Out in the Pasture

The grass here in Northern Ontario is still pretty brown.  However, the alpacas are neglecting the hay feeder and spreading out in search of the new grasses coming up.  We have quite a lot of pasture for our small herd.  If we didn't, I would be keeping the alpacas off all the pasture until the grass had a chance to get hold.  But I like the sight of them moving around the pasture in the spring after hovering around the barnyard for so many months. 

The ratio of alpacas to pasture is said to be 4-7 per acre.  I think that is quite high, unless you are blessed with exceptional pasture.  I currently have 19 alpacas and 2 llamas on about 22 acres of pasture.  We usually end up trimming our pastures down with the mower at some point in the summer, as they can't graze all of the grass down.  If the grass grows too high, the alpacas won't go into the pasture.  This is the alpaca's instinctive way of protecting themselves from predators that may be hiding in tall grasses.  Alpacas are very nervous of anything touching their hind legs, including tall grasses.

Alpacas like to move around in their herd and they keep a watchful eye for anything approaching through the field or neighbouring bush.  There are usually deer grazing in the hay fields beyond the pastures (sometimes right in the pastures). 

Sometimes it is difficult to get some nice photos of the alpaca group as they often move away from the person walking in the field, so that I have a great collections of retreating alpaca butts.

Well, except for Raven, who comes running to me across the field and then walks beside me, as if directing me as to which angle I should be taking the shot from.  Sometime I think that Raven is really a farm dog in alpaca clothing.

We are expecting 40-50mm of rain today and then continuing rain for the next few days.  That is a lot of rain, but I suspect that it will cause a major greening in our landscape by the weekend.
Enjoy your day!

Hate to Say I Told You So...

Bragging

I had a happy thing in April.  Well, I had many happy things in April, but this one I am a bit bubbly over. 

The editor of Fibre Focus, the glossy magazine published for members of the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners Guild, chose to publish my article about the black alpaca jackets.  If you didn't catch my blog entry about the jackets, you can read it here.

The article is really about honouring my good friend and fellow weaver, Suzanne Philbin, who had woven and tailored the jackets.  I was so pleased that the publisher sent me an extra copy so that I could give Suzanne one to show off to her children and grandchildren.  Also, for the first time, I received payment for an article!  Really an honorarium, but enough to buy lunch with wine for Suzanne and I.  Honestly, I did strut around like a proud rooster, joking with my library co-workers that they had a 'paid writer' on staff.  

Of course, there is always someone ready to knock you down to size. 
In the form of Smokey the Pampered House Cat (formerly, Smokey the Rough Barn Cat).

SERVANT...where is my milk?!!

White on Green

It sure is nicer to head out to the barn in the morning with the promise of warmth and sunshine in the air.  It's almost time to retire the winter rubber boots for the summer rubber boots. The alpacas are looking for those first blades of green in the pastures.  It will be a week or so until all the snow is out of the fields, but once it happens, the green seems to sprout almost overnight.

 Alicia here is getting a bit annoyed with me.  She is supposed to be pregnant for the first time.  Sometimes, with new moms, it is hard to be 100% sure with a spit check.  Every chance that I get, I check her from the back-side to see if the cria is bulging out one side.  She's getting self-conscious, I think.  What a nice fluffy butt she has, though! 

Here's a picture of some of the boys.  It's nice to see them out getting exercise.  They don't move around much in the winter...basically their winter trail is from the barn, to the hay feeder, to the poop-pile, to the waterer.

Then, there is Jessie, the camera hog.  She's just curious, really.  And if you were wondering...Yes, that nose is as soft as it looks.

 This is Lily, the rejected-then-adopted cria from last June.  You can read her story here. 

So, all my white fleece from last year has finally come full circle back from the mill.

I've got a new batch of yarn and fibre.  Pictured is a sport weight yarn in a blend of 70% alpaca, 30% merino.  It's a very soft and lofty knitting yarn.
I also got returned a large batch of white 3 ply sock yarn that is 60%alpaca, 20%merino, 20%nylon.  My 3 ply yarn makes a very warm sock that is durable, but still soft.
As well, I've received a large batch of 100% alpaca white rovings, 70% alpaca, 30% merino blend white rovings and soft beige fingering weight yarn.
I am trying to rearrange my life to have some time to start dyeing the white yarn and rovings , now that it's warmer in my sunroom.
Thanks for popping in!

My Secret Weapons for Growing Food

As I told you last time, I am committed to growing vegetables this year.  I mentioned that I had 2 secret weapons.
Actually, I have 3 weapons, but since I've told you about one of them previously, only 2 are secret. (Do the math!)

Yes, I told you about alpaca poop....aka Golden Beans, in this post here.  I mentioned that I didn't know the scientific properties of alpaca manure offhand.  However, I've put a call out to my paca-peeps and they came through to help me find the information.  A Canadian publication called Camelid Quarterly has an article about the properties of alpaca poop in their June 2008 issue.  You can also find information on this website.

A brief version of the benefits of alpaca manure:

• lower in organic matter than most other livestock manures - but it still has plenty to improve soil texture and water-holding capacity.
• This lower organic content allows alpaca manure to be put directly into the garden without fear of "burning" the plants.
• the nitrogen and potassium content of the droppings are comparatively high to other barnyard animals, giving the indicator of good fertilizer value.
• the alpaca's 3-stomach digestive system processes food so efficiently that seeds do not survive to become weeds in your garden.

I know that alpaca manure did wonders to my front lawn.  Also, my in-laws have noticed a huge improvement in their vegetable garden since using alpaca manure.

Now that we've got that stuff out of the way...

Here is Secret Weapon #1...
Drum Roll, please.....

Heritage Seeds from Soggy Creek Co. in Nipissing, Ontario.  No more genetically modified, perfect looking, bland-tasting veggies from the grocery store.  I think I`m going to have the best tasting squash, lettuce and purple beans EVER, this year.  Apparently, I will even be able to wear the bean as a mustache (a real plus for menopausal women...I guess...).

Soggy Creek Seeds are produced by Yan & Sherry, a funky, fun couple who run the Piebird Bed & Breakfast in Nipissing, Ontario.   (Check it out...really neat website).

Forget the seeds!  You cannot throw these seed packets out or leave them on sticks to mark garden rows.  Frame these works of art.  (I really think the couple on the "Strange Squash from Outer Space" packet, are indeed Yan & Sherry themselves...coincidence...maybe not...)

Secret Weapon #2

I am the proud card-holding member of three different public libraries.  All these libraries have books to help the novice gardener like me teach myself the fine art of growing food.

I can taste it now.

Great Expectations

There's a special little boy coming into my extended family.  My nephew, Kris and his partner, Kate are expecting a baby boy to arrive in April.  I'm going to be a great-Auntie!  I am the world's slowest knitter, but I did manage to get the blanket done in time for the shower.  I hope the little guy feels all the "Auntie" love when he gets wrapped up in it.



I don't think there will be any more baby blanket knitting done in this house.  This was knit on 3.25mm needles.  That's a lot of knitting by hand.

However, I did sign up for a machine knitting workshop in May.  Yes, I have a knitting machine..supposedly a quality one...bought used...still in the box under my bed.  It's been a "One day..." project on my list for a few years.

By the calendar, spring has arrived. There is not much evidence of it here yet. March has been blustery and cold. I still have my studded snow tires on. April is always a gamble, we are sure to get one last blizzard. Hubby did drag his motorcycle out of the shed in a wishful moment.  I think his optimism will be dealt a blow when it's sitting out in the driveway in a blizzard.

I am excitedly waiting my first mill order shipment of the year to arrive next week from Wilton Road Mill.  This order is all white yarns and rovings, so I'll be starting to dye as soon as my sunroom warms up enough.
My shop is looking a little bare and I'll be happy to get some new stock in.

Spring will be busy here.  Dyeing yarn, halter training the weanlings from last year, shearing alpacas, scheduled breedings and waiting for two cria to be born.

Something else that I am planning to do this year is grow vegetables.  You heard it right.  This farmer is going to grow vegetables.  I grow primarily alpaca fibre here.  I do sell registered breeding stock.  I also raise chickens and produce eggs for farmgate.  I've typically had a half-baked garden (usually at the prodding of my daughter and her grandmother) that I've planted, neglected and then taken a few beans and zucchinis out of.  I say, quite ashamedly, I have a farm and don't know how to grow vegetables.  I thought gardening was something that you either knew how to do instinctively or didn't.  I also used to live too fast to appreciate good, slow food for what it was and only now have begun to appreciate how growing my own food can help the planet.

This year will be different.  I have the desire, I have the start of a plan and I have two secret weapons.

More on that later...

Tulips and Toenails

Spring is so close, I can almost taste it.  I keep walking into work and saying that.  People keep looking at me funny.  Like Monday, when it was -32C in the morning.  However, it was practically balmy by the afternoon.  Trust me, it's starting!

I love beautiful flowers blooming in my house at this time of year!  Plants don't do well with my neglect, but a pot of forced bulbs give almost instant gratification.  Such a lift in February.

Sunday was pedicure day at the barn.  Often people assume that alpacas have cloven hooves, like goats.  In fact, alpacas and llamas have soft padded soles on their feet and have two toenails.  The toenails grow, especially in North American soft pastures.  So, every 6-8 weeks, they need to be trimmed.

(I apologize for the poor picture, but this farmer tends to lose help if she spends a lot of time fiddling with the camera instead of getting the job done.)

When we first started caring for alpacas back in 2002, the nail trimming deal was a cause of great stress and it took us a lot of planning...even though we started with 5 alpacas.  Now, we can do 18 alpacas in just over an hour with minimal energy.  Partly because we know what we are doing, partly because our animals have all been here long enough to trust us and partly because my daughter has grown into a strong, tall farm helper.

Some farms use a chute.  We don't.  Toe-nail trimming here is usually a two person job...one to hold the alpaca at the front, the other to lift each leg and do the trimming (that's usually hubby).  If there is a third person to stand at the opposite side of the alpaca to keep them from leaning, if needed, that's a bonus.  With alpacas, it's all about balance and control, if they can't balance or resist the amount of control (either too much or too little) being applied by the humans, then they rebel.  Alpacas have very strong legs and necks, are great at twisting, rolling and bucking.  Working with any animal, things just work better if the animal is at ease and cooperating.  And with upset alpacas, there is usually stinky spit flying...so cooperation is key (sometimes a shower cap helps, too.)

Now, the other side of the story...we have one big, bad female named Jimena who has a nasty attitude and really disgusting spittle when she's upset.  And she screams...like a "Friday the 13th" movie soundtrack.  She's a lot better now than when we bought her 5 years ago, but we still leave her for a day when we are feeling particularly adventurous.  She's number 19 in line and left for another day.



This a Berry Cake.  Ingredients include 2 cups of blueberries and 2 cups of raspberries from my freezer.  The wild raspberries were from the bumper crop that I picked around our summer trailer site.  Yummy! 

See how this baking/cooking thing turns into a monster.  Now, I have a litre of buttermilk that I bought for this recipe...minus the 3/4 cup required for this recipe.  I thought the cat might like a bit of it, but it offended him. 

So now...I need to find a recipe for buttermilk and eggs.



Thanks for stopping by.