Wood wood wood

Our morning was spent with Olivier.  I couldn't believe he had three hours of information regarding cord wood--wood that is used for heating--but he did and probably could have talked for more.  We reviewed the differences between soft and hard woods, then he proceeded to go through more than 20 species of wood describing the ease with which is it split, how how it burns, how long it burns and other random information.  Sprinkled in were anecdotes of heating with the particular wood.  Once the basic information was delivered, he discussed stacking options and safety issues.  Three hours passed quickly and my brain is full.  Sorry no photos!

Our afternoon was also about wood--bucking, splitting and stacking--as well as skidding in new logs for cordwood.  Emma and I were assigned to the sawmill--helping Josh take down the old timber frame as well as moving the timber left-overs--the slices of tree that are removed to make the posts and beam--over to the sugar shack for our syrup season in March.  Sorry, I kept my camera in my coat so I have no photo for this afternoon either.

We are expecting some bitter cold tonight, so we brought Pride into the barn for the evening.  Trying to stay warm works best when there is a lot of work to be done!

Soil Science and Veterinary Science

Our day involved taking in a lot of information--some from the printed page and some from the bodies of animals.

Nate's morning session was on the soils of Maggie's Farm.  He helped clarify the distinction between amendments--materials that are added to the soil to make up for mineral or organic deficiencies--and fertilizers--materials added to aid the growth of the plants.  Of course, everything added to the soil helps the plants to grow.  We talked about the soil tests we had submitted earlier with Carlen and how the less-than-optimal levels of phosphorus and potassium are dealt with over time, gradually by adding the minerals.  Nitrogen, in Nate's words, is more of an "annual" in that it is checked regularly and dealt with each season.   We also discussed the cation exchange ratio at length.  After I finish my readings, I'll try to explain it here in the future.  Understanding how soils interact with plants to create food is very important.

Equally important is understanding how animals can take grass and turn it into food!  We had the sad opportunity to look in a sheep's stomach today as our lamb Rudy passed away last night.  His little body had no fat on it as he had always been sickly and had been infested with worm.  Our vet Dr. Ledoux told us how this time of year --when the first hard frosts hit--is typical for the sickly ruminants to die.

Ruminant animals (cows, goats, sheep, deer, moose) have one stomach that has four different parts.  The first part of the stomach is the reticulum--a pouch where the food first goes to.  It can be pulled right back up into the animal's mouth so he can chew it further--chewing the cud.  The rumen is the "fermentation vat" of the stomach where well-chewed cud stews with small organisms--bacteria and protozoa--breaking down the grasses even further.  The cud can come from here, too.  The omasum is the third section of the stomach and aids in the absorption of water.  Wikipedia tells me that this multi-folded section can shoot undigested chunks back into the rumen for more fermentation and break-down.  The last section of the stomach is called the abomasum and this is similar to our simple human stomach where the contents are further broken down by enzymes and acids.  

After looking at the lamb's stomach, we went to look at our cow, Pride.  First, we listened to her digestion process and our vet showed us what to look for if she had distress in her rumen.  Cows, and other ruminants, are not built to eat grain---especially corn--as their digestive tract.  If you eat beef from the typical American sources, you are eating meat from an animal who lived in pain from constant stomachs-ache and who needed regular antibiotics to fight the infections caused by a mis-used digestive system.  I was trying not to get preachy but I can't hold back:  these animals evolved to do a wonderful thing, eating grass and turning it into delicious milk and meat.  When they are fed things besides grass, their bodies aren't healthy and therefore cannot be healthy for us to eat.   If we are going to eat meat, let's eat meat from animals who were raised on practices that respect their bodies.

Enough of that.

Stomach pump

We also had the opporutnity to watch a pill get delivered to Pride via a pretty funky contraption.  Also how to start an IV and how to collect fluids from the rumen.  We went inside and had the opportunity to inspect the rumen protozoa under a microscope and watch a slideshow of the work of the vet.

Brian, delivering a pill

An IV into the jugular...

Cross-section of a cow hoof

RIP Rudy

On the death of a Lamb

life is short

yet time enough to offer what we can

what have we offer to the rest of life?

some offer great leadership

some offer necessary inventions

some offer abundant energy for accomplishment

still others offer a sweet, persistent need

giving the rest of us

the opportunity to enact
our greatest human accomplishment

the ability to love

Rest in peace, dear Rudy

Geting cold and the work continues

My ideal farm situation would be that I would work hard during every warm and mild day and save indoor activities--research, sharpening tools, etc for the cold days like today.  It was bright, but not sunny and it hovered in the upper 20's all day today.  There was lots of work to be done, so this is what we did.

Olivier charged up over batteries!

We started off by reviewing the battery situation.  I still get amps, watts, voltage mixed up.   Stay tuned for clarification (if you have a great way of explaining it, please share!) This discussion gave details on how to recharge a battery to maintain it.

Brian to Rudy's rescue

Our next task was to move the sheep.  As previously mentioned, it was cold.  We came out to the field and little Rudy was standing in the corner with his head down.  Olivier decided right away that Rudy needed to come in to the barn.  Brian leaped the electrical netting and brought the little fellow in.  The rest of us gathered the excess fencing and took it to the pasture beyond the pig enclosure.  Once that beautiful enclosure was made, we led the sheep down to it, locked them in and then picked up panels from the pig enclosure to make the winter paddock at the barn for the sheep.  A busy morning!

T-post pounding

Set the corner

Nora, tying on the wires

In the afternoon, we had the chance to learn the harnessing of the Sentinel Elm horses--Prince and King.  Some people practiced driving them while others of us split cordwood and/or worked with the oxen--Dean and Sal.

Caitlin learning to drive the steer

Caitlin, bucking a log

Warren, setting the pulley chain

In the evening, half of us went over to Warren's shop to learn about engine mechanics.  We are tasked with the responsibility of getting Maggie's old Ford tractor running again as well as getting the IH running for Nate to take to his new farm.    First we removed the cover of the engine, then undid the electrical connections and finally, separated the back part of the tractor from the engine block.  Our goal this evening was to get into the fly wheel.  We also discovered the clutch plate and it was decided that since it took us 2 hours to get into this place, we ought to fix this item as well.  Below is a video of the separation.  Thank goodness for Warren and his well-stocked tool supply.

Bread oven 101

On December 3, our  new mini-group worked on the bread oven all day long.  We are making a lot of progess and I feel fortunate to have worked on several different aspects of this project--from laying horizontal bricks, setting up a "soldier course", applying the "springer course" and now helping to install the vault frame.

A bread oven is a brick structure where a fire is built and then dragged out once the bricks have absorbed the heat.  The plan for the Farm School is to put this oven into full-time production mode--ok, not full-time but be able to make the bread needed (kneaded?) for all the programs.  It is just outside the kitchen door at Sentinel Elm farm and close to the sugar shack and across the farm yard from the dairy barn.  Hmm, can you imagine warm bread topping with melting butter and a dab of maple syrup?  It'll be all lined up soon.

The vault form, practice version

Ok, back to the building.  We arrived to see the beginnings of the vault form but it needed more supports or ribs.  So we pulled it out and Justin cut and installed the new ribs while Sophia and her friend Linnea ground down the "springer course" to get the proper angle for the curve.  The springer course are angled-bricks--see below.

Sophia, in the oven...

Justin adding more ribs

As the ribs were set into place and then installed in the oven, Rebekah and I  worked on a couple different projects.  First, we smoothed out an insulated tarp and "quilted" it so the foam sheets inside wouldn't slip around.  Then we measured the threaded rods for the steel girdle and cut them with an angle grinder.  It was startling to have sparks flying at us but we got the work done.

Rebekah, checking the threaded rod

Here is the steel rail that Sophia and Linnea cut.
 Our threaded rod runs through it.

Rebekah and I also made the supports for this girdle which will counteract the downward and outward push of the bricks in the vault.

Feet with Shim...

Once the vault frame was in place and the girdle around the outside, it was time to start installing the vault of the oven.  The next group will continue with the vault as well as begin work on the chimney and the door.

Sophia starting the first course

Our progress by the end of the day

Harrowing times.... and finishing the tractor barn

Our group was led by Olivier today and our task was to finish the ridge cap of the tractor barn and complete the siding on the upper east wall.  We also had the opportunity to harrow Ida's field with the tractor.

View from the tractor seat

I was first up on the tractor.   There are hydrolic arms that hold the bucket loader  and first we had to take the bucket off.  Once that was done, then I had to attach the fork lift.  A bit tricky but not too difficult with Andrew's able coaching.  Then I drove the tractor down the road to Hazel's field where the harrow was last used.  This was the view when arrived at the field.

Carrying the harrow

Next, I had to scoop up the harrow on the fork lift and lift it up high.  It felt very strange and unsteady but I drove it down to Ida's field just the same.  When I got to Ida's field, Andrew coached me on how to lay the harrow down.  It was a fun thing to slowly lower the forklift and reverse the tractor. Once I had laid it down on the ground and detached it from the forks, I pulled the tractor around and back up to it.  The chaining was simple and then I was off.  I took one lap around the field, dragging this wicked chain behind me.  It tore up the grass matting and the cow pies and spread everything everywhere.  It felt gratifying to do such a good thing for the field, spreading the manure and loosening the soil.  This particular field needs a pH adjustment with lime next week, and eventually some seeding of clover and it will be ready for the cows again in the spring.

Before the Harrowing

After the Harrowing

Sophia, Brian and Nora with a ridge cap section

Back at the tractor barn, my fellow students were putting together the ridge cap for the barn.  The barn was the project of previous students and needed the very top of the barn covered as well as the back upper wall.  The ridge cap planks had to be cut at about a 30 degree angle to be able to fit the pitch of the roof as well as overlap so that no rain could leak through.  It was fun to use the circular saw at an angle.


There was a lot to be done at the back of the barn, putting up a flashing board and the applying the siding planks.  I enjoyed climbing up the ladder to see the work but to actually push on a screwdriver and maneuver oneself took a little getting used to!

Emma and Lee installing the flashing

The view from the scaffold

Putting in the first screw

Struggling with an unfortunate angle

Kiyoshi starting the siding in a tight spot.

Here is Kiyoshi starting our siding phase.  It wasn't difficult to figure out the size and shape of the wood, but it was tricky to get the screwdriver in there and drive in the fastener.  Another group will get to continue on with this task and hopefully we can work on it again before it is complete.

Lunch, timberframe and Hanukah!

Happy Hanukah, everyone.  From lunch building to timber frame building to the building of cute Menorahs, to singing the latke song, to eating the latkes (with a great meal), it has been a great day.

Today Nora and I made a taco lunch for everyone.  Now that we've been here two solid months, it is starting to feel comfortable making lunch for 15 people.  Knowing the best bowls, pots and pans for each task, finding spices and herbs quickly and being familiar with the stove and the timing of preparing a large box of chard--it would be easy to forget the little steps it has taken us to get to this level of comfort.

In the afternoon, we continued work on our beams and posts for the timber frame shed.  In the afternoon, we arrived at Sentinel Elm and found a beautiful beam made by our friends in the other group.  It took 7 people to load it onto a truck to transport it to the greenhouse.




We also worked on our various beams and posts.  Here are some shots of that work.

JOsh coaching Nora on a cut

Brian measuring an angle

Emma setting the boring tool

Emily's Acorn and Pine Menorah

Nora's turnip menorah

Betsy's farm school menorah

When we returned to the farm, a dinner was in the midst of preparation.  We had chicken, roast vegetables, latkes with applesauce and sour cream, salad, greens and more.  It was a feast.  Betsy led us in the traditions and songs of Hanukah including the lighting of home-made menorahs.

Thank you everyone who made it a wonderful celebration!