Sept. 1st, 2024
Here's the thing about summer in Canada…
We wait patiently for 10 months to enjoy only TWO glorious ones.
And here's the thing about FARMING in Canada… we condense a year's worth of work in those same two glorious months.
Just a wordy way to say… how is August over already?
I've been hunkered down most of this month with my woolies as we just completed our very first lambing in August, which I shared over on Youtube in a new series called the Summer Lambing Diaries.
If you've been following along, THANK YOU!
If you've been enjoying summer and haven't had a chance to watch, you can now binge a bunch of episodes when the weather turns a bit more conducive for inside fun.
As with every lambing, I've learned lots. At the top of the list is of course, our continued battle with pregnancy toxemia.
After years of struggling with the same issue, I finally built up the courage to make some big changes in regards to the nutrition side of the sheep business.
That, and some critical advice from my vet had me catching my mama's early and nursing them all the way to the finish line… their due date.
And, although we lost some lambs… it was the FIRST time I was able to save EVERY mama.
I finally feel like this tide may be turning for the better.
And just in time, because Dr. Rex comes tomorrow to scan the next group due in late November.
Meanwhile, life outside the barn has been equally as busy. Mark has been working around the clock finishing up the post-wheat field work. After the wheat came off, all our fields were soil tested and mapped by our agronomist. Then, all our stockpiled manure was spread, followed by Mark incorporating the manure, and planting cover crops to help the soil uptake the nutrients the manure provides.
We also somehow got our hay off at the perfect time as I was in my little reprieve between lambing cycles and was able to help.
I think when we planned the August lambing, we forgot how much I still help in the fields. Thankfully, the weather was good and Mark was able to knock out most of the jobs solo.
And of course, looming in the background of all this was our big fulfillment shop build which seems to have gone up overnight!
The exterior is pretty much complete, but we've got A LOT of work left to do inside.
Which brings us to September.
A new month, and a new focus.
The Fall Launch. (date: TBD!)
This will be a month of planning, and setting up a temporary space for our warehouse.
I'll be picking up my wool and other fun products which needs labeled and entered into inventory.
I'll also be learning yet another shipping system so as to eliminate packing mistakes.
Basically, I too, am in my ‘back to school’ era.
I'm once again in learning mode.
Which inevitably also means failure mode.
Right off the hop, we're moving into this unfinished building with no power, no internet, and no plumbing.
But we have walls, so we're somehow going to figure it out.
(or at least that's what Mark assures me as I freak out on the daily…)
However, no matter the pitfalls I'm well aware we will encounter, the best part will be sharing this new venture with you all. Complete with all its highs and lows behind the scenes as I build this new business quite literally from the ground up.
I'm excited to enter back into my wool world, and have had new opportunities arise where I will be able to create and collaborate with Canadian wool processors and even some fellow Ontario sheep farmers to bring even more wool goodies to you guys over the next few years!
So stay tuned…
The summer may be over, but the fun has just begun😉.
