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March 8, Lea McEvilly – a dear friend and contributor to GoodFood World, passed quietly at 92. She was small but determined – far out-weighed by many of the rams she wrangled, and chose to do things her way. As befitting this unique woman, Lea left this world with her children by her side on International Women’s Day. 
With fewer sheep to care for there was more time to spend gardening, and despite an overabundance of rain, by June things were pretty much under control. I took time to sit down and enjoy a beautiful day and write my observations of early June. 
The continuing saga of Poohbah, the Snow Queen: we took her to visit our vet. At 63 pounds she definitely needed to gain weight before we could have her spayed. We set out to fatten her up, along with giving her medication for the Valley Fever. $148 for the first 100 pills! She was taking 1½ pills per day. By the time the refill was needed our vet had located a less expensive source – in the $90 range. Eventually she found a source for under $50! 
Following the loss of Red Rover, Lisa had been encouraging me to start looking for a new guard animal. However, I was still depressed at the death of the little alpaca, who had entered our lives for a charmed period that ended badly. I was reluctant to pursue the search for a replacement. Then one day Lisa emailed that I should look at “Pet-Finders.com,” as there was a dog there that I should see. 
A new year, and we were hoping for better things. I knew I should start the process of looking for new guardian animal for the sheep, but my heart was not in it. A little time needed to pass after we lost Sheba, but I got back in the daily routines. 
What a year for weather! January started off with a nasty storm of freezing rain, and our patio and driveway were a glare of ice. By the middle of February and shearing day, we got our winter in earnest. All summer we had plenty of moisture and in September we were hit by torrential rains, including 19″ of rain in a single night! 
It was looking like a good part of the year would be spent on putting the final touches on the previous years’ landscaping activities. I was finding that the old saying, “The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get,” certainly applied to me! I wasn’t moving as fast as before! 
The APHIS inspector declared me a poster child for the Scrapie Certification Program! I wondered if they would let me do commercials like all the other icons… I could endorse ram harnesses, ear tags, tattoo outfits, drench guns, dewormers, lamb nipples, and all sorts of glamorous stuff! 
It’s a thrill to hear a quail whistle, just a thrill! Just to hear one really close and talk back and forth (whistle) with them. Last year there were some just over the garden fence. I couldn’t see them, because there was a lot of undergrowth there, but we had quite a conversation. 
Things at the farm were going along well. The lambs had been weaned, the feeder lambs sold, so life was pretty peaceful. Time to settle back and enjoy life a bit. However, some people never know when they are well off! |
Book of the MonthFood From the Radical Center: Healing Our Land and Communities By Gary Paul Nabhan 
America has never felt more divided. But in the midst of all the acrimony comes one of the most promising movements in our country’s history. People of all races, faiths, and political persuasions are coming together to restore America’s natural wealth: its ability to produce healthy foods. In Food from the Radical Center, Gary Nabhan tells the stories of diverse communities who are getting their hands dirty and bringing back North America’s unique fare. Read on...  The Voice of Eco-Agriculture North America’s premier publisher on production-scale organic and sustainable farming. Learn more here. A Video You Don't Want to Miss!Clara Coleman, daughter of renowned farming pioneer Eliot Coleman, has a clear plan for a new collaborative farming model called the ARC Farming Project—Agrarian Resource Collaborative Farming. 
It is in response to today's particular agricultural challenges and embraces farmer entrepreneurial diversification. Watch the video here. |
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