Quinn’s Irish Hill Farm

Hello faithful followers(?)

Today the last shipment of Cornish Cross chicks arrived. Yesterday the previous group went out on the grass. They liked it until the day cooled off and they were huddled next to the hay bales I gave them for protection.

The group before that will be going to the processor on Friday.

We had already processed about half of them but I felt that they were a little light so we gave them the rest of the week to fatten up.

After processing all the viscera and blood is dumped on an enclosed compost pile I built to keep the varmints out. It only worked sort of. Two nights ago I went out on the porch and checked things out with my spotlight. There was a coyote on top of the pile. How he got on top of a five foot pile I don’t know. The light spooked him and he ran a ways off, but wouldn’t go away.

Now keep in mind that the whole time he was no more than twenty yards from the lambs and the other chicken pens.

This is the kind of visitor we don’t want around.

After playing hide and seek with the light he ran off. About an hour later I  went out and there he was again. This time I  got out the new .222 rifle my friend gave me and found him in the scope.  I had Pat keep the light on him. Sighting through a rifle scope at night isn’t so easy,but finally I found him and at about that time he decided the light was too much and decided to leave. I took the shot, but he disappeared. I went out in the morning and looked around,  clearly I had missed.

Last night I went out  and swept the light around and there he was again. This time he didn’t hesitate, he took off at a sprint at the first sign of the light. I’ll leave him go for now. I ordered a new varmint light to attach to the rifle. It has a red halogen beam that varmints can’t see. This should give me all the advantage I need.

The weather has a definite feel of fall already. The days are warm and sunny and the nights are getting chilly. There is copious dew on the grass in the morning.

The garden has been doing much better than in previous years. I harvested over 250 garlic bulbs. Today I will get the onions. The potato plants are wilting, indicating it is time to dig  ‘taters too.

The farmer’s market has been slow, but still I have been selling chickens at a decent pace. I have been setting up a stand at Back to Basics Bulk food store on Rt. 13 and after several disappointing weeks I ran an ad in the Shopper and business has begun to pick up. Neighborhood customers! Exactly who I wanted.

By the time this last batch of chicks is ready for the freezer it will be October. I will be glad to put the chicken farm to bed for the winter.

I will get another crop of garlic in the ground and I am going to try to raise seed onions for myself.

I’m not really looking forward to winter, but a bright spot is that we purchased a vacation place in Florida and we will get to spend some time there this winter.

Well friends,

I hope you are really out there. I would like to hear from anyone who reads these things.

Take care, Be well!

Tom

I apologize if you are a follower of this and haven’t seen anything new for a while.

Here it is  the middle of July.

The first batch of chickens are a memory and as seems to always happen I ran out of stock even though I had planned better and had more chickens on hand.

The Cortland East End Market has been a little slow for me, but happily my regular customers keep showing up and often send new customers  as well.

The first group of Freedom Ranger chicks were doing quite well until week four when the field pen was invaded for several nights by a weasel that ended up killing seventeen chickens over two weeks.Despite my best efforts to protect the pen and setting a number of traps it just stopped coming and we ended up butchering the remaining eleven chickens last week.We kept one for ourselves to serve to my brother and his wife while they were visiting. It was wonderful, cooked in Pat’s new “Big Green Egg” grill with a can of beer on one of those stands. Moist and flavorful.

The four lambs we have this year are much more friendly than last year and look to be thriving. We have been moving them more frequebntlt and over all they look great. They will go to the butcher on Sept. 13th.

Sadly once again my popcorn crop failed. I have no guess about what happened. I will re seed the plot with buckwheat for the bees and to plow under for fretilzer for next year.

Speaking of bees. The new hive I opened this year is very busy and the bees are very calm when I visit them.I’m hopeful of a good haul of honey this year.

I have been selling chickens at the parking lot of the Bulk Foods store on Rt. 13 in Dryden on Thursdays. Stop by and say hello if you are in the area.

Well, I have chores to catch up on.

I’ll try to post more often.

In the mean time be well!

So far it have been slow, but I am hopeful it will pick up.

Yes, it is April 27th and I look out the window to see snow falling.

This isn’t all that unusual for Central New York. But it is disapointing after the spring weather we have had lately.

There are so many things to get done. Preparing the garden beds, building a new cold frame for started plants. I have to check and repair the field pens to get ready for the chickens.The lamb pasture needs to be fenced.We received fifty four Cornish Cross chicks two weeks ago and happily all but one have survived so far.If the weather warms up they will go outside in about two weeks.

Later this week I am expecting delivery of the first batch of Freedom Ranger chicks. These taller more rangy birds are a little less huge in the breast and legs and are great foragers and have a unique taste that has earned them the “Label Rouge” classification in France, Their highest quality award.The sample group we raised last year were well received and the folks that bought them asked for more.Following that more Cornish chicks will arrive.

We have two sources for lambs lined up, but it is still a little early to get them away from their mother. Soon though.

I’ll be trying to grow popcorn again this year and hope for better results. Also more broom corn is in the plan. I have improved my broom making skills over the winter. I will have brooms at the farmer’s market this year. Pat is going to add a goat’s milk soap to her line. Also more of the cherry pit pillows.

the new trailer I got  from my brother Dave  may make a real difference in how I set up at the farmer’s market. My knees are very arthritic and climbing in and out of the truck is becoming  difficult. This new trailer will allow me to haul the freezers and everything else to the market and then only have a ramp to walk to the freezers.

Speaking of the market; I have been asked to sit on the board of directors of the East End Farmer’s Market in Cortland . Working with the other members we have made some planned improvements in how the market operates, attracted some new vendors and established a new venue.

The East End Market will now be open on Wednesday’s form 4:30 to 7:00pm on  the green at Homer.

I will soon be offering chickens and other goods in the parking lot at “The Bulk Food Store” on Rt. 13 in Dryden. I will be there from 2pm until 6pm on Thursdays starting in June.

We are planing an Open House here at the farm. Thentaively scheduled for

June 27th, noon until 4pm. We will have all the livestock out to see and we’ll try to have some local crafters or other demonstrations going on.Maybe even some live music.

Watch this space for details.

I have also established a Facebook Page for Quinn’s Irish Hill Farm. Look in and see what might be the day to day news.

For now this is all I have to write about.

I hope you’ll check in from time to time. You can stay in touch through my Facebook page as well.

Cheers!

Tom

The sun is out and the snow is almost completely gone.

The mud hasn’t been as bad as I had anticipated; so far anyway. The ice is melting on the pond and I’m anxious to see how the trout have fared over the winter.

The laying hens are now back on a full time laying schedule. During the winter I had to close down the road side egg stand due to frozen eggs and then the plow blocked access. This weekend I will get things set up again. We put up a new small building to house the freezers and other farm items , we will now be doing all our on-farm sales in the new “Chicken Shack”. That way you don’t have to come up on the porch.

All the seeds have come in for the garden and I find myself getting impatient to get out and plant, but experience tellls me not to get ahead of the weather. I’m sure it will get cold and too wet again.

Chicks have been ordered to arrive the second week in April. There will be Cornish Cross as usual and also a batch of the Freedon Rangers that people liked so much last year.We are waiting for lambs to get old enough to remove from their mothers.

The Cortland East End Farmer’s Market is gearing up and there are some new plans and ideas taking place there.So that’s all the news for now. I’m glad to see the return of the good weather.

I hope you all got through the winter in good health and spitirits.

I’ll be happy to see you at the market or up at the farm.

Buy Fresh-Buy Local.

Cheers,

Tom

Hello.
I’m glad you took the time to see if I’ve added anything to my musings.
Here it is the end of another year. I don’t make too much of a big thing about New Year’s Eve or any of that. To me it is mostly just turning a calendar page.
But it is , I guess , a good time to look forward and back to see where we’ve been and maybe where we would like to go.
Just two weeks ago we sold the last of the chickens out of the freezer and even had to go into our “stash” to make sure one of our customers had a couple of chickens to get through the winter.
To me that says a lot. We have sold more chickens this year than ever before. We have a number of steady customers that have helped the small business to grow. And happily our reputation for a quality product has grown as well.
All the lamb sold out pretty quickly, so we have resolved to raise at least four this coming year.
We did a much better job of spacing the deliveries of chicks so that we wouldn’t run out of birds in mid season. We also had much less mortality among the chicks, but the losses to predators was way too high.I will have to take stronger steps to prevent that in the future.
We lost altogether more than twenty chickens to night time raiders. I managed to trap and dispose of a couple of skunks, but I think the most harm was from raccoons and I didn’t get any of them.
The coyotes continue to be a threat, but it is clear from seeing the tracks in the snow. that they have a healthy respect for the electrified fences around the laying hens.
Speaking of the layers; we never got around to making the older Jersey Giant layers into stew birds. I think partly because we were tired of processing birds and at least in part because we have had them a long time and are a little fond of them. I’m afraid they will have to go in the spring though. Three years is enough to feed them for a diminishing return in eggs.
If you are thinking of having a hen or two of your own, I would gladly sell you a couple of them. They would be ideal for a small family as they will lay two or three eggs a week for a few more years. Contact me if your are interested
I have been dealing with the state Department of Ag and Markets in trying to find a way I can make home made garlic powder without having to build a new kitchen that fits the standard for a commercial facility.
More hoops to jump and little hope for success. I may be able to strike a deal with a baker friend of mine to use his certified kitchen and do it that way. Like Joel Salatin says” Everything I want to do is illegal”.
I think we will be making another try at raising popcorn and broom corn and put more effort into weed control this year.
I also hope to add decorative and functional gourds to the list this season.
I’ll post the plans as they become more refined and we begin to actually move in the direction of spring.
So Friends,
Be well, be happy and do something kind for someone.
Happy New Year!
Tom

It’s two days before Thanksgiving.
Most of the preparations for winter have been done. There are still a few things left to do though and a few things that need to be put away for the winter.
The work on our new carport/workshop is two thirds done. The new 10×10 shed to house the freezers and other market related things is getting set up to conduct sales of the farm and craft goods there instead of on the porch.
We are still getting calls for chickens and happily, we have many still available to sell. That is the result of better planning during the season. We will continue selling them until they are gone. Please call ahead to be sure we’re home. 844-8645
Overall our season was successful. Sales at the Cortland East End Farmer’s Market were pretty steady and have brought in some new customers. We sold grass fed lamb for the first time and it was so well received that we will be raising a couple more lambs come spring time.We did not raise any turkeys this year. We advertised that turkeys need to be ordered by July to be grown out by this time of year, but we had no orders. Now of course folks are calling about turkey. I think next season we will try some smaller type of turkey.
The soaps and lip balm Pat makes are gaining popularity.
If you haven’t seen us at the market , we introduced Pat’s line of “Just Plain Soap”.
There are three varieties, “Just Plain”, “Gardener’s” and “Mechanics” soap. all made with the bare essentials of lye, palm oil olive oil and water, with mild abrasives in the gardener’s and mechanic’s soap.
There are no other scents or emulsions or other foreign stuff put in the blend. Hence the name”Just Plain Soap”. The folks that have tried it have almost always come back for more. Pat has now also been making Cherry Pit Pillows. These are flannel pillows filled with cherry pits that you can place in the microwave for three minutes and used to warm cold feet or soothe sore muscles . She uses one at home almost every day.
Pat is pretty amazing, she works full time as a nurse at Cortland Convenient Care Center, and helps me around the farm and then puts in the time it takes to do all these other things. Whats amazing is that the business is supposed to be “My” responsibility. Sometimes it seems that Pat works harder at it than I do.
I just wanted to point all this out because I am thankful each and every day that I have Pat as my wife and partner. Only God knows why she picked me, but I’m sure glad she did.
We will continue to plan ways to make our little farm more productive and sustainable in the future. We will also be working on plans to develop more offerings for our friends and customers who are increasingly seeking locally produced foods and other articles.
I’m thankful also for the support and confidence our customers have shown and we look forward to continuing to providing good locally produced food.
Stay well my friends.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Cheers,
Tom

It’s hard to beleive that this is the third week in October. What happened to summer?
The last of the broiler chickens have been processed and are in the freezer. The field pens are put away for the winter. The laying hens have been moved closer to the barn in anticipation of winter. We still need to cull some of the laying hens. The Jersey Giants have been great laying hens but are now getting a little old and are not laying as many eggs as they used to.
I may try to sell a few and the rest will end up as stew birds.
We were very pleased with the outcome of the lambs we raised. All the lamb has been sold in a relatively short time. We have decided to get more lambs next year and give it a go again.
I have planted more than three hundred garlic plants. I hope to make a batch of garlic powder. Following the formula of Herrick Kimball, I plan on marketing home made garlic powder next summer.
Pat’s soap has been selling very well. The mechanic’s soap has been getting rave reviews from everyone who has tried it out.
Lip balm is the latest addition to our personal care products. As with the soaps it is “Just Plain” made from bees wax and olive oil and such. No essesces or exotic ingredients.
This weekend,Oct 24th is the last weekend of the East End Farmer’s Market in Cortland. I would have to say it has been a pretty successful season. Special thanks go out to Lisa and Tammi who have worked so hard to get this market started. Huzza!
On Sunday the 25th I will be at the Cooperative Extension Service’s Local meats Fair in Ithaca.
After that all sales will take place at the farm. Please remember to call first (844-8645) before coming up. We will continue to sell chickens until they are sold out. This year we have planned better and expect to have chickens available for at least a month or two.
We are happy to have a new driveway built to the barn so the mud pit in front of it will be no more. We are also going to have a new workshop/carport built soon and we will have a small shed to house the chicken business so we can get some of the clutter off the porch. Maybe we won’t look so much like hillbillies then.
Winter can’t be far off now. We’re not looking forward to it. But there is a certain peaceful feeling about the place as the fields rest and prepare for another year.
I have been reading “Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan.
Although I was somewhat aware of the “industrial” food process we have here in America, I have been shocked by some of the details I have learned.I have also been heartened to learn that much of what we have been doing to maintain our land and livestock is in line with the philosophy of being a good caretaker and steward.
I strongly reccomend this book to anyone who thinks they know something about healthy eating.
I hope you all have a warm and peaceful winter.
Be Well, Be Happy, Eat Chicken!
Tom

There is definitely a hint of fall in the air.
The last batch of chicks went out on the grass yesterday.
The large pen has about thirty one chickens (they’re no longer chicks) in it and they are beginning to look plump and meaty.
The grass fed lamb has been selling well and we are encouraged enough to be talking about raising three or four next spring.
Right now the freezers are pretty full and we’re anticipating being able to satisfy everyone’s need to stock up this fall.
The Red Ranger chickens grew out very well and I have to admit, they are a different and enjoyable taste all together.
I have decided to no longer participate at the Moravia Market. The return on effort and investment wasn’t working out. I hope the customers from that area will come to the website and make their arrangements with me.
This is the time of year that we have to begin battening down all the farm stuff for the winter.
We have been slowly moving the layers closer to the barn and in a few weeks their coop will be positioned behind the barn out of the wind. I will supply them with extra light and a little heat and they will continue to lay over the winter.
I will reopen my roadside egg table at the end of October after market season ends.
The experiment in growing popcorn didn’t work out. The wet spring and summer made keeping ahead of the weeds too difficult and the corn ended up being stunted from the wet.
Oh Well!
Maybe next year will be better.
I often wonder if anyone reads these posts. If you do, why not drop an e mail so I know it’s worth the effort.
School opened today, and I expect that I’ll be substituting at Dryden High again. I really enjoy the time I spend with the kids.
I think that’ll do for now.
Be well, be happy, buy chicken!
Cheers,
Tom

Can things be too good?
To paraphrase The President… Yes it can!
We have processed the first two batches of chicks and within a week all of them, yes all of them were gone.
I had to tell our first few customers that they were limited to picking up four chickens at a time.
Last weekend we went to the opening of the East End Farmer’s Market in Cortland and I was surprised to find that by the end of the day we were completely out of chickens. We had also sold 18 of the twenty pounds of honey we had brought and all of the eggs.
Now on the surface this is great news, but it leave us unable to offer chickens to any of our customers for at least two to three weeks when the next group of chicks is ready to process.
And most disappointing is that I will have to forego the Moravia market until I have something to sell.
I have increased the order for chicks from Northeast Pastured Poultry so hopefully this won’t happen again.
Last week we were visited by a group from Cornell Cooperative Extension and we have been asked to participate in a Local Foods farm trail in August. We will be visited by people wanting to learn about where and how local food is produced.
We are very proud to be asked to be part of this.

The lambs are growing and will go to the butcher in August. The popcorn crop is dismal. most of the seed was collected by the crows
My dwarf broomcorn is coming up nicely. And our sweet plum tree is covered with plums.
The garlic is almost done and I wish there was more of it.
I tried sweet potatoes, but something dug all the plants up.
Right now I’m getting ready to attend the big French and Indian War reenactment at Fort Niagara over the Fourth of July weekend.
I have been asked to command a three pound Canon.That’s a big gun! There will be several thousand reenactors there and it should be a great event.
So that’s the news for now.
Please feel free to make a comment, and if the spirit moves you. give a call and arrange a visit to the farm.
Cheers,
Tom