North Woods Lilac was born to NW Fern on May 31, 2019.  We ran her genetics and learned she's a Homozygous carrier of the prized A2 genes.  This means she's A2/A2 and can only pass A2 to her offspring.  She was tiny and perfect in every way!

Healthy and active, she zoomed around her dam in their double stall, as the six previous calves had done the past year.  The calving stalls are only a year old and side-by-side.  The adjoining gate was kept open so Lilac could frolic but the gate to the pasture was closed.

On June 24th, 2019, we were in the barn showing Lilac off to a friend.  We heard the crash but didn't see it.  Amber told me right away that Lilac had given herself a bloody lip running into the gate leading to the pasture.  I went in to check that it wasn't serious.  But, it was.  I could feel a hinge in the right front lower jaw bone.  The teeth were flooded with blood and I couldn't tell if they were broken.

She had surgery Tuesday morning to install a pin and wires that loop around her teeth to hold the lower jaw together.  She did really well and ate a full bottle later that day.  The vet students sent this picture of her (below) and it was such a relief!

On Wednesday, Amber ad I drove down to WSU with just over 2 gallons of Fern's milk for her calf.  Antibiotics ruin the gut flora so this Raw Milk was critical to Lilac's recovery.  When we returned from and 8 hour trip, I had to get Fern milked out again.  She seemed off and grouchy.  I stepped back and looked her over.  BLOAT!!  How did she get bloated?  Bloat can kill a cow in just hours.  I had to act fast.  The gas was building up and she began rolling on the ground in pain.

I ran to the barn for the empty ketchup bottle and baking soda.  Its not a fancy fix but it's just what she needed.  I also found a bottle of TheraBloat I had stashed for treating legume bloat.  I got that in her and started calling vets for a second time that week.  This was our first case of bloat.  I still wasn't sure what caused it.  ​

In discussing her diet with a vet we realized I had accidentally doubled her pea pellet ration and she's too small to handle it.  She had to be milked twice a day with her calf gone.  I gave her a bucket at each milking, instead of splitting her ration in two!  It was a rookie mistake that nearly killed her.

We brought a towel to Lilac that was rubbed on Fern.  Lilac wagged her tail and bucked!  They taped it to the wall in her stall.  We rubbed one on Lilac and brought it back to Fern.  She stood for it to nurse!  We ended up draping it over a gate at milking while they were apart.  They really missed each other.  

Ruby held off calving, thankfully, giving us time to deal with making the gate in the pallet shelter more visible.  We wove in straps and a lead to be sure she saw it.  We're not sure why she crashed into the gate but we had to try babyproofing.  She's kinda klutzy and her only speed is full throttle!  We're praying she can heal.

So, if all that wasn't enough, Amber discovered Sunday night, right after our return, that Spartan had a horrible ear infection.  We are in that field twice a day, every day.  He never let on he wasn't feeling well.  Off to the vet Monday for an exam and meds.  By Friday, he was still feeling rotten so we went back and let them sedate, shave, examine his ear then clean his teeth while he was under.  Turns out both ears were infected!  The assumption is some small punctures from playing with the 10 month old puppies got infected.  He was already on the way to recovery with 4 days of antibiotics on board.  He's on light duty guarding the barn and getting extra love.

Ruby, who was 10 days early with Fern (21.5" at birth) and 3 days with Willow (22" at birth), went overdue by 3 days this time.  We watched her with cameras placed in the barn.  We called it RubyTV and it was on 24/7.  She was bred to sex-sorted semen, giving us a 93% chance of a heifer.  Boy were were surprised!  She finally calved with a bull calf at 1AM July 5th.  He is full blood related to Willow. We named him Porterhouse because he's huge, 27", another rarity for Ruby.  

Bulls tend to be overdue, but it's not a solid rule.  Ruby's sister, Emerald, was 4 days overdue both times and had a heifer then a bull.

​Focused on our blessings, praying for a quieter week, and hoping for lots of sleep,

​Lorinda & Lance

When we had been married six years we bought a house in Georgia. We thought we might retire there after the Army. The cost of living was low, jobs were available and the beach was only a short drive away. We hung onto that house after the Army moved us back to Alaska and rented it out for 16 years.

As we got closer to making our dreams a reality, we bought an RV to live in when we'd move to Idaho.  It was a massive thing with 5 slides, two bedrooms, two baths a a stacked washer and dryer, and a dishwasher! We moved in while stationed in New Jersey and lived at the Skeet Range offseason. We saved up for improvements happening on the property in Idaho. We talked and dreamed about homesteading and the animals we'd raise some day.

After nearly 20 months living in the RV we got orders to Kansas and decided to rent a farm to learn the skills we needed while we still had Lance's steady paycheck.

Our plans to move to Idaho were put on hold and we sold the RV. ​

We started with chickens and two Jersey steer bottle calves. Within months we added two small, bred Jersey cows. They both gave us heifers. Then, those heifers had heifers. And, you guessed it, they gave us heifers too! We didn't have a single bull calf born to our herd until 2018!

Lance did several more years of Active Duty and a third deployment while we patiently paid off debt, sold the Georgia house, developed the Idaho property and  saved for building our future home. We ended up spending four years in Kansas.

​Those years were trying and sometimes the blessings were hard to appreciate. The first rented farm didn't work out. We were forced to move a couple hours away. Both cows calved during that two week time frame. The kids graduated from homeschool in the middle of moving and Lance's parents came to visit among the boxes and chaos. We were blessed but struggling with it all coming at once and with so many challenges.

The second farm was next door to a large jelly factory and the kids were both employed there for several years. They could walk to work and be home for farm chores morning and night.

We're often asked how we got our homestead and how we make it work financially. We can't put our finger on any one thing or make a How To Checklist for those inquiring.  For us, we see it as a series of things; personal choices, duty station assignments, life's path and a whole lot of blessings.

To get where we are now we sacrificed financially and definitely sacrificed our privacy when all four of us were living in the RV. For many years we mended clothes, clipped coupons, learned to do things ourselves to save on service fees, declined social invitations, gardened and read books as entertainment, and didn't take vacations. ​

We still live modestly as we're saving for more large building projects. We don't see it as a hardship since it's our choice. We feel blessed to be able to work hard and save for the things we want and need. We joke that we get everything we want, if we wait long enough.

You will have your own path and it will come with as many struggles as blessings. Leave a comment below and tell us about them.

Be blessed!
​Milkmaid

The foundation of the Mini Jersey breed is disputed. Some websites you visit will say Mini Jerseys are actually direct descendants of the traditional smaller framed Jerseys that were imported originally from the Isle of Jersey in the British Isles.  However, there are currently lines in America of crossbred Mini Jerseys. They're a product of crossing short standard Jerseys with smaller breeds, usually Dexter Cattle, sometimes Lowline/American Aberdeen Angus, Zebu, or Mini Belted Galloway. 

Less common in Mini Jerseys are livestock carrying the genetic defect Dwarf gene, Achondroplasia. Afflicted cattle are used to take the height down from standard Jerseys dramatically in one generation. "Chondro" is accepted within the Dexter cattle registry but objected to within the Mini Jersey breed.

We love Jerseys and the traits they're known for; sweet and quirky personalities, big doe eyes in a dished face, wonderful mothering ability, rich creamy milk, ease of calving, and excellent feed conversion. In crossbred cattle you will get a ​combination of the traits of the two (sometimes more) breeds. It becomes a very mixed bag of unpredictable traits in future generations of crossbred cattle. For this reason, we only breed pure Mini and Midsize Jerseys. ​

​How do we know they're pure and not crossbred? We send DNA samples, tail hairs with the follicle attached, to the GeneSeek Labs in Lincoln, NE.  They compare the DNA they collect with a database of over 3,688 Artificial Insemination bulls in the Jersey reference group with know pedigrees going back over five generations.  All 30 animals in the fifth-generation breed stack are identified with the breed code Jersey, and if born 2000 and later, all ancestors in the fifth generation pedigree are known. Reference groups are updated annually with the April official genetic evaluations.

OUR HERD TESTS CLEAN AGAIN!

We have tested our herd annually for our own piece of mind for years to ensure we're free of BLV/BVD/Johne's/TB. In our older blog posts you'll find we covered these diseases at length in April of 2017. 

Raw Milk has some risk involved so it's important that you only consume the milk of health screened cows.  Tuberculosis (TB) is rare in cattle now but was a serious health concern historically. By federal law, any cow sold for transportation over state lines is tested for TB prior to a Health Certificate being issued. Our herd is vaccinated against Brucellosis, as is the law in Idaho.  This is also required by most states for importing a dairy cow since Brucella bacteria can be transmitted from cattle to humans and causes Undulating Fever.

It's important to us that we're making every effort for the health of our herd and for the families who trust us enough to add one of our little Jerseys to their family.  We understand that for many, their single milk cow is an investment and a beloved pet.

Ruby is about to be dried off for calving in late April, so we sent a milk sample to the lab to test for Bovine Leukosis Virus/BVD/Johnes. She's three months away from being three years old. Being over two, and born into our herd (in Kansas prior to relocating to Idaho), makes Ruby a very good candidate for proof of a clean herd. These diseases are highly contagious, so by spot testing older cows in the herd it's safe to say OUR HERD IS CLEAN.  We've spoken with several veterinarians in Idaho and Kansas, including at KSU College of Veteranary Medicine, and we've been reassured over and over that this is a safe practice for judging overall herd health.

​Brook was being tested for pregnancy so we tested her blood against BLV/BVD/Johnes too. She's 15 months old and was born into our herd here in Idaho.

Only our youngest calves, nine month old Meadow and Fern, have not yet been tested for these diseases.  They are both Negative for Achondroplasia, a genetic defect that causes Dwarfism. The others with Mini Jersey bloodlines, Snowflake, Munchkin and Buttercup, were also screened Negative for "Chondro".

Where has the time gone?!  We've had a lot going on in 2017. Let's get caught up!

When we lived in Alaska early in Lance's military career we learned Spring there is called "Break Up" because the ice melts and breaks up on the rivers. Being in a river town again with a similar climate to Fairbanks we were excited to learn Spring here is called Break Up too. Well, excited until an unusual amount of Winter snowpack started to melt by March 2017 and our little creek overflowed its banks flooding our driveway.  It wasn't pretty!  The flooding lasted several months.

Did you hang in there to the end?  There was a lot going on last year and I haven't even told you everything!  In October Lance and I attended a week long course called Armed to Farm.  That really deserves a Blog Post of it's own so stay tuned.

Lorinda

ATTRA is the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas.  They are the program implemented by NCAT in partnership with the USDA to reach rural communities with training materials, resources, and other programs.

NRCS, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, provides farmers and ranchers with financial and technical assistance to voluntary put conservation on the ground, not only helping the environment but agricultural operations, too.  They have many cost-share programs and grants to help small  farms.

​All of the farms we toured were part of the Western Montana Growers Cooperative. Fifty plus farms work together to market directly through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and share the risk of farming.  This gives them control over their profits, keeping more cash in their pockets.

We visited Foothill Farm where they raised pastured beef and had high tunnels of market produce. We helped them plant a field of seed garlic bulbs to raise for more seed garlic.  Several of the farms, Ginger Roots Farm included, were growing seed garlic.  Many also had high tunnels of heirloom tomatoes.  

Foothills Farm also had a small "A" Frame style apartment they used seasonally for farm hands.  When not in use otherwise they rented it out as an Air B&B, charging about $100 a night.  See it here: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/355734

Ploughshare Farm had several high tunnels of tomatoes and produce and a giant commercial grocer-sized walk-in refrigerator cooled with a specially converted air conditioner unit called a CoolBot.

Another, Fresh Roots Farm, was growing seeds for watermelons, carrots, strawberries and herbs.  They were wasting the flesh of the plants they were growing because they only needed the seeds.  By developing unique fruit, herb, and  vegetable popsicles from what they had been wasting they turned it into profit.  They market the Flare Pops cool treats at grocers and community events.

One of the most fascinating things to us were the miles of canals. The farms have water rights to draw from ditches and the canals for irrigation. Several farms had underground and above ground irrigation pipes they had cost-shared with NRCS.  Water is so critical for livestock and gardening. It can make or break an operation.

Debt was another big conversation we had with many of the farmers.  The farmer that spoke of his large-scale chicken operation made it clear he couldn't operate without a heavy debt load.  We were encouraged to avoid debt but to utilize it when necessary to expand.  It's a calculated risk that they were all very familiar with.

Although a good portion of the materials were specific to Montana we did learn a lot about farming as a business. We left seriously discussing whether we wanted to take our homestead to the next level or take a step back to hobby status.

More to come soon!

​Lorinda

We recently joined the International Mini Cattle Breeders Society & Registry as Lifetime Members. This, to us, shows our long term commitment to breeding generations of Mini Jerseys that are each better than the one before. We've taken steps to establish quality stock and register all our herd. From here out all cattle we breed will be registered. We are listed now on the registry website. 

We have procured several large pieces of equipment needed to harvest our own hay for the first time.  After years of doing it on shares, 50/50 split with the harvesting farmer, we will be baling our own small square hay bales.  We hope to have some extra to sell to cover costs and turn a little profit.  Earning an income for our efforts, while providing for ourselves and neighbors, has always been the goal.  We're SO close!
​
These new milestones excite us for the direction we're headed and the future of our homestead.  For the past few years we've done so much dreaming.  Then, it almost seems like overnight we're making huge strides to have a self-sustaining homestead!​

Have a great Spring!
​Lorinda

From the moment we arrived in Idaho we were in a race to meet Winter head on. We had footers for the foundation but needed a home with a heat source and insulation against the negative temperatures we'd face.  We needed shelters for the animals, ways to keep their water thawed, and the feed dry.  

​Some of our lumber was milled by my husband's step-father on his personal mill.  He also helped us frame the house.  That's our daughter, Amber, on our beams with our house dog, Lacey.

The north 40 acres were cleared from the forest by the Shouns to create hay ground and grazing for the dairy.  We don't have all the equipment needed to hay it so we did shares with a local farmer.  That left us just enough for our cows for the Winter.  We'll be working on acquiring the machinery to hay for ourselves and our neighbors.  The first step was to get this big 55HP Belarus tractor.

We threw ourselves into more work, building a quick run-in shed, hoop shelter, and feed bunk.  We put up some extra alfalfa and straw then fortified the 2-horse trailer to house the chickens.  We moved into our new home on Nov 13, our 23rd Wedding Anniversary. This Winter is proving to be a challenge without a barn but we plan to fix that this Summer.  Yes!  We have another big building project planned for our homestead. 

Praise God for His many blessings and thank you all for your prayers and support. 

Blessings,
​Lorinda  

We left Kansas at the end of April in blistering hot weather. Both of us were sunburned by the time the animals and trucks were loaded. We drove until we reached Cheyenne, WY, and stopped to sleep in our trucks. We woke up to snow, sleet, and hail!

Unfortunately, my lack of experience towing a trailer in the snow landed me in the ditch. My insurance sent a tow truck and we recouped for the night in a hotel. The cows and Livestock Guardian Dogs were boarded at the Cheyenne Stockyard. JR and Alan checked on them through the night. They gave them individual attention and we felt very relieved to have professionals looking after our animals in our absence.

Everyone had a chance to dry off, fully rehydrate, and stretch their legs. They had gotten wet and started to shiver. That had us very worried! By morning they were ready to roll.

We spent a few more nights in our trucks. The drive wasn't only long, the road conditions were treacherous in spots. At one point a wasp crawled up my steering column and flew around in my face! I'm allergic so this experience had me hysterical. I drove for days assuming it flew out. Then, as we made the final turn onto our drive in Idaho, he buzzed me again! I haven't seen him since. Good riddance!

We were so relieved to have made it safely with all the animals. Several of the mountain passes were wet and steep, with dropping temperatures after dark making them slick. We're sure the prayers of our friends and family kept us well protected and we're forever grateful.

I'll catch you up soon on all that's been happening since we arrived.

Later,
​Milkmaid Lorinda

​                                        
​A
​HEIFER!!                  


She had already nursed and Buttercup was softly mooing at her.  Snowflake is our sixth heifer in a row.  Actually, we've only had heifers born on our farm since 2012!

She's the last calf to be born to us in the Midwest.  We're doing a Wizard of Oz theme to honor the Kansas roots of our farm.  Snowflake Flurry is named for the snow that falls on Dorothy, Toto, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow as they cross the poppy field and approach the Emerald City in the movie.  The snow breaks the sleeping curse by the Wicked Witch.  A flurry of light snow was blowing around as Snowflake was born.  She even has an delicate white star on her forehead shaped like a snowflake!

Her registered name will be North Woods Snowflake Flurry.  We call her Snowflake.  A registered name has a breeder signifier that tells the farm that pared the cattle for breeding.  Our signifier in the registry is NW.  This tells everyone we're responsible for the quality of that cow.  Our reputation is on the line with every cow we breed.

Take care!

​Milkmaid Lorinda

Moving is hard! We've moved many times but this is the first time to move a herd of Jerseys, five dogs, seven cats, and us. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt! We're getting all the Health Certificates and shots needed to safely and legally import our animals into Idaho. Some of that is easier typed than actually done.

HOW does one transport all these animals? Well, we bought a livestock trailer with a center divider gate to move the cows and cats. ​ It was pretty badly rusted and very, very ugly.  We sanded, welded, primed, painted, replaced wiring, lights, hubs, bearings, brakes, and tires.  Then, we had to get a title, register, and license it.  But, it's legal and road worthy now.  We're pretty proud of how it turned out.  What do you think of the silver and black?

We started the year 2015 off on calving watch. Buttercup was bred to a Mini bull named Todd. We didn't have to wait long! On a clear warm Winter day she decided to calve in the back run-in barn. We were all present, including Spartan, our Livestock Guardian Dog. Lance was the first to touch the calf and Buttercup, this being her first calf, was eager for the help. It's a girl! We named her Munchkin in honor of our herd's roots in KS. Lorinda is also a huge Wizard of Oz fan and managed the OZ Museum's Gift Shop when we lived near Wamego, KS.

The next cow we eagerly awaited to calve was our Lead Cow, Buttermilk. She was bred to Toro, the first little bull she adopted to nurse. They produced a gorgeous, tiny, fawn heifer. Yes! Another girl! In keeping with the Oz theme, Lorinda named her Emerald. It was perfect since she was born on lush Spring green pasture behind the back barn on April 29th.

Creme Caramel was the second calf ever born on our farm. She was also expecting a Toro calf. The vet said she wasn't due until late July. Lance and I took the opportunity in late May to go to Idaho until late June. You can read about that trip in an earlier Newsletter.

While we were away Caramel surprised our kids by showing up with a tiny wet calf about 30 minutes after they had done an afternoon check on water troughs. Another heifer!!

(Do you see the theme? I hate to mention it or we might jinx ourselves as we wait for one last calf before we make the BIG move to Idaho.)

We named this sweet auburn and fawn colored girl Ruby. She was born on June 16th on the side of the front barn. The side that isn't visible from the farmhouse or troughs!

We'll talk soon!
​Lorinda

While Lance was still in the Army we daydreamed of the place we would settle when he retired.  Being from Washington State originally we both wanted green trees and four seasons.  He dreamed of land to raise a couple cows.  I wanted to be hidden in the trees where I couldn't see a single neighbor and they couldn't see us.  These were lofty dreams from our small government apartment on a military installation!

We considered several areas, looking at land prices, homeschooling laws, gun laws, property and income taxes, and benefits for retired military like VA offices and Commissary shopping.  Western Texas and northern Idaho were at the top of our list.  Idaho was closer to our families so my in-laws started looking for us.  They had never lived outside of Washington.  They fell in love with Idaho and we both put in offers of adjoining large country acreage lots.

We chose a lot with almost half tall pines and half acreage, a year-around stream, and mountain views.  They chose a stream and a creek and nestled at the foothills of a mountain.  At the time there were no roads in but it had been logged a bit previously so there were some clearings.  We're building our home inside one of those logged clearings.

We've been working for nearly six years to obtain permits, install a long compacted gravel driveway, run power from the road, install a well with sand trap and pump, put the septic tank and drainage in place, pour foundation footers and fill it with densely compressed small gravel.  I'm sure I'm forgetting something.  It's been a long few years to get this far but we've done it without any debt and I'm really proud of that.

See ya soon!
​Lorinda