Butter made from clover

Amazing that an animal grazing on spring pasture can turn that grass and clover into glorious milk that I can share. Thank you Lady Astor for letting us milk you so I can let the milk chill and stand then skim the cream, then put the cream in the butter churn  and whip it into deep yellow clover butter and wash it with filtered water, then add a little salt then SPREAD it on home made sourdough bread made into toast. Thank you Lady Astor.

And thank you Naomi for letting me shuffle you into the sun room of the barn so you can sleep in the warm for the day with me feeding you sips of your own mothers milk from a bottle so I can milk your mother in the evening and get two gallons of lovely, lovely creamy buttery milk for me to cook with. Naomi still loves her bottle – another thing to be grateful for.

And thank you Lady for not kicking me anymore.

She has calmed down a lot but getting her to come into the milking shed is the latest challenge. Luckily this is where I am holding her baby hostage. And every day she does a little better, and is a little more confident. 

I planted tiny Walnut trees until my hands bled from the spade yesterday. It blew like crazy but I had company.

When I plant a tiny tree like this I get a flake of straw and pull a hole in the center then I thread the whole flake of hay over the top of the small tree and it’s stake. (This tree is missing it’s stake as I ran out – and it is better to place the stake in the hole when you plant the tree as opposed to jamming it in after the tree is planted breaking roots- ah well). Once watered, the straw (being still in its compressed shape) stays around the twig, keeping the weeds down and the moisture in – helping the tree establish.

Today I start planting the Wild Plums.

The Cadet cleaned out the Easter chicks box again yesterday. They were due to go out to Kim’s Half Way house this week but it is suddenly quite cold so they are in a rather over crowded holding pattern.

But someone will have to move along soon as the first batch of broiler chicks come next week.

Note the cat on the rafter above the old chooks. That is Egoli I think trying desperately to work out how to catch himself a pigeon for dinner.

I hope you have a lovely day – so much loveliness to be had in our days.

Love your friend on the farm

celi