AL'S MICHIGAN FARM

Dear Family,

We came back to Michigan for several family events and have been staying at the farm in South Lyon as it is halfway between Bloomfield Hills and Al's farm in Munith (not far from Jackson). We visited Al and Paul and their family twice.

Here is a picture of Al, Arabella the milking goat and Maryanna (Mu Mu) Henry is in the background.  They have this great 20 acre farm, almost all tillable complete with 7 goats, two cows, several sheep, a duck, lots of laying hens and little chicks.  There is this huge Pyrenees hound in with the goats to keep the coyotes away. Some of the kids have food allergies so they drink goats milk.

Here is Oma, Al and the kids: George, Maryanna, Henry, Clara, Oma holding Charlie, Peter, William, James and Al in front of there cute  1880 farm house.

Al has this great garden and has been following the recommendations of an Austrian Gardner, Sepp Holzer . She met him in Ann Arbor where he made a presentation through an interpeter. She is using what is called Hugelkultur.  They make a large mound of hardwood logs, cover this with compost and manure layers with compost the top layer and they plant into the side and top.  Supposed to aerate the soil better.

Here is Clara next to the Potato Tower.  One makes a cylinder out of chicken wire, lines it with straw and puts in a base of compost.  Then one takes the potatoes and lines the outside perimeter with seed potatoes pointing the eyes outward so the plant grow through the screen with the potatoes on the inside.  Here you can see the potato leaves coming through the side.

There are all sorts of birds and beasts on the farm. Here is MuMu training her new chick.  They get their own eggs each day.  The goats are milked twice a day and the garden supplies greens and herbs.  Really a fun thing and a bit labor intensive.  They have sheep for wool and for the freezer.  Al served two meals of their lamb and it was great!  Two heifers are being fattened as well.  We learned growing up that it was hard to make pets of the farm animals as some are destined to the food storage.

Here we are in this quaint kitchen having a dinner of lamb shanks that Al did so well.  The house is heated with a wood burning stove and Paul has a huge pile of logs to split for the coming winter.

We met several of Al's friends and neighbor who have been very supportive and helpful.  One neighbor brings venison and the family loves it.  Paul wanted to get a deer gun as there are so many in the area.  We went to a store in Jackson and I had get a Savage bolt slug gun with a scope.  We sighted the gun in at Bryan's farm and now he is set!

It was so fun to see Al and Paul's farm and see how enthusiastically the are pursuing all projects.  Interesting as Al hated to work on our farm in Michigan but I guess there is a farm gene on the family that is expressing itself.  Good work Al and Paul and all the children helpers.

Note about Bry's farm to follow.

Love, Dad and Mom