Asher Farm Market & Asher Farm

Its certainly been awhile since this has had any words added to it. 

The farm has grown like crazy. SO many lovely goats, jersey cows, another LGD....

We are milking 20 head of goats this year which is a first for us, with so many. We had 42 beautiful kids and still have a few for sale. My hope is to eventually get the farm pages updated and active with info of animals we have for sale. But that's still a ways down the road. If you have interest, shoot me an email asherfarmfresh@gmail.com and I'll happily fill you in on whats available. Or text me. That usually works too.

We hope this blog becomes a bit more active, and more informative. Time is my rarest commodity most days. But there's always hope.

Until next time, hopefully not long

Anita

It was a year ago, according to Face Book that we brought home our first LGD, Gracie the Great Pyrenees. LGD stands for Livestock Guardian Dogs, these are dogs that have been bred for generations for the specific purpose of guarding livestock against predators of any kind. Normally large dogs, with gentle natures, raised within herds of the animals they will grow to protect, they can be ferocious when their herd is threatened. There are many different breeds of LGD's, which is an umbrella term that covers them all.

But it takes time and maturity and training. Independent by nature, they can be hard to obedience train and they need a certain amount of socialization, just so they can be managed. There ARE trips to the vet and maintenance things that must be done to maintain their health. Dogs that go 100 to 150 lbs have to have some form of manners, and while kind and sweet naturally, they are independent thinkers, and DECIDE if they want to come when called, or listen to you!! CHALLENGING!!

Gracie has matured well at 14 months, while she still is not completely reliable and won't be until 2 years or older, she does a good job keeping possums, coons, hawks, and the big crane that wants to hang out our pond, away. She checks her perimeters and loves her goats. She's very good with the goats, and I THINK she is safe with chickens. The only issue at the moment is with the ducks... in her mind, ducks are supposed to be on the pond, or the fence barnyard.  If she catches them wandering the grassy yard, she INSISTS (by chasing them) that they must return to the pond. So we are still growing and learning. She also has a penchant for NOT coming when she has something else on her mind. But its a work in progress and time is on my side.

LGD's work better in pairs or groups, so as Gracie has matured and discovered her instincts... we have added a new face. We picked up Honey Badger (aka Honey Booboo) almost 2 weeks ago!! She is 1/2 Anatolian Shepherd and 1/2 Great Pyrenees. And she's just a gangly mess of legs and big feet at 10 weeks old!! She is a very calm dog, with a ton of sense!! She's settled in well, is calm around the goats, and chickens and all the rest. She's cautious with the goats and should be! She's eating great and growing like a weed. She has taken to Gracie, and shadows her most of the day. Gracie doesn't seem to mind her new companion.

So hopefully these two ladies will grow and mature into the amazing animals they are meant to be and provide me with peace of mind, knowing that they stand guard during the night to keep all the other critters safe!! What an amazing calling!! I hope I can help them be the best they can be!
 

I don't post much about the Parrots.  They've been here so long I often forget they are very much a part of this farm life!!

Last September we started a big project. The old aviary was showing its wear and needed replacing. So we set out to build a new better aviary, only somewhere along the way God gave us a vision for a whole new BARN/AVIARY and the process of pulling it all together was nothing short of amazing.

No plans, just our imaginations and our amazing communication (Wayne and I LOVE to talk to each other) we set out to build this new space. Its been a slow slog, but after the birds having to survive TWO hurricanes in only their flights with no other protections... we were finally able to move them into the new aviary!! It was such an exciting time!!

The birds have responded well to the huge light filled spaces and the high placements off the ground. Our flights extend nearly 14 feet up from the ground!! It shortened our feeding time because our feeding arrangement is nothing short of amazing!!

There is a short video on our Asher Farm facebook page that shows some of the barn. We put in a loft, and have moved the house birds into it. They are SO happy!! Lots and lots of changes around here, and some days I have to take a gulp and hold my breath. I remember the day we took down the last of my old aviary... for nearly 20 years I had lived and worked in that building with my little gang. It was hard to see it come down... it was harder still to see it come down and NO NEW PLACE to go. We were rebuilding on the old footprint. So it had to come down, to bring the new one up.

Life is crazy. Time goes by so fast. And things change. Even good change can be hard. We like the things that are familiar to us. But God knows what we need more than we do ourselves.  And I have to make sure and say that the amazing space that has been added to my life was His Vision... Wayne and I just implemented what He showed us!! And I'm grateful for these changes!! Stretching those tent stakes, is what the Bible calls it. LOL!!!

I finally attempted some Goat's Milk Lotion. I've read alot of negative stuff about making lotion in general and especially Goat's milk lotion. So I just kind of skipped over the lotion process. Well, its been requested often, and I finally decided to check into it more in depth. 

I spent a few days reading up, checking recipes, picked one and went for it one night about 8pm!  I know not to make stuff at night... it was a gooey milky mess!!!  UHOH, that's not working!! And I threw it out!!

So I waited until the next day for a second attempt. In haste and exhaustion I had mis-read instructions, which I do alot at night...

After Milking and feeding, when things finally settle after the morning rush, I measured and slow heated and mixed and watched... and amazingly enough...I ended up with a silky, creamy wonderful LOTION! It smells terrific with a mix of Lavender, Frankincense and a touch of patchouli, the texture is like silk and my skin feels soft and smooth HOURS after applying it.

So, I bottled it and handed it out to a few folks to test it out. As soon as I know its shelf stable, it will be offered for sale!!  Yall don't want to buy molded or separated lotion!!

So look for it!! Follow us on facebook!! We've got a farm page now, so you can catch some of our day to day activity, and The Market has its own page!!  Thanks for checking in with us!!

Anita

Remember when you support a small business or a farm... you are supporting someone's dream!!