Michael Pollan speaking in Ohio

Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma (which I am currently reading) is speaking at Oberlin College on Tuesday, October 28. I don't think I'll be able to make it. Oberlin is a 2+ hour drive from Columbus.

But I do encourage anyone else out there to go see him if you can. I am really enjoying his book. I can only read a little at a time because he's so in depth--there is a lot to learn and think about. I'm still on the first part of the book --Corn. He covers everything from the history of farming in the U.S., the invention of chemical fertilizers and the boom of corn production to factory farms and feedlots. It's so fascinating...and moderately horrifying. A few of my friends have read or are currently reading this book also. We're all amazed at Mr. Pollan's story.

I found this on the Penguin Books website:

A few facts and figures from The Omnivore's Dilemma

• Of the 38 ingredients it takes to make a McNugget, there are at least 13
  that are derived from corn.

  One in every five American meals today is eaten in the car.

  
  The food industry burns nearly a fifth of all the petroleum consumed in
  the United States¯more than we burn with our cars and more than any other
  industry consumes.

  
  It takes ten calories of fossil fuel energy to deliver one calorie of
  food energy to an American plate.

  
  Industrial fertilizer and industrial pesticides both owe their existence
  to the conversion of the World War II munitions industry to civilian uses—nerve
  gases became pesticides, and ammonium nitrate explosives became nitrogen
  fertilizers.

  
  Because of the obesity epidemic, today’s generation of children will be
  the first generation of Americans whose life expectancy will actually be shorter
  than their parents’ life expectancy.

Integration Acres

Last weekend some friends and I visited Integration Acres near Athens, OH for a tour with OEFFA. We arrived a little late, but met up with the group in the cheese plant where Chris was explaining the cheesemaking process. He also spoke about the pawpaw trees that he grows at Integration and we tasted the two cheeses he makes, a basic feta and chevre.

From there, Chris showed us where he milks the ladies outside. His farm used to be a cow dairy, so he has incorporated that into his goat milking operation. He can milk 4 goats at a time and next year plans to use the already installed pipeline that will pump the milk right into the cooling and storage room.

Chris then took us for a walk up the hill to the top of the field his goats were happily browsing. Chris milks about 15 goats. He has a mix of Nubians, LaManchas and Alpines. He just started making cheese last year and everything he knows, he's learned from reading books.

I noticed that Chris doesn't disbud the horns on his goats. He said that he does everything at Integration acres naturally. He said he also does not bottle feed his goats. But they seemed pretty personable. This one actually followed us partially through the field.

Chris rotationally grazes his goats. He has 35 acres of land and over the summer installed about 3,500 feet of fencing. We will be rotationally grazing the goats at Olde Oak Farm next year. Scott says Olde Oak will be the only dairy goat farm in Maine practicing rotational grazing.

I need to begin thinking about what I will do when I get back to Ohio next year. I had a great time in Athens this weekend and I think I may move to that area if I could find a way to make a living. The farming scene seems to be very active with lots of young and old farmers in the area. Athens also has a well known farmers market, and it's a town that supports a lot of organic and locally grown products.

Would you like to check out Integration Acres? http://www.integrationacres.com/

Olde Oak Farm

I'm very happy to announce that I'll be a member of Team Cheese! at Olde Oak Farm come March, 2009. I made the decision based on several factors. A big consideration was where in their evolution the farm and cheese makers are. Olde Oak farm is still growing. Jen and Scott have big ideas and are excited to try new things. I'll need to be flexible and creative when starting up my own farm and these will be invaluable lessons to learn. I also felt more of a connection with Jen and Scott and Nate, and that's also important for me because I'll be working so closely with them for the time that I'm in Maine. That said, I know I'll miss out on Caitlin's years and years of experience as a cheese maker, and I'm hoping to get another chance to visit her at Appleton Creamery next year.

And check it out! Olde Oak Farm was featured in the Bangor Daily news yesterday! What excellent timing, don't you think? Go read it!
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/90969.html

Fleet Foxes feat. Goats!

AAHHH! This is great! I love Fleet Foxes! They are coming to the Wexner Center this Wednesday, and I'm very excited to see them live. If you haven't heard their music, I really hope you check them out.
What does this have to do with goat farming??

Check out their video HERE on Youtube!

This is just a quicky...
still working on my trip to Maine post. Should be up soon!

Mainly Maine

Wow! What a trip. Russ and I had a great time in Maine! We spent a few days hiking around Acadia National Park. Definitely one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I took so many photos, it was hard to keep my camera out of my hands. Everywhere I looked there was a gorgeous view of the ocean or the rocks or a mountain. We actually went into Bar Harbor one afternoon just to give our eyes a rest. On our last day in Acadia the fog was rolling in up Cadillac Mountain from the ocean. We spent the afternoon hiking to Dorr Mountain and back up Cadillac, taking lots more photos along the way. I can't wait to go back and explore more of this park! (You can see my photos at my Picasa web album.)


Bring on the Goat Farms!!

I spent the last few days of my trip to Maine on two different farms. Sunday with Caitlin at her farm, Appleton Creamery and Monday/Tuesday with Scott, Jen and Nate at Olde Oak Farm.

Caitlin put me right to work in the dairy using a sausage maker to form logs of chevre. She was working on Halloumi cheese, a mix of sheep and goat milk cheese that is good for grilling. We talked for hours and she explained everything she did. Between rain showers she gave me a tour of the place. I didn't have my camera on me, so no photos to show. But I was impressed with all that she does in a limited amount of space.

Caitlin milks about 30 ornery Alpine goats twice a day, and she makes cheese with the milk from her goats and some sheep milk from a neighbor when she can get it. She sells her cheese at 6 farm markets in the area, needless to say she's a busy woman! I stayed for the evening milking and watched as she used a machine pump to milk 2 goats at a time. I tried, not very successfully, to help her coral the goats and get each one through milking...It took a while as some goats busted into the room every time Caitlin opened the gate. It was quite an experience.

The following day Russ and I arrived at the Olde Oak Farm in Orono. Jen and Nate showed us around and introduced us to the goats. They have Nubians at Olde Oak, which were in heat so they were very sweet and wagged their tails a lot. (I get a kick out of that.)

As we looked around, Jen explained that a couple years ago, a housing development moved in next door. Since then they have looked for a new farm, and are currently in the process of expanding and building a new house on a 100 acre farm in a place called Maxfield. The cheese plant,and the buck barn are actually mobile, so they will be moved to the new farm with goats and all later this year.

Jen said that everything they do now will basically be doubled next year. They plan to be milking 21 does next year and are adding a couple more farm markets to their schedule.

We drove up to see the new farm, and as Nate went off to pick apples looking very Jonny Appleseed-esque, Scott showed us around the structure that will become their home. I was really impressed with the level of detail and planning that has gone into the design of the house. They are building with apprentices and guests in mind, and I can't wait to see it completed.

When we got back to the current farm, I helped Jen and Scott with milking. They also used the machine pumps, but only do one goat at a time. The machine doesn't get all the milk from the teats, so I got to help hand milk the goats! It was slow going and I accidently sprayed myslef with milk more than once, but I think I did pretty well overall. Only one or two goats tried to sit on me while I was milking. Apparently, they can tell when someone is new to milking and just like school kids, try to take full advantage of the newby. I didn't spill the bucket, which both Scott and Jen said is the most important goal. When you spill the bucket...you stop and clean everything.

Both Caitlin and Scott, Jen and Nate tried to impress on me the amount of work that goes into working and living on the farm, especially during peak season--May and June. Scott said that we'll laugh and cry and be exhausted, phsically and mentally, but that most importantly, it's worth it. He says he wouldn't change a thing. And in March I'll get to experience all of this, for better or worse I guess. But I have a great feeling about it all. I can't wait to get to work and make it work.