• It’s official…

    …Spring is here! We know because the interior portable electric fencing has gone up and our cows have begun their strip grazing.  From now through the first of the year the main herd will be allocated about an acre of pasture at a time. To tide them over the summer slump when grass nutrition value declines, we’ve seeded in a heavy stand of clover…three types of clover…including a red and white variety we’re experimenting with and a New Zealand white clover we’re used before. So far this year we’ve been blessed with favorable growing conditions.  The clover had plenty of time to establish before the grasses came on.  David

  • Click bait…

    …although we didn’t call it that back in my ink-stained days of newspapering.  Back then editors were always looking for photos that would help sell papers. The formula was simple…pretty girls, babies and animals.  Get a picture with two out of three and you were guaranteed good placement in the paper. Today with the Internet and Facebook they call it “clickbait”…and here’s an example: A baby lamb qualifies as a two-for and the pretty girl is our Mackenzie Mason. The lamb is a kind of rescue project…it has a bone fracture making it difficult to balance and walk.  Church took over care of the animal while on rounds with our…

  • The family that works cattle together…

    …well gets dirty together if nothing else.  Pregnancy checking is a kind of tense moment in the year.  Not only do you hope for a high rate of pregnancy…but for matings you’ve invested in embryo transplants and artificial insemination. This year we’re checking a total of 32 cows…a mix of regular Devon plus our pure traditional English Devon.  The wranglers are grandson Church, his Dad Curt and his uncle Church.  First mamas and calves are called in and then sorted in separate pens.  The young will get permanent tags and tattoos and vaccinations.  Some of the bulls that don’t meet Thistle Hill standards are also converted to steers. At the…

  • This little piggy…

    ..is off to the market soon. This guy claims to be a Berkshire, but for some reason I keep seeing a Gloucester Old Spot!  No matter; both are delicious breeds. However, unless you pre-ordered, you’ll just have to take our word for it.  This year’s group has already sold out. Beef coming soon.  Don’t be left out again.  Contact Church. churchhh@gmail.com David

  • Meat sales soar…

    …according to a survey of supermarket and on-line buying.  Meat during this pandemic year has gained about 20% in sales volume…it’s now 35% of the food dollar and twice as much as chicken. https://www.supermarketnews.com/meat/meat-sales-reach-record-highs-2020-increasing-192 It’s interesting that on-line sales have really increased while at the same time people are more concerned about healthy food. Now note this summary is based on dollar sales…not pounds.  But now that younger people have broken the restaurant habit, will they continue cooking at home?  Will their interest in healthy foods continue? Most smaller farmers we know haven’t been able to gear-up production to get a piece of this action.  Nor do they have the…