All the Creatures

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way Farm. All opinions are 100% mine.

I live out in rural America. I am also privileged to witness first hand how farmers are helping the environment. We have several farmers that have returned to the horse drawn plow to cultivate their one or two acre vegetable gardens or put in several acres of corn. Of course they are saving money by not having to buy fuel for their tractors.

The county I live in also boasts that it is the largest producer of grass seed in the world. Part of the maintenance of the grass fields is to have sheep graze out on them during the winter months so that the grass stays short. In the spring the sheep are taken off the fields and they are allowed to go to seed. The seed is then harvested in the late spring and early summer. Because of that, the sheep industry around here is a large one.

I know some people that have pet sheep and they have to find someone to shear the sheep in late spring. I did ask them what they did with the wool and one of them said she actually tossed it in the trash, the other person let the shearer have it. Both of them were stunned when I told them they could have sold it on eBay.It seems there is a growing trend of wool spinners. People have finally figured out that wool is a sustainable and renewable alternative to polyester (which is an oil based product). Now that people are becoming more environmentally aware, the demand for sustainable wool apparel has taken off like a rocket.

The increase in demand for “green” products have put more pressure on the farmer and rancher. Some have even enlisted the help of advisers to see how they can make their operations more green friendly and at the same time lower their costs. Ramblers Way farm is one such place that produces wool and has been actively looking for ways to further reduce their carbon footprint.

All the Creatures

Spring not only means getting lots of new flowers popping up in your front yard, it also means many animals are now giving birth. Just yesterday I spotted a small group of deer grazing in a neighbors pasture and wondered if there were any fawns laying down, hidden from view. Several people I know are also anxiously awaiting the birth of livestock. One of them has set up a Hidden Camera to watch for the event. I did ask her why she hid the camera and she said that the barn where her mare was located at is a public stable and she didn’t want to have the camera stolen. She set the camera up so she could watch over the internet or on her phone. Isn’t it amazing how far technology has come?

Many animals are not dependent upon the change of the seasons to mate and give birth. In fact us humans have changed animals internal life clock so they can go into heat and be bred any time of the year. Sheep and goats are a good example of that fact. They are no longer bred for spring births but are now born year round.

Yes, spring, it is so much more than just flowers.

All the Creatures

You get to finish that sentence. Spring time usually means to me, opening up all the windows and letting that nasty winter, cooped up smell out of the house. It also means time that all the horses start to shed. Our old grey horse sheds so much when I brush him it looks like a snow storm just hit the inside of the barn. After I sweep up the hair into a pile, that is when one of the dogs takes a mouthful of it and runs off.

Yep, spring when you find baby chicks on sale at the local feed store. For those of you who think that they are for sale just for Easter, then think again. They are raised for meat and eggs, not as pets. I think that too many city people thought they were on sale for pets and then they tried to protest the sale of the chicks rather than educate those that the baby chicks are not raised as pets. If more people would learn about chickens, springtime and the rural lifestyle then those city slickers would not be buying baby chicks as Easter pets only to abandon them when only a month old. Keep in mind that the chicks that are on sale are only a few days old and have special needs like a heat lamp and chick starter food.

Bunnies are also for sale, right along side the baby chicks. Unless you are planning on keeping a pet rabbit for the next 12 or so years or want to raise a rabbit for meat, then don’t buy one of them either.

Yes, the joys of spring……I can almost hear the shouts of “SPRING BREAK” now.

All the Creatures