Scraping the chicken “condominium” ….

The chicken  house, nicknamed the “condominium”, needs a new coat of paint – and much preparation before that can be done.  Scraping  is not a fun job, but  many hands makes it go fast.

Larry scraping the clerestory. It is a sunny and chilly Oct. day.

Shana (standing) and Isaac, a visitor from Canada, helping Larry.

More Pictures from Open Farm Day Sept. 26

We pormised we would post more pictures from Open Farm Day when we received them:  here they are!

Sr. Terry showing a felted vest she made.

Shana and Michele: the "cashiers"!

Lanora spinning...

Sr. Annette showing the alpacas

Sr. Jane demonstrating weaving

Watching are Sr. Teresita and Sr. Mary Lou from Great Bend, and Sr. Mary Ellen taking a break from spinning.

Katy welcomed people at the registration desk, and baked cookies in the solar oven.

Yummy cookies - right from the oven. They were snatched up as soon as Katy took them from the oven! It was a nice sunny day, so no trouble baking.

Visitors sit and visit, and drink lemonade and water as they enjoy the cookies.

Mason Bee House

Mason Bee House

EARTHLINKS in Denver, a non-profit organization that works with disadvantaged persons, was having a fund-raiser, and invited persons to submit MASON BEE HOUSES for an auction.  The Mason Bee is a gentle blue-black metallic North American bee that does not live in hives or colonies.  It is a pollinator, especially in orchards, but does not produce honey.  In nature it nests within hollow stems, woodpecker drilling s and insect holes found in trees or wood.  In the spring, about the time the red bud trees bloom, the female bee gathers pollen, goes into the nesting hole, forms the pollen and nectar in the back of the nesting tube, lays an egg on the ball, then collects mud to make a cell partition (hence the name “mason”).  She then repeats this activity until the tube is full of eggs, each in its own cell, or compartment.

Jane made the bee house out of a dried gourd that had grown here at the Farm, and was stored  in the barn loft.  She drilled holes in the gourd, put in “straw liners” made of hollowed out hemp stems,  added hemp stems for arms and antennas, clear plastic from recyclable bottles for wings, and painted the gourd to look like a bee!  She received an award for  “best use of recycled materials”  and the staff at Earthlinks said “gave them many laughs” and the bee house sold for $ 75.00 at the auction!  Now we want her to make one for here, for next spring!   We suggest you  Google “Orchard Mason Bees” – very interesting!

SEPTEMBER OPEN FARM DAY

On Saturday, Sept. we had Open Farm Day at Heartland Farm. in conjuction with National Alpaca Day.  Starting at 10:00 a.m. – right through 4:00 pm, we had a steady stream of people come to see what “makes up” Heartland Farm.  Besides the Farm Community, we had three very energetic volunteers who helped.  Here are a few of the pictures of the day – more will be coming in the next post.

Michelle and Shana shelling pop corn grown in the front garden, while they wait to serve customers purchasing items for sale on the platform by the silo.Some of the items for sale.

Sr. Jane is giving a weaving demonstration.

On the loom at present is weaving that

will be made into purses.

Here, Lanora Graves, volunteer to

Heartland Farm from Wichita,

gives spinning demonstrations.

The Swinging Tree

In our pasture,  just over the bridge crossing the creek,  is our wonderful swinging tree. Some visitors who were here a few years ago, and who know such things, advise that this Ash Tree is around 200 years old. It takes several folks to span her girth!  She laid a branch down, a long time ago  (?as a result of lightning strike?) and the branch still lives and bears leaves, and tolerates kids of all ages and hearts to climb.

Jumping off the branch onto the swing is another favorite activity!

Yep!  Four  can encircle her!

Come to Heartland Farm sometime and enjoy the Swinging Tree!

Alpaca baby born in pasture!

Ciena Jaxon gave birth to her second cria on Monday, Aug. 24, in the pasture!  This was a first for us, although it is an ordinary event for alpacas, we’re told.

Terry opened the gates for the female alpacas to go to the pasture, and then for the males to go to their side.  She noticed Ciena lying down in the shade of a tree, and went over to investigate – but Ciena moved away from her.  Terry was able to lift her tail, but saw nothing “suspicious” of delivery, so decided, according to the advice of Dr. Bob Pollard, to “go back to the house and have a cup of tea.”  (she opted for coffee)  Forty-five minutes later she walked back to the pasture, and there was Ciena with her little female cria at side, standing and trying to nurse.  The placenta was nearby on the ground!  What a way to have babies!

The boys on the other side of the fence, and her older brother are checking her out!

Taking a rest after all the excitement!

Mom and baby about two hours after birth.

Plastering a Straw Bale House!

The plastering crew assembled and soon got to work.  In the second picture, Jared and Shana are plastering what will one day be their bathroom.  The bottom picture is of Michelle congratulating Jared on a job well done!  This indoor plastering was done in late July.  At the time of this post, the entire house, inside and out, has a “scratch coat” of plaster covering the straw bales.  It has been hard work for Jared and Shana, but they, and we, are so pleased with the progress made on the house!

Garden Bounty

Garden work is on-going here – and this is the season that we enjoy the bounty of the garden.

In the first picture, Jared and

Michelle bringing in a harvest from the front garden

Jared and Michelle

Michelle are working in the Spring, setting drip lines.  Now Michelle brings the garden produce to our table!  It is so wonderful to be able to eat fresh from the garden every day!

Enjoying the brome pasture!

We planted brome hay in our west 7 acre pasture the Fall of 2006, let it grow in 2007, and did the first harvest last year.  It was pretty weedy.  This year the harvest was excellent: we got 300 small square bales of good brome hay for the alpacas to eat, and to sell.  We harvested in June;  now, since we have had good moisture this year, the brome is growing nicely, and the alpacas are really enjoying it!  See the little white boy?  He is the little firecracker born on July 4th.  He is thriving!  Fiona Fey, the little brown one with the white face, born on May 17th this year, is a honey.  We are posting a picture of her and her white mommy – both enjoying a meal.

"lil firecracker", in front of his mom"

A wonderul meal in the brome pasture - for both of them!

Jared and Shana’s Straw Bale House

The south side of the house. (low batteries=yellow tint!)

Shana at the south wall of the house, with her long "needle".

Jane and Terry worked with Jared and Shana last Saturday, tying the stucco wire to the straw bale walls.   Things are really moving along with their house.  This coming Friday some of their friends are coming to start the plastering.  That will be a big, on-going task for awhile.  In the picture with the truck you can just barely  see the small greenhouse/shed they put up last year, in the background.

Jane, at the north wall, where we did the tying