Lambs, Bees, Scones & Peace

Hello Friends,

I hope this newsletter finds you and your families doing well. It's been a while since our last newsletter. There has been so much happening, so let's catch you up!

Mid April brought the arrival of our five lambs. It was the first lambing season ever for our ewes, and for us as farmers. It was one of the most challenging yet rewarding things we've done to date. Our little white lamb Dove was born not breathing, so we grabbed her back legs and swung her until the mucus came out of her lungs. Thank God it worked! Right after that excitement, her twin sister Delilah was presenting breech, with her back legs coming out first. It's important to deliver those lambs quickly. If her umbilical cord was torn in utero, she would breath in mucus and potentially drown. Again, God was with us and she was born healthy and was up and walking within five minutes.

Normally the Katahdin sheep breed only have single babies their first time, but due to the high nutrition content in our pasture grasses and hay, two out of three had twins. All of the lambs were very large as far as lambs go. Normally lambs are 5-10 pounds. Ours were 7.9-12.2 pounds. Our ewe Violet definitely had a challenging time with her ram lamb Virgil. His head was huge!

We are growing our flock with the specific purpose of land stewardship. They will be managing the invasive plants and grasses in our silvopastures on the farm. Most people don't realize what it takes to raise livestock, aka the proteins on our plate. We have a new appreciation for the challenges large scale regenerative livestock farm operations face. We are grateful for their commitment to do it humanely, with respect to Earth and the animals they raise.

Did you know that May is swarm month? When when bee hives are experiencing population growth and abundant resources are available in Spring, often hives will split and a swarm leaves to find a new home. If you or anyone you know encounters a swarm, please feel free to reach out to us for help. Our lead beekeeper Sam will be happy to assist! Here's a swarm that we had here on the farm a few years ago.

Speaking of bees, we are excited to share that our local honey is now being offered at The Bernardsville and Califon Hardware stores!

Drumroll please! After extensive recipe testing we are happy to announce that we have expanded our baked goods offerings. We now have gluten free oat crisp crackers, and three types of scones available. The scones are available in both regular and gluten free versions: Blueberry Ginger, Maple Pecan and (very soon to be added) Cranberry Lemon Oat.

Our farm store is now open for the season on Wednesdays from 2:30-5:30pm. We also provide delivery service for a small extra charge. You can also find us at the Summit Farmer's Market on the first Sunday of each month (except July), and the Bedminster Farmer's Market on June 21st, July 19th, and August 16th.

Have you ever heard of Forest bathing, the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku? The term emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise. The purpose was twofold: to offer an eco-antidote to tech-boom burnout and to inspire residents to reconnect with nature. Researchers began studying the physiological benefits of forest bathing, providing the science to support what we innately know: time spent immersed in nature is good for us!

We would like to invite you and your friends to join us for our first Forest Farm Walk and Tibetan Singing Bowl Sound Bath here on the farm to honor the Summer Solstice. If you need to take a few hours to hit the pause button on your busy life and take some deep breaths in nature, and enjoy the benefits of the healing bowls then this event is for you.  Space is limited.

May the Peace of the Lord be with you today and always.

Sincerely,

Michele & the Maranatha Farm Team