Community

I participated in the PlacerGROWN farm conference today at Lincoln High School.  This annual gathering of small farmers is sponsored by our local small farm marketing organization, and it features workshops on a variety of topics.  This year's key note speaker was Lynn Miller, editor and publisher of the Small Farmer's Journal, a quarterly publication dedicated to sustainable, and mostly animal-powered, farming.  I feel fortunate to count Lynn as a friend.  During his presentation, Lynn said something that will stick with me for a long time:

"The only stunningly original idea we've had as a species is to grow our own food."

I've been thinking about it all day.  In many ways, the idea that we could cultivate the soil and husband livestock was (and is) revolutionary.  Our ability to grow food for others makes everything else we think of as "culture" possible.

As Lynn and I were talking after the conference, it's hard to be pessimistic after such a gathering of small-scale growers.  I think farmers, by nature, are optimists - you can't put a seed in the ground or turn a ram in with a bunch of ewes and be anything but optimistic.  I always come away from this gathering energized and ready to face the new growing season.  I feel so fortunate to be part of a community of farmers!
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Great Videos from University of California

Since we don't have television, I'm sometimes in the dark about what's available on TV.  For example - who know that the University of California had a television station?  Here's a link to a great video produced by UCTV on pastoral livestock production: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFE-G11IRNs

Also, my friend Holly George, who is a farm advisor in Plumas and Sierra Counties, has put together an outstanding video series called Passion for the Land.  You can see one of the segments at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8yMxA4CADQ

If you look hard enough, there are things worth watching!

Shepherd Apprenticeship Program

Flying Mule Farm’s Shepherd Apprenticeship Program offers an exceptional hands-on learning experience in all aspects of grass-based sheep production.  Whether you are an experienced shepherd or exploring sustainable sheep production as a possible business enterprise, our Shepherd Apprentice Program will provide you with the skills, tools and experience you need to make an informed decision about grass-based sheep production.

About Flying Mule Farm: Dan and Samia Macon have raised sheep for 20 years.  In 2001, the Macon Family established Flying Mule Farm, a small, diversified operation that produces grass-fed meat, sustainable forest products and pastured poultry.  We are transitioning to draft power (using mules) for our forestry and farming enterprises.  We are growing our current flock of 120 ewes to a flock of approximately 400.  We also manage meat goats and beef cows in our operation, and we have recently added a very small dairy sheep enterprise.

The Flying Mule Farm Shepherd Apprenticeship: Our apprenticeship program is divided into four quarters.  Applicants have the option of apprenticing for any one or as many as four quarters.  Each quarter includes hands-on experience in animal husbandry, pasture management, marketing and business management.  In addition, specific practices (like pasture lambing, irrigation management and contract grazing) are season-specific.

Curriculum: In addition to hands-on experience in our sheep operation, we expect our apprentices to read extensively about grass-based livestock production, sustainable agriculture and direct marketing.  We are active participants in our local agricultural community, and we encourage our apprentices to participate along with us.  We also design season-specific projects for each apprentice to help them gain confidence and experience in self-directed activities.  We use herding and guardian dogs extensively, and you’ll have the opportunity to learn about stockmanship and sheep dogs from nationally-recognized experts.

First Quarter (January – March) – LAMBING: Hands-on experience includes ewe management, electric fencing, pasture lambing systems, temporary shelter construction, lamb processing and marketing, and business management.

Second Quarter (April – June) – SHEARING/WEANING: Experience includes lamb management, shearing preparation, skirting fleeces, wool marketing, weaning and lamb management, lamb processing and marketing, and business management.  Late lambing and spring breeding also occur during this quarter.

Third Quarter (July – September) – IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT AND TARGETED GRAZING: Experience includes hands-on pasture irrigation management, soils management and conservation, contract and targeted grazing, grass finishing of lambs, lamb processing and marketing, and business management.

Fourth Quarter (October – December) – BREEDING MANAGEMENT AND TARGETED GRAZING: Experience includes breeding preparation and management, ram selection and management, fall lambing, targeted grazing, lamb processing and marketing, and business management.

Sustainable Forestry Option: We also offer an option for our apprentices to learn about our sustainable forestry enterprise.  We are helping to manage a local tree farm to increase forest health, reduce wildfire threat, and adapt to climate change.  We produce firewood, peeled poles and custom-milled lumber.

Terms of Apprenticeship: During this apprenticeship we will provide you with semi-formal instruction, a one-of-a-kind reading list including materials from our own extensive library, and hands-on experience in all aspects of sheep husbandry and marketing.  You will compensate us with your labor on the farm.

Housing:  We will assist you in finding local housing.  Since our operation exists on both owned and leased land, you must have a vehicle and a valid driver’s license.

Expectations and Schedule:  Hours of work in exchange for teaching will be arranged to suit both of our schedules, and will vary based on the season.

For this to be a positive experience, you should . . .

• Have a strong desire to learn the business of grass-based sheep production and marketing;
• Enjoy working with animals; and
• Be very strong, healthy, physically fit, and love working outdoors.

For our part, we will do our best to make your Flying Mule Farm experience . . .

• Fun;
• Challenging;
• Rewarding; and
• Highly educational

 You will leave our Apprenticeship Program with the skills and knowledge necessary to start your own grass-based livestock business or to expand your existing enterprise.

For more information:

Dan Macon

Flying Mule Farm

flyingmule@wavecable.com

www.flyingmulefarm.com

Why I LIke Auburn

I've lived most of my life in the Sierra foothills - growing up in Sonora, moving to Penryn after college, and later moving to Auburn. The proximity to the mountains, the distinct seasons, the mix of snow and rain in the winter, the nice weather in the summer - these are some of the reasons I've chosen to stay in this region.

At the 80th birthday party of a friend who has been in Auburn most of his life, we were talking about what makes this part of the foothills so attractive.  For me, a big reason to stay here (both as a farmer and as an eater) is our year-round farmer's market.  We're incredibly fortunate to live in an area where it's so easy to get locally grown food 12 months out of the year.

My parents have now lived in Sonora for more than 40 years, and while they aren't quite "old timers" compared to the families who have been in Sonora for 4-5 generations, they've been there long enough to not be considered newcomers.  Auburn has a more transitory feel - our proximity to Sacramento has created a lot more growth pressure than other foothill towns have experienced.   This difference, at least to me, makes it seem like one can be an "old timer" sooner than in other places.  I have also come to think that being an old timer is more a matter of perspective and less a matter of chronology.

Mulligitawny Soup

Last week at the Old Town Auburn Farmer's Market, Eric Alexander from Carpe Vino prepared Mulligitawny Soup using our boneless lamb shoulder.  It was an outrageously good soup, and we thought you might enjoy the recipe!

Mulligatawny soup is a product of the British colonization of India. The British preferred a separate soup course with their dinner which differed from the Indian custom of serving all the foods in the meal at one time. The dishes closest to soup in Indian cuisine at the time were thin sauces that accompanied rice and curry dishes; however, they were not drunk by themselves. The word mulligatawny is a corruption of the Indian word milagu-tannir, meaning “pepper water”. (Notice the large amounts of black pepper in the recipe).

Mulligitawny Soup

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1 Tb fresh ground black pepper

2 tsp. ground turmeric

1 Tb garam masala

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. fresh grated ginger

2 Tb. olive oil

2 onions, small diced

1lb. lamb stew meat, diced ½ inch cubes

2 quarts chicken stock

1/3 cup tomato paste

2 carrots, diced

2 apples, peeled & diced

1 lb. assorted root vegetables, peeled & diced

Juice of ½ lime, optional

Salt to taste

1 Tb. chopped cilantro

Combine the jalapeno, black pepper, turmeric, garam masala, garlic and ginger in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to form a coarse paste.  Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until golden brown. Add the spice paste and lamb and cook for another five minutes. Add the tomato paste and stock and simmer until the meat is almost tender, about 25 minutes.  Add carrots, apples, and root vegetables and simmer until everything is tender. Season with salt and lime juice. Finish the soup with the cilantro and serve.

Working with Nature - Some Days it's Easier than Others!

My farming philosophy involves working closely with nature to produce high-quality products in the most sustainable manner possible.  This means we rely on our animals to harvest the grass that Mother Nature grows each year.  It means that we try not to import feed from outside our area (or even from off the properties we manage) if we can help it.  It means we time our production year to the cycle of the seasons.  Most days, working with nature (instead of fighting her) makes my life easier and more rewarding.

Today, however, was not one of those days.  Today, Mother Nature brought 50 mph winds and horizontal rains to Doty Ravine, where we currently manage 200 +/- sheep, 21 goats and 32 cow-calf pairs.  The wind made the simple act of walking across the pastures exceedingly difficult.  The rain, which was also moving at 50 mph, stung wherever it found bare skin.  I can honestly say that even the best rain gear fails to keep the rain out when it's accelerated to such an extent.

Most days, I love being a shepherd.  I didn't dislike my job today, but I was definitely worn out, cold and wet when I finally got home.  Maybe tomorrow, Mother Nature will feel like being my partner again!

Lambs!

Wouldn't you know it - the lambs started arriving on the wettest, windiest day of the year so far!  This morning, Courtney and Julie discovered a single new ewe lamb, born to a maiden ewe, when they arrived at the Lincoln ranch.  Later in the day, Sami and Lara assisted Lara's ewe, Wooley, in delivering 2 enormous ewe lambs here at home.  We probably have 2-3 more ewes that will lamb early (before the majority of our ewes start in mid-February).

I think it must have something to do with the changing barometric pressure - seems like ewes that are close to lambing will wait until crummy weather.  Fortunately, most of our ewes are good mothers who produce a lot of milk and who take good care of their lambs.  We'll keep a close eye on them during the storms that are due in this week.