That’s grandson, David, a Marine lieutenant in the foreground, flying back from some kind of  “see how much they can take” course out West.  There was a time when all the Marines wanted was a “few good men”.  Now it’s “very few” and we’re really proud that he’s made it through all the obstacles to keep on fighting. As I recall going into flying training, the only real test was how long you could remain upright at the Officers Club bar without a seat belt.

Keep telling myself:  “It’s good for the water table…it’s good for the water table…its…..”

….in neckwear for the “smart” cow.  It’s a variation of the electronic ear tags we’ve all used or seen.  But this Scot necklace takes the technology one step (or more) further.  Clearly there’s money to be made in cow “jewelry”. http://venturebeat.com/2014/03/24/cow-computing-scottish-company-creates-wearable-sensors-for-cows/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Venturebeat+%28VentureBeat%29 Thanks to Mary Napier of Madison, Wisconsin for the link.

….drought in Australia has been around so long, we tend to forget about it.  But nothing can be so wearing to the soul as watching first your grass and then your animals simply shrivel up and blow away. The drought in Australia has now reached crises proportions and many farmers just can’t deal with it any longer.  Bill Roberts of 12 Stones Grasslands Beef sent us a link to an Aussie newspaper that tells the tragic story. http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/22/02/2014/143408/farmer-suicide-rate-climbs-in-australian-drought.htm

“Jackpot” checks out a feed bucket,,,and faces disappointment! Note to Mike Ortwein (the conscience of Thistle Hill farm):  we had just finished feeding the pigs.  They got the non-GMO grain.  Jackpot is pure…grass fed. Photo by farm manager Duane Ard.  

….NOT!  But our cows, including 180, are waiting patiently.  And actually, if you look carefully, you can see some tinges of green beginning to pop out. And if look carefully, you’ll see that bull calf in the background.  We’re pretty excited about him.  He’s A126, the result of a mating that occurred when we brought back a Thistle Hill alumni, whose mother had been a double bred Rotokawa 667. A126’s dam was also the mother of one of our herd bulls.  She’s been quite a performer for us.  Another of her offspring is the cow on the right. Photo by our farm manager, Duane Ard.