Visit From The Vet

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Visit from the Vet

The Farmer and the vet from Crawford County Veterinary Clinic 

We worked the cattle on Saturday, but today we had a visit from the vet. He was here to do a preg check on all the fall breeding cows. As each one went through the chute, the vet would tell us if they were pregnant and give as an approximate point of how far along they are.

We had 16 cows that needed to be preg checked. Unfortunately, two were open (not pregnant) and one of them was #11, the crazy cow that jumped the fence on Saturday. She jumped it again today. So we don’t know if she is bred or not.
The Farmer is not happy. 🙁  And well he shouldn’t be. This cow knows exactly what to do to get out, and she’s not soon to forget it. Our choices are to build a higher fence, give her lead poison, or wait until she’s too old to jump. We can’t afford to build higher and lead is too scarce, so I guess we’ll just have to wait until she gets too old. 

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Working Cattle

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cow face

Working cattle is always a learning experience, and this year when we worked our herd we learned a lot.

We learned that it pays to be prepared and organized.

As each cow or calf comes through the alley, we have to be prepared with what we are going to do to them. They are all given a fly tag (to ward off flies), treated for lice, grubs and other unwanted parasites, vaccinated against pink eye, and various other infectious viruses, and then weighed. Our calves also get a shot to prevent respiratory problems and blackleg, which can actually wipe out a whole year of calves. Fortunately this disease is preventable with vaccination. So these shots and tags all have to be kept separated and organized.

We learned that sometimes it takes several hands to do one job.

Although the Farmer is very proficient in what he does, he just can’t be in three places at one time. As the cattle go through the alley way someone has to encourage them along, and someone else has to open the sliding gate and shut it behind each cow or calf, and then the Farmer shuts the head chute at just the right moment.

We learned that a 13 year-old farmer’s daughter is not a big enough threat to keep a 1500 lb. cow from going over the fence.

Usually a cow’s moo is worse than their bite, so we had Daughter #5 standing at the top of the gate to ward off any wayward cow that may have gotten a crazy idea of trying an escape while they were in the holding pen. And it worked. Although we had a crazy cow escape (#11), she didn’t go through the gate; she jumped over the fence! Well, she jumped on the fence, it broke, and then she went over. But still the same result. Several years ago we had a similar incident in a sort of make-shift lot that we used to work our cattle in. So when we built our existing lot, we purposefully built it high enough so a cow could not go over (or so we thought until this year). The crazy thing jumped a couple of times and then finally busted through the boards and went right over, like she was a trained horse or something. Whatever…she didn’t get a fly tag so I hope she gets bitten by a great big horse fly!

And the final thing we learned this year is working cattle in the rain is no fun at all!

Although the day started out a little nippy, the sun soon came out and we were plenty warm about a half hour into the process. Unfortunately, the sun was overtaken by some ominous looking rain clouds and it began to pour. It didn’t take long before we were all soaked and covered in mud, which wasn’t too bad because it washed away some of the manure that we were all covered in from working the silly cattle in the first place. They are so uncouth.

cattle shute
Son #4 setting up the scales so we can weigh the cattle. Our largest cow weighed 1550 lbs. and our largest fall calf weighed 732 lbs.

working cattle
Daughter #5 still holding her post after the rain had let up a little. Notice she’s staring down one of the mama cows.

 

 

 

cattle pen
If you look closely, you can see Son #1 and the Farmer separating the spring cows and their babies from the fall calves.

 

 

 

 

 

d9585-storm
All the cows and calves have been separated and will soon be back on the pasture.

Harvesting Cattle

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Farming can be so unstable. No matter what we are doing, the final result is usually out of our hands. Although the Farmer is a very hard worker, everything he does around here depends on the weather, the seasons, or the money 🙂

Last year we informed our beef customers that we would have meat around April or May, but had to push back the date because the calves weren’t gaining quickly enough.

This year we slacked off of weighing them–mostly because it was so wet and we didn’t want to have to swim to the scales. But we went out and weighed them this past weekend and they are ready to go!

We have one topping out at 1200 pounds, which is really the max weight of what we like to get them to. Another one weighed 1,180 pounds, so these two can go to the processors today!

Fortunately, the rest of them are just right, weighing 1,035-1,075 pounds. We have an appointment at the processors set for the end of May and these calves should be ready to harvest at that time. I guess I should give an honorable mention to the two calves that are still in the 900 lb. range. We seem to always have a couple of late bloomers.

So bottom line…we will be taking orders for the next two weeks. If you would like homegrown, naturally raised, grass-fed, grain-finished beef, we’ve got some available.

Take a look at the “Buying Beef” tab at the top of the page (under Enloe Farm) for more information on ordering beef. Or Click >>Here<<

Guilty Motivation

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That Mom-in-law!
That Mom-in-law!
I do not like to walk at all!
Would you, could you walk each day?
Would you walk a mile half way?
Would you walk if I ask nice?
Would you walk if I ask twice?
I could not, would not walk each day.
I could not, would not walk…no way!
Could you, would you, we’ll have fun
Come on, come on, we won’t run!
I could not, would not have much fun.
But call me over when you are done.
We’ll work on the computer or make a card,
But walking two miles is way too hard!

Okay, well that’s my introduction to what I’m writing about, with a nod to my favorite author, Dr. Suess.

For years, my Mother-in-law has been walking 2+ miles a day. No matter what the temperature is outside, she is usually walking—Monday thru Friday. She is very determined to live a long and healthy life, and so far she has succeeded…she was fourscore and six in February.

I, on the other hand, do not consider exercise to be my friend—and it shows. So why would I want to get off my couch, tug on my tennis shoes, go out to walk up and down the road for 2 miles every day?

…because it’s the right thing to do.

The Bible says (eww! I hate it when I find Scripture that points to my sin)…
“To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 1:17

There are many good reasons why I should be walking:

  • It’s good for my circulation

  • It makes my heart stronger

  • It increase my lung capacity

  • I need the discipline

  • Because my Mother-in-law needs a walking partner

  • I need to lose weight

  • To encourage others (maybe)

So these are my motivators. These things give me good reason to tug on my tennis shoes, and walk out the door, and go up and down the road. And these things are important, but I must say, I believe my biggest driving factor is knowing that my walking partner is 30 years my senior, (Oh my! When I write it out it’s even more startling then when I think it!) and if she can do it, then I should be able to…probably…right?

Enloe Farm Is Going Green

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Well we didn’t make it for Earth Day, but we’re still going GREEN!

We’re trading in our blues and we’re going green. That’s right, for over 50 years the only tractor that’s been on this farm has been a Ford or a New Holland  (the company that bought out Ford).

 

 But now we are going John Deere green!johndeere logo

The Farmer Going Green

 

Saying Goodbye to a Tradition

Going Green Looks Pretty Mean!

 
 Got a great deal from Schweissguth Bros. in Dutzow

But they did too…

What do you think of the Farmer’s new toy (oh, I mean necessary farming equipment). 🙂
Click on a pic, if you want to see more detail.

 

 

Old Mother Hubbard

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Just like Old Mother Hubbard, I went to my cupboard and found it getting bare. Except the freezer was my cupboard and looking into it this afternoon reminds me that it’s getting close to calf-selling season again.

At this time of year, our spring calves from the previous year are getting ready to be processed. They’ve gained approximately 800 lbs. since birth on mama’s milk, grass, and grass hay. Because food supply is limited for these calves, they are fed a little bit of grain throughout the winter months. Being time to condition them for processing, we separate our calves into the lot where they are still exposed to fresh green grasses, but their grain intake will increase—no argument that this improves marbling and, in my opinion, the taste of the beef.

However, the great debate over grass-fed beef vs. grain-fed beef always seems to intensify around here when new customers begin to inquire about our beef. There are strong opinions on both sides, but the final call comes down to personal preference.

Our Calves Are Raised Naturally

According to the USDA, naturally raised means that the cattle have been given:

  • No growth promotants
  • No unnecessary antibiotics
  • No animal by-products

 

Our Beef Is Organic

In accordance with USDA Sec. 2105, Sec. 2107, organically produced livestock must meet these qualifications:

  •  Produced without the use of synthetic chemicals
  • Not fed plastic pellets, manure, or feed containing urea
  • Not given growth promoters and hormones
  • Complete traceability (our calves are born and raised here)

 

calf in lot

The beef we sell to our customers is the beef we feed to our children; therefore, the quality of our beef can be completely trusted. Our cattle are not kept in a crowded feedlot, which is a problem with commercial feedlots, nor are they exposed to harmful chemicals and growth stimulants. Because they are our food supply, too, we take care that our cattle remain healthy in a very humane environment.

If you would like more information on buying beef from us, go to the Enloe Farm Beef tab.

Dash and Flash Meals for the Farmer

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If you know me at all, then you probably know that I’m not a big plan-ahead person. Daughter #1 enlightened me on the reason recently, by reminding me that I was born on the biggest procrastinating day in US history—April 15 (tax day, in case you live under a rock). At any rate, this gift of procrastination is manifested in just about every area of my life, but the most noticeable area would be in supper preparation.
The Farmer gets home around 4:30 every evening (for the past 35+ years), and being the hard working, over achieving, workaholic that he is, he’s usually starving by the time he hits the door, wraps me in his arms, and tells me what a great wife I am! (hee, hee)
Of course, being the perfect wife, I have supper timed so that he still has just enough time to check cows, move them to another paddock, and feed the bull (which I’m sure he doesn’t give a thought to how much effort I put into this notable achievement).
So, you may be wondering how the queen of procrastination can accomplish such a feat (maybe not, but read on anyway).
First of all I have a freezer full of frozen beef—frozen being a key word here. I keep staples aplenty like potatoes, canned vegetables, flour, and seasonings. And that’s really all I need; oh, and soda.
The procrastinating attribute comes to light when the Farmer calls to let me know he is on his way home from work, which gives me a full 40 minutes to prepare supper. Not too bad, if he calls when he leaves work, but more often than I like, he gets busy on the phone with someone else before he can call me. Often I have received a 20-minute warning, or worse yet, a 10-minute warning! (yeah, well supper isn’t always on the table).

Well, I have become a master of Dash and Flash Meals.

Translated—putting together a delicious meal super fast!
Hamburgers and fries are probably the easiest, because when we get our beef processed I have a lot of my hamburger made into patties.
So, I scrub a few potatoes, cut them into steak fries, and soak them in vegetable oil that’s been brought to a boil (saw this on FoodNetwork).
Then I get the hamburger patties out of the freezer, throw them into the microwave for 2 minutes, break them apart, and throw them into the skillet. (I’m about 10 minutes in at this point)
When the hamburgers are almost done, I turn the fries on high temp. And magically my hamburgers and fries get finished right before The Farmer comes in for supper.
Spaghetti is another really quick meal. I again start with frozen hamburger, peel off the outside plastic, and throw it into the microwave for 3 minutes. It comes out ready to crumble into a skillet. It only takes about 5 minutes to brown at a high temp, so I put my water on to boil during this process. After the hamburger is browned and drained, I add seasonings, tomato sauce and parmesan, and simmer this until the spaghetti noodles are cooked. I usually fix biscuits (canned of course), garlic bread, or just butter bread with this.
Both of these meals can be cooked in about 20 minutes. As I was writing this, I thought of other Dash and Flash dishes that I make.
  1.       Beef and noodles
  2.       Chili (made from left-over pinto beans)
  3.       Cowboy Supper (made with beef, beans, and bbq sauce)
  4.       Tacos
  5.       Chicken Quesadillas
  6.       Sausage hash
  7.       Steak and baked potatoes (baked meaning microwaved)
  8.       Swiss steak burgers
  9.       Chef’s salad
10.       Frozen pizza J
What about you? Do you have any Dash and Flash meals that you make? Share it with the rest of us and maybe we can exchange recipes.

 

Today Is My Birthday!

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Cindra as a baby

 

Today is my 53rd birthday!

Really!? Really!?

How could that be possible? How could five decades pass and me not even realize? How could I have gone through childhood, adulthood, parenthood, grandparenthood! And not notice that time was passing so quickly?

Fifty-three years…hmm.

Wasn’t it just a few years ago that I was a fat little roly-poly waddling down the sidewalk? Fortunately, this memory was recorded for me on a movie reel (Anyone remember those?).

And hasn’t it been just a short time ago that we were going on family camping trips? It’s not been so long ago, in my recollection, that our cousins would come to visit and we would play hide and seek in the dark (another game my children think they created).

I’m sure it was just a few summers back that we had family and friends over to swim, played tag in the cemetery, enjoyed spending summer vacations with grandparents and cousins, or rode our Shetland ponies (although I can’t remember if they were ours or Grandpa George’s).

Oh…some of the memories flood back as I write this, and for those who read this and shared some of the experiences, you will recall things like: Alley Springs, walking to the movies, the bowling alley, steal-the-flag, our old red dog, Butch, and hasn’t everyone had a dog named Blackie? There were carnival rides, basketball games, drive-in movies, cheerleader tryouts (didn’t make it), snowball fights, and long trips to Winona. Rock collections, bug collections, catching lightening bugs in the summer. Oh! and tying strings around the legs of a June bug and hanging on to it while it flew around.

As a teen I remember getting a curling iron and trying to curl wet hair. Does anyone remember Psst! I think that’s what it was. You sprayed it on your hair if you didn’t have time to wash it. It was like powder on your hair (eek!) Long hair, ponytails, and bell-bottoms.

And wasn’t it just yesterday that The Farmer and I were married, and experiencing the trials and triumphs that come with a new family? Well, the reality of having children grown and married and having children of their own brings me back to the possibility that maybe more time has passed than I have realized.

Although the calendar records that I have had approximately 19,345 days on the earth, I still can’t believe it, because they have passed by all too quickly.

And looking at the clock I see that even more time has passed, so I’m going to end this walk down memory lane before another birthday passes me by completely.

 

 

graffiti
dreamstime.com

 

 

The Final Tally

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The best thing about spring is seeing all the signs of the new life that is beginning to appear at this time of year.

Seeing the grass sprouting up through the cold ground, the new blossoms on the trees, the soft sounds of the wind, the chirping of the birds, the warmth of the sunshine—I could almost burst out into song! (You should be thankful there is no sound) 🙂

 

One of the greatest things about living on the farm is being able to see our calves being born. Unfortunately, three of our heifers did not
calf this spring so we are down from what we had expected. The birthing season has ended and we only have nine calves.

 

Although it was not the number we were expecting, we had a successful season. A couple of our calves were born during the frigid weather when winter would not turn loose of spring, and at times we wondered if they were going to make it. Seeing a brand new, wet, cold, shaking baby calf fall to the ground of a snow covered field is at times unsettling. However, the fortitude those babies have are nothing less than miraculous! It doesn’t take them long to nuzzle up to mamma and warm their little bodies.

 

Often the baby calves huddle together when laying out in the field. I tried to sneak up on them to take a picture, but they were too quick for me. As soon as they saw me coming they started getting up.

 

calves in the field

 

calves in the field
Oh well, I’ll get a closer picture next time. Once it gets a little hotter,
they won’t be so quick to jump up.

Spring Has Sprung!

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During the winter months, we contain our cattle in one or two of our back paddocks to make it easier to feed hay and to keep all our other fields from being tromped to pieces…you can imagine what a herd of 1200-pound cows would do in a soft, wet field.

Today it seems that the cold, snowy weather of the past few weeks are finally disappearing. Standing outside and looking out over the fields, I can almost see the grass growing. The smells, the sounds, and all the sights that come with a new spring are beginning to appear.

One of the first signs that spring has sprung, in our little world, is being able to open the gates and allowing our cattle to graze on the cool, green grasses of a fresh new paddock. I have to say, the cows seem pretty excited, too. 
It is quite funny to watch them crowd through the gate and run and frolic in the new field. (yeah…frolic!) I will have to post a video some time. 🙂
 
Looks like they had a belly-full 
cows under a blue sky
…and laying around in the sunshine
5laying around
Of course, they have to get up to see what I am doing

1Belly full

 

Fortunately,
for now, they are off the hay and onto the pastures. 
 
Now, like all farmers
throughout the ages, we will be praying for rain, sunshine, and a profitable harvest!

Missouri Weather

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We went into winter 2012 with just enough hay (fingers crossed) to make it until Spring. Well, as many know, Missouri’s weather is very fickle. In fact, rightly quoted…

“If you don’t like the weather in Missouri, hang around until tomorrow and it will be different”. 

True to its nature, March came in like a lion with strong winds and an illusion to warmer weather, but took an erratic turn when a spattering of sleet was covered by 8” of snow.

We could use a little global warming right about now!

Needless to say, we did not have enough hay. Fortunately, with a quick search on craigslist we found hay for sale at the Koch Farm in Washington. Looks like a great place to live. They have a farm that runs 100+ head of cattle, no more than 5 minutes from McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, and Schnucks! Some people have it all. 🙂 (Ahh…I pleasantly digress)

You can see by the pictures below that we got the hay just in time.

round bales of hay

  Saturday, when I took the pictures of the Farmer unloading the hay, it was 50+ degrees.

And then the snow came in and covered everything in sight!

calf born in snow storm

 

Well, for now we have enough hay for about a week…

So, Old Man Winter, please get out of the way so Spring can be Sprung!

The Skillet Scuffle

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 “Iron sharpeneth iron;

so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

Proverbs 27:17

My oldest daughter is a minimalist, which means she loves to throw out perfectly good items just because she doesn’t use them every day or week or month. Every once in awhile she runs out of things to throw out at her house, so I allow her to come to my house and throw away some things to “help” me with my trouble spots.

Last week when she came up, I decided I needed some help with my skillet shuffle. You see, my skillets live in my oven. Unfortunately, when I use my oven the skillets are asked to vacate the premises until things cool down. So they reside on the counter tops, but can be an eyesore when company is present. I can contain them all neatly in a corner, until we have the whole family over for Thanksgiving, at that time we need every inch of counter property available. At this point, the skillets are banned to the back deck until the company has evacuated the premises—usually…one year I left them out there for several days, because I hadn’t missed them (should have been a clue) J

This weekend Daughter #1 (April) and I decided to rearrange and clean out my kitchen so it would be practically “self-cleaning”. Her theory is if you have less stuff in your house you’ll have less stuff to clean up and put away…nice theory. Deciding to do a post on Spring-cleaning, I had Daughter #2 (Miranda) take notes so I could write about it later. She did such an accurate job, I decided to post her notes as she had written them (although I do believe she took some liberties in her writing style). J

 

Step-by-Step Kitchen Collaboration

 

1:51…Took before pics

1:54…Made phone call

1:56…Started cleaning

1:57…Actually started cleaning

1:58…Mom has 7 skillets and April thinks she only needs 2

2:00…Mom decides to keep 4 skillets, but needs all her pots

2:04…Finally decided to get rid of 1 of her 7 pots.

2:06…Skillets are removed permanently from the oven and stored …wait they won’t fit

2:07…Another skillet bites the dust

2:10… April strongly expressing that pots need room to breathe, so the pots or skillets have to go

2:14…Down to 2 iron skillets, 1 large skillet with a lid, and 1 small skillet for eggs

2:15…Another skillet gone, April convinces Mom that she can use her iron skillet for fried eggs, but stores the small Teflon skillet in case she changes her mind

2:19… Mom looking for multiple storing places to put her skillets while April refuses and insists she can shove them all into one place

2:20… Still arguing over skillets

2:21…April realizes she has nowhere else to go with the rest of the skillets so she gives in to Mom’s warming drawer idea (where Mom had some of the skillets stored already)

2:25…Now that the skillets are secured, the pots resurface

2:27…After 36 grueling minutes the pots and skillets are finally put away. Although they are racially mixed to the horror of my Mother (stainless steel with non-stick), but none in the oven

2:28…On to the pans and cookie sheets. Hindsight bias leads me to believe this will not be easy

pans on kitchen counter

2:32…It took four painstaking minutes to take “just the right picture” of them and the pans

2:33…Mom threw something away she has probably never used and if she had, people would need a tetanus shot after eating off it

2:35…It is really sinking into me why, as a psych student, I need therapy before I can help others

2:38…On to mixing bowls and big thighs (genetic?)

2:40…Mom’s “ADHD” is starting to take over as April pleads for her to just deal with the mixing bowls before they move on

2:44…After reading what I have recorded so far for this blog, Mom is talking of starting another one, 3 blogs obviously aren’t enough to contain everything that’s in her thought processes

2:45…On to pie plates while the mixing bowls ar

2:46…April pulled out a pan again… I started to get scared that we had just taken a giant leap backwards

2:48…It’s discovered that Dad can’t take glass to work. He is forced to use plastic, thus sending the environment to its death

2:49…I don’t know what they are arguing about now but I heard chocolate chips

2:50…April is obsessed with lids and against Secret Sisters

2:53…Mom needs more storage and April needs more trash bags

2:54…Mom’s Chinese takeout container obsession is revealedChinese bowls on crowded counter

2:56…On to glasses while the bowls are still sitting on the counter

2:57…Realization that April is against a lot of church related programs and Mom is shockingly shorter than we thought. On a positive note…the bowls are finally finding a place to call home

3:03…The girls need to be picked up, and Mom fears she can’t leave April in the kitchen alone

3:04…Mom finally throws away a silverware holder piece from her old dishwasher. Hmmm…

3:05…I am badgered about whether I want plastic or glass cups for my children to drink out of when we are all over here at the same time

3:07…Amazon called and yes, we are happy with their service

3:08…A coffee cup reminds my mother of my grandfather. Huh, I don’t see the resemblance.

3:10…Still on cups

3:11…Arguing over cups and the Secret Sis thing takes another hit from April….I see a pattern

3:13…I am losing interest, and I didn’t have much to begin with

3:15…Mom got rid of three coffee cups, four cups, now five cups, six cups, no seven…April is taking two of them home.

3:16…They are trying to draw me into their sick game

3:17…I’ve been sucked in!!! They draw you in with their refusal to throw away what is clearly trash, from off the counter!

3:18…Mom leaves to pick up the girls while April stays behind and finishes the kitchen, cursing under her breath as she liberally throws everything else away.

clean kitchen

Hee..Hee! 🙂 …Well the end result was worth the toil and trouble of going through all my cabinets and drawers. As far as a “self-cleaning” kitchen…I decided that there isn’t such a creature. However, April is right, I still have to wash things and put them away, but there’s less mess which leads to less clean up! Thanks girls…

So what projects are you doing for Spring-cleaning? I still need to go through my recipe books. Wait! I hope April didn’t get to them while I was gone. J