2025 is almost upon us (like a rabid squirrel about to pounce) and so we bid a farewell to 2024, a year that was pretty good here on the farm.
We now seem to have earned enough great customers that we didn't have trouble selling our beef, which is both gratifying and makes life so much easier as a farmer. To all of you who have supported us in our first few years, a hearty Huzzah! and thanks beyond all reason.
We continue to struggle with our calving--we lost too many calves again this year and for reasons we still can't discern, but the numbers are better and we are trying new things to alleviate the problem.
The goats, on the other hand, surpassed all expectations nearly tripling their numbers last spring. Our local locker has finally gotten the ok for federally inspected goat, so we can sell to wholesalers, something that has been a roadblock for us.
The dry time this summer (I hesitate to call it a drought as I think this may be the new normal) was not as bad as the last three years. In fact, we had a whopper of a wet May which left us flush with hay for the winter, even though we didn't then get any real rain until the last of July. In the end, we have enough stockpiled grazing that we haven't had to give the cattle any hay bales yet, and probably won't until close to January 10th--a bit of an accomplishment, considering our weather.
The cows and goats are in their winter paddocks, meaning we don't have to move them for a while. It's a nice break. The cows are wandering and grazing in the northeast hay fields, happy like poodles. The goats are in smaller digs around their winter shelters noshing on a couple of bales. It's a veritable ungulate winter idyll around here.
We brought in six new steers from fellow friend and grass farmer, Millie, to round out 2025's beef sales. She also brought us Ferdinand, her favorite pet bull, who is going to bat
cleanup for our other bulls with the herd. We can't have any of the ladies lacking attention. Her cattle delivery adventure was made complete by getting stuck in the pasture and being pulled out by an antique Oliver 1755. The Oliver Farm Equipment Company was one of Iowa's best ever farm machinery companies. You can repair them yourself and they are the real Green (suck it, John Deere).
The garden under Beth's steady hand was pretty successful this year, though we did suffer some losses due to wilt in our melons and cucumbers. Next year we will have to find a new spot for the cucurbits. We are also hoping to be a part of a pilot program that will allow us and some of co-farmers we work with to grow and sell more vegetables to a local distributor. Real Iowa food grown in bulk for Iowa customers, imagine that! Watch upcoming posts for Beth to elucidate on this exciting project.
And looking forward to rabid squirrel 2025, we are concerned about the every-five-year Farm Bill that is on it's seventh year without resolution. With the dumpster fire that is the current house of representatives and probably the entire next administration, we have little hope for conservation programs that help farmers conservate. No more 'setting aside ground that shouldn't be farmed' in the new Farm Bill.
Beth has already talked about the problems with crop insurance issues and severely limiting SNAP (food stamps) at a time when hunger in America is on the rise is simply diabolical. And with advocating for the deportation of all of the farm workers, it's hard to see where lower grocery prices are going to come from if there isn't anyone around willing to pick the food. Just sayin'.
Last, but certainly not least, don't forget to visit our upcoming classes page, especially the Venison Sausage-Making class on January 25th!
~John