All posts by Cindra@lifewithafarmer

Rain, Rain…

Enloe Farms, ,

Much of the nation has been experiencing drought conditions the last couple of years. In fact, two years ago, because things were so dry, hay production was very low. Due to the shortage of hay, it became a very “hot” commodity. We had to buy a lot of hay during the winter, and it was very expensive! (Supply and demand—capitalism at work!) The large, round bales of hay that historically cost $25-$35 a bale, were selling for $55-$65. We even heard of someone paying (well, charging) $90 a bale!

Last year was a little bit better, or we were a lot more prepared. We had enough hay to feed the cattle through the winter, and we still have a few bales leftover to feed cattle that are put in the lot for various reasons.

We are not out of the drought conditions, yet. In fact, our farm sits in an area that the old-timers used to call Dry Branch–possibly because the rains seem to keep going around us. At times, we see a storm moving in, and then it begins to clear up and looks like a completely different weather pattern.

During the last couple of months, we have been praying for rain…the situation was getting serious. The fields were thin, the grasses were not growing, and we were wondering what we would do for hay for the coming winter. But thankfully, this month we have been blessed and over-blessed with rains, here on the farm. Now The Farmer has another problem…the rain is keeping him from cutting the hay!

He only needs three straight days of good sunshine to cut a field, rake it, and bale it. Unfortunately, the weatherman keeps predicting “chances” for afternoon, morning, or evening showers. His latest prediction looked like this:

 

So understandably, The Farmer is a little hesitant about laying any grass on the ground. But like all ventures here on the farm, he’s going to eventually just take a chance and hope for the best.


rain rain w_lwaf logo




















Cold and Dry Hay Season

Enloe Farms, ,

Traditionally, The Farmer begins cutting hay in May, when plants have the fewest seed heads and leaves contain the most nutrients. After the hay begins to seed, the nutrients leave the leaves and go up into the seed. The early cuttings in May produce quality hay.

Unfortunately, hay season is off to a slow start this year. The combination of late snowstorms into April, the cool (downright cold) days of spring, and then the drought conditions that are still lingering through this month have stalled the growth of spring grasses.

The Farmer was able to put up a few bales, but we are in need of a lot more before hay season ends.

hayfield

“Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Thy hay appereth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.”

Proverbs 27:23 & 25

The Farmer Has Retired

Enloe Farms, Home, ,
The Farmer standing by his Fabick truck
Last day at Fabick Tractor, Fenton, MO

When I look at people who have been working for a long time, it seems to me that they all fall into at least three different groups when it comes to the subject of retirement:
1) Those who fear retirement, 2) Those who can’t seem to acquire enough for retirement, and 3) Those who use work as a means to retirement.

The Farmer belongs to the last group. He’s a hard worker, and he has used a lot of his hard-working years to save up for retirement. He has never been able to sit and enjoy taking time off. I think it’s because he’s had his eye on a greater goal
retirement.

He typically left the house very early, and had at least a 45-minute drive to work. He was very diligent; working in the rain, snow, sleet and hail (the postman had nothing on him). He would often work late, go to bed early, and get up “Grumpy” (me), so I could fix his lunch for the day.

However, that has all changed. He has retired from his “real” job, and he’s learning to live an entirely different way. He’s sleeping in a bit later (I’m afraid that may change when the weather gets warmer), he refuses to go out and work in the rain or snow, and he’s spending way too much time contemplating.

As a son of a farmer, he learned early to work hard. He began following his father around and helping him with whatever he was doing. In fact, some of his most precious memories are chasing his dad out the door as he went out to do some work on the farm. They were always fixing vehicles and machinery or repairing fences. Lots of time was spent clearing the land, picking up rocks, and creating brush piles. And of course there was always wood to be cut, animals to be tended to, and an occasional building project.

Although he has retired from his real job, he has not retired from farming. These next few years are the years we have both been working towards; the years we can spend enjoying the farm. We are raising cattle, instead of building the herd. We get to look out off our porch at fields of grasses, instead of clearing land. And we get to enjoy the things around us, instead of always wanting more.

Oh, that doesn’t mean there won’t be building projects, and machinery to work on, or fences that will need mending, but for the most part he has plans of putting up hay, watching the cattle grow, and enjoying all that God has allowed us to acquire.

This brings to mind a story in which Christ told concerning covetousness. He said that a farmer spent his whole life building for himself. He had land, built barns, and gained riches. One day he stopped and looked at all he had acquired and decided to tear his barns down and build bigger barns to hold more of the things that he wanted. But before he could do that, God ended his life here on earth.

The Bible records that he was a fool, not because he achieved so much, but because as he gained everything he could to benefit himself, and never gave thought to prepare for eternity. Jesus said, “…beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.” But we are to seek God’s redemption first, and then live according to His blessings.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36

No matter what riches you have this side of Heaven (or lack thereof), if you do not prepare for eternity, in the end you will lose everything.

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Luke 12:34

Quick and Easy Parmesan Pizza Crust

Recipes, , , , , ,

Yeast is not the easiest thing to work with when you’re a natural procrastinator (like me). When I make yeast dough, like pizza crust, I never give it enough time to rise properly, but with this recipe there is very little time needed for rising, so if I decide 30 minutes before supper to have a homemade pizza, I can with this quick and easy Parmesan  pizza crust.

homemade pizza crust in the oven
Can you see how high the crust rises? I put too much cheese on this pizza and made a little mess in the oven.
 
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:7]

 

Spring Showers

Enloe Farms, ,
Storms are so beautiful…
And scary…
The trees were even scared white…
We were captivated by the colorful contrast…
The beauty continued…
Then came the hail…
Fortunately for us, the storm blew over without much damage.
“The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power…the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.”
Nahum 1:3

Without The Christ

Heavenly Placed, Home, ,

 

Hope you all had a blessed Resurrection Day!
poem_Without the Christ

Without the Christ

Without His birth, where would I be?

In a stable stayed the three

Angels announced

Shepherds observed

Wisemen came to worship the Lord.

 

Without the Cross, where would I be?

All my sins on top of me.

Full of guilt

A price to pay

My sins would not have been washed away.

 

Without the Christ where would we be?

Dying for all humanity.

His blood removed

Our guilt and shame

He took our place, we took His name.

 

Without His resurrection where would we be?

Death is swallowed up in victory

Buried three days

He snatched Death’s key

 

And rose with life eternally.


                                                                                -Cindra Enloe

Peach Cobbler

Home, ,

This was the first time I made this peach cobbler. It was a combination of 3 or 4 other recipes that I had found.  It turned out beautifully! I had 2 lbs. of peaches so I wish I had put this is in a larger pan and doubled the crust ingredients.

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter                                                                        ¾ cup sugar

¾ cup flour                                                                              ¾ cup milk

1 tsp. baking powder                                                              5 medium peaches

¼ tsp. salt                                                                                 ¼ tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the stick of butter into a 2 qt. baking dish and place in oven until butter is melted.

Place the peaches into a small pot. Add 1 cup water and ¾ cup sugar. Cook on medium heat until syrupy. Remove from heat.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add sugar and milk to flour mixture until smooth.

Add this mixture to the 2 qt. baking dish when butter is melted.

Slowly add the peaches and syrup into the baking dish. Do not stir them after they are in the baking dish, because you will want the crust to rise to the top and cover the peaches.

Cook for 60 -75 minutes, checking often at the end.

Homemade Chili

Home, , ,

At our church’s annual chili cook off, this chili came at the top. I know because I helped with the judging. The blue ribbon went to the wife of one of the judges (just sayin’).

Homemade Chili

2 lbs. ground beef
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt
4 Tbs. chili seasoning
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 (8 oz.) jar salsa
3 or 4 cups of leftover pinto beans
(or 2-15 oz. cans of light or dark red kidney beans, or chili beans)

Brown hamburger and drain off grease. Add pepper, garlic salt, and chili seasoning. Mix in the tomato sauce and the salsa. Bring to a low boil over medium heat. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer on low for at least 1 hour. Always better the next day.

Is Your Beef Organic

Enloe Farms, ,
Although our beef is not certified organic, we do meet the standards for organic beef.
In order to be an organic certified farm, we would have to follow certain rules set up by certain watchdogs, and jump through certain loopholes set up by certain lobbyists. As a “mom and pop” operation, we have neither the desire nor resources to bow to these bureaucrats.
Therefore, we hold ourselves accountable to keep our beef product equal to, or above, the standards set by the National Organic Program found in the Code of Federal Regulations. (Code of Federal Regulations of Certified Livestock)
Herein stated:
(a)    We provide livestock with a total feed ration composed of agricultural products, including pasture and forage, that are organically produced and handled
(b)   We do not:
a.       Use animal drugs, including hormones, to promote growth
b.      Provide feed supplements or additives in amounts above those needed for adequate nutrition and health maintenance
c.       Feed plastic pellets for roughage
d.      Feed formulas containing urea or manure
e.       Feed mammalian slaughter by-products
f.       Use feed, feed additives, and feed supplements in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
g.      Provide feed or forage to which any antibiotic has been added
h.      Prevent, withhold, restrain, or otherwise restrict our animals from actively obtaining feed grazed from pasture during the grazing season
(c)    During the grazing season we:
a.       Do not feed our cattle more than 30% dry matter, and then only in dire situations
b.      Our beef cattle graze on lush, green pastures for more than the 120 days required by certification
So, Yes…our cattle are Organic, just not Certified.

 

For information on buying our beef, click >>HERE<<, or go to the Buying Beef tab at the top of this page.

 

Ready For Summer

Enloe Farms, , ,

Anyone ready for summer? I certainly am. I’m not only tired of the cold weather, but I’m also ready to refill my freezer.

I always get a little testy this time of year, because all I have left in my freezer is one-pound packages of ground beef.

Our steaks are usually eaten up before winter comes along, because we use them through the BBQ season, along with a lot of our hamburger patties (which we I gladly pay extra for). Then we go through the roasts and stew meats. And now we only have ground beef. I’ve often joked about writing a cookbook on 1,001 ways to cook ground beef, since we use it so often.

I really should be more thankful, since there have been times (when all the kids were home) when the freezer was completely bare before the next harvest. Fortunately, it won’t be long until I’m giving away all the extra liver, heart, and tongue we have left over from last year to make room for the beef for this year.

In fact, we are taking orders now for an expected delivery in June.

If you are interested in ordering any beef, please click >>>Here<<<, or the “Buying Beef“ tab at the top of the page.

Or request a beef by filling out our Contact Form.

Spring Calving Season is in Full Swing

Enloe Farms, , ,

March is the start of our spring calving season, and we have had six baby girls so far. Last year we had all bull calves, but this year looks like it’s going to be a heifer haven!

The Farmer has been wanting to get some new heifers to replace some of our old cows (we have a couple that are almost 14 years old). The problem of replacing old cows with new cows is that the ones we are wanting are twice as much as the ones we are selling.

But since it looks like we are going to have a bumper crop of heifers this year, we have decided to keep several heifer calves and replace one bull. Otis (our bull) has been a great addition to the farm. He throws some mighty nice calves, and he’s so gentle that the kids can walk up to him and pet him.

The other advantage of keeping calves from a bull that we have had on the farm for years is that we know the heritage of our breeding cows. Background tracibility in cattle is very important when selling processed beef.

Sounds like a plan…we’ll see.

Walking On Thin Ice

Home, ,

“I need a camera,” I informed The Farmer last November.

“I thought you had a good camera on your phone,” he reminded me.

“I do, but it doesn’t zoom far enough. I need a camera that zooms so I don’t have to get out in the cold and take pictures. Remember last year when the cow had her baby in the snow? I couldn’t get close enough to get a really good picture.”

I’m not sure he was truly convinced, but since it was right before Christmas, I had a really good chance of getting one. And I did. Doing the research, I got a great deal during the Black Friday sales (online, by the way).

And I’ve taken some great pics. I can sit in my sitting room and zoom in on the McD’s cup that is sitting on the counter and see the advertisement on the cup.

I’ve also taken some wintery shots off the deck when we had all that freezing snow the last couple of months.
Can you see the cattle?

Unfortunately,  after I got the camera, I  lost my muse for a time, because The Farmer hadn’t been doing much around the farm. Well, he has fed hay, and scraped the feed lot, and fixed waterers, and shoveled snow, and chopped ice on the pond, but  it was too cold for me to get outside, and too far away from the porch for me to take pictures. Until the other day when he went out to spread red clover on the pastures.

We re-seed our red clover in our pastures every couple of years, because it’s the natural way to put nitrate back into the ground (nitrate helps the grasses grow). A good time to spread seed is while the snow is on the ground, and right before spring thaw. Since the weather seemed to be cooperating, you can imagine how excited I was to find out The Farmer was going to go do something I could take pictures of and write about. I was also silently hoping to take a video.

Hurrying to get my coat and boots on, I rushed out the door just in time to take a picture of The Farmer pulling away. “Click” (always take two) “Click.”


Walking along trying to adjust the zoom, I all of sudden found myself lying flat on my back, with a cracked elbow, rattled teeth, and a throbbing backside! The only thing that I was aware of was the fact that I threw my camera as I went down. As I lay there getting my bearings, my rendezvous with The Farmer was forgotten. Completely unnoticed by him, I hobbled into the house to access the damage, and was thankful to realize that nothing was broken. Later, retelling the story to The Farmer, I was amazed to find how much concern he had for my camera. I assured him that I too had come away unscathed.

Later, as I was again walking outside (being more watchful this time), I thought about how quickly my world was “turned up-side down.” How I was going through the motions of my day, thinking, planning, doing, and then in a split-second my feet were gone from out from under me and I was lying helpless on the ground. All my thoughts, plans, and motions had been changed to something completely different with that one small slip on the ice.

Jonathan Edwards (a 18th century preacher during America’s Great Awakening) spoke of this very thing in his well-known sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” He used Deuteronomy 32:35 as his text, “…their foot shall slide in due time.”

His sermon can be read here >>Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God , or you can listen to a reenacted version >>HERE<<. It’s a long read, but it is so worth the time it takes.

I was reminded of his key statement, “…their foot shall slide in due time.” When I slid on the ice, there was no warning, no flashing lights, no sounding alarms, and no stopping once I began to fall. My feet slipped and gravity took me down.

Edwards compares this with life on this earth and eternity. We all are walking around thinking about our plans and what we’ll be doing tomorrow and the next day, but none of us are promised tomorrow. No one is ever guaranteed more than the second in which we are living in right now.

All of us are one split-second away from eternity. And once that journey begins, all of our thoughts, plans, and motions will cease on this side of eternity. In a lot of cases, it comes without warning; a health issue, an accident, etc., and then we are on the other side of eternity.

Several years ago I made a very conscious decision to place Christ on the throne of my life. In God’s word He told me that I had offended Him; that I was an enemy of His, because I had been born into sin (we all have). And God cannot, and will not, associate with sin.

I read that God desired for me to be adopted into His family for eternity. He said that He had already paid for my sins that I had committed, and the sins that I wasn’t even aware of, because Christ took the punishment on the cross that was meant for me. And although Christ had taken on the sins of the whole world, there was still something I had to do to make this gift of salvation mine. I had to accept it. The work was done, the gift was given, the relationship between a holy God and an unrighteous people had been reconciled, but until I personally accepted His Gift of forgiveness, I could not be reconciled with God. We could never have a relationship unless I acted on His gift. And I did when I was 21 years old.

However, if God would not have sustained me, if He would not have had mercy to keep my feet on solid ground, if I would have slipped into eternity before I had accepted this Gift, my eternity would have been full of darkness, agony, and total separation from God.

Being a Christian is more than a religion to me, it’s the fulfillment of my purpose in life. It’s the reason I was created, and it’s the reason I wanted to share this with you. I’m not being trite when I ask, but have you been reconciled to God? Have you made a choice to follow God’s law and trust in His gift of eternal life made available to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? I truly hope you have.

When I had questions about eternity, I found my answers in God’s Word. Reading the books of John, Romans, and Psalms answered a lot of my questions. I hope it helps you, too.

“…God commendeth (demonstrates) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us…being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life…”

“We also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”

Romans 5:8-11