pigs on NHPR

I just heard this GREAT piece on NHPR about happy pigs and some philosophy on killing animals... This time of year is tough for farmers and conscious eaters, alike. I really like the sentiment shared in the piece.

Click on the picture below of one of OUR happy pigs to hear the radio interview:

A solemn (yet sweet) day of sun, songs, and slaughter

I had a FANTASTIC crew of helpers out today to soak up the sunshine and help slaughter the turkeys. There was singing, praying, lots of gratitude, and a little Michael Jackson-inspired fashion on the farm (see Chris, bottom left). 

A big THANK YOU goes to Chris, Kathy, Courtney and Jennifer for all of your help. Also, thanks to the students for their calm participation and yearning for learning!

Zen in the high tunnel

After clearing out the old, we re-composted the tomato beds to feed the soil. Tomatoes are notoriously 'heavy feeders', so adding in a good layer of compost will help replace organic matter which will hold more water + nutrients for the next round of hungry plants.
Much like when we compost the beds in the fields, composting the high tunnel requires the tractor, some shovels, some buckets, and some zen!
Here's Courtney + Mark practicing the zen part while I run back to the compost pile for a tractor load: