Riversdell

We decided that this year we didn’t want to have any January or February lambs, that it would be easier on us if lambing and kidding all occurred at the same time, preferably March/April. To that end, we have separated ram Sampson from his flock. We have him in the Springhouse Paddock that is on high ground so he can at least see his flock. One foggy morning he was particularly anxious since his flock had appeared to vanish.

… a goat will be on it! That’s Nellie holding forth on her perch next to the outhouse. This outhouse came in handy a few months back when our septic tank was backed up for a few days! You can also see by the worn paint that the goats like to scratch themselves by rubbing against it.

Now that we have our tractor back in operation (see below) we have been making progress on fencing in the Meadow Paddock to complete our perimeter fence. Here you can see part of the new fence and a couple of the brush piles left over from June’s tree-felling. This new fencing provides a riparian buffer between our farm and the Cacapon River. This fall and next spring we plan to plant around 100 trees along the river to enhance this buffer zone, help preserve the riverbank, and (hopefully) help protect our pastures from the next flood.