A Bit Of What's Been Going On.....

Just when you think things can't possibly get any busier.....they do. Of course they ALWAYS do! Scott is an IT Federal Contractor. If you ask me exactly what he does at work, I wouldn't be able to come up with an answer. Computer stuff, I think. Kind of like Chandler on "Friends" and Barney on "How I Met Your Mother". We just don't know what he really does! In this particular line of work there is something called a "proposal". I don't know exactly how to describe it, but I do know that whoever is involved goes into a proposal tank. It can be a short term proposal or a long term proposal.

A little over a month ago Scott took me out to dinner and proceeded to tell me his proposal hit. How long? Four weeks. Four weeks that he wouldn't be available. Now at this time, I honestly thought there was no way I could handle anything else on my plate. We are still behind from winter, the markets started, processing has started....yes, business is in full swing. Plus school and sports ....definitely a very full plate.

So, off Scott goes to the proposal tank, leaving me by myself on our farm. We have been blessed with building our farm to the size that it is and we feel comfortable with the animals that we have. I have spent a lot of time researching for breeding boars and I have been holding back purebred gilt piglets for future generations. We increased our broiler size to accommodate the demand. We increased EVERYTHING to accommodate the demand. It was feasible when Scott was here. But now...our farm is way too big for just one person. It has been a major struggle the last month.

We have been experiencing frustrations on every level. We took in four hogs a month ago to be processed for our markets. We thought that would last us until July. We're just about out. I picked up one hog today from our butcher. That probably won't last us through the weekend markets. The next batch of pork hogs won't be ready until the end of July(I hope!) There are five of them. Two barrows(castrated boys) and three gilts(the pork ladies). Since I have been here by myself, it has been very difficult to manage certain hog groups. How in the world can the same electric fence make some hogs wince and not go near it and other hogs barge right through it...the same fence! Well....a young boar got to this group of pork hogs. So now I don't think the pork ladies will be available for pork in July. I'm sure we'll have tons of piglets now, but we really need the pork! It's a good problem...high demand for our food, but not enough supply.

I've said this before.....I'll be happy to say it again.....the "buy local" movement is growing. This market season has been about Food, Inc.

"My husband just watched Food, Inc and now it's all he's talking about! Do you have pork
chops?"

We're hearing comments such as this at all markets. People are loving the idea that they can purchase meat that has been raised well. They love the idea that farm visits are always welcome. But I think most of all, they love the idea of really getting to know the farmers who are responsible for some fantastic breakfast, lunch and dinners.

This way of farming is nothing new. It is how it was always done before factory farming became the "new and improved" way of producing food. Every town had a butcher shop with meat they received locally. I was watching an episode of Brady Bunch with the kids. The episode may have been done in 1973, really not that long ago.

"Wait a second...What is Alice doing?"

I made the kids rewind.

"She's plucking a chicken!"

Yes....Alice the housekeeper was plucking a chicken. And in Los Angeles! I'm sure Sam the Butcher didn't receive his chickens from mass-produced chicken houses. It was the norm to get your chicken from the corner butcher shop and prepare it yourself.

Pleasant Hill Farm and other farms aren't doing anything new.