
The West Elks Wine Trail Tour is this weekend, so we put up all of our farm tour signs. Unfortunately, my black thumb is finally starting to work. The main batch of corn isn’t doing well. They’re pale green with brown and drying leaves. The corn I transplanted into the main part of the corral… Continue reading
We went to Montrose to attend the Colorado Woolgrowers’ Convention on the 22nd and 23rd of July. I was thrilled to be chosen as the 2009 Colorado Woolgrower of the Year, “in recognition of your dedication to improving and promoting the Colorado sheep industry.” I managed to finish the cloak, and I wore it up… Continue reading

As we celebrate our Independence Day (two days late from history, but this is traditional :-)), our town is having its annual Cherry Days event. This year, there are actually cherries! Some years, we have frozen; some years, they come later; and some years, like this one, they’re perfect. Sweet Black Bings (never shipped, and… Continue reading

We don’t have enough regular vendors to hold a regular market, but for the open business day, we held a small market in downtown Paonia. Here’s Monica from Small Potatoes Farm and our Desert Weyr farm booth. Here’s Flying Fork’s fresh-baked goods and Fire Mountain with some vegetables. There were some lovely tomatoes from another… Continue reading

On Saturday, October 4th, we had our big Garvin Mesa Day Open House. All three wineries and our farm were open, with special events planned. We had a barbecue with mutton legs for tasting, plus some locally-produced cow’s milk cheese. The three wineries – Terror Creek Winery, Stone Cottage Cellars, and Azura – all had… Continue reading
I was fortunate to be able to attend the Black Welsh Mountain Sheep Annual Show and Sale in Abergavenny, Wales, on September 4th, 2008. Then, I got to judge and view a number of flocks, culminating in my attendance at the Cadet Judges training. It was held at the Ted Williams Garth Uchaf Farm in… Continue reading
In the pens, ready to be judged. Ted Williams with his ewe entry. Julia Patterson with her ram. Judge Matthew Evans checking the turn of a ram’s horns. The Adult Ram class. E.O. Williams with his ram. A couple of nice older rams. A very nice boy with wide-spread horns. Checking the shoulders. Checking the… Continue reading

Thursday was the sheep show at the Delta County Fair. We took nine sheep. Three were ewe lambs, three were ram lambs, and three were aged ewes. Stephanie and Jacob trained the sheep with me, and all three of us showed in the open classes. The poor judge had never seen little black sheep before,… Continue reading

Tuesday was the Delta County Fair Open and 4H Poultry Show. The Hellecksons and I show chickens in the open class. Here we are in the judging lineup with our old Gold Pencilled Hamburg hens, who were molting and looked pretty scruffy. Stephanie took first, Jacob second, and I had a barely-not-disqualified third. My birds’… Continue reading

The 4th of July is the big local Charry Days festival. We took the entire day off to enjoy the show. It starts early in the morning with a pancake breakfast that benefits the local fire department. Next is the Cherry Days Parade. If you aren’t in the parade, you better be watching it! The… Continue reading