End of the Grazing Season

It’s a fine line determining when to send the cattle home after the spring and summer of grazing. Too soon and the cattle miss out on some good grass and we miss out on some additional weight gain. Too late and early snows could make it hard to move them out. The last two years have been dry and without irrigation water so that adds to the challenge. 

Three weeks ago we moved the cattle to fresh pasture on the west side of our place which had not been grazed for several years. We had planned to move them sooner but discovered some heavy fence damage in the northwest corner from the windstorm last November. Two huge spruce trees had blown down, one on the fence line and the other in the opposite direction lifting the fence up out of the ground. It was impossible to get any equipment to the location so the only option was to hand carry in a chain saw and some minor fencing supplies. After several hours of work and a unique repair job, the fence was cattle tight again.

While the grass was holding up well, last week’s weather report looked concerning with temperatures dropping in the low to mid 20s. Precipitation was a possibility so we made the decision to herd them back to the corrals and call the owners. Everything went smoothly and last Thursday afternoon, the trailer pulled out loaded with the cattle. Three of the heifers are bred and will join the main cow/calf herd, two steers and one heifer are destined for the freezer and ole’ Red will be retired from calf raising. The calf on her will be her last but because she is a favorite she will remain on the owner’s ranch for the rest of her life. Not a bad deal for a cow.

I spent the rest of the afternoon pumping down stock water tanks and turning them over for the winter, coiling up hoses and electric cords and taking down temporary electric fencing we use to manage the grazing areas. I’ve never done this before because we have always had our horses remaining after the cattle had left. That changed the end of June when we put Mandy, our last horse, to sleep. Now the pasture is empty, the corrals are empty and a part of my heart is empty. 

From Fleur Creek Farm

Fall Colors

I thought you might enjoy some photos of the spectacular display of fall colors we are enjoying. 

And here is Don feeding the local wild turkey flock. Mom and her brood stop by almost every morning. The youngsters were small fluff balls when they first showed up. Now they are nearly as large as their mother.  The flock will disappear when the snow gets too deep and head to a lower elevation.

From Fleur Creek Farm

Change of seasons

Last weekend ushered in the change of seasons as the earth shifted her balance from summer to fall. We spent the final day of summer engaged in activities that seemed appropriate – putting up more garden harvest, hauling and stacking more firewood, and putting away equipment we no longer need this season. 

We have never expected to grow all our food here. At this elevation it would be a nearly impossible task. But we do have some successes. The garlic and onion harvests are complete and dried and will supply all our needs for the coming year. 

As they ripen I’m roasting and freezing the summer squash, tomato and sweet peppers. We’ll have a good supply in the freezer but certainly not enough to get to next year’s crop. 

I tried winter squashes again this year without much luck. The plants took up half of our small greenhouse with the foliage but only produced about ten pounds of squash. Those are cured and stored. I don’t think I’ll try winter squash again – the nighttime temperatures here are just too cold to set fruit.

Both of our herbal gardens were very productive so we will have a great supply of both dried culinary herbs and extracts of medicinal herbs.

On Saturday, the first day of fall, we decided a short, scenic drive was in order. After considering a couple of destinations we settled on the little town of LaVeta mostly because we knew the back roads leading there would be a riot of fall colors and because we hadn’t been to LaVeta in years. We weren’t disappointed. The colors were stunning on Pass Creek Pass and LaVeta Pass (both over 9000’) and LaVeta has a great little deli with incredible sandwiches. It was a great way to welcome the autumnal equinox where for just a moment, the earth is in balance.

From Fleur Creek Farm

 

Fall is Near

The calendar may say its early September but nature says fall is near. I can feel it the moment I step out the door in the morning as the thermometer hovers in the low 40s. Later this week the weatherman is forecasting 37 degrees. 

But is more than just the temperature. Everything is preparing for the change of the seasons. Our hummingbird feeder still hangs but only a few female broad-tailed hummers remain. Around us the cottonwoods and aspens are already changing, probably 2 – 3 weeks early. Aspens at high elevations are in full color. The deer families are joining with others in preparation for the fall mating season. 

Our early morning walk always includes some yoga poses before heading home. Until lately, it was a time of peace and quiet. Now it is filled with the haunting sounds of the bull elk calling a challenge to others in the woods. 

We watch the creatures of the forest - chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits and more – scurrying about with the collection of food stores for winter. It reminds me that we too need to finish our collection of wood and food. 

Fall is usually a wonderful time as the summer monsoon season gives way to dry warm days and cool nights. But this summer was another dry one and drought conditions persist. We hope and pray that this fall and winter will bring great quantities of snow. The weather forecast is promising. 

In the meantime, we’ll follow our forest neighbor’s example and prepare. Fall is near.

From Fleur Creek Farm

The orchard comes of age

We’ve always been surprised that in spite of the fact that our place was an 1880 homestead, there were no fruit trees. Most of the old homesteads in the area, even ones where the buildings had fallen down decades ago, had old, gnarled apple trees still standing.

So in 2004, Don started our little orchard by planting a Bali cherry tree. The Bali cherry was originally discovered in Alberta, Canada, later propagated by Saint Lawrence Nursery in upstate New York and named for the nursery’s daughter, Bali. Bali’s are hardy to 50 below and their fruit buds are hardy to 40 below so we thought it would be the perfect cherry tree for our location at 8000’ elevation. While our temperatures rarely reach those lows, we do suffer through cold, dry conditions so it was still a guess if Bali would survive and produce fruit here.  But survive and produce she has starting in her second year. Each year, if we outsmart the birds and raccoons, we get a nice crop which we freeze and enjoy all winter.

After some research, Don identified the best apple tree prospects for our location and added three varieties – Sweet Sixteen, State Fair, and Haralred – later in 2004. While the trees grew well, they rarely produced blossoms  much less fruit. We read everything we could get our hands on about apple trees, asked everyone we could think of to try and figure out what might be the problem. We added supplements, watered religiously, talked to them, wassailed them in January – anything but still no luck. We had about resigned ourselves to the realization that our location just was out of the range of apples when this spring all three trees burst into full bloom in early May. As is often the case here, we were promptly hit with a week of evening temperatures dropping below freezing including a couple of nights down to 28 degrees. We held our breath and hoped that the blossoms would survive even though all the books said that would wipe out 80 – 90% of the fruit production for that year. Miraculously the apples are bearing fruit and in fact the most fruit we have ever had. 

This year Don began a much more intense care of the fruit trees following the guidance of Michael Phillips’ newest book, The Holistic Orchard: Tree Fruits and Berries the Biological Way. As the book title implies, the approach is holistic and takes into account all the aspects of growth and production. It reminds the orchardist that trees prefer to grow on the forest edge, in close proximity to over-story and under-story species, and nurtured by soil that is teeming with life and provides all the nutrients necessary for survival.

Don’s program includes bi-weekly foliar spraying with various concoctions of kelp, neem, and teas brewed with comfrey, horsetail, garlic, and chamomile depending on the time of the season.  To enrich the soils he surrounds each tree twice per season with a thick layer of compost and deciduous wood chips which feed the soil organisms and in turn helps the tree roots to take-up nutrients from the soil. Rather than an organized orchard, ours looks more like a wildland area with other plants incorporated throughout that benefit the fruit trees by attracting beneficial insects and bringing up deep nutrients to the surface where the fruit tree roots can reach them.

It’s hard to say whether the warmer winter allowed the fruit trees to progress to production or whether Don’s extra care is making the difference or maybe a combination of both. Whatever the case, the orchard has finally come of age. In more moderate climates this probably would have happened years ago but at 8000 foot elevation, it took 8 years.

We still face many challenges with our orchard from weather to the “locals” – birds, raccoons, deer, bears and more. Already this year the raccoons got to the last of the cherries before we did and we will have to alter our fencing design to thwart them in the future. We’ll work on the plan this winter as we enjoy cherry crisps from our frozen stash and warm, cooked apples for breakfast. 

From Fleur Creek Farm

It was time to say goodbye

We knew this day was coming. Her arthritic knees were making it difficult for Mandy, our remaining horse, to get around comfortably. As each month passed she was spending more time in the barn and less time out grazing. She was no longer able to lay down to rest.

A year ago April, Mandy lost her three equine family members. At the time, I asked her to stay – my grief was too great to endure another loss then. We promised ourselves and Mandy that we would watch her carefully and when the time came, we would let her go. 

Three weeks ago, we knew it was time to say goodbye. I have always felt it is our responsibility to care for the animals we bring into our lives from the beginning through the end. Animals can not look past pain and suffering – that is only a human trait. It is our duty to make sure they do not have to endure too much of that.

We spent the morning with Mandy, brushing her and telling how much she meant to us. I told her that her brothers and father were waiting for her. Then I made a most difficult call to a compassionate friend who came quickly. Later that afternoon, a wonderful neighbor came by and buried her in the graveyard with the rest of our cherished horses. 

This loss is the most difficult one yet. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss her. The barn and pasture seem so empty without horses. Horses have been a continuous part of my life for nearly fifty years but I can tell that it is time to move on. I don’t plan on getting any more.  We are slowing working our way through our horse supplies and equipment. This is so much like going through the closet of a deceased family member. Some items we are giving to others, some we are selling. 

I am at peace with our decision. Mandy has escaped the constraints of her aging body and has reunited with her family members – probably at a full gallop. Thank you Mandy for remaining behind for a little while for us. 

From Fleur Creek Farm

Simple pleasures on the Homestead

It's been snowing since yesterday morning, blanketing the earth with a beautiful layer of snow. After some decent storms in early October and late November, our winter has turned balmy. I am relieved to see this snow and hope for much more.

Winter in the high country limits our time outside so we focus on some simple indoor pleasures. I skipped the "coffee thing" for my first five decades but my sister got me hooked recently and now I enjoy lattes. Initially we made a little pot of coffee with our Mr. Coffee, added some almond milk and called it latte. But it just wasn't the same as the ones she produced on her microwave-sized espresso machine so we started searching for a simple espresso maker. After spending the last few years replacing all our aluminum cookware we weren't about to brew acidic espresso in one made of aluminum so we narrowed our search to a stainless steel version.

Thanks to the internet we found Kontessa, a darling 4 shot stovetop espresso maker from Italy. A couple of times a week, we fire up Kontessa on the top of our wood cookstove and enjoy a cup. To make the moment even more special, my sister sent us two handmade espresso cups from the Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe. With a little warmed almond milk and a quick whiz in the Vita-Mix and we have achieved near perfection - at least the homestead version.

After a new snow, I love to head out on snowshoes to see what animals are around. After the last snow, we found the tracks of a mountain lion in our wetlands and crossing the road just west of our barn. The lion passed by an area where several elk had bedded down. I can hardly wait to get out tomorrow and see who has been out and about.





From Fleur Creek Farm