Buildings, Ben and Bees

I first would like to address the benefits of pure unprocessed honey.

If you fear springtime because of your allergies, local honey may be a source of relief. Allergies affect people all year, but most of the allergies that honey can help are strongest during the spring and summer months.
Allergies are usually fought with three different methods: antihistamines, avoidance and immunotherapy.
Antihistamines: It is often easy to take a pill to help alleviate the symptoms of allergies, but medicines can be expensive and who knows what side effects you may suffer from what you are taking.
Avoidance: Moving to another area is usually not practical. The reason you are suffering the allergy is you live in an area where the allergens are a problem for you. Most people cannot easily move to a new location just to avoid an allergy.
Immunotherapy: This consists of allergy shots or homeopathic remedies. These can be expensive, but effective. When the doctor gives you an allergy shot he is actually giving you a bit of the allergen that causes your allergies in the first place. This is to help your body build up immunity to that item. Eating local, raw honey is a type of immunotherapy that can give you exactly the same benefits without the expense. And it tastes great too!

For honey to be used in this manner (immunotherapy) it needs to be from the local area. You are not going to get exactly the same benefits from a jar of honey that comes from grandma's house 3 states away. Eating a variety of local and non-local honey may help with allergies that are not currently bothering you, but would if you lived in another area. Both are helpful, but you will probably want to focus more on local honeys. The idea is that local honey is made with the same pollen that is causing your allergies. For a honey to be considered local it should be harvested by the bees in an area that has the same allergens from which you are suffering. That could be 50 miles or more from your home. However it could be less depending on how selective your allergy problem is.
The honey also needs to be raw. This means that it cannot be pasteurized which keeps the honey from fermenting because of yeasts that are present in the honey. Commercially produced and packaged honey is almost always pasteurized. Pasteurization also kills the enzymes in honey which are most beneficial to your health. Many consider pasteurized honey to be completely devoid of health benefits. Raw honey is more likely to crystallize than pasteurized honey, but honey can be re-liquefied easily.
The allergy fighting ability of local, raw honey has not been proven by a large scientific medical study. Since drug companies don't benefit from you buying a $4 jar of honey they are not interested in doing the research. However there have been many people who claim that eating local honey has eliminated or alleviated the symptoms of their allergies. It is worth giving a spoonful a try. The worst that can happen is that you enjoy a jar of honey with a stuffy nose.
Find a local beekeeper and buy a jar to give it a try. If you don't know any beekeepers you can usually find local honey in health food stores. Usually the local supplier will have their contact information on the jar of honey. Contact them to find out what other varieties of honey they have available. They may be able to get you in contact with another beekeeper who specializes in raw honey specific to your allergen needs.

The very exciting news is that we are FINALLY starting on the new barn as you can see by the picture of the footings being poured.

We have been so blessed to have Skylar working on the farm for a couple of weeks. He just graduated from high school and will be beginning college in August, but found time to come and help us. It is so nice to have an intelligent, hardworking man to help lighten the load. Knowing most young people, I'm sure it has been more than a little difficult to get up at 6 am, but he has risen to the occasion. That is a picture of him with one of our artichoke plants.

We found the cute toad when we moved a wooden crate yesterday.

The final picture is our wonderful Ben. He and Angel found the pond today. What a fun sight!

More to come......

Things are a-poppin' at the farm. We have so many projects in the hopper that it's hard for me to keep track. Thank goodness Marvin's the one to manage them all!

We have been moving cattle to graze off the fields that we harvested. New vegetables are coming up daily and others are ripening minute by minute.

Those 1000 chickens are growing up and eating lots of bugs and food. I think I'll have to collect eggs 10 times a day when they all start laying!

The pictures above show the footings for the new hay/livestock barn. After waiting 6 months for the permit, I am so excited to see it progress. Hopefully we will get inspection and the footing poured in cement next week and construction started the week after.

We will be "reforesting" the farm with some mature oak trees starting the week of the 11th. Our ancestors spent time clearing the land for farming 100 years ago and now we are trying to put the trees back.

The cute picture is of my sister-in-law Licia holding one of Piper's piglets. They are just like little puppies (The piglet, not the sister-in-law).

We have been killing lots of rattlesnakes this year. From what I hear, it is a problem everywhere - probably because of all our nice rain. I found this information on the California Fish & Game website. If you have a moment, it is really worthwhile to read this through:

"As springtime calls people and snakes alike to the outdoors, encounters with snakes become inevitable. California has a variety of snakes, most of which are benign. The exception is California’s only native venomous snake - the rattlesnake.

California rattlesnake species include the northern Pacific rattlesnake (in northern California), and the Western Diamondback, Sidewinder, Speckled rattlesnake, Red Diamond rattlesnake, Southern Pacific, Great Basin rattlesnake and the Mojave rattlesnake (all found in Southern California). Though rattlesnakes are dangerous if provoked, they also provide humans with a tremendous service they eat rodents, other reptiles, and insects, and are in turn eaten by other predators. In California where rattlesnakes are found from sea level to the inland prairies and desert areas and to the mountains at elevations of more than 10,000 feet, enjoying the outdoors means learning how to avoid contact with rattlesnakes.

Generally not aggressive, rattlesnakes strike when threatened or deliberately provoked, but given room they will retreat. Most snake bites occur when a rattlesnake is handled or accidentally touched by someone walking or climbing. The majority of snakebites occur on the hands, feet and ankles.

Rattlesnakes can cause serious injury to humans on rare occasions. The California Poison Control Center notes that rattlesnakes account for more than 800 bites each year with one to two deaths. Most bites occur between the months of April and October when snakes and humans are most active outdoors. About 25 percent of the bites are “dry,” meaning no venom was injected, but the bites still require medical treatment.

The potential of running into a rattlesnake should not deter anyone from venturing outdoors, but there are several precautions that can be taken to lessen the chance of being bitten when out in snake country - which is just about anywhere in California.

The dos and don’ts in snake country:

First, know that rattlesnakes are not confined to rural areas. They have been found near urban areas, in river or lakeside parks, and at golf courses. Be aware that startled rattlesnakes may not rattle before striking defensively. There are several safety measures that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of startling a rattlesnake.

• Never go barefoot or wear sandals when walking through wild areas. Wear hiking boots.

• When hiking, stick to well-used trails and wear over-the-ankle boots and loose-fitting long pants. Avoid tall grass, weeds and heavy underbrush where snakes may hide during the day.

• Do not step or put your hands where you cannot see, and avoid wandering around in the dark. Step ON logs and rocks, never over them, and be especially careful when climbing rocks or gathering firewood. Check out stumps or logs before sitting down, and shake out sleeping bags before use.

• Never grab “sticks” or “branches” while swimming in lakes and rivers. Rattlesnakes can swim.

• Be careful when stepping over the doorstep as well. Snakes like to crawl along the edge of buildings where they are protected on one side.

• Never hike alone. Always have someone with you who can assist in an emergency.

• Do not handle a freshly killed snake, it can still inject venom.

• Teach children early to respect snakes and to leave them alone. Children are naturally curious and will pick up snakes.

Is it a rattlesnake?

Many a useful and non-threatening snake has suffered a quick death from a frantic human who has mistakenly identified a gopher snake, garter, racer or other as a rattlesnake. This usually happens when a snake assumes an instinctual defensive position used to bluff adversaries. A gopher snake has the added unfortunate trait of imitating a rattlesnake by flattening its head and body, vibrating its tail, hissing and actually striking if approached too closely.

A rattlesnake is a heavy-bodied, blunt-tailed snake with one or more rattles on the tail. It has a triangular-shaped head, much broader at the back than at the front, and a distinct “neck” region. The rattlesnake also has openings between the nostrils and eyes, which is a heat-sensing pit. The eyes are hooded with elliptical pupils. Additional identifying characteristics include a series of dark and light bands near the tail, just before the rattles which are different from the markings on the rest of the body. Also note that rattles may not always be present, as they are often lost through breakage and are not always developed on the young.

Keeping snakes out of the yard

The best protection against rattlesnakes in the yard is a “rattlesnake proof” fence. It can be expensive and requires maintenance, however. The fence should either be solid or with mesh no larger than one-quarter inch. It should be at least three feet high with the bottom buried a few inches in the ground. Slanting your snake fence outward about a 30-degree angle will help. Vegetation should be kept away from the fence since the snake could crawl to the top of an adjacent tree or shrub. Discourage snakes by removing piles of boards or rocks around the home. Use caution when removing those piles - there may already be a snake there. Encouraging and protecting natural competitors like gopher snakes, kingsnakes and racers will reduce the rattlesnake population in the immediate area. And, kingsnakes actually kill and eat rattlesnakes.

What to do in the event of a snake bite

Though uncommon, rattlesnake bites do occur, so have a plan in place for responding to any situation. Carry a portable phone, hike with a companion who can assist in an emergency, and make sure that family or friends know where you are going and when you will be checking in.

The first thing to do if bitten is to stay calm. Generally, the most serious effect of a rattlesnake bite to an adult is local tissue damage which needs to be treated. Children, because they are smaller, are in more danger if they are bitten.

Get to a doctor as soon as possible, but stay calm. Frenetic, high-speed driving places the victim at greater risk of an accident and increased heart rate. If the doctor is more than 30 minutes away, keep the bite below the heart, and then try to get to the doctor as quickly as possible.

The California Poison Control Center advises:

Stay calm
Wash the bite area gently with soap and water
Remove watches, rings, etc, which may constrict swelling
Immobilize the affected area
Transport safely to the nearest medical facility"

Olive trees, pigs and chicks

The weather warmed up nicely this week (although it's headed back down again) and the olive trees are really showing new growth. We have one row of wire but will need to add a second row as they are getting to be really tall. It so nice to envision what they will look like when they are grown. There is something strong and calm about olive trees.

The baby pigs are starting to run arond and play with each other much to Piper's displeasure. I guess moms are always trying to calm down the kids.

Things are drying out quickly. It doesn't seem possible that it is half way through the year. I find that calendars don't really mean much as I get older.

We have been getting some great brocoli off of the plants. We are very lucky they continued to grow after the snow we received in February (1 week after planting them). We are still waiting for cauliflower but I'm not sure it will ever produce. Time will tell. The tomato plants are covered with little green fruit. Won't that be great when they ripen - nothing like home grown tomatoes fresh from the plant.

We finally received the permit for our new barn and are moving forward quickly. It will be so nice to have the storage room to "spread out" and organize.

Ben and Angel are enjoying the new fence and spend their evening running the length of the property. They are so powerful and fast!

I hope you all have a tremendous Father's Day. It may be a "Hallmark Holiday" but any excuse to show love for your family is a good excuse for me.

Finally - Baby Pigs!

We had a very exciting weekend. We have been waiting forever (well, it seems like it anyway) for our pig "puppies" to be born. We were given our Hampshire Cross sow named Piper by Alizabeth Herndon. She raised her last year and thought that HZ Harvest Farm would be a good home for her. That is Alizabeth collecting eggs for me today in the above picture. We bred Piper to Chuckles who is a Yorkshire pig we bought from a local pig farmer. Piper went into labor Friday night. Marvin had been up since 1:00 am watching her so it had already started to be a very long day for him.

We called my sister Colleen and brother-in-law Del at 5:00 am. They caretake for Wayne on his cattle ranch - Deer Valley Ranch - which is about 40 minutes away from the Farm. They used to raise pigs and volunteered to help us with our first farrowing. That is Del comforting Piper in the picture.

Chop is the cute little white sow in the adjacent pen and was wondering what was happening.

Of course, this was exactly the wrong day for this to happen. Our niece Chrissy was getting married at 4:00. You might remember that our daughter Meghan was married last month. Both of these beautiful intelligent women waited until their early 30's to find the right life partner. Both men are exactly right for each of them. The girls are only a year apart in age and were pretty much raised together since our families are extremely close. There was NO way we could miss this wedding.

Although they were also invited to the wedding, Del and Colleen graciously offered to stay with Piper and allow us to go to the wedding. I don't think we will every be able to make it up to them.

Just as the reception was beginning, we received the phone call that Piper had given birth to the first piglet. The next phone call was to tell us that she was not "progressing" and was getting very agitated. Of course we left the party and headed home, trying to contact a vet for some assistance. We were about half way home when we received a return call from Dr. Exline. He needed us to come to his office to pick up medicine to help her continue birthing.

We finally drove through the gate and up the hill to see Del holding up our second baby. Marvin took over from Colleen and she and I headed out to Deer Valley to take care of their baby Guinea hens and kittens and gather clothes for them. We arrived back at the Farm around 11:30 pm. The third and last piglet was born at midnight. After 4 more hours of checking on the new family, we all slept for a few hours.

Pigs often have large litters up to 16. We were a little disappointed that Piper only had 3, but it probably was for the best. First time mothers often roll over on their piglets causing death. She is handling her small family very well and will be much better equipped for a larger bunch next time.

Although we are all sleep deprived tonight, we are very happy to have these blessed pigs added to our farm family.

I have much more to share with you, but it will need to save for another day - I'm going to bed!

Bradley School Farm Visit

What a great day we had yesterday! The K-5 grades of the Bradley School came for a farm visit. We had so much fun. The group photo above includes about 60% of those that attended. We gave each of the kids a reusable shopping bag with the name of the farm on the front. I made up sheets about the animals on the farm that had "kid friendly" info. There was also a word scramble puzzle. The children were split into groups of around 10 and visited each area. I was so thankful for my wonderful volunteers - Kaylene, Tina, Colleen, Bob and Kate all came early and were a huge help. Greg handled the food with Marvin's help.

One group went into the barn where we had 300 baby chicks in a pen on the floor. Each one was able to hold a baby chick and learned about our farming practices and the difference between farm fresh eggs and store bought commercial eggs. We showed them the different colors of our eggs - light brown, dark brown and blue. They saw a turkey egg. Our kittens were a big hit as everyone wanted to hold one. They have been catching mice right and left. Hopefully they will get rid of them all eventually.

Another group visited the sheep, goats and pigs. The baby sheep and baby goats loved all the attention. They all brought little packets of carrots. My animals were full and happy at the end of the day. Piper the pig is still waiting to give birth and all our visitors want to know as soon as she has them.

Some went to the vegetable area and saw how the different vegetables are grown. They were each allowed to pick a head of romaine lettuce to put in their bag.

Next was the fruit orchard. They had all painted rocks with the name of a fruit tree and ran around and found which tree they would place their rocks under. They are such a wonderful addition to the orchard. I will have to find another group to do more for the rest of the trees

We had stacked bales of hay in the field and they all played on them like little puppies. Greg brought his popcorn machine and his hot dog machine. Everyone enjoyed both of these, along with fruit snacks and drink boxes.

I have never seen a better behaved bunch of school aged children. They interacted nicely with each other. The teachers are amazing and their relationship is almost like family. The kids were all respectful and gave so many hugs and thank you's that I had a warm glow the rest of the day.

I think they all had a great time and I know we did.

We woke up this morning to rain. We spent yesterday afternoon madly stacking hay so it could be covered with a tarp before the rain started. I'm a bit concerned about the lettuce and broccoli, but there's not a whole lot I can do - just be happy we are getting free irrigation. What an odd year for weather. We are so thankful to not have to deal with the tornadoes and flooding that other parts of the country are going through. My heart goes out to them.

Have a wonderful day and spend time with a child - it makes you younger!

I had a great time today. I volunteered to cover the office at the Bradley Elementary School for the day and tomorrow. The school secretary, Deena is also a bus driver and took the 8th grade class on their graduation trip to Catalina Island. She asked if I would just answer the phone and sort the mail and whatever else comes up. I just love this school. Everyone is so nice and the kids are great too. What a wonderful place to work!

The weather forecaster is calling for an inch of rain this weekend. The trees and veggies will love it, but Marvin is having to rush to stack all of our hay and cover it before Saturday. There is never a day that goes exactly as planned when you are on the farm. He also had to deal with a broken water pipe and a stuck truck. It had a problem when it was driven across the field and hit a wet spot. We had a wet spot because the silly cows were in a new field and opened the faucet by scratching their faces on the valve.

I am busily trying to get everything organized for the school farm visit on Friday. I have some great volunteers that will coming to help with the kids. I have shopping to do and activities to plan so this 2 days at the school will give me time to take care of all of those details.

Our Pyrenees have been busy. They always stack their "treasures" on the lawn throughout the night. When I got home from the school, I went out to pick up the pile. Imagine my surprise when I found the skull and remains of a coyote. Good dogs!

These are pictures of our new barn kitties. They are just so darn cute. When Wayne came by a few days ago, one of them caught a mouse right in front of him. Smart kitty to show the boss that they are doing their jobs.

The lamb is our newest of the 3 we have had so far on the farm. Also is a picture of some of the baby chicks in the barn.

We are still waiting for Piper to farrow. Baby pigs coming soon!

Off to clean house......