Friday, April 25, 2008

And the Wind Blew.


Well, I think our warm weather teaser is over. Today the heavy winds started, followed by rain and cooler temperatures. The forecast for the next week is all cold rain during the day and rain or flurries at night. Sounds like April!


Today, despite the wind, we had a great time visiting a Biodynamic farm which is about one hour south of us. I have known about Angelic Organics for quite a while now - there is a film (great, by the way), a book, and a learning center with classes and events. So when my blogging friend Laura invited us to join her homeschooling group for their farm tour outing today, I was very excited!


The wind was a constant companion today - it roared every single moment. But that did not dampen the spirits of the kids in the group - they got to be outside at a farm all morning! They dug soil, compared hard pack mono crop corn soil to the rich compost fertilized living soil at the farm. They climbed trees. Washed hands under a pump. Used a composting toilet. Visited hens. Played and visited young kid goats and their goat mamas. Saw chicks. Toured a greenhouse full of young seedlings. Looked at plants growing in the earth and watched as tractors worked in the next field over. Played in the mud.


The wind was ever present - and it does wear you down with its relentless hammering of your senses, but after a few hours we retreated into the cozy learning center building to chat some more, bottle feed a few orphaned kids/goats, and then eat our lunches together and chat before heading back home. The boys were happy and tired - and so muddy that I changed them into new clothing before buckling them up and heading out. We made it home just as the rain started - perfect timing!


What a great place to visit - I definitely want to return!

23 comments:

tiff said...

Is that their home in the first photo? It is beautiful. I wanna be an animal on their farm...

What a fantastic day...gotta love MUD!

Jodi Anderson said...

What a beautiful place to visit, not to mention educational. Thanks for taking us along! ;-)

Carrie said...

You know, whenever I get in a slump, all I have to do is take a stop by "your place" and I immediately feel inspired. It's great to have "friends" all over the world, even those that know you know little about. I so deeply enjoy your blog, thanks for sharing your world with us. Looks like everyone had a wonderful time, despite being a little wind torn.

Amanda said...

We used to like 5 miles from here! So sad when we have to leave, this farm is so amazing.

dawn klinge said...

That baby goat with its' mama is so cute! What a fun day. I would have loved bottle feeding the goats.

Tara said...

Sounds like a really fun day! Could those goats be any cuter?

RunninL8 said...

Wow, I wish we had something like that here in ALaska. We did go visit a tiny farm in the valley last year to see the baby goats and lambs. i t was such a fun day!
Our winds are blowing hard as well! 34 degrees. I guess Lo won't be playing on the deck in her undies today!

amanda said...

Looks like a wonderful day!

Sharon said...

Great picture of the goats. Love it... Thank You!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful experience! I saw the film you mentioned and I loved it. I love your blog. It's always full of great ideas for families. Thanks.

Lisa Anne said...

Sounds fun, and the farm looks very well organized. I love this movie I was trying to do a screening at the small local theatre as a fund-raiser for the farmers' market I manage. The farm Bureau and the ext. agency will not sponsor it because there is some nudity and someone smoking a joint!? those things don't even phase me, but I guess they cater to some pretty conservative folks. I would love to visit this farm.

FiveGreenAcres said...

Ooh does that look like fun!

I tagged you for the 7 Things Meme.
Hope you don't mind...
http://fivegreenacres.wordpress.com/2008/04/25/meme-this/
Mary Jo

Anet said...

What a great farm, the experience of a life time! I think your weather is headed our way tomorrow.
Hold on to your hats!
Oh , the goats a just so cute!

Our Home Schooler and Jen said...

what a great field trip with great photos
pleased you enjoyed yourselves
Jen

Tammy said...

A farm tour........the girls and I would so love to do something like that.

And Wisconsin and Idaho weather: what's up with that???? lol. We had a massive snowstorm Thursday, yesterday the wind blew so incredibly hard all day long, and today is sunshiny and warm. Must be spring, I guess. :)

Kiki said...

what a great opportunity to go and join your friend and little ones exploring this farm. Wish we had something similar to go and visit. We don't really have an animal farm, only an organic veggies farm on an even more remote island than we live on... We'll have to do with our sea life and forest animals ;-)

World Wide Alternative said...

Can we come next time? Can we? Can we? Xxx

Teaching Handwork said...

fun fun fun...we have a farm at our school and it is a wonderful part of the curriculum....feeding, caring etc

Lisa Zahn said...

I'm so jealous! Biodynamics are amazing. It struck me that your kids will never forget that difference between compacted soil and the rich humus of the biodynamic farm. What a wonderful experience.

Anonymous said...

Farmer John is like a rock star to me - he was just here on Friday for a screening of Real Dirt. I couldn't make it (eldest kid, who wanted to go with me, was sick). Someday I'm going to visit his place.

Lisa said...

What a great day! I love that house or whatever it is in the first picture, I want to live there. And that last picture of those sweet snugglers... ooh I want to kiss them!

Anonymous said...

And eef you vant de Cherman book, just tell me vhere.

piscesgrrl said...

It WAS a fun day! And let me guess - the photo of you and me didn't turn out well! I was cringing afterward thinking "I hope she doesn't put that on her blog!" So, tell me, did we look bald or what? That wind was *crazy*!

Glad you could join us. And yes, it's been this long since I've visited any blogs...