flock

- Scrapie resistant genetics are available within the Finnsheep breed.

- Finnsheep ewes possess excellent mothering abilities

- Finnsheep ewes receiving proper nutrition produce an abundant supply of milk for

typical Finnsheep litters (2-3 lambs/litter).

- Finnsheep meats are leaner as Finnsheep deposit fat around their organs, not

throughout their muscle tissue, providing a healthier meat for the consumer.

Rainwater Catchment – Saving Nature’s Bounty (Article Courtesy of NCAT)

One of the biggest challenges a garden or small-scale farming operation faces is being able to find enough water to sustain the operation. Having the proper amount of water is often the difference between a successful harvest and an unsuccessful one. One way to prepare and plan for the water resources of your garden or small-scale farming operation is to install a rainwater catchment system.

Rainwater catchment is the process of collecting water before it makes its way into the ground or becomes run-off. There are two broad categories of rainwater catchment: land-based catchment and roof-based catchment. Land-based catchment uses ponds and other small impounds to collect rainwater before it can run into streams, rivers, or other waterways. Roof-based catchment involves harvesting rainwater from the roof before it hits the ground.

A simple rainwater catchment system installed at our

SIFT farm.

Roof-based catchment is ideal for gardening and small-scale farming operations because it has a lower cost than land-based catchment, and it provides an adequate of water for your operation. These roof-based catchment systems usually contain the following components:

• Collection area (usually a roof)

• Method of moving and capturing water (gutters, piping, etc.)

• Storage system (tank or cistern)

• Water distribution system

• Filtering system. (You may or may not need a filtering system for your rainwater catchment, depending on the conditions of your roof or piping system.)

Deciding where to put your rainwater catchment system is the first step in designing your own rainwater catchment system. Roof surfaces include greenhouse, hoop-house, or residential house roofs.

After you have selected the surface that will be collecting the rainwater, the next step is to calculate the average amount of water you could potentially receive. You can do so by using this calculation provided by the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association:

• 1 square foot of catchment area x 1 inch of rainfall = 0.6 gallons of water.

So, for example, a 1,000 square-foot roof would yield 600 gallons of water per inch of rainfall (1,000 x 0.6). You can use this calculation to not only calculate your average yearly rainfall collection amount but also to calculate how much water storage you will need. Many storage tanks are constructed from fiberglass or concrete and can be located above ground or below ground, depending on your preference. It is important to remember not to select tanks that can leach harmful contaminants into the water being stored.

After you have selected your roof area, calculated your expected rainfall catchment amount, and selected a tank, you will then need to decide gutter and piping placement. Gutter and piping materials can be purchased from a local hardware and building store, and generally need to be custom built for your catchment system.

Rainwater catchment systems are an effective way to store rainwater for later irrigation use. Once you’ve designed a system for your specific needs, you can benefit from it for years to come.

Want to learn more? Check out these resources on water catchment:

American Rainwater Catchment System Association

www.arcsa.org/

National Sanitation Foundation

www.nsf.org/consumer/rainwater_collection/

Water Environment Research Foundation

www.werf.org/

Posted on: June 4th, 2012

Meet Tuc,

 our new tri-colored Border Collie pup. After deciding that we were ready to take on raising one puppy, Chester, we decided that we might as well do the puppy training full scale so we added a delightful Border Collie, Tuc, to the mix.

     I brought Tuc home last Thursday, it was quite a traumatic day for the little fuzz ball. He was taken on his first car ride, exposed to snow and dirt for the first time and to top it all off when we came in the house there was this mutant yellow dog like thing that kept bouncing around.

     Chester for his part was not about to give up on making a playmate out of Tuc. I am sure Chester has missed his littermate’s ability to keep up with his energy level. It took Tuc a full 24 hours to decide that Chester really was a dog and could be communicated with. Now they are best buds when they aren’t fighting over the stuffed toys they have taken to dragging around the house.

I was given my first Border Collie ,Liz, by a fellow shepherd a little over 4 years ago and it was love at first sight. I had longed for the help of a Border Collie as my flock has grown and she has proven to be a valued fellow worker, and my constant companion over the years. Now that Liz is approaching 7 years old I want to have her help in training her replacement. By the time Liz is ready to slow down we will have a fully trained BC to take over.

Tuc comes from great lines and was bread By Randy and Gail Curless of Double Shoe Ranch. Both his parents are great working dogs and I am lucky to have one of their pups to grow with. We may even try trialing in a year or so. First we have to get through crate training and coming when he’s called even if he is investigating something fascinating.

This year with the boys will be a learning experience for us as well as the boys. It will be interesting to see the puppy commonalities and breed differences in temperament. So let the adventures of Tuc and Chester begin…