A QUIETER TIME ON THE FARM

It is quieter on the farm at Stratford Ecological Center on Liberty Road, now that the school tours are over for the year. It is a good time to take a walk. The vista is wide open as the trees have dropped their leaves. There are no longer any potted tree seedlings beside the barn; the last one was planted on December 10 and brought this year’s total to 465. The seedlings planted next to the Hush Trail will benefit from more light this summer, as the crowded girdled trees around them begin to die, and the canopy opens up. The trees will continue to remain in place as habitat for all kinds of wildlife.

A cow left for the processor on December 3 and weighed in at 1,265 lbs., ensuring our diminished supply of ground beef is replenished, and providing a wide variety of other cuts. The last 3 pigs left on December 10, and weighed on average 190 lbs., equal to their 2 siblings who left more than a month earlier on November 5. Farmer Jeff requested the processor send us some lard, to sell or feed to the birds, but was told if the last 3 were like the former 2 lean pigs, there would be no lard!

Over the last couple of months Farmer Jeff and the farmhands have converted the seed storage room, on the northwest side of the machine shed, into a walk-in freezer. A new compressor was placed at the top of the steps next to the walk-in cooler, but found to be noisy and getting dusty. The problem was solved by building a wooden enclosure. The plan is to stop using the old chest freezers in the small room adjacent to the tool room. Instead, the farmhands will install shelves in the new freezer and use them to house the labeled boxes of meat from the processor, allowing easier identification and retrieval. This will eliminate the need to empty the boxes into the chest freezers, where it is arduous to dig down and find the right cut.

A chest freezer will be utilized by the Apiary team to store empty honey frames and kill any wax moth eggs or larvae that may be present. The freezing temperature also cleans and disinfects the frames, a good habit if there is a need to store them for a long period.

Since the pigs no longer occupy the last pen in the barn it was cleaned thoroughly, then sprinkled with diatomaceous earth, a natural pest control, and spread with bright yellow straw. The seven female goats born last spring, now officially known as doelings, as they are less than a year old, occupy the space. They love to wander out the small door into the backyard. Farmer Jeff will not breed them until next fall. He finds if doelings are bred too early it impedes their growth, and they remain small and at a disadvantage when competing for feed and giving birth.

The four older female goats, known as does, but affectionately called nannies, have been breeding with Shade our Buck since late November. When successfully bred they will give birth in 150 days. The six male goats born last spring, and now known as bucklings, were sent to auction in early fall. Their buyers will purchase them to raise for breeding or for meat.

The ewes and our ram, Sir Patrick, have run together since late October. A Tunis ewe, ear tag #5308, donated to us by Marge Finnegan when she disbanded her flock in August 2019, became ill recently. She seemed to lose weight quickly and Farmer Jeff theorized she may have miscarried. She is the best ewe in our flock and every effort was made to make her comfortable in her own small pen with a heat lamp. She responded slowly, and it is gratifying to observe she is now quietly chewing her cud. Assuming she is strong enough we will breed her again this year, but otherwise she will be recognized for her caring attitude towards her previous lambs and allowed to “just be” on the farm.

Stratford will close for the holidays on Friday, December 20 and re-open on Monday, January 6th. We have exciting programs planned for 2025, and although you cannot register yet, they are listed on our website. We wish you a Happy Holiday and all the best in the New Year.

Pauline Scott is a farm and nature guide at Stratford Ecological Center, 3083 Liberty Road, Delaware. She can be reached on 740-363-2548. Stratford’s web site is www.stratfordecologicalcenter.org.