Daily Farm Photo: 6/30/06

Martha & Her Twins Keep Sneaking Into The Hayfield

A year of Daily Photos ago: This Way To The Hen Houses

Daily Farm Photo: 6/29/06

It's Not The End Of The Day Yet

A year of Daily Photos ago:
It's Best To Cut Hay On A Hot, Sunny Day

Welcome new visitors to Farmgirl Fare!
Click here for a brief introduction to this site.

Writings From Windridge Farm Update

Looking Back (Robin grew up at Windridge Farm)

I've just put up a new chapter up about my early farm adventures on the Writings From Windridge Farm site. It is a continuation of the auction story I posted a few weeks ago, but in a roundabout way. So when it doesn't seem to make sense, don't think that you're lost (or that I've lost it)--just keep reading. (Click here if you have no idea what this Windridge stuff is all about but wish you did.)

I also thought I would answer some questions and clear up a few details.

1. I lived on Windridge Farm from 1995 until 2000. I do not live there anymore. I now live on the farm you see in all of the Daily Farm Photos with my farmguy Joe (and our collection of critters). It is located in southern Missouri in an undisclosed spot that is even more remote than Windridge.

2. These stories were all written between 1996 and 1998. They are excerpts from ten issues of a newsletter I published during that time called Writings From Windridge.

3. Many of you have suggested that a collection of these stories would make a great book. That's exactly what I want to hear because a book has been my plan all along. The newsletter format was a good way to break down the project into more manageable chunks.

4. So if you are involved in the book publishing world and like my writing--yes, I would love to hear from you.

5. I still have the 1967 Mercedes I brought with me from California, though sadly I haven't driven it in years. It is white with bright red interior, has the biggest trunk I've ever seen, and is named Stella.

6. And as for the anonymous commenters who have apparently been making bets among themselves (!!!) regarding certain details of my personal life, I can only tell you that the ex-husband is alive and well and not buried in the back forty (this isn't a murder mystery). And we're still friends.

Now to the story. Click here to go straight to the new post. Click here if you'd like to reread the last post, "SOLD To The Little Lady Over There!" Oh No!. And click here if you want to go back to the beginning. Enjoy--and thanks for all of your feedback.

Daily Farm Photo: 6/28/06

Butterfly Paradise

I just love butterfly season. Click here and here (and on 'Butterfly' in the caption) if you do, too.

A year of Daily Photos ago: Last Of The Hay Bales

Welcome new visitors to Farmgirl Fare!
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Daily Farm Photo 6/27/06: Two by Two

Snugglebunny's Twin Girls Heading Out For Breakfast

A year of Daily Photos ago: Sweet Teddy Boy
Click here and here to see how much he's grown.

Daily Farm Photo: 6/26/06

It's Been A While Since I Caught A Spiderweb

A year of Daily Photos ago: Glance & It's Mundane; Look & See Reflected Beauty

Welcome new visitors to Farmgirl Fare!
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The Continuing Cary Chronicles:

Who Needs TV When You Have Cary & DDD?


















Help! I'm being chased by a donkey!



And he's gaining on me!

NOTE: No Carys or donkeys were harmed or frightened during the taking of these photos.
And for those who have been asking how Cary is doing, the answer is--just great. Every day with her is a zany new adventure--whether we're tooling around town, hanging laundry on the line, or just relaxing in the living room. Did you notice her cute new bobbed tail? And her right hind leg looks like it was never even broken--and is obviously working just fine!

Welcome new visitors to Farmgirl Fare!
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Recipe: Easy Blueberry Breakfast Bars with Oat Crust and Streusel Topping

Can You Ever Have Too Many Blueberries?

I have been known to claim that a Culinary Wasteland begins just outside the front gate to our farm. This is, of course, an exaggeration, but when you know the only fresh parsley around is 40 miles away (and I'm not talking farm fresh, just-picked organic parsley), it can sometimes feel like a reality. The truth is, though, that if you are willing to hunt around and do a bit of driving, it is quite possible to score some wonderful locally produced foodstuffs around here. Throw in some available freezer space, and you can enjoy these scrumptious seasonal specialties all year long.

For example, next week I will be driving out to a farm to pick up ten all-natural, pasture-raised chickens that will have been processed right there on the premises just a few hours earlier. All but one (which will be roasted the next night, as the chickens are so fresh they need to sit for 24 hours before cooking) will go into one of our chest freezers to be enjoyed over the next several months.

And last week I picked up the five gallons (yes, gallons) of organic blueberries I pre-ordered back in January from a local, small producer. They had been harvested right before my arrival, and are, as you might imagine, incredible: huge, plump, juicy, sweet but not too sweet, each one bursting with real blueberry flavor. Most of them are already in the freezer, where theoretically they will last until next year, though I sincerely doubt that will happen. On more than occasion I have already found myself simply filling up a large bowl with nothing but blueberries and popping them into my mouth like they were M&Ms.

But a baker who has nearly five gallons of blueberries on the premises will eventually get a hankering to turn them into something more than finger food. I had been planning to finally make my first ever blueberry pie, and we even bought a carton of ice cream to go with it (a task that requires intricate planning, driving slightly above the speed limit, and lots and lots of ice). But before I could start sifting through all of the blueberry pie recipes I've collected over the years, I was sidetracked by a recipe for blueberry bars I created the last time we had a blueberry haul in the house.

After a bit of tinkering (including nearly doubling the amount of blueberries in my original version), I've come up with what I think is a delectable blueberry bar. I have never tasted anything quite like it. With its oatmeal crust and streusel topping, it reminds me of an eat-with-your-hands cross between blueberry pie and blueberry crisp.

There is no particular reason why I decided to call them Blueberry Breakfast Bars, except that doing so allows you to eat them for breakfast without having to make any rationalizations, as with say, a slice of Emergency Chocolate Cake. (Though now that I think about it, that is a poor example because a chocolate emergency--even one at breakfast time--does not, by definition, ever need to be rationalized).

While this recipe does contain a fair amount of sugar, the fact is that these blueberry bars (especially if accompanied by a cold glass of milk and perhaps a banana), make a healthier breakfast than many of the traditional breakfast foods out there--pancakes doused in syrup, jelly-filled donuts, sickeningly sweet rolls, highly-processed packaged items whose names include the word 'fruit' but which do not actually contain anything except perhaps a tiny bit of fruit juice. Then there are all of those breakfast and energy bars that I personally believe are actually tasteless candy bars disguised as health food (and sold for five times the price).

Of course you can break out a Blueberry Breakfast Bar any time of day or night. You can put one in a lunchbox, pack some on a picnic, or munch on one in the car on your way to pick up the kids at school. You can cut them into squares, wrap them up individually, and freeze them for an instant on hand snack. Or you can cut into the pan while they are still warm and gooey and serve them up in bowls alongside scoops of very good vanilla ice cream to your dearest friends who will then love you even more than they already do. Top their bowls with a handful of fresh blueberries, and I don't know what will happen. (I tried this, but I was alone. It is beyond description.)

Don't let the three separate layers in the recipe scare you off--they come together in a snap and you only need to dirty up two mixing bowls. You can make them with fresh or frozen blueberries (I've tried both). Besides being amazingly good for you, blueberries have another wonderful quality--unlike strawberries and raspberries, they will freeze individually without any special treatment. Just fill up a zipper bag or plastic container and toss them into the freezer.

The next time I make these I think I will try substituting whole wheat flour for some of the white flour in the crust. You could probably even put a little in the streusel topping as well. To give them another healthy boost, you mix some chopped walnuts or almonds or pecans into the topping. My blueberries are large and not super sweet. If yours are the smaller and sweeter wild variety, you may want to use less sugar in the middle layer.

And as always, I urge you to seek out locally produced and organic ingredients whenever possible. Organic flours and grains are readily available and reasonably priced, especially if you shop the bulk sections natural food stores. Organic sugar is becoming more and more mainstream, and if you compare the extra cost to buying just one item from a bakery cafe (not to mention a $4.00 cup of coffee to go with it), it really is a bargain. And it is my personal opinion that if you are only going to buy two things that are organically produced, they should be milk and butter.

One of these days I will get around to making that blueberry pie, but in the meantime, blueberry bars and big bowls of blueberries are a very tasty substitute indeed.

9/06 Update: Check the end of the recipe for my Just Peachy variation. And click here to read more about it.
8/07 Update: Click here to read about my new apple blueberry version of this recipe.

Farmgirl Susan's Blueberry Breakfast Bars Recipe
Makes 12 to 16 large bars

Bottom Layer
2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I use Heartland Mill organic)
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

10 Tablespoons (1 stick + 2 Tbsp/5 ounces) butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Top Layer
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick/four ounces) butter or natural vegetable oil sticks (I use Earth Balance)

Middle Layer
3-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (1/4 tsp. if freshly ground)

For the Bottom Layer:
Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a 9" x 13" pan. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan with your fingers. (I also use the bottom of a stainless steel measuring cup to help make the crust flat and even.)

For the Top Layer:
Place the flour, brown sugar, and butter or vegetable oil sticks in a small bowl and use a fork, pastry blender, or your fingers to combine until the mixture resembles large crumbs (some pea-sized clumps are okay). Set aside.

For the Middle Layer:
Place the blueberries in the bowl you mixed the Bottom Layer in and toss them with the almond extract. Pour them evenly over the Bottom Layer in the pan. Combine the sugar and flour and sprinkle it evenly over the blueberries. (Even when wet or frozen, the sugar/flour mixture wouldn't stick to my big fat blueberries when I tried tossing it with them. If yours will, just toss the sugar/flour mixture with the blueberries and then pour the whole mixture over the Bottom Layer in the pan.)

Sprinkle the Top Layer evenly over the blueberry mixture. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden, and the edges are starting to brown. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Store in a cool place or refrigerate. Bars may also be frozen.

Just Peachy Blueberry Breakfast Bars:
Substitute 3 cups of small peach chunks (about 2 peaches, no need to peel them) and 2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries for the 3-1/2 cups of blueberries. Toss the sugar and flour directly with the fruit before spreading it over the bottom layer. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the oven to 350 degrees and bake until topping looks "dry" but edges aren't too brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Other sweet recipes on Farmgirl Fare you might enjoy:
My Best Banana Bran Muffins (and other flavor variations)
Chocolate, Cinnamon & Banana Mexican Monkey Cake
Fresh Strawberries & Orange Yogurt Loaf Cake
100% Whole Grain Ginger Pear Bran Muffins
Cranberry Christmas Scones
Spicy Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
Really Raspberry Tartlets
Easy Emergency Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Babycakes
Choco-Oat-Butterscotch-Coconut Crazy Cookies
Molasses Ginger Spice Snaps
Chocolate Biscotti For Beginners
Toasted Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Whole Wheat Yip Yap Organic Banana Snap Cookies

Still hungry?
You'll find links to all my Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the sidebar of the Farmgirl Fare homepage under Previous Posts: Food Stuff W/ Recipes. Enjoy!

Contents © Copyright 2006 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares recipes, stories, and photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres — and if we're lucky there are always blueberries (or blueberry bars!) in the freezer.

Weekend Turtle Blogging?

We interrupt this regularly scheduled edition of Weekend Dog Blogging to bring you these special newsbreaking tiny turtle photos!


Yep, I found a second one. Click here if you missed the first one.
















It was so adorable I couldn't help it. How could I not keep it? (Despite the fact that it obviously wanted to fly away--and that I know next to nothing about keeping a pet turtle.) I have it near a window in the living room in a makeshift turtle house (rectangular plastic tub with wire cooling rack duct taped over the top).

In order to recreate a comfortable turtle habitat, I filled the tub with lots of freshly picked grass and weeds (dirt and roots still intact) and a shallow dish of water. I'm all out of strawberries (the only thing I know for sure that turtles eat), so I gave it mulberries, blueberries, spinach, and beet greens, plus a little iceberg lettuce (because that's what Sam's pet tortoise has been living on for the past 36 years).

I haven't done any online research into turtle care because I think I'll probably set it free soon. Sure it's absolutely adorable to look at and all (once I peel off the duct tape, lift up the lid, root around in the grass wondering the entire time if it's escaped, and finally locate the little thing), but compared to what I'm used to around here, it isn't exactly a whole lot of fun. I mean, I have Cary and Donkey Doodle Dandy to constantly entertain me--not to mention the chickens. My new turtle doesn't do much.

I did put it on the hardwood floor this morning to let it run around a bit, and this immediately caught the attention of my 19-year-old cat, Gretel. Now she perches on her kitty condo (which is located next door to the turtle house) and stares into the plastic tub for hours.

So between now and Fly Be Free Little Turtle Day, any advice on caring for an itty bitty turtle is most appreciated. And yes, of course we need to name it. Dare I ask if anyone knows how to tell if it's a boy or a girl? (Update: Okay, we're skipping the sexing thing and just going for a gender-free name. You know, like Pat--only cuter.)

Barring any other interesting discoveries, Weekend Dog Blogging will appear next week at its regularly scheduled time.

July 24th, 2006 UPDATE: Just a note to let anyone who is worrying about the welfare of my adorable little find to know that he (yep, he's a he) was named and set free one week after I found him. I do have farewell photos that I hope to post soon.

Contents Copyright 2006 FarmgirlFare.com

Daily Farm Photo: 6/25/06

Will It Be One Fine Day Lily?














It's Looking Better Already

This morning the first daylily of the season opened in the front yard. The fourth photo was taken exactly two hours after the first one.

A year of Daily Photos ago: Where's Breakfast?

Welcome new visitors to Farmgirl Fare!
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Daily Farm Photo: 6/24/06

Okay, This I Understand
(It's the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence thing.)



It's This I Don't Get
(This is her bowl of treats, in her pen, and she knows perfectly well she could just walk right around that panel to reach it.)



Oh, I See. It's A Llama Thing.

A year of Daily Photos ago: Makeshift Fence

Welcome new visitors to Farmgirl Fare!
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Daily Farm Photo: 6/23/06

You Can't Have Too Many Pollinators Around

A year of Daily Photos ago: Camouflaged Garden Toad

Back To The Beginning:
I've posted another story from my early days at Windridge Farm, but since this one takes place in the garden, it's over on my kitchen garden blog. (The rest of the auction story should be up on the Writings From Windridge site soon.) So what do a newly planted clump of lemon thyme and some 11-year-old sugar snap peas have to do with each other? Click here to find out. And click here if you'd like to read more about my initiation into country life.

Welcome new visitors to Farmgirl Fare!
Please click here for a brief introduction to this site.

Weekend Cat Blogging #55

Evening Sun Catches New Cat In The Cat Cabin

One of the reasons we call him New Cat is because each season he changes into a whole new cat. Click here and here to see some of his different looks.

Attention Cat Lovers! This Is Weekend Cat Blogging #55!
See fun feline photos & discover tasty new food blogs. Visit my pal Clare & her cool cat Kiri over at Eat Stuff in Australia for all the links to this week's kitties. For more cute cat pics, catch the traveling Carnival Of The Cats each Sunday night. And the weekly Friday Ark boards everything from felines to fireflies.

Daily Farm Photo: 6/22/06

Farms Depend On Pollinators (& Fortunately Ours Is Full Of Them)

More than 100,000 different animal species--and perhaps as many as 200,000--play roles in pollinating the 250,000 kinds of wild flowering plants on this planet. In addition to countless bees (there are an estimated 40,000 species of bees), wasps, moths, butterflies, flies, beetles and other invertebrates--perhaps 1,500 species of vertebrates such as birds and mammals--serve as pollinators. Cherish our pollinators--they mean the world to us. Click here to learn more.

A year of Daily Photos ago: So Often I Forget To Look Up

Oh, the joys of being on dial-up! Keep getting knocked offline every few minutes, am now connected at just 21.6 Kbps, plus Blogger has apparently gone crackerdog. You don't even want to know how long it took to post this--and it's going to look a bit odd until Blogger gets its wits back. Also, I have been unable to access my gmail accounts since yesterday morning, so any messages you sent me have not yet been received. It is definitely time to go outside, grab my pitchfork, and attack a pile of sheep manure headed for the garden!

Daily Farm Photo: 6/21/06

Here Comes The Sun

Welcome new visitors!
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A year of Daily Photos ago: A Tiny But Tasty First Harvest

Daily Farm Photo: 6/20/06

A Little Look Baaaack At The World's Best Pillows. . .











Which have all been sheared off! Many of the lambs still curl up at night with their mothers, though, despite the much firmer pillows. I'm still planning to post a few photos from Shearing Day (as well as Donkey Doodle Dandy's First Pedicure). Hopefully soon. Things have been non-stop around the farm. Busy, busy, busy time of year.

Want to know how much the lambs change color? The bottom two photos are both of Liselotte's baby boy, taken one month apart.

A year of Daily Photos ago: A Safe Place To Rest (and still one of my favorite photos).

Daily Farm Photo: 6/19/06

Real Still Life

Welcome new visitors!
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Pssst! Cary fans--she's been spotted in the greenhouse.

A year of Daily Photos ago:
Farmhouse White Cooling On The Counter

Weekend Dog Blogging #39

After A Rainstorm












Lucky Buddy Bear loves his sheep so much he licks them dry when they get wet. Now that's a dedicated shepherd dog! Click here if you'd like to see more pictures of Bear.

Attention Dog Lovers! This Is Weekend Dog Blogging #39!
To see fun dog photos and discover delicious new food blogs, visit Sweetnicks on Sunday night for the roundup. For more pup pics, head over to the Friday Ark for dozens of links to all kinds of critters. If you prefer food to fur, don't miss the always delicious and informative Weekend Herb Blogging roundup Sunday night at Kalyn's Kitchen.

Daily Farm Photo: 6/18/06

Looking For His Morning Treat




This handsome guy is an extremely important member of the flock whose photo has never appeared on Farmgirl Fare. Three-year-old Leopold The Ram is the father of all of the lambs born on our farm in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Yep, this is Big Daddy, so I thought it only appropriate to celebrate him today.



Cary Trying To Reach His Treats



Or Is She Just Trying To Reach Her Dad?

A very Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

A year of Daily Photos ago: Potted Herbs In The Garden

Wow.

Where Did All These People Come From? *

I'm thrilled, flattered, and still in a bit of a daze. Farmgirl Fare was chosen by the Blogger.com Team to be the June 15, 2006 Blog Of Note. So we've had a few more visitors than usual lately. Like about 12,000 more. Welcome new readers (please click here for a brief intro to this site) and many, many thanks to the Blogger Team for bestowing this honor on Farmgirl Fare. Like I said, Wow.


Attention Cat Lovers! This Is Weekend Cat Blogging #54!
See fun feline photos & discover tasty new food blogs. Visit my pal Clare & her cool cat Kiri over at Eat Stuff in Australia for all the links to this week's kitties. For more cat candids, catch the traveling Carnival Of The Cats each Sunday night. And the weekly Friday Ark boards everything from felines to flower spiders.

Hungry for more than pet pics? Don't miss the delicious and informative Weekend Herb Blogging roundup Sunday night at Kalyn's Kitchen.

*Click here if you'd like to see more photos of Farm Boss Patchy Cat.

Daily Farm Photo: 6/17/06

I Heart Homegrown Garlic

A year of Daily Photos ago: Patchy Cat Keeps A Lookout

Daily Farm Photo: 6/16/06

Garden Mint & Handmade Fence

Welcome new visitors to Farmgirl Fare!
Looking for more food? You'll find links to all of my tasty, original recipes and food posts in the sidebar of the homepage under "Previous Posts: Food Stuff w/ Recipes" and "Previous Posts: More Food Stuff." I also invite you to visit my garden blog offshoot to Farmgirl Fare, In My Kitchen Garden.com. It's definitely not just for gardeners! Click here to read why.

If you'd like to scroll through more Farm Photos, click on the monthly archives in the sidebar of the homepage. To read more about a certain topic (such as "dog stories" or "recipes,"), just click on any of the labels at the bottom each post. Some of the most popular labels are: Farm Landscape Photos, Autumn Color, Sheep, Lambing Season 2007, Donkey Doodle Dandy, Lucky Buddy Bear, Robin The Beagle, Cat Photos, Same Scene New View, Farm Life Tidbits, Heart Rocks, and My Hunky Farmguy.

Or you can use the Google Custom Search box at the top of the sidebar to find whatever you like.

If you're wondering who Cary the lamb is, read this.

Click here to visit my Amazon Farmgirl Fare Favorites Store and see some of the kitchen stuff and other things I just can't live without, like my camera.

And, lastly, if you'd like to know how I went from Cultured California Chick to Manure Mucking Missouri Farmgirl and read some lighthearted stories about my early farm adventures, click here.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I welcome your comments and hope you enjoy your e-visit to my farm!

April 2007 Update: Are you a bread baker or wanna be bread baker? I'm involved in a delicious new blog project called A Year In Bread. It's twelve months, three passionate bread bakers, thirty-six recipes, and more fun than should probably be allowed in the kitchen. You're invited to come bake bread with us as we play with flour and call it research. Click here to learn more.

A year of Daily Photos ago: Front Yard Gate

How To Ensure A Happy Haying Crew

You Don't Want To Be In This Photo

Putting up hay means extremely long days of very hard work under the blazing hot sun. In order for everyone to survive until the end of this exhausting experience, it is absolutely vital to have lots and lots of the following on hand (even if your haying crew consists of only one guy, one girl, and two quadrupeds):

--Ice Water
--Ice Coffee
--Ice Packs
--Ice Cold Homebrewed Beer
--And last but not least, Leftover Homemade Pizza



Happy Haying Crew Member

Daily Farm Photo 6/15/06: Peek-a-Boo, I See You Turtle!

At Least The Mulberries Should Be Out Of Turtle Reach
(Though you never know with turtles. Can they climb trees?)

Yes, all of you who guessed that yesterday's Daily Farm Photo was of mulberries are absolutely correct. And thanks for all the great mulberry stories. I had never seen a mulberry until I moved to this farm, where we are lucky to have several mulberry trees scattered around the hayfield. They don't put on berries every year, and the first time Joe showed me some ripe berries (while we were putting up hay) several years ago, they were so high up in the tree we could barely reach them even when standing on the back of the flatbed pickup truck.

This year Cary and I were hot and sweaty and tired and achy and on the verge of quitting The Haying Crew (for the first of several times), when Joe ordered us to stop picking up hay bales and follow him. He led us to a smaller mulberry tree that was so loaded with low-growing, perfectly ripe berries that I immediately lasped into some kind of picking and eating trance because before I knew it, several minutes had passed, I had this sudden feeling I should stop eating berries, and my lips, fingers, and clothes were all purple. Cary preferred nibbling on the lush clover growing in the shade beneath the trees.

Apparently there are many different varieties of mulberry trees, and the taste of the fruit varies widely. We seem to have one of the yummy varieties. While the other trees had hardly any fruit on them this year, that smaller one probably has enough to make a pie. But if I hike back out there and start picking, I have a feeling very few berries will actually make it into the bucket. Click here to learn more than you ever wanted to know about mulberries.

If you're wondering about what the turtle has to do with all of this, click here to read my post about Turtles & Strawberries (not a recipe) that appeared last month on my kitchen garden blog. I was going to re-post it on Farmgirl Fare due to popular demand (okay, okay, my mother told me I should because it was so cute), but I think a link to it should suffice. Though I guess now I should beg you to leave comments on that post so my mom will know that you really did go take a look.

A year of Daily Photos ago: Peek-A-Boo Beagle

Daily Farm Photo: 6/14/06

Another Sweet Hayfield Treat

Do you know what these are?

Attention Pacific West Coasters: Want to visit a beautiful sheep farm? (No, not this one.) My shepherdgirl pal (and amazing artist) Katherine Dunn and her husband are holding a very special Father's Day Open Farm Weekend at their farm outside Portland, Oregon in the heart of the beautiful wine country. Sheep, lambs, goats, dogs, pony rides, 4500 lavender plants, farm art and other fun stuff for sale, and more. Click here for details, and click here to visit Katherine's Apifera Farm blog.

A year of Daily Photos ago: Nero Di Toscana Cabbage (which is thriving in this year's garden and tastes wonderful in freshly picked salads).

Daily Farm Photo: 6/13/06

Not A Hay Bale In Sight--It's A Beautiful Thing

Still in Haying Recovery Mode. Busy catching up on everything around the farm and garden now that I can focus on something besides hay. Will hopefully be back later to reply to your comments and emails and answer questions. Thanks for your patience.

A year of daily photos ago: Heart Rocks make their first appearance. My collection sure has grown in a year. I think I have at least 60 heart rocks now (all found on or near the farm).

Daily Farm Photo: 6/12/06

Cary In The Hay Truck

There are 798 beautiful bales of hay stacked neatly in the barn. We are whupped but happy. Yesterday afternoon, out in the middle of the hayfield, Cary and I announced that we were quitting The Haying Crew and running off to join the circus. Our resignations were not accepted.

A year of daily photos ago: Greek Oregano Soaks Up The Sun

Weekend Dog Blogging #38

Cary & The Nanny Bear Take A Haying Break In The Hay

For those who have asked, The Nanny Bear (aka Lucky Buddy Bear) is half Australian Shepherd and half English Shepherd. He looks exactly like his English Shepherd mother except for the patch of white on his belly and his much shorter legs. Click here to see Bear at one of his other jobs (shepherding). Click here if you want to see lots more pictures of him.

Attention Dog Lovers! This Is Weekend Dog Blogging #38!
To see fun dog photos and discover delicious new food blogs, visit Sweetnicks on Sunday night for the roundup. For more pup pics, head over to the Friday Ark for dozens of links to all kinds of critters. If you prefer food to fur, don't miss the always delicious and informative Weekend Herb Blogging roundup appearing this Monday at Sweetnicks.

Weekend Cat Blogging #53

Of Course Farm Boss Patchy Cat Has The Final Say On The Hay
(And everything else around here.)

Attention Cat Lovers! This Is Weekend Cat Blogging #53!
See fun feline photos & discover tasty new food blogs. Visit my pal Clare & her cool cat Kiri over at Eat Stuff in Australia for all the links to this week's kitties. For more cat candids, catch the traveling Carnival Of The Cats each Sunday night. And the weekly Friday Ark boards everything from felines to dink frogs.

Pining for something more edible than pet pics? Don't miss the always tasty Weekend Herb Blogging roundup, appearing this Monday at Sweetnicks.

Daily Farm Photo: 6/11/06

Hay Inspector Samples The Harvest

There's a lot more hay in the barn than there was yesterday morning, but we're not done yet. There are 100+ bales still on the trailer, a large swath of cut hay laying out in the field, and two extremely weary hayers who slept in and are now racing the coming rainstorm. But the hay looks better than it has in years. It even passed inspection.

A Year Of Daily Photos Ago: Cluck, Cluck, Cluck

Daily Farm Photo: 6/10/06

Cary Guards A Hay Bale

Hay Season 2006 continues, and if all goes well, we'll be spending many, many hours today picking up hundreds of bales of hay before it starts to rain. We've already had a minor setback--nothing like picking up the two-way radio and hearing, "The rake is broken." But the Repair Crew (Joe, me, Cary, and the Nanny Bear) loaded up the Jeep with tools and a piece of chain Joe has held onto for 15 years (NEVER throw anything potentially useful out when you live on a farm in the middle of nowhere), bounced out into the field, and, as Joe put it, "hobbled the thing back together." Thank goodness.

The tractor part store is about 70 miles away. They are open on Saturdays (you NEVER want anything to break down on a Sunday), but at this time of year the wait in line (which is full of anxious farmers glancing at their watches) probably exceeds an hour.

Back To The Beginning:
It's definitely going to be a long, hot day, as temperatures are predicted in the 90sF. This is good for the hay, not so good for wilting hayers. Meanwhile, things are heating up in a totally different way over at Writings From Windridge Farm. Click here to read the latest chapter of my early farm adventures. Click here if you have no idea what this is all about.

A Year Of Daily Farm Photos:
A year ago today I put up the first Daily Farm Photo, not knowing if I would be able to keep posting a photo every single day, or what people would even think of them. I've been astounded by their popularity. Click here to see the photo that started it all. And thank you for your wonderful comments and enthusiasm. It's been such a pleasure sharing my personal views of the farm with so many people from around the world.

Daily Farm Photo: 6/9/06

Cary At The Start Of Hay Pick Up Day #1

Well there's hay in the barn--maybe 1/3 of what we'll need for next winter. The good news is that it looks a lot better than what we were expecting. The bad news is that it's already steaming hot outside, there are still 100 or so bales on the trailer (since we weren't up to unloading them at 10:00 last night), and there is rain in the forecast starting tomorrow night.

So the whole cycle has already begun again: the baler is off the tractor, the mower is on it, and Joe is out cutting even more hay than he did the first time. Meanwhile Cary and I will make another run to town to fill the gas cans and buy more baling twine, and later (when it's even hotter), we'll get last night's bales off the trailer. They are fine, as we covered them for the night with the dandy new high dollar tarp that is supposed to be shading my greenhouse. And tomorrow will be Hay Pick Up Day #2.

Cary is doing great and was a real trooper yesterday. More about her hopefully soon. (Yes, I've been taking tons of pictures.) She now weighs 19 pounds! (And I thought I was the only one who could gain five pounds in a week.)

P.S. Cary wasn't the only sweet little thing in the hayfield yesterday. At one point, an adorable spotted fawn bounced right past us, and I also enjoyed a seasonal treat. Click here to feast your eyes.

Daily Farm Photo: 6/8/06

Blooming Cactus

I may be the only person in the state who still adores the old wild multiflora roses that blanket many farms, but when it comes to wild cactus, I'm right there with the rest of them--despising it. Prickly cactus is just about the last thing you want growing in your fields, and the stuff just refuses to die.

I will admit that the flowers are lovely, although the first (and last) time I said this out loud, Joe (a diehard cactus hater) almost choked to death. (Good thing we weren't eating.) And after being down on my hands and knees in the middle of the hayfield (and in the middle of the very exhausting job of loading up a field full of haybales onto the trailer) on a 90-something degree day last year, carefully pulling up pieces of cactus, hands bleeding (yes, I was wearing gloves), sweat pouring down my face, a feedsack of cactus on the bed of the truck, and enough to fill about 25 more feedsacks still on the ground. . . Well, I now understand the choking episode.

You see, even if you rip the cactus from the ground. Even if you toss it somewhere like the middle of the gravel driveway. Even if you leave it on the back of the truck laying on just the tiniest bit of dirt--the stuff will come back to life. It can grow anywhere. . .


Even from out of a year old bale of hay.

The first of this year's hay is cut and teddered. Today it will be raked and baled, and then we will drive around and pick up the bales. Since we never got around to The Winter Cactus Pick Up Project in the hayfield last year, I have a feeling we wil be seeing those nasty spiked leaves everywhere. Let's hope not. At least the flowers are pretty. Just please don't tell Joe I still think so.

Daily Farm Photo: 6/7/06

Hiding Their Faces

I told you the sheep are a bit camera shy after they've first been sheared, despite the fact that they really do look fabulous. As for the little unsheared lamb, it obviously knows it's not supposed to be in the bunk feeder. Of course I could be wrong all around, and they simply had no intention of missing out on one second of inhaling their evening treats just so I could take a picture of them. You never know with sheep.

What other excitement did we have yesterday? Well, it turned out to be Snake Day on the farm. I know many of you cannot stand the sight of snakes, but others find them fascinating, so I've posted a couple of photos and a little bit about them on my Farm Photos Overflow Blog. Click here if you like snakes.

As for today, we're starting to cut hay so the sheep and llamas and Donkey Doodle Dandy will have something to eat next winter. It's going to be a long, hot, tiring, sweaty, itchy, achy few days. The best thing about 'being in the hay?' Getting out of it! Though it does feel incredibly good to have the job done. Click here to revisit a few of last year's haying season photos.

Daily Farm Photo: 6/6/06

If You Set Something Down Around Here, It May Not Get Moved For Years

People often ask me how I find enough time to tend to the farm, garden, three blogs, all of the critters, and life in general (you know, like eating). When things get really busy around the farm, I don't. And, for obvious reasons, the blogs get nudged toward the bottom of the priority list (because I certainly can't go without food--though I have been known to eat the same thing for days on end). Anyway, this is one of those times. Add irritating dial-up connection problems into the mix (such as being disconnected five times just while trying to put up this post), and well. . .

Please bear with me as replies to your questions, comments, and e-mails (all of which I read and thoroughly enjoy) are delayed. I hope to be back to full-swing blogging soon.

Daily Farm Photo: 6/5/06

Sheepsitter In Action

Well it was quite a weekend. The most wonderful part, of course, was getting all 44 adult sheep sheared on Saturday afternoon (the lambs don't need to be sheared until next year). On Friday we tried to find someone to shear the sheep (because we really, really, really didn't want to do it ourselves). No luck.

On Friday night we received a surprise phone call from none other than our favorite shearer who had been out of commission with a broken leg. He was back in business! Despite the fact that it was 88 degrees in the shade and very stuffy in the barn, everything went exceedingly well, and he was done in less than 3-1/2 hours. The flock looks great (and there is so much more room in the barn).

No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you--the sheep in this photo have not been sheared. You see, while they are thrilled to have shed their heavy winter coats, they'll be a little camera shy for a few days until their wool grows out a bit.

Daily Farm Photo: 6/4/06

A Perfect Ending To A Rare Day Off

Weekend Cat Blogging #52

It's hard to believe, but Weekend Cat Blogging is one year old!
Many thanks to Clare and Kiri for all of their hard work putting this fun event together each week. In honor of the occasion, Clare requested that everyone post photos of their cats with their favorite toys for a WCB party. Well, I tried, but Farm Boss Patchy Cat said. . .


Farm Cats Don't Do Toys

Attention Cat Lovers! This Is Weekend Cat Blogging #52!
See fun feline photos & discover tasty new food blogs. Visit my pal Clare & her crazy cat Kiri over at Eat Stuff in Australia for all the links to this week's kitties. For more cat candids, catch the traveling Carnival Of The Cats each Sunday night. And the weekly Friday Ark boards everything from cats to cows.

C Is For. . .

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Celebrate!
Farmgirl Fare is one year old today!
(And so is Beattie, the surprising star of my very first blog post, An Unexpected Beginning.)

Champagne & Chocolate!
Which is how I'm celebrating my blog's birthday. (Apparently you're allowed to buy your blog a birthday present. Lindy bought hers a plant. I bought mine a bar of fancy organic chocolate--which should make David very happy.)

Cats!
Weekend Cat Blogging is also one year old!
My WCB post will be up tomorrow, and so will my pal Clare's very special WCB celebration over at Eat Stuff in Australia.

And Lambs! (What?)
I figured I should do a little something special in honor of my blog's birthday, so I'm finally getting around to announcing what the deal is regarding the names for this year's ewe lambs (the boys don't get names). As many of you know, two years ago we realized that it would be a lot easier to remember which lambs were born when if we gave them all names that began with the same letter. So the 2004 ewe lambs all have 'A' names (Annie, Alison, Alisha, Amy, etc.), and the 2005 lambs have 'B' names (Beattie, Bella, Brett, Babsie, Becks, etc.).

That means this year everybody needs a 'C' name--like Chocolate Chip Biscotti above who, appropriately, was born the day after I posted my recipe for Toasted Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti. Click here to see her the day she was born, and click here for the biscotti post. And then there's little Caraway, of course.

Are you starting to see a pattern here? Yep, I've also decided to choose all food & herb related names. We're not having another Name That Sheep Contest, but I am taking suggestions for appropriate 'C' names. (Cracker, Coconut, and Captain Crunch are examples of inappropriate 'C' names.) I am in charge of all final decisions as well as matching fitting names to each of the lambs. If your name is chosen, you will of course be given full credit. (But you will not be given a little lamb to call your own.)

And finally, C is for. . .


Can't Quite Reach That Itch
('Cause some of you can't get enough of Cary)

Daily Farm Photo: 6/3/06

New Lamb, Old Wool

The sheep are getting sheared today! Woohoo!

Daily Farm Photo: 6/2/06

Balancing Act

Daily Farm Photo: 6/1/06

It's A Wonder This Is Still Around
Click here to see the photo I took of it in January.

Back To The Beginning:
I've put up another essay about my introduction to country living at Writings From Windridge Farm. Click here to go directly to the new post. Click here to learn what this is all about.