The North Wind Doth Blow....

Do you remember that poem? The north wind doth blow and we shall have snow. And snow we did have.... tons of snow, and the wind blew the shingles off the barn, and the snow was waist deep from the snow plow, and the kids were excited!

The sheep stood in the doorway of the barn asking me to bring breakfast to them. "We can't possibly wade through this deep snow for food, can't you bring it to us??"

Santa-husband, who complained that he has shoveled snow for too many years, decided that he and his wife would shovel no longer, and arrived home with a shiny new snow blower, and promptly made paths for his wife to feed the sheep ....but not for the sheep to come to the feed.:)

I have been working hard to keep the hay from building up in the new sheep paddocks. Putting a pony or two in for clean up from time to time seems to be helpful ...at least while the ground is frozen. Too much hay piled up insulates the ground and keeps the snow and ice from melting in the spring.

While feeding yesterday I was looking over my empty, snow-covered, vegetable garden, dreaming about last year's harvest, designing this year's planting in my mind, and thinking about an expansion and maybe a new greenhouse. Oh how I miss those beautiful, fresh tomatoes. I finally found a source for Maine hydroponic-grown tomatoes, they will get me through the long winter, I can make my homemade salsa for my eggs again, and the basil, growing on my windowsill now has a use besides just looking pretty. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Luckily I still have several bags of a tomato sauce base that I made this fall from our tomatoes, peppers and onions, all sauteed in olive oil and then frozen in 4 cup increments in freezer bags. I was surprised how quickly we went through the bags. Jarred sauce tastes TERRIBLE after you have eaten fresh sauce all summer. I have used this base for chili, meatloaf, and pasta sauces ...I will plant more tomato plants next year.

Last year I was considering a few milk goats. There is nothing like fresh goat cheese, and my kids love the milk. I think I will research this as an additive to the farm for 2009. I have talked to many folks who currently raise and milk goats and their biggest advice to me so far is to be committed to my daily milkings.

Lots to think about for 2009. Lots to plan for...... now I am hungry.