Round Up Time!

It was time for the pigs to go to......well, Disneyland is the way my blogging friend Bill at 'Word....from Willow Garden' puts it. I kind of like that expression, yet I know it's no holiday for the Berkshires. Taking the pigs in is always a hard day. Even though they've been raised as livestock, always with the intention of filling the freezer, it's still hard to send them on their way. Pigs are really incredible creatures, each with his or her own personality. We've been their guardians and keepers for a number of months, their care and feeding a large part of the everyday routine.

Transportation proved a bit of a problem this year: our usual method was not available. After some phone calls we found a nice man named Dennis who would move them for us. Our pastured pigs proved a bit of a problem, as always. Pigs are often, of course, in pens which are connected to chutes or walkways that would lead to a loading dock. Without chutes and in an open field, our pigs were a little too free to run around; it was hard to herd the pigs into Dennis' trailer. Eventually, the deed was done and off they went. Soon, some beautiful Berkshire pork will fill the freezer; meat we know has no hormones, no antibiotics and is filled with the nutrition of our organically grown vegetables. And all just in time - as we're having a blizzard today!

Pumpkin for Everyone on Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Even if you're not Canadian and are not celebrating on this day! Pumpkins are a classic for Thanksgiving and we decided to share some around. The chickens like chunks of pumpkin - mostly for the seeds, although they will pick at the flesh. The pigs just out and out adore pumpkin, every last bit. Farmer Man chose some with damage and soft spots that weren't salable. A feast for everyone; well, except the dogs and cats who really have no use for pumpkin in any form. Maybe I'll slip some into the food that I make for them and see if they notice!

Using Up The Cucumbers

We got an excellent pick of cucumbers for the Farmers Market at Riverbank Discovery Centre on Saturday morning. However, a lot of the vendors had cukes, so we came home with about half a crate. As we're into fresh food, and don't have an event until Tuesday - these cukes won't be for sale! So what do you do with ten pounds of cukes going soft? Well, we could just compost them - but we've got a better answer. Turns out chickens like cukes. And pigs absolutely adore them! So, we cut down on feed costs, give all the stock a 'treat' and although we don't make any money from these cukes, we will certainly profit from the end result!! The manure these animals will provide will give us excellent compost to grow next years' crop, without adding any fertilizer! It's a win-win-win situation!

Raspberry-o-rama!!

It's raspberry season at Aagaard Farms. That means it's nuts around here! People coming and going for U-picking, our little staff picking like crazy Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for CSA and the Farmers' Markets. I've been jammin' and jellin' like a person obsessed - more than ever before. And freezing, don't forget the freezing!! The piglets have had a few treats of the pulp left over from the jelly process - and they've decided they like raspberries, a lot! Even Rocky and The Hens are getting in on the act - they get a little of the leftover berries after the Farmers Markets. Only the doggies are kind of left out on this one - they show absolutely no interest whatsoever. However, they do enjoy all the attention they get from the U-pick people!!

The Piglets Are Here!

Finally, the new pasture is fenced and Farmer Man went and picked up the piglets. Six little Berkshire pigs, from our friends at Logan Farms Organic Meats! It was quite the trip home; something akin to a gale blew up when Farmer Man was driving along wide open fields. The wind came up and actually tore the roof off of the large wooden crate holding the piglets. The truck, apparently, was shuddering in the force of the wind! A couple of scary minutes while he sought some sort of shelter and then repaired the roof before continuing home! Everyone made it safely, and then the piglets were unloaded in their new, larger pasture! They seemed to start enjoying the alfalfa and grasses in the pasture immediately, and bedded down in their shelter, snuggling under the straw. If only the chickens would go to bed as early, 'cause Farmer Man and I were certainly ready for bed!

Farmer Boy Becomes Farmer Man???

On the eve of Farmer Boy's birthday, he decided to give The Berks a late dinner. The Berks will be going away tomorrow, and Farmer Boy is a little sad. He has enjoyed this little herd; The Berks are curious and lively creatures, and he has spent a lot of time caring for them. Tomorrow will be a hard day. So, he went out in the darkness to give them a late little treat. And took a nosedive right into the muck! He tucked his head just in time to land on his hat and not his face! Mud up his arms, over his gloves, down his front, covering his legs! And smell.........!!!!! Baptism by pig poop as he starts his next decade! Happy Birthday, Farmer Man!

Pigs 'n Pumpkins 2

We got a call yesterday from one of the members of the local chapter of the Lions' Club. They had been having a pumpkin sale to raise money, and had some green pumpkins left over. The gentleman had been speaking with Farmer Boy on the weekend and knew our pigs liked pumpkin. Would we like to take these pumpkins? Well, we sure would! Farmer Boy went and picked up a truck load; literally, the box of the F150 was loaded to the top! He chops the pumpkins up into large chunks and throws them to The Berks. Whole, the pigs don't seem to know what they are, but even just a crack must release the scent. Those pumpkins with just a crack seem to cause some consternation, but The Berks figure it out and bring those hooves into play! An enjoyable feast, and just in time for tea!

An Early Winter Storm

Usually, in Manitoba, the question is: 'Will it snow for Halloween, or not?'. This year, we had an unusual storm for Thanksgiving; night time temperatures dipped to -8 C (about 16 F), and we received a couple of inches of snow. We knew some bad weather was coming and harvested everything we could, packing the garage with winter squash, boxes of tomatoes and crates of peppers. What is left in the field is gone, done, dead. The picture is of the spaghetti squash field, many left in the field. Had the temperature stayed closer to 0 C, most of the winter squash and pumpkins would have been fine. But, it was cold enough to damage them and make them unsaleable. Now, if Farmer Boy stopped and thought about it, he could get pretty depressed about thousands of dollars of product left in the field. But what Farmer Boy sees is pig food! It's just a matter of getting the tractor out there, loading it up and then off to see the pigs! And with the weather returning to normal October temperatures and the snow melting, it's a rather enjoyable task!

Ah, Country Life!

It's evenings like this that make us stop to count our blessings. Such a beautiful day Sunday, and a gorgeous fall evening. We took the dogs for a walk before dark, and saw this beautiful scene from the front of the house. Love seeing the neighbour's horses; they were having a little run yesterday.

It's been a tough week. I had to go to Alberta on some family business, and Farmer Boy was suppose to come and enjoy Thanksgiving with my sisters. But, unusually early cold temperatures and snow meant Farmer Boy had to stay home alone. The freaky cold froze the water lines to the animals. Now, it's one thing to ask the neighbour to pop over to open the coop and dump some feed into the pigs and the chickens, but it is a little much to ask him to haul water three or four times a day. So, Farmer Boy stayed and worked. No turkey for him! Sunday's fine weather meant that the snow disappeared and we're back to looking like fall in Manitoba.

Multi-tasking Fall Chores

Farmer Boy is very busy, even though CSA and Farmers' Markets are largely over. We will still have indoor markets every Saturday morning at the Green Spot Home & Garden Centre, but it's pretty mellow to prepare for one rather than four. However, Fall clean up has started; harvesting of potatoes and other storage vegetables continues and, of course, the animals still have to be fed! Well, this is Farmer Boy doing fall clean up and feeding the pigs! Corn stalks with small undeveloped cobs are a new favourite of The Berks. Now, Farmer Boy could load up the tractor but sometimes he likes the personal touch......

How They've Grown!

I was only away one week, but, my, how the Berks have grown! It is quite amazing for just one week. Even Runty looks bigger and brawnier. Their feed is being heavily supplemented by vegetables right now. They adore any of the summer squash, enjoy a good cucumber, they're pretty content with hail-damaged apples from our tree, while potatoes - not their favourite. They also, now and then, get a good armful of the weeds Farmer Boy has cut down; they relish the alfalfa, pass on the thistle and just nose around the ragweed. It's good to see them gallop and play in their pasture - no small pens here!

Sport for The Berks

Every little one needs a toy, right? Well, Farmer Boy decided The Berks needed sport and he suggested we should get a ball to throw in the pasture. We just happened to have a large exercise ball that hadn't been used in, well, eons. So this morning, before we left for the Farmers Market at Riverbank Discovery Centre, we threw it in their pen. It created quite a stir! They crowded around, sniffing and muzzling it. Then, one realized they could move it and the game was on - until Farmer Boy decided to feed them and the ball was forgotten. We'll have to see if they form up two teams and get a soccer game going.

The Pigs Settle In!

The Berkshire pigs, henceforth called The Berks, are settling in nicely. Farmer Boy made them a nice little shed and filled it with straw. The Berks immediately got cozy and had a long nap. A little stormy around here last night, but they didn't seem to notice. They are enjoying the alfalfa that exists in their pasture, lots of grazing going on! The neighbour's big Akita was nosing around a bit yesterday afternoon - we'll have to keep an eye on him! Calla and Joe came out to pick their pig; we're going to grow one for them for their freezer this winter.

The Pigs Have Arrived!

Well, like everything else this year: they're late but they're here!! Farmer Boy's Berkshire pigs have arrived. Farmer Boy really had his heart set on Berkshire's, sort of the Cadillac of swine. It's what the great chefs all want, don't ya know? It almost didn't happen - we'd set up a purchase which fell through at the last minute because a poor sow got hit by lightening. A bit of a scramble, but Farmer Boy found some more that someone was willing to sell at this late date. Cost a little more than we had planned, including an hour drive there and back to get them, but that's okay! They seem to be settling in very nicely to their new pen tonight. Hard to say how they will feel about Rocky the rooster going off early in the morning!

Farmer Boy had to improvise, again, with pallets. We needed to cage them for the trip home but only have one large dog crate. They're new home is also fenced with pallets, for now. Last year we raised two pigs; this year we have nine because other people are interested in us raising one for them. And that's The Three Bears checking out the truck - they know something new is on board!

Oh, My Gawd, We Forgot the Dill!

It's that time of season. The dreams of winter, the anticipation of early spring, all turn to.....quiet desperation. We forgot to plant dill, the lettuce didn't germinate, the beets didn't germinate very well, the seedlings need water in the south field and in the west field. The weeds are growing faster than anything else - we won't be able to find the asparagus soon! The potato beetle is making a big appearance, the babies are already hatching and the leaves are getting chewed! The guy we were going to get some young pigs from suddenly can't supply and where will we get more this time of year? What will we have for the first CSA share? What will we have for the first Farmers' Market at Riverbank Discovery Centre? It's an uncomfortable time of year, so many things to worry about. It all seemed sooooo well organized three months ago!

Nice to Meet You!

Welcome to the Vine, Aagaard Farms blog! Nice to meet you! We're growing and blogging from the Canadian Prairies in Brandon, Manitoba. For those of you not familiar with this area we are just north of North Dakota in America. And no, we do not live in an igloo - that's for Canadians waaaaay farther North than us! And, actually, even they don't live in igloos any more - igloos are like their winter get-aways.

We are gardening in a rather tough climate here on the Prairies. By the Canadian Hardiness Zone Map we are officially a Zone 2B (although we like to think of ourselves as a Zone 3, it makes us more hopeful.) Here on the farm, the tulips are just barely beginning to peek out of the soil and buds are just starting to swell on the trees. Tomorrow, May 14, our weather predicts the evening low as -3 Celsuis (roughly 28 F.) Friday, it's possible we may get a dusting of snow, according to the weatherman.

We are gardening organically and sell our produce directly to the consumer through a Community Supported Agriculture program, as well as through Farmers' Markets. We have U-pick raspberries and we rent out small garden plots. This year, new for us, are chickens! 19 week old layers arrived a couple of days ago and chicks are coming in early June. Last year we raised a couple of pigs for the first time and we'll be doing that again this year. The piglets will come sometime in June.

Today is rather chilly but we hope to be planting potatoes! The Farmer is going out right away to do a little cultivating and to decide if it is a good day to plant. We're late with the potatoes this year - we'd really like to get them in soon. We'll let you know!