Blog #37

Feb 1- March

The Long and Weinstein Road is on detour mode – and maybe a big pit stop called Camp Weinstein Farm or Ranch Weinstein or something. We haven’t been on the road for a long time and while I appreciate being in one spot, I miss the Airstream.  I hung out in the RV the other night for old times’ sake. I miss driving across this great country and seeing all the great views alongside the truck drivers. I miss camping out behind Cracker Barrels. Change is good. I miss the knowledge that I’d wake up someplace different every morning.  

And I don’t.  Because then I couldn’t be back at the ranch (one of my favorite phrases).

So I’m not feeling much like writing.  Lots of doing going on.  Consequently, this issue of the blog is going to be more photos than words (I hope). Better for my less literate followers???

I bought a chicken tractor.  What, you may ask, is a chicken tractor?  It’s like a small chicken coop that is permanently attached to a run, that you can put on wheels and relocate at will.  This is important because you may want to move your chickens around a field, maybe to get new grass and grubs.  If you’ve seen the second season of Clarkson’s Farm, you’ll know Jeremy got one so the chickens could eat the bugs out of the cow manure in different parts of the field.  His chicken tractor is WAY more posh than mine. His holds 50 chickens and well, let’s just put it this way: he has a Lamborghini tractor. John Deere is just fine for my 26 acres thank you very much.

At any rate, the purveyor of said chicken tractor builder comes highly recommended by my farming neighbor, Amber. Maybe I’ve mentioned her, but if I haven’t yet, I’m sure I will a lot. Amber is my hero.  She is an emergency room doctor raising 2 young boys and has chickens, goats and sheep. She camps, mountain bikes, hikes, and is everything I wish I knew I wanted to be when I was her age – except the doctor part.  I can’t stand the sight of blood. 

When Amber referred me to Tracey, I looked no further for a chicken tractor builder. 

Unfortunately, Tracey lives in the sketchiest area I’ve yet been to in Asheville. Swannanoa, where I first camped in Asheville, happens to also be called Swanna-nowhere. I had to go to drop off the deposit. It was a little dicey.  Tracey’s neighbors live in a series of single-wides. I’m sure if I got there late in the day, the meth head zombies would come out. Who else gets a spray-painted number on the side of their house?

I also went to my local Southern States. It’s a farm store where they sell everything from chicks (in March) to electric fencing to horse feed to lawn seed. Right now, it’s Mecca for me.  It’s similar to Tractor Supply.  I forgot there’s a TSC on Long Island, which I’ve never been to, and one in the small town of my alma mater, which I’ve been to as an alum.  Didn’t realize I would be scouting out supplies for next year’s Gingerbread Open House party.  

When news of a Chinese balloon over our heads wasn’t capturing my attention, we did a reno on a guest bathroom that I hope some of you will enjoy in the future.

I painted the bee hive boxes that came in. Do you like the colors?  Will the bees?

Good news: my cleaning woman moved to NC! Bad news: she’s 4 hours away!  Conchi and Rudy are like part of my family. I got to go out to dinner with her and her son, and visit their new home.  Then it was off to my parent’s farm to get some chores done. I won’t bore you with that part.

David bought me a Valentines present of a great coffee maker. Who needs Starbucks? I can make my own latte thank you very much! Also went to a tequila tasting in town. My favorite!

We picked up the chicken tractor on our flatbed.  I made David come with me this time, mostly to maneuver the flatbed around this really narrow driveway. 

Now, we are researching fencing. The things I’m learning about.  We need 8’ posts but do we want round ones or square posts?  Of course, they won’t be 8’ high. 20-24 inches need to be underground with a base of gravel and 5 bags of Quickcrete to hold them in place.  After that’s all prepped, installed and dried, do we want electric fencing inside to keep out predators? Or will the wire fencing inside be enough?  Do we want the look of 3 rails as well? Should we put it in ourselves? Will it save us $$$? Or should we just call the fence company…  Anyway, the sheep and goats are a ways in the future.  I have contacted a couple of Shetland Sheep breeders.  Goats may be a 2024 project, unless I find someone trying to rehome some Nigora goats. 

Nigora goats are a cross breed between Nigerian dwarf goats and Angoras.  They produce great milk (from the Nigerian side). Not sure I want to be beholden to milking every day for days on end. We’ll see about that part.  

They also inherit the fiber qualities of Angoras, which you may have heard of in those amazingly soft sweaters everyone loves.  Another benefit? Angora fiber can be combined with Shetland wood to create wool.  Plus the goats are SUPER cute.  That said, goats are more like dogs in terms of care and neediness.  Sheep just need fresh water.  Grain is nice but not mandatory for their diets.  Goats need the copper in the food – which is a big no-no for sheep.  They must be fed separately. Hmmm….

With that in mind we are designing our shed and pasture so there can be separation in the future.  We’re designing our shed a little large at 12×20, but then it can have two doors and we can bifurcate the pasture into two halves.  That will help us later if we want to rotate the animals to different parts of the field.  Or maybe we should have two smaller sheds?  Of course, we’ll need some electric fencing to run up the middle of the field, or even divide it in quarters.  

All these things to consider. Who knew farming would leave me scratching my head?

We also got wheels there which David cleverly installed on our chicken tractor. Now the question is whether we should add tiger stripes to the orange chicken coop….

One of the reasons we moved to NC was the great hiking and mountains around us.  David and I tried Strawberry Gap Trail. With a name like that, how could we not?  Later that week I went to Bent Creek to hike a few trails and Bear Wallow Trail. Another great name and amazing views.  

We also visited a local favorite, Hickory Nut Gap Farms, famous for their home grown organic meat and sausages.  They also carry all local products like Looking Glass Creamery cheese.  We loved a stinky harvarti textured one called Chocolate Lab.  

Did I tell you I’m trying to get back in shape? My mom’s death really put me into a funk and now I’m getting back on the wagon.  Except that I tripped during plyometric drills at my boot camp class – and really sprained my ankle.  I mean really.  No break but I have to work my way back slowly. 

That’s it for February.  Hope you enjoyed our “back at the ranch” chapter.  I’m sure there will be more.  While it’s not exactly competition for Jeremy Clarkson of PrimeVideo’s Clarkson’s Farm fame, I can at least amuse myself!