• The trials and tributlations….

    ….of the Farm Bill.  It’s up, it’s down…again.  Blocked in the House. The Democrats are blaming the Republicans; the Republicans are blaming the Democrats.  Wish they’d decide who’s at fault so I know who to thank. This monstrosity, like all those which went before, deserves a stake in the heart. There’s been a slight improvement in all the machinations along the way.  At least some caps have been put on subsidies for big corporate farms but a lot of the pork is still there.  The “deal breaker” though apparently has been the Food Stamps half of the bill.  Conservatives wanted cuts; liberals wanted an increase.  And conservatives wanted Food Stamp…

  • A billion here…a billion there….

    ….as old Ev Dirksen used to say in the Senate:  “pretty soon it adds up”. You’ve heard, of course, that funds are tight and your government is on a starvation diet.  Unless, of course, you’re Big Ag….particularly a sugar producer. http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/351399/insanity-us-farm-policies-veronique-de-rugy

  • Profit is a beautiful word….

    ….I’m always amused at the number of people (from a political leader I know down to a well-known cattle consultant) who disparage profit.  The harshest critics of profit tend to be those who produce nothing themselves and live off the profits of others.  But I’ll save that for another post. I guess it’s why the consultants we hang onto (and convert to friends to save expenses) are those who don’t just talk…but do. My favorite quote on the subject has always been Dave Pratt’s:  “If it’s not profitable, it’s not sustainable!”  And we owe a lot to Dave Pratt’s “Ranching for Profit” education for his input into Thistle Hill. Another…

  • The “proper Devon”….

    ….this is one you’ll have to click on to see the full picture.  And sadly, this heifer’s identify is lost.  No name, no date.  But from the “feel”, I’m guessing it was taken about 1920.  On the other hand, the halter hardware would seem to make it a bit later than that. This is the latest in a series of old photos uncovered by our friend and partner in Cornwall, Juliet Cleave of Kew herd.

  • Does this really frighten….

    ….Big Ag (Monsanto) and Big Government (USDA)?  Clearly they’re doing everything they can to prevent small farming from getting another grip on the country. Personally, I don’t think there’s a chance though we’re believers, supporters and do-ers.  The only way we’ll ever feed ourselves again is there’s a calamity and we’re forced to.  The problem is, if that happens anytime after a few more years, there’ll be no more local knowledge to help us survive. Still, I admire this Ohio couple. http://paleodietlifestyle.com/lessons-from-an-organic-farm/ We do raise our own greens and herbs, are members of a CSA for most of our vegetables, own a cow share for raw milk, and eat free…

  • Can you starve cancer….

    ….makes sense.  For some time, integrative medicine professionals have been using nutrition as a cancer preventative….and even a treatment.  The latest on the subject from Dr. Joseph Mercola: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/16/ketogenic-diet-benefits.aspx?e_cid=20130616_SNL_Art_1&utm_source=snl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130616

  • The “proper Devon”….

    ….another picture of Devon in the days of yore.  This is Highfield Noble and his picture was published in 1918 in a publication called “Livestock of the Farm”. This is one of a half dozen pictures we’ll be posting of Traditional English Devon.  We’re indebted to Juliet Cleave of Cornwall.

  • What does the “proper” Devon look like…

    ….well, this is what a “good one” looked like 120 years ago.  She’s Flower the 2nd, winner of the Gold Medal from the Royal Agricultural Society in 1889.  Her breeder was Sir William Williams, Baronet, of Heanton, Barnstaple. There’s an on-going debate within the two Devon associations over breed “standards” but we think this female could well be the model.  (click to enlarge) Thanks to Juliet Cleave of Cornwall, one of our English partners in Traditional Devon America, for the picture.  She sent along a string of old pictures which we’ll be posting in coming days.

  • The latest “project”…

    …is a new shed covering the working chute.  Farm manager Duane Ard sets the posts while, once again, I do the hard part.  Taking the picture. The previous shed was destroyed by fire, probably a malfunction of the electric fence charger because of a lightning strike.  The idea is to shade the cows (and me) while they’re waiting for new ear tags.  We’re also adding a new scale downstream. We used to have the scale positioned just before the squeeze chute but some of the cows balked at walking onto the metal, adding a minor bit of stress and delay to the proceedings.  That can be problem when you’re working 30 cows…