This weekend, I spent time improving our working chutes to accommodate sheep. They were originally designed for cattle, so there are several points through which a wayward lamb can pass. We will take in several mature lambs on Tuesday, so I made sure to patch the holes to prevent having to chase escapees across the pasture. Being near the bottom of the food chain, sheep are flighty animals; if cornered, they will bolt like lightning. I once had a little group of sheep cornered and as I was closing the gate, one of the mothers launched straight at me, planting her hooves on my chest and bounding over my shoulder. Needless to say, the other sheep caught on while I was reeling and made a dash for it. Once they catch wind of the fact that you’re trying to pen them up, there is no coaxing them back into the coral. You’ll be lucky to get within 10 yards of them for the next week. I am not proud of what I’ve cobbled together, but it will have to do as my list of chores is longer than hours in the day. Hopefully I can catch 6 of the biggest ones on Monday evening so that I can head out early on Tuesday. This means we’ll be restocked on lamb in about 10 days!
Among the biggest problems faced by farmers is pest control. A variety of pests live here, including mice, rats, pocket gophers, small reptiles, insects, and other vermin. They are unwelcome guests in both the barn and the house. Having a barn cat can make a world of difference when it comes to pest control, even if we aren't always eager to add another mouth to feed. Joey is more than a barn cat; he's the full package, pet and predator. Joey has access to the house through a cat door and does a good job of keeping pest populations at bay both inside and out. He’s so enthusiastic about his job that he brings us trophies and is sometimes even generous enough to bring us live specimens to play with at 3 am. We love Joey, so we forgive his excessive enthusiasm towards his work and enjoy his warm cuddles.
This Week's Markets
The Pflugerville Pfarmers Market has moved into it's Pfestive Market Season and will only be open twice a month for the rest of 2021. We will still be delivering preorders to the market location on days the market is closed and will continue to do so until the market reopens in 2022.
The Elgin Farmers Market is a year-round market that will remain open every Thursday. Pre-orders are encouraged.
The Taylor Farmers Market is a year-round market that will is open every Saturday. Pre-orders are encouraged. Live music most Saturday's from 11 -1.
The market will be closed December 25th and January 1st. It will reopen and remain open every week starting January 8th, 2022.
