Life on the farm as we see it
It's often said that it's the little things in life that bring us the greatest pleasures. There are quite a few chores to be done living on a farm but doing them gives us such pleasure that it doesn't seem like a four letter word called w-o-r-k. We enjoy the peace and quiet as well as the exercise and fresh air so spending time outdoors and with our animals is something we look forward to every day.
Each one of our animals is unique and has traits or personalities that we have become familiar with. All the animals are used to being handled and they seem to have a story to tell us each time we see them. This may sound a little funny but living so close to nature with these animals is like the movie 'Babe' where the animals all talk to each other and are in synch with what is going on with each day's routine. Some of our friends call us Farmer Jay and Farmer Jones and we take those remarks as a term of endearment.
A comment we receive from visitors on a regular basis is not only are we living a dream but we are living IN a dream. People who have never seen alpacas compare them to unicorns. Some people thought they knew what chickens looked like but had no idea there were so many varieties, sizes, colors or different eggs. The same can be said about the goats because their appearance and markings are so unique. The goats like attention too so petting them and getting so close can be a sense of wonder and amazement. And then to see a small pack of dogs racing around a large yard in pursuit of one another causes people to stop and stare. It can be quite an experience for some people who are not familiar with animals to visit our farm.
We often have visitors and relatives who come to stay and work on our farm. We are members of the World Wide Organization of Organic Farmers (WWOOF) and are working toward international visitors coming for brief stays to work on our farm and learn more about animal husbandry and more sustainable small farming practices. And since Jay works with adults with developmental challenges he has arranged several field trips bringing dozens of his clients to the farm to share some country experiences. Our long term goals are to develop more farm and animal related projects such as participating at local farmers markets as outlets for eggs, goat cheese and garden herbs as well as create a textile workshop for making fiber products and yarn. These goals should keep us busy through a good portion of our golden years.
Each one of our animals is unique and has traits or personalities that we have become familiar with. All the animals are used to being handled and they seem to have a story to tell us each time we see them. This may sound a little funny but living so close to nature with these animals is like the movie 'Babe' where the animals all talk to each other and are in synch with what is going on with each day's routine. Some of our friends call us Farmer Jay and Farmer Jones and we take those remarks as a term of endearment.
A comment we receive from visitors on a regular basis is not only are we living a dream but we are living IN a dream. People who have never seen alpacas compare them to unicorns. Some people thought they knew what chickens looked like but had no idea there were so many varieties, sizes, colors or different eggs. The same can be said about the goats because their appearance and markings are so unique. The goats like attention too so petting them and getting so close can be a sense of wonder and amazement. And then to see a small pack of dogs racing around a large yard in pursuit of one another causes people to stop and stare. It can be quite an experience for some people who are not familiar with animals to visit our farm.
We often have visitors and relatives who come to stay and work on our farm. We are members of the World Wide Organization of Organic Farmers (WWOOF) and are working toward international visitors coming for brief stays to work on our farm and learn more about animal husbandry and more sustainable small farming practices. And since Jay works with adults with developmental challenges he has arranged several field trips bringing dozens of his clients to the farm to share some country experiences. Our long term goals are to develop more farm and animal related projects such as participating at local farmers markets as outlets for eggs, goat cheese and garden herbs as well as create a textile workshop for making fiber products and yarn. These goals should keep us busy through a good portion of our golden years.