The past few months have been marked by changes which will continue throughout the summer and fall.
In February my father suffered a fall at home which landed him in the hospital Three weeks later he died. Pandemic protocols affected everything from hospital visitation to funeral arrangements and the sale and emptying of his home. The added stresses have added to an already emotional situation.
Spring is always busy at the farm. This spring has been no different. We had seven lambs born and all went smoothly. Our final ewe lost her babies due to dystocia. The babies were large and after a long labour the babies became entangled, the placenta detached, the babies lost their oxygen supply and were delivered stillborn. Luckily Georgia is fine. All the other moms and babies are happy and healthy and enjoying being out on pasture.
Unfortunately we had to put two of our goats down. Over a year ago Marigold, the matriarch over our small group became ill and died. Since then her two children had struggled to find their place and continued to become overly aggressive with the others. Sadly, after so much remediation, there were no other options remaining. Belle, Basil, and Sebastian have settled into a happy and peaceful family life.
The day of my father's funeral, Agatha our female goose died suddenly having difficulty passing an egg. That night we brought home a female Toulouse goose we named Martha. After worrying whether Frederick would accept her, we now have seven goslings running around the farm. Good news!
The pig saga continues. Rosie finally had her babies after nesting for weeks. Unfortunately she developed an infection and many of her babies did not survive. The vet advised us not to breed her anymore and as a result we had to get rid of all three of our adults. What a sad time that was. We have four small pigs at the farm now and one empty pig yard.
Our farm store remains open for pick-up orders and we look forward to seeing more of our customers as pandemic restrictions are lifted. We have some new products which we are excited about including pork burgers, pork steaks, brood honey, and lamb tallow. Paul has been busy rendering lard just in time for pie season. We have new lamb skins in stock and a new supply of wool will be ready anytime.
Believe it or not, Fallen Branch Farm will be moving! We have known for some time that we have outgrown our small homestead on Fordwich Line. Our original plans of having a small place in the country with a few goats and chickens has evolved to the point that we need to scale back or move to a larger property. After much discussion and searching we were fortunate to find a place with 49 acres only 10 minutes from our current home. Over the past six years we have poured our heart and soul into creating our little farm. We have restored and renovated an 1860s farmhouse rich in character and history and established gardens, orchard, a barn, and pastures where none existed. It has been a real source of pride for both of us. Now we pass it on to the next family who I know truly appreciate it. With moving nearby we can retain all the relationships we have established since moving here and it will be an easy transition for us and the animals. We look forward to sharing our adventures as we move. Plans are already in the works for fencing and barn renovations.
Stay tuned!
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