Rex - The life of a bull

Growing up on a cattle farm, we saw lots of bulls come and go. Their job was to breed the cattle, and the calves born would be sold as other breeder cows (females) and beef (steers). That's the basic setup for a cow/calf farm operation and one we are both aware of as we started working the farm with my (Dave's) Dad. 

As we worked with Dad, we saw how connected he was to the cattle, and when they may have passed away or needed to be sold, he took it hard. In our early days on the far,m we didn't fully understand the emotional connection but as the years passed, we understood. A perfect example of this is our recent change to the farm with our bull, Rex, going to market after discovering he is unable to breed anymore. 

Rex was our breeder bull and was born on March 6th, 2020. He was the first bull in a long time, born on the farm to be raised as a bull. His mother was "Bessie" a black Angus, which was the first cow Christina and I bought together, and his father was a red Angus dad and I bought together. Since he was born during COVID lockdown, we had ample time to spend with him, and we used to walk him on a lead around the farm.

This early connection and the deeper connection from his father and mother, to the farm, made Rex a part of the family. His name (Rex) was given as a connection to Dave's grandfather who farmed cattle most of his life and because he would have loved to see the bull we were raising. 

During his 6 years on the farm, his main job was to breed our cattle and give us a great crop of calves every year. He was also the highlight of the farm for guests and was a bit of a celebrity. We featured him on our webite and shared a lot on social media of his unique personality. He was on a CBC national story on farming and was usually in any articles about the farm like this one in the South Shore Breaker. 

Farmstay guests also experienced Rex as he was a regular part of all the farm tours we did with guests. He always loved a petting, and folks always were amazed at his 2100lb size but being so tame and friendly which is a big goal in general for us. We want more and more people to be connected to local farms and learn about animals and agriculture and Rex made that happen for so many people from literally around the world.

Rex was in so many pictures as well over the years that I'm sure any visitor to the farm has a picture of him on their camera roll. One of my favorite pictures of him was taken by Cassidy Smith who is a regular photographer on the farm. She snapped this one of me hugging and scatching him and this couldn't be more reflective of his kind personality and trust of those around him.

Losing Rex a few weeks ago now, was one of the hardest days of farming for us. We also had to move out "Christina" the cow as well which made it extra hard but Rex was as close to a child to us as any other farm animal. He was a kind soul that loved the life he had here (as you can see in his eyes below) and we were so happy to have experienced his life with him. Being able to share him with so many other people over the years was also a blessing. We miss him but are thankful for the full 6 years we had him.

Summer Drought

 It's been a while since writing one of these, but we have been extra busy this summer, specifically because of the weather. 

The year started our very well in terms of conditions for the gardens and pasture. We got fertilizer on early, had a good balance of moisture and sun, plus the hay fields had a good early growth to allow us to start haying 2 weeks before we normally do. We also were opening our farmstand on weekends for most of the year which was another busy part of the year but very rewarding!

Christina and I started to get worried near the end of June when we saw the long range forecast show no rain coming over 14 days. Because her garden and dahlia's need regular moisture, we decided to invest in a gas water pump with hoses and use the existing 1000 litre tote 

Although this meant we got water to the gardens (and eventually the cows), it meant we were pumping 1000 liters of water nearly every day from around the middle of July, until early November. This took up much more of our available time over the year, so although we were done haying by the 3rd week of July (much earlier than any other year), our time got spent hauling water.

The other major issue this year was with the pastures and hay fields. They couldn't be watered the same as the garden because of their size and we aren't set up to irrigate that amount of land. This meant that by early August, much of our pastures looked like the picture above. With no grass growing, and no sign of any second cut hay to make, we invested early in round rolls to feed out to the cattle from around the end of July until they go in the barn in late November. This was a cost we didn't expect and many farmers faced the same issue. Thankfully we were able to make enough hay for the winter but we couldn't feed it out in the summer. 

Water for the cattle became another issue early on. Although we have two drilled wells on the farm, they have to keep water going for our house and the farmhouse plus they provide water for the cows. As we saw dryer conditions, we decided to balance out the well water use with a full tote of water they could drink from. Although we may have been ok to just use the well, this at least took pressure off the well pump.

Although the weather made it busy and stressful year, we did have some summer highlights! Christina finally was able to attend the Windsor Garlic Festival and it was a huge success, with her selling out of garlic in 2 hours! This has motivated her to expand her garlic patch so she has more garlic next year. 

As we wind down the fall season and have Christmas Tree U-pick and cattle going in the barn for the winter in our sights, our plan is to rest this winter and recover from the busy dry seasons.

Winter Sowing

 Have you heard of it? It’s an old practice that seems to have gotten more popular the last few years with people sharing their process on social media. It’s a cheap, easy, way to grow plants from seed. You don’t need very much for supplies to give this technique a try.

Some types of seeds require stratification (exposing seeds to cold/moist conditions) for germination. Many perennials, flowers (like poppy), nut seeds, cold hardy vegetables (onions, kale, some greens) benefit from stratification and perform well with winter sowing. Even after repeat freezing and thawing, they know when it’s time to “wake up” and start growing. This technique doesn’t work well for all types of seeds though. Heat-loving crops like peppers and tomatoes do not work as well for this process because they’re super slow to germinate and then slow growing, and they would suffer from cold temperatures and frosts. The cold hardy seeds won’t mind those same cold and frosty conditions.

Of course, winter sowing also includes directly sowing seeds in the outdoor garden, but to keep a closer eye on them and keep them sorted from the weeds also germinating in the spring, plastic containers (4 L water jug split open around the middle, big plastic lettuce clam-shell etc.) are a popular choice for winter sowing containers. Whatever you choose for a container, it needs drainage and air flow, so poke holes in the bottom of the plastic container before filling with moist seed starting soil. Scatter seeds on top of the soil and then cover them with some more soil. Close the containers back up, and place them outside while it’s still cold.

Winter Sowing is done during the cold winter months (December to March here). I usually start seeds by winter sowing in February when it’s still too early to start most seeds indoors, but I’m getting the itch to start gardening. I use plastic water jugs. I tape them back up where I’ve split them open to plant and keep the lid on them until the seeds start to germinate. I tuck the just in a protected (but sunny) corner beside the chicken house where they won’t blow away and keep peaking once the weather starts to warm up. Once they start growing, I open up the taped section or take off the lid to allow for better airflow and keep them from getting too warm.

Here are a few photos of my winter sowing containers and seedlings from the past couple winters.

Beef Sales at Bar M Ranch

It's that time of year again when we’re selling beef from the farm! This year, we’ve received many questions about the process, so we wanted to share how it works to get our beef boxes to you and what it takes to put them together.

The process begins with raising an Angus steer, which takes about 20–24 months. This means we care for them for nearly two years before they are ready for market. Our steers and cows graze on grass during the warmer months and eat hay while in the barn during the colder months. This makes grass the primary component of their diet, so our cattle are grass-fed.

As a farm selling meat to the public, we’re required to process our steers at a licensed facility. There are only a few in the province, and we’ve been working with a great one in Bridgetown for several years now. However, due to the limited number of facilities, we need to book months in advance. For example, to process steers on January 9, we had to make the reservation back in early October. This requires some thought in advance since we have to hope the steers will be healthy and ready to go on that day. Additionally, we only book processing in the winter since we don’t have a refrigerated truck for transport—cooler outdoor temperatures naturally help keep the meat cold during delivery.

As the market date approaches, the planning intensifies. Here are some key factors we consider before advertising meat for sale:

• Amount of Meat: When we bring cattle to the abattoir, we know their live weight, but we won’t know the finished weight (the total weight of all the cuts) until after processing. This means our advertised availability is an estimate based on previous years’ finished weights.

• Pick-Up Date: We typically have a good idea of when the meat will be ready, but this depends on the butcher’s freezer space. Sometimes we’re asked to pick it up early. This is why we collect customer contact information to keep everyone informed. We’re often asked why we can’t hold or save meat for another day, and the main reason is limited freezer space. As a small farm processing only a few cows every few years, we don’t generate enough revenue to invest in larger freezers.

• Buyer List: Selling our beef is one of the most exciting parts of the process, especially since many of our customers return year after year! However, it’s also the most challenging. We don’t know the exact amount of meat available until the day of pick-up, nor do we have a confirmed pick-up date until closer to the time. Since freezer space is limited, we can only hold meat on the day of delivery. To streamline the process, we started using an online order form this year. It’s been the most efficient way to track orders and ensure everyone gets what they need.

At the heart of it all, we truly love raising the beef we sell. It’s a privilege to provide high-quality, grass-fed beef to our community, and we take pride in the care and effort we put into every step of the process. However, as a small farm, there are unique challenges we face. The limited number of licensed processing facilities, the need to plan months in advance, and the lack of large-scale storage space make distribution particularly challenging.

The way we organize our process—from careful scheduling and estimating availability to using an online order form—has been shaped by these realities. It allows us to manage the complexities of getting our beef from the farm to your table while ensuring we uphold the quality and transparency our customers value. We’re grateful for your support and understanding as we navigate these challenges and continue doing what we love.

Winter Rest and Reflections

 As we settle into winter after the holiday season, we do so with a focus on rest and reflection. Rest from the past year of an amazing year of hosting farm guests for the farmstay and events at the pavilion. Reflection on who we've met and how they have experienced the farm has been brings back warm memories during this cooler season. 

2024 was the second full year renting out the farmhouse and was much busier than 2023. We didn't list on Airbnb our first year and stuck to mostly weekend rentals. This gave us time to learn and grow from our guests and when we finally listed we were ready. From May until late November this year, we ended up being booked for weekends and weekdays which was busy but so much fun meeting guests from all over the world (we met people from Germany to Texas and even Peru!).

We had our first wedding here this year which was a big step for us! We had been asked over the years, after we put up the pavilion if we would ever host weddings but without a place to stay for the wedding party, it made it not ideal. With the farmhouse we now have a great place to stay and get married under the pavilion! Even the cattle were into it as "Rex" the bull watched the cars parking and bride get her pictures done. 

Christina had a great dahlia garden this year which was a welcome change from garden she had to work with during 2023, when we were getting too much rain. Not only was it an amazing backdrop for the wedding but we also had lots of folks purchase bouquets to enjoy. Reflecting back on the the colors of her dahlia's is a welcome reminder that spring won't be far away for more color on the farm other than white snow.

Winter will be a time for rest but also a time to plan but we can't wait to meet more guests, enjoy more events and work the farm chores in 2025!

Farm Updates - Summer/Fall 2024

It has been awhile since we did a blog post so this is going to feel like a seasonal newsletter. We have been extra busy on the farm so instead of trying to share all that's been happening, we'll share some of the highlights. 

We finally have a farmstand on the farm! We used reclaimed wood and my (Dave's) extensive carpentry skills, we finally have a space for folks to pick up our farm goods. We have been selling garlic and dahlia bouquets but this fall we'll have Christmas wreathes for sale as well. We can't wait to expand this next year. 

We had our first wedding on the farm! We had been thinking about offering the space here on the farm for weddings and we finally went for it! It was a lovely event and we're so excited to offer the space for it going forward. Stay tuned for more details.

Christina's dahlia patch was amazing this year and we're so happy for that! After last year and all the wet weather we had, we were so thankful for an amazing year for her dahlia's. 

The cattle have been amazing this year. We have been building the herd back after dad got out of farming and this year was the peak since that time. Our bull is at his peak as her turns 5 years old and all the cows are healthy and doing well during calving season. 

We have had less workshops this year but the ones we have had were very memorable. One of our regular farmstay guests had a birthday party on the farm and it was so much fun. We love doing these events where kids get to experience the outdoors and nature and this was an amazing time for that. 

Overall we have had an amazing summer and are having some awesome experiences going into the fall.

Farm Planning for 2024

As we settle into the winter months of January and February, we are looking ahead to planning for the year after the snow melts. Although winter time presents it's own challenges, it's the only time of year where we slow down and have more rest time. We work our office jobs during the weekday and have morning and evening barn chores but other then that it's more time in the house to work on planning and paperwork. 

This year is already going to be a unique year compared to other years here on the farm. I (Dave), have a 6 month leave from my office job coming up in the summer and into the fall. This presents an exciting opportunity to get lots of farm projects tackled that have been on the list for awhile now. Some of the work I've got mapped out already includes:

- Building repairs. There are a number of building fixes needed and normally we don't have the time to work on them. Most of the work involves painting the barn and chicken house as well as the farmhouse. We are also getting a new roof on the chicken house so the plan is to clean out the inside and make a space for Christina's wreath crafting and also indoor workshops and storage. 

- Events and workshops. We have been planning to offer more workshops on farming and hopefully that will be happening in spring and summer. Most of the topics will be around introduction to farming and how to start a homestead or farm. For events, we have 2 weddings and a wedding reception/social in 3 back to back weekends 

- Farmhouse improvements. I am hoping to tackle a few upgrades to the farm stay rental. The main one is a small firepit area behind the house for evening socials.  

- Farm chores. There are a lot of areas of the farm that need maintence like roads and property lines, mowing and pasture upgrades. These are all hopefully going to be happening more this summer. 

We are both looking forward to a productive summer!