And another season comes to an end . . .

This Sunday marks the end of my ninth year at the Hyde Park Farmer's Market on the Square.  Wow!!  Has it really been NINE YEARS!!  I know that doesn't seem like a long time to some people but I really enjoy my "job" and it amazes me that I have been at this market for nine years.  Of course, I have been raising goats for about 12 years! Equally amazing - LOL!!!

The ending of the market season comes with mixed feelings.  Yes, I am going to enjoy "sleeping in" on Sundays and not having to rush around making sure I have everything loaded into the truck.  But, I am going to miss my fellow farmers and vendors.  They are a great bunch of people who do amazing things.  I do enjoy the products of their labor, too!!  I will miss my customers.  Many of them have become good friends.  Many I don't know personally, but they do come back every Sunday to buy eggs or jams or soaps.  I will miss their smiling faces! But as the saying goes . . . All good things must come to an end . . .  Hopefully, the Good Lord willing . . . I will be back next year!

So, to all my customers . . . Thank you for your continued support, thank you for all your kind words about my products and thank you for your smiles!!  You don't know how often those smiles really made my day.  God Bless you all!

Unexpected Events

 

I lost Elissa last week - totally unexpected.  Not really sure what happened or why.  The day before, it looked like she had had a miscarriage and she wasn't eating (which was EXTREMELY unusual for Elissa).  Elissa would knock everyone down to get to the feeding trough.  Sometimes a goat won't eat grain if they have an upset stomach, but they will always eat hay.  She would only nibble at the hay.  So I decided to worm her.  Not much difference.  So late that evening, I gave her a Vitamin B complex shot to boost her appetite.  That usually always works . . .

The next morning, I found her dead.  My husband thinks she had a heart attack from the way she was laying.  I really hate losing a goat and I really hated losing her.  Not only was she a good milker, but she was a pretty neat goat.  She is going to be hard to replace. 

I am sure a lot of people don't understand and just say they are livestock.  But, I try to take really good care of my animals and I do get attached to them.  A lot of them have been born right here on the farm and I have bottle feed them as babies.  So there is an attachment there. 

Elissa . . . you will be missed.  Thank you for all the wonderful milk you have given us over the last 4 years.  Rest in peace, girl - you deserve it!