Sunday Newsletter

Dear friends,

Thank you for your many comments regarding the Thanksgiving newsletter. Despite our plethora of collective challenges, many agreed we have quite a bit to be thankful for these days ... not including the 18 inches of very heavy snow we received 3 weeks ago!!

Dangerous travel, electricity out, downed trees and broken limbs everywhere, we had (and still have) a mess. Thankfully, after a close call with a red elm, our tractor barn was spared and sledding the 5th pasture was a welcome treat for Aimee's twins. Just for humor I am sharing a photo from Halloween

So other than whining about the weather, a pointless pastime when living in NE Ohio, the farm is rather quiet. The equipment is safely tucked away for the winter. The endless days of splitting and stacking continue (17 ricks completed), with 2 deliveries remaining, and the egg business is running smoothly with my best lifelong helper, Cyndi, in charge of cleaning. Gladly, young Harry and Lauren are home for a few weeks to assist with deliveries, splitting and clean-up on the weekends as well as preparing the "lamb cam" for service in January.

Ewes are in their final ~4 weeks of gestation before lambs arrive early January. Interestingly, we increased their feed levels as 2/3rds of the lambs growth occurs in the last 4-6 weeks of pregnancy. Overfeeding early in the pregnancy can lead to pregnancy toxemia (ketosis), especially for older ewes carrying twins or triplets, which is a nightmare to handle in the barn as the ewes have insufficient energy to even stand the final couple weeks of pregnancy. And late insufficient feeding leads to underweight and weak lambs. Providing the correct level of feed before, during and after pregnancy is critical and at times a difficult balancing act. In general though, as the shearer says, "you have a lot more problems with overly fat ewes than with skinny ones"

So given the shortage of farm stories, I thought I might share some important news. We are 5 days away from an important birthday!! Yep, I had a birthday on December 15th. Although not a "big one," every birthday is welcome after this terrible year. In reflection, I thought I might share some of my personal signs of getting old, with a dash of covid quarantine thrown in for good measure. See if you can relate ...

- I like watching the Hallmark Channel and was excited to hear there is a Hallmark Mystery Channel

- People call me Mr. when I go to the Tractor Supply store

- The TV never seems loud enough

- I am told to trim hair I never knew existed before

- Subtitles are mandatory when watching any British TV show or movie

- I know too many useless facts about random topics but can't remember what we had for dinner last night

- I have grown used to eating steel cut oatmeal

- I enjoy doing the laundry and reengineered the process into a clever 9 step program

- I remember (and watched) the last time the Browns had a good team

- Age 60 (or 59) might be the new 40 but 9 pm is the new midnight

- I watch news more in one week than I used to watch in one year ... and I know far too many of the newscasters names

- My growing supply of braces, wraps and splints could outfit a small MASH unit

- I freely share advice at the hardware store and Chagrin Pet and Garden

- I look forward to Hunting Valley Recycling and Waste Management Committee meetings

- The term aches and pains has real meaning

- I have been told my newsletters are too long : (

So, this week's fun fact is a short one ... What is an acre? An acre is 43,560 square feet and an Anglo-Saxon word that means, literally, the amount of land plowable in one day. The term was used before the 10th century and referred to the area that could be plowed by a yoke (pair) of oxen in one day. Later it was changed to 40 poles long by 4 poles wide (or 160 square rods) with a rod = 16.5 feet and one pole = one square rod. Yes the math works

Fun fact #2: Our recycling committee was mentioned in the Chagrin Valley Times this week, pushed back to page A3 by a man who trained a Canada Goose with Ritz crackers to fly beside him while running, driving or biking. Recycling article attached!

We wish you all a safe, healthy and happy Holiday Season and for many, a joyous celebration of a much more meaningful birthday and Merry Christmas!

Older Harry

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Happy Thanksgiving 2020

Dear friends,

It is 5:53 am Thanksgiving morning, and I sit here befuddled. The words Happy Thanksgiving feel artificial after 9 months of a pandemic, a terribly divisive election, catastrophic weather and fires and more senseless killings erupting into riots (just to hit the “highlights”)? Millions of lives will be forever changed … The issues we face as a society are extremely complex, interconnected and years in the making and will take decades to address. 6:32 am, and now I am just depressed

But I know many of you are waiting eagerly for this note, some awoke early for it, and I have chores to complete for our sumptuous dinner in the garage this afternoon … 6:35 am and I now I am confused and under pressure

So I write the rest of this note in the spirit of finding silver linings, celebrating the little joys of life, dusting off the dirt and mud from a crappy year and persevering forward. 6:47 am and I am feeling a little better (and hungry)

From Hill House Farm we were thankful for many positives representative of this unique year

• Most notably, Jessicka, the student you are helping support in El Salvador, nearing completion of her degree with her final thesis underway. No matter how daunting her challenges, she is always hopeful and thankful and ends each note sending her blessings

• An enthusiastic vet and successful breeding season resulting in a perfect 100% score and some “really, really super pregnant sheep” that beautifully graze each morning outside our window

• Harry and Lauren back out on their own successfully starting and continuing their careers and lives, hopefully having benefited from lessons learned on the farm

• Everyone who made sacrifices by missing vacations, skipping dinners out, wearing a mask and keeping their distance to try and help others stay safe and healthy

• Our many visitors who take time from their busy days to pick up their eggs, tour the barn, feed the lambs and sometimes receive good luck llama spit shower

• Another year of Aimee, Neve, Lucy, 3 horses, 3 goats and Mr. Z (the cat) at the barn … with a new puppy! … adding fun energy and life to the farm

• The scientists who developed and will approve the new vaccines and the many volunteers who participated in trials to confirm it worked

• The 162 friends and family who faithfully read these notes from top to bottom : ) ! And the many of you who send me your own stories

• The countless Drs., nurses, delivery people, retailers, police, firemen, etc., etc., risking their lives to keep us safe and meet our needs

• Netflix, Amazon, UPS, Fed-Ex, USPS, Commercial and Public TV and Radio and everyone else who brought the world into our homes

• 8 lambs born, 6 shown by 4H students, 1 AI lamb kept for breeding and a lost lamb that like so many I will always remember

• The 37 customers who ordered compost and firewood to create beautiful gardens and for snuggling during cold days

• The completion of County Line Road and the addition of hundreds of bikers giving the new pavement a spin

• Randy’s generous donation of 45 bales of hay to the farm in appreciation for help with his horse

• My new, really cool, super huge and awesome GMC 3500 truck and dump bed for deliveries

• Dave and Jane for donating firewood to complete late end of the year firewood orders

• For Joe Pikor and his 4 children for another year of hay, helpful advice and friendship

• The completion of Terra Bella and many new friends made during her renovation

• 57 chickens now laying eggs and a waiting list of 21 eager, but patient customers

• ... and 12 guinea fowl providing little value other than barnyard ambiance and comedy

• A barn full with 400 bales of Hay and straw and feed building with 2 tons of grain

• Russ, Chuck, Bruce and John for their donations of timber for firewood

• A wonderful year of weather to enjoy the farm and shelter in place

• Uncle Joe for his 99 years of colorful stories and sage advice

• 6 special months with 2 great children at home one last time

• The most wonderful woman in the world in the best of times and an even better person during the difficult days, my lovely Cyndi

8:44 am and I am thankful and relieved to remember the good this year provided. I hope and pray you too can find your own silver linings and reasons to be excited for a better future

Happy Thanksgiving,

Harry

Pre-Election Sunday Newsletter

Dear friends,

Fall has arrived! New Canada geese arrive daily, leaves rain down, blanketing the pastures, horses are wearing blankets, morning fog sits on the pond, the long, sunny days of summer are gone and today we will enjoy 50mph winds and snow ... With winter around the corner, at times we feel like an episode of the Alaska: The Last Frontier, where each episode is the last before winter arrives and life will be frozen for months in an endless landscape of white.

Fortunately, winter prep has gone well with 410 bales of hay and straw in the barn loft, the ewes were fully sheared to facilitate lambing, the garden was cleared and shared with the chickens, Cyndi harvested her fall crop of onions, 7 ricks of wood have been split and stacked for next year (with the rest cut down into rounds and stacked), the compost was turned one final time and we have kept our heads above water with the endless supply of leaves. Only 5 "holiday" firewood deliveries remain and we are sold out for this year! And, we are done with compost deliveries for this year. Please put you order in now for Spring

I am happy to report that the new chickens started laying their small pullet eggs and we hope to soon be overrun with eggs, better able to meet customer needs, especially around the holidays. We also have some great stewing chickens available for making soup on a blustering day

We delivered the final 30+ chickens and guineas. Last week we sold 6 chickens to a great family who visited to pick up their hens (their first egg came today). The children were fun to watch catching their chickens, with birds and kids flying around throughout the coop. After a successful 15 minutes and chickens safely in their dog crate, they asked to feed the llama and alpacas. Of course, sometimes the animals fight over the food and the young boy, Tucker, was soon covered in a heavy layer of llama "spit"! After being told llama spittle was good luck, he wiped his face on his mom and he, Brynn and Macy returned to the fence to see who could next receive a llama / alpaca shower : )

Last weekend, we received a call for "the farm" from an elderly, upset gentleman whose 30 year old horse had died and required moving. So I quickly called my "partner in crime" Dan to make the trip down County Line Road, Dan in my truck and I in the skid steer. After some quick reengineering of the barn and fencing, we were able to pull the 1200 pound (now headless) horse from the stall, up the pasture and next to the drive. If you need any dead animals moved or removed, please let me know and I will give you Dan's cell number!

For lambing, we expect a great crop this year. Our vet, Jessica Bittner, came to ultrasound the ewes. As the sheep were recently sheared, the process was quite fast and easy. Jessica was excited to share "she is pregnant!" to "she is really pregnant" to one "she is really, really, super pregnant." Scoring a 100%, we are hoping for 15 lambs in early January. I share a photo of an ultrasound, if you can see a lamb you are either a physician or should be one!

Congratulations to our good friend Tony P. who purchased 8 guinea fowl last year. Often free-ranging, they enjoy roaming his property and both sides of County Line road in search of insects, seeds and worms. This year he purchased another 6, giving him 14. And then he received a great surprise with the birth of 21 more keets!

Fun fact: Birds typically lay one egg at a time. At this point, the eggs are in a "holding pattern," fertile and viable but not incubating. When a hen believes she has the right number, depending on the size of the eggs and hen, she will become broody and stay in the nest, starting the incubation process that can take between ~21 and 28 days for chickens and guineas respectively. This explains why Tony had 21 keets all the same size and age!

As a final note, we have completed the renovation of the house next door (Terra Bella), if you know of someone looking for a high-end rental, please let us know and we can share a 4 minute video of the house and property and arrange a visit

Hoping you all stay safe, sane and healthy during these tumultuous times and crazy election year!

Best for now,

Harry

Rainy Labor Day Newsletter

Dear friends,

Labor Day, the official end to the oddest Summer of our lives.  Let's hope the Fall / Winter brings new promise for a better life for all of us.

My apologies for the long newsletter ... it is raining and I am behind in sharing news and stories ...

The past few weeks, we focused on raising the new chickens and guineas, delivering firewood, collecting new "rounds" and splitting for next year.  We sold out of fence rails and delivered 33.  Egg production is good, but will slow down considerably after this week until November when the new birds start laying in earnest.  The ram and breeding ewes appear happy and content and after changing to a green crayon, we are not seeing a lot of new "marking," meaning we should have all of our lambs over the course of one week in January.  

Please let me know if you would like compost this fall, I will be making deliveries until November when I put the skid steer away for the winter.  We are officially sold out of firewood!!

Thank you to everyone who continues to bring us egg cartons, your generosity has been so substantial we are developing business plans to start a secondary business selling them to other egg farmers!!   Short fun fact from my old Booz friend Tom Casey ... In 1891, 29-year-old William Wrigley Jr. came to Chicago from Philly with $32 and the idea to start a business selling Wrigley's Scouring Soap.  Wrigley offered premiums as an incentive to buy his soap, such as baking powder. Later in his career, he switched to the baking powder business, in which he began offering two packages of chewing gum for each purchase of a can of baking powder. The popular premium, chewing gum, ultimately became the main business and leader in the $19 billion chewing gum business

Congratulations to Kelly who won Intermediate showmanship at The Great Geauga County Fair this past week, as well as the costume contest where she and her lamb showed as Russell and Kevin from the movie Up.  I think they did a great job and am amazed she got the lamb to wear its costume!

We have been seeing a lot of deer around the property this year, in particular one doe with her two fawns.  They really enjoy the acorns by the firewood shelter and at this point let us approach quite close with the gator.  Hopefully the acorns taste better than the garden and landscaping plants

For those of you interested in a culinary treat, our favorite poultryman, PJ, is selling whole, pasture raised cornish cross chickens grown out large making them ideal for roasting. They will be ready by october 4th at 6$ / lb served as whole (cleaned) birds.  PJ also has a business (Cooped Up)
 building, selling and maintaining chicken coops.  Please let me know if you are interested and I will put you in contact with PJ

With the end of summer, as a family we really enjoyed visiting other farms these past few months, seeing our friends and hearing about their many projects.  The visits reminded us that work on a farm is never done but rather just reprioritized each day.  

We spent a wonderful few hours with our favorite Amish carpenter Ray and his 4 children.  They were great hosts, showed us their property and we were very entertained by their 4 children.  We enjoyed a fun, lengthy conversation on their wrap around porch.  The most interesting aspect was seeing their pony, so small it walked underneath the two standardbred horses used to pull their buggy.  After Ray, we then visited his cousin Paul Jr. at his farm to pick up more maple syrup. 

We enjoyed a long afternoon at the Stachowski farm in Mantua, walking the grounds and seeing their many alpacas, some quite young.  Lambs are pretty cute, but baby alpacas take it to a new level.

Of course we visited Uncle Joe at his farm, where he recently celebrated his 99th birthday.  He was happy to pass his drivers test so he can continue to run errands for the elderly unable to get out of the house.  He shared many stories from his time working for GM and as a child, and as always, shared his gardening tips with Cyndi.  For those of you with a garden, now is a great time to plant lettuce, onions, radishes and garlic.

While picking up Hay from Joe Pikor, we toured his 130 year old barn that was HUGE, towering 54 feet, or over 4 stories.  We saw his prize winning sheep, new barns and heard about his many plans for the future.  But time is short when you make 60,000 bales of hay and straw each year!  

My personal favorite was seeing the Grace farm in Hudson.  Jack has always been a great friend and mentor.  At 80 years, he and JoAnn are busy as ever, having just received 92 pallets of barn stones for walls, cleaning an old chicken coop to become a potting shed and raising clydesdales (in addition to having ~12 grandchildren).  They are quite proud of their newest foal whose father was a National Champion.  

Fun Fact:  Whitetail deer are the most common large land mammal in the US and generally a remarkable creature, especially when witnessed effortlessly hopping a fence or running through the woods like a ghost in the wind.  They vary in color from reddish brown in the summer to grayish brown during the winter to help the deer stay camouflaged.  When startled, they raise their tail to warn the other deer of danger.  They are actually the smallest of North American deer with mule, caribou and elk being much larger.  Bucks lose their antlers annually, shedding them in the winter.  While growing, the antlers are covered by a fine tissue (velvet) that is rubbed off when done growing.  They are most active during dawn and dusk and have a small range, often less than 1 square mile.  Fawns stay with their mothers until another set of fawns is born.  The first year, does typically have a single fawn and thereafter twins for the remaining mating seasons.  They typically live only 5 years in the wild.  Deer are very fast, able to run 40 mph and swim up to 13 miles per hour.  They have very long strides, up to 25 feet!!!!  They are adapted to eat a very wide range of forage, including mushrooms poisonous to humans.  Due to their eyes containing more rods than cones, they have sharp night vision but not very good vision in the daylight. 

If you made it this far, thank you for your perseverance!

We wish you the best, please wear those masks and stay healthy!

Harry

Late Sunday Newsletter

Dear friends,

We hope you are enjoying these final days of a very peculiar summer. 

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and this week, old Harry will be losing young Harry and Lauren to Chicago and Boston, respectively, to move closer to their offices.  But of course, farm life will continue to keep Cyndi and me out of our rocking chairs!

Yesterday, our good friend Joe and his two sons (Cooper and Parker) delivered our yearling "rental ram" for breeding.  Last year, the ram produced some very good lambs so we have high hopes this year.  Once again, we used CIDRs and PG600 shots to synchronize and induce estrus.  This will allow slightly earlier breeding as naturally the sheep would want to breed when the nights get longer and cooler, not always the case in August, and concentrate the births over a few tiring days.  So far the process appeared to be working as all of the ewes were marked this morning.  If pregnancy and birthing go well, we should have approximately 14 lambs born the second week of January to sell next Spring for 4H projects.  

The peeps are now 8 week old "teenage" chickens.  Unfortunately, due to the high demand for peeps this Spring, all of the hipsters and "hipsters at heart," decided raising their own poultry was an awesome idea, thus complicating ordering, so the guinea keets are 4 weeks younger in age, making it difficult to merge the two flocks.  So for the past week, the keets have been relegated to a dog cage in the chicken coop.  Which is particularly unpleasant as the favorite roosting spot for the chickens is directly above the keets ...

To create more room, I will soon take in the 2 year old chickens for processing.  If anyone would like to buy an older, but still productive chicken, they are $3 each.  Perfect for anyone wanting to round out an existing flock.  If you would like to buy the same bird frozen as a stewing chicken (think soup), they are $5.  Place your orders soon as it may happen in the next two weeks.  

Otherwise, wood deliveries are going well, I will start splitting next week and we are accepting orders for fall compost delivery for October / November.  Thank you to our great friends Chuck and John who donated a lot of wood to our stockpile for next year.  We sold out of the old rails, 350 bales of hay will arrive in September, and Cyndi will start planting fall vegetables in a few weeks.  

Fun fact: This year we have been seeing a lot of Eastern Cottontail rabbits, including three very young ones that escaped a close encounter with the Scag mower, scaring me more than them as they ran for safety.  Interestingly, we have also seen more raptors than typical around the farm.  Rabbits are a favorite for just about every predator.  The Eastern Cottontail rabbit is the most common rabbit species in North America.  For those of you in the Northeast, you have your own New England Cottontail.  As expected, they are crepuscular (new word - meaning twilight) to nocturnal feeders to stay safe and like bushy areas and brush piles to live.  They don't dig their own dens, but rather look for old groundhog dens.  Most nest holes are located in high grass (hence the mower episode).  Large eyes and ears are to see and hear danger and they can run 18mph.  Most interesting, temperature is the biggest factor for breeding, therefore maybe why we have so many this year, and typically starts in March around here.  Young rabbits (kits) are blind 4-7 days, leave the next by 12-16 days, are weaned by 5 weeks, leave the nest by 7 weeks and can breed during the same summer !   Mothers can have up to 7 litters (1-12 rabbits each) during the year and typically average 3-5.  

PS Fun Fact:  We are still looking for a Pekin Duck.  Additional research uncovered the Aflac duck is a Pekin!

We wish you all a fun, safe and healthy end to your summer

Sunday Newsletter

Dear friends,

Time flies and it has been too long ... so we have a lot of updates.  Before I get started, however, we hope everyone is healthy and staying safe.  Fortunately, although hot at times, the weather has been spectacular this summer so staying at home and enjoying the outdoors, especially for family al fresco dining at night, has been a real gift.

First, the new truck was put to the test and performed very helpful for deliveries, especially compost.  Standing knee deep in compost, no matter how "cured," is not a great time.  It has also been very helpful for picking up dirt, mulch, feed and straw as well as the firewood deliveries.  We debuted the truck with our first delivery to Uncle Joe, who was very impressed! (photo)

We hear the 4H lambs look excellent and members are still planning to attend fairs at this point, albeit with many changes.  One of our young members had a great showing already at the Buckeye expo jackpot show (photo) last month.  We will start the breeding process again a week from now with the ram arriving August 15th.  

Firewood sales and delivery have been plugging along and we have a few ricks left for sale and 12 deliveries left to complete. Our goal is to complete most deliveries, as well as getting a great headstart on splitting for next year before Harry and Lauren leave for Chicago and Boston respectively.  Great to have skilled, strong and cheap labor !  We really enjoy the deliveries and the stories that come from each visit.  While delivering to Brian in Shaker, we had the pleasure of enjoying a FaceTime call with Jessica, the student the business is supporting in El Salvador.  Proving how small the world is, Brian runs the education program for St. Dominics and called on the spot when he learned of the connection!  Jessica is doing very well and excited to graduate soon.  She really appreciates all of your support and feels very blessed

The chicken peeps are growing rapidly and are fully feathered.  Ten days ago, we also picked up 15 guinea keets from the post office and endeavored to join them with the peeps.  Unfortunately, the tiny keets were scaring the peeps, causing them to run over the keets as they tried to escape their new roommates.  So we went to plan B, keeping the keets in the cabin in a horse waterer, which provides the added benefit of simplifying cuddle therapy sessions (photo).  

While on chickens, egg prices are back to the old price of $5 per dozen.  Production is slow and the waiting list is very long!  Thank you for your patience

We have been reengineering a lot of our fencing and have many extra rails.  We would like to see them put to good use.  We are selling the used split rail fence rails for $2 each, and I am happy to deliver.  LMK if you are interested.

We plan to expand our duck flock and give Lucky Duck some new friends.  Please let us know if you know of anyone who might have white pekin ducks for sale or to donate.  We have found that given their size, they survive much better than smaller ducks :  (

Lastly, we always enjoy socially distant visitors (especially when they bring puppies), please let us know if you would like to stop by for a visit!

Fun fact:  Lucky duck received his name many years ago when young Harry was in 5th grade and they hatched 10 ducks in his classroom.  Harry offered to bring them home to raise and we were excited to build a cage made of chicken wire ... Unfortunately, the first night a group of raccoons circled the cage and reached inside and removed all but one "lucky duck."  The next day, we saved Lucky and moved him to our porch where he promptly imprinted on the family, following us around the house and yard, until we could rebuild the cage with hardware cloth.  Since then, family lore holds that the white pekin on the pond is always Lucky Duck!  The White Pekin duck is an American breed of domestic duck raised primarily for meat (although we don't plan to eat Lucky Duck).  They were brought to the US from China in the 19th century and are now bred across the world.  Many of these ducks were raised on Long Island, New York giving rise to the name Long Island Duck.  The mallard duck was domesticated in China at least 3000 years ago.  The Chinese were sophisticated breeders of ducks. 

Thank you for your ongoing interest and support.  We wish you all the best of health in these crazy times,

Harry

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads out there and to all of us who remember our fathers on this special day.  

It has been far too long since our last newsletter, however, the timing did not feel appropriate as we were all confronting more important concerns involving the pandemic and long-standing human rights issues affecting far too many Americans.  Hopefully the increased awareness and conversation will begin to put us on a better path forward that includes tangible actions!

Back on the farm, we continued to make progress this past month.  I am happy to report that 4 months and one pandemic later, our new GMC 3500HD truck arrived.  After installing a new "dumper dogg" dump insert early next week, we will be ready to make compost and firewood deliveries.  So for those of you waiting to have your backyard fires, thank you for your patience!  If you would like firewood for next fall, please let me know.  Based on extensive benchmarking, the new price will be $150 for a rick delivered and $20 for stacking.

Last week we also received 60 peeps and I am happy to report all are doing very well.  If you feel stressed, we are offering free peep cuddle therapy sessions in the barn.  Next week we should be receiving another dozen and in July, 15 guinea keets, so the fun should extend for several more weeks.  Then they will just be loud and unruly.

Unfortunately, the farm was visited by several predators the past few weeks.  One day a large bald eagle flew overhead, reminding us they are close by, but thankfully more interested in fish than chickens.  After forgetting to close the coop (the risk of free ranging), some raccoons captured a few chickens in the coop and all of the guineas flew away.  Thankfully 5 guineas returned and 3 are still roaming Hunting Valley.  And lastly, we had a surprise visit by an immature sharp-skinned hawk who enjoyed a day's buffet of barn swallows.  Farm life is never easy

The sheep, llama and alpaca are all much cooler after their shearing.  We cut down 5 dead trees for firewood for next year, and the chickens are laying well but slowed down after the raccoon raid and now with the hot weather.  We sincerely appreciate all of the egg cartons dropped off by customers!!   The pastures are wonderful but crying for rain.

Fun Fact:  After enjoying several hummingbird sightings this week, we review some aspects of a hummingbird's amazing life.  Their average heart rate is 1,200 beats per minute and at rest they take an average of 250 breaths per minute.  They can fly 30 miles an hour and can reach 60 miles an hour during a dive, as well as they are the only bird that can fly backwards and upside down.   A hummingbird must consume 1/2 of their body weight in sugar daily and they feed 5-8 times per hour.  The ruby throated hummingbird (photo from our friend Debbie's back yard) weighs 3 grams while a nickel weighs 4.5 grams.  And lastly, their eggs are the size of jelly bean!

We hope you are all staying healthy!  

Harry

Happy Mother's Day

Dear friends,

We hope many of you enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day brunch with your families ... even if some had to join only by phone.

We have been very busy on the farm and I have a lot of news to share next time, but today I thought it fitting to focus on moms everywhere and share some stories about my mom, for without her influence, we would not have this farm and you would not be reading my drivel on a regular basis.  I know many of you have wonderful stories to share as well, so I hope these fond musings might remind of all of those we love and better times together as families.

My mom's name was Janet Mae Lodge and she grew up in the small town of Robinson, Illinois, located in the Southeast corner of the state.  Growing up, Janet was a bit of a tomboy and enjoyed biking and golf. Her love of golf came during her high school years when, after a bout with polio, she could not participate in regular gym class or play other sports.  One of her favorite stories was playing golf at the Robinson Country Club with her friend Pinky, and kicking a club member’s ball into the hole on a blind par 3.  Of course, the gentleman was thrilled with his “hole-in-one,” not knowing about Janet Mae’s secret, which her father sternly told her never to disclose.  

Janet was the original fisherman in the family. She could bait a hook, catch a fish and release it with ease, much better than my father Harry who was more at home on the golf course and tennis courts.  Janet grew up near a big woods and spent many hours identifying bird calls and brought many animals home, including mice, salamanders, snakes, frogs, toads and insects.  When she once went to summer camp, she left a note detailing how to feed her menagerie for her rather proper mother, Crystal, a task surely handed off to someone else.  Her love of fishing and animals was passed off to her children, especially yours truly, allowing me to raise many snakes, frogs, turtles, fish, crayfish, tadpoles, a mink, a pet ferret, mice, rats, cats and dogs in the house!  She also enjoyed watching my favorite TV shows with me:  Bonanza, Daniel Boone and Gunsmoke, all leaving an indelible mark on me and my dream to someday have Hill House Farm.

She loved to tell the story about the long car trip to Illinois for her own mother’s funeral where Tad (me) brought a family of baby garter snakes in a small box in the back of the car, a fact discovered well into the trip when I had to collect bugs at a rest stop to feed them.
 

One favorite family story was about the Easter peep my mom received as a young girl.  Cute at first, the peep quickly grew into a full-sized chicken.  Her father felt raising a chicken inside the city limits was not appropriate, so they soon took it to Mrs. Brown, who owned a chicken farm.  Janet Mae wanted to make sure her chicken was safe and easy to find so she tied a yellow ribbon around its neck.   Before every visit, Crystal or Arthur would call to warn Mrs. Brown that Janet Mae was visiting, sending her scurrying into the yard to catch a chicken and tie a ribbon around its neck.  Only at dinner one night did Uncle David break the news about the chicken’s true plight.

My mother's passed away 5 years ago in March.  She will be forever missed, but lives on in all of us.

Happy Mother's Day to moms everywhere (especially our Cyndi).  You have always been the original "first-responders" for which was are all deeply grateful.

Your friend,

Harry

Spring Newsletter

Dear friends,

I would like to offer this Hill House Farm newsletter as an alternative media option to the regularly scheduled pandemic news coverage ... Sorry President Trump, Governor Dewine and the countless news programs

We are enjoying a fun start to Spring at the farm, except for our crazy weather;  snow, hail, rain, sun and thunderstorms all within the last hour!  It is great to live in Northeast Ohio.  Despite the weather, signs of Spring are everywhere.  

Turtles sunning on pond banks

Geese pairs searching for a home to nest

Ramps carpeting the woods and filling our skillet

Flowers blossoming across the landscape

Chickens foraging for bugs

Pastures turning emerald green and starting to grow

Plants sprouting in the new greenhouse

and my favorite, a loud of chorus of spring peepers each night!

The sheep are doing very well.  We will sell and ship 6 lambs for 4H by this Saturday.  The students are excited to have their lambs to keep busy when not attending online classes.  To add some excitement, one little escape artist jumped out of the stall and joined the horses next door for a quick visit

Given the new HHF truck is on hold in Detroit, we will attempt deliveries using Cyndi's dad's 27 year old Chevy Cheyenne.   So please let me know if you would like a load of compost (black gold for the garden!)  Your vegetables and flowers will love you for it :  )

Also, I am starting to take firewood orders now for next year.  There will be a price increase still to be determined.  I expect to make a bunch of deliveries in June / July where possible, with the rest in the fall.  Please place your order before we sell out.  Your sweetie will love you for it :  )

Last item for orders, I am going to order chicks soon given the high demand for chickens and fresh eggs.  3 people already contacted us to buy grown layers.  I can buy and sell peeps at cost or raise the birds until they start laying for $17 a chicken.  I will also try to buy more Guinea fowl if interested.  LMK asap your interest.  Please see spreadsheet for breed personality and laying characteristics

Fun fact: Spring peepers are typically found in wooded areas and grassy lowlands near ponds and swamps.  The tiny, well-camouflaged amphibians are rarely seen.  Their hallmark crescendos of nighttime whistles from amorous males is a favorite sign that winter is over.  They are tan or brown and about 1.5 inches long with dark lines that form an X on their back.  Interestingly, as temperatures dip below 32, the peepers produce their own "antifreeze" to help preserve the most essential organs such that up to 70% of the frogs body will actually freeze to the point that the heart stops pumping and the frog appears dead!  Thankfully they then thaw and come back to life each spring!

I hope you all enjoy a very special weekend and next week celebrating Easter and Passover respectively

Until we next meet, thank you to everyone on the front-line making our lives better and safer!

Please stay healthy!

Harry

A very odd St. Patrick Newsletter

Dear friends,

I have to admit, I am generally stumped on what to write.  I don't think any of us could have foreseen the world we live in today.  We are all learning a brand new vocabulary ... social distancing, self-quarantine, asymptomatic carriers, incubation period, flattening the curve and sadly, mortality rates.  Who would have thought cleaning the chicken coops would be less risky and anxious than a trip to the grocery store.  Any discussion of the farm and our activities seems pretty silly at this point.  But, if you are like me, maybe you too can use a little distraction from the 24/7 news cycle, now daily Presidential news conferences and 1000+ point stock market swings.  And I do have a couple announcements and few people to add to the newsletter. 

First, the chickens continue to lay 2-3 dozen eggs a day, and we have been selling out.  They are enjoying more time outside and the guineas are ranging further and further from the barn as they search for protein.  One hen even likes to practice social distancing when laying her eggs.  Unfortunately, we have decided to stop selling eggs out of the garage to reduce traffic.  We will let you know when the coast is clear for more sales. 

Second, the 7 lambs are doing wonderful, look amazing and, assuming we are not in a "lock down," we plan to sell 4-5 to 4H students.  We all look forward to a time when we can gather at the local County Fairs and enjoy corn-dogs, french fries with vinegar and gyros.

Third, assuming the assembly plants do not close, I hope to deliver compost in May.  Many of you may enjoy some outside work as a distraction from the news and an opportunity to look to a happier future filled with fresh vegetables and fragrant flowers.  Please let me know if you would like compost @ $80 a truck load (about 2-3 yards)

Otherwise, we are finishing the firewood splitting and I am thankful to have Harry and Lauren home to help.  Even in the midst of the worst storm, there are silver linings.

Until we next meet, please take care of yourself and loved ones, enjoy your time with family, call those without a loved one close and stay healthy!  

Your friend, 

Harry

Coop Social Distancing

Lambs

National Send a Card to a Friend Day

Dear friends,

In celebration of National Send a Card to a Friend Day, I am sending our newsletter early this week.  It was a tough call as to the title for this note ... I could have used Bubble Gum Day, Wear Red Day, Fettuccine Alfredo Day or my favorite, Periodic Table Day!  I doubt my grandfather had these tough decisions

First and foremost, I apologize for the late update regarding lambing. After a big build up, this year was a dud.  In total, 5 ewes delivered 8 lambs (I predicted 10 and 20+).  Same process, ewes and ram as last year :  ( My sheep breeding muse believes the ram needed more quality time with the ewes prior to breeding and that the "cover" ram lamb was just too young.   Despite the lower numbers, it was still a very busy and eventful time, and we have some excellent lambs for 4h students and future breeding

• The "lamb cam" proved very helpful, improving our sleep, reducing barn visits and alerting us to births as 60% of the deliveries occurred during meals

• One ewe went into labor while we were downtown at a great fund-raiser for the impressive Breakthrough Schools.  Dan and Dana stepped in as the ewe doulas until our hurried arrival home

• When we arrived, we had to help the ewe deliver our biggest lamb ever, a 16-pounder.  With an audience in Boston and after considerable pulling and many prayers, we were able to deliver the lamb and hold it up to the exhausted ewe for her to clean

• As is tradition this time of year, Lauren (in from Boston) and I had to save twins with hypothermia ... twice.  After a few intense days of milking the ewe, tubing the lambs, bottle feeding and keeping the lambs connected to the ewe, we were able to successfully migrate the lambs back to the ewe for feeding

• Recognizing we were experiencing pregnancy issues, our vet came to ultrasound the ewes, confirming our suspicions  

• Unfortunately, we did lose one lamb due to the mother developing mastitis and the tough delivery.   At this point, losing 1 of 8 is typical with the average of 10-15% mortality for lambs ... burying a lamb is the hardest part of this business and something I never get used to as a shepherd

In other news, after 13 faithful years, we are selling our pick up truck.  Lauren, Harry and I have many fond memories, sitting in the front seat of the truck, making 150+ firewood deliveries as a team, almost all with a funny story.  A new black GMC 3500 with a dump bed is on its way!

Please, please, please remember to buy eggs.  And remember, for 2 months starting February 21st, our road will again be closed to build a few walls along the south side of County Line to 87.  With so many road closures, I am happy to deliver 2 or more dozen eggs to anyone wishing a delivery.  Also, we always appreciate your extra egg cartons.  New, they cost 45 cents each.  

Thank you to our visitors!  Below are a few photos you might enjoy.  Let me know if you want to visit.  The lambs are having a great time running and dancing around the stall 

Have a great rest of your week

Harry

Lambing Newsletter Update

Dear friends,

As promised ... quick update

1)  Frig moved back to our house at 14975 County Line for egg, syrup and pepper purchases.  Just walk to the back of the garage and go through the man-door.  Just watch your step.  If you buy a lot of anything, feel free to take a beer, we over-ordered for the last Juicy Lucy store party

2)  Twins delivered yesterday, giving 2 of Harry's fraternity brothers the opportunity of a lifetime to hold a still very wet newborn lamb and cut the umbilical cord. The action was first captured during breakfast on our new "lamb cams" (thank you Ned for the name).  The lambs appear to be doing well as they are often up and about, at times climbing on their mom.  The other ewes often waddle over to the lambing jug appearing envious 

Enjoy the snow, sleet, rain, ice, snow ...

Harry

Lambing Newsletter

Dear friends,

The calm before the storm ... 

Tomorrow we expect the start of the lambing season.  Two stalls are filled with pregnant ewes, lambing jugs are up and the lamb creep gate and rest area are ready.  I also bought a new hair dryer just in case!

Through the miracle of modern science and a new approach, the last few years we were able to both predict the start of the season and dramatically shorten it to an intense week.   This year we expect two waves of births, starting tomorrow and January 27th respectively.

This year we also tried "AI" for our best ewes and now have a camera in the barn so I don't need to leave my cozy bed at 3am and venture into a blizzard to see if anyone is delivering.  Unfortunately, as my friend described it, the video feed is like watching a fish tank, not much ever changes, but it is hard to to stop watching.  Think of it as farm reality TV.

We are learning sheep have relatively uneventful lives, the birds are very active in the stall when we are not present, one ewe in particular enjoys laying down exactly in the camera's blind spot, so another camera is on its way,  and, the bred ewe lambs, also a first this year, are very curious and ate the Ethernet cable when Young Harry was installing the antennae.  Good thing Micro Center is close. 

Lauren can also enjoy the process from Boston!  Hope she does not get caught watching at work ... fortunately, my best lambing partner is coming home this weekend to help with, what we hope, is a very busy weekend!  In total, if all of the ewes deliver at our typical twin ratio, we should have over 20 lambs!  

Otherwise on the farm, the great weather helped egg production and sales, firewood deliveries are done for the year, we are well-along getting ready for next year and our new greenhouse will be open for business in another couple weeks.  I will send an update shortly, but I am hoping to move the egg, syrup and pepper business back to our home garage from the tractor barn.  Thank you for your great support since my birthday ad / plea for egg sales.  We have never sold so many eggs!!

For this week's fun fact, I am excited to share that Jessicka (El Salvador student) started her final year at college and is scheduled to graduate next December.  She will earn a degree in International Relations.  Your support of Hill House Farm has made a huge difference in her life.  She regularly communicates with Lauren and each time expresses her deep appreciation.  I am also happy to share both her sister and brother are also now in college and on track to graduate in the years ahead.  

That is all for now ... hopefully more news shortly

Harry