A year of farming

I am going to document a year in the life of our farm. We are a small, organic farm in central Alberta where we grow potatoes, fruits and berries. We also raise organic poultry, bees, a heritage breed of hogs known as Large Black Pigs and cattle. All of our farming is accomplished on a small scale with antique equipment and farm implements. It is a challenge at times to fit all the things that we need to do into our busy schedule, but I cannot think of a better expenditure of time!

Right now on the farm we are busy growing our broilers. We currently have around 300 chickens in mobile pens. These pens are dragged to new patches of grass on a daily basis. This procedure cuts down on feed costs and produces a chicken whose meat is much healthier with vitamins and minerals and tastes so much better. This is called Pastured Poultry. Actually, all of our livestock is pastured...even the pigs.

We are having some very hot weather right now. The temperatures near 30 degrees celcius on a daily basis this week and there is no rain in sight. This kind of weather is hard on the garden, livestock and the field of potatoes, but it is great for the corn and making hay. Tonight is the night that I am hooking up the old Ford tractor to the sickle mower. There will be some work to get the mower ready, but by tomorrow night, I will be cutting hay.