Colonel's Blog, Earthdate 10 Feb 2023...
Hey Y'all! Happy Fast-Jet Friday--bottom pic!! Sarcastically he answers "Of course I don't miss it! Why would I?"
Good morning from Air2Ground Farms! It was cool but above freezing this morning, but tomorrow is supposed to be in the low 20s which means we will drag the milking machine inside this evening. Things are drying out a bit and not quite as muddy. I said our plan for yesterday was more inside stuff but the sun came out and we went out to join it! We refreshed the dairy cow straw, gave the hogs hay, raked up excess hay from the lambs and moved it into bird yards and hog pen, and worked with the puppies. We didn't do anything with milk. Thursdays are shortened a bit as we go to town in the evening but then extended a bit as we milk after we get home around 8:45PM. The replacement cable for the tractor arrived at the store in Springfield, so we will take a trip today to pick it up. I hope we are able to get it changed out quickly! Since we have had the tractor from the beginning of this adventure, we have come to rely on it and have set things up such that it is required. Thus, when it broke early this week, some of the daily tasks have been more challenging. On the other hand, Makaylah joined us for rounds yesterday and this morning. Her help and general awesomeness more than makes up for the loss of the tractor. The top pic is the three of us after milking this morning. The middle pic is Makaylah milking Happy. She watched and learned yesterday and this morning asked if she could do it. Of course, we said "of course!" She helped carry everything out, brushed Happy and cleaned her udder, cleared her teats, and put the machine on her. She worked to ensure the machine got all of the milk it could and then took the machine off and got it ready for Betty. She and I then worked together to 'strip Happy out' by hand to ensure no milk remained. She was very proud, as were Shelley and I, just for different reasons.
[Editorial comment: I am having a bit of internal struggle regarding this blog. I am very excited about things we are learning in the food/farming/regenerating arena and want to share what we have learned and are learning with our friends and family. I also recognize that the things that are important to me as a farmer aren't necessarily important to you, the reader, and you may just want to hear about what and how we are doing. I realized and ruminated over this after my post yesterday. I ask you to bear with me as I finish my train of thought from yesterday's post and I will attempt to refocus onto our daily life in the future.]
I used raw milk yesterday in my discussion of food freedom and I realized I should have included Oklahoma as well. In Oklahoma, on-farm sales of raw milk are legal, but no more than 100 gallons per month. For reference, we are currently getting about 150 gallons a month from our two Jerseys. The next topic for me in the food freedom discussion is products made with raw milk like cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, etc. The short answer is: not legal to sell for the family dairy farmer. For us here in Missouri, cheese, butter, yogurt, kefir, and other dairy products may be produced for individual consumption but may not be manufactured for sale outside of an approved dairy facility. Specialized processing rooms must be constructed and inspected according to Missouri regulations. Strict production methods and inspections are required for the production of these items for public consumption or sale. Non inspected facilities may not offer samples or direct sales to consumers; dairy products made here may only be consumed by family members. So unless you are family, if you stop by the farm for a visit, you cannot even taste our amazing cheese...sorry, that's the law. Most states have very similar rules to Missouri. So, while I tout 'Free Missouri' often, even Missouri has limits on your freedoms when it comes to food. #FoodFreedom I also mentioned that I would discuss meat products but I'm going to leave that 'in the parking lot' for potential future discussion.
Shelley's YouTube Short today, "Feeding our forested hogs fermented feed" is Makaylah and I hand-feeding the hogs yesterday morning. Check it out and subscribe!
Local Farm Report for 9 Feb 2023:
Harvest:
25 Chicken eggs
7 Duck eggs
5 1/2 Gallons of milk
Sales:
5 Gallons of milk
6 Dozen chicken eggs
1 Dozen duck eggs
1 Pork Shoulder Butt
1 Bacon
1 Jowl bacon
3 Rib chops
Cheers! Rich & Shelley
There was legislation proposed in the Missouri House of Representatives for completely legalizing raw milk products, back in March 2022. Nothing has moved on it since. If we had laws here like Pennsylvania or, oddly enough, California, you could sell your products to Mama Jeans Health Market.