Oak Meadow Farm

Daisy is looking forward to the new grass surge!

Fall is well underway. The annual rains have started. Hopefully the drought of the past four years is broken.  We have had two storms that have delivered over two inches of rain, enough to break 'seed dormancy'. Fall is like spring here, the annual grasses have sprouted, and are dusting the pasture with a coat of pale green as they push up through the gold of last years growth. Already the cream line on the milk buckets is deeper, from the cows being able to munch on the new grass.

My little dog 'Boosky' is keeping 
his eye on things!

Today is Thursday, farm-stand day. This one will be the last one for the season. It gets dark now, with the time change, and it's chilly and wet, not much fun to be outside in the weather. The local produce is also getting difficult to find, the tail-end of summer's gardens fade, the last of the tomatoes are going, going.... along with peppers and eggplant, squash and cuke. Soon we will have our first frost, which will take out the last of Summer's tender bounty. The mushrooms will pop up soon, to be made into hot soups or dried for next summer's use and the winter greens will flourish. All is well that ends well. We are tucked in for winter storms. Let them blow! We will welcome them in!

Next Sunday, WWOOFer Jesse comes! He is a tried and true farm lover, and has been here before. He is into learning more about cheese making, so we will be having some sessions. With the cool weather we will be switching from making mozzarella, to making bries and hard cheeses for home use. The temperature is perfect for hard cheeses and Brie, along with the humidity they will age well. If we start our Brie now, it will be just right for eating over the holidays...yum!

Brie in the process.

As the year comes to a close, we have made our compost piles, in anticipation of next years spring gardens. Saved seeds fill the seed cupboard, and jars fill the pantry. We've started the indoor market project, and including installing a cheese processing area in our out-door metal building, which will be the main work for this winter. It's exciting, to begin. Long hours of research pay off, plans finally begin to materialize.

Every season, on a farm is interesting. Pouring over seed catalogs, planning next summer's garden fare, pruning apple and pear trees, tending to the cows, with their great puffs of wintry breath, floating on the air...Soon we will be sitting around crackling fires, enjoying the yummy 'put-up' fruits of summer, having dinners with friends and family, sharing camaraderie and good cheer. Feasting and wine! The season of celebration is at hand! Hope you'll be there too.