Spring Has Sprung

Spring is crazy around the farm. As I sit milking I become a little overwhelmed at the amount of things crying for my attention. These are just a few of the "MUST DO's"
                             MUST
* finish building a headstall to secure Buttercup for breeding (late)
* build honey frames
* paint honey boxes
* plant seeds for summer garden (late)

 I guess those are at the top of the list - what we call "the FIRES"
That's how it is on the farm. Whatever fire is burning out of control gets our attention first. And believe me, there is ALWAYS a fire going!

The cow should have been bred in December, but here it is March. If we wait much longer we will lose our opportunity - it will become more difficult for her to carry a calf in the extreme heat. At least that's what we've been told. This will be her first breeding. She was two years old in  February.

The trailer of bee hives is out already (now that's a FIRST - being prepared for the beginning of the spring honey flow!) in a large grove of Spring Titi. We'll go this weekend to assess their production and add boxes if necessary so I do need to put together and paint extra honey boxes this week.

And I've decided that I will plant all my old packages of expired garden seeds - I (shamefully) have some that are probably 10 years old. It will be interesting to see if anything germinates. My goal is to one day grow a year-round garden all from seedlings I grew - rather than purchased from a retail store. But I am running late for summer plantings.

So now, as the fresh goat milk chills in ice water, I'm heading out the door to fill another wheelbarrow of future compost, (2-3 wheelbarrow loads per day - that's what you get from 2 draft horses!) check and clean water troughs and begin planting.

Oh, and sometime today Miles will become an outdoor goat! This is just NOT right!