The Chatelaine's Keys

Sharon October 12th, 2011

My friend Michelle took home Maia, Bast, Meadowsweet and Kahlua, so this year’s does are now all settled and sold, but we do have wethers and a buck looking for a good home.  Check them out:

First, our buck - Goldenrod is a tight linebreeding on Frodo (RingBearer) who was David Funk’s herd sire, out of Bast, who is a Gil-Galad (Frodo’s nephew) daughter.  Goldenrod is turning into a beautiful buck - but we are bucked up.  He is ready for the breeding season and has both a lovely personality and amazing milking lines.  Cost is $250, email for details [email protected]

We think that Riesling may actually be wearing eyeliner - how else can you explain those amazing eyes?  He’s a sweet, snuggly, friendly little wether who loves being a pet, eating brush and playing with his brother, Merlot.

And here’s Merlot:

They are both Selene’s babies, which means they get that big, friendly personality from her.  They’d be superb pets, brush cleaners and buddies.  Both are 9 weeks old.

Amaretto has the coloration of the drink he’s named after, and is mellow, curious and friendly.  He would love it if you sat down nearby so he could climb on your lap and taste your clothes while you scratch his head.  Amaretto is 11 weeks and ready to go home!

Amaretto is generally an easy-going guy, but he could see the raspberry bushes and was dying to get into them here!

Orpheus (seen here with Isaiah, 7) is a sweetie-pie who loves attention.  You can’t see the gorgeous white spots on his other side in this picture, but he is a handsome guy.  He’s big and healthy and was born in April, and ideally would love to go home with his twin brother Daedalus.

Daedalus is another beauty, and very friendly.  He loves to play king of the hill, and is a leader among the baby goats.  He’s not too proud to be scratched behind the ears, either.

All goats other than goldenrod are wethers, all are $75 to good homes.  We will not sell one goat unless you already have goats - they are herd animals and that would be cruel to them.  We provide support to new goatkeepers.  Email me for details [email protected]

Sharon

• gleanings farm , goats
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admin May 18th, 2011

We’d invited those of you nearby to come join us this Sunday, but unfortunately, we have to cancel.  Crap.  We’ve had 5 inches of rain in two days, and there’s a lot of flooding here - the barn, the driveway and the garden are all flooded, and the creek has breached its banks in the back, with more rain in the forecast before the weekend.  We won’t be in good shape either to show off the farm properly or really to keep everyone safe - I’m particularly worried about cars being damaged trying to come down the driveway and child safety around our exploding creek.  With another 2 inches of rain expected before Saturday, it just isn’t going to work out. Stupid rain!

Profuse apologies for messing up anyone’s weekend plans, and we will be rescheduling for July when hopefully it will be less damp!

Sharon

• gleanings farm
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admin May 6th, 2011

It has been kind of quiet here, because well, it is spring, and that means that all my primary focus has shifted outside the house.  The period from May 1 to June 15 is the busiest, craziest, wildest period of the year, and the shoulder season, ie, the month of April, its biggest rival.

We have six baby goats on the ground right now, with two more does due this weekend and five more due in July. I’ll be posting the “goats for sale” list very soon - we’ll have a 1 year old buck (Goldenrod), at least one senior milking doe and at least one baby, and later in the season, we’ll have two doelings and a first freshener, as well as probably some wethers, so if you are looking for goats, here’s your place.

This is particularly true if you are looking for little brown goats.  The LBGs are pretty thick on the ground this year - in previous years it hasn’t been hard to tell the babies apart, but this year, everyone (except Calliope, Bast’s daughter)  is an LBG.  They are different, and you can tell - if they stop bouncing long enough to differentiate.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen very often at this stage, and so you are often fruitlessly trying to count little heads as they move at high speed around you.  So we spend a lot of time bewildered and counting fruitlessly.

We are also rapidly approaching delivery dates for the plant CSA, and our open farm day, in which we’ll have garden plants galore for sale.  That’s at our farm on Sunday, May 22 - hoping to see those of you who live in this general area there.  We’ve got lots of fun stuff planned for that day.

Besides the goat-related cuteness, we also have ducklings, chicks and one baby rabbit adding to the overall impression of acute cuteness.  And green - finally, finally, finally green.  The tulips are in bloom, the bloodroot and lungwort are flowering, the ramps, sorrel and asparagus are ready for harvest and life is GOOD.  We missed a hard frost last night, so the peaches and apricots and cherries are blooming.

It is a busy, crazy season here - every plant has to go into the ground now, yesterday or at the latest, tomorrow.  Everything needs shovelling, cutting, trimming, planting, transplanting or moving.  Add to that the fact that we are expecting more kids in our family right soon, and, well, the blogs get a lick and a promise and my best wishes.

Eric will be picking up his bees on Sunday, and that’s got a hold of his mind.  He’s fascinated by the beekeeping and still a little worried about driving in the car with 10,000 stinging insects.  My comment that this would be a bad day to get in an accident didn’t seem to help much .  Lavish hive painting by my children is underway too - I’m assuming the hives will be quite the sight!

Still, there is some stuff going on.  My 13 Ways of Looking at the Future book of essays will come out sometime in June, I’m told, and will be winging its way on to you soon.  If you’ve emailed to enquire about postage outside the US, I promise to get back to you on Monday.  If you haven’t heard about this - I’ll be publishing this directly both electronically and in paper form, and sending a copy to anyone who donates $10 or more for it.  I’ll put the button up ASAP.

Second, don’t forget about the open farm day on May 22 at Gleanings Farm 43 Crow Hill Road Delanson, NY 12053.  There will be animals for the kids to pet, scything, snacks, milking and goat care demos,  a book signing, garden tours and other good stuff.  And don’t forget baby goats!

Third, our family is looking for a couple of summer farm interns - if you’d like to spend a *working* week on our farm, email me at [email protected] and let me know what weeks you would be interested in.  You get room, board and experience, we get extra hands and new friends - it is a win-win situation.

Finally, I’m going to be offering my Food Preservation and Storage Class starting May 24, and running until the end of June - this six week, online, asynchronous (ie, you don’t have to be online at any particular time) will help you get ready for the preserving season, and also help with beginning or building up and organizing a food reserve so that you are secure in tough times.  Cost of the class is $150 and there are scholarships available to low income folks as well.  Please email me at [email protected] to reserve a space or with any questions.

Ok, back to spring - the green is calling me!  I hope it is calling you too!

Sharon

• Food Storage , Gleanings Farm Plant CSA , gleanings farm
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admin April 22nd, 2011

So have you always wanted to come and see the farm?  On Sunday, May 22 from 10-4pm we’ll be holding an open farm day.  We’ll have baby goats, baby rabbits, baby chicks and ducklings, goat milking and scything demonstrations, kid activities and lots of other fun stuff at our farm at 43 Crow Hill Road Delanson, NY 12053.  We’re about 40 minutes west of Albany or east of Oneonta, off of Rt. 88.

I’ll have books, herbs and herb products, heirloom vegetables, herb plants and flowers for sale, and possibly other stuff.  And time to hang out, chat and meet people.  I hope I’ll get to meet some of you!

Sharon

• gleanings farm
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admin February 3rd, 2011

These were taken before the 18 inches of snow that fell the other day, so you can actually see the ground, but the scene is still basically the same - white, with scattered critters. We’re all definitely starting to dream of spring!

The creek in winter

Asher at the Creek, exploring.

Isaiah, finding material to repair our (very primitive) footbridge

Hauling wood is a daily chore. When the snow is falling hard, my fuzzy, frosty spouse looks vaguely like a yeti after a few loads .

With all this weather, it is good thing all the stuff in the root cellar is still holding up! At least we don’t have to worry about shopping between storms!

Ducks in the Snow!  You see snow, we see a future puddle!

I bet you didn’t know that goats could smile at you, did you? Well, Calendula says “hi!”

Mina the Milk Truck and her daughter Poppy come out and check things out.  Don’t you admire our beauty?

I do not fear winter! I am Jessie the snow goat!

Maia and her girls, Marshmallow and Licorice, however, see absolutely no reason to go out in the nasty snow when they could stay in the nice cozy barn. They are fairly sure their server will be by with another flake of hay any minute.

Toasted Marshmallow the rooster says “Come back soon! Bring snacks too!”

• gleanings farm
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