New Morning Farm - Week 2 and 3 Video Recap

Well, we missed a week of posting our video on the blog - but do not fear, because we did have the video made. You can catch up on our second and third week on New Morning Farm by watching the videos below. We are just finishing up our fourth week on the farm and we are heading back to Minnesota to celebrate the Fourth of July!

Playing Farmer with Chase and Dana

Our third week on New Morning Farm has come to an end. This week, Lorne increased our level of responsibility on the farm and allowed us to take over the morning and afternoon chores with the animals. It was a win-win situation; we loved playing Farmer and he was able to take care of other responsibilities he had outside of the farm. Here is what our typical day consisted of this week:

7:30 Wake up

8:00 Chickens (feed, water, collect eggs)

8:45 Pigs (feed, water, fresh straw, pet snouts)

9:15 Meat Birds (feed, water, fresh straw)

9:30 Cows (water)

9:45 Re-fill empty feed bins for next feeding

10:00 Breakfast and Coffee/Tea

10:45 Weed garlic

11:45 Place fresh straw around garlic to prevent future weeds

12:30 Lunch

1:15 Cows (water)

1:30 Weed garlic

2:30 Place fresh straw around garlic

3:00 Chickens (feed, water, collect eggs)

3:30 Pigs (feed, water)

3:45 Meat Birds (feed, water)

4:00 Cows (water)

4:15 Read books, work on art, make movies, take pictures, go to the beach

6:00 Dinner

We woke up each morning this week knowing that there were hundreds of little, living beings waiting on us to feed their hungry bellies. With this motivation, we stretched, yawned and made feeding them our first priority of the day. As we were wandering over to the chicken coop one morning, I looked at Chase's curly locks of hair and screeched, "Chase, I think a bird pooped in your hair!" He noticed the white liquid dripping from the ends, touched it with his finger and then licked it. Yes, he licked it. Luckily, he informed me that it was just sunscreen and to this day, I am still unsure whether he knew it all along or if he was prepared to taste bird poop. 

Chase and I became more efficient with the daily chores as the week progressed. Chase mixed the morning feed for the chickens as I gave them fresh water. Once the chickens were distracted with the morning meal, I collected eggs. The chickens provide us with about 10 dozen eggs per day - which equates to 840 eggs per week! Nancy sells these eggs to eager customers in Winnipeg every two weeks for $4.00/dozen.

Chase and I look forward to saying good morning to the little piggies. They are always squealing around and trying to say hello to us as we feed them breakfast. The pigs have grown so much since we arrived on the farm and they are getting a little too pig for their current pen - they have been tearing holes under the fence, moving their feeders all around, and pushing against the walls. Lorne has a whole field fenced off for them, but before we can let them run around, we had to teach them to "fear the wire." Training camp started this week, when we hooked an electric wire up to a post in the center of the pen. For the first few pigs who begin to sniff around this new device, they get quite the surprise when they hit the wire. Squeal! Squeal! Although it is never fun to hear an animal in pain, I know it is for their benefit because tomorrow we will be able to let them run free for the rest of the summer. 

Our week ended with a celebration of the Summer Solstice at Geoff and Theresa's inspiring Boundary Creek Farm. Geoff and Theresa have been farming for 11 years now and are committed to trying any and all sustainable farming methods that they read about. This has resulted in a dynamic, successful farm that provides their customers with eggs, chicken, pork, garlic, honey and a bounty of vegetables. We saw, first-hand, how much their customers respect their famers by the sheer number of them that traveled 50 miles from Winnipeg to spend the evening on the farm. The potluck dinner was incredible, Theresa's mint tea was heavenly and the bonfire, spectacular. 

Uh-Oh, I just got Meat Shouldered

In our pursuit to uncover unique tales of Canadian life, we recently heard about a hilarious new trend that is sweeping the Social scene. Socials are Manitoba's form of an engagement party, but in Manitoba the couple actually profits from the party. Here is how it works: the couple finds a location, brings food, obtains a one day liquor license, and invites all of their friends to celebrate their engagement. Any and all funds they make on selling drinks goes directly towards the cost of the wedding. Genius, right?

Word of warning: if you ever find yourself attending a social in Manitoba, beware of  “meat-shouldering.” The act of meat-shouldering involves an individual stealthy placing a piece of sandwich meat on a person’s shoulder without getting caught. It is, inevitably, quite amusing to follow the “meat-shouldered” individual around to see how long they last without noticing their newfound Salami friend sitting on their shoulder. Although most Manitobans are familiar with the game, I have been told that Canadian Broadcasting Corporation celebrity host, Jian Ghomeshi, recently attended a social in California where he was shocked and disgusted to discover a piece of sandwich meat on his shoulder. His outburst has been a source of amusement for many Canadians and will, I am certain, only prove to further popularize the meat shouldering movement. 

After further researching this new trend, I have found that the degree of commitment to the game of Meat Shoulder profoundly varies among individuals. To some, this is simply a fun game to be played at social functions. To others, this is a game with strict rules where only the most “adept players will be crowned victorious, and the rest will be left in shame and humiliation.” To all of my American friends who are considering inviting me to their next social function, I may or may not be packing meat. 

Witnessing the World

We woke up to another beautiful morning on the farm. The sky was blue, the sun was shining and, best of all, the wind was brisk and warm. I just knew this was going to be a good day. It may not be surprising but one of my favorite things about working outdoors, rather than in an office, is the ability to experience the day. Being surrounded by four walls all day, you forget how warm the sun gets and how much the wind is appreciated during the afternoon hours.

New Morning Farm 

In fact, you forget a lot of things about nature when sitting inside all day and I am slowly learning them again. The thing I learned today was how to complete a task and take pleasure in the task itself, rather than just the pleasure of crossing it off my list. Does this sound familiar to you? I go about my life making so many lists that all I think about when working is how I am going to get the next thing on my list done. In my former life, I worked like a drone, just trying to accomplish the task at hand as fast and efficient as possible. While this may make the ideal employee, for me, it felt like the world was going by and I wasn’t even experiencing it.

Today, we had the task of planting tomatoes, peppers, melons, and eggplants. Instead of just planting, planting, planting, I actually took the time to feel the dirt on my hands and the way it tickled my skin when it went down my shirt. I noticed all of the life that was living in the soil as it squirmed around my hands. I heard the birds singing their lovely songs in the trees and wished I could carry a tune. I feel so much better at the end of a day, when I know that I witnessed the day first-hand. In my prior life, I would go days without spending more than five minutes in the sunlight. I would leave the house when the sun was still sleeping and I would get home after the sun had gone down. This life seems so sad to me now and I truly hope I never have to live like that again.

Yes, that little pig is yawning 

The glory of the day continued well after our planting was done. Chase and I wandered over to our favorite animals on the farm, the pigs, and filled their home with fresh straw. They delighted in the wonder of this new, fresh, fun and began to shuffle and sniff it around their home. I could spend a whole day playing with pigs. They are just like people – shy at first, confident with friends and curious as a cat. Everyday I spend time with them and everyday they grow a little more comfortable with me rubbing their backs and touching their wet snouts. One day, I know that they will become dinner, but for now they are my dirty, smelly friends. 

When Lorne noticed my love for the pigs, he mentioned that Chase and I are just like Li'l Abner and Daisy Mae, a satirical comic that appeared in newspapers from 1934 - 1977. In the comic, Daisy Mae loves the pigs almost as much as she loves Li'l Abner. 

Daisy Mae and Li'l Abner 

Filming on the Farm: Week One

For those who prefer to watch videos rather than read blog posts, take a look at our video recap of the past week on the farm.