My computer crashed - a bad one! The operating system had to be reloaded, and anyone who has gone through that knows what that means. All of my software had to be reloaded as well, my internet bookmarks are gone, all of my personal settings in programs had to be redone. Outlook is really a bear to work with, and I estimate that it took about 15 hours in total to get it installed and running correctly. Fortunately, all of my data was saved onto a different drive, so I was able to recover everything. I use my email like a humongous filing cabinet, maybe not such a good idea, but very handy.
I am in the process of reloading my camera software as I write this so that I can upload some new pics, including one of our new little bull, Roscoe!
So you will be hearing from me again soon. Here are a few things that I will be covering in the near future.
Small farmers - you will meet two families who have small spreads and are making the most of them.
Low carbohydrate diets - what has worked for me, and what might work for you.
Update on the raw milk wars in Indiana - I am meeting with several local Amish farmers this morning who are considering giving up their cow share programs due to harassment on the part of government officials who are "protecting" the health of their customers.
Until next time - which will be soon.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
May she rest in peace . . .
Tiny came to me in the second batch of chicks. I could tell by about the third day that she wasn't quite right. She fell behind in growth, and by the time the nine little chicks were two weeks old, she was about half the size of the others.
I brought her in the house, but she was very lonesome and was only happy when she was on my lap. I finally took her back to the barn. It was very unusual that the bigger chicks didn't bother her or pick on her. The pecking order is no joke, it is fact. But they were rather careful of her, or as careful as chickens can be.
The little chicks, being three weeks younger than the first batch, were kept in a smaller pen inside the big pen, and Tiny did just fine. One time she got out of the pen, and I found her crouched in a corner, but still okay, none of the bigger birds picking on her. Anyone who has had chickens will tell you that such behavior on the part of the older chicks is just short of miraculous.
A few days ago, she got caught in some netting, and I thought she was a goner. But I picked her up and held her for a few minutes. In no time, she was back on her feet.
And speaking of her feet, her little body, small as it was, seemed to be a bit much for her feet and legs, and she spent most of her time sitting down, sometimes in the food tray. Every now and then her head would jerk around. There were neurological problems. I knew she didn't have long for this world. Every time I went out to feed them, I would be so happy to see her, still going, still picking at her food, still being respected by the other chicks.
This afternoon I found her dead in the middle of the small pen. It was a peaceful death, I think, because there were no marks on her. She wasn't caught up in netting or pushed into a corner. She was still warm when I picked her up.
I do not bury my chickens. They go into the compost heap. It is different with this little chick. Tiny is in her own little grave in the middle of my herb garden, the spot marked by three small rocks.
Tiny, this courageous chick, lived from June 21, 2010 to August 9, 2010. I think it was a good life. May she rest in peace.
I brought her in the house, but she was very lonesome and was only happy when she was on my lap. I finally took her back to the barn. It was very unusual that the bigger chicks didn't bother her or pick on her. The pecking order is no joke, it is fact. But they were rather careful of her, or as careful as chickens can be.
The little chicks, being three weeks younger than the first batch, were kept in a smaller pen inside the big pen, and Tiny did just fine. One time she got out of the pen, and I found her crouched in a corner, but still okay, none of the bigger birds picking on her. Anyone who has had chickens will tell you that such behavior on the part of the older chicks is just short of miraculous.
A few days ago, she got caught in some netting, and I thought she was a goner. But I picked her up and held her for a few minutes. In no time, she was back on her feet.
And speaking of her feet, her little body, small as it was, seemed to be a bit much for her feet and legs, and she spent most of her time sitting down, sometimes in the food tray. Every now and then her head would jerk around. There were neurological problems. I knew she didn't have long for this world. Every time I went out to feed them, I would be so happy to see her, still going, still picking at her food, still being respected by the other chicks.
This afternoon I found her dead in the middle of the small pen. It was a peaceful death, I think, because there were no marks on her. She wasn't caught up in netting or pushed into a corner. She was still warm when I picked her up.
I do not bury my chickens. They go into the compost heap. It is different with this little chick. Tiny is in her own little grave in the middle of my herb garden, the spot marked by three small rocks.
Tiny, this courageous chick, lived from June 21, 2010 to August 9, 2010. I think it was a good life. May she rest in peace.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Busy time!
This past week has been very busy. I met a new friend at a raw milk conference in Madison, WI last spring, and he asked if he could come out to the farm to learn to make cheese. Bernie lives in Milwaukee, and that is a long trip for a cheese making class, but I said, "Sure, why not?"
One of our shareholders has a lot of excess milk, and he said he would contribute it to a cheese making class if I would have one, so Sunday it was. Bernie arrived Saturday evening, and we started with his lessons right away. I decanted a quart of kefir and showed him how to make a new start before we turned in for the night.
Sunday morning, we checked our kefir and he saw just how easy that is. Then we moved on to yogurt. Although I am a fan of raw milk, I do heat the milk to 180º and hold it there for five minutes, because I make Bulgarian yogurt, which is really the best, in my opinion. And if I want to preserve the Bulgarian strain, then it is important to kill off any other bacteria in the milk before making it. So we got that mixed up and put into the yogurt maker before the other guests arrived for the Cheddar making workshop.
About 1 p.m., we got started making Cheddar. There is a lot of "wait" time while making hard cheese, so in one of those times, I showed the group how to make sweet cream butter. The participants all got to help press the water out of the finished butter, which assures that the butter will stay fresh a bit longer. Leaving any buttermilk in the butter contributes to it going rancid, so it's an important step. Even if one is very careful about washing the butter, sweet cream butter is only good for a few days. Culturing the butter makes it last a couple of weeks, but we didn't have any cultured cream to work with.
One of the by-products of cheese making is whey. If you heat whey to 200º within two hours of draining the curds while making cheese, then add some vinegar to precipitate out the remaining curds, then drain it through some butter muslin, the end product is ricotta cheese. It is so good! One of the shareholders turned me on to adding some cacao nibs and fermented walnuts to a bowl of ricotta. For us "low carbers," it is a dessert made in heaven! I can pretend I'm having a chocolate sundae, with just a tiny bit of carbohydrates. (I'll be talking about my low carb diet in another post soon.)
I showed everyone the cheddaring process - yes, that is what makes Cheddar cheese Cheddar cheese! - and then I got some help with my least favorite thing to do when making Cheddar. This lump of cheddared curds has to be cut into tiny slices, which is tedious at best. But with five of us there, it was short work. Then these slices were tossed with salt and packed into the mold. The mold full of curds went into the press, and the bulk of the work was done.
All of the guests but Bernie left at that point. No sense watching a cheese press for twelve hours, hey? But Bernie and I weren't done. Now we got some cottage cheese started. I make mine the old fashioned way, using no rennet to set up the curd. So that means it has to sit for at least 20 hours after heating the milk to 70º and adding some special bacteria to it. We got that going and turned in for the night.
Monday we enjoyed another farm breakfast of bacon and eggs (no toast - that low carb thing), while Bernie chided me for drinking coffee and I chided him for drinking water out of a plastic bottle. We foodies do tend to get a bit carried away at times! I showed Bernie around the farm - first chance we had to do that - then he tended to his consulting business (lap tops and cell phones make portable offices) and I took care of emails and other farm duties. After lunch, we finished the cottage cheese. Then Bernie asked, "What next?'
Okay, what next? I decided to make paneer, an Indian cheese that is pretty quick start to finish. So we got that done and pressed it lightly. For supper that night, we had Saag Paneer, a very tasty Indian dish made with cubed paneer sauteed in butter with onions, and then spiced with cumin and curry powder. Saag - better known as spinach - is then added, but I don't have any in my garden, so we did kale instead. Very tasty! So I guess we had Kale Paneer, didn't we?
I hope Bernie enjoyed his dairy product marathon! I sent him home with samples of most of what we had made. In a couple of days, he learned first hand how to make butter, kefir, yogurt, ricotta, cottage cheese, Cheddar and paneer. That should keep him busy with his own raw milk for quite some time!
One of our shareholders has a lot of excess milk, and he said he would contribute it to a cheese making class if I would have one, so Sunday it was. Bernie arrived Saturday evening, and we started with his lessons right away. I decanted a quart of kefir and showed him how to make a new start before we turned in for the night.
Sunday morning, we checked our kefir and he saw just how easy that is. Then we moved on to yogurt. Although I am a fan of raw milk, I do heat the milk to 180º and hold it there for five minutes, because I make Bulgarian yogurt, which is really the best, in my opinion. And if I want to preserve the Bulgarian strain, then it is important to kill off any other bacteria in the milk before making it. So we got that mixed up and put into the yogurt maker before the other guests arrived for the Cheddar making workshop.
About 1 p.m., we got started making Cheddar. There is a lot of "wait" time while making hard cheese, so in one of those times, I showed the group how to make sweet cream butter. The participants all got to help press the water out of the finished butter, which assures that the butter will stay fresh a bit longer. Leaving any buttermilk in the butter contributes to it going rancid, so it's an important step. Even if one is very careful about washing the butter, sweet cream butter is only good for a few days. Culturing the butter makes it last a couple of weeks, but we didn't have any cultured cream to work with.
One of the by-products of cheese making is whey. If you heat whey to 200º within two hours of draining the curds while making cheese, then add some vinegar to precipitate out the remaining curds, then drain it through some butter muslin, the end product is ricotta cheese. It is so good! One of the shareholders turned me on to adding some cacao nibs and fermented walnuts to a bowl of ricotta. For us "low carbers," it is a dessert made in heaven! I can pretend I'm having a chocolate sundae, with just a tiny bit of carbohydrates. (I'll be talking about my low carb diet in another post soon.)
I showed everyone the cheddaring process - yes, that is what makes Cheddar cheese Cheddar cheese! - and then I got some help with my least favorite thing to do when making Cheddar. This lump of cheddared curds has to be cut into tiny slices, which is tedious at best. But with five of us there, it was short work. Then these slices were tossed with salt and packed into the mold. The mold full of curds went into the press, and the bulk of the work was done.
All of the guests but Bernie left at that point. No sense watching a cheese press for twelve hours, hey? But Bernie and I weren't done. Now we got some cottage cheese started. I make mine the old fashioned way, using no rennet to set up the curd. So that means it has to sit for at least 20 hours after heating the milk to 70º and adding some special bacteria to it. We got that going and turned in for the night.
Monday we enjoyed another farm breakfast of bacon and eggs (no toast - that low carb thing), while Bernie chided me for drinking coffee and I chided him for drinking water out of a plastic bottle. We foodies do tend to get a bit carried away at times! I showed Bernie around the farm - first chance we had to do that - then he tended to his consulting business (lap tops and cell phones make portable offices) and I took care of emails and other farm duties. After lunch, we finished the cottage cheese. Then Bernie asked, "What next?'
Okay, what next? I decided to make paneer, an Indian cheese that is pretty quick start to finish. So we got that done and pressed it lightly. For supper that night, we had Saag Paneer, a very tasty Indian dish made with cubed paneer sauteed in butter with onions, and then spiced with cumin and curry powder. Saag - better known as spinach - is then added, but I don't have any in my garden, so we did kale instead. Very tasty! So I guess we had Kale Paneer, didn't we?
I hope Bernie enjoyed his dairy product marathon! I sent him home with samples of most of what we had made. In a couple of days, he learned first hand how to make butter, kefir, yogurt, ricotta, cottage cheese, Cheddar and paneer. That should keep him busy with his own raw milk for quite some time!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Missy the Missing Chicken
Well, we have established a routine. If I get to the Moop in time, while still very light but at the first sign of dusk, Missy is there and I can lure her into the Moop with food. If I am five minutes late, she is gone.
I don't know where she goes, although twice I have found her in a tree. Last night I was a little late, so she spent the night out again. This morning, I couldn't find her in the trees. I have no idea where she was. It is obvious that she finds a different place each night. I am wondering if she is brooding chicks. It's highly unlikely, since Campines are not a broody breed. I will have to try to make a count throughout the day. If she is consistently gone through the day, only there at feeding time, then she may in fact have a nest somewhere.
I am not even going to try to put her away for the next three weeks. We will see if she shows up with kids in tow.
I don't know where she goes, although twice I have found her in a tree. Last night I was a little late, so she spent the night out again. This morning, I couldn't find her in the trees. I have no idea where she was. It is obvious that she finds a different place each night. I am wondering if she is brooding chicks. It's highly unlikely, since Campines are not a broody breed. I will have to try to make a count throughout the day. If she is consistently gone through the day, only there at feeding time, then she may in fact have a nest somewhere.
I am not even going to try to put her away for the next three weeks. We will see if she shows up with kids in tow.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Changing my mind
I said I was going to make a batch of Cheddar yesterday, but I'm making Cheddar again next Sunday, when I have a few friends (and serious foodies) coming over to learn how to make their own Cheddar, including building a cheap but effective cheese press. So I decided to try Gruyere, the queen of the melting cheeses.
It requires much higher temperatures, I noticed, and the curds are stirred and held at 114º, which is quite hot - in fact so hot that I could see the cheese beginning to melt in places. Hmmmm, should have been warned! Anyway, I followed the recipe faithfully, or at least I thought I did. It said to warm the mold before adding the warm curds, wrapped in cheesecloth. And it was a very short draining time. That meant that the curds really didn't have a chance to cool off before the lid went down on the mold. It was to be pressed at medium pressure for just an hour and then redressed before the final 12-hour press with a little added weight.
Redressing means that you take it out of the mold, unwrap the cheesecloth from the curds, which now form the block of cheese, flip the cheese so that what was the top is now the bottom, and wrap it in the cheesecloth again. Then back into the mold. Sometimes one does this several times, but for this cheese, at least in this recipe book, it was one flip and on to the final press.
HOWEVER, when I took it out of the mold, the cheese had melted into the cheesecloth, a little like bubble gum on your kid's new shirt. Sigh . . .
Not one to give up easily, I just flipped the chunk of curds, now well knit together, without removing the cheesecloth, then smoothed the cheesecloth as best I could and popped it back into the mold. It stayed there overnight.
This morning I foolishly hoped that it would have shrunk and dried a bit and the cheesecloth would release. It was better, but there was no way I was going to get that cheesecloth off without destroying half the wheel of cheese.
What do you do when your kid gets gum on his new shirt? Put it in the freezer! So that's what I did, setting it in the chest freezer in the garage for about 20 minutes. Voila! the cheesecloth came off fairly well, although it doesn't have the nice smooth surface I would have liked. It got its 12-hour bath in brine, and I just took it out to put on the drying board for a few days before it goes into the cheese cave. This is a washed rind type of cheese, no wax. I am not pleased with the cracks I see - that's a great place for mold to form where I don't want it to. The mold creates the rind and should just be on the exterior. So I think this batch is not going to be my long aged Gruyere that I was planning on.
I sliced a bit off to see what it would taste like without aging, and I must say that it is quite fantastic. But it will spoil quickly, will probably have to be eaten within a couple of weeks. I'm having company Saturday night, and a house guest who will be here until Tuesday, so perhaps we will take care of it completely before the sun rises Wednesday morning.
It requires much higher temperatures, I noticed, and the curds are stirred and held at 114º, which is quite hot - in fact so hot that I could see the cheese beginning to melt in places. Hmmmm, should have been warned! Anyway, I followed the recipe faithfully, or at least I thought I did. It said to warm the mold before adding the warm curds, wrapped in cheesecloth. And it was a very short draining time. That meant that the curds really didn't have a chance to cool off before the lid went down on the mold. It was to be pressed at medium pressure for just an hour and then redressed before the final 12-hour press with a little added weight.
Redressing means that you take it out of the mold, unwrap the cheesecloth from the curds, which now form the block of cheese, flip the cheese so that what was the top is now the bottom, and wrap it in the cheesecloth again. Then back into the mold. Sometimes one does this several times, but for this cheese, at least in this recipe book, it was one flip and on to the final press.
HOWEVER, when I took it out of the mold, the cheese had melted into the cheesecloth, a little like bubble gum on your kid's new shirt. Sigh . . .
Not one to give up easily, I just flipped the chunk of curds, now well knit together, without removing the cheesecloth, then smoothed the cheesecloth as best I could and popped it back into the mold. It stayed there overnight.
This morning I foolishly hoped that it would have shrunk and dried a bit and the cheesecloth would release. It was better, but there was no way I was going to get that cheesecloth off without destroying half the wheel of cheese.
What do you do when your kid gets gum on his new shirt? Put it in the freezer! So that's what I did, setting it in the chest freezer in the garage for about 20 minutes. Voila! the cheesecloth came off fairly well, although it doesn't have the nice smooth surface I would have liked. It got its 12-hour bath in brine, and I just took it out to put on the drying board for a few days before it goes into the cheese cave. This is a washed rind type of cheese, no wax. I am not pleased with the cracks I see - that's a great place for mold to form where I don't want it to. The mold creates the rind and should just be on the exterior. So I think this batch is not going to be my long aged Gruyere that I was planning on.
I sliced a bit off to see what it would taste like without aging, and I must say that it is quite fantastic. But it will spoil quickly, will probably have to be eaten within a couple of weeks. I'm having company Saturday night, and a house guest who will be here until Tuesday, so perhaps we will take care of it completely before the sun rises Wednesday morning.
Restless night - where is No. 9?
Last night, I didn't get out to the Moop until dusk. I usually go out while the light is still pretty strong, but late enough that the chickens have begun hanging around. I fill their feeders and set them inside the Moop, and they hop in for their bedtime snack. If there is a hen still out and about, this ritual brings her running back home.
Last night dusk took me by surprise. Yes, the days are getting shorter, and it seems like it is happening in a hurry. It was dark enough when I went out that they were already roosting, not interested in a snack. I counted - only eight.
Buster was home, and Flopsy, the only hen I recognize because of her odd, floppy comb. But somebody was missing, and she wasn't interested in the sound of the lid clanging on their feed bin.
Some might say it's only a chicken, but No. 9 was gone and it bothered me. All of this happens on my watch, and I feel responsible. If I had come out a little sooner, I might have found her. One of the girls does spend a lot of time by herself and often comes running at the last minute. I'm not sure it is always the same hen, but I call her Missy.
"Missy, where have you been?" I say. "Missy, why are you here all by yourself?" I call out when I see a lone hen on the other side of the house. "Missy, go back with the others," I chide.
I went to the places I suspected she might be, calling "Here, Missy, time for bed!" First the garden - one occasionally flies in but then seems incapable of flying out - then I checked the garage, then remembered the barn door was open and went out there. No hen. I locked up the Moop and went dejectedly to bed.
This morning I hoped to see a hen waiting at the Moop. Nope, no Missy. I opened the door, moved their feeders outside and started to walk over to the barn to take care of the chicks. There she came, running across the yard! Who knows where she spent the night, but Missy is fine and back with the flock.
Last night dusk took me by surprise. Yes, the days are getting shorter, and it seems like it is happening in a hurry. It was dark enough when I went out that they were already roosting, not interested in a snack. I counted - only eight.
Buster was home, and Flopsy, the only hen I recognize because of her odd, floppy comb. But somebody was missing, and she wasn't interested in the sound of the lid clanging on their feed bin.
Some might say it's only a chicken, but No. 9 was gone and it bothered me. All of this happens on my watch, and I feel responsible. If I had come out a little sooner, I might have found her. One of the girls does spend a lot of time by herself and often comes running at the last minute. I'm not sure it is always the same hen, but I call her Missy.
"Missy, where have you been?" I say. "Missy, why are you here all by yourself?" I call out when I see a lone hen on the other side of the house. "Missy, go back with the others," I chide.
I went to the places I suspected she might be, calling "Here, Missy, time for bed!" First the garden - one occasionally flies in but then seems incapable of flying out - then I checked the garage, then remembered the barn door was open and went out there. No hen. I locked up the Moop and went dejectedly to bed.
This morning I hoped to see a hen waiting at the Moop. Nope, no Missy. I opened the door, moved their feeders outside and started to walk over to the barn to take care of the chicks. There she came, running across the yard! Who knows where she spent the night, but Missy is fine and back with the flock.
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