Friends,
Welcome 2024!
I missed you ... sending our update, reading your responses and connecting with your lives. This is a "feel good," 620 word, 3 minute read, with only a few multi-media advertisements
In case you missed the last newsletter video, enjoy it here! If nothing else, the music is awesome and the unofficial anthem for Hill House Farm (@14975 County Line Road)
With the start of January, we enter our most dramatic season ... lambing season. Dr. Beth visited last week and shared the wonderful news that all 9 ewes are pleasantly plump, pregnant and prepared to lamb. Under Scooby's supervision, watching her ultrasound screen and analyzing the various body parts and beating hearts was very special.
Our current calm will soon transform into moments of anticipation, concern, panic, joy, disappointment and exhaustion (sometimes all in an hour's time). We expect 15 to 20 new additions! Please let me know if you would like to visit for either birthing, bottle feeding or the joy of holding our new wooly, wiggly wonders. Just remember to wear warm clothes, and the right shoes, so you can jump into the action. Through the miracles of modern medicine, lambs (fingers crossed) start arriving January 10th. To avoid nasty surprises, we installed a 4th barn camera focused on the lambing "jugs" (i.e., nursery). Otherwise, all of the preparations are made which means we will still feel totally unprepared when "game time" arrives.
The chickens are going crazy. Five weeks ago, we barely collected a dozen eggs a day. We now approach 4 dozen daily with more each week. Cyndi, the all-star egg cleaner, works faster than a New York City deli cashier to keep up. A glutton for punishment, we ordered more peeps for delivery in June, so pullets are ready in September. As always, I ordered extra peeps given it seems every predator alive enjoys eating chicken. Let me know if you would like to buy some.
With firewood deliveries nearly complete, lifting, splitting and stacking are well underway while enjoying the now famous Dancing Farmer playlist on Spotify. Come join the party!
After major improvements to the property in 2023 (thank you Dave!), this year includes big plans for further enhancements, including replacing our leaning tower of Cupola on the Sheep barn, upgrading and doubling the size of a chicken coop and creating a long, winding walking trail around the property to work off holiday gatherings and fight the onslaught of old-age.
Thank you for an outstanding 2023 for Hill House Farm. As you saw in the video, we really enjoyed our many visitors and outdoor adventures. We also exceeded our revenue record by 7%, and as a result donated $250 to the Cleveland Kids Book Bank and $1,500 to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. They are both excellent charities with broad, local outreach and a focus on families, youth and education.
Fun fact: Agriculture is the #1 industry in Ohio, contributing $124 billion to the economy. There are 76,500 farms in the state, ranging in size from hobby farms to very large operations. Nearly 90% are family or individual owned. Food and farming employ 1 in 8 Ohioans. Ohio ranks #1 for swiss cheese, #2 for eggs, #3 for tomatoes and pumpkins, #5 for soybeans, #7 for corn, #8 for chickens and #10 for turkeys, etc. Ohio is also ranked 4th in the country for sheep operations!!
Bonus fun fact. Plan to visit Cleveland for the April 8th total solar eclipse. The eclipse will follow a 13 state path about 124 miles wide and we are one of the bigger cities expected to experience the eclipse.
For this year, let's all hope for a more peaceful and compassionate world
Your friend,
Harry
