I haven’t written much for farm updates lately. Winter is still hanging on around here. We got a couple hours of snow and freezing rain earlier this week. Yes, that’s right–it’s almost April, in Virginia, and we just got snow! I can’t explain it, and I’m pretty over it. {sigh}

What does a long, hard winter mean for the farm? 

Well, first off, it means there’s still no grass. Normally our pastures are all covered in new green-up by this point in the year–right now they are just starting to haze in green. From what I can tell going over pictures from last year, we’re about three weeks behind in grass growth.

I shared about our noisy black rooster a few weeks ago–here’s a picture of our other rooster.

And why does grass matter so much? 

Well, grass is the root of all nutrition on a grass-based farm. {smile} Fresh grass (as opposed to hay–which is dried grass) is chock full of vitamins, calcium, iron, and more. It’s also more easily digestible so the animals get all that good stuff more quickly while burning fewer calories. In winter sometimes the animals are literally burning more calories than they are eating between staying warm and digesting tougher, dryer foods. Sometimes hay can physically fill their stomach before they’ve actually ingested enough nutrients. That’s why we use a grain supplement in winter–to give another easily digestible nutrition boost.

Because everyone is pregnant over the winter–and we all know pregnant ladies like to eat! {smile} Actually, they need to eat–they need those calories for their little growing lambs!

Everything we feed over the winter (hay and grain) is simply a temporary substitute for fresh, green, grass.

He’s an Americana. And he’s quiet. And he hasn’t caused a lick of trouble. Yet. {smile}

So we grain supplement over the winter to try to keep up with pregnancy calorie needs–then the grass comes in. Yet another nod to God’s creation–the grass usually starts coming in right about the time the newborn lambs aren’t newborns anymore.

Lambs start nibbling on grass, hay, and grain at just a few weeks old–which is good because they also hit a growth spurt about the same time. And as any nursing momma knows, the more milk a baby needs, the more calories a momma needs.

And most of these mommas are nursing twins! 

So we’re in a running battle to keep up with the nutritional needs of a flock of nursing mommas until the grass comes in. The other kicker in farming is supply and demand. Everyone plans for a normal year, so when an extra long winter hits, everyone is suddenly out looking for hay again. At very least it can drive up prices–but our problem is usually more about finding a consistent quality in our hay. We hate to run out of hay and have to bring in a different type, from a different farm, and hope the animals like it.

We found a good source the last year and a half, thankfully, but they aren’t local and we didn’t stockpile enough for this long of a winter run. We’re a little short.

So we got two bales from a local source  to tide us over–and the animals don’t seem to want it! (They want grass too!) Now that they’ve eaten our entire backyard, they’re at the hay. But they wouldn’t touch it while there was grass to be scrounged.

I think this is one of the big lessons in farming…it teaches you how small the farmer is in the course of Creation. As farmers, we wait on God in very direct, immediate, life-giving ways. Right now, we’re waiting on His spring. I’ll be glad when it gets here! Besides, now I’m blessed that our garden plot is completely weed free for us to get to planting! {smile}

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” (KJV, Hosea 10:12)

Do you have spring fever with no spring in sight?

Well, in the mean time you should hop over and pick up the All Organized eBook Bundle on sale right now–get a little light reading and heavy cleaning done while you’re waiting for better outside weather! 23 books for $20…normally $158!–Only through April 7th! 

See where I’m sharing this week…