HOW THE GRASS GROWS
ALTHOUGH it has been a little cooler again these past few days the new pig pasture fields are leafing up and growing beautifully. In fact the lack of heat and just a little bit of rain here and there have created perfect growing conditions for fields.
This may sound like a very ordinary subject for a Sunday morning but one of my most important jobs is to grow the pasture. And I am passionate about it.
The best grass-fed is not really grass fed it is multi species pasture fed. And some of my little fields are pretty tough going. There is a lot of rock in them from years of farmers trying to turn them into driveways.
Here you can see sunflowers and cow-peas and austrian winter peas and oats and clovers and grasses and indian corn and field corn and pinto beans and I cannot remember what else. Diversity is key to my pig pastures. In fact these little fields are going to be so beautiful I am going to have trouble letting the pigs EAT them.
Waiwai is losing weight for sure now. He has almost entirely shifted his diet to pasture and hay.
This picture is called “The Tractor and Washing Basket” a comment on the life of the lady farmer.
It rained yesterday. Just little bits here and there – but very welcome.
Not a lot else to report. I am making Hugo’s crepes for my airbnb visitors who arrived very late last night. The batter must sit overnight Higo’s grandmother told me. And so it is.
The asparagus has slowed down with this cooler weather – I am not sure if I will be able to fill my orders this week.
I hope you have a lovely day
celi
WEATHER: 52F as I write. Lovely cool weather for people.
Sunday 05/13 20% / 0 in
Generally cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 76F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night 05/13 60% / 0.25 in
Partly to mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 61F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Sun
5:37 AM 8:01 PM
Moon
Waning Crescent, 5% visible
30 Comments on “HOW THE GRASS GROWS”
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thekitchensgarden 
I talked with a fellow yesterday who’s getting ready to cut a hay field this week. The bad news is — there go my wildflowers, especially the milkweed and ladies’ tresses orchids. The good news? I got there for some photos before he cut. Even better news for him? The hay crop looks wonderful: tall and dense. Summer is a-coming.
Yes?excellent – I am hoping to cut on Friday – so I get a small load in before I go away- fingers crossed
The pig pastures look like they are growing wonderfully! It will be hard to let the pigs ‘have at it’! Sounds like you are having spring right now. After about two weeks of spring we have plunged into summer with temperatures in the 80s. Soon Dolly and I will resume our daily swims in the lake! 🙂
That dolly the swimmer. !
I’m from the Ky. Bluegrass where they like to say the soil is the most fertile this side of the Nile Delta. My Mississippi cousins say that same thing about their own Delta mud. Your Illinois wetland dirt looks very dark & rich too & perhaps the driveway gravel aerates it. I know it will be hard to watch the pigs eat sunflowers, etc., but you’ll plant your wildflower strip again for your own delight, yes?
Nope- everything is planted for wildflower feed this year
Love the tractor photo with the wash basket. You may be a farmer but there are so many other chores to be done as well. I wonder if a man farmer could do all you have to do? I think I’d like to come for that breakfast too. Don’t you just miss Hugo? I think that’s the hardest part in this world is to watch people come into our lives and then go out of them, though they remain in our hearts. Animals too. Wai is looking absolutely wonderful. You are a miracle worker of great heart. Your guests have no idea how lucky they are to be there. Have a terrific Mother’s Day.
My guest were lovely – we just finished our little tour!
It’s not like this on the Archers!
I was just talking to my farmer about asparagus – we had a very hot weekend over the May Day Bank Holiday and he said it was hard to keep up with the growth.
I am glad everything is growing! I am beginning to suspect that I have a disease in the asparagus- still researching it there is just not the usual amount and yet I weeded better than ever
I think it’s the weather. The apple blossom here was out weeks before yours and we’ve had a cold winter this year. Your’s was a lot worse. At least the pigs and ducks are growing like weeds!
Wai looks great, you’ve done such a lovely job rescuing him. He must be so happy. It’s cooled down here too, so much so, it’s been impossible to sit outside for a glass of vino.
Oh Lordy / no wine on the porch – horrors- I am just getting my verandah into the summer shape- now all I need is the wine
Your post hit on a lot of familiar themes for me … my dad’s back yard veg garden has turned to grass, clover, grape hyacinths, violets and dandelions. Lots and lots of dandelions. I understand you can make a type of jelly with the flowers. Of course, I learned that after I had my grass couple weed whack the daylights out of it all. Rain. We’ve had 3 days of rain though I managed to sneak in a quick bbq (it was cold too) from 6-7pm last night to enjoy today. Crepes … my mom tried to let her crepe batter overnight too but sometimes my dad would sidle up after supper and give her the big eyes and trembly lips and ask for crepes so she’d make a batch cautioning that they wouldn’t be as good as usual. We never really noticed as we spread honey or jam over the crepes and gobbled them down. Enjoyed the picture of the tractor and the wash basket a lot too. 🙂
Bees love dandelions too- I thought I might work out how to make dandelion cordial – though I am sure it is all sugar!
Oh, that gorgeous picture of the tractor and your laundry billowing on the clothesline! The basket sets it off perfectly! Memories! Truly calendar worthy! Has Wai Wai had another Bobby bath yet? Your fields look wonderful. We just tractor-mowed around the house and woods last week for fire regulations, but not before one of the cats gave me a dose of poison oak! Have a wonderful day, dear Ceci!
I have heard of poison oak / I think John got hit with it when he was young
Reblogged this on Penney Vanderbilt and KC Jones: All About Railroads.
Those pastures are going to be scrumptious for the fat piggies. Tractor and washing basket the winner today apart from Slimline Waiwai 😆 Laura
Wai really is slimming down – slowly but surely
Happy Mother’s Day to you Cecilia—an Earth Mother if I ever saw one!
Happy to all mothers. Though it makes me feel lonely out here without my children
Happy Mother’s Day! To the MOTHER of so many! And where would I find Hugo’s recipe?
THAT is losing weight?!
Yes it is! Amazing isn’t it. Long way to go yet though. He needed to have healed all his skin before I began working on his weight. He had bigger problems- poor lovey
That tractor/basket photo is so expressive of your life! It’s almost as if you parked it just there to make a handy bench to put the basket down on…
Wai in the grass picture looks like summer. 🙂 It’s warm enough here to pass for summer. If you forget that summer is usually too hot. But we are past the frost date now so all can be planted and I count that as the first day of summer.
Wai looks quite graceful steamboating across the grassy way. I am still in awe of his transformation. Your pasture babies, I.e. sprouts, are looking lovely.
Your pastures are going to be amazing! Good on you girl, nothing like diversity! And flowers .. I’m a huge fan of them in my veg garden. Lucky pigs 🙂
Our asparagus was slow and scant this year at home. We did do some wild asparagus hunting while we were in Nebraska, and it seemed to be plentiful in the roadside ditches. Maybe it’s just the year – a bit disappointing not to have loads of asparagus.