Holy Cows and Hog Heaven

First of all, let me apologize to Joel Salatin for ripping off the title of his book. But let me give a little plug for that book as well. It's an indispensable guide for consumers looking for alternatives to industrialized food.

After a long, quiet, rainy winter, Spring has sprung and Crippen Creek Farm is suddenly teeming with life. The skunk cabbage is in full bloom, the humming birds and swallows have returned and the grass is lush, green and growing fast and furiously. With little respite from the rain, we have had few opportunities to mow. Speaking of rain, since the beginning of the rain year (October 1st), we have measured over 111 inches to date.

March and April brought us three baby lambs, one ram and two ewes. We have not developed a long-term plan for the sheep yet. So for now they're lawn mowers. However, we would be willing to sell the new ram and one of the ewes to someone wanting to start their own flock.





We increased our annual passel of pigs this year from our usual four to seven. They're also here a month earlier than usual. The land is quite wet and soggy right now, but each piglet only weighs about 35 pounds. By the time they'll be ready to go to market (around September) they will weigh up to 300 pounds each. Hopefully the land will be a little bit drier.




This year we have set up a new paddock system and will be intensively grazing and rotating them. We are grateful to Conner Voss and Sarah Brown of Diggin Roots Farm for their help in setting up our first paddock and providing support information on rotational grazing. This savvy young couple represents the new breed of farmers that are making a difference in our world.

For several years we have been working with the conservation district setting up fencing to keep livestock out of the creek and have even built a bridge across the creek for the same purpose. We had not grazed any animals on that side of the creek but all that changed when a neighbor in need of more pasture for his cows asked if we could rent him some of our pasture. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to put the fencing and bridge to the test as well as giving us an education in bovine behavior. These animals are massive -- especially when standing up close to them -- so it’s probably a good idea to understand them. We are also excited about the idea of saving time and fuel on mowing that pasture. It should also improve the land with all of the organic matter that the cows will provide.






Our garden is not in yet as it has just been too wet and too cold. Good weather is beginning to tease us however and we have started construction on two new hoop-houses with high hopes for an abundant and ripe tomato crop this year.



We are raising a new flock of laying hens this year as our old flock is well beyond prime time. The new flock arrived in February but will not be into production until late August. We got a beautiful array of heritage breeds... Buff Orpingtons, Silver Lace Wyandottes, Speckled Sussex, Rhode Island Reds and Araucaunas.


This years Freedom Ranger broiler chickens and turkeys have not been ordered yet so if you want any for your freezer this would be a good time to think about placing an order so that we can plan accordingly.

People life is abundant here as well. Our youngest son, Mark (whom we have dubbed Farm Boy), has come to live with us for awhile and his youthful energy and strength have been a welcome addition. His love for animals and natural aptitude for the mechanics of farming has been a real boon for us. When I got the tractor stuck in the mud up to the axle, it was Farm Boy who got it out like he had been doing it all of his life. He recently built this handy pig trough which we will put to the test soon.









Farm Boy and his pet chicken, Oscar Goldman




And then there are the guests. They are the raison d’être for The Inn At Crippen Creek Farm. Our season got under way with our first Road Scholar guests this week. In between Road Scholar programs, we have our regular B&B guests. They come from all over the world and serve to remind us of the goodness of people. Everyone has a story to tell and we love listening to them. Summer is certainly a great time to visit if you want to experience the animals but winter is great for cozying up by the fire and sharing your stories.