Recap from Part 4: Before the 2019 season, we were able to buy a lightly used wood-fired evaporator, that we still use today to make our wood-fired maple syrup. The sap house was built under what used to be a lean-to next to the barn. Cement floors, drains, water, electricity, ventilation, rooms and doors had to be installed and built to turn it into our sugar shack that would pass the Maine State inspection for Maple producer certification.
2019 was a year full of building infrastructure, and growing the herd.
Sap house, cattle fencing, establishing trails around the property were some of the many projects we had in store.
Working with our forester Rob, we had lined up cutting a small percentage of our land, using a feller buncher to set in all of our farm trails around the property. This would provide us the ability to cut trails quickly in areas that were thick and over grown, setting paths that could later be stumped with an excavator (a future farm purchase). The feller buncher would also go around the edges of all our fields and cut back the over growth, and set trails around the backside of the rock wall lines, this would reduce the woods creeping into our fields, and cut down on future maintenance. This would also make fencing the property easier, allow access to both side of the fence line for future repairs, expansions and improvements.
The feller buncher would harvest 200 white cedar fence posts and cut them to 8 foot lengths for us. We would still have to take the time and peel the bark off of them once spring came but this would save us a ton of time. During the spring, when the black flies arrive is bark peeling season. The spud and draw knife would take the cedar bark off all of the posts, this would lengthen the time that it would take for the cedar post to rot by allowing the tree to fully dry.
Our neighbor, Duffer that lived up at the top of the hill from us lent his spud to use and his knowledge on fencing. Later in the year he would advise and assist us on our first chicken slaughter and show us how to cull, pluck and dress the birds. He was a wealth of knowledge, someone who had grown up on a farm, and than built his own farm from scratch. He is one of those salt of the earth neighbors, the ones who would drop what their doing to come help if you were stuck in a ditch while trying to plow snow, or swing by with his bucket loader bucket full of sand on a slippery winter day. Those long lost men, who meant what they said but weren’t afraid to say it, and when they said they’d do something, would do it.
The old breed of hard men who built this nation, the lost generation, the ones who would work from sun up to sun down and still find the time to volunteer for their community. I pray that our nation can one day go back to this mindset, coming together as a community as we put Christ first in our lives.
In June of that year, we purchased three Scottish Highland Cattle. We landed on this breed for many reasons after researching the type of cattle we were looking to raise based on the climate, type of meat provided, temperament- among other factors. The hardiness factor of the cattle was a leading decision as they excel in cold climates due to their long thick hair they put on during winter months, foraging capability and they just fit our personality.
We would cap off the end of 2019 season with the purchase of an entire herd of Scottish Highland’s from an older farmer looking to retire. Their farm was up near Fort Kent, Maine which was six hours north east of our farm. With a grocery getter and a new to us cattle trailer, our children in tow… woops I mean our children in their car seats! We set off to pick up our new farm additions.
Farmer Pete in his past life had been a Navy submariner, one of those old school, chain smoking, tough as nails types, back when the subs were still diesel powered. We hit it off pretty quickly once he found out I was one of those crayon eating Marines, and they graciously let us stay at their farm.
We realized that pictures don’t always demonstrate the sheer size of things. Their bull, Kirby took up the entire space of our 18 foot cattle trailer. We were going to have to make a second trip! As they say, the plan never survives initial contact with the enemy. My itinerary for this trip was going to have to be adjusted again.
This was piled onto all the other chain of events and bad decisions that we acquired prior to setting the date for coming up to get the cattle. Initially, we had another farmer we knew roger up to let us use their dually pickup truck and 5th wheel cattle trailer to make the trip.
Of course, this was after we had first bought a used diesel pickup truck to put a 5th wheel on, so that we could just borrow his trailer. We found out the next day after purchasing the truck that we had been knowingly sold a truck with a rotten frame by the dealership. Which turned into a year long battle, lawyers getting involved to try and make us whole again.
After the farmer backed out of letting us use his equipment, we started scrambling around trying to find a trailer to borrow or purchase. We had to push the initial pick up date off once before we found the 18 foot cattle trailer on craigslist to purchase. Fortunately, the trailer was in really good shape (frame was solid, I crawled under and checked!) , and now we were off to the races!
…….… whoops wrong one….
There she is….almost as fast as the F-18.
2019 was an exciting farm year full of mistakes, growth, building and learning. Shortly after our trip up north, by the grace of God our 3rd child Gideon was born into this world! Another future farmer had arrived to Full Armor Farm.
Stay tuned till next time…… PART 6 coming soon…
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