Monday, May 25, 2009

great weekend weather

Now that the Mayflower show and shearing are complete we are able to focus on other activities about the farm. The weather was great this weekend with temperatures in the high 20's (celcius) on Saturday and cooler and overcast on Sunday but no rain until the late afternoon.
  • Things accomplished included giving all the lawns their first mow of the season (also helps dandilion control).
  • Did a full trim with the trimmer around all the fruit trees and other spots from the spring growth. Used a tank and half of gas.
  • Caroline planted the tomatos and peppers from the sunroom to the greenhouse.
  • reorganized the interior fencing for the cria pen so that we can rotate them from one week to the next.
  • had three tandem loads of soil delivered improve pasture area for reseeding in cria fields
  • full pasture was fertilized. (fertilizer costs have all but doubled this year from last. OUCH!)
  • Finished planting the upper garden with less frost hardy vegatables
  • Tilled the lower garden so it is ready for Squash and Corn plantings later this week.
  • Planted some more gooseberry and blueberry bushes so in a couple of years our crops will be closer to our needs.

We also had time to enjoy our property a little bit.

  • This included seeing a doe and her new born fawn move across the field from one copse to another.
  • Found a baby painted turtle about 1 inch in diameter about 100 yards from the nearest water source. Probably a new born from last years egg layings. We gave it an assist to the nearest pond.
  • Watch a rabbit eat our dandilion heads. He can eat as much as he wants but not the garden please. I am scared though to have him invite his friends.
  • The leaves are now on coming out and the bird life in plentiful. A couple of highlights were a magnolia warbler about 4 ft from me and a purple martin (a property first) flying around with the barn swallows.
  • The hummingbirds are back and put out the second feeder this weekend to ease the territorial pressures.

While there are still things that need to be done some of the early spring pressures are now complete and a more relaxed pace and continue for the summer season until harvesting time.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Thanks to our volunteers

On shearing day we had 9 volunteers who I just wanted to thank:
Lynn, Brian, Ben and Josh
Jackie and Ray
Darren and Adelaide
and Flame.

Caroline and I really appreciate the time and efforts you all contributed. You all seem to enjoy yourselves and we hope you will be willing to come back next year when we will have 21 animals to shear.

Hopefully next year more will be able to stay for the barbeque at the end of the day.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Shearing is over for another year!

Phew! It was a big job this year with 6 more animals to do. We were a bit better organized this time with 12 people in all including Lukas the shearer.

The screamers screamed and the quiet ones were thankfully quiet. We got started at about noon, a bit later than expected and wrapped up at 5pm. Once again Lukas did an excellent job.

We got the fleeces skirted and sorted except for our prize winners. Those fleeces I will prepare separately to send to the fleece competition in Navan in August. Then off to the mill for processing into yarn.

The white fleeces will be sent to the Co-Op in Calgary for credits for alpaca products.

Today just some final barn clean-up and funny looking animals.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Shearing Day on Saturday May 16

Tommorrow is shearing day. Shearer is expect to arrive at 10 am. Tonight we have to halter an weight the animals, clean the shearing area and set up the fleece sorting tables.

The day will end with a barbeque for our volunteers.

Mayflower Show 2009

May 9 and 10 was the Mayflower Show. Rocaro Alpacas had a great showing. We took our cria from last year and were very successful.

Oreo - First Junior Black Male
Toblerone - First Junior Fawn Male & Fawn Colour Champion
Callebaut - First Junior Brown Male & Brown Colour Champion
Blizzard - First Junior White Male & White Male Colour Champion
Cocoa Blanca - Third Junior Multi Female

Then in the Best of Show Competition which included our four young males the judge spent over 5 minutes choosing between Blizzard and Toblerone.

Aztec Artic Blizzard won Best in show.