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At the end of each year, we think about what we have done right and what we would like to improve upon. We have identified several areas for 2011.
Updates are in red. Last updated on March 17th, 2011
Updates in blue entered on October 4th, 20011
Pumpkin Patch. We will be experimenting with growing pumpkins in 2011. We'll be hooking up the horses this spring to break ground on a half acre pumpkin patch. You will be able to bring your little ghosts and goblins out to the farm to pick out the perfect Halloween Jack O' Lantern. We also will be raising Indian Corn and Indiana Popcorn for fall decorations and evening snacks. Stay tuned for updates. All systems are "go" for a fall pumpkin harvest. Manure spreading and disking of the pumpkin patch is schedule for March. Plowing and an additional disking for leveling purposes will follow in April.
The Pumpkin patch has been a success. We plan on donating a portion of the havest to the Southwestern Elementary school for pumpkin decoration and auctioning at the First Annual Pumpkin Palooza. We will also be partnering with the FFA Chapter to sell pumpkins to raise money to pay for the transportation of the 3rd grade class to Ag Day. Any remaining pumpkins will be fed to the livestock this fall.
Livestock Guardian Dog. The demand for our lamb has really grown since adding sheep in 2008. Our customers are not the only ones who have noticed. The coyote population around the farm has grown and made themselves more audible and visible over the past three years. We're all for wildlife here at CSF and in the spirit of peaceable co-existence, we are adding a livestock guardian dog to the flock this year. The dog will be raised and socialized with the sheep with the intention of serving as a formidable deterrent to any predators that may take interest in our flock. We have expanded our search to include donkeys and llamas. We still have not found the perfect flock guardian yet, but with baby lambs being born every day now, the need is growing.
No large guard dog this year, but we did add another English Shepherd to help move the livestock around and keep an ever vigilant eye on the farm. "Maizey" joined our farm family this summer. She is a beautiful sable female that comes from Iowa.
Seasonal Turkeys. There has never been a more quintessential symbol of a bountiful fall harvest than a fresh, farm raised turkey. Our goal in 2011 is to raise the perfect size for your family's table. Pre-order yours today for November, 2011 and guarantee the start of a new holiday tradition - a late fall trip out to Cave Springs Farm to pick-up your Thanksgiving turkey. Fifteen turkeys are growing fast. They will be moved out to pasture in the next couple weeks. 10 are already sold. Order your's today!
Christmas Trees. Sleigh bells and smell of fresh pine trees are an integral part of the Christmas's of old. It will be an eight year wait, but what better way to kick-off the Yuletide season than with a horse-drawn wagon ride to the Christmas Tree grove at Cave Springs Farm? The chore list for the Spring of 2011 includes planting the first round of 300 Christmas trees destined for the 2019 season (provided we can keep the deer away). Cave Springs Farm is now a proud member of the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers Assocation. At the advice of a forester with a reputable nursery, we will be preparing the ground selected for our christmas tree plantation location this fall for planting in the Spring of 2012. Stay tuned for further developments.
The site for the first planting of Christmas trees is mowed and ready for further preparations. The official planting will take place in the spring of 2012!
Berkshire Pork. Raising hogs has always been a seasonal joy here on the farm. In an effort to better serve our customers and secure a steady source of quality feeder pigs at the proper time of the year, we have decided to begin raising an annual litter of Berkshire pigs. Berkshires are a heritage breed well known for producing fine pork. We look forward to sharing our success with our customers this year.
"Toot" and "Puddle" have arrived! We have found two Berkshire gilts. We will be keeping the best one for breeding and the other will make "the trip" this fall. Feeder pigs have also been purchased for this year, but we hope to be raising our own starting with the 2012 farming season.
"Puddle" made the team this fall. We will be breeding her via artificial insemination with the plan of having an April litter. Berkshire pork is on the way!
On-Farm Grass Fed Beef Finishing. In years past, we have sold our calves to another local farmer that grass finishes them for us on his farm. We then bought the animals back. This year we have held back three calves. One as a replacment and the other two for the purpose of grass finishing them on our own lush grass pastures. We look forward to being able to offer our customers 100% Cave Springs Farm Grass Fed Beef for the 2011 season. |