Before AND After Market

Friday night Bill went out to check on the sheep as is our custom before going to bed. We were tired as we always are from getting ready for Market the following morning, dreading the necessity of getting up early. So of course he came back to tell me that there was a new lamb in the field. The ewe mom was Lily, she is a Jacob Sheep. Usually she throws twins and I did tell her that I was disappointed. Always though she surprises us like only one of our other sheep Dahlly(Dahlia), by exhibiting no signs of labor, just walking off and lambing.

So we moved the lamb and mom to the barn and went to bed.

When we returned from Market yesterday, Dahlly walked out w/her two new cuties and here they are. For a change the beautifully marked lamb is the ewe lamb. Usually the males are prettier. I am thinking seriously of keeping her. I think that I will name her Petal.

Tradition here on the farm is that the sheep that are in our permanent flock are named after something that has to do with flowers. Previous mothers this season were BellaDonna and Iris. I think that today will bring new ones from Daisy and Jasmine. We shall see. Our Ram's name is Buckwheat, we had one named Pollen and our 1st was Sweet William.

Market yesterday was pretty slow. Even so everything still had to be unloaded and loaded back up. My friends Rod and Vicki came out to help with that and then we had a great lunch at Schlafly afterwards. Schlafly is so good to their Farmer's Market vendors giving us half price on food and beer.

A cloud on the horizon looms however. At Market end, our market master gave us some new vending costs from the health department. It seems that they want another slice of the market pie. Even though the market has been in business for 4 years, now we are being forced to apply for the right to sell prepared products by paying a 75.00 per season and per market fee. It goes against what the laws written to protect farmers were written for. In other words we get to do what we were already doing but now on top of Market fees and insurance we will have to pay an addition cost on EACH market that we attend. Everyone keeps talking how important local food is, but the government just keeps making it more and more difficult to keep your head above water.