"We must achieve the character and acquire the skills to live much poorer than we do. We must waste less. We must do more for ourselves and for each other. It is either that or continue merely to think and talk about changes that we are inviting catastrophe to make. The great obstacle is simply this: the conviction that we cannot change because we are dependant on what is wrong. But that is the addict's excuse, and we know that it will not do."
—Wendell Berry

Sunday 21 April 2013

And on the Cloud farm today...

The weather is absolutely beautiful at the moment on the cloud farm. The rain and associated sogginess has passed and the days are starting crisp and turning warm later, beautiful blue cloudless skies. Great weather for doing the hard yakka jobs that I have been avoiding all summer.

Bartle Frere at dusk from the top paddock.
We have spent the day cutting up firewood from the timber I had previously stacked in the orchard to dry. I also took the opportunity to level several tree stumps flat with the ground so I can mow over them. The littlest Cloud Farmer supervised the operation and gave a running critique at all times.
About one tonne ready to be unloaded to the wood racks at the house.
Mid morning I saw a flash of something red and blue out in the bottom paddock. As I watched a large male cassowary emerged over the hill before turning and stalking back to the rain forest. I tried to get a photo but cassowaries have very good vision and I was unable to get any where near him.
This is a file photo but it is pretty much what I saw.
 We have seen several recently. A month ago a female and two half grown youngsters were sighted by the child bride in the same paddock. The bottom third of our property is native rain forest and it will remain so for as long as we are here. A bit of space for all to live in.
Still waiting for the next batch of piglets and the pig pens are thoroughly overgrown. This is quite intentional as the overgrowth supplies a considerable portion of the food for the next pigs to come. In amongst the weeds and grass I have sown all sorts of grains and tubers as well as pumpkins and it is all fertilized by the last batch of piggies free of charge.
 I have put a pair of goat wethers (castrated bucks) in there to fatten in the meanwhile. They are Boer goats and an excellent meat breed. I lived on goat meat for years when I was younger and I consider it to be one of the best meats of all. If you have never eaten good chevon (goat meat), it is like prime lamb but without all the fat. It is absolutely superb!
The goats were supplied by a friend who could not house them any longer, I fatten them, we will slaughter them together and each party gets half the meat.
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1 comment:

  1. Dani23 April 2013 at 17:15

    Damn! Another blog which makes me want to rummage for food. I was introduced to goat about five years ago when we went to Melbourne. We went to a Greek restaurant which served a curry-style goat. It was so delicious we went back the next night and had it again :)

    mmmmmmm goat

    love Dani xx

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