Fair Winds Farm

Fair Winds Farm Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Fair Winds Farm, Pet service, 177 Snipes Lane, Ridgeville, SC.

09/02/2013

Oink oink
Oink oink
Piglets coming to Fair Winds Farm today

08/13/2013

Our three milkers outdid themselves this morning...each gave more than their usual half-gallon. I will try making yogurt with this milk...

08/12/2013

Coming soon...photos of the 12' x 50' completed high tunnel, AKA greenhouse. Today Brian finished and hung the two end-doors, cleared out his tools and ran the tiller through the greenhouse preparing two 5' beds with a 2' path down the center. We will plant directly in the ground. We plan to put up three total...and rotate chickens through them for four month stints so they can stir up the soil and fertilize it. This first tunnel will get the first batch of chickens in the north half.

08/07/2013

Today was the opportune time for the goats to break into the feed room. They have learned how to use their scurs (horn frag) to lift the edge of the galvanized steel feed cans. But to their amazement and frustration (I'm sure) we were completely out of feed. Alright, I lied...there were about 25 grains of oats left in the bottom of the can...er, um, the lids needed a bit of reworking to make them fit again...when we came home with the feed. Sorry, girls...

07/28/2013

Picked two 10" long, extra skinny eggplants today and four banana peppers from my late-started garden. The green beans I planted have come up and have their first true leaves...sadly I must say, the cat also discovered this spot and disrupted the straight rows. None of the wax beans I planted sprouted-guess the seed was too old.(I've reordered.) The yellow squash and zucchini have also sprouted and have their first leaves that shout out, "Hey, Look at us! We really are squash."
The cantaloupe starts have their first leaves too. And then there is the raised bed with herbs...the oregano plants are now 6" in diameter but still low to the soil. The chives are beaming with flower stalks now budded. No understanding why the parsley has regressed and appears to be dying. I must dig that up to see if there is something adverse in the soil. I am madly preparing new beds in preparation for the August planting dates that Clemson University Extension Service suggests for Coastal Carolina's fall/winter gardens. I have one bed reserved for root vegetables: I'll try two types of carrots and two types of beets. I've planned a larger bed for a new forage beet for the goats. I hope they like it as much as I think they should. I'm also planning to plant Daikon radishes that are supposed to be huge and long and good for the soil...here's hoping. Now we're wondering if we have 60 or more hot days still this summer. We'd like to plant sweet corn...but, hmmm, probably won't be hot enough towards the end of the growing time. We'll plant lots of sugar snap peas and lots of lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, Brussel sprouts and other brassicas. Also planning lots of perennial flowers to use as companion plants with the vegetables... Come see us...and dream with us...

07/26/2013

Could have been a terrible disaster...but turned out just fine. Today I put the five doelings in the small pasture on the north side of the barn. ...which used to be our only pasture. Anyhow four pallets had been leaned up against the barn since the ground had dried out...three of the goats crawled in behind the pallets and could not get out. Not only that but two of them laid down back there and the third one stood straddle-legged over them-screaming for all they were worth. I was busy all day with errands and didn't get to the barn till 6:30...So hungry and so dirty...we have black soil so these beautiful Saanen babies were covered with black mud....not a scratch on them...they were simply stuck. When I leaned the pallets away from the barn they shot out of there as though they were launched...peed and pooed and then ran for the grain bowl. Thank you, Jesus, for saving my three delightful babies.

07/17/2013

Great progress in spite of the 15 inches of surplus rain, we have one high tunnel up...Poor man's greenhouse. also acquired 60+ additional chicks to be the first inhabitants of the high tunnel with the express requirement of naturally fertilizing the ground in the high tunnel.

Wow! First prize goes to Cookie Doodle, our 8-month old kitten, who just brought down a rat!!
05/28/2013

Wow! First prize goes to Cookie Doodle, our 8-month old kitten, who just brought down a rat!!

05/22/2013

It's done. The barn has been mucked out thanks to my dear husband whose back has not failed him. Then we went to the neighborhood lumber company where we filled 55 gallon trash bags with shavings ($1/bag)... I spread lime onto the dirt & Brian dumped the bags. The floor is now covered with 4"-6" of fluffy shavings. I then dragged my complaining body up the 16 stair steps to the shower where I removed the fine sawdust that stuck to every inch of my being. (Why we thought we were physically fit enough to grow old in a house with the master bedroom on the second floor is beyond understanding.) anyhow the underlying goal was to rid the barn of coccidia and restore our sweet goaties to health. (All have been treated over the last two weeks.)

05/21/2013

Three years ago we moved to Fair Winds Farm in Ridgeville, SC. We had had five acres cleared and leveled with our goal to be open pasture. The first year nothing grew on the fields-nothing-not even weeds....we spread lime and fertilizer once...seeded each year and got progressively better coverage...now all the fields are green...albeit...only lush growth where we have spread the muck from the barn. Spreading the muck is a slow process with a wheelbarrow. This year we planted the fields with a mixture of five grains: wheat, rye, oats, winter peas and Crimson Clover. Again, where we had added the barn muck, the seeds grew lush-3-4 feet tall...but where there was nothing added, the plants grew only 10-12 inches tall and the seed heads were minuscule in comparison. So ultimately, perhaps the lesson learned is that we must be thankful for the wetness of the barn, the amazing quantity of muck that continuously needs to be removed for our fields show forth the benefit of that augmentation. The Lord provides for our needs, but we must bend our backs and work to reap the benefit of His provision.

05/21/2013

Three years ago we moved to Fair Winds Farm in Ridgeville, SC. We had had five acres cleared and leveled with our goal to be open pasture. The first year nothing grew on the fields-nothing-not even weeds....we spread lime and fertilizer once...seeded each year and got progressively better coverage...now all the fields are green...albeit...only lush growth where we have spread the muck from the barn. Spreading the muck is a slow process with a wheelbarrow. This year we planted the fields with a mixture of five grains: wheat, rye, oats, winter peas and Crimson Clover. Again, where we had added the barn muck, the seeds grew lush-3-4 feet tall...but where there was nothing added, the plants grew only 10-12 inches tall and the seed heads were miniscule in comparison. So ultimately, perhaps the lesson learned is that we must be thankful for the wetness of the barn, the amazing quantity of muck that continuously needs to be removed for our fields show forth the benefit of that augmentation. The Lord provides for our needs but we must bend our backs and work to reap the benefit of His provision.

05/21/2013

Oh my. oh my. Our Alpine buck, Sunrising Rex tussled with our Saanen buck and broke off both of his scurs. (Scurs are portions of horns that continue to grow. For Rex, one scur was over an inch wide, about 1/4" thick and curved about 4 inches toward the top of his scull.) His head/face was covered with blood...the four-inch scur is still hanging by a bit of sinew. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. He let us gently wash him off but was so wary of our hands getting near that hanging scur. We isolated him in a stall to allow for healing. He certainly doesn't need any more sparring with the other buck. (I will spare you the photos.)

Address

177 Snipes Lane
Ridgeville, SC
29472

Telephone

+18434692171

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