I want to give you something... You have been such loyal followers and friends all these years. I have a special gift for you as a thank you! Before, I tell you what it is, I want you to reassure you that the 'Farm Vision' is not dead!  I am still listing and praying as one of my goals every day, to have a farm and a youth program... but my life has become so much more!

Some Big Changes Started in December 2017...

As you may remember, I sold my house in Columbia, SC in August and returned to Virginia to learn I was no longer needed at the farm where I was working. This came as quite a shock since I had recently received a nice raise, but to be honest, I had already been looking for other opportunities, and was in a way, relieved to be done there. Once I find the right team and finances, I know my farm will be a success and will help many people and youths.  (Hang in there with me a bit longer... You are going to love your gift!) So, I have started another business endeavor. I truly, in my heart of hearts, love community, and local businesses & farms, and supporting local economies. You may remember my email announcement back in December. Since then I have expanded my offerings to include Web and Funnel site development, online marketing strategies, and business support including legal and business consultation service plans (through Legal Shield). I truly believe these services give entrepreneurs and small businesses a huge LEG UP to succeed.... thus, I am the 'Success Factor". If you want to check it out, you can view my Website HERE. OK here it is....  I've been writing articles, learning to do videos to provide video content, and developing material that will help people make their hobby, passion, or side business a successful endeavor. Some of the material will be geared to helping you personally as you step further into your dream or could be helpful information for your staff, contractors, or employees. And, some of the material will include deals on training and business tools I've vetted and found to be very helpful to me. So far, I've only shared this kind of stuff with people who have consulted with me on projects, but I want to GIVE it to you with NO OBLIGATION EVER, you can OPT-OUT any time! From December to February, I spent 12 weeks in an intensive 10x Ambassador Mentorship program with Grant Cardone. I have been on calls with hugely successful greats like Grant Cardone, Ed Mylett, Daymond John, Naveen Jain (who I actually met), Brad Lea, and Tai Lopez, just to name a few. I've had daily study and done projects based on what these guys teach from how it made them successful, AND, I got to network with over 1300 very SERIOUS entrepreneurs from across the country for those 12 weeks as we all wrestled with the assignments and whatever life threw at us! I have learned SO much!! And the GREAT news is, I want to share that with you. So, now it's time to really get traction.  I am coming into Spring with fresh energy and perspective... will you join me? Oh My Gosh... I just realized, I LIED to you!!!  I actually have TWO gifts for you... LOL! First, if you would like to receive this gift, please click HERE. You'll get "9 Things You Must Know About Placing Facebook Ads/Posts".  The link will simply take you to my optin page so you can 'choose' to get my emails and I'm all above-board with my email handlers! From there, you will get access to this first publication. I've written several short e-books that will be compiled into a larger book and sold. But I'm giving this one away right now as a gift to you.    Because I value you as a long-time acquaintance and friend and your opinion and support matters to me A LOT, I'm asking you for a couple of things... For this and future information I send out, I need your feedback. I want to be better tomorrow than I am today so, If my messages aren't relevant to you, or you have an idea of what would make the information better for you... Please let me know!! I greatly appreciate your time in writing or calling and I will read and respond to all feed back. See contact info below. I would REALLY be grateful if you would, help me in 3 ways: Opt in to the information I'll send periodically 'LIKE" my Facebook business page:  @JanNirriSFC  (If we're not already friends on FB you can find me as Jan Nirri) Getting visitors to my Website will help me get ranked with Google searches so please, check out my Website and share it with anyone you know who might benefit from the info and services there:   https://www.successfactorconsultants.com/    Help me spread the word of my business by sharing my business posts on Facebook, and these emails. This is my biggest challenge and the one you can help me with the most!   My second gift is this.... YOU are invited. A group of us from the Ambassador group are going on a 90 day challenge to take intentional steps everyday toward growing our businesses. This is a FREE thing happening through my entrepreneur group. My friend, Jeff Trimble, a 24 year old entrepreneur in Oregon, who is a successful and serious online marketing genius that I'm learning from, is putting this together. We are starting April 1st, 2018. If you've been on the fence getting your business started, or are stuck in your progress and need to get around some people who are committed to making things happen then you'll want to connect with this facebook group "Real Entrepreneur Network". Jeff has already posted a lot of really valuable info on that page..... and if you want to see more of what Jeff offers check out this link To summarize everything I've offered here: 1) FREE e-book gift to you:  "9 Things You Must Know About Placing Facebook Ads/Posts". 2) Chance to join the 90 day challenge:  "Real Entrepreneur Network" 3) Jeff's VERY thorough online marketing course:  Jeff Trimble's SYS Course Thanks for getting to the bottom of this! I'll look forward to connecting with you through these new channels. Life is Great, Be Excited!

Learn More

Las Vegas, 10x Growth Conference 2018 Who wants to be average?  We all have so much capacity to help others, our communities, and our world!! Want to join me? Let's connect!

Roller Coaster Journey!

Snow Camp, NC

Hello Friends!!

Well it has been 4 years since I left Columbia, SC. Every time I thought I was at a place where I could say, "This is what I'm doing now..." everything would change again. 

Let me back up a little and bring you up to speed...

My job at the beautiful, paradise of a farm in Snow Camp, NC ended ​in February of 2016 ​due to the owner preparing for retiring​. I was handling most day to day operations with the cattle and beef business but he really need​ed​ someone who could do the heavier, infrastructure maintenance type jobs, and handle things like chainsaws and fence post slammers.​ You may remember that I worked with an older man (Howard Faust) who taught me so much and whom I became very fond of, and who maybe in the end was fond of me too... the brat from the city who thought she could come to a farm and be a farmer. He was so very patient with me though and when we needed to connect the PTO shaft of the bush hog or mower, or fix fences, or any other of a million things that need to be done on a farm, I'd be his legs (he had trouble walking) and he'd tell me what to do.  He always knew the right tool and the right trick to get stuff working again. Howard's health was failing and he passed on a couple months after I left.​ I'm still in connection with the owners and that community and love them all ​so ​dearly.

From Snow Camp, I came back to SC to work on a commercial Angus farm. I thought I could learn a lot from this ​"​other side​"​ of the cattle industry, and I did, but given my strong beliefs and values in regenerative agriculture, mainly what I learned was that it didn't make any sense to me at all. It affected me deeply and changed me in ways I'm still unraveling in my head.

I then went to work for Trail Ridge Goat Dairy (whom many of you know for their amazing goat cheese and milk sold at Rosewood Market. I helped some around the farm, with cheese making, and milking, and I managed a booth for them at the downtown Augusta, GA River walk market which was really fun. I absolutely loved working with the Hammond family and their farm. I also had some other farm clients in Saluda, and Prosperity for farm sitting and was caring for the property where I was staying in Ridge Spring.

My mom and I

In July 2016, my oldest daughter was married in Italy and we all had a really wonderful time there. Then in the Fall, my dear friend and travelling companion Kim and I went to Oregon to visit my mom. She is 91 this year, still living independently and always helping others. Treasured memories and treasured times together. 

Scottish Highland Cattle

In January 2017, I moved to VA for a cattle manager & sales position on a regenerative agriculture farm. This was a beautiful farm on the James River that was raising Scottish Highland and Low Line Angus cattle for beef. The job ended in August​. ​About that same time ​my house in Columbia, SC ​sold, so again lots of transitions and transactions to get that taken care of and my remaining household moved up here to Virginia.

Through all of this I have realized that while going 100% into farming helped me learn an awful lot I couldn't have learned otherwise, I can't depend on getting farm work for my main employment. I remain very passionate about the farming education outreach I want to build, but also know ​now ​it will have to come about through different means.

Where I live now

So, I have set about to re-skill or re-tool myself for the current market place. I just successfully completed H&R Block's Tax Professional certification class, and am currently enrolled in Professional Sales Training through Grant Cardone University. For a while I thought I might open my own insurance agency but the pieces weren't fitting together for that to happen and for now, I am still basically unemployed and living off the proceeds of my house sale.

There has been much joy in serving my church in music, and helping to build a new church plant, meeting and connecting with

Don & Nancy Wilk @ Local APX Market

new people, and reconnecting with friends from SC who have ended up in VA also like Don and Nancy Wilk (Local APX Market in Appomattox, Va), and Shawn and Emily Boucher over in Sugar Grove, VA... small World!!

A couple of months ago I was dealing with some health issues... serious memory and brain fog, lots of headaches with dizziness and nausea. Serious joint pain and pain in my 'cells' if you can imagine what that might feel like. It was baffling. ​I spent more than 30 hours of watching youtube information videos on brain health and nutrition. ​I decided to seriously detox my life. I let go of a lingering distance relationship that was not benefitting either of us, joined the gym, addressed the ​abundance of blue ​light I'm exposed to and started tracking my sleep cycles. I started a breathing/meditation program, and radically changed my diet to follow the Bulletproof diet. It has made a dramatic change in my life and I am more focused and energetic than I have been in quite some time. ​Carbs no longer run my life! If you are interested in any of this please feel free to email me or check out the products that have helped me​ on my products page​. I'm an affiliate for these things so if you order from my page, I'll get a small commission.​.. thank you! ​:-)

​Through all of this, I have been firmly re-assured in my faith, that God has it all under control. I've seen him provide in amazing ways not just for me, but for the well-being of my little furry family as we transition from one place to another. I have never gone without and have been blessed with kind and true friends both old and new. I know this time of interlude has been a time of pruning and adjustment and clinging to what I know is true, so that when it comes time to produce again, I'll be well-equipped. ​Just like the vine and the branches... Jesus said... 

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

I'm stepping forward into 2018 in greater faith, laying a foundation of Gratitude, Giving, and Growth... all for HIS Glory!

I'm so grateful for you!  

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, may your 2018 be filled with love and blessings!

Snow Camp, NC

Blind Calf Gets His Name - Stevie Wonder

Dear Friends,

The morning sky was a crystal clear blue. A gentle breeze, 72 degrees, and low humidity, odd for July, was welcome by all.

We recently had weaned our calves that were born last Fall. We give them about 9 months with their mothers. Now, the juvenile bunch is re-negotiating their own herd structure. They are flighty and cautious but still very curious and eager. This particular morning I was moving them into a new pasture with a series of turns. Our blind calf is now in this group.

This blind calf having grown over the past months is now a blind steer weighing over 500lbs. He no longer can call to his mother and have her come to his rescue to show him the way. She will have a new calf this Fall and needs to save her energy. As I watch him try to adapt it is both heart-wrenching and miraculous. Heart-wrenching because his lot in life is fraught with difficulty and struggle. It just is. Miraculous because he makes it work, as best as his limited steer brain can manage. I've named him after Stevie Wonder.

This particular morning Wonder didn't catch on to the move to fresh pasture. Maybe he struggles in the morning hours like I do to make sense of things. Apparently the sound of the ATV mule didn't register with him, or the sound of my calling, or the sound of the reel being wound up, or the sound and motion of his peers all moving in the direction of my voice. Back when he was still with his mother, some of the old cows were slower and he could pair along with them to the next pasture, but these juveniles waste no time in getting to fresh grass. They are hungry and growing at about 2lbs per day. So Wonder was left behind.

Now it's my task to get him around or through the out-cropping of rocks and trees, up the pasture, and turning through the water station into the new pasture. It was only about 30 yards but it might as well have been an obstacle course 3 miles long. Herding a blind animal does not work very well. Some times we've been able to accomplish it but the mules are noisy and more often than not they confuse him and he slams into fence posts and hot wires. It is hard to take but at 500lbs you can't try to redirect him without peril to yourself. Doc and I spent 45 min one morning, pouring sweat, trying to get Wonder through a gate. He would get to the opening and turn and go another direction.

I knew I'd never get him to the new pasture by trying to "herd" him. There he stood, ears forward, trying to figure out where all his buddies went. That's when I began to pray to my Shepherd about what to do..... I mooed. Yes, that's right, I mooed. He turned his head in my direction and mooed back. I was encouraged. I mooed again. He started coming toward me. I positioned my self slowly past the gate opening so I could keep drawing him with my voice. It seemed to be working. The the breeze picked up. I was up wind. He got scared and headed off in the opposite direction. Ughhh! 

I finished hooking up my reel, checked the water station, repositioned the mule so I could close the gate thinking that Wonder would just have to stay behind until I could figure out something else. But I decided to moo again. He turned and started heading back in my direction. I reached down and pulled off some grass trying to make cow-like noises. I had his attention again.

About this time, Simon, my ever-faithful farm companion emerged from the rocks about 20 feet from Wonder. He was in search of a rabbit or something. It startled Wonder and he moved away from Simon instinctively. Without making a human sound ('cuz I'm pretending to be a cow) I gave hand gestures to Simon to sit and stay... and he did. Simon watched with fascination and on occasion would stand up and try to move toward me but another hand gesture made him sit back down. So proud of my good, cow dog!

Some of the other heifers and steers were now getting thirsty and coming to drink water. Perfect timing. Wonder heard them. Though I wished they would moo or something, their drinking and snorting noises were enough to fully convince Wonder that was the direction to go. I quietly slipped around the back side of the rock pile and trees. His attention was still focused on the animals at the water station. Perfect. As I came around the out-cropping I began clapping my hands and talking to him. Not to scare him but to cause him to move. And he did. He moved out of the trees, away from me, and toward the water station. Once he got closer to the other animals he went straight toward them and into the pasture! Success! 

Simon sat motionless the entire time. He has been such an amazing companion here. My head was filled with thoughts as we rode across the farm over to my next task: the cow herd. Really, we are all blind. We are blind to the future. No one knows what tomorrow or the next 5 minutes will bring. We think we do because we make plans and we count on that because we had yesterday then surely we will have tomorrow. I'm so thankful for a loving God Who, though we have such limited understanding and vision, is looking out for those who call Him Lord. John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." . Do you know Him as Lord? Who is leading you through the twists and turns of life to safety and 'green pastures'?  Who is holding your tomorrow? John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." I hope you will consider accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

In other news, I am staying in NC. I have written a new business plan to start the farm education program here at Braeburn Farm in March of 2016. I have also entered a challenge to win some start up money for new farms (up to 30K), so if you are the prayin' sort... please do! This whole farm journey is God's gig so it only happens as He allows and I'm surrendered and stepping out in faith. God leading the blind here! 

I've met an amazing, godly man here and we've been dating for almost 9 months now. God is so good!

I still make way less than I used to and yet I have everything I need.... and more. God is such a great provider!

My house in Columbia is for sale. I will share the link on Facebook when it's online. Please share, share, share!

I joined the Triad Cowboy Church and am very active in the education ministry. Check us out and if you're in the neighborhood we put on an annual rodeo event in May each year (...and then you can come visit me at the farm!)

Please keep your emails coming. I love hearing from you all and how you are doing! 

Mooooooo!

PS... To read my first post about Wonder and why he became blind (January 2015) 

Blind Calf (Stevie Wonder) is Born

Nothing like coming in from the morning's work to a nice, warm fire and a great cup of coffee!

As I sit here in my long johns and sweatshirt and ponder all the things I could write about, Simon lies snoring under my chair, the fire crackles in the wood stove, the frosty air blows through the trees outside my window and a random, lone, wild turkey hurries across the pasture. Out front in the pond are seven Hooded Mergansers diving for food while a Blue Heron stealthily stalks a meal. 

Today, the sun is shining (we've had a spell of cloudy, cold, rainy weather)

and every living being seems happier. To just sit and be totally aware of the amazing life going on all around me, living and breathing in an awesome (miraculous) exchange of energy, resources, and nutrients. THIS is living!

I so struggle to put into words what I experience here, living in the midst of God's creation (Job 12:7-10) on this beautiful farm. So tangibly aware of life and death, suffering and healing, and great sorrow and joy! 

Most of our calves are born between late September and November each year but we had a calf who was born out of season this past summer. This was the result of some bull shenanigans the previous year. So, this little black bull calf was born. It was hot for this little calf in the summer sun so he hid himself in the shade under some grasses by the creek. His mama knew where he was but alas, we humans could not find the calf.

The cow herd was moved daily and when it came time to move the cow herd to the other side of the farm (through the shop yard and down the road) we had not seen the calf in a week or more. 

Presuming the calf had died, we moved his mama with the herd. However, the next day we noticed this mama was missing from the herd. Thinking she was grieving the loss of her calf back across the farm, we searched those pastures but could not find her anywhere. Each day Doc, Howard and myself would ride out and search the pastures for the cow but no luck. It was totally amazing to me that we could lose a cow on the farm!

About a week later, one of the girls from the horse barn let me know that she had seen a black cow in a certain pasture. I decided to check the pasture at dusk.... sure enough there was our black cow... and her calf! This was exciting news! But there were complications. The calf had contracted pink-eye in both eyes and was in very bad shape. Doc and I caught the calf and treated both eyes but in the days to follow it became sadly obvious this calf would be blind.

As I've watched this little guy grow I've gained such respect for a mother who would not give up on her calf and for a little bull calf (7 months old now and about 400 lbs) who has had to learn to negotiate life without sight. Sometimes moving the herd involves going through several gates, across a creek, through some woods, and around corners. If he stays with his mother, he can make it safely through, but if he gets separated from his mother, he is lost. 

It is extremely difficult for a human (usually me) to herd a single, blind animal of his size. I have watched helplessly while this little calf runs head first into fences, fence posts, and trees and falls into hedgehog holes while trying to find the opening through the gate. It is heart breaking! But don't you know, his awesome mama will slip through the gate some how without tearing it down and braving a pretty stiff electric shock to get back to her calf and lead him back up to the herd.

This all reminds me of abiding in Christ (John 15:1-16). As God has been teaching me to abide in Him through various means (Dr. John Barr, Jesus Calling, Secrets of The Vine) I can't help but see the parallel of the blind calf. When we stay closely focused on Christ we have peace and avoid many obstacles but if we don't, life is full of hardship. 

We are always abiding in something... worry, TV/Internet/smart phones, what people think of us, how we've been hurt, or what's next on the task list. Perhaps we have made a habit of letting our minds dwell on unhappiness, despair or the busyness of life? Sometimes I have. But these are dead branches. There is no sap or life in them and they will not bear fruit. Abiding in Christ means fully understanding and being fully aware in each moment that Christ holds our future, our reputation, and our hurts. Living in this truth gives us freedom to live in complete joy!

This day, this hour, this moment is not repeatable. It's the only moment like this we will ever have. It's a gift from the most awesome Giver of gifts ever! Where are you abiding? Where is your mind dwelling?

In personal news, I have learned so much about farming here. It seems the more I learn though the more there is to learn! I am now able to operate the tractor to load and unload round bales of hay, operate the tractor's bale unroller, load and unload cattle and drive the truck and big stock trailer, catch, tag and administer oral vaccines to calves, determine daily forages (paddock size) for the varying nutritional needs of our herds, manage customer accounts and retail store sales/inventory. It is exciting that everyday I have the opportunity to become a more resourceful and capable person. 

I have also met a very special person (Dennis). Lord willing, we are planning a future together which may very well include an agritourism business and youth outreach. As we abide, God will provide according to His will! Dennis and I are also ministering to the Greensboro, NC, Teen Challenge organization. I'd encourage you to read the book The Cross and the Switchblade. I have learned the ministry's financial and the participants nutritional needs are great. Please pray for and give to this ministry or a chapter more local to you as God leads you.

I love hearing from you about what is going on in your life so please email me! 

The Orphans

Greetings! 

I can't believe that summer is gone and we are now into Fall again. It's been

a whole year since I left you, my dear, dear friends, and I have missed you all so much! My time here has been life-changing and rich as I have learned so much, not only about the farm and beef cattle but about myself and my God. I also have sought to contribute, encourage, and support the vision and direction of the farm and it's owners which has been a valuable experience as well. 

The summer was a wonderful time of learning and hanging out with the cows. They are such peaceful creatures. We grazed the cover-crops we had planted in the Spring and often I

was working in forages that were 6 and 7 feet tall! Driving through it with the Kubota ATV to set up fences was quite a challenge because it was easy to lose the little bit of directional sense I have! But the cows and steers loved the nutritious greens and were sleek and fat! Our hope is that by using cover-crops we have increased the ground litter (grasses that get stomped by the cows) and therefore the carbon in the soil, and have saved some of our pastures as stock-pile feed for this winter.

Between weather and animal variables farming is really like trying to manage

chaos! I've learned it's really easy to heavily graze a paddock. The trick comes in when you only want to graze no more than 30-40% of a plant and leave 30% of the plants in that paddock ungrazed, but still get high-density hoof and manure impact on the soil, and in the process make sure the herd has gotten enough to eat! Trust me, it's a whole lot harder than it sounds!

We are now in calving season. It's been a tough season so far with a number

of losses but it's always a learning process and we are trying to figure out what happened. I don't handle the losses very well... Doc says that he has observed that I am quite tender-hearted... that's an understatement!! 
We have two bull calves now who have been abandoned by their mothers. You might think the other cows would accept a second calf to nurse but they are not very accommodating! It's hard to watch

the little guys try and try and just get kicked away. They seem to be pretty crafty though and when the real calf is nursing they'll try to slide in and get a little milk too. Sometimes it works but they get rejected a lot. 

So, I have become a surrogate cow... and it is a noble calling! Call me a cow anytime you want and I'll say, "Thank you, I am honored!" I bring life and nourishment to these little guys and sometimes a

Trying to steal some milk.

little comfort. Their world is different from the other calves who have the security of their mother in the pasture. Yes, they have the security of being in the herd but they don't have a mother who calls to them when she senses danger or knows it's time for them to nurse. And of course, the powdered calf milk I give them I'm sure is not as good for them as the real thing.

These little calves also seem to have some built in knowledge too. They know they need to nurse from a cow so they reject the bottle I bring. They wander from cow to cow, being rejected again and again, and

getting weaker and weaker. The vultures circle. They know well the signs of one growing weak. And I stand, patiently holding the bottle that can save these little calves! I cannot force them, I can only offer it to them and hope they will want to drink.

I appreciate all you dear friends who have read my blogs over the past year and have been such an encouragement to me. I know some of you don't agree with the Christian faith and I respect your choice but, my heart beats for my Lord and these farm experiences have strengthened my faith. Just as I offer life to the calves, Jesus offers life to us. We have choice. He does not insist we accept or follow him but it is our choice. YOU dear friend are so precious to me and even more precious to the God I serve Who would love for you to drink the water of life He so freely offers. If you haven't already, I hope you will.

I love hearing news from you... it makes me still feel connected to the great people and place I left! 

Until next time...

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Escape to Longest Acres Road!

Hello Dear Friends!

It has certainly been a while since I've written. Spring was really welcomed after that very cold winter! In fact, we are still dealing with the mess from the ice storm itself and also the continuing fallout of weakened trees and limbs whenever we get windy weather. Of course most of the trees are near fence lines so any tree fallout usually affects a fence.  

In April, we participated in the 2014 NC Piedmont CFSA Farm Tour which required a lot of preparation to get the farm ship-shape and ready for guests. We had a decent turn out of very interested folks and the weather was perfect! 

Last week we started planting the cover crops we will graze in July and employed our concentrated mob-grazing techniques which we will use through the summer.

Mob grazing essentially means allowing 100,000 - 600,000 pounds of hoof pressure per acre. So, for a very basic example, if each cow weighs 1000 lbs, then 100 cows per acre. Seems like a lot of cows on a small space! But that is EXACTLY the point! When the cows are close together the manure and urine distribution is better across the land and the stomping in of the grass litter (what they don't eat) is a HUGE benefit to the soil. It's kind of like a mulch + manure except we just let the cows do it for us. After a couple of hours we move the mob to the next acre. The grazed land is allowed to rest and fully recover. It's very exciting to be involved in this process. I am learning (and re-learning) SO much!

Short-cuts usually take longer! 
When I worked at Wil-Moore Farm last summer through a Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) internship, I learned some very important lessons. The first was about pressure and resistance. The second was about taking short cuts...

5:30 AM. My alarm goes off. I snooze for 15 more minutes but it's already getting light. 5:55 AM and I'm out the door. Simon (my dog) is excited and ready to go to work. Five minutes in the mule (Kubota ATV) down the road and across the pasture to where the cows are ready to move. Some are grazing, others are at the water station but most are gathered together for the much anticipated move to fresh grass.

Doc and I had set up all our pasture lanes the evening before so I just had to reel back the fence and call the cows. Once they all had moved into the new paddock I just reconnected the fence behind them. Pretty simple. The cows would stay in this paddock until 9 am. I was back at the house at 6:32. 

I got a cup of green tea with lemon and settled down with my Bible for a few minutes. Now, I am NOT a morning person (but sure wish I was!). I woke up at 7:45 to the sound of a tractor and saw that Howard was out mowing the roadside fence lines. He was trying to beat the heat. I grabbed a quick bite thinking I'd meet Howard back at the shop for the day's work but when I got up to the shop Howard and the tractor were still gone. Well, this was another rare opportunity for me to move the cows by myself. It's really hard for me to learn things when someone is just telling me what to do. I need to be able to critically think through things and go through the trial and error process in order to learn things well. 

So, feeling confident from my success with the cows earlier that morning, I headed over to do the second mob move for the day. This time, I needed to let them into the second paddock and then open a lane back to the water station. 

You have to understand at this point that there are a number of complicating factors in this scenario. First, you have the whole pasture with a perimeter 5 strand electric fence. In order to section off the pasture we use temporary step-in posts and reels that carry a flexible, conductive rope called "polywire". To make the polywire "hot" the insulated handle is hung on one end of the perimeter fence, the polywire is spooled across the pasture, and the conductive reel is then hung on the perimeter fence at the other end. Once the step-in posts are in place you have a temporary, "hot" fence. 

In this particular section of pasture, there were 5 reels

in use and 3 perimeter gates. Understanding how the electricity flows, how the reels needed to be configured for each day's move, and how to transition from one paddock to the next required a bit of thinking!

So, back to the task at hand. I drove the mule across the pasture to the reel for the second move. I called the cows and they all came through. I had two options at this point: 1) Leave the reel rolled back and let them walk the full length of the paddock back to the water station; or 2) Go to the end of the paddock closest to the water and pull the insulated handle over. Option two would allow me to keep the fence "hot". I went with option 2. There were a number of adjustments to make to the gaggle of reels comprising this network of paddocks but, successfully I opened the paddock and the cows came through to the water station. 

The next 2 hours could have been totally avoided had I remembered I let the water station gate down so that I could reconfigure the lane. To my horror, I watched the entire herd exit the paddock system. About this time, I also realized I had left the gate open at the road and to top it all off, I had boxed myself and my mule on the other side of the paddock system. I was unable to quickly cut the herd off but had to go all the way back around the pond to the road.

By the time I could get to the cows, every single cow and her calf was on Longest Acres Rd! About 200 animals! I only had one spare reel with me (with two or three reels I could have contained the situation much easier) and a long-handled flag. Basically, I strung a wire across the road on one side (and ditches which I later realized were full of poison ivy) and used my mule and the spring gate on the other side to get them back into the fence but that put them into pasture they had already grazed. The cows immediately dispersed to the shade trees spread out across this pasture. I then needed to get them all back together and herd them back through the water station and into the paddock system. I accomplished this task again using the polywire and reel, mule, and flag. The last step was to open the paddock back to the barn where there was shade for them. I went ahead and opened it up for them earlier than scheduled... after all, it wasn't their fault the gates had been left open! It was 10:45 and I was soaked with sweat by the time I was done. 15 Seconds to close the two gates in the beginning could have saved me 2 hours!

This whole story reminds me of another shortcut that many of us try to take:  To believe we are OK without Jesus in our lives. Jesus is THE way (John 14:6). There is NO OTHER WAY to have eternal life in heaven with the only one true God than through Jesus. 

Pastor Lincoln (of Shandon Baptist Church) has used

this illustration: If we all went down to Myrtle Beach, SC and got in the water intending to swim to England NONE of us would make it! Some would get a lot farther than others. Some would swim for miles. Others wouldn't be as fit and could only swim a short distance. Many (fit and unfit) would become entangled along the way with jelly fish or sharks or be swallowed by the ocean in the giant swells of a storm. In the end, no one would make it without help. We would all eventually need someone to rescue us and carry us the rest of the way. 

In the same way, we have ALL fallen short of God's perfection and the result of that shortfall is spiritual death. Jesus is the only way to be rescued and have spiritual and eternal life in heaven with Him. Christ paid that death penalty price for us once and for everyone but, you must BELIEVE this fact as if your life and the very next breath you take depends on it... because it does! Cutting out Jesus is definitely a shortcut you don't want to take!

One of my daughters once was telling me all about these great books she was reading written by progressive philosophers. She wasn't sure she believed in Christ. I told her it was fine to explore different faiths but in fairness she should be sure to also study the bible. So often, people are critical of the bible because of what they think they know when they have not really tried to read it and understand God's message. I was hostile toward the Christian faith in my youth but now realize I couldn't have been more wrong. I pray, if you haven't already done so, that your heart and mind would be open to the message and life of Christ. It's THE best decision I've ever made.

I love you all! Thanks for reading my blog.  

Until next time....

Farming in the Snow

Hello Dear Friends!

Simon's first snow!

The farm, blanketed in snow, quiet and glistening, lay so peacefully. It had snowed furiously the previous afternoon and all night long. You could see evidence of life by the tracks they left... a rabbit, a raccoon, some deer, some kind of bird - probably a crow. The geese, ducks, heron's, and other water fowl had retreated to the deeper water ponds that weren't frozen. 

This was Simon's first full-on snow experience. He was quite cautious at first but in no time was bounding through the dry, fluffy snow. He stuck his head down in it and flicked up the snow with his nose, then dove after the clumps as they fell and scattered around him. Then he rolled in it and jumped up and went racing around. He was so excited and just thought it was the greatest fun! Rio, my cat, watches in great amusement from her perch in the warm house and she too had fun swatting at the twirling snow flakes as they fell outside her window.

We put 8 steel gates in front of the hay bales in the shed in
case we needed to bring one of the herds in.

Severe weather (whether it's too dry, too wet, too cold, too hot, too windy) usually creates more work for us on the farm. The horses could paw with their hooves to get down to the grass but unless cows have had experience with snow they don't always know what to do and it may take them a bit to figure it out. So we feed hay and have to go around and break the ice in the water stations which is easy enough to do with our 4wd Kubota ATVs. Our biggest problem comes if we lose power because all of our well pumps are electric. So in the days before the cold weather, we prepared generators and plans of action in case of power-outage, to move animals closer to creeks and shelter. All of our herds handled the snow very well.

These mamas and calves were excited to move to their next pasture. It was as if they didn't even notice it had snowed!

I did have an episode with my back and was unable to work for 8 days earlier in the month. I had been managing my back problems with regular chiropractic visits for the past 24 years in Columbia and as a result avoided surgery and all drugs except some ibuprofen once or twice a year if absolutely needed. So when my back went out on me here I knew I'd have to either find a chiropractor in this area or I may not be able to move forward with farming. So I set out to find a chiropractor nearby. My chiropractor for 24 years in Columbia, SC (Dr. Tonine Gelardi) is one of the very best, practicing upper cervical specific adjustments. I did not realize how difficult it would be to find another similar chiropractor. I searched and searched and finally through some miraculous events found Dr. Chad McIntyre in Kernersville, NC. It's an hour drive from my house in Snow Camp but I'm getting great care for my back now and it's just another sign that God is working everything out for me to be here. It was a good thing too cuz I fell several times those days we worked in the snow and ice! 

So this past week has been in the mid-60's. Spring!... almost! I cannot believe that within one day of warm weather and sunshine we went from gray, cold, wet, ice, and snow to warm breezes and sunshine. The subdued sounds of winter broke into twittering birds and croaking frogs. And even through the melting snow came the crocuses: the first brave responders to Spring! 

Canadian geese have been wintering here. Sometimes they land on the pond in front of my house. What amazing birds!

Yesterday, I came in from the morning's work to make my green smoothie

(whenever I mention my green smoothie people always want to know how I make it so I've included my general recipe at the end of this blog). We had all the windows open and as I enjoyed the view from my kitchen a rabbit ran by the window with Simon bounding after it which caused such a commotion in the leaves outside that Rio, who was asleep in a sunny spot by the window, woke up. The Blue Heron caught a fish in the pond, I could see several new varieties of ducks on the pond and out of the side window I could see about 200 Canadian Geese on the pasture, grazing and resting. And beyond the geese I could see several deer at the edge of the woods. I was overcome with just being there with so much life going on around me. I'm so very thankful to be here and am so in awe of the God I know and love and serve.

I'm becoming more and more useful around here as I gain skills. I can now handle a tractor and trailer (lots of ratchet straps - thanks Basil for all the training on those vendor tents!), work a herd of cows, load cattle onto a trailer by myself, fix fences, troubleshoot electrical fence problems, use quickbooks and Cattlepro software, handle customer service and deliveries, and give tours. It is possible I may be staying on here for a while longer than September. I'm excited about that but we'll have to see how things play out in the months ahead and how long Doc would like me to stay.

I'm loving my new church family and am so excited to be a part of the choir and praise team, and to sing some individual worship songs. I'm also working with the youth pastor to do some things here at the farm for our youth group. 

I miss seeing you all! You are all so dear to my heart! My March trip to Columbia has been delayed because I missed so much work with my back and now Doc is going to be gone for a couple weeks and then we are into our busy season with some big projects planned using cover-crops. As always, I'll keep you posted and hope to see you soon... keep in mind you can always visit me here! :-)

I have 2 - 25% off coupon codes for Sierra Trading Post to give to the first two people to email me asking for one. They expire 5/15/2014. I ordered some work clothes from them (thank you again dear friends) last month and they sent me these to give away. They have great prices, sales, and selection.

Also, I want to give a plug to Vitacost who recently blew me away with their nothing short of exceptional customer service. When you contact them about a problem or concern, they will actually follow up with you about it.

Now for the recipe:

Yum!

Jan's Green Smoothie
Note: It takes several days for your taste buds to adjust so give this a chance!

2 C. Filtered or Distilled water
1 very ripe banana (the riper the sweeter!)
Assortment of greens - in-season local greens are usually cheapest. I buy organic but if I know a farmer who is mostly organic, just not certified, I'll buy those. 
I generally will add about 10-15 stems of parsley (flat or curly),
7-8 beet leaves
3-6 collard leaves (depending on how big they are)
3-6 Lacinato Kale or other kale leaves (depending on how big they are)
whey protien mix or whey (if you or someone you know makes cheese)
2 heaping Tblsp ground flax meal.

~Use a blender. 
~Start with the water and banana and the parsley or some softer greens to get your blender going. Unless you have a vitamix or magic bullet you'll probably need to add things slowly or you'll burn out your blender.
~For the leafier greens I strip off the leaf part and put the woodier stalk in my compost/worm farm. Blending (as opposed to juicing) gives you a lot of cellulose (plant fiber) and by leaving the stalks on the greens you can get too much of a pulpy consistency. You want to be able to drink the smoothie and not feel the need to chew it. 

Some ideas for variations: Mustard greens, diakon greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, blueberries, strawberries, mango, pineapple, raspberries, 1/4th of an avocado, a piece of fresh ginger root, some burdock root, sprouts, wheat grass, Bragg's Apple cider vinegar or 1/4 c. pure cranberry juice. 

I am convinced that eating raw greens (either by juicing, smoothies, or greens (not lettuce) salads (ie collards, lemon juice, olive oil, cayenne pepper) is one of the major keys to good health! Google "chlorophyll" - amazing stuff!