Hi!  My name is Adrienne and I work at Red Gate Farm.  In addition to caring for the animals, running the garden and teaching classes, I will be continuing Annie's Farm Journal.  Through it I hope to give you a glimpse of all that is happening at Red Gate Farm.  Enjoy! 
 
 
 
 
 

• March 7

• December 17
• October 28
• September 17
• July 28
• May 24
• March 8
• February 2
• Annie's journals

Wow!  I was quite surprised when I discovered that my last journal entry was in 2005.  Usually the cold, dark days of January and February creep by, but not this year.  Memories of sitting by the fire, sipping hot cocoa and leisurely leafing through seed catalogues will have to wait for another year.  This year found me frantically searching through the Fedco seed catalogue, scribbling down my order, and rushing it to the post office in hopes of receiving my seeds in time.  But I am not complaining, the last few months have been a blast here at Red Gate Farm!

The first indication that this would be no ordinary winter on the farm came at the end of January.  Julie Anne Collier, a raptor rehabilitator, offered a "Birds of Prey" program at the farm.  What an event!  If forced to choose, I could not say what the highlight of the evening was for me.  I was completely entertained by the more than 90 people who showed up, the amazing birds that Julie brought (including a Golden Eagle), and the hilarious stories that Julie told us.  I still laugh when I think about that evening!

Next came our week of February Vacation Farm Fun.  Again, we would have never predicted the enthusiastic responses that we received for this program.  As always, we had a fantastic group of kids with which to work.  We offered three very different programs: orienteering, fiber crafts, and farm animals.  All three days were full of smiles and laughter from both staff and students, as well as some really cool projects!  Students learned to take bearings with a compass, spin and weave wool, and trim goat hooves!

Not too long after February Vacation week, I learned that Atlas Snowshoe Company would be donating 14 pairs of snowshoes to the Farm!   With this new fleet of snowshoes, we will be able to explore more of our forests during our winter programs.  Thanks Atlas Snowshoe Company!

And now, March is here and I have already begun planting for the summer seed garden!  Last week students in the Tree of Life school helped plant our pepper seeds.  In the upcoming weeks we will be planting onions, leeks, scallions, broccoli, kale and cabbage.   Yummmm.... spring is on its way!

Some mornings, animal chores run so smoothly it is like a well-rehearsed dance.  Within no time, the oxen, sheep, goats, chickens and ducks are all happily munching away on their breakfast, full water bins waiting for them to quench their thirst, and clean bedding to keep them warm and dry for the day.  I love starting my day this way.  Walking through these practiced steps can seem almost effortless, while certainly not meaningless.  Regardless of how productive or non-productive I feel about the rest of my day, I at least have the satisfaction of knowing that all the animals have been well-fed because of my work.

Some mornings, however, animal chores can feel like a car wreck.  This morning was one of those morning.  I awoke to a sheet of ice covering the driveway and walkways, threatening to throw me on my back with every cautious step.  The oxen were particularly restless, with Jack insisting on eating Joe's allotted stack of hay despite the perfectly good pile of hay sitting in front of him.  He came close to breaking the metal hook attached to his collar designed to prevent Jack and Joe from eating each other's meals (he has already broken two).  Then it was on to the sheep who, in their enthusiasm to eat the small amount of grain that we feed them every morning, seemed to ignore the giant mound of second cut hay (that's the good stuff) that I gave them as their main meal.  Instead, they chose to baah incessantly at me for the next 15 minutes as I went about refilling water dishes.  When I went to check on our three ewes that are currently being bred with a ram in the big red barn, I found that one had gotten her head stuck through the metal panel fencing.  No amount of persuasion could convince this particularly stubborn ewe to simply back up to free herself, instead she insisted on pushing forward as if she could squeeze her entire fluffy body through a 6" x 6" square.  Finally I had to cut the fence to release her.  To top it all off, their food dish was frozen to the floor, requiring the use of a hammer to free it, and the chickens' barrel of feed was practically empty.  All in all, a chore routine that typically takes 45 minutes to complete lasted for two hours! 

Yet despite the extra time that this particular morning took, I still finished chores with that familiar feeling of satisfaction knowing that everyone has been cared for and fed.  The routine of winter chores is one that I truly enjoy, despite the cold, snowy weather and hard work that often accompanies it! 

Winter is surely just around the corner as animals and humans alike are working hard to stock up for the colder weather to come.  Deliveries of hay and wood keep us busy piling, stacking and chopping.  With their fleeces growing thicker and fluffier, the sheep and goats will have no trouble keeping themselves warm during those long frigid nights.  The oxen have searched out and found every blade of green grass in their field, almost as if they know that their food will soon change from lush pasture to dry hay.  The birds and squirrels are feasting on the many nuts that have fallen from our two walnut trees in the front yard, and no doubt are storing an equal number in nooks and crannies for future meals. 

While we are stocking up on much needed food and fuel, we are also closing down the farm as well.  In the garden, tomato stakes are removed, dead plants composted, and beds are covered with compost and mulch for the winter.  Hoses and water lines need to be drained, storm windows shut, and exterior buildings closed down. 

As we button up the farm and prepare for the winter, I am always amazed that this is also the time of year to plant one of my favorite crops - garlic.  A friend of mine once told me this useful rule-of-thumb: plant your garlic on Columbus Day and harvest it on Independence Day.  While these dates can be quite flexible, following these guidelines can lead to beautifully plump garlic bulbs - and delicious meals!  Just yesterday, some students from the Tree of Life school helped me plant our garlic cloves into the garden, then cover them with a nice thick mulch of chopped leaves and hay to protect the cloves through the winter.  By early spring, little green garlic shoots will be pushing through the soil.  This act of planting at the very time of year when so much is dying back serves as a hopeful reminder to me that all of life is cyclical.  Warm summer days will return again, but first we must make the most of winter.

Fall seems just around the corner on this rainy Saturday in September.  As I look over my list of things to do, the typical summer chores are sliding to the bottom of the list.  The grass no longer needs to be mowed once a week , but instead can last for almost two weeks without being cut.  The vegetables are no longer in danger of being taken over by weeds, and while there is still fruit to be picked, it is not ripening quite as quickly.  Of course, as these chores become less important, there are many others waiting to fill their place as priorities on the farm.  With pastures growing less quickly, the grazing animals need to be moved more often to ensure that the grasses have time to regenerate.  Now is the time to clean out garden beds of dead stalks and vines, spread lime and manure, and cover beds with mulch.  Any work done now in the garden ensures a much smoother planting next spring.  Already we need to begin thinking about caring for the animals in the winter by storing enough hay for them to eat and ensuring that their barns and outdoor pens are in shape. 

Speaking of animals, a fun new addition to Red Gate Farm this Fall is my new puppy Cuzco.  Cuzco is a three month old Border Collie, and hopefully will become a big help around the Farm by herding the sheep, goats, ducks and chickens.  He is not old enough to begin such training yet, however.  For now he is little, cute and fuzzy and loves the attention that he gets from all the visitors to the Farm.  Be sure to stop by and meet him!

From year to year I never remember how quickly the summer flies by until I am swept up by the excitement of it all.  Here it is, the end of July, and I am struggling to keep up with all of the grand plans that I had made in the winter and early spring.  If you have been following my web journal, I apologize for the large gap in entries.  Fortunately, the disappointment I feel for the things that I have been unable to attend to is offset by all the fun things that we are doing this summer at Red Gate Farm.

So, you may be wondering, what is going on at the Farm.  We have had a number of exciting programs this summer that have filled the Farm with laughter and energy.  Children involved with Summer Farm Fun have been catching frogs and salamanders at the pond and stream, building benches, working with the oxen, collecting eggs from the chickens, and sampling fresh garden vegetables.  A favorite activity of mine has been moving our somewhat skittish Romney lambs from their home in the barn to a fresh pasture down the hill.  The kids had to push, prod, and even carry the lambs to their new home, but with everyone's help we successfully moved them.  With one group of children, we hiked deep into the woods, set up a campsite, cooked dinner over an open fire, went for a beautiful moonlit walk, and roasted marshmallows for s'mores. 

Similar to Summer Farm Fun, a group of younger children have been participating in a program called Home on the Farm.  Singing, drawing, dancing and exploring, these children are creating their very own "home away from home" at Red Gate Farm. 

Another group of students from a local charter school just completed a three week summer science program at the Farm.  Each student designed and built a different bug trap, set the traps at various locations throughout the Farm, collected data on the types of bugs that they caught, and made identification cards for future bug enthusiasts visiting the Farm. 

While all of these programs require time and energy, the animals and gardens are constantly vying for attention as well.  As tomatoes and peppers are ripening on the vines, the weeds are keeping pace.  Pulling the weeds before they overtake the vegetables is a constant race - some days we are winning and others the weeds have the upper hand.  The chickens, sheep, goats and oxen are mowing down the grass as fast as we can move them around the Farm.  They are quick to let us know when they are ready to be moved to a fresh pasture with their mooing, baahing, and clucking. 

And how do we keep up with it all?  Some days it feels like we are just barely able.  But with the help our fantastic staff and friends - Suzannah, Felice, Emily, Mandy, Athena, Matt and Amy - we are having a fun-filled summer at Red Gate Farm. 

Finally spring has arrived at Red Gate Farm!  The barren trees are now bursting with new leaves, the brown fields have exploded with vibrant green grass, and the chatter of birds is a constant background melody.  Amy's flower gardens have been performing quite a show, beginning with the delicate crocuses, followed by dazzling daffodils and hyacinths, and now bright red tulips. 

On the farm, life quickly becomes hectic as we frantically attempt to keep pace with the rhythm of spring.  For the oxen, sheep and goats, spring signals a welcome gastronomic change from the dry hay of winter to lush pasture forage.  For the farmers, this means fixing old fence lines and building new ones to ensure that our animals do not wander off the farm and that wild animals do not wander in!  Providing water for all the animals presents a new challenge as they are now living away from the barns and the water pumps.  I have used hoses, carts and even the tractor and have yet to figure out the most efficient way to keep our animals hydrated.

In addition to managing the animals, the pastures must now be monitored carefully as well.  While they grow at an amazingly fast rate, they should not be overgrazed or the crowns and roots of the grasses will be damaged.  To avoid this, we are constantly rotating the animals (as well as their fences and their water tanks) around the pastures, always trying to balance the animals' nutritional needs with the needs of the land. 

The organic vegetable garden is another area where nature always seems to be one step ahead.  The cold tolerant vegetables that we have planted outside - onions, leeks, peas, carrots, lettuce and potatoes - are slowly growing, while the weeds grow so fast one would think I have been fertilizing them!  Trying to keep the weed pressure down, while continually preparing new beds for planting, could keep me occupied for hours on end!

While spring often leaves me breathless and exhausted trying to keep up, the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of spring are also breathtaking.  This is a beautiful time of year on the farm and I never hesitate to take a moment to enjoy the new life surrounding me.  Stop by the Farm for a visit and see for yourself! 

With the beginning of March, all hope for an early spring have been buried under thick blankets of snow.  The mounds of plowed snow continue to grow higher and higher as Mother Nature reminds us that milder weather will arrive only when she is good and ready to send it.  Today I trudged through deep snow drifts and howling winds to feed the animals.  When I arrived at the barn to let the sheep and goats out, they looked at me as if to say, "You are crazy to think we will go outside in this weather!"  I decided they were right, slid the doors closed to block the cold wind, and fed them inside.

When the animals refuse to venture outside, I know that the conditions must be particularly harsh.  In general, the animals seem almost immune to the snow and freezing temperatures.   Each day I let our five Indian Runner ducks out of their house inside the barn.  Although they have a comfortable space inside where they could hang out, they always choose to spend their day outside relaxing in the snow. As I approach the oxen shed to hook up Jack and Joe for their morning feeding, I usually find them standing outside with their faces pointed towards the southeast, soaking up the early rays of the sun.  After finishing their hay in the morning, our flock of Cheviot sheep will loiter outside for the remainder of the day, occasionally nibbling at loose pieces of hay that have been trampled on the ground.  When they come into the barn at night, they are often twice as large with all of the snow that has accumulated on their fleeces.  Even our chickens can be enticed to scratch around outside with just the faintest hint of sun peeking through the clouds and some loose hay strewn about in their outdoor run.

If only I could be so weather-proof!  Each morning, it takes me a good ten minutes to assemble my multi-layers of poly-propylene underwear, wool socks and sweater, rugged outer jacket, fleece gloves and hat, and rubber boots.  Once I am ready for the outdoors, I still try to beat the cold by spending as little time as possible outside.  If I do work on a project outside, I work really hard to get my blood pumping so that I can stay warm.  When I am inside, I stuff the stove in the Red Gate Farm office full of wood to keep myself nice and toasty during the day.  No loitering outside for me, I will wait for the warmer weather! 

Many people ask me during this time of the year, “What is there to do on the farm right now?”  Winter definitely has its own rhythm and the work on the farm must shift accordingly.  The ground, pond and streams are frozen and the garden has been put to bed.  As much as I sometimes long to be digging in the soil and planting young seedlings, I know that the garden needs this break as much as I do.  I cannot escape the shortened hours of sunlight nor the frigid temperatures and easily slip under winter’s spell by wrapping up in a thick blanket with a cup of steaming hot cocoa.  But work on the farm does continue and I try not to be lulled asleep quite so easily. 

Caring for our animals requires plenty of work in the winter because they need more food to stay warm and cannot forage any food on their own.  Their lush green pastures have died back and are now covered with snow.  They rely on us to provide them with enough hay and grain to get through these tough months.  The animals spend more time in their shelters, which means more manure to shovel out and more straw and wood shavings to put down for fresh bedding.  The oxen still need to be worked and the chickens’ eggs still need to be collected.  Animals need attention 365 days a year. 

Winter is also a great time to work on all of those projects that easily get ignored when pulling garden weeds and harvesting ripe vegetables demand all of our energy.  Finally we now have some time to build a sled for the oxen to pull or to clean out the attic of the sheep and goat barn for more storage space.  These indoor jobs also provide us with some relief from the bitter cold and ice outside. 

Once those projects are completed and the animals are fed and happy, hopefully I can still find time to do my favorite type of work in the winter, which is to plan the summer garden.  Winter provides the perfect opportunity to sort through seed catalogues, picking out favorite seed varieties as well as discovering new ones to try.  Figuring out where to plant the vegetables and how much space to give each crop is not only fun, but is important for the health of the garden soil and the vegetables.  Creating a schedule for starting seedlings indoors, direct seeding cold tolerant crops such as peas and spinach, transplanting, and estimated harvesting dates enables the spring and summer to flow much more smoothly.  The more time I take to plan now, the more time I will have to work when the garden needs it.