Cross-cover

Yesterday was a busy day on the farm.  Instead of the usual 4 apprentices, only 2 were working yesterday, leaving me to do the work of 3 apprentices for much of the day.  I was covering my own area, integrated pest management, plus the animals and the greenhouse. 

The day went like this:

• Check on the germinating plants in the greenhouse, which need constant moisture.
• Clean the cow pens by adding fresh straw to any wet/poopy areas.  Scrub livestock water troughs and refill with fresh water.
• Feed the piglets. Move their enclosure to fresh pasture.  Fill their water dish.
• Herd the sheep and cows in from the pasture where they grazed overnight back to their pens to spend the day in the shade.
• Feed the big pigs.  Fill up their water trough.
• Set ground squirrel traps in the orchard, baiting them with chicken feed.
• Water plants in the greenhouse.
• Clean the cow.  Milk the cow.  Filter and bottle the milk.
• Water the plants in the greenhouse.
• Feed and water the piglets.
• Eat lunch, including dessert. :)
• Move the plants that didn't sell at the plant sale back to the greenhouse.  Water the plants.  Inventory remaining plants.
• Help turn on overhead irrigation in two blocks.
• Water plants in the greenhouse.
• Spray down the big pigs and make a wallow for them to cool off in.
• Check ground squirrel traps--all empty. :(
• Collect eggs.
• Fill cow and sheep water troughs in preparation for their night graze.

Phew!  Needless to say, I was pooped by the time I finished at 5:30.  I felt much better after a shower, but still pretty tired, so I spent the evening watching TV and reading.  I'm really excited to have the next two days off to rest and relax.

On one hand, covering three areas in one day was empowering--I felt like an actual farmer, getting done what needed to get done, moving from task to task with little direction.  I felt confident and proud of how much I had learned to do over the last few months.  On the other hand, the non-stop craziness of the day was a bit stressful, reminding me a bit of my months on the trauma service as a surgery intern, rounding on 30 or so patients while answering endless pages and responding to incoming trauma codes.  And at least that job was air conditioned!

Our three piglets, Emmer, Quinoa, and Farina, enjoying their breakfast.  Their brother, Bulgur, left the farm last week to become a breeder.

Empty ground squirrel trap.  These are live traps that do not kill the squirrel.  It's a "squirrel motel"--the squirrels get in, but they can't get out.

Baited and camouflaged squirrel trap placed near a tunnel (upper right).

Milker's eye view of Phoebe.  We won't have Phoebe milk much longer--she is drying up as her calf gets older.

Filtering Phoebe's milk to remove any stray hairs or skin flakes.