Dear friends,
Hill House Farm is back in your inbox. For far too long, the dearth of farm news had many of you worried and sad, so much so, that many of you, no, actually NONE of you, reached out to make sure I was Ok. Well you will be relieved to know all is well at HHF and we have much news to share and thanks to give.
Back in August, when it was warm, sunny and trees had leaves, Ronald The Ram arrived and based on all indications, had a successful visit. If everything goes well, 12-18 lambs should be born the third week of January, starting the 18th. For at least those first two weeks of lambing, we hope the weather service is accurate with a wetter but warmer winter!
The 4H students showed last year's lambs at the Great Geauga County Fair during Labor Day weekend. It appears we tend to raise large lambs with many in the heavy weight class, weighing from 148 to 158 pounds. My sketchy notes from September indicate a 1st for showmanship, and a second place, 2 thirds and a 5th place for market classes. Several of the lambs even made the trip to Columbus and the Ohio State Fair, where the judge recommended more muscle and using a treadmill (sound familiar?). In summary, Natalie, Kevin, Julia, Kelly and Audrey all had very successful projects and enjoyed themselves immensely given their happy smiles. Congratulations to all of them!!
On the chicken front, the May peeps are fully grown and laying a ton of eggs. I quite possibly may have over-ordered with 40+ birds in the coop, many only coming inside to lay, so if you would like a few chickens for your coop or as pets (we are told they enjoy watching TV), let me know. We had a close call with a red-tailed hawk and one of our chickens mistakenly going into the woods, the chicken and I are very thankful to say that she remarkably escaped with only a few "scratches."
As promised, we processed our older hens for soup chickens. Uncle Joe strongly suggested we keep the feet to make a much better soup! Due to strong sales, we are already down to 4 left and at least 8 feet (I guess not everyone was a fan of the feet idea). At $6 each, they are a steal, and the feet are free.
If you would like to start a new "fancy coop" to impress friends and family and for your social media, our friends at Cooped Up can help you find and house the perfect flock for your family. They do all of the work for you, from cleaning and supply deliveries to health checks and pet sitting. Find more details at https://www.coopedup4u.com/.
We sadly said goodbye to our first renters of Terra Bella (our rental house on the farm). Coming from New York and California, to put it kindly, they were not really sure what to expect moving to Ohio for 6 months. Luckily their timing was perfect (i.e., no snow) and they enjoyed themselves immensely. They loved the farm, walking the paths, working in the cabin, riding the horses and feeding the animals, as did their many visitors. It was fun to see our local beauty and farm animals through their eyes. They seemed to ignore the work yet to be done and only saw the best parts. Happily, our next new family already moved in and they too are enjoying the bucolic splendor of farm living, especially Hank the pugabul (pug / English bulldog) who walks his owners with amazing vim and vigor and loves the many new smells.
For our fun fact this time, we are excited to share Uncle Joe enjoyed his 100th birthday on August 23rd. We are still hopeful to get him on the Today Show. Some of his fun facts given to the show ... Living in Cortland, Ohio, Joe was in the Navy as a machine gunner on landing crafts aboard the ship Dorothea Dix during WWII. He made 4 landings at Normandy and Omaha Beach for D-Day, and later fought in the Philippines. Prior to going into the service he was sent to Montana to be in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), where he was paid $25 a month, of which $20 was sent home to his mom. He worked for GM's Packard Electric Div. for 35 years and in construction with his brothers. He still maintains a large garden as well as many fruit trees. He has one daughter, 2 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren and many, many nephews, nieces and cousins. His ship transported Earnest Hemingway, who was covering WWII as a correspondent, to Northern France. His secret to longevity is to always remain active. We neglected to share all of the mischief Joe instigated and his quick-witted humor born from his still wicked sharp mind.
In addition to our family, for this Thanksgiving, I am most thankful for you, our friends of Hill House Farm. The animals, the pretty views, Cyndi's garden and enjoying nature are all great, but it is you who make this whole adventure worth the work. The joy and care you share with your notes, calls and many visits are overwhelming. Every firewood and compost delivery brings new adventures and conversations. I love selling 6 dozen eggs with just a few texts. And watching you feed the animals with your children, always taking pictures, is such a pleasure. Thank you for being a part of our lives. You are what make Hill House Farm special
We wish you a safe, healthy and Happy Thanksgiving,
Harry
