It' been quite a little bit, since my last entry... more than 6 months... BUT I'm still farming and I'm always learning and having a great time doing it. I've been at Hawthorne Valley Farm in the Hudson Valley just south of Albany, NY since late January. I'm a in a 2nd year apprentice position here. I work primarily with the 75 head dairy cattle herd. I've been milking early mornings (4:30 am) and "late" nights (6pm). They keep me busy on this farm, but it has been really great learning about the dairy biz. It's not just dairy here though, it's RAW! Raw milk is a featured product on this diversified farm. They also produce cheeses, yogurt, lacto fermented vegetable products, and lots of veggies for a CSA and weekly farmer's markets in NYC. There's also a Waldorf School across the street, and a visiting students program that hosts a new group of kids every week. The kids from across the street and the visiting students get the full farm experience and work closely with us for a few hours a day. There's a lot going on here, and many many people going through the farm every day. This week the cattle got to start eating grass again, and they are loving it! They were clicking their heels and wobbling their udders in sheer joy out on the spring pasture. A big change happened this season. Bettina, my lovely lady, is farming by my side and learning the ropes of veggie production and animal management. It's been a wonderful thing to share the farming experience with her, and see her excitement as the seedlings sprout and the spring calves drop from their mamas. We've been rising at the same time (for once) and crashing hard at 8:30 every night like clockwork. We're both pretty darn tired but we've been helping each other get through the week when one of us is less tired than the other. Bettina and the rest of the vegetable crew have been transplanting lettuce, beets and onions in the fields and seeding tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse. We're getting closer and closer to fresh summer veggies. I can't wait! That's all for now, but I'll leave you with some photos from the farm.
Adam
