Blessed

Today we collected another pure East Friesian lamb for our future dairy sheep herd. It commes from the Kovac's familly farm in Zarnovica Huta. Being a month older than the other two she is bigger and already got the obligatoiry but ugly ear tags. We parked our car in the village and walked to the farm in the hills since still had the small and steep mountain path in our memory from our first visit. Also the tiny bridge we crossed with our car which I never imagened it could be crossed by a vehicle...







Sheep and lambs at the Kovac's farm. Raised with love and skill!









Home at it's new home!
And soon we hope to collect the 20 Lacaune lambs in Kremnice Bane...

Garden

One kilo of white and yellow seed onions, more than 150 garlic cloves, some red beets seeds, peas, mange-touts and broad beans have touched our soil. Two weeks earlier than last year: Belana, Magda and Vera, covered with a thick layer of straw and hopefully our neighbours will again not notice that I did plant potatoes before Ice Saints (half May!!). We love early potatoes so it is hard to wait another 8 weeks before local traditions and beliefs allow us to put our first tubers into the soil.

Spring!

Trees

The tree plantation regularly needs attention. When the snow finally was gone we cleaned/mulched the whole field and applied fertilizer for the first time. Now they are ready for another growing season - and at least six more years to go in Slovakian soil.

Will be green

Certainly within two weeks time it will be green. Trol our horse is dreaming of it (and we too).
The winter was long, dark and cold. Not my thing... Depressing. Maybe I live in the wrong country - somewhere with a Mediterranean climate would be nicer. However here we can own a farm with land and livestock while elsewhere we would have to do with a stamp-size garden if any... Hot summers make up for cold winters - so let 2011 be warm and dry.

Together

The goats go on long walks during the day in search of young green grass. In the early evening the return home by themselves and gather in front of their open stable. When the evening falls I separate them from their kids to be able to milk the does in the morning.

Growing up

Our little lambs are getting bigger. Growing more than 300 grams daily and playing in the garden... waiting for the others to arrive!

Spring

Last week, lovely sunny days!

Meat man

We have met Stefan who lives on a farm nearby which we visited last weekend. He has worked some time in Holland in a slaughterhouse. He also butchers cattle and other livestock for farmers over here. It is a nice guy and great to know somebody with this kind of expertise......
He wants to borrow our billy goat this autumn which is great since we would like to get kids a bit later next year. So first billy will do his work at Stefan's place before returning home somewhere in October/November. Stefan is heating his goat stable! We saw little kids sleeping next to his wood stove while ours are walking outside in the snow.

Dairy man

Monique, Katka and Arnold went on a cheese making course in Velky Blh at 'Farma Kozinka' were they learned to make a large variety of Slovak cheeses. This is a spaghetti-like fresh cheese; a typical Slovak cheese snack and it will certainly be made on our farm this summer (pictures: Monique Smets). We have actually started to milk our goats again this morning. The first batch of kids is now a month old and they are separated at night from their mothers in order to be able to milk them in the morning. During the day the herd grazes on the hills not far from our home. Between the brownish dry grass nice green leaves have started to appear.

Hungry wildlife

Deer are now coming out of the forest and are regularly seen grazing on our fields. Last night a hungry fox must have visited our fenced yard, one of the geese is missing.

The boys on the sofa