My husband Dave and I are committed to a handful of values: living in thanksgiving to God, nurturing our marriage and family, producing delicious and nutritious beef, using agricultural practices that regenerate soil and pastures, improving our financial sustainability, and contributing to a thriving local community.
These core principles matter to us, to our neighbors and to our customers.
Moving our cattle from paddock (small field) to paddock is one of the things we do to regenerate soil, reinvigorate our grasses, and promote the health and growth of our BueLingo beef cattle. This practice, called rotational grazing, accomplishes several things at the same time: it puts fresh, sweet grass under the noses of the cattle; their hoof action churns up the soil and exposes dormant seeds to sun and rain, thereby increasing the diversity of plants in the field; the herd deposits fertilizer as the move; and it avoid spending money and fuel to move feed to the cattle and to remove waste from a barn. At the same time, the cows move as a herd across open fields. This is important because cows are social creatures – they are most calm and healthiest when they are with their herd. Because they are on pasture, the herd is also in open sunshine and moving on springy grass and soil. This promotes strong bodies.
I hope you enjoy this very short video of moving the herd from one paddock to the next. Although it takes time and effort for me to set up the electric fences for the temporary paddocks, moving the herd is easy because they’re always eager for fresh grass.
Author Archives: Sylvia Burgos Toftness
Slow $$ to build a better food system. May 30, 2015, 9:00-9:30AM CT live w Brett Olson
What: Deep Roots Radio with Renewing the Countryside’s Brett Olson.
When: Saturday, May 30, 2015, 9:00-9:30AM Central Time
Where: Broadcast and streamed live from the studios of WPCA Radio 93.1FM, and www.wpcaradio.org
Why: One way to move America’s food system to great taste, high nutrition, environmental stewardship, humane animal welfare, and fair wages is through thoughtful investment – slow money. What is slow money? How does it work and what does it mean to you and me? How can you and I make a difference? Find out as I chat with Brett Olson, co-founder and creative director of Renewing the Countryside.
Connecting the dots between what we eat and how it’s grown
Dirty, dusty, messy little Siggy
*An ongoing adventure story for children of all ages*
It’s time, thought Sylvia.
She looked down at her little dog and noticed his smudged nose, dirty paws and matted fur. Hmmmm.
Siggy is 10 weeks old and loves his home, Bull Brook Keep. Sylvia and her husband Dave raise beef cows on the farm. The cows eat grass, and only grass, their entire lives. This makes them big and strong and very healthy.
Siggy likes to watch the cows and the new little calves running in the fields.
Siggy also runs and plays every day. He rolls in the wet grass, splashes through muddy puddles, runs on dusty roads, and digs in the dirt. Sylvia looked at Siggy and saw that his fur was covered with dried mud, loose dirt, wood chips, and who-knows-what! Phew!
Sylvia leaned down and petted his little head. “Siggy,” she said, “it’s time to clean up.”
Siggy didn’t know what she meant, but sat and listened as the laundry tub filled with water. When it was about five inches deep, Sylvia gently lifted the young puppy and placed him in the warm water.
Siggy whined. He didn’t know if he liked this at all.
Sylvia gently spoke to Siggy as she bathed him with a very gentle soap and then rinsed him off. Siggy was glad the bath was over. As soon as he was out of the tub, he shook and shook and shook the water from his fur. Sylvia laughed as water drops flew everywhere.
Soon Siggy was dry and comfortable again. He was clean and ready for his next adventure.
Clean and ready to go
Oh, my! Where’s Siggy?!
There’s lots of grass on Bull Brook Keep because our BueLingo cattle eat grass – and only grass – their entire lives.
Where’s Siggy?
An ongoing adventure story for children of all ages
Siggy is making progress
Chevy and Parker are also working dogs – they help David hunt for pheasants, grouse, and woodcock. David spent many, many months training Chevy and Parking to do their jobs well. Both dogs come to David when he says “here,” and they stop moving when they hear the word “whoa.” When David says “heel,” both dogs will walk close to David’s left leg. They do not run ahead of David, nor do they trail behind him. This is important because it means David can prevent the dogs from running into traffic, or from being distracted from their job – hunting.
Right now, because he is very young, Siggy has not learned to obey Sylvia’s commands. In fact, Sylvia knows Siggy is very independent and can be a very stubborn little dog! He will not always come to her when Sylvia says “here.” This is a problem because Sylvia wants to keep Siggy safe from traffic and from large animals that can hurt little dogs. He must also learn the very basic commands before he can begin to learn to be a herding dog that will work with the free-range chickens, and perhaps, the grass-fed BueLingo cows as well.
Sylvia wondered, “What can I do to train Siggy better?” She asked her friend Claire for some advise.
Claire knows all about training puppies. She told Sylvia, “Don’t put Siggy’s food in a bowl any more. Instead, feed Siggy from your hand, and only give him some food after he obeys your commands.”
Sylvia thanked Claire and began to do this several times every day. For example, early in the morning, Sylvia brings Siggy to a quiet spot and gives him a command. She says “sit,” “here,” or “stay.” When Siggy obeys her command, Sylvia feeds him some of his puppy food directly from her hand. Siggy is learning to obey!!
Sylvia knows that there are many, many months of training ahead, but now Siggy is making progress.
For all story installments, click here.
About spring-time farming. Deep Roots Radio, May 17, 9-9:30AM Central. Calf video.
Calving began yesterday with the arrival of two red and white BueLingos. Just one day old, they’re walking around on firm legs and nursing heartily. This means spring chores have zoomed forward to include tagging and, in the case of bull calves, castrations. Yup, that’s how you get the steers that’ll graze for 24-30 months and reach 1,100-1,300 lbs.
BueLingo heifer born May 15, 2015
Red and white BueLingo born May 15, 2015
And, of course, there’s lots of fence to build and repair. And maybe start sketching out a larger chicken coop??
Tune in to Deep Roots Radio Saturday 9:00-9:30AM Central,as Dave Corbett and I chat about spring-time farming. We’re on WPCA Radio, 93.1FM and www.wpcaradio.org.
See you on the radio!
Sylvia
Siggy meets the chickens
An ongoing adventure story for children of all ages.
Today’s the day, thought Sylvia. Today, Siggy, her little Corgi puppy, would meet the chickens on Bull Brook Keep.
Chickens spend the night in their safe and snug coop.
The chickens on the farm are now a year old. The hens weigh about eight pounds and the rooster weighs more than 12 pounds. He’s very big indeed. And to think, they started out as tiny little yellow chicks that could fit in your hand.
Taking a look before stepping out into the new day
The rooster was not only big, he was very protective of the hens. He guarded them from anyone or any animal that might come near. He would do this by jumping up and trying to scratch with his back claws, or talons. He could also peck and hurt your hand. Despite this, the chickens were very useful on the farm. They provided eggs, and meat, and they ate insects that would bother people and cattle. They would eat ticks!
Next year, if he learned his lessons well, Siggy would be in charge of the chickens. Sylvia would give him a command – “Round them up, Siggy” – and Siggy would herd the chickens into their coop area. But right now, Siggy is a little puppy with a lot to learn.
So today, Siggy took a first step.
Siggy surveys the birds
Sylvia stood close by as Siggy met the chickens for the first time. Sylvia stayed near because the rooster might want to peck at the little puppy.
When Siggy got near the chickens, he did not bark. That’s good because Sylvia and David don’t want their herding dog to scare the animals they have to work with.
It was a good first meeting.
Soon, Siggy will meet the biggest animals on the farm – the BueLingo beef cows.
For earlier Siggy stories, click here.
May 9, 9:00-9:30AM CT live w grass-fed rancher/author Cody Holmes.
Well known for his development and workshops around management intensive rotational grazing, rancher Cody Holmes is also the author of Ranching Full Time on 3 Hours a Day. In the last few years, he’s expanded into multi-species grazing, delivery and farmers markets. Now he’s working to build a local food hub based on real foods.
Join me for this conversation with Cody Holmes.
What: Deep Roots Radio live conversation with Cody Holmes.
When: May 9, 2015, 9:00-9:30AM Central Time
Where: Broadcast and streamed live from the studios of WPCA Radio 93.1FM and www.wpcaradio.org
I hope you’ll tune in.
Connecting the dots between what we eat and how it’s grown
What goes with garlic, brandy, home-made bone broth, & 3 hours?
How to start dinner!
So there I was with a gallon of home-made chicken bone broth (from the roasted carcasses of our own free-range birds) and a cool spring afternoon. What to do?
I paired the rich broth with several home-grown garlic cloves, a couple of harvested chickens – including an old nasty-tempered roaster that weighed in at over 12 pounds – some good brandy, red wine and celery.
First, I browned about half a pound of bacon in a very large fry pan. I sautéed a huge chopped onion in the fat, and then distributed the fragrant mix between a couple of large enameled cast iron casseroles.
I dredged the disjointed chicken pieces in flour seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper. I heated up the fry pan once again and browned all the chicken. They, too, went into the casseroles.
I swished 1.5 c of brandy in the hot fry pan, tossed in a lit match and jumped back as flames shot up. What a glorious aroma. I divided the brandy between the two casseroles, and now used the same pan to heat a quart of the broth. While it was warming, I chopped 8 celery sticks into 1.5-inch pieces and added them to the pots.
Once the broth reached a simmer, I portioned it out to the two casseroles. I brought both pots up to a low simmer, covered them, and popped them into a 250-degree oven.
It’ll take at least three hours for these old birds to become —- coq au vin!
I hope you’re having a great dinner as well.
Sylvia
Siggy meets the big, big dogs
Siggy is a little puppy. He’s little because he’s young – under two months old. And he’s little because he’s a Pembroke Welsh Corgi – a breed that only get’s to be about 14 inches high.
Siggy is so low to the ground that his belly brushes against the grass as he walks across the fields. His legs are so short, he needs to jump when he climbs steps.
He is learning to climb smalls hills and jump over rocks. Siggy is curious about everything!
Siggy is just 6 inches high at the shoulder and less than a foot to the tips of his ears
Siggy is so much shorter than his new pack-mates, Chevy and Parker. Chevy is a German Shorthair Pointer. He’s nine years old and very strong. He’s also a valuable worker on the farm. Chevy’s human master, Dave, spent many, many months training Chevy to be a good hunting dog. Every fall, Dave and Chevy hunt pheasants, grouse, and woodcock. Chevy has lots of energy.Siggy plays with Chevy
Siggy meets Chevy, our German Shorthair Pointer
Siggy meets Parker, our English Setter
Siggy also met Parker, an English Setter with a very waggy tail. Parker is five years old and is also a hunting dog. Parker works with Chevy and Dave when they walk the woods hunting for game birds. Parker and Siggy
Now Chevy and Parker are older, bigger and stronger dogs than little Siggy. They are tall dogs with long legs. They love to run and play roughly with each other, as you can see in this short video,Big dogs play rough Although Siggy would love to run and play with Chevy and Parker all the time, Siggy’s master – his human Sylvia – has to watch very carefully because Siggy is still a small baby. Chevy and Parker don’t want to hurt Siggy, but because they are so much bigger, they might step on him or scratch him by accident.
The dogs will learn to live and play with one another over the months and years. They will work with Sylvia and David to make the farm work well.
Soon Siggy will meet the other animals on the farm.