This week on Windrake Farm:
We moved our breeding herd, along with their littles, into the same pasture as our very happy bull, Jack. Some of the yearlings (last year’s calves) protested the separation, particularly the ones still sneaking milk, but everyone seems more content today, and they are all still able to touch noses over the fence line.
The new paddocks for the pigs keep getting delayed. Fortunately, we have patient and understanding neighbors who don’t seem to mind random visits from a drove of pigs. Most of the time they are hanging out in our cow pastures, or cleaning up fallen fruit in our old pear orchard, or the black walnuts in our yard.
Market News:
Due to the Saturday Railfest celebrations taking place at Trail Station Park, the Gloversville Farmers Market @fmfma_markets will be held at 4 Elm St- across from New York Lunch. Please come and visit us!
We are fully stocked on beef cuts, but heads up that our pork inventory is getting slim. Since our next pork harvest isn’t until December, you may want to stock up your freezers now. A number of selections are sold out until then, like our pork sausages, loin roasts, and pork ribs. We have only a few fresh ham and smoked ham roasts left, a few smoked ham steaks and ham hocks. Advance orders really help me know what to bring, so shoot me a text the night before, and you’ll get 10% off your order, which will be ready for you when you get to the market. We still have a pretty decent amount of smoked bacon, smoked Canadian style bacon, and bone in loin chops left, but again, it’s first come first serve, so get yours soon! Find us Saturday at Gloversville Farmers Market and Sunday at @schenectadygreenmarket 🌱💚🌱
Super excited to use our new-to-us round baler for the first time!! It needs some new parts and our bales weren’t perfect, but it did the job and they’re in the barn! Big thanks to my mom who loaned us the funds for this investment. It should really help us get the job done with less intense heavy physical labor, and with fewer people, when the boys have other life responsibilities pulling them away from the farm 🥰
Time lapse of the storm approaching yesterday. Weird, in my memory it really was moving that fast! Then the wall of rain hit, I chickened out and went in the barn. But it was like a wind tunnel in there and I ran to the house. Honestly it’s the first time I was good and scared about the intensity of the winds. I knew the tornado warnings were for north of us, but it was So crazy out there I thought we had one coming.
All is well, no one is hurt, animals nor humans, just some branches and broken trees. Still no power, but we are blessed with a generator that is keeping the freezers frozen and the cows’ waterer full. Sending love out to all affected by this storm!
Warning- kinda graphic calving video! This was the second birth of the day, a heifer calf from Iris. She had me a bit worried because there was no progress for so long after her water broke. But turns out her calf was presenting correctly and all went well. Earlier Bambi had a bull calf. I’ll share pics soon. Everyone is doing well despite the temps. I was out there for hours and I’m completely exhausted! More babies on the way, but maybe they can hold off till tomorrow? Please? 🩵
Impulse with her new bull, Imperial, the first calf of our regular summer calving season 🥰 I got the name from the many awesome suggestions from followers, for her *last calf. That one got the name Impatience. This was another one I really liked!
I wasn’t so sure Impulse would be okay with Imperial coming up to me, but I guess I was deemed acceptable
Pigs were out rooting in the cows’ winter paddock, while Carl was spreading the manure on the sunflower field. Cows came up from pasture for water and this steer was curious to meet these little pigs! So funny!
The stunning approach of yesterday’s storm. Technically the storm was moving away from us, but it was growing, blossoming outward so fast, it still overcame the farm.
Finally, we welcome the rain because all of our first cutting hay is officially in the barn! Big thanks to our usual farm crew and to all the family that came up from CT for the weekend to help out! Having so much help made it possible, but also way more fun! 🙏🏼💚🙏🏼
Grill season is here and our “grillables” have been selling out quick on market days! We will be bringing plenty of ground beef, premium steaks, pork chops and a variety of sausages, but plan to arrive early. Or better yet, place an advance order by the night before! We will hold your order while you enjoy the market and you get 10% off! Check our inventory and reach out via www.windrakefarm.com and then find us on Saturday at @fmfma_markets Gloversville Farmers Market and on Sunday at @schenectadygreenmarket 🌱🌈🌱🌈🌱 oh and Happy Pride Month Y’all! 🌈❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🌈
Viva and Venus had a shaky first couple days but they are doing great now! This cracked me up, because it’s the first time I’ve seen a day old calf nursing all four teats from one side. I think Venus was kicking when she’d nurse from the left, so she figured out this sneaky trick 🩵
Today we are joining a great bunch of vendors at an event at Alpine Lake RV Resort in Corinth, NY and Sunday we will be at @schenectadygreenmarket 💚🌱 We just brought home a big order from the butcher, so we are fully restocked with all your favorite cuts for the grill and smoker! Plenty of premium steaks, ground beef, patties, loin chops, ham steaks, bacon, sausages, and the best roasts for pulled pork and beef. Shoot me a preorder by text or email and get 10% off your order!
Hope to see you!Going to be a beautiful Memorial Day Weekend! 🇺🇸🌞🇺🇸
Some wobbly first steps for Venus’s new heifer, Viva 🥰
The Pig Tails!! This morning drift of pigs are going a little more free range than we intended, lol 🌱🐖💚🐖🌱
Everyone eventually made it to the new pasture lol! 🌱🌱🌱
Feeling like a big girl- today I managed to repair fencing and get the herd moved All By Myself! Fingers crossed they stay in, lol!
See y’all Sunday at the @schenectadygreenmarket rain or shine! I’m going to be away (in Holland!!) the following week- Mothers Day Weekend, so be sure to plan ahead and stock up! #AllByMyself #WomenFarmers #grassfedbeef #pastureraisedpork
We have three new pigs! We bought these barrows to try out a new-to-us breed: Idaho Pasture Pig. It’s a relatively recent breed comprised of Duroc, Berkshire, and Kune kune. Those turned up snouts are supposed to make them good grazers, gentler on pastures because they don’t root as much.
Anyway they’re cute and chonky and as you can see, very conversational with Pepper, who wants to learn more about her new neighbors.
Thanks to Three Dog Farm in Galway for raising such happy healthy pigs!
Ever fart in your sleep and wake yourself and all your babies up? 🤣🤣🤣 #betteroutthanin #fartsarefunny #pigsofinstagram #upstateny
Between the one foot (and counting) of snow and brand new piglets, all plans of travel are canceled today! That’s okay- what better way to be snowed in? Grateful for a healthy litter of piglets from Pepper 🥰 Tomorrow Carl will be on piglet wrangling and snow removal duty, and I will be at the @schenectadygreenmarket with all your favorite grassfed beef and pasture raised pork. This will be *our last indoor market- we will see you again on April 14th for the first outdoor market of the season! Stick up accordingly! Hoping it will be a little more Spring-like by then! 🌱🌷💚
Venus, with an apparently possessive cameo by Bambi 😅
Sound on if you want to hear Juniper barking, and me attempting to train her. Sound off if you have dogs of your own and this will get them barking too…
Pigs are getting big! As their allotted pasture thins for the season, they are growing so well on organic feed from Cold Springs Farm in Sharon Springs, NY and hay from our fields, plus feasting on fallen pears, seemingly endless black walnuts, and goodies from my garden as I clear it out for winter.
That’s Carl in the background emptying a water trough to be moved to the new cow pasture, and replace the cracked and leaking one over there. Always something!!
We are down to one Market each week! Catch us at @schenectadygreenmarket this and very Sunday through the weekend before Thanksgiving. Then it moves into Proctors for the winter Market, and we will be there every other Sunday. I’ll keep you posted on when we will be there!
Here’s a minute of peace and love to interrupt your scrolling 🥰
Bella had this beautiful sweet bull yesterday- last calf of 2023! His name is Belafonte, and he is so soft and silky 🥰
Finally a Great Week For Haying! We were able to get in 3 large and 2 small fields of second cutting hay this week! Grateful for dry weather and a family crew with strong work ethics and positive attitudes! Minimal equipment issues is also always a plus. All in all, it’s been a tough hay season in our area, and the loft is far from its capacity. But it feels like a blessing to get in all these wagon loads of beautiful 2nd cutting. The cows and pigs will be loving all that green goodness this winter. Haven’t featured the pigs in a while! Look who’s getting big! And a little more free range than we intended, lol! Catch us this coming week: Saturday, August 26, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM at the Gloversville Farmers Market, Sunday, August 27, 10 AM- 2 PM at the Schenectady Greenmarket Tuesday, August 29, 3 PM- 6 PM at the Johnstown Farmers Market! As always, get 10% off advance orders and we will hold them in our coolers while you enjoy the market. Visit our website to see our current list of available cuts and pricing. Contact us by the night before the market with your order!
First day outside for Ida’s twins, Ines and Ike 😊🌾🌱🌞
