Up and Coming UPDATES and REMINDERS
Here are two recent custom beef shareholder quote compliments....
"Good morning Allie, hope you are well! Sending a quick note to thank you, the custom beef from sunny squirt is some of the best beef we have ever tasted! We are looking forward to the shares coming up this summer. Thanks for all you do!" Kristin C.
"We LOVE our "Veggie Girl" Beef we have gotten from you all !!!!!!!!" Karen W.
Weeks 11-13 of 2024, Allie's Farm Journal Post
Of all events that take place in a farming season, spring calving season has a very high rank. We discovered our first calf born this year on March 13th, quick to be followed by one more on the same day. The third was born on March 16th and the uniqueness of the first three Cow/Calf pairs were that they were all Baldies (Black and White Faced) and the calves were all heifers. This has never happened here before. L11 was first, then G5 second, and L4 third. L11 and G5 being older cows and L4 younger. The calves names are "Purely First", "Penni V", and "Surefire Nicky". Each pair being shown below along with some others that have birthed since then. We are up to number 18 with still lots to go, but thus far all mammas and calves have faired beautifully. Out of our 8 Saved Heifers that are to calf for the first time this 2024 season, two have, so we have 6 left to go. Some of you that have been long time readers and supporters of the farm might even remember the post about "Black Joy". Well, she was our first heifer to give birth on March 28th to a very beautiful, very shiny black heifer calf. She is very proud and has not left the calves side. The calf's name is "Reedy Joy". Our second Heifer that just had her calf on Easter Sunday was "Black Sprinter" and she was the first cow/calf pair in which I just so happened to be at the right place at the right time to see her in her last 5 minutes of birthing. She did such a good job at pushing her big heifer calf right on out. She loved it quickly by her motions and sounds, but I had to chuckle as it seemed as if she was thinking that she was not quite sure if she was up for licking the new born calf off. Licking calfs almost immediately to clean off fluid, blood, and birth sac is an instinctual action for mamma cows to do to their new born calves.
We have been doing little bits and pieces for market garden, like planting organic potatoes and setting out two cabbage varieties that were started from seed, Amarant Red and Golden Acres Green. We are very excited about the special prepared long strip row for the cabbages to call home. They should love their placement, as it is a strip row that has nice growing grasses and legumes on each side. This concept is very regenerative as it helps with biodiversity as compared to having a huge area in just dirt with lots of cabbages. Then in the actual row they were planted is where potatoes were planted last year and after the manual digging in 2023, the soil has not been turned or worked. Instead we just tucked the row away this winter with a mulching of "composty spent hay material" from our calf weaning area last fall. So for planting we just went down the 218 ft row and at every foot pulled hay mulch back to create a little circle in the center, where dirt could be seen and planted our cabbage starts right in the dirt. Every time I would dig in the revealed dirt to plant a cabbage I would see so many earthworms. Already from the get go, as the season progresses, there will be ample moisture, nutrients, and weed control already in place.
Eastenn Dutch, of course, was most excited when I said it was time to pull out the BCS walk behind to do a light and shallow turn in of green, for our organic potato strip. This was the first year he had enough power and strength to operate the BCS all by himself. Folks he lives for these moments. We got one row planted on a root sign and one more to go on either this Wednesday or Thursday on another root sign. We will have two varieties this year to look forward to, Heirloom German Butterball, and Purple Viking. Even with our potatoes, once they start growing and we do one hilling, they will as well get the special covering of our prized "composty spent hay mulch"
We are so close to wrapping up hay feeding season, we literally used our last ball of hay this morning on April 1st. Our goal was to make it through till the first of April with our hay stores and gosh we did. I had calculated at some point during the winter when we had about 50 days left of hay feeding, that we would run about 27 bales short, but I guess because of the weather being mild and with the paddock management of the separate herd's rotations we used less hay than predicted. We have just a little backup we can use from Maple View to tie us over till the rains come on Tuesday night and we start two of our herds on grass rotations. Our third heard of 2023 calves have been enjoying their stay on the Gammon Hill Restoration project paddock. We have been feeding hay all around and about in areas to let the calves push in brushy and woody debris with hooves so we can hope to over-seed with an annual oat and ryegrass mix, to help reclaim this area back to more permanent pasture, as compared to brushy brambles and bushes. The calves enjoy resting on the high up rock outcrops of the permanent forest area
The worst part for me came about during the third week of this past three week period...I was struck down with a virus! About all the family came down with the little virus of sorts, starting off with sore throats. Somehow though everyone in the family has kicked it our of their system, quicker than me. In fact, it was only Eastenn Dutch and I that had to skip any work beats. Both Dad and Matthew prevailed and were able to keep on keeping on. I have had a rough week and still have yet to make a full recover. I cannot remember the last time that it has taken my body a full week to clear itself out from a virus. We are about to be in a very busy time, so hopefully I will be back on my feet here in the next couple days. I joke and say, which really could have some truth to it, that I have had the hardest time with this virus because of all the hay dust I have breathed in all winter long, which did not help my bodies defense. Because really, Dad and I are around it the most, but I have almost 90% exposure when we are unrolling hay bales, and this is everyday for the last 5 months. The hay dust doesn't bother me at all, normally, as I do not have any dust related allergies, but the accumulated particulate probably has not been a plus for my respiratory system!
Could not resist this beautiful afternoon spring lighting showing off our yearling, soon to be two year olds. Plus the lush green bottom grazing that the main herd had access to in their last winter hay feeding paddock, showing one of my favorite saved Heifers, "Dot Spot" out in the forefront.
Foothill Frolic Farm's 3 Generation Cattle Series Feature
This Photo Series is an idea I had to show the relation of generations within a "Birth to Beef" Regenerative Cattle Farm.
This week's feature actually features Three, 3 Generation Cattle lines as the last 3 weeks were missed.
Number 1 group features Mamma Cow L4, a Baldy, and her 2 calves she has birthed since 2022. Plus her 2024 birthing!! L4, has proven to be an incredible cow. She is younger as she had her first calf in 2021 and she is neatly market as well. Her calf "Crossing Khaki" could be a candidate for a saved Heifer. Mamma COW L4, has calved already for this 2024 spring season. is currently pregnant with her calf that will be born in the spring of our 2024 calving season. As, she was the third baldy to have a baldy calf.
First Generation, Mamma Cow, L4 /
2022 calf born on 3-15-22 "Crossing Khaki" 242H /
2023 calf born on 3-27-23 "Dandy's Pick" 346S /
2024 calf born on 3-16-24 "Surefire Nicky"
Number 2 group features Mamma Cow L2, a Baldy, and her 2 calves she has birthed since 2022. L2, "Christmas Mamma" is a taller large farmed cow and excellent mamma. She as well is getting some age on her, but when she was younger I thought she was one of our prettiest baldies in the herd as in the summer time, all sleek with those nice white marked back ankles. Mamma COW L2, has currently already birthed her calf for the 2024 season, just on March 30th, but there is not a picture yet.
First Generation, Mamma Cow, L2 /
2022 calf born on 3-15-22 "Second Time Around" 236H /
2023 calf born on 3-28-23 "Blue Ribbon" 344S /
2024 calf born on 3-30-24 "Marvel Yet Again" (not pictured)
Number 3 group features Mamma Cow G2, "Auburn Mamma" a reddish-brown Hereford X Angus Cross, and her 3 calves she has birthed since 2021. We saved her calf "Black Sprinter" from 2021 as a saved Heifer. G2, is quite stoic and who does not love her beautiful Auburn Coat! All her calves have a tinge of Auborn to their blackness it seems, but she has yet to produce an Auburn colored calf, and all her calves since 2012 have been females. Mamma COW G2, is currently pregnant with her calf that will be born in the spring of our 2024 calving season.
First Generation, Mamma Cow, G2 /
2021 calf born on 1-23-21 "Black Sprinter" G12H(not pictured)/
2022 calf born on 3-16-22 "Dazzle Dash" 26H /
2023 calf born on 5-11-23 "Grass Hidding" 335H
Until Next Time, Eat Well and Be Well and Please Pass Along through your favorite media!,
(even though we have held off on having a social media presence, we are perfectly fine for our readers to share.)
Allison Mills Neal of Foothill Frolic Farm
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