Newsletter #322 2025 Aug 27 Wednesday
Butchery is scheduled for the Meat Birds and the Pigs. The Oxen are back in their Pasture. Acquisition of Katahdin ewes is being investigated. Milling is back on the calendar!
Primal Woods
All of a sudden, fall has arrived. It was our hottest summer ever, but like someone flipped a switch, the high temps seem to be behind us. With late summer and fall though, comes the fruit harvest; we are really enjoying the Loring peaches.
Sawmill Services
Shane’s lumber was delivered and stacked on Friday.
I will be milling this week with Timothy S.:
3 Oaks – 4’-6” x 21” dia, 5’ x 24” dia and 6’ x 23” dia
2 Cherry’s – 7’ x 11” dia
4 Maples – 7’ x 12” and 14” dia
Should be fun!
If you or someone you know are interested in our Sawmill Services, check out our Primal Woods page on the subject.
Pure Maple Syrup
Since fall has arrived, that means it is about time to do the fall cleaning of the Pure Maple Syrup Evaporator.
I let the natural fermentation process do most of the work, from the end of the season in spring until fall, when we disassemble the evaporator and clean all the pans, piping, pipe fittings, regulator boxes, etc. This coming spring the final “test boil” and sterilization will occur.
Homestead Rebel
Meat Birds
No additional losses, so we should still have 28, though I say 27 in the video. Butchery is tentatively scheduled for 10 days out.
Layers
Not a huge haul today, but the birds are consistent; the young birds have yet to start laying, but their eggs should come soon.
Pigs
The pigs evidently were eager to show off, or were expecting food, I’m not sure which! Probably the latter.
Oxen
I am updating the bird’s-eye view occasionally, especially as the Sheep Pasture has been developed over the summer. The yellow rectangles indicate placement of gates of various types and widths.
Water, water everywhere … except where it shoud be!
Water line reattached … temporarily
Tubing reattached, and now it is on to pushing the air out the system, which I am not capable of doing with head pressure alone, the well pump is required.
Okay, the trough is full again …
And then it is just a matter of re-filling the tote … again.
Sheep
Now that the perimeter fencing is done, I had a few last minute questions for my “sheep mentor,” Brian.
Do the sheep “eat” snow (for water)?
A source for ewes?
Predator protection?
I have the answers, and left a voice mail for the “Amish guy” this morning; hopefully he will be the source for ewes. We are getting the ram from Brian. We also talked a bit about what the sheep eat, and whether or not they would eat what the Oxen are leaving behind; sounds like they probably will, and Brian recommended that the Sheep go first in the rotational grazing pattern, followed by the Sheep, and if I get my sh*t together, followed by Layers. We also talked about protection from predators, the role of the fencing, the possibility of using the “Fox Light” system, and if all else fails, putting a donkey in with the Sheep.
Fruit Trees
We are having a big Peach and Asian Pear harvest this year.
And three of our trees are just loaded with them!
The Loring Peach has been a consistent producer in recent years.
Here is a question for you: What does it say about our culture, that we breed fruit trees to not bear fruit? That certainly seems to be indicative of a first world problem; only in the first world is too much fruit a problem. If though a friend of yours might be looking for such a thing!, just put “fruitless ornamental fruit trees” into your search engine.
Farmhouse Airbnb
Not to be left out, the Pear tree at the Farmhouse is bearing ripe fruit!
And here is something you don’t see in the tall woods; wild grapes still on the vine.
Wild grapes grow in the woods, but the fruit is typically a hundred feet up in the canopy, where only the birds and climbing critters get access. The grapes shown above are in a “Rose of Sharon” shrub between the Farmhouse and the northeast corner of the Sheep Pasture.
All the best to you and yours, and may God bless you all.
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All the best, and may God bless you and yours,
John & Geri
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