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DOWN ON THE FARM – Marilyn Armstrong

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RDP Thursday – Farm

Although most of the land around here is pretty poor for farming, there are some good areas, especially alongside the Blackstone and a few other areas. Also, this is THE area for apple orchards and we don’t do too badly with peaches and other pitted fruits.

Where there is room, we grow some of the most delicious corn anywhere. It’s called “butter and sugar” corn because it’s yellow and white and very sweet. This would normally be the season for it, but it’s been raining so much, I think it has slowed the growth. It will grow, but I think a lot of it will be late.

Photo: Garry Armstrong – When we got there, they were sold out. You need to get there early!

This used to be a big dairy area, too. We still have several local dairy farms. The cows like to lounge in the pastures. They don’t stand around. They loll on the grass, occasionally mooing at each other.

Which is pretty funny because if you moo back, you can have an entire conversation.

Veggies in the sunshine

When it’s hot, they get herded to the other field on the opposite side of the road where, it’s shady.  They have a small brook over there and like to wade in the water. In really hot weather, they stand there a lot of the day, up to their hocks in cool water. Not such

a bad life, as cow living goes. They are also friendly and like being petted. I think they are milked by hand.

You can buy milk and fresh eggs on the same farm. The milk is raw, unpasteurized. Not homogenized. If Garry wouldn’t drink the cream off the top — leaving just skim milk that nobody, not even the dogs, will drink — I’d buy more of it.

Just before the harvest
Photo: Garry Armstrong
White Percheron
Photo: Ben Taylor
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Photo: Garry Armstrong
In the barn, one kitten. Photo: Garry Armstrong
Built 1720
In the barn’s loft
Cats all over the barn
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Categories: #gallery, #Photography, Blackstone Valley, Daily Prompt, farm, horses, Marilyn Armstrong

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21 replies

  1. OG
    06/20/2019 • 23:17

    Good pictures. Kind of like where I grew up. But I moved to the city as soon as I finished high school. Too much quiet. Could not stand the isolation. But I miss the space.

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  2. curioussteph
    06/20/2019 • 21:45

    lovely. beautiful veg and animals. Are those this years pictures? Tomatoes already. Wow. Here, mine are just starting to blossom and set fruit, and mine are ahead of most due to walls of water and other season extenders.

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  3. Fandango
    06/20/2019 • 20:51

    There are no farms where I live in the heart of San Francisco, but farmers markets abound, especially on weekends, when farmers from the more rural areas come into the city to sell their produce, many from organic farms.

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    • Marilyn Armstrong
      06/20/2019 • 21:36

      All the farms in the valley are organic. I don’t think it’s a choice. I think it’s because the drinking water (aquifer and rivers) is very close to the surface. If you use any kind of chemical, it will seep into the water supply. We can’t even salt our driveways or roads when it snows.

      I’m pretty sure our farmers sell most of their stuff in the suburbs near Boston and of course to the grocery chains. Our store sells local produce as long as there is any to sell. In the winter, there isn’t anything local and the junk we get from Florida and California isn’t very good. It was probably better when it was still in California or Florida!

      Liked by 2 people

  4. Reflections of an Untidy Mind
    06/20/2019 • 19:43

    It must be fabulous to have access to that lovely fresh milk. (Hint for Garry) You could make nice yoghurt with that. Happy cows. 🙂

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  5. http://theenglishprofessoratlarge.com
    06/20/2019 • 14:27

    Wonderful, bucolic pictures. It looks peaceful and productive. Love the horses, too.

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    • Marilyn Armstrong
      06/20/2019 • 19:15

      Around here, aside from the few places which are also riding academies, we grow BIG horses. Percherons. Belgian Draft horses. And just to balance the pictures, lots of miniature horses. I tried to talk Garry is letting me get one instead of a dog. You know. Little hoofs galloping around the house? I don’t know if you can housebreak them, though … but they’d fit nicely through the doggy door.

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  6. swo8
    06/20/2019 • 13:56

    Now that’s where the good food is.
    Leslie

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  7. Alli Templeton
    06/20/2019 • 13:49

    A veritable cornucopia of produce of all kinds then. It looks a lovely farm, and it’s nice to see all the animals healthy and happy. It must be a joy to visit. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person