#Watchthemgrow Video Blog Update

Roll that Beautiful Soy(bean) footage: Week 13

Campbell and Parker wanted to make a video blog this week, I think they did a great job!

 http://youtu.be/tbtpjDi37us

Project #watchthemgrow Week 6

Behind us you can see the soybean field you have been
watching grow over the last 6 weeks.

My sister had her horses over in our pasture this week so Parker and I decided to Saddle up ole Chester and ride him over to our soybean spot.

Beans are  looking good, healthy with minimal insect bites on the leaves and spotting (spots where the beans did not germinate or died off).

This variety of soybeans that was planted tends to get off to a slower start than some others. New leaves are still opening up and they are getting taller too.




 Next week I will share the variety of bean planted and why. Farming is a science it is all about selecting the correct type of seed and variety that will perform best in the soils and conditions of the land. Farmers may plant several different varieties based on the soils they farm.





You can see the stalks from the corn
that was harvest in this filed last year
Crop rotation is a very important of
being a good steward of the land.



New Season in Life

This has been one crazy busy month! Our family has been here there every where. This week Campbell our oldest daughter started on a new journey of learning, she entered Pre Kindergarten. This is a three day a week all day program. She takes her lunch a big kid book bag and I drop her off at the local church to make new friends learn and have fun. Campbell has been waiting to put on her book bag and pack her lunch in her owl lunch carrier much more than mommy and daddy. I view this as an entire new season in our families life. One that is very exciting yet sad at the same time.
We all survived the first week just fine. Campbell was a bit tired at the end of each day, Parker loved some only child time and mom and dad did pretty well.

Campbell had to go to the barn to say good bye to
the animals. She was worried about them while she
was away at school.

She was so filled with cheer to get to her class!

Parker is not old enough to go to Pre-school yet. He
wanted to pack a lunch and his bag too.

Parker looks like mommy felt!

Tuesday EWESday: Ohio State Fair Edition

Ruby one of our fall ewe lambs is getting a bath at the Ohio
State Fair. She did not mind the water but the band marching
by did make her a little nervous. We do not have many
marching bands going down our road out in the country.

When you take livestock to the fair you are bound to get good questions. Here are a few oft the most common questions we fielded this year. The best part is that Campbell and Parker are getting old enough to talk to people and answer these questions on their own.

Why do the sheep wear covers? To help keep them clean after being washed. It does not hurt them or affect them from doing normal behaviors. We in the sheep business call them blankets.

Does it hurt them to get their haircut? First off sheep have wool not hair. It is just like getting your head shaved or cut. Most sheep farmers shear their sheep 1 time each year.

Are these goats or sheep? Our breed are Horned Dorsets. Both rams (males) and ewes (females) have horns. This is a breed characteristic. The Rams have larger thicker horns than the ewes.

What do sheep eat? They eat grass or hay when there is not grass to eat like right now. Our lambs also get pellets when they are young and then a grain mix when they are in their growing stages birth-7 or so months. We want them to get the best start as possible from birth so they can be a quality meat protein or a ewe or ram to reproduce healthy quality lambs.

Do we eat our sheep? Yes we do eat our sheep. We keep the best sheep in our flock to produce new lambs. By best I mean sheep that will make our breed of sheep better. We want to continue to better our breed of sheep so we can provide an even better end product. We raise sheep to eat them. It is a fantastic healthy and tasty protein. We take our jobs a livestock stewards very seriously. We want to raise the best lambs to feed to our family and our customers.

Where do we buy lamb? Most every grocery store will have lamb. If you do not see it out in the meat case ask the butcher and they may have it in the cooler or will be happy to special order it. You can also buy straight from the farmer like us. We do sell off the farm as do many farmers.

How do I prepare the lamb? You should not stress about cooking with lamb it is easy. Do not over think it. Lamb can be substituted for many recipes that call for beef. Try making meatloaf or meatballs out of your own family favorite recipe. Lamb is best when not over cooked and feel free to use chicken or beef broths to add even more flavor to your dishes. Visit www.americanlamb.com for some great recipes.

The Great Ohio State Fair

Ever since I was a little girl the Ohio State Fair has been something to look forward to. It also marked the end of the summer. It was a time to reconnect with friends you only see a few times a year, eat some good fair food and of course take in some livestock shows. This fair we were very busy and the kids had a ton of fun too. Their favorite has been showing their sheep. I have had to drag them out of the sheep barn each evening. At times they have looked like little dirt balls but dirt balls who are having a blast learning so many important life lessons in agriculture. Here are some highlights of our 2012 Ohio State Fair! We had a fantastic run. If only life slowed down after the fair! We are one tired family.

Reserve Grand Champion Christmas Tree
Overall. Champion Spruce and Fir trees as well.

The kids cleaned up in the Jr, Show. We have worked hard
to maintain a good and true to the breed Horned Dorset.

Campbell Miriam wearing wool and showing off one of her ewe lambs "Ruby."

The star of the cooking demo Campbell is missing from this photo. She did a
great job making meatballs. We had a fun time and answered some great questions.
I think people thought it was fun that a farmer was cooking.  Cooking show in my future? That would be a dream come true. I have been doing demos since I was 4 in my parents kitchen.

Sheep do not get this white on their own. Campbell and Parker are pros at
washing sheep. They like to scrub the hooves and horns with a tooth brush. I just hope they
know we use old tooth brushes not current toothbrushes!



This was something we had never done before. You showcase what you raise in your garden. We tied in our livestock as well. Bridging the Gap between the farmer and the consumer. I guess we had beginners luck!



Recipe that Celebrates

As we celebrate July 4th with our friends and family we often do so with good food. Take the time to appreciate the freedoms we have as a Nation but also the freedoms we have to make decisions when it comes to what we eat. Farmers and Ranchers all over the U.S.A. are working hard to provide safe food that is affordable and abundant. Large farm or small, organic or traditional we have the ability to make choices that are best for our own dinner table. I encourage you to take the time to reflect on what our country was founded on and the principles that our country was based.


Enjoy this patriotic recipe that has become a tradition in our family each 4th of July. The kids love to help bake and decorate and it is an opportunity to talk about history and make it fun.

Ingredients

18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 cup sour cream at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

To assemble:
2 half-pints blueberries
3 half-pints raspberries

Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter and flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.

Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.

Serve this cake right in the pan.



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Tuesday Ewesday: Kids showing sheep

 The kids recently went to their first sheep show of the year. They had so much fun showing their two ewes. It was a bit reduculous that we took a two year old and a four year old on the road but it was a fun time. It was a bit wild in the showmanship class but we know what we have to work on now...Everything!

I told him to keep his eyes on the judge. Looks like he just gorgot to hold the sheep while he was doing it.

It is hard work for a little lady to show all afternoon. She did great and
wants to do it again soon!

Getting the ewes ready for the show. Parker takes this very serious if you can not tell.

Parker loved his ribbon from showmanship.
I think he liked the $10 even better.

Truck and Trailer

Yesterday evening the kids were outside running around our yard with no shoes having a blast. They were hopping on their battery powered 4-wheeler riding all around the yard while I picked berries. Parker came out of the garage with the radio flyer wagon and headed to the swing set where they had parked the 4-wheeler. Campbell ran to the barn and came out with some twine. My suspicion was growing and I watched from a distance to see what they were up to. My initial thought was correct --they were going to hook up the wagon to the 4-wheeler using the twine to tie it all together. They are 2 and 4, so as you can imagine I was very interested to see how they were going to work this. Parker was telling Campbell how to hook it up and she was trying her best to loop it all together. After a few minutes I decided to intervene. I asked them what they were doing.

“Going to the State Fair with our sheep and our horse,” Campbell replied.

Parker chimed in “We going to da State Fair to show and we gotta hook up our wagon.”

I had a huge smile on my face. First my kids are adorable and second, what mom would not be proud that their kids were showing sheep and going to the State Fair. I helped them rig their “truck and trailer” and they were off to the fair. They played for a good hour before I broke the bad news that dinner was ready.

Cereal Killer

This was too good not to share!

The mystery of the Central Ohio cereal killer
By Matt Reese

My kids love Life — cereal.

It was nearly bedtime for our two children and they wanted a snack. After debating the merits of candy, ice cream or cookies before bed, I convinced the children that some delicious Life cereal was the best way to go.

Is life like a bowl of Life?

I got the box out of the cupboard that I had put there after breakfast that morning. I opened it up and poured out some of its contents into a bowl with an unsettling “thwump” sound. I looked in the bowl to find a coagulated mass of partially crumpled up Life cereal. I poked it to find that it was sort of gooshey and quite unappetizing in every way.

My mind started racing to assess the potential causes of this horror wrapped up in a cereal box. Had this been festering in there for weeks (or months) since it was packaged? What were the health implications since we’d eaten from this box for breakfast? Did I need to call the emergency room? The cereal manufacturer? If we survived the incident, could we get a free Life-time supply?


I shook the box around and peered deep into its contents, afraid of what I might find. I put my hand in and fished around a bit, finding a little more of the gooshey crumbled Life and no answers. The children saw my concern as I scanned the box for a Life support hotline to call about the gooshey cereal emergency.
Wait. I stopped my search and directed a suspicious stare in the direction of the children. That was all it took.“But daddy, he made me do it,” my four-year-old daughter said while pointing at her younger brother.
Suddenly, the coagulated cereal plot had thickened. “He made you do what?”  “He poured too much cereal into my milk and made me pour it back in the box.”

Apparently, that morning when I had gone to the barn to do chores, and their mother was upstairs, our daughter had poured the excess Life along with a bowl full of milk back into the box. I returned to close up the box and put it away — hence, coagulated, gooshey cereal that falls into the bowl with an unsettling “thwump.” Mystery solved.
When it comes to something as important, and personal, as our food, it is very easy to fear the worst and jump to conclusions that may be inaccurate. People do this all the time.

A group of “Supermoms against Superbugs” recently went to Washington, D.C. to voice their concern about what antibiotic use in livestock is doing to the health of their children. The supermoms had more than 50 meetings with house and Senate staff, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the White House Domestic Policy Council with the goal of convincing legislators to increase regulations on antibiotic use in animal agriculture.

While it is very important for mothers to be concerned with the quality and safety of the food for their families, it is also very important that they are properly informed about the issues regarding their food. This particular group of “supermoms” was organized in part by the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming, the group behind a notoriously biased review of the literature for antibiotic use in livestock. The research they cite is real, but they selected only the research that supports their pro-regulatory take on the issue. They conveniently omit the other side of the research that makes this a truly complex debate with strong science supporting differing opinions. So, while the passion of these “supermoms” is to be commended, it would be more productive and beneficial for everyone involved if they were wholly informed. In essence, they are calling the Life hotline before questioning the kids about the mysterious cereal malady, so to speak.

Learning the whole story about food and agricultural issues is not always an easy thing to do, and it is great to see increasing efforts in the farm community to address the misinformation out there. After all, for farmers and consumers alike, knowing the whole story before jumping to conclusions is the best way to handle whatever it is that Life throws your way, especially if it is a suspicious bowl of cereal.

Behind the Scenes

Our farm behind the scenes!

I think we are a pretty average American Family. We have 2 children a dog and a white picket fence. It is everything I ever dreamed about! The only difference at our house is we have just a few extra livestock running around. Any mom knows we all have days, though, when you think, “What in the world have I gotten myself into or did I just say that?” My life is far from perfect, but most days I am glad to live this crazy life I call my normal.


Just the other day I caught Parker (2) fishing in our little goldfish pond and Campbell (4) decided she was full so she dumped her cereal, milk and all, back into the box. Luckily she loves Life cereal so we found it the next morning.

Fishing for Goldfish in our garden pond.

When I met Matt (my husband) 13 years ago in a barn at the Ohio State Fair, I had no idea the things I would get myself into. Matt is the Editor for Ohio’s Country Journal. His job is anything but normal and I think that is why he loves it so much. Sometimes he is in need of photos for the magazine or website. He is very creative and can come up with a photo for just about anything. The other day he yelled outside and said “Can you come over here I need to take a picture of your butt.” At the time I thought nothing of it…then we both laughed because what normal family does this on their front porch?

He needed a photo to illustrate how a lack of Congressional action can hurt farmers in the wallet. Matt put a few $50 bills in a wallet and stuffed it in my pocket, I posed showing my best cheek and the photo was on the website a few minutes later.

When the FDA was acting on Antibiotic use, Matt needed a photo of Antibiotics. We pulled together what we had and what my dad had at their house and Matt snapped this photo on our counter.

Maybe we are not normal or the Average American Family after all. The things we do to share the story of Agriculture may set us apart many people, but, normal or not, we would not have it any other way…most of the time.

Spring Clean

It is time to spring clean at our house. Most times you make a list of items that must be done in your house. Our family makes that same list but for our barn too. Cleaning the barn is one of my favorite things to accomplish. There is nothing better (except maybe fresh mulch in a flower bed) than a clean barn for the animals. We bring in the best barn cleaning crew to help us with the job. Matt and I usually clean the corners and hard to get to spots with pitchforks. Dale (a family friend and the best skid steer operator ever) scoops out all that aromatic organic matter. My dad usually drives the tractor and manure spreader. The kids love barn cleaning day too because this means they can ride in the tractor more than usual.

I mentioned Dale being a great skid steer operator. He can move that machine with the most precision of anyone I know. I am a bit picky and he never disappoints!

Once the manure is scooped out the barn it is then dumped into the manure spreader. This is a great invention that, when activated, automatically spreads all that good stuff out on our pasture. You have to be careful not to apply too much in one area or it could kill the grass instead of fertilizing it.

I would be telling a lie if I said it did not smell. We live in the country and, to me, the smell reminds me of a few things 1.clean barn for animals 2. Cost savings. We do not need to buy fertilizer -- we can use what the animals have generated themselves to put back into our soils. What makes for a smelly couple of days will make our pastures grow for the spring and summer months.

Sometimes farmers get a bad rap when it comes to spreading fertilizers. Some people think the smell is horrible , but to me it just smells like life on the farm.

Tuesday EWEsday: Fudge in the Field

Fudge, one of our rams poses for a photo! This is a name that Campbell gave him as soon as she saw him, it has stuck ever since. He is quite happy to be out in the pasture with 17 of our ewes. Right now we are breeding for fall lambs which will be born in September or October. We select which ewes we want bred to what rams based on the characteristics we want to have in lambs. The sheep are out on pasture and can come in the barn if they like. When the weather is nice they are outside most all of the time grazing and enjoying the lush green grass. We rotate pastures every so often so not to overburden the grass. This also helps with parasites. http://sheep.osu.edu/ should be a concern when raising livestock. We have to maintain a worming regiment for our sheep to help keep them healthy and reading to start pouring all their energy into keeping those baby lambs alive and thriving inside. Farmers and Ranchers always have something to worry about!


Gestation of a sheep: 145-150 days

It is common for a ewe (female) to have 1-3 lambs at each birth

Breed: Horned Dorset

Campbell Parker and Cattle!

Friends of ours Tom and Susie Turner, live in a neighboring county and raise shorthorn cattle. We were going over for dinner and of course the kids love to see their cattle. When you have livestock there is always something that needs done. When people come to our house they usually know they will be put to work or do something that they would not normally do when being invited for dinner by a friend. This is something that is very common among livestock owners. We go prepared with muck boots and work clothes.


This particular day our friends were putting the final touches on a portable shed for the baby calves out in the pasture. The tractor drug the shed out into one of the fields, to provide shelter for the young calves.

One of the local FFA chapters happened to be visiting too. There were judging a few groups of heifers (female calves) to prepare for their upcoming FFA judging contest. They place the heifers in order from best to less desirable. They talk about why they made the placements they did and then listed to Dr. Turner who happens to be the retired Ohio State University Livestock Judging Team Coach. He shared with them some tips and pointers.

Campbell got right in and determined which heifer she liked the best. Ear tag 91 was Campbell’s instant pal. Parker liked the cattle but he seemed to be more interested in the 4 wheeler and figuring out how to open and close all the gates.

What better way to spend a Sunday evening on a spring day than sharing it with your family and friends looking and talking about agriculture. We ended the evening eating lasagna eventually then back out to make the evening rounds checking the calves.

Ag Week in Ohio: What a 4 year old thinks!

Happy Ohio Ag Week to all my friends. There are lots of things going on this week to celebtrate Agriculture in Ohio. Campbell and Parker love agriculture and they love to cook too. This evening Campbell asked if she could fix dinner. She chose the eggs which she just collected for the hen house, ham from farmer Brandt's pig and cheese from an unknown Dairy farmer.  She puts it all together and has a perfect easy and healthy meal. She may be the next generation of Food Network!

Campbell has been cracking eggs since she was 2, she is a pro!

What is Agriculture in the eyes of a 4 year old? "It's farming mommy. I like tractors but when I grow up I want to be a veternarian of horses."



Tada! Great meal in less than 5 minutes. Looks like
Parker even wants some!





Add in some cheese and ham.



March Comes in like a Lamb

March came in like a LAMB! It is that time again to sell some lambs. Yesterday the kids and I took a trip across town and sold some lambs to Blystone Farms. Whenever I head out anywhere with a trailer full of sheep and two small children there is bound to be some type of excitement. To my surprise, we made it there and got the sheep and children unloaded without any issues.


There have been a few trips when I had to pull over the truck and trailer three times because a certain child thought it was funny to unbuckle their seat belt and then there was the time when one of the lambs jumped over the gate at the farm and was running loose, I guess he didn’t want to know how much he weighed that day.

This is a short video blog of our trip.

Once the lambs are tagged, the customer can go to the barn sale pen and pick out their sheep, goat or even steer and have it processed. Blystone Farms has a large ethnic customer base. It is very traditional in their cultures to see the animal live and then leave the farm with the processed animal. Their customers have a very deep respect for animals and their health and safety. The customer can see the animals that their family is going to eat and know that they are buying quality, healthy protein.

Once the lambs are weighed, we go inside to the new retail shop to settle up on our sales. We are paid for our lambs on a per pound basis. It is very important that we keep our lambs between a certain weight to obtain the highest dollar amount. Most customers like their lambs to be between 135-140lbs. At Blystone Farms their customer sometimes like a little smaller lamb and this is based on tradition and costs. As mentioned in the video, each lamb is given a letter based on weight. The letter of the sheep is written on a board by the sale pen and the customer knows exactly what they will pay for their animal.

You can stop by the farm, just outside of Canal Winchester, or call and let them know what you would like and they will have it just the way you want it whether it be a half of beef or a whole lamb.

The new retail meat case is now open. They have been working for months to get their retail custom shop up and running. It is really nice inside and their meat looks and taste great. If you do not wish to purchase a whole animal, you can now buy it by the individual cut. If you live in the central Ohio area you should stop by to see their family operation. They sell beef, poultry, eggs, lamb and goat. If you stop by, there may even be some of our lamb in the case.

Tuesday EWESday!

Tuesday EWESday is a new segment of my blog I want to dedicate to EWE! Anything goes if it has to do with sheep. I have been raising sheep for a long time. I hope to share some fun and even educational things about our great industry, as well as some things I have encountered along my way.

Did you know that a Ewe is a female sheep?

February is “Lamb is for Lovers Month!”
This recipe is one that my grandma passed on to me and we have served at many parties. It is simple and easy which are important for busy people on the go. My kids love to help mix up the sauce too!

BBQ Lamb
(Serves 8)

1 American Lamb Shoulder roast (approx. 5lbs)
1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp garlic power
Worcestershire Sauce to taste
1 onion chopped
½ brown sugar
14 oz bottle of ketchup

Place lamb in a roaster or Crock pot. Set heat to high. Pour in chicken stock. In a bowl combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, Worcestershire, sugar and ketchup until mixed add in onion. Pour sauce over the roast. Place lid on and do not open for 6-8 hours. Cook until roast falls apart or pulls apart with a fork. Serve on a Kaiser Bun or bread of your choice!

*if roast is tied together with string, remove before roasting.http://www.reesefarmroots.com/