Things are looking up this month
Our steer is scheduled with the butcher, our Holstein was AI bred to another Angus, and our gardens are planted with vegetables, herbs, berries, and flowers.
Beefcake, our 13-month Holstein-Angus steer- a lot of folks can’t believe he’s only a yearling!
I was very discouraged last month when my 33 cu ft merchandiser fridge decided to go sub-zero on me… Fortunately, my brother has offered to make the repairs on it! He replaced the temperature controller once, about 12 years ago, and it ran fine with consistent temperatures until last month. I’m glad my brother, Mike, moved to Taylor so I have some family nearby!
This month, in addition to cleaning out the giant mess inside the big fridge, I tested all my t-tape drip irrigation for all the gardens and replaced some of the older t-tape. My sweet husband, Willie, helped me pull all the drip tape for my new cutting flower garden. I also built up a wider perennial herb border for the flower garden; I’ll add an additional line of t-tape to make sure the herbs get enough water. I planted the bare-root blackberry bushes, too. Getting some soil ready to plant Moringa trees to use as a wind break- fast growing, drought-tolerant, edible! I’ve planted sunchokes as a cattle snack.
The wind has been fierce and never-ending this spring, following a hard frost after my fruit trees had bloomed. I’m not certain the older freestone peach in the front yard will give me any fruit this year… It’s either feast or famine with that tree! Some years I get a bushel a day, one year I only got 12 peaches total!!! Ay carumba!
I’ve collected tail switch hairs to send to UC Davis’ Veterinary Genetics Laboratory to find out Pretty Cow’s A2 status for certain. Holsteins have a high rate of A2/A2 genetics, which is less likely to cause digestive problems, including lactose intolerance. I’ll update here when I get the results back from the VGL.
Those of you with heifers, cows, or milk cows that don’t have a bull, I highly recommend Amanda Patterson for artificial insemination (the OG and original AI! LOL). She will come to your place, or you can trailer your cow to her place in Taylor. Send me an email if you’d like her contact information pforst@windsongranch-az.com
