What an amazing weekend. Our average yearly rainfall is around 18". This past weekend, we measured just under 4-1/2". It rained and it rained and it rained some more. Then Sunday evening around 6:30, the setting sun came out under the clouds. The pictures above were taken by Colleen Andrus (better known as my OLDER sister). That's her husband Del with the eggs in his hat. If you forget the basket, you improvise. Colleen and Del are frequent visitors to the farm. Del is also Del Andrus Handyman and we hire him to do many of the projects around the farm like building gates, the egg honor stand and the brooder pens.
The ground is pretty saturated right now. It is calling for a day or two of dry weather before the next rain, so we will take advantage of the sunshine and get some more projects done.
We have been here for just almost one complete year. It doesn't seem possible until I look around and see all of the changes. This beautiful piece of land had been primarily used for grazing a few cattle. There was the house which was originally built in the early 1900's but remodeled over the years, the barn that is also very old and in very good shape and about 7 acres of the coyote fencing around them. That and exterior barbed wire fencing completed the beginning inventory.
We now have almost 200 fruit trees of early season, mid season and late season varieties. There are 400 olive trees - with another 100 coming this month. Almost 19,000 vegetable plants including 3 types of cabbages, onions, butter lettuce, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli and artichokes.
We have brought a new 220 electrical service in, had a very successful well drilled, placed 2 water tanks, ran thousands of feet of water mains and feeder lines, valves and faucets. There are 3700' of interior 3 rail wooden fence. We have stretched 3000feet of 4' non climb wire exterior fences and installed 5 gates. There are two new creek crossing (still not sure if one of them survived the storm) and 65 acres of oat/wheat/barley mix.
We've accumulated 2 baby calves that we bottle fed for 3 months (now a year old), 5 pregnant heifers that have since calved and one middle aged bull. There are 3 sow pigs and one boar. An adopted ram and his 5 female ewes, 6 turkeys and 100 hens with 3roosters. Our newest bunch of 100 chickens are growing bigger each day in their brooding pens. I can't forget Ben and Angel - the beautiful Great Pyrenees dogs that protect all the livestock. Their first birthday will be April 23rd.
Wayne's vision for a sustainable farm that can supply safe and naturally good food while being a positive member of the community is what drives us. We hope to have the opportunity to include many others in this dream.
Enjoy the day!
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