Video: Pruning and Training Apple Trees

  Winter is here, and with the cold weather comes the task of pruning fruit trees! Personally, I love pruning; can't say why, but I always enjoyed it. It's taken me a few years to really get the hang of what to cut and what to leave, but after much trial and error over time, it eventually became second nature to know what each tree needed.

 Out at the farm, there are currently only two or three fruit trees; one apple tree, and a pear tree (maybe two pear trees). And frankly... They're pathetic. You can prune and baby these trees all you want, but the soil is so bad that the poor things can't get past basic survival. We have plans to create a fruit orchard in 2 -3 years, but instead of planting in the dirt (or clay, rather; since that's what we have...), we're researching the idea of growing dwarf trees in a aquaponic setting. It's probably the only way we'll ever get a crop of apples off this property!

  Do you have fruit trees? What time of year do you generally prune?

Video: The Economics of Draft Horses

  I despaired of ever getting a post published today, due to our internet suddenly going on the fritz, but lo and behold! At 10:30pm, I'm finally getting *just* enough to put up Monday's educational movie. Sorry it's taken me so long, guys. I've been trying all day.

 Anyway! Look at this amazing video that I found! It's all about the economics of keeping draft horses, and what cases they're worth keeping, versus keeping a tractor. It's super detailed, and is definitely made with beginners in mind. Topics cover choosing a draft horse, building shelter for them, how many acres you might need for a pair, repairing equipment, chores to do when you get your first team, and more. 

  Watching this video reminded me just how much I'm impressed by draft animals and those who work with them. And it also reminded me that this is a farming venture that I am no longer interested in pursuing. *GASP!* I know, I know; for a long, long time I always dreamed of getting a draft horse (or a pair). Shucks, I have quite a few posts about that longing! But in the past few years, I've done a lot of researching and soul searching, and I've come to the decision that I will stick to tractors (much to my husband's relief). Now, if you feel led to use draft horses, then by all means do it! And hey, send me pictures, okay? I'd LOVE to see your beautiful animals doing what they do best! Drafts definitely have a place in this world. As do tractors. And for the specific area that my husband and I are in, tractors are proving to be the most economic/wise choice for us. Plus, I admit that due to some equine-related accidents that have happened over the last two years, my confidence around horses has waned to a degree that would make horse keeping dangerous for me. Confidence is a huge key to keeping horses, and right now... I have none. I'm not out-and-out scared of horses, but I no longer have a desire to own one at present. Maybe someday I'll get over that... I would however, still love to raise a team of oxen; but I'd sell them once they reached maturity, rather than keep them. Again, because tractors are cheaper for us to keep.

  But nevertheless, I will always be in awe of a well trained team of horses. I'll always feel that slight twinge that *maybe* they're something I could do, someday. And I'll always want to pet the Budweiser Clydesdales that live nearby... 

Hoop House Considerations - Muddy Fingers Farm

 This handy dandy video caught my attention this morning, and I was quite impressed with the detailed info! Definitely had some "ah ha!" moments throughout it. The Man and I will be putting up a large hoop house on the farm when spring rolls around (for our aquaponics enterprise), and I do believe this video has answered the last couple of questions we had...

P.S. To those of you who have subscribed to the weekly newsletters... You may have noticed that you didn't get one yesterday! Bad, bad Caity... Shame on me. Actually, the reason behind that is that I've been visiting a friend at the hospital, and thus didn't have time this weekend to write up the newsletter. This is also why there was no Saturday "Pinterest Link Up". My apologies to you all! Things should go back to normal now.

"Where The Rivers Run": My County Made PBS News!

  Check it out!! My county here in Missouri got highlighted on PBS! I watched this with the family last night, and we all had a blast saying, "I know that person! I know that place!" A few things highlighted are the Katy Trail, which I LOVE biking on as often as possible, the Missouri river, which I've canoed on, some local goat cheese makers whom I've gotten to know (they have lovely Saanens...), an artist who is a staunch milk customer at the family farm, and best of all... A little clip about my hometown, New Haven (clip starts at 38 minutes)!

  So if you've ever wondered what it's like, right here in my neck of the woods, this'll give you a great feel for it. If you've ever wondered why I chose to call Missouri my permanent home, instead of moving elsewhere, this will explain. And if you ever happen to find yourself travelling through this state, well... I highly recommend giving Franklin County a try.

Enjoy!

Come, Walk With Me

Yesterday evening was such a beautiful, peaceful time that I couldn't resist getting some video footage of it all, since you couldn't be here to take a walk with me. This being deer season, I couldn't stray far, or go into any of the pastures, but here's at least a clip to show you a little bit of the family farm. 

Puppies, Pregnancy, and Moving Back to the Farm!

  Ze' Caity (me) is re-entering the stage with style! Ta da, a video for you! Actually, I don't know about the "entering with style" part... I think the term "dorkiness" might be more fitting. Anyway! Here's a video about what all has been going on since we last talked. Busy times, folks; busy times.

Notes: The ringing and dinging you hear in the video's background would be the bells on the three heifers. I was inside a barn, okay?? 

 Another note that I forgot to mention in the video is that one of the things that's been keeping me busy lately is that I enrolled in an online business/marketing course back in September (year long enrollment) and its been intense. Awesome, but intense. So its taken me this long to figure out how to balance "school", life, and the blog. But I think I've got it. 

 All for now! Happy deer hunting to those who are out right now!

Darth Pooh... Wait, Wha?

   If you've ever wondered what Darth Vader would sound like if he had the voice of Winnie The Pooh, well... Here's your chance to find out. I just about died watching this. ;)

A Laugh For You

   This Youtube never fails to set me laughing. Comedian John Branyan tells the tale of the 'Three Little Pigs' in a hilarious, Shakespeare fashion. I thought I'd share the humor with y'all; so here you go!

  You're welcome. ;)

Let It Go

This was by far my favorite song from Disney's 'Frozen'. ^_^ I can almost sing this by heart. Hehehe.

New On My Mp3

Okay, never mind the name of this music group; their songs are *awesome*!!! If you're into soundtracks, medieval style music, thriller music and basically all around awesome songs, then here's the motherload  for you. This is basically all I've been listening to for the last three days. No lyrics, just a symphony doing an incredible job at creating inspiring songs. :)

A Horse Girl

  Today I had the immense pleasure of being back in the saddle. ^_^ And not only merely being "back in the saddle" but getting to go as fast as my little mount could carry the two of us, and together we did some crazy, topsy patterns through the pasture. It was interesting, I'll say that much. My mount's name was Benton; he's a fat, short, palomino-colored boy who seems to be a Quarter Horse cross of sorts. He and I were on five days acquaintance, he hadn't been ridden in months upon months, and I hadn't been on a horse since I was seventeen. Four years ago. I won't mention the fact that my safety head gear was a camo hunting cap, 'cause that would freak my parents out. So we just won't go over that... Continue on, folks.

  So! Benton and I were up for a crazy ride! Ha. He was as good as gold *except* for one thing: the silly boy doesn't seem to remember how to turn. Once upon a time he knew that a gentle pull on the right rein meant he needed to turn right. Apparently that info got lost in his spam folder somewheres. More than once today I found myself scolding him, "Benton! That's an electric fence!! Turn you moron! TURN!!! No, don't run me into that tree! TURN!!!"

   But other than that minor glitch (hehe), it was awesome. This little guy can move fast! Riding a horse is a lot like riding a bike; once you learn, you don't forget. So I was pleased to find that I hadn't forgotten any of my riding knowledge, but could instead pretty much go on auto-pilot and simply enjoy the sensation of flying. Being on a galloping horse is such an incredible experience... I feel bad for all those who have never gotten to try it.

 And now I shall stop my chattering and let y'all scroll down and see what's next. ;)

  First we have a picture of chubby Benton himself! Isn't he CUTE!?!? He so squishy looking that you just want to hug him! That, and I'm always tempted to do something to his fuzzy little ears. ;) He's such an adorable character. Even if he does have a grudge against all canines. LOL.

  Second up is Nick. He's a coal black Standardbred gelding; a buggy horse that was trained by the Amish. He's not saddle broke though, which is a pity... He looks like he would have some amazing gaits on him! I like Nick; don't tell Benton this, but I think I like Nick the best. And it's not just because he doesn't mind dogs (although that's a plus). He's just a calm, laid-back fellow that seems wise beyond his years... That, and I have a thing for black horses. *cough, cough*

   And now, ze' crazy video of Yours Truly, riding madly around on a lovely Mississippi winter day. :) 

P.S. All that yipping and yapping you hear in the background of the video? That's Gyp going bananas over the fact that I've obviously been taken captive by an evil horse and no one will let him come rescue me. Once he saw me get off the horse he was fine! But he wasn't keen on the idea of trusting Benton with his master. 

It was crazy fun though. I'm a horse girl through and through... 

Guinevere

Hope y'all had a good Thanksgiving, yesterday! We celebrated ours a day late this year, so today was my day of eating waaaaay too much food (oh glorious food!). Now I'm feeling sleepy, and wondering why on earth eating so much food is so tiring. Hehe. Eh, I'll ponder the answer to that in my sleep.

 I've got nothing hugely new to share since Monday (gadzooks! Was it really Monday that I last blogged???); save for the fact that I got my very own laptop as an early Christmas present from my family (eek!), and I've been busy all week doing that last-minute stuff before flying out next week. Yeah, I leave next week! Wow. My days have been full of saying goodbye to friends here in Oregon, enjoying having a driver's license (freeeeedooooom!), getting Gyp ready (he aced his health inspection at the vet!), and now I'm realizing that I do eventually have to pack. Grumble, grumble, grumble... If there's one thing I don't enjoy doing, it's packing. Too tedious.

 So in some random attempt to post SOMETHING new on here, I'm caving and posting a Youtube of a band that I've got a new crush on (okay, not the usual crush... But, you know, I'm like downloading aaaaaall their songs now. It's crazy.). They're called the 'Eli Young Band' and I'm loving the country/pop twist that they're putting in their music. This particular song, 'Guinevere' is probably my favorite so far (I call it my theme song), but hey if you're ever bored and you're looking for music, you could always try their other tracks like 'Crazy Girl' (second favorite!), 'Even If It Breaks Your Heart' (third favorite!), or perhaps 'Always The Love Songs'.

Or -- you could be a normal/sensible person and not listen to them at all and just smile at my eccentricities when it comes to taste in music. I really can't decide if my taste in music is awesome or horrible... Hm.

Anyway, talk at ya' later, guys. I'm off to go find something useful to do, while avoiding the kitchen and the tantalizing smells coming from there.

Let's Pretend It's Monday

 I didn't forget the Q&A Monday. Honest, I didn't! But we ran into some glitches along the way. To put it bluntly, Youtube ate my video. Yes, dear reader, this is my latest awful plan. The Caitlyn (meaning me) has gone live. I look like a dork... But here it is, nevertheless!! It's really low quality this week, and I apologize. Since Youtube obliterated my original clip, I had to cave and run this through My Movie Maker. Blah. So bear with me folks. Its got mistakes, its got hiccups, and its got me. This is a recipe for disaster. Or a really good laugh... Not sure which is worse. ;)

  Now, the book I mentioned in the video is called Microgreens: A guide to growing nutrient packed greens. Clicking those highlighted words will take you to the Amazon link of said book. If you're thinking about trying micros out, I DEFINITELY recommend buying a copy of this!

 I did also want to give a quick link to Johnny's Selected Seeds. So here's that. You're welcome. ;)

  And that's that! I'm already regretting this video of myself, but that's just the introvert in me... I need to get over this. Oh, and hopefully each subsequent video will be a little better in quality. This one's pretty pathetic.

This Is Me Right About Now

I mentioned this in an earlier post; saying that I feel like Rapunzel as I prepare for my big trip to MO. On a whim, I pulled the clip up from the abyss of Youtube.

Yeah, it's been a slow day today. ;)

What Is It You Want?

I found this Youtube last night and LOVED the pep talk on it. Yes, the video itself is about horses, but the message is for everything. Do you want something in life? GO AFTER IT. Now. Start small, start with research, and let it blossom. Life is so short, so precious... How will we spend this span that we're each allotted?

 I have a lot of things in life that I want to do, and this 4 minute video really helped me get out of my "oh someday" funk and back into the swing of WORKING towards a goal. Even if it's just reading up on them, that still puts me one step closer today than I was yesterday.

Watch the vid. It's a good one. :)

P.S. I have a growing collection of these awesome, inspirational horse videos on my Pinterest board, so if you want more of this stuff (and I have to say that some of them are even better than this!), you can do so by clicking HERE!

Farmland ~ The Movie

 Guys!! LOOK what's coming out in Spring of 2014!!! I apologize that there's no picture, no video, no nothin'; I tried. Honest. But there's an awesome film coming out after winter thaw; a story following 6 young farmers in their 20's and how they do their job. Looks like they cover a pretty good scope with a crop farmer, cattle rancher, hog farmer, chicken farmer, and...? The trailer had me all misty eyed and I done ruined my mascara now. :P I realize not everyone will get teary eyed over something like this, but I think a few will understand my excitement. I think I might even be more excited about this than I am about the new Marvel movies coming out (Thor 2, Captain America 2, Avengers 2). Shucks, I might even be more excited about this than about The Hobbit 2. And that's sayin' somethin'.

 If you missed that first link, here it is again. Click HERE to check 'Farmland' out!

Marvelous Marvel

 Okay... Besides being a LOTR nut, I'm also a fan of anything by Marvel. I like them all. ^_^ And while I admit that the story plot for Captain America 2 didn't sound all that great, the trailer has got me thinking otherwise. I'm gonna' have to watch this one. After all, anything with Capsicle is good, right? (my fellow Avenger fans will understand the name on that last sentence. Hehehe.)

How Joel Salatin Nets 60k/year On 20 Acres of Rented Land

  Okay this is only a 10 minute teaser clip, but I was still absolutely excited and inspired after watching it!! Joel Salatin explains how he NETS $60,000 every year on 20 acres of rented land, via hogs. I learned all this stuff while I was at Polyface last year, but it's still great to see and hear it all over again. It really works, folks. Had I decided to stay here in Oregon instead of head to Missouri, then I would have been doing this. It was my original plan; raising Berkshire and Hereford hogs to sell for a premium price to local customers, restaurants, and the local butcher shop.

 Maybe I'll pick that plan up when I come back... First things first, right?

It's Not About The Money. It's About Doing What You Love.

Why I Farm: Mark Thomas from Becks Hybrids on Vimeo.

'You Can Farm' E-School

Verge Permaculture is hosting an amazing e-school taught exclusively by Joel Salatin! Looks like there's going to be three workshops to attend (hm, hm... I want them all!); each one focusing on one of his book topics: You Can Farm (starting and succeeding in farming), Pastured Poultry Profits (raising broilers), and Salad Bar Beef (plus pigaerator pork).

  Verge is giving thirty minutes of one of the lessons for free up until Sunday the 20th; so hurry up and watch it before it's too late!! I enjoyed it, as I always do enjoy Joel's stuff.

 So if you've got some birthday money sitting in your pocket, it looks like Joel's e-school might be a good way to spend it. ;)