How is it already December?!
2019 has been another big learning experience for our family.
The school of farming has been especially educational! This year we put increased effort into managing the grazing of our pastures with the cows and sheep together. We didn’t allow the grass to be grazed below six inches, and this sometimes meant moving our “flerd” twice a day. The combination of this and favorable rainfall improved the density and variety of forages in our pastures. This was exciting for us!
Our meat birds intensely fertilized the soils in our fields, and we butchered a total of 917 chickens to sell and eat.
We reverted back to purchasing square bales of hay for the winter. Round bales became too much of a challenge to manage without proper equipment.
Parasites affecting our lambs were once again a challenge, and, as a last resort, we gave our lambs dewormer to control these deadly organisms. We decided to sell all of our ewes (😢),our ram (😥), and most of our lambs, keeping only 6 of our favorite ewe lambs for grazing and future breeding. Our pastures, at this time, just aren’t enough to sustain a larger herd. Lesson learned!
Sixteen pigs were raised on our farm this year, and our pork sold out quickly at market. Our last four pigs gave us a run for our money, as they figured out how to escape their electric fence. Just a short, painful shock, and they could be free! This naughty bunch went the butcher early. Our current challenge is finding new piglets and how to reduce the cost of feeding them without compromising quality. We’re still at kindergarten level in the school of pigs.
One of our greatest farm challenges this year has been predators. We lost over one hundred laying hens. Most were killed by a sneaky stray dog, but likely other critters who also figured out how to breach our electric netting around the chickens. Thankfully the dog has mysteriously disappeared. Havi and Joe have done a great job caring for our new batch of laying hens that we bought from a nearby chicken farm.
Other lessons learned:
- 2- wheel drive vans can’t drive through mud.
- Neighbors with tractors are a huge blessing.
- Anna & Ashley can back up a trailer!
- Cows will trample and destroy electric netting to get to round hay bales in the winter
- Toddlers and lawnmowers are not a good combination
- Poison Ivy causes more severe reactions with each additional exposure
- Trees can fall in unpredictable directions when being cut.
- 4-Wheelers make farm chores more efficient (and fun).
We’re grateful for all God is teaching us though this farm!
The Coulter bunch has collectively traveled more than ever in 2019, totaling 11 trips, setting foot in 16 different states (visiting some of them a couple times over) and three countries! It has been one busy year!!! We have had many adventures as a family and friends!! It's been a whirlwind of events, and this year we saw the Lord work miracles all around us. He is so good to us!!
Life didn't slow down for us in December. It actually seemed to speed up! Peyton and Mom went on their Mother-Daughter getaway in Branson, Anna had her piano recital, Ashley turned 19, Grandma Mary came for Christmas, Havi & Joe were in the Christmas Pageant at our Church, we played at Silver Dollar City, and explored the museum and aquarium at Wonders Of Wildlife!! We took four lambs and one cow to the butcher, and spent New Year’s Eve with dear and new friends!! :)
Okay, it’s time for some photos and pictures! :)
-Kim Coulter
Just trying out a video!! :) We’ll see if we continue doing them every month!! :)
Peyton and Mom’s getaway in Branson!
At The Hotel (Best Western Music Capital Inn)
Mom loved that it had a saltwater pool!
Mom loved that it had a saltwater pool!
At Silver Dollar City
Such a cute little shopper! :)
Lots of really neat signs that are way too overpriced!!
I like this one!! :)
“It’s A Wonderful Life” Show at SDC
Anna’s piano recital!
All of the students with their teacher, Lesa, on the far right! :)
The cows are enjoying this cold weather with no flies or hot weather, period! :)
When it’s cold, there should always be snow!!!
Then there were other days that felt like April!
December wasn’t consistent at all!
Katherine and Isaiah
got to meet this festive couple.
With the pretty outdoor display at Market
They’re so little, and cute, but don’t let them know that! :p
Amazing December Sunsets
Christ the King's Christmas Pageant
Havi and Joe's roll in the play was taking up room so there would be no room for baby Jesus.
Adorable sheep in cowboy boots!!!
And Ashley is now 19!!! Happy Birthday Ashley!!!
//We may not have it all together, but together, we have it all//
Yup, we're at Silver Dollar City!!! :)
And look who we were able to meet up with!!!
Blurry but definitely a keeper!! :)
Mary and Sarah
These two have played a HUGE roll in my life and I can’t imagine life without them!
The Christmas tree lighting!!!
On the way home....I think we finally ran him out of energy!! :D
A fondue Christmas Eve party!!! One of the best ways to eat!!!
Christmas morning!
What an awesome gift!!!!
A few days after Christmas,
we went to Wonders of Wildlife for the last time before our passes expired.
we went to Wonders of Wildlife for the last time before our passes expired.
So many different and realistic settings!!
This scene is actually real.
We finally got a picture of the monkey looking at the camera!
We finally got a picture of the monkey looking at the camera!
At the Ford’s for New Year’s Eve!!!
All the kids (and kids at heart) played with sparklers.
The pyrotechnicians
Joe, Havi, Peyton, and Kassidy!
(Joe and Peyton are very, very camera shy! :p)
Everyone pondering over an empty firework box!
Overly tired!
Fighting to stay awake until midnight!
2020!!!!!!!
We hope you all had a great 2019 and pray that God will bless you this new year! :)
Thank you so much for taking time to stop by our blog!!!:)
~The Coulter family
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
Psalm 1:1-2 (ESV)
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