INCH BY INCH: THIS BEAUTIFUL CREATURE STROLLED ACROSS OUR PATH LAST WEEKEND, In no rush, and full of purpose.
posted on
September 19, 2014
INCH BY INCH
THIS BEAUTIFUL CREATURE STROLLED ACROSS OUR PATH LAST WEEKEND,
In no rush, and full of purpose.
If only we knew how to make haste slowly, like this noble being. On the farm, we typically deal with 1200 lb cows and 100 lb ewes, who are in such contrast to this tiny wonder. He is just as significant in the grand scheme. He is a reminder that we are all connected, we each travel at our own pace, and we had better not forget those who are invisible.
IIn the past week, we have brought steers and ewes & lambs into paddocks to feed them haylage (fermented grass hay) until we receive some rain, and pastures begin to regrow. We have probably received no more than 3 inches of rain over the past 3 months, which has brought growth of pastures to a near halt. When the rains arrive, we should be poised to benefit, as 200 acres of pasture have been limed and fertilized, with chicken manure, during the past several months, at the rate of two tons per acre of each.
The patriarch of a family friend over several generations passed away recently, so this past week we prepared a meal for 30 guests the night before the memorial service . We roasted 4 legs of lamb and numerous lamb chops, which were accompanied by great local vegetables and salads. Everybody was so appreciative, which is yet another testimony to the hunger for real food in our culture.
In similar vein, we listened to moving testimony on Sunday, at the farmers market, from a woman who has struggled with increasingly acute asthma all of her life. It had become debilitating, despite intensive treatment with pharmaceuticals. The one antidote she has found to relieve the affliction is raw, grassfed beef liver! Consumption thereof has enabled her to lead a normal life. We were deeply gratified to be able to provide her with clean beef liver to meet the need.
Isn't that amazing? When we return to consuming basic traditional foods, such as our grandparents ate, we regain our health. The industrial food system has provided food that is cheap in price but expensive in health. Farmers like us are providing an alternative, inch by inch, and are very grateful for your support, which makes the enormous effort possible.
The fall edition of Edible Ohio includes an article on Grassroots Farm on page 46. http://onlinedigeditions.com/p... It also includes an article on Kip Kummerle's Grassland Graze and their great farmstore in West Chester. Edible Ohio does an excellent job of featuring local farmers. We advertised in it for a year, but could see no direct return, so dropped the investment. But we may have to reconsider, given all it does for the local food movement.
We will not be attending the Hyde Park Farmer's Market this weekend, because of my niece's wedding in North Carolina. I don't know if this ever happened to you, but she did not consult her uncle's schedule before deciding when to be married, nor did my son last summer. It appears all we can do is submit, support, and celebrate, which is worthy in itself.