A new member in the family

Today a new member of the farm family was born! Star is a beautiful baby girl calf with a star shape on her forehead. She was born this morning around 9am and is SUPER cute.

Russell playing in the fairy circle…

 

 

The new baby:

The ducks paying their respects

First steps!

Last week of September

Saturday: Little Mica's Birthday Party

 Monday

Tragedy struck today just after I had successfully milked the cow. (Carnation) As I pulled the last pull on her teat, she stepped forward and put her foot into the bucket, spoiling all the milk. I must admit that I almost cried with disappointment! But so one learns I suppose.  From now on I’ll always pour out the milk halfway to make sure that at least some gets saved if something was to happen!

With regards to Surprise, our pre-mature lamb, he is getting much, much stronger and healthier. He even had the energy for a game of catch on the grass today!

I’m starting to feel increasingly like Mary as he follows me around…

 

Today we did a lot of planting and weeding in the winter garden. This is my friend Laura, hard at work!

Russell in the barn; Today was another day of installing the solar panels

Elsje had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb...

Elsje had a little lamb, his fleece was white as snow...

Things to do at Woodcrest

I know I've probably said this many times on this blog, but wow. Just a quick post cos I'm knackered. Below are some of the things we've been doing on and around Woodcrest farm. A big highlight has  been doing some blacksmithery. I made a hook, ah yeah. 

Catching chickens

Making perches for the chicken coops

Russell and tractor

Our extended WWOOFer family - Allan and Christine are at the back

Learning to be a Blacksmith on Woodcrest farm:

Banging away on some metal

Allan's son and young Eligh

More banging...

Still banging...

One of the portable forges

...and the finished product.

 Lazy Sundays...

Walking the dogs

Exploring the farm

Woodcrest Farm 1

The wonderful family we stayed with on our last night in Asheville.

    

Farm life is really making me realise how unfit I am!

I spent the whole of today mulching with some other wonderful wwoofing people.

Mulching as far as I understand it, is basically the process of spreading plastic or some other material over the surface of the soil as a covering. It is used to retain moisture in the soil, suppress weeds, keep the soil cool and make the garden bed look more attractive. Organic mulches also help improve the soil’s fertility, as they decompose.  Today we were getting rid of the biodegradable plastic coverings for the organically grown veggies and then tilling the ground to prepare it for the next crop. I realised very quickly that organic crop land is FULL of spiders, snakes, all kinds of creepy crawlies and frogs. There is therefore no time to be finicky!

My boot was bitten by a copperhead snake (Thank goodness it wasn’t my leg!) and a Black Widow spider jumped on my hand (I was wearing working gloves, so no harm done!) I saw 5 more Black Widows after that, but learnt quickly to be careful with mulching about.

Russell spent the day helping Allan (the owner of the farm) to start installing the solar panels on the house.

Over-all we are absolutely loving the experience of being here. It is an adaptation, living with such a big family (we are 11 people at the moment) but we are really liking the people and the wonderful atmosphere of this place. I have a feeling we are going to learn a lot!

"Surprise" the premature orphan lamb with 6 year old Mica

This is the room Russell and I are going to stay in for the next couple of months: (Please notice the fireplace!) I took these early this morning when it was still quite dark; the light is that which is coming in through the window...

 The farm and its inhabitants:

The beginnings of the winter garden

May the mule

Feeding Surprise

Fiona, due to give birth any day now

Russ hard at work (Russell: Look Dad! Scaffolding!)

Tucker

Pulling plastic out

All the produce we salvaged before ploughing

Oh yes, this is me. Driving a tractor is easier than I thought!

Time to go home