Buying Calves
The other day I was offered two Holstein/Angus cross calves and after some deliberation and research I have decided to buy them.(Though I will also need to buy more hay for their winter feed).
So today I will drag the stock trailer out to their farm and collect them. One is a heifer and one is a steer. So he will be BobbyT3 and will be raised for beef and the heifer has no name yet. I may breed her to Carlos next year I am not sure yet. Or I may breed her to a mini Angus (in my efforts to create a beef herd of smaller beasts: my farm was a swamp before John’s great grandfather drained it with that big deep ditch and it is soft ground). The heifer is hand raised and tamer which means I can have her AI’d if I choose. They are both black and very nice looking calves. Born in July and bred by a reputable breeder and have had a good start.
They are both from Dairy show cows crossed with a beef cow to get a low birth weight calf.
These two are still on milk (milk replacer) so I will gently introduce them back to cows milk and if they do alright they can keep drinking milk until I finish milking. The longer they drink milk the better for their weight. Now that I have no visitors I have extra milk which is another reason I took these two calves now instead of in the spring. The pigs won’t miss a gallon.
I was in the garden with my neighbour yesterday and spied these two Aubergine – in America they are called Egg Plant. I will make something delicious with them tonight. Though I am not sure what yet. But fresh Aubergine in October is a real treat. 
Below is the storm cellar. It is down in the back paddock closer to the creek that is now that deep, deep ditch. Before our house was built there was another old house down here. Way before anyone can remember. The concrete pathways still exist and this old storm shelter. John thinks that it would have been built as a storm shelter and used as a root cellar. If they are built deep enough they will stay above freezing in an ordinary winter and the old timers, if their own house did not have a cellar, would pack their tubers and apples in straw and store them down here.
It has no door now of course and has had many different uses over the years. Now it will be a pig shelter for the winter.
The calves have been known to go down there too every now and then to get out of the heat of the summer.
The little cows are in this field for another week or so then I will swap them out and bring in four (or maybe six depending on sales) of the Tween pigs pictured at the top of this post for the winter. But the weather is still holding so there is no hurry for winter quarters yet.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
32 Comments on “Buying Calves”
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How exciting!
I know – onwards and upwards!
Wow! Are there stairs going down into the storm cellar or just a ramp? It looks like a nice shelter for winter piggies. All the best for your two new calves! Will you be providing your friend with beef as well? It sounds very promising.
There are four steps into the storm cellar – I don’t think i will be selling beef to Jake – he will be wanting ground beef for hamburgers and that needs good beefy meat with lots of fat.. and plenty of it – I am a bit small for that..
So these two are still babies, right? Will the storm shelter be big enough for those bruisers, difficult to estimate the underground size? Laura
yes i can stand up in it and it is about – oh 10 by 10? feet..maybe 8 – I will measure it today c
The farm is growing, more mouths to feed.
Aubergines look delicious. Lightly sautéed with some garlic is simple and delicious.
Yes – sounds lovely..
I remember the storm shelter when the sheep used to hang out about it all the time! What a great little shelter to have. Sure wish we had one here to store our root crops and winter squash, as we have no basement! We also still have lots and lots of eggplant! I wish I was a better, more creative cook and could think or other great ways to cook it. Jack has made some wonderful moussaka and eggplant parmesan. I think we’ll make more of these two dishes and freeze them for winter get togethers! XO
Chicago John has a whole post on that – I will find it for you at siesta time! c
Enjoy your siesta, Celi. Here ya go, D&J: https://fromthebartolinikitchens.com/2016/09/21/the-incredible-edible-eggplant/
Thank you John – Now I don’t need to go searching ! I know there was one in there I wanted to make but have forgotton which one! I will be checking too.. c
I’ve got 2 more eggplant to pick and quite a few chiles. All will be picked by the weekend and that bed cleared. I think today’s beautiful weather was summer’s last hurrah. Sniff, sniff.
Thank you sooooo much!!!!! xoxoxo
I use eggplant in curries a lot, although I prefer the longer, thinner variety known often as Japanese or Chinese eggplant. The skin color is often mottled purple and white. I think they have less seeds, so more ‘meat’ and the skin is thinner so cooks up nicely with no need to peel.
sounds great
Exciting news ! And how about Melanzane Parmigiana tonight?!
I love that – but have no mozzerella I wonder if my home made ricotta would do instead?
Oh yes…wonderful! Enjoy your meal whatever you cook xx
This is my favorite eggplant dish.
1 eggplant peeled
1 read onion
2 red bell peppers cleaned
4 garlic cloves peeled
Cut the eggplant, bell peppers , and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them with olive oil, salt , peppper, and some hot pepper flakes. Roast the veggies spread out on a cookie sheet in a 375 degree preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Enjoy!
MM – sounds great.. c
Great storm cellar shot! Perfect for post-halloween thoughts, or all souls day (for those whose childhood was so influenced). Me, I prefer reflecting on the possibilities of a storm cellar of the mind–especially these recent days. I’m holding on to that image of the great expansive tree marking the entryway in case I forget that there’s a place that is safe but also useful in the wintry days coming.
Very exciting news–but also overwhelming to me! I don’t know how you do it!
I always found those old storm shelter/root cellars to have salamanders and all sorts of other creepy crawlers in them! We had one on the old farm and I cringed if Grandma sent me down for apples or canned goods.
I bet there are lots of creepy crawlies in this one too – luckily I only go in to lay fresh straw every now and then..
Another easy aubergine recipe: cube and soak them in ice water a few minutes (this stops them absorbing too much oil). In a frying pan on medium cook one clove garlic plus some basil or parsley stalks in a little olive oil for five minutes, then take them out, put in the aubergines, season, add a little cumin and cook, covered with a lid, for another 10/15′, stirring once or twice. Sprinkle with the basil or parsley leaves. Delicious.
Mmmn, I love eggplant although the G.O. is yet to warm to it other than Babaganoush 🍆
Cuurently a little short on time after settling back home from our travels but popping into the Farmy blog at odd times, I’ve been meaning to comment I really appreciate your daily appearance and ongoing farm diary & commentary. I’m slow to get back into my blog writing habit and you inspire me to persevere ♡
Persian eggplant dip, or Borani: I large or 2 small eggplants, 1 large onion, 2 cloves garlic. Slice the eggplant thickly, drizzle with a little olive oil and roast till soft. Slip the skins off. While the eggplant is roasting, thinly slice and caramelise the onion and garlic in some olive oil till soft and golden. Whizz together the eggplant and onion/garlic. Season, then add a dollop of either greek yoghurt or in your case, ricotta! This is very, very yummy and can be used in all sorts of ways, not just as a dip.
I’m looking forward to seeing your two new black babies!
My mother would dredge the eggplant in seasoned flour (garlic powder, salt and a little oregano or Itallian seasoning) then lightly fry it. The outside would be just a tiny bit crispy and the inside soft and tasty. More bovines coming to the farmy, they don’t even know they’re coming to a marvelously wonderful place.
Today I learned that Aubergine means means egg plant! And those do look lovely. Makes me want to make ratatouille!
With my rotten memory for names I can see I am going to be in trouble with the ever bourgeoning cow herd 🙂 !! [And, no, it’s not ‘senior moments’ – have always been thus!] Well, you know me for a scaredy-cat, so may I just say I am glad to read about your ‘storm cellar’ into which you could kind’of duck if ‘those’ clouds bending down should ever arrive again 🙂 ! In Australia it is more often eggplant, but methinks we all know ‘aubergine’ and ’tis good to have a few extra recipes to boot . . .
Yum Ratatouille could be in your future!