The family farm can survive and even thrive if they look at the fishing communities in New England and Maritime Canada and learn from their experiences.

Fishing was a way of life for hundred’s of years for many families living on the east coast of the US and Canada.  These families are not very different from families that have kept the tradition of the family farm as an important part of the American heritage alive. 

The family farm can survive and even thrive if they look at the fishing communities in New England and Maritime Canada and learn from their experiences.

Fishing was a way of life for hundred’s of years for many families living on the east coast of the US and Canada.  These families are not very different from families that have kept the tradition of the family farm as an important part of the American heritage alive. 

The temperatures dipped low last night and this morning we were greeted with frost.  The predawn was crystal clear with a sky dotted with lingering stars and a sliver of moon still showing on the western horizon.  Warm and comfy in the nook where we drink our morning coffee my mind was on the heifers that are calving.

We dressed early and with the eastern sky only beginning to show a faint transition to the pinkish-orange of a late fall sunrise we left the house.  First time heifers are not always the best mothers.  It seems that though they have lots of instinct they are short on experience.  It takes them longer to know what to do to take care of that newborn calf.

Any calves born last night or at dawn when the temperature drops to it lowest could be in danger of hypothermia if that new mother does not clean it off and stimulate it to get it up and nurse.

Chili is one of the long favored cold weather classics on our family farm.  It is one of those great fix-in-the-morning meals that allow you to come home to the welcoming aroma of chili ready for the table.  It is a special delight when working outside on the farm on a cold day. 

Chili Recipe

2 pounds ground grassfed sirloin
1 cup thinly sliced onion
3 tablespoons flavorless oil such as grape seed oil
1 large can whole tomatoes
1 can kidney beans (can use different beans if prefer)
3 tablespoons chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
Dash (or more) Cheyenne pepper
4 garlic cloves
3 strips of bacon

Grady rides our range most mornings especially when any of our calves are due to calve.  This chore often falls to him mostly because he really enjoys it and partly because he is so good at detecting problems almost before they happen.

Grady is one of those gifted people who has a sixth sense about animals.  Often he has amazed us with how quietly and gently he can get most animals to move wherever he needs for them to go.  They seem to trust him and he seems to know just how to be in the right place at the right time. 

This morning instead of seeing Grady come into the office to give us a report on what he had seen, Cody, his grandson came in.  He explained that Grady wanted us to come outside to see what he had.

Mark and I went out to find Grady standing there holding a huge red tail hawk. It was such a picture!

Grady in his old cowboy hat that looks like it was born on his head and weathered there for the last 50 years.  He sported his annual wintertime full beard in snowy white and wore an ancient oilskin duster.  On his hands were his leather work-gloves.  Tucked under one-arm and securing both talons in a gloved hand he held a very alert bird.