An update on the farm is long overdue. Somewhat sadly, the pigs left a week ago today. Raising Penelope and Willow was a bittersweet experience. We enjoyed having them living in our backyard forest. It was nice to see them exploring and rooting about and they always met us with a grunt and a smile. Ever since we brought them home, however, there was a bit of anxiety in the back of my mind knowing that one day they would be heading to market. Over time, I was able to reconcile this reality in my mind and I became more comfortable with the idea that every bag of grain and bucket of water that we carried through the snow would be converted into bacon, ham, and sausage. I am pleased to say that last Saturday went, in my mind, very well. I have read about an organic farmer that said that their animals "only have one bad day." I like to think that our pigs' last day wasn't even all that bad for them. Their end was swift and painless and we are thankful for that. We are also thankful that, like Silver the rooster, our piggies will nourish our bodies and in that way we can respect and honor them.
It is rather easy to get caught up in loss but we still have lots to gain and grow in the coming months.
By the look of the snow in the run, it seems like chickens have a bit of time before they are out on pasture. Nonetheless, they continue to lay well at a somewhat slower than normal pace. Our girls will welcome some new friends in a few weeks with hopes of adding some color to our eggs. A little bit after that, we will try our hands at turkeys for the first time.
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Even though we are a ways from seeing the bare ground, we have optimistically "started" our garden for this year. Onions and cherry tomatoes are starting to grow already.
There are also some new additions to our plant friends. The lime (above) and lemon trees are starting to bud. We are trying to grow some Goji berry bushes in our guest bathroom and next week we learn how to graft apple trees.
A VERY busy spring and summer await.
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