It's a dreadful thing when a family running an egg farm can't have a soufle for dinner because there aren't enough eggs!
We were planning on a soufle tonight, but the demand for our eggs over Easter has taken every egg on the farm - and we have an order for 30 dozen first thing in the morning.
Oh well, we'll just have to make do with pasta. Just as well I love ravioli and we have heaps of tomatoes and chillies in the garden.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Churchill Island Farmers' Market
Well we knew we would not enough eggs for the Good Friday market as we were short of a day's production - but it was a good day even so.
The reason for bringing the market forward was that Churchill Island has a Working Horse Festival every Easter - starting on Saturday - and custromers wanting to go to the market understandably refuse to pay an entry fee to the festival.
We sold around 80 dozen eggs which was all we had available as all our restaurants and retail outlets wanted extra supplies during the week to cater for Easter demand.
The reason for bringing the market forward was that Churchill Island has a Working Horse Festival every Easter - starting on Saturday - and custromers wanting to go to the market understandably refuse to pay an entry fee to the festival.
We sold around 80 dozen eggs which was all we had available as all our restaurants and retail outlets wanted extra supplies during the week to cater for Easter demand.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Farmers' Market dilemma
This Easter weekend has presented a bit of a problem for us because we normally have a Farmers' Market at Churchill Island (just off Phillip Island) on the fourth Saturday every month.
Every Easter, Churchill Island - which was bought for the community by Trust for Nature - has a Working Horse Festival which starts on Saturday.
Market-goers won't pay the entry fee to a festival if they are just there to buy produce. So the market day was switched to Friday. GOOD FRIDAY!! Hmm
But in practical terms it has meant that bringing the market forward a day has deprived our customers of 60 dozen eggs (our average daily production). We have regular deliveries to restaurants, stores and homes which had to be met so we won't have many eggs at the market!
Every Easter, Churchill Island - which was bought for the community by Trust for Nature - has a Working Horse Festival which starts on Saturday.
Market-goers won't pay the entry fee to a festival if they are just there to buy produce. So the market day was switched to Friday. GOOD FRIDAY!! Hmm
But in practical terms it has meant that bringing the market forward a day has deprived our customers of 60 dozen eggs (our average daily production). We have regular deliveries to restaurants, stores and homes which had to be met so we won't have many eggs at the market!
New flock of pullets settling in
The new flock of 200 Isa Brown pullets are settling in well. They arrived yesterday and at first they weren't too sure about Bella - the Maremma whose job it is to protect them from marauding foxes, dogs, humans (if you can call them that) and birds of prey.
But within 12 hours or so the young hens were happily playing with her and inspecting her kennel.
The birds are well grown and I'm sure will start laying in week or so.
But within 12 hours or so the young hens were happily playing with her and inspecting her kennel.
The birds are well grown and I'm sure will start laying in week or so.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Hot day today
It was a hot day at Grantville today - almost 40c - but thankfully we had no problems (other than a water leak caused by ground movement in the dry conditions. I was off at the Inverloch Farmers' Market and Annie found the leak at about 8.30.
When I got back it was just a matter of digging up the poly pipe and tightning up the joiners. Naturally she had turned the water off at the mains as soon as she discovered the leak so we didn't waste much water.
The market was pretty good with sales of nearly 100 dozen eggs.
When I got back it was just a matter of digging up the poly pipe and tightning up the joiners. Naturally she had turned the water off at the mains as soon as she discovered the leak so we didn't waste much water.
The market was pretty good with sales of nearly 100 dozen eggs.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Getting ready for a new flock
A new flock of 200 point of lay hens is arriving next week and we've been making sure everything is ready for them on the farm.
Their mobile shed has been cleaned out and the electric mesh fences moved to ensure they have new pasture to roam on.
We never lock our chooks up so it's important that we move the sheds and fences fairly often to maintain pasture growth.
The new flock will maintain our overall numbers at around 800 as we have been selling off a flock of older birds to people who want hens for their backyards.
Their mobile shed has been cleaned out and the electric mesh fences moved to ensure they have new pasture to roam on.
We never lock our chooks up so it's important that we move the sheds and fences fairly often to maintain pasture growth.
The new flock will maintain our overall numbers at around 800 as we have been selling off a flock of older birds to people who want hens for their backyards.
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