Winter time at Torhaveen Farms

It is wintertime still at Torhaveen Farms; Bbbrrr, it's been a nippy one! Thankfully our heritage bred animals do just fine in our harsh Canadian winters, which is just one more reason why we love them! Rare breed or not! Most of our animals opt to 'drink' snow through the winter, and we have altogether stopped with water for the sheep, goats and chickens. The horses, cattle, dogs and cats still have heated water.

We currently have all natural pork for sale, 4.50$/lb hanging weight including cost of butchering, packaging & smoking. A1/2 hog includes 3-4 roasts, 3 hams & lots of bacon (naturally smoked on applewood, with no chemicals), ground meat, full filet, hocks, ribs, and lots of chops!  Average cots for a 1/2 hog is about 400$ and is usually enough for a family of 4 for a year with 2-3 pork meals a month.

We recently acquired a new registered Aberdeen Angus bull from Evans Acres Farm, and are pleased with his disposition, confirmation and level of curiosity.  The cows have not yet brought him into the herd, but we expect two years of breeding with him starting the Fall 2014.  He will turn one next month and he is already a big boy!

The chickens have found it a bit rough this winter, despite the heat lamps, clean laying boxes full of straw and ample room. They are used to only being closed in for winter mid December and by late February are outside a good part of the day.  An early morning start this morning had me reading the outdoor thermometer at -22, and it's March 4th!  Soon enough, they will be outside chasing bugs and eating greenery.  Right now, they have to be satisfied with all the green kitchen waste provided by ours and our family/friends' homes.  We have one very broody hen that we will allow to raise chicks only once the weather improves.

We have enjoyed some great bareback trail rides on our horses, and are pleased to see our large spirited Canadian mare Elsa being ridden by friend Simone.  Two weeks until Spring!!!

Memorial to Heza Lady's Lad - Laddie

It has taken me this long to compose something, to prepare myself, to let the world know that my beloved Laddie was laid to rest this past September.  He was my first horse, first love; teacher, spiritual healer and best friend. 

He was loved by the Mosher family who bred and boarded him for countless years (especially Joan), numerous young aspiring equestrians for whom he was their first mount, and Linda Zilahi who cared and part-boarded him for years... Laddie loved the kids, going on trails and rolling in fresh snow. He was a gentle-hearted giant, but lacked no spirit!  He is sadly missed by the Holt & Fraser clans, his best friend & stable mate Welsh pony Robin and girl friend QH mare Penny.

A special thank you to Jodilyn Albright & Simone Morris who held me in their arms, as we stood next to him in his final moments. The hardest day of my life... but I did right by him, he was in pain and suffering and could not have made it through another winter.

Thank you for guarding my secrets.
Thank you for teaching my lessons my parents & teachers never could.
Thank you for being the best listener in the world.
Thank you for helping me fly.
Thank you for helping me face my fears.
Thank you for ...making me smile.
Thank you for showing me that hard work really does pay off.
Thank you for being my best friend.
Thank you for being my horse.

All the carrots and peppermints in the world could never make up for the things that you have done for me.

 

Missing you forever.

 

Laddie's last photo on his last day with baby Meredith

 

 

Robbery from Home; No More Camera

Unfortunately, I was robbed the week after my last post and my camera stolen - hence no recent updates or photos. If Santa's elves are reading, a new Canon Sure Shot/ELF would be great (in pink!) with a new camera case, extra batteries & memory cards!!!

If you follow my personal posts on Facebook, then you know that we have had a very hard fall - 5 trips to the emergency between the four of us (Meredith had an accident at school requiring stitches on her head, Strep Throat, etc.), 1 robbery, 1 attempted robbery (thanks Jasper for protecting us), bloat in the sheep & some water issues at the barn.

We remain resilient and positive; looking forward to the snowy wintery months and spending time with family, friends & our animals 'just being'.

Pork & Beef were harvested last week, and customers will be contacted in the 24hrs for their orders. Pick-up for meat will be Saturday December 14th & Sunday December 15th in the afternoon. Details coming by email.

Jag Woodworking & Dutch Groceries Open on Mill Street at the base of the main Farm

Not to be missed! Wholesale prices at Grand Re-Opening of Jag Woodworking and Dutch Groceries: Saturday Oct 19th & Sunday Oct 20, 10am-5pm, 4930 Mill Street in St-Eugene ON.

Come and enjoy a free dutch coffee, soups and samplers of wonderful dutch meats & cheeses.

Do your holiday shopping early at wholesale prices on imported dutch giftwares, and gorgeous wood workings (carvings, chandeliers, cottage décor).

If you have never eaten a Frikadellen sausage, then you have to come and try these!!! Best sausages on the planet!!!!!

http://www.jagwoodworking.ca/

Giving Thanks - a time to reflect on our bounty

After a very busy Thanksgiving weekend finishing up the hay season, we at Torhaveen Farm are especially thankful for all of our friends, family & neighbours who have helped us get through a tough summer and finish up haying.

The last of the hay was loaded and brought to the barn at 21h50 Saturday night, with the help of Lee, Simone and Kaitlyn, Liam, Cameron, and our intern Julien.  Special thanks also go out to Andrew on a quick repair job of the square baler's clutch and getting our original MF 165 purring again. Hans for lending us a spare MF 165.  Also, I would not have been able to participate swinging bales, running errands and cooking for the crew without the generosity of Genevieve having taken both children to her house for the day.

Here are some photos from the weekend, fixing hay wagons, making hay, the Holt cousins playing around in the Eastern Townships. 

Simone raking hay.

 

Meredith & Daphne.

Riley, Pearson, Meredith & Daphne

Riley & Pearson fishing on Trouser lake.

Glorious maple tree dressed in surreal fall colours.

Meredith, Daphne, Alec, Riley, Clare, Jack & Pearson.

Simone raking it all up in windrows.

Julien, Drummond, Lee & Liam making the plans.

Kaitlyn paints the new runners for the hay wagon.

Cameron helps with the haywagon rebuilds, while the hay cures in the sun.

Julien & Drummond discussing plans.

10 month old pup Kiely, in amongst the windrows of middle one field

Roosters for sale!!!!

Torhaveen Farms is selling 2 roosters (12$) each, for any interested in keeping them as breeding stock/pets.  Otherwise, we will put them in our own stewing pot!

Both are home raised off of Rhode Island Red Hens hatched out August 2012- one, Goldie, is clearly the son of our beloved rooster Pete (thick short comb, large tail, coloured golden) and is of a moderate size. He has beautiful golden plumage.  The other, Speckles,  is a very large son of our former pure bred Chantecler rooster, he looks just like his father in size (large and handsome) - but is not pure white, he has some red speckles on his back.

These two roosters are low in the current pecking order, and are cat, dog, and child safe.  Goldie is used to being held.  Also, they are not hard on the hens.

Here are some photos of our happy free-range flock!

 A few of our hens!

 
 Here is Goldie, strutting his stuff around the horse paddock. He is a really nice guy.

Speckles is the large white rooster in the middle of the flower garden. The girls really like him!

Congratulations to Dewey Mosher, who with Torhaveen Farms team of Belgian horses scored an amazing 121pts at the latest Plowing Match in Leeds County.  Our Colleen & Dan also won the trophy for the Best Team!

Well done Dewey! We are thrilled for you and proud of your accomplishments. We are glad that while we are so busy with haying and the kids that you have been able to use the horses under your expert eye. They are lucky to be spending their fall and winter with you and Joan out in Toledo.

Summer 2013 Excitement

Meredith and our herding pup in training Kiely (Border collie/Cattle dog mix) take a dip

Our free-range chickens love Joanne's flower gardens.

Red's bull calf, one day old, decides that sleeping on the old manure pile is the quietest place to catch a nap.

 

 

Meredith is only interested in riding horses, even the mechanical kind.

Drummond takes Pearson on his first Ferris Wheel ride.

Meredith wants to farm!

Drummond rides the bull!!!

Meredith & Pearson love exploring nature; a new bug is today's observation.

Peasrson has really taken to swimming like a fish, with special thanks to his instructor John for making it so much fun.

 

***********************

 

The summer 2013 has been a very busy one for all of us at Torhaveen Farms!  The month of May started us off with a lot of bad luck, that made farming difficult over the summer. Amanda returned to full-time work in Montreal, and soon got the stomach bug at the office and shared it with the whole family.  Sawyer, one of our livestock protection dogs, was accidencely run over and underwent surgical reconstruction of his hip, and during his absence we lost a few sheep to predators. He is home and doing well now.  Drummond too hurt a leg, and has been careful not to dislocate his ankle again. 

Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain.

No hay to speak of for much of the summer, due to rain.  With a wet and hot summer came lots of parasites on the animals and foot rot.  We were not as bad with these ailments as many other farms, as our diverse landscape (uplands/lowlands, forests and fields) provided natural opportunities for the animals to keep themselves healthy.

At least with rain and no chance to hay came the opportunity to re-fence large sections of the farm. Drummond, along with good farming friend Andrew, and few paid workers got an entire South/North fence replaced or repaired with new gates and all in the Oak and Whale Rock fields.  Woohoo! The old fence was between 30-50 yrs old in dire need of replacing. It looks fabulous and keeps our animals safely in the fields where they should be and helps to keep predators out.

Living in the country during the summer means FAIRS! We were happy to attend the Vankleek Hill Fair, Williamstown Fair and the kids went to the Ayer's Cliff Fair in QC with the Holt family.  Pony rides and swimming at the farm will be the highlights for the kids this summer. The new riding ring is fantastic for everyone, and the Pearson is now riding Robin without her being led.  He loves to swim and cannon balling off the diving board is a must when at the pool.  Meredith will ride any horse that is tacked up and insists on seeing her pony Robin daily.  She and her brother both like collecting the eggs and feeding the barn cats.

September brought summer weather and finally we had the chance to get the rest of the hay in.  We process everything organically, so we need 3-5 days good sunshine to cure the hay and do not pour acid on it to dry it in a short time, as is the practice with most conventional farms these days.

Many friends and neighbours helped us out this summer, and we are grateful to them for all their help: Andrew, Yves, Merton & Steve. 

Spring at Torhaveen Farms

Glorious summerlike weather finally arrived in May at Torhaveen Farms.  The animals are finishing up their winter rations and anxiously awaiting 6 inches of growth on the fields before they are pastured.

The first round of lambing was successful, with 14 healthy lambs on the ground.  A second round of lambing is slated for mid-summer.

We currently have 5 calves, all naturally poled, bouncing around the cattle pen off our registered Dexter bull "Mr. Torhaveen Special" and three more due in June.

The new barn cats and two new working dogs (Sawyer the Maremma & Kiely the Border Collie/Blue Heeler) have finally come to a resolution not to fight or play fight... the cats won out there!

We are gearing up for our SAT June 22nd annual Sheep Shearing Party.  More details to be sent by email to our list-serve.  If you wish to be included in this party, please email me at TorhaveenFarms@gmail.com

From our farm to your home, we wish you all the best for a great summer!  The garden goes in this weekend!! Woohoo!!!

New Rescued Cats to be moved into the Barn

We recently rescued 2 mother cats and 3 kittens, who we have had in our home while some recovered from being spayed and as they became a cohesive and happy pride.

Now that Peaches and her two female kittens Cricket & Tiger, and Mamma Boo and her male kitten Katou are all fixed and de-fleaed and are one big happy family with resident barn cat Ollie (a rescue from 6yrs ago) here at the house, they are ready to move into their permanent home in the barn.  Thank goodness - as we are going through kitty litter at an unbelievable rate with them all locked into the house and my allergies are acting up.  Furthermore, our indoor-outdoor house cats Aoife, Hazel and Franklin want their space back!

Here are some photos of the new rescues - more photos to come once they are settled into the barn.

Tiger & Cricket

Cricket

Peaches, with Katou & Cricket playing on the sofa in the background

 

Katou, Tiger & Cricket lounging in the playpen... oh babies!

 

Mamma Boo

 

Mamma Boo and her son Katou