SPRING brought forth the births of kid goats (20), baby pigs (5), chicks (30), ducks (4), and the rebirth of our vegetable and flower gardens and the trees on our mountain turned a beautiful bright green color.  Everywhere you turn one can feel the vibrancy of life renewed especially when you look at our bees Golden honey gift to us...30 lbs. was harvested.  

SUMMER has taken advantage of Spring's preparations.  The mama goats (does) have reached their lactation cycle high point and as the daylight becomes less they will give less milk.  The chicks have become pullets (5 months old) and will soon begin to lay eggs.  Their first eggs will be really tiny, sometimes no larger than a pistachio nut.  The pigs are fattening up nicely on our leftover milk and whey readying themselves for our freezer camp.  Our vegetable gardens are producing beautiful and plump tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, beets, onion, red cabbage, garlic, jalapeno peppers, and more to come.

My trusty sidekick Sarah and I have been canning and cooking, baking up a storm.  Sarah's Summer Surprise Chocolate Cake is a big hit with our guests.  My Garlic Pickles and Candied Jalapenos are flying off the shelf.  Oh what fun it is to cook with products you grew and harvested.  It gives us and our guests great comfort here at the farm to know exactly what we are eating.

Not to distant in the future will be AUTUMN and that will bring us fall products and our mountain's summer farewell with the awesomeness of the enmass changing of the colors of the leaves.  You can spend your day looking out our window at our mountain and watch the minute by minute change of color.  One can actually forget there is a world apart from this magical place.

TO THE SINK! 

We had families with children staying at the B & B this past February.  We had started offering farm to table dinners for those that request it in advance.  These guests had done just that and as the meal was ending one of the boys (age around 9) came to me and asked for some water.  The conversation went like this:

Boy..."Can I have a drink of water?"
Me...."Of course.  Come to the sink and I will give it to you."  I turned on the faucet and put a glass under the tap and filled the glass with water.  I then handed the filled glass to the boy.
Boy..."The water is from the sink!  Neeeeat!!!!!"

I realized then that not only do children not know where their food comes from but they believe their water comes from a bottle purchased at the supermarket.  These families came with cases of bottled water. 

These families come to our little corner of Vermont to ski.  Many choose to stay with us, not only because we offer luxurious accommodations and amenities, but because they have immigrated to the U.S.  from another country where their villages & cities were not far from farms.  Their food came from these farms and so we remind them of a bygone time.  They want their children to have the same experiences and so when they come here the parents and kids get to milk the goats and collect the eggs, etc.  They find the food we serve amazingly delicious and we tell them it's because it is fresh, without preservatives and additives.  We show them that the chicken egg yolks are orange and not pale yellow.  We explain that is because they can roam the pastures and eat all the things they find delicious to them (bugs, worms, greens) and healthy for them.  Then the chicken lays their gift to us of this delicious and wholesome egg.    

This conversation was a definite eye-opener for me.  I already knew that the future of our farms were imperiled since children and their families believe that their food comes in plastic bags.....but water!  I am just a little cog in the wheel of teaching this but how do we really get it out there on a grander scale.  

So I will stop here because I don't want to fall into the trap of sermonizing.  I still keep dreaming of a world of happy animals and plants providing great food which will make for a happier mankind!.......Irene 

Indeed it is on the farm & at the Bed & Breakfast!!  

First of all we have a new team working with me and Ed.  Melvin & Jennifer Lawrence of Polymeadow Farm, Shaftsbury, Vermont sold their large goat farm and agreed to come and work with us on our small goat farm.  One might ask how I came upon this good fortune...well they are the folks I bought my very first goats from 8 years ago.  Melvin & Jennifer were my go to mentors in the sickness and health of my goats.  They've been there for me every inch of the way and I love them dearly for all they have given to me. Who would've thunk!!  And as an added bonus, Melvin is a genius when it comes to fixing things.  I watched him take my garbage disposal apart when it stopped working, put it back together and then asked me how to turn it on.  He had never worked a garbage disposal before...but he fixed mine.  Jennifer makes wonderful cheeses and soaps and is not afraid of the pigs or bees (she's very brave), spins and weaves and if we have any aches or pains she knows just the right spots to press and massage to make you feel better (she's a certified occupational therapist) and a superb goat midwife. 

As if all of this isn't enough, they recommended that we hire Sarah Jahn, a young woman who had been working with them.  I took their advice and Sarah finished this team tapestry.  Sarah is a vivacious, sweet and loving person. She brings a happiness and vitality that has been missing for the past few years.  She is knowledgeable in working with all the animals.  She has learned my recipes and has brought some of her own to the "table".  Ed & I have come to rely upon her for her kitchen skills.  She has a love of gardening and has jumped in with both feet into growing veggies and flowers in our greenhouse over this winter.  Her excitement is contagious when she learns something new or her seedlings sprout and nod their seed heads at her. 

Andrew LeValley came to us last spring, before we even knew that Melvin, Jennifer and Sarah would be joining us.  He's hails originally from the midwest and then far west...Kansas and Berkeley.  He came looking for a better life and I hope he has found it here on the farm and in Vermont.  This past summer and fall he gave me a precious gift of his time when I needed it the most.  He worked long hours filling in for those who left us drowning without their much needed help.  Thank you Andrew!

But the most special of all...my husband, friend and partner of 52 years decided to stop working on the mountain and totally immerse himself into this business. I no longer feel alone in this crazy endeavor and know that he is at my side to bolster me when I begin to fall down.   He has been my strength this past year when our previous team fell apart and a storm of stress fell upon me.  I talked about throwing in the towel, but he would have none of that.  He wanted my dream to continue and he pushed me along inch by inch. My love for him is total!!!!

So this special team is up and spinning smoothly like Jennifer's wheel.  I know that the farm is in good hands and the herds thrive with the love and great care they get from all of us.  This past week four goats were born into this new year and a new buck has been introduced to the herd.

The Bed & Breakfast is doing splendidly.  We were named by @Bed & Breakfast.com one of their top Bed & Breakfast Farmstays in the country.  We already have bookings for the summer with families coming from Denmark and England.  

So as you can see life is indeed wonderful down on the farm!!!  Ed says keep dreamin....Irene

 

and all thru the farm not a vegetable is growing not even a weed...but the greenhouse is up just waiting for lights, heat and seed.

I'm off on my newest learning experience..how to grow vegetables and flowers in our greenhouse. My teacher is my good friend Jeanne who has been doing this for a multitude of years with great success..  Of course I can never do anything the easy tried and true way.  So I've thrown her a little curve ball.  Instead of using the tried & true way of heating the greenhouse, Dave being one to find ways to being energy efficient & frugal found and installed radiant heat lamps.  Now you should know that Jeanne & I are not exactly spring chickens and therefore not as open to change.  But kudos to us! We decided in our older age we're up to the challenge of this new experience and experiment.  The plan is to grow spinach, kale, arugula, lettuces & root veggies as well as flowers.  How wonderful it will be to go into this wonderful warm & earthy smelling place while outside it is a winter white wonderland.

Who needs Florida when I can get it right here outside my door...dreaming of fresh veggies, flowers and snow....

To be exact January 9th.  Wow!  How do I catch you up on all the wonderful things that have happened in the past 8 months without writing a book?

Let's start with the best...

On May 9th Cold Moon Farm added another human member to it's family.  Georgia and Dave had a healthy baby boy.  His name is Levi and he has added another dimension to our Cold Moon Farm life.  We folks whose kids and grand kids live far away forget the joys a blank canvas in the form of a newborn can bring into one's existence.  He is 3 months old now and has just started to giggle out loud.  His little hands have become a thing of wonder to him.  I love to watch him stare at his tiny fists as he twists and turns them in midair. Today was the first time he made a conscious decision to reach for a toy which he promptly put in his mouth.  I am so looking forward to being part of his life as well as his brother Gideon's as they grow.

Next..Shirley our LaMancha goat gave birth to her first full blooded LaMancha baby girl.  We named her Katie and she looks just like her Momma.  We had 4 pregnant does who delivered 5 little boys.  This is not a good thing since little boys (bucks) are not in great demand since it only takes one buck to impregnate many does.  I tried to trade them for bucks that could bring fresh blood to our herd, but alas no one was interested.  How sad!!!

We have added other humans to our Cold Moon Farm team.  Dave's brother Nate has blessed us with his presence and knowledge of building stone walls and construction.  The Meckes brothers together make an awesome dynamic duo.  Their knowledge and abilities have turned the Cold Moon Farm event site and it's surroundings into a majestically beautiful landscape.   Look for pictures on our website.They're next project is building our first cottage in the woods.  It will be outfitted with fine furnishings and luxurious amenities. We will be posting pictures of it's progress on this website.

We have also added Alex, Julia and Jackson to our team.  We are hoping they will become the core managers as we continue to grow our boutique Farmstay resort.  My 15 yr. old grandson, Nathan chose to spend a month working with us.  It was great for me as his grandmother watch his sense of self grow as he was asked to perform tasks that are out of his realm having grown up in suburbia.  He definitely rose to the occasion and has made me proud.  I hope he will choose to come back again!

We have opened a store at Ezie'sGardens.  We are filing it with the produce from our gardens, the breads and cakes I bake, pancake mixes and honey produced on the farm, bacon from our pigs, eggs from our hens and ducks and soaps made from our goat milk.  This coming week we will begin to add our meat chickens.

Lastly, our female ( gilt) pig Juliet had a litter of 14 piglets.  Two were stillborn so we have a net of 12 babies.  6 boys and 6 girls.  Momma weighs 500 lbs. and each baby weighed about 3 lbs.  When momma lies down they need to head for the hills or she will crush them.  So far so good.

This past Friday we did a photo shoot for the ad we are placing in Vermont Vows as well as various wedding websites.  This is all so exciting. It all keeps me so busy I forget I'm supposed to be old!  My dream now is to book our first wedding...til next time...Irene

We are proud to announce the arrival of our brand new website presented to the world today, Weds. January 9th, 2013.  Just press on the picture to get a glimpse of this baby.  Enjoy the video as well....it's real dreamy...Irene  

2013 has just begun and I am already blessed with three events that will take place and continue to change my life.

First and foremost, I found out this week that Georgia will be having a boy come May 1st. The thought of having a new, precious life come into my existence is thrilling. Our home will be filled with all of the sounds that a new life brings and I am so looking forward to this.

Next…our event/wedding site will become a reality this summer. The landscape planning is already under way. A peek into our plans would reveal huge swarths of flowers with vibrant colors and wonderful fragrances. There will be hanging gardens where the petals, leaves and ornamental grasses will dance and sway with the breeze as if they too are celebrating the event. Our pond will have a dock built so the bride and groom, if they choose, can take their vows looking as if they are walking on water. The fountain will create water rainbows as a background and our “Grand Allee” will be a path covered with arches of flowers to guide the bride and groom to the pond. Wow!! I can hardly wait to see it in full bloom.
And if the bride and groom are lucky, maybe our visiting blue heron will decide to stay and watch the ceremony.  Our chef d’cuisine, Michel Baumann, will prepare gastonomique delights tailored to one’s tastes, theme and pocket book most of which will be grown and raised on the farm. All of this with the magical beauty of our “Green Mountains” as the majestic backdrop. Don’t forget our goats which will watch and cheer with sounds of Maaaa and the kid goats jumping for joy. You must be thinking I’m dreaming…but no…this will be a reality..a dream come true.

Third…Georgia has created a new website for us with wonderful videos and pictures. She has incorporated all in an easy to navigate format everything anyone would want answered about Cold Moon Farm Bed & Breakfast. She takes you from who we are, what one can expect from a stay at Cold Moon Farm’s Luxurious Bed & Breakfast, to how you can arrange Farm Tours, Cooking classes with me and Chef Michel (our chef d’cuisine), special events, info on our wedding/celebration venue and much more. It should go live in about another week and I can’t wait to hear the reviews.

I’m so thankful to have these dreams come true… would it be too greedy to wonder what other great dreams will come true in 2013???….Irene

It’s amazing how one’s life starts at one place and through the years, via twists, turns, highs, lows and things unknown, ends up someplace so distant from where it started. So here I am today totally enveloped by my love of being a farmer and the excitement of creating something new and meaningful. How lucky can I be. But wait it gets even better….we have an announcement to make, we, or should I say, Georgia, Dave and Gideon are expecting a baby (yes, a human baby)!!!!! What joy this brings to Ed and myself to be so lucky to have this extended family in our lives on a daily basis. The addition of youthfulness into our home makes us feel young and vibrant and adds meaning to our existence. We now have the opportunity to pass on to this child the love of family,  how to be a good steward of the earth, the importance of growing and eating good and healthy foods and treating the creatures of the earth with the respect they are due. This gives me a sense of purpose and reason to keep on living. So this bundle of joy should make its grand arrival somewhere on or about May 1st, 2013.

Somewhere on or about June 1st we will also celebrate the opening of our wedding/event/celebration site. Dave and his crew have been busy excavating the site so it can accommodate a tent with the capacity for 200 guests, building magnicent stonewalls using stones from our property, building a road leading up to the site, creating a parking facility for the guests, cleaning out the pond and putting in a well that will feed the pond and its fountain, and creating a landscaping design that will evoke an ambiance of beauty and tranquility, all in our farm setting. Together with our team and chef d’cuisine Michel Baumann we will make this a day to remember. This also instills me with joy to think that I am instrumental in helping this couple start their new life together.

And let’s not forget our animal babies that will be born starting in the latter part of January when Sable, Midgey and Brownie are expecting kids. These babies always bring a big smile to my heart watching them romping and jumping for joy just to be alive.

Oh, the joys of being a farmer and it’s not even June…boy it’s fun to follow your dreams….Irene

That is the question my friend Matt of Someday Farms has been asking me. Matt & Scout have been providing my family with wonderful organic free range turkeys for many years. Now that we have our own farm Matt is encouraging me to grow my own Thanksgiving turkeys. I’m still not sure…they do such a great job!!! Ed has heard that turkeys are downright stupid. He was at the feed store and a woman came in ranting about her dumb turkeys. It seems some of them jumped into the feed container and suffocated. Since then Ed has decided we shouldn’t deal with this farm animal. But I like to find out the facts on my own so I’m not convinced we shouldn’t give it a try. What great satisfaction we would get knowing we were serving a home grown bird….but then again Matt & Scout do such a great job with producing wonderful birds. Any thoughts on this???

We had a busy, bustling, bursting with flavors Thanksgiving. 26 of us…friends and family.. sat around our dining room tables enjoying the harvests of our land. We laughed and ate and laughed and ate and laughed and ate. Get the picture?

So now I’m dreaming of next year’s farm bounty ladening our table. Ed & I definitely have so much to be thankful for!!!!  Irene