The calf was due in December, sometime around Christmas Day. So we sequestered Puff in the holding pen and would check on her during the night. Puff, a silver Scottish Highlander, is an old cow, age 14, and because her … Continue reading →
After parking the truck with the Miles Smith Farm logo on the door, I pulled my hood over my head and dashed for the entrance to the fast-food joint, hoping not to be recognized. My preachments about buying locally … Continue reading →
It’s that time of year when farmers dress up as shepherds and present their sheep, goats, and oxen in a living Nativity scene. Well, most farmers don’t, but this one does. This tradition began in the year 1223 after Saint … Continue reading →
Robert “Bob” K. Knirsch, 66, of Summerfield, FL, passed away on Friday, December 13, 2019. Bob was born in Concord, New Hampshire on June 19, 1953 to Reinhold and Lorraine Knirsch. He was a volunteer firefighter in New Hampshire for … Continue reading →
The stone walls that line the edges of our property were put here by Miles Smith in the 1850s and ’60s. Constructed with rocks extracted from the fields, Miles moved every boulder and rock with a team of oxen. He … Continue reading →
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge contains 19 million acres of pristine environment, providing habitat to the Porcupine Caribou Herd, polar bears, wolves and 200 species of migratory birds. Though I have not been fortunate enough to visit the refuge myself, … Continue reading →
“What type of cow is that?” asked Jane, a visitor to the farm, pointing to Belle. When I told her Belle is a Milking Short Horn, Jane asked, “And when do you start milking her?” Astonished by the question, I … Continue reading →
The Town of Chichester is accepting bids for the 2020 maintenance of its cemeteries. Specifications can be found at www.chichesternh.org on the Cemetery Trustee page. Bids must be submitted by December 15th to the Selectmen’s Office, c/o Cemetery Trustees, 54 … Continue reading →
It’s fall, which means it’s time to wean the calves. If we planned it right, calves were born in March and April – nine months after conception. We control when the bull is with the cows, so most births are … Continue reading →
After living on the same farm for 45 years, I have accumulated a lot of junk in our old three-story barn. When Miles Smith owned the property in the 1800s, the barn was home to dairy cattle, a few horses, … Continue reading →
