What Will Happen with a Warm Winter?

Several people have asked me what a warm winter will do to our strawberries. The truth is that I don't know. Every year we raise a crop, the weather is just a little different. A little warmer, a litter cooler, a little more dry, etc.

We have noticed that the strawberries are acting like it's the middle of April rather than March. The plants are becoming more green each day. Today, for example, the temperature was in the 60s and sunny. This is great strawberry growing weather.

Our concern is that it's only mid-March. We could easily have a cold snap. It would be devastating to strawberries and all fruit crops like peaches, brambles and apples. Farming has so many variables that can't be controlled -- that's why no year is ever like a previous year.

We just have to wait and see -- literally!

Baby Pigs

We have started our winter farrowing - which means the sows are having their babies. Follow the link below to our you-tube video. It shows newborn piglets that are only one hour old. You'll see them getting colostrum, which is the first milk from the sows. It's full of special nutrients for the newborns.

The others are trying to get warm. We put up special lamps to create a warm space for the pigs to help keep them warm. When the pigs are born you can see how small they are in comparison to the sow. We have it set up so the sow can stay comfortable, but give space for the babies to get away from her when she gets up.

Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0OHORqRAdM&context=C3336ab0ADOEgsToPDskJKyPYCgVnqCQShbSNowOMu

Winter Pig Show

This weekend we showed pigs at a jackpot show. We pay an entry fee and that money goes back to us based on how we placed. It's like a dog show - just not as fancy. The pigs we showed were raised on our farm.

Trying Out Some Peas

We dodged the frost and our red raspberries are looking great. They are still producing and when I was out picking the bees were out working right next to me. We had fabulous weather on the weekend and took advantage of the time. My husband tilled a field that was done producing. He had a bright idea - why not try some peas?

So we planted some peas. We'll see if they produce. If our fall planting works we'll have peas in November.

Frost Possible?

A cold front has come through and the weather forecast is calling for mid-30 temperatures. Farming is at the mercy of the weather. There can be extremes - like tonadoes and hurricanes. But the changes that come like tonight can really affect a crop. Will it frost? We don't know!

We are currently picking red raspberries. If we have frost it could damage any less developed berries. The nearly ripe ones should be okay because it won't be too cold.

We have tomatoes that we are still picking. But those are in a greenhouse so they'll be okay tonight!

State Fair Success

We've been home from the Ohio State Fair for a week, but I haven't summarized how our pigs did. We entered the majority of our pigs in the Muscle, Quality and Performance Show. This show focuses on how well the pigs grew on the farm, how they looked in the show ring and how their meat graded after the fair.

Three of our pigs were in the top ten in the meat quality portion of the show. This is exciting - these were pigs that were born and raised on our farm. It's exciting to have them recognized as top in producing meat that is lean and has high quality.

In the show ring, we had some firsts, thirds and fourths. Our two daughters were the top two in senior showmanship and in the top 30 in the overall competition.

Rounding Up the Pigs

This morning we didn't get an opportunity to eat breakfast until 9:00! The dog started barking as soon as we were up at 6:00 a.m. We looked outside and saw three sows (mama pigs) outside in the lawn having a fun time.

We had weaned the sows the night before and put them in a new pen. As usual, the sows were very glad to have their babies weaned. By the fourth week, the babies are plenty big and ready for regular feed. The sows are pretty tired from having 12 pigs nursing around the clock and need some rest and relaxation themselves.

We must have not tied the wire securely on the gate after putting the sows in their new pen. A sow will always test the fence in a new pen, just to see where she can go. A 450-pound sow can put a lot of pressure on a fence and these girls busted out of the pen and were happily digging up the lawn by morning.

We easily put them back in their pen and tied the gate much tighter. The rest of the time was spent cleaning up their mess of turned over barrels, trash cans and dug up sod! One of the sows even put a dent in a 30-inch fan that was in the barn by just stepping on it.

Newly weaned pigs enjoying some quiet time.