My birthday and an average day on the farm!

I recently celebrated a birthday!  Another year older and maybe wiser?  Haha I don’t know about that part.  But I will say that I am blessed with amazing family and friends and I am especially reminded this when my birthday comes around.  I am always surprised how many cards, phone calls, texts and emails I get to send me birthday wishes.  The other thing they all have in common is…” What are you up to on your special day?”  Well the same thing I am up to everyday, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

But this year in particular it made me realize that many people in my life don’t know really what my family and I do every day on our farm and what is really involved in producing our beef.  This thought has inspired this latest posting of how we celebrated my recent birthday and an average Monday.

5:00 am – Wake up!  Yes, I know it’s crazy early…well at least for me but when you have a family of 6 you have to be an early bird.  So coffee, shower and more coffee it is!

6:00 am – Wake up the two older children so that they can get ready to go to school for the day. 

6:05 am – Attempt to wake up the Farmer…notice I said attempt.  He is definitely not an early riser, more of a night owl.

6:15 am – Attempt #2 to wake up the Farmer…this time with the assistance of two of the children.  This time it works! 

6:30 am – Wake up the younger two children, who settle in for cartoons.

6:40 am – Preparing breakfast for my children.  I will be the first to attempt that though I love to cook breakfast is not my thing so, cereal or pop tarts it is!

6:50 am – Time to get the remaining children dressed…I love them but chasing calves is more productive than getting these two in their clothing.

7:10 am – The school bus has arrived! 

7:15 am – Off to the barn we go to quickly do the morning feedings of the feeder calves and finishing steers.

7:45 am – Back to the house, and to the goat barn to feed our small herd.

8:00 am – Breakfast! – The Farmer, twins and myself indulge in some yummy cereal.

8:20 am – Off to Nana’s and Papa’s!  I am truly blessed to have parents who live nearby and watch my children often so that we can work cows.

8:45 am – Back to the barn. 

Now I know I said that this was an average day on the farm but to be honest every day is different.  Yes, there are many of the same tasks every day; feeding, cleaning pens, filling creep feeders, etc.  But every day there are always those extras.  And today we had to move many of our mama cows and calves from one pasture on our farm to another.  Now our farm is really two farms directly across the road from each other.  They were once owned by family members and over the decades have been paired together into one spread.  So in order to move cows when rotating pastures, we have to bring all the mamas and calves on that side down and into the barn to load on to the livestock trailer to be hauled across intersection to the other side.  (How did the chicken cross the road?).

9:45 am – Cows are loaded and we are on our way!

The “rounding up” seems like an easy thing but in reality our mamas are well trained animals who hear the atv and will automatically many times start heading right to the laneways that lead back to the barn.  Their calves who are anywhere between 4 and 6 months old...well they are a different story, more like rebellious teenagers.  So this is when we have our almost daily chat about how we really need a cattle dog.  And also when the Farmer reminds me that we have a cattle dog, who is at the house probably sleeping on the living room floor.  (Hey, what can I say she is amazing with my children and I have definitely spoiled her)

I am also starting to rethink my earlier thoughts about rounding up calves being easier than getting toddlers dressed.

9:50 am – Cattle are unloaded into a sorting pen.  We discovered that one of the cows had a sore foot and was limping.  So we had to sort her out and put her in a pen in the new barn to be treated.  With all the wet weather we have been having it has been bothering some of the feet of the cows.

10:10 am – We had several cows that were in heat and had to be brought into the barn to be AI (artificially inseminated). 

11:30 am – We had a new feeder calf arrive that needed to be weighted and vaccinated.

12:00 pm – Back to the house to change clothes (Did I mention that it has rained for about 3 weeks straight.... covered in mud has become my new look.)

12:30 pm – In the car and off to the diner with the Farmer to have a birthday lunch!  Nothing better than a turkey club and fries!

1:45 pm – Errands and to the bank.

2:30 pm – Back home and into the office for me to catch up on book work, while the Farmer goes back to the barn to clean, clip and ready some sale cows for when the photographer comes to take pictures for an upcoming sale.

5:00 pm – Back to the barn for me to help with evening feedings.  And scope out the sale cows who were looking all pretty with their haircuts.

5:10 pm – Feeding time for the feeder calves, steers, heifers.

5:40 pm – Feeding cows who are in the barn, and checking water tubs in pastures, filling mineral feeders.

6:20 pm – Back to Nana’s house to pick up the kids!  The best part of my day.

6:35 pm – The Farmer and kiddos are feeding the goats while I am making dinner.

7:40 pm – Cake time!  The kiddos made me a yummy cake with Nana’s help.

8:00 pm – Bedtime…well at least for the kids.

8:02 pm – Laundry, dishes, packing book bags.

8:10 pm – Going to remind the kids it is indeed bedtime, which does mean they have to sleep.

8:45 pm – Time to crash on the couch.

9:00 pm – Falling asleep on the couch….zzzzzzz

10:00 pm – The Farmer wakes me up and says it’s time I head to bed.

10:05 pm – Off to bed and to start it all over again!

So that is our day, some are much busier and some are less.  For instance, last week we were planting our corn fields and next week we will be digging up trench lines and putting in water lines to pastures.  Every day is a new adventure!  But I would not have it any other way and I would not have wanted to spend this birthday any other way!

We can all learn something from cows…

With calving season in full swing I thought I would take a moment to look at what we all can learn from cows. 

“The everyday is nice, but sometimes you just need a walk down a different road.”

A few days ago we had a heifer calf that decided to take a little adventure of her own.  She was in the winter pasture with her mama and the other cow and calf pairs.  She has always been an adventurous type, quick to go frolicking off.  On this day she decided to climb into the concrete Jbunk feeder and jumped over the outside wall.  (No worries it is only about a 4 foot wall, so she was not injuredJ)  These little Angus calves are adventurous like that, always running around, jumping and playing fake out like they will run your over.  They are just like children, they love to play!

And that’s where were found her, just leisurely walking around and taking a stroll down the road.  Thankfully this is a one lane dirt road that might see 3 cars a day, 2 of which are probably my husband and I.  And as I watched her I couldn’t help but think that we all can learn a lot from cows.  She saw an opportunity to explore and she took it.  Yeah there were risks but she just jumped right in.  How do we as people know what opportunities are right around the corner if we don’t take that leap of faith?  Sometimes in life it’s not always safest to stay behind the fence…

“Those first steps aren’t always the easiest, but they are always worth the reward”

We are in the middle of spring calving.  We calve twice a year; we have a small group of cows that calve in the fall and the majority of our herd calves between January and April.  So we are about half way through and each week we are having more and more calves born.  And even though we have been doing this for 10+ years now, I still am amazed with every new calf. 

 

They take a shock that’s for sure.  When they are born they have to leave the nice warm space they had in the womb for the outside world.  Yes, each cow has their own maternity pen and it is lined with fresh dry bedding for the cow and her calf.  But it’s still a shocker.  These calves are wet and the air even in the barn can be crisp.  Then their mothers lick them off and want them to get moving.  These calves are alert and do what their mothers ask.  With wiggly unsteady legs they will take their first steps after just being born not too long ago.  And with each passing hour they become surer of themselves and in no time at all they are running around the maternity pens.  And then after a few says they are allowed outside in the barnyards and small spring pasture.  You would never know that a few days or weeks prior they were these unsteady calves unsure of themselves. 

It’s like that with us as well.  You never know what you can achieve if you don’t take those first unsteady steps.  I can attest that I would not have a college degree, be married or even own my own business if it weren’t for unsure steps and a great support system saying nope you can get up and do this just like those mama cows.

“Love your babies, protect and care for them”

A lot of farmers joke about Angus mama cows being…well let’s say “very maternal”.  I have heard more wise tales over the years about Angus cows and their calves and how these mamas protect their calves.  To be honest I have owned, Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn and countless mixed breed cows.  I don’t really think it is a breed thing.  I think it is more a mother thing! 

Cows nurture their calves, they protect them and they know where they are at all times.  I can’t tell you how many times, I have had a cow calve in the pasture on a beautiful warm spring day and Derrick and I have gotten to play “calf hunt”.  It’s not that fun of a game, trust me.   “Calf hunt” if you are not familiar is when these mamas have their calves and then decide to hide them in the most dense and hardest to get to areas and then they go off to eat or drink while their babies nap.  This game can last for a few minutes while you try to find the calf or several hours.  And I will admit there have been times where the mama has stumped you all together and you just wait till she goes and gets it. 

 

That being said these cows are not much different from us humans.  They let you know by their moo when they aren’t happy that you just vaccinated their calf so it stays healthy, just like I have cried when every one of my babies got their shots.  When their calves decide to feel their oats and go off with a group of calves across the pasture running around like racers and the mama cant see her calf anymore.  They go calling their calf and running after them.   Much like me, when my first, second, third and fourth went to school for the first time.  I didn’t follow the school bus or wait in the preschool parking lot…but that’s probably because my husband stopped me by taking my car keys.  

So if you ever get a chance to just stop and observe cattle or really any other animals for that matter.  You will see how close they are to us in our own behaviors…its scary sometimes really haha. 

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Calving…joy, excitement, wonder

Every morning for the last several weeks Derrick and I wake up and one of us says “think we have any babies this morning?”  It’s become a tradition every year in the spring (and fall since we calve then also).  Every day we both go back and forth to our calving lot and maternity barn looking over the cows that are close to being due.  At night we decide who should be moved into a calving pen in the barn where they can have their babies in nice warm dry bedding.  And we check on them again before bed time and depending on the cow and the situation even during the night...yes when this happens I am definitely wearing my pjs and muck boots;-) 

 

"Mamas and babies out in the winter maternity pasture"

There is a certain joy that comes along with calving season.  Seeing those new babies with their mamas doing so well and exploring their new world and the knowing that you helped them come into this world.  There is excitement (though my husband seems to think it is more an impatience) that comes with the anticipation of a new calf.  Will it be today?  Will it be tomorrow?  Yes, every cow has their due date but we tend to go more by the physical signs of the cow because we all know a date on the calendar doesn’t mean a baby will be there that day.  Heck, I myself had two babies a month early!  Derrick comments daily that though calving season is his favorite time of year, he will be happy when it is over.  That’s because my manly husband who tries very hard to be tough, worries about each and every one of those mamas and he cares for and worries about each one of those calves…and that is what makes him wonderful. 

And then there is the wonder of that new baby coming into this world.  It doesn’t matter that I myself am a mom of four wonderful kids and that I have delivered three times myself.  Seeing a baby, any baby for that matter come into this world is amazing!  You really get perspective on your own life when you see a new life come into this world!

 

"A mama and her baby last summer on summer pasture"

We have been very lucky this year, all our calves have been healthy and energetic.  And our mamas have done an amazing job as well.  We have watched and waited and have been lucky that we have not had to step in and assist with any births by pulling a calf.  (This is when the calf is too big, stuck or not in the correct position and we have to step in and help the mother for both her health and the calf’s) 

All in all it has been a great year so far, though we have a few more weeks left and more calves to come.  I know Derrick will be glad for a few months of rest when spring calving is over and he can focus on crop season (though he will have a few more gray hairs I am sure).  Before we start back up in again in September with more babies to come and I for one can’t wait! 

Spring is here, but when to put cattle out to pasture?

We have had an easier winter than some in the past, but I feel like I am with the majority of people when I say.  When is Spring going to come? 

Here in New York State we have had an eventful spring for sure.  Freezing cold temps one day, t-shirt weather the next and then the day after that a foot or more of snow.  I for one am done!   I am ready to have tractors in fields, and cattle on pasture.  But when do we know if it’s the right time to put cattle out to spring and summer pastures?  Here are some ways that we here at our farm decide when it is the right time.

 

Many years we have extra forage and trust me there have been years we are more than happy we put in those extra bales or tons of silage.  We are a small farm acre wise and we do everything we can to preserve our soils and grasses.  Without good land, we don’t have a good crop or harvest and without these then we don’t have good quality cattle.  It’s all about stewardship.

This being said we are strong believers in cover crops, fall planting, crop rotation and rotational grazing.  All these techniques help us to produce as much as possible but also maintains the integrity and quality of our soils and crops. 

So that’s where it starts.  Just because the grass has turned green does not mean that it might be the best time to turn out your cattle.  Having those extra feed reserves will allow the cattle to stay in their winter lots a little bit longer in the spring and allow those newly green grasses to mature properly.  That being said, obviously the cost of forage and feed play a part into this decision.  Every producer needs to weigh when the time to turn out cattle is best for them based on their own operation.  Some producers have to purchase their forages and others like us are able to grow it ourselves and others have an abundance of pasture land but not a lot of feed reserves.  There are many different situations to consider. 

 

Now which pasture to graze first?  The rule of thumb that we follow is never to graze the same pasture two years in a row.  Now once again this depends on each individual operation.  Some producers may have a certain pasture located near their calving lot or barn and it might work best for them to graze that lot first if they calve later in the spring.  With our operation we calve mostly between January and April so by the time our spring pastures are ready in May our calves are all on the ground and we have the ability to choose which pasture will work best to graze first that year.  Grazing pastures with grasses like broom for example first will provide producers with the flexibility needed with spring grazing and will allow native grasses the time to grow and mature after the broom grass and other tame grasses are grazed down.  Having a pasture rotation schedule for the grazing season is very important and will play a major role in this.  Typically we rotate pastures every week to two weeks depending on the acreage and when the grasses are grazed down to about 4 inches high.  This allows for grasses to grow back and eliminates over grazing which is important especially on small acre farms like ours to ensure forage quality, pasture management and cattle production and growth. 

At the end of the day every operation is different and we all have what works best for us, our pastures and our cattle.  I hope some of my thoughts help you as we go into spring and grazing season!

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Our legacy as Farmers, but also as a Family

“Farming is a profession of Hope.” – Brian Brett

Sometimes and many times you don’t choose to be a farmer, you are chosen.  It’s that undeniable desire to watch something grow from nothing into something amazing and to know that you made that happen.  It’s that tug that pull, that fact that no matter what you aren’t complete doing anything else.

That’s how it is for Derrick and I.  Trust me there have been a lot of times where things go wrong and they are devastating and you ask “why am I doing this”.  Farming is a profession of faith, there is no doubt about that.  There are hard times, financial struggles, lost cattle, lost crops and 60 to 70+ hour work weeks where you miss your family time and social events.  I can tell you of times where I personally have dropped to my knees because of an event and asked God that question.  “Why am I doing this job”, “Why did this have to happen”, and of course as a Christian I should not ask why for I know He has a plan.

My first experience with this was when I lost a cow that my husband bought for me as an engagement present.  He had brought her home as a surprise for me from Virginia.  I loved that cow when I was down in Virginia and he surprised me with it as a gift.  She was going to have a calf and I was so excited and then in a horrible storm she was taken from us.  I cried and asked these questions.  That was in my first few months as a farmer.  But it taught me that all things live and all things pass.  God was testing me to see if I had the grit to handle what farming could throw at me. 

And then there are times when God blesses you as well for your faith and devotion not only to Him but also to the land, the animals, to your family, to all the gifts he has given you. 

I have mentioned my 4 kids many times so far…and I will probably keep reminding you of them…yes 4, oh I know!  But my last two were twins and I was on bed rest and in and out of the hospital and at home with nursing care.  It was like this from 6 weeks into my pregnancy until they were born.  This was a hard time for my family, I was very ill, our other children didn’t understand what was always happening and my husband was working full time, running our farm by himself and taking care of me and the kids.  To be honest, he looked horrible and I was more worried about him than me.  At the time we didn’t know why God had given us these babies but after they were born and we saw what we all went through and how tight and strong our bonds were we understood His plan.  There is always a light after the storm. 

Farming and raising a family is without a doubt about believing in and following God.   Those calves that are born every season and, those crops that give your farm a bountiful harvest.  All that hard work, seeing it pay off.  Being able to give your children the opportunity to be raised on a farm and teach them what a strong work ethic is.  To be able to raise them with a love and understanding of farming and that God will always provide for you on any path you follow.   That He always has a plan.  That is a farmer’s legacy to the next generation.  That is our legacy to our next generation.

They are so cute, right?

 

 

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The Ode to Buttercup…

Meet Buttercup, our Jersey cow.  Yes you read that right, our Jersey cow.  No we are not a dairy farm.  Yes we raise Angus beef cattle.  Well then what is a Jersey cow doing at our farm and why is she letting an Angus calf nurse on her? 

Well Buttercup is kind of a celebrity here at At Ease Acres, and she definitely has a very important job and she is appreciated greatly for doing that job so well. 

So here is the next question…how is a Jersey cow become a mother to an Angus calf?  No, that Angus calf is not her biological calf, and no the Angus calf was not an embryo transplant calf.  She was a twin!

How exciting, Twins!  With beef cattle having twins can be a blessing and a curse as many producers know.  Twin births happen in less that 1 to 7 percent of births and the breed of cattle and genetics play a role.  Like in humans, the gestation time of twins can be 1 to 2 weeks earlier than a normal single gestation.  And as a mom of 4 kids, 2 of which are twins.  I feel for these cows…a double birth is definitely a lot more uncomfortable!

Also like humans, twin calves do tend to be smaller than their single birth counterparts.  Sometimes even 20 lbs less at birth! 

In this calf’s case, she and her brother were both about 40 lbs at birth.  This for an Angus calf is small for sure.  Many of our calves, depending on genetics and breeding will be born around 65 to 80 lbs and yes we have had larger ones. 

So now the reason for Buttercup’s appearance on our farm.  These twin calves were born to a young heifer, who try as she might would have had a hard time caring for two calves.  A more mature cow may have been better equipped and more experienced but in order to give this mother and her calves a much better chance we decided to bring in Buttercup.  With only one calf to care for, this heifer will have just enough milk for her single calf and she herself will be able to maintain a good healthy body condition.  Her single calf will grow at a prosperous weight and will be weaned at a weight comparable to its single birth counterparts in the herd.  And the same is to be said with the calf that Buttercup has now claimed to be her own.  Jersey cows are known to love any calf and will be a foster mother better than most other breeds.  And it was love at first sight for Buttercup.  She saw that calf and she claimed it as hers.  She cares and protects it just like it was her own.  And for that we are thankful! 

 

So if you happen by our farm and see Buttercup, no we haven’t switched from beef to dairy…though I do love ice cream!  We are just giving a cow, and her calves a great start.  And Buttercup, she loves her job and we love her for doing it so well.  She will be a celebrity in our herd for quite some time! 

 

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Welcome! Who we are, and What we do...

Hi!  My name is Nicole DeBoer aka "The Farmer's Wife" and welcome to my blog dedicated to our family and our family farm, At Ease Acres.  Here is where I share about our family's passion for cattle and our farm but also our everyday life on our farm.

Family & Food

I am a mom to 4 wonderful rambunctious children.  Every day these kids surprise and amaze me with what they do and what they have learned.  They are adventurous and intelligent.  Their love and passion for agriculture of all kinds shows through daily and all of that makes me very proud to be their mom!

I have the wonderful opportunity of working with my spouse every day.  I never planned to be a farmer, but some how I ended up majoring in Agriculture in college.  This is where I fell in love with a gorgeous blue eyed Dutch boy... did I mention that my children have their daddy's eyes (love!). 

I am not saying that every day working with your spouse is perfect.  Oh do we have our days!  But we are equal partners in business and life.  We share the same love and passion for our farm, our cattle and our kids.  And at the end of the day we thank God for allowing us the opportunity to do what we do and we couldn't picture it any other way.

Our big family of 6, for some reason loves to eat!  And that's great because I love to cook!  To me there is nothing better than preparing a great meal for my family and us sitting down around our table to enjoy it.  I also love to garden and preserve food, so I will be sharing lots of recipes with you!

 

Farming

We are a farm family who raise Registered Angus cattle and sell wholesale all natural beef.  We also have a small herd of Boer goats and chickens among other animals our kids talk us into.  We live in upstate New York, in a wonderful farming community.  We love sharing our lives and farm with people.  So thank you for stopping by and I  invite you to follow our farm and learn more about what we do!


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