Oakley, Becca, Roxy, and Waylon, photobombed by a sheep
Hey there Beetniks,
It’s been quite a while since I wrote to you last. [Read more…]
Theme: Becca Muller
News From the Farm | May 1, 2017
May 1, 2017
It sure has been a while. Since writing my last Beet over a year ago, Rye and I have purchased land and a house together, gotten married, and last but best, we’ve welcomed our beautiful son, Waylon Rain, into the ever-growing Muller family. All of these things happened here on the farm, albeit slightly out of traditional order.
Our home rests on property that Full Belly has been renting to farm for over 25 years and lies adjacent to the rest of the land owned by the various farm partners (what we’d call “the main ranch”). It is a quaint and modest dwelling, dating back to the 1940s, and is surrounded by trees planted by its founding family. Valley oaks, several olive varietals, Italian cypress, black walnuts, a sycamore, and a smattering of fruit trees – all more than twice my age – shade us from summer’s heavy sun and give us a bit of privacy from the traffic of Highway 16. Of the entire 44 acres, about 33 are farmable for row crops, and the other ten or so make a perfect pasture for our sheep, cows, and chickens. When it came up for sale in February of last year, we were able to buy it with help from Dru and Paul, and Andrew and Anna (all other farm owners), with the agreement that Rye and I will eventually become the sole owners as time and money permit. Our roots have been planted here and we’re eager to nurture them for years to come. [Read more…]
News From the Farm | January 4, 2016
January 4, 2016
New Year Resolutions
Ahh… January. The time to reflect on the past year and think about what we want to do differently or better next year. Here are some resolutions and reflections for 2016 collected from around Full Belly Farm:
“I resolve to do more pruning – making time to cut out more of my deadwood, looking to trim back diseased branches and snip here and there to stimulate growth and renewal. I also resolve to help all at Full Belly practice the words of collaboration; the spirit of cooperation; the language that reduces tension – while listening more carefully to hear and acknowledge what others are saying. Also to exercise more by playing more – doing it early and often …”
— Paul Muller, Owner and Best Grandpa [Read more…]
News from the Farm | March 2, 2015
March 2, 2015
Lambing Time
The trick is to be extremely quiet. Don’t slam the truck door, don’t make a squeak as you squeeze through the gate and don’t, whatever you do, turn on your flashlight yet! The night check is all about listening first – your ears alone will tell you right away what your check has in store for you. There might be a ewe cooing to her freshly born lamb over here, while another ewe is maahh-ing desperately over there – has she lost sight of her lambs in the orchard, is there a predator nearby, or is she about to go into labor? Sometimes one ewe will give birth to three lambs and another ewe is absolutely sure those three lambs belong to her, and at 3 o’clock in the morning, it’s up to you to figure out which ewe they actually belong to. Sometimes there are two ewes that have obviously given birth, four lambs around their legs, and you witness all four lambs nursing from both ewes. Sometimes there are a few fresh lambs in one corner and no ewes taking ownership of them. Sometimes there is deafening silence, which means you can head right back to bed. (That one doesn’t happen very often!) I’m talking about lambing season, folks, and for the animal team here at the farm, this season’s almost over.
[Read more…]News from the Farm | May 5, 2014
May 5, 2014
A Love Letter to Farming
Farming has become my religion. Ever since I stumbled onto Full Belly Farm, I haven’t once thought that someday I won’t be farming. It is a lifestyle that suits me marvelously; I feel a tinge of loss and insecurity when I leave the farm for more than a few days. My sense of purpose is grounded in these rich soils, it comes flowing through my fingers as I tug on our milk cow’s teats each morning, it bursts forth from coop doors as our chickens wake to fresh pastures, it squeals with delight as our piglets slurp their mid-day milk and gobble up their beet greens, it is climbing the grand oak trees that protect my home from Cache Creek, every one of them growing tilted South – toward the sun.
What makes me the happiest is my work. After two years as an intern, I was fortunate enough to start this year as an official employee of Full Belly Farm, wholly focusing on our animal program. Last month, Judith gave you a peek at how we manage our animals here at the farm. Well, I’m the one that gets to move those chickens, pigs, and goats all around our farm so the weed-eater can stay in the tool shed! Everything I do is on behalf of the animals. It is amazing, but it is also a lot of work to keep everyone clean, fed, watered, and shaded every single day no matter the circumstances. Of course, I am not alone in this endeavor… [Read more…]
