| Author |
**Welcome Wagon:  New Farmgirl  |
|
|
MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 06 2004 : 1:27:47 PM
|
| Greetings from Kansas! Land of Golden Wheat and Tornadoes. Ihave been a country girl since 1984. My young husband, baby girl and I built our little piece of heaven 20 years ago. Now in 2004 that baby girl is 21, another baby girl is 11, 1 lab, 2 cats, 4 Dexter cows, 2 acres of white wine grapes, 20 acres of wheat and alfalpha and a middle aged husband and our little farm is flourishing. I look forward to connecting to other women who love their pieces of heaven and sharing stories. |
|
|
jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2004 : 1:42:49 PM
|
Welcome, Meadowlark!
You will find some friendly and wonderful people posting on this website. And also lots of good ideas with a great willingness to share those ideas.
I look forward to hearing about Kansas and your farm! 20 acres of wheat! That is a lot to harvest!
jpbluesky
Love those big blue skies and wide open spaces. |
 |
|
|
Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2004 : 2:56:03 PM
|
Welcome...sounds like you will fit right in with us!! I would love to hear about your cows!!
Jenny in Utah
Bloom where you are planted! |
|
|
|
MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2004 : 3:14:47 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Aunt Jenny
Welcome...sounds like you will fit right in with us!! I would love to hear about your cows!!
Jenny in Utah
Bloom where you are planted!
|
|
|
|
MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2004 : 3:34:01 PM
|
Aunt Jenny,
My name is also Jenny! In reply to your querie about my cows; The Dexter breed is an ancient heirloom breed of cattle originating from the British Isles and Ireland. They were called Irish kitchen cattle because of their very small stature and sweet docile dispositions that the ancient Irish peoples let them into their kitchens to forage and be a part of their farm family. These cattle are truly amazin! They are not only small and black coated but excellent meat and milk cattle. They can withstand the elements out in my pasture( anything Kansas weather can throw at them they can handle). I refuse to use them for food because they are pets to me. My husband wants to butcher the old bull but I cannot let this happen. I love my dexters like they are beloved pets. They come to me when they are called by name and love to be petted and fed like domesticated animals. They are very intelligent. When the calves are born they are no bigger than a medium sized dog and are adorable. I would recommend this breed to anyone who is interested in raising heirloom cattle for show. My husband is half Irish decent so I don't understand why he would want to eat these beautiful and regal animals!
My husband built me a greenhouse with scrap lumber and other materials to raise organic vegetables, flowers for my garden, and herbs. I have never been much of a meat eater. I can hardly wait to try MaryJanes' meals. This web site is an answer to prayer... |
|
|
|
MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2004 : 3:45:34 PM
|
| Aunt Jenny, By mistake I posted a reply on my New Farm Girl to you. Check the new farm ( Kansas) girl for a post to you about my cows. I am trying to get the feel of this forum and may have not navigated it correctly |
|
|
|
Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2004 : 3:47:24 PM
|
Welcome Meadowlark Jenny. I think you'll enjoy it here... we're all quite supportive and like to share stuff. Your Dexter cows sound so nice. Do you milk your cows and make cheese and butter products? How many acres of pasture does it take to support a cow this size?
Keep on writing!
Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural |
|
|
|
MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2004 : 3:53:10 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Clare
Welcome Meadowlark Jenny. I think you'll enjoy it here... we're all quite supportive and like to share stuff. Your Dexter cows sound so nice. Do you milk your cows and make cheese and butter products? How many acres of pasture does it take to support a cow this size?
Keep on writing!
Gardener, Stitcher, Spiritual Explorer and Appreciator of all Things Natural
|
|
|
|
MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2004 : 4:01:41 PM
|
| Clare; I have used my heifers sweet high butterfat milk to make custards and other deserts. My mother in law has an antique butter creamer that she will not let go of so I have not attempted to make butter. I too am a spiritual explorer... Give me a deep black Kansas sky at night and fresh cut hay and I know there is a power beyond our imagination... I look forward to your posts and all others connected to the land and what really matters in this life. Jenny from Kansas |
|
|
|
Sherries Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
69 Posts
Sherrie
Graham
WA
USA
69 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2004 : 5:56:24 PM
|
A big hello MeadowLark...from the Pacific Northwest!
Sherrie
"When you care enough, you make it yourself."
|
|
|
|
cecelia
True Blue Farmgirl
497 Posts
cecelia
new york
USA
497 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2004 : 2:40:58 PM
|
Greetings, Meadowlark! Happy to have you in the forum. Sounds like a little bit of heaven where you are.
Cecelia
ce's farm |
|
|
|
terese
True Blue Farmgirl
63 Posts
terese
chagrinfalls
ohio
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2004 : 4:32:45 PM
|
Welcome Meadowlark
Your life sounds full and productive. I love the idea of these heirloom cattle they sound so peaceful.Thanks for sharing.
terese
beginnings |
|
|
|
Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2004 : 10:49:43 AM
|
Hi Meadowlark Jenny,
I just read this section this morning. I am finding new things everytime I visit. I am wondering about your 2 acres of white wine grapes. Do you sell them to a local winery or do you use them yourself. Is 2 acres enough for any kind of a profit. I am asking because we have just cleared off a spot to do this also and are wondering if 2 acres is really enough to get started. We have a 5 acre farm that is partially treed. Do not want to remove the trees so are working around them. Also leaving space for the abundant wildlife that depends on this area. We are trying to decide if we will plant concords for juice or some sort of grape for table or wine production.
Any suggestions.
Eileen
songbird |
|
|
|
MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2004 : 2:15:20 PM
|
Hi Eileen!
I've been waiting if anyone would show an interest in grape production on the forum and I am so glad you are interested!!! If you've got a few minutes let me try to answer your querie...Washington state is excellent for wine production! Your state has some of the countries best and profitable wineries and vineyards so you are extremly lucky to live where you do. Decide what your interest is...wine or table grapes. This is how I started. You mentioned you lived near or at the base of the Olympic mountain range? Contact your local extension service! They have a wealth of free information on your weather, topography, soils ect. that you will need to plant your vines. A local college or university horticulture dept. can also be a valuable resource. My 2 acres produced 1/3 ton of fruit this year. I have to irrigate. Kansas has experienced several years of extreme drought. Our temps can soar to over 100 degrees for weeks in July and August. This year was very mild and great for my vineyard so production was up. I have not sold to another winery as yet but i am in the process of becoming a "contract grower". Kansas only has 6 licensed wineries so we are an infant industry. I think 2 acres is a good start for you! I would recommend the following books to learn about wine and grape growing; The Oxford Companion to Wine by Janice Robinson, The Wine Brat's Guide to Living with Wine by the Wine Brats Coalition, From Vines to Wine by Jeff Cox, are good starters.
I invited a u-pick party to gather grapes for jelly, or wine to my community. I am going to use the juice I extracted to make 50 gallons of wine of which I can legally do by my State's laws. Kansas has one of the oldest most repressive alcohol laws in the country.
My long term goals are to have 10 acres in production in another decade and open a winery.(organic of course) You mentioned Concords...They are very productive but used for table and juice and jelly. Experiment with different varieties. See what flourishes and what doesn't. Many people are profiting from "backyard" growing and "garage winemaking" and are producing some fantastic wine that is in great demand! As I said earlier you live in an excellent place for grapes. Have you visited some of the wineries near the Cascades? As for your abundant trees that may create some problems because grapes need sunlight to ripen and produce sugars. Hope this answers some of your questions. Let me know if there is anything else I can do... I think you and your husband would love having a vineyard and there is money to be made! But the satisfaction and pride when you see those clusters hanging on carefully tended vines is wonderful.
Time Flies |
|
|
|
Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Sep 27 2004 : 5:44:34 PM
|
Jenny, Thanks for your reply,
We have quite a few winerys in this area and have visited almost all of them at one time or another. I have noticed several new vinyards close by this past two years and am wondering if they will be going into the wine making business or contract growing. We have always gone out to stretch island every october to pick concords for our juice so I was mainly thinking in terms of product for myself at first. But still looking for ways to make our farm profitable. The area that we have ready for grapes next spring is full sun almost all day and when we have the cash we will be hiring a man to limb up the few trees that produce some shade in the late afternoon. The trees are all at least 100 feet tall and are conifers so limbing up these trees will be a good option. Thanks for all the info. I am sure that I will be using it.
Eileen
songbird |
|
|
| |
**Welcome Wagon: New Farmgirl |
|
New Farmgirl
