Harvesting started here today!

It's that time already!
This organic wheat will be used for silage, for animal food.

Mother Earth gratitude

The wheat and oats which surround our home are just starting to turn gold...we have been touching the soil, running with the wind, walking in the rain and loving the sun.





Mother Earth
Eileen Hutchins

Mother Earth,
Mother Earth,
Take our seed
And give it birth.

Father Sun,
Gleam and glow,
Until the roots
Begin to grow.

Sister Rain,
Sister Rain,
Shed thy tears
To swell the grain.

Brother Wind,
Breathe and blow
Then the blade
Green will grow.

Earth and Sun
And wind and rain,
Turn to gold
The living grain.





We give thanks to Mother Earth.

Hay baling joy

The day after the combine harvester harvested the wheat, the hay balers arrived much to the boys' joy.  They decided that this was even more fun and two of the boys claimed they want to bale hay when they grow big.   They just loved watching the bales pop out the back.

And to race from one bale to the next and dance upon them was great fun.  

Now with the fields exposed, we have spotted deer roaming the fields in the evenings and hares bounding about and a fox out adventuring in the early morning.  

About pigs!

On this farm we live on (we don't do the farming), pigs are reared organically, along with organic cereal crops - oats, beans, wheat mostly.   The pigs have so much open space and are reared to very high standards.  It is interesting to watch their behaviour through the seasons.  In summer, it is glorious to watch them wallowing in their mud baths.  All year round - to watch them play, run and snuffle in the soil for roots from the tiniest of piglets to the big boars.  They have such a wide range of noises too.  Little Noah makes a wonderful pig noise.  They don't go oink, oink!!  More like a haw, haw and other snouty type sounds.  Of course, the piglets are absolutely wonderful and the farmer often lets the boys handle a new little piglet.  There are four different breeds and the colours of the pigs are white/ brown/black and white/ and tan coloured with black spots. Not pink - Sol always asks why books show pigs as pink when they are not ever pink!

The pigs snuffle in the soil for roots and so are great at weeding out those deep, stubborn roots. Their manure is also very nutrient rich and they till this into the soil while walking about and snuffling about.  Apparently, the nutrients they add to the soil benefits the land for 8 odd years. They are out and about in all weather, even when it is very cold.  In this icy, wintry weather, the farmers work very hard.  They are constantly doing the rounds breaking thick ice off the water troughs and topping them up with fresh water. We really enjoy learning all about inquisitive pigs.