Rooster Home

I have a friend who is looking to re-home a beautiful PET Auraucana rooster. It's from Iron Oak Farm breeding stock. If you're local and interested let me know, and I will pass on the information.

All Grown Up

Remember the Lavender and Sussex chicks that my broody hen raised this past winter/spring? Thought you all would like an update.

From this...

 To this...

and this...

 The rooster there, was our only silver chick and he turned out to be a full Lavender, which was wonderful, and what I was hoping for!

She's modest behind his tail.

New Additions!!!

Today we brought home two new additions! Sulley our strapping Angora buck who is 1 1/2 years old with a beautiful fleece of glistening tight curls, and Josiah, a very large, very gentle whether. I LOVE his name! We are so excited to have these two beautiful boys join our family. Our hope is that Sulley will mate with Knit and Purl for kids this spring, and Josiah will keep him company when mating season is over, as goats don't really do well by themselves. I can't believe how blessed we are. Zach and I have been searching for a stud to either come to our girls, or somewhere we could bring the girls to visit, but Angora goats are so very rare in Michigan that we've looked for 2 years with no luck. We finally found these two for sale and decided that this was the best way to go, as neither one of us was very excited about leaving our girls in the care of someone else for possibly a month, pay a service fee, and perhaps return without a pregnant doe. The boys are doing WONDERFUL! Really they are. Knit is fascinated with them and keeps rubbing her head against Sulley's shoulder like she wants to cuddle, little flirt. Sulley has proceeded to rub his scent on anything and everything that we own and keeps curling his lip. I think we're going to have no problem at all paring these two off. Purl is completely not interested in the whole thing. She acts as if we never brought anyone new home, and that these two have been here for ages. So we'll see how this goes. Ramona, the wonderful lady who sold us the guys suggested that we keep them with Knit and Purl for at least two cycles to ensure that one takes. A goat cycles every 17 days, so they'll be together for a little over a month. I can't wait to see if we get kids this spring. It's so exciting! and all that mohair! I'll keep everyone posted.   

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New Products!

Here's this weeks newest products from Iron Oak Farm, thought you might like to peek.

Black Walnut Roving
This is our 95% Mohair, 5% Angora roving dyed naturally with Black Walnuts. To view our process visit the Black Walnut Post.

Monogrammed Railroad Spike Bottle Opener. Simple design lets the character of the spike come through. Monogramming available. 

Oak Leaf Scarf Pin
This product was listed before, but we've found a new use! It works great with fine knit scarves as well. Holds beautifully just being looped through.

Gypsy Hair Roving
Our Mohair/Angora roving blended in rich jewel tones. Perfect for spinning, or felting.

Cheese Please! Beekman 1802 Blaak

It's been a while since I did a cheese post. Our latest treasure is a whole wheel of Beekman 1802 Blaak. We started watching The Fabulous Beekman Boys on Planet Green last winter. We had a terrible case of Spring fever and their quirky television show about goat farming was a welcomed breath of fresh air. Side Note: Why aren't there more TV shows about farming? Now I know why we gave up TV all together...anyway...

I've since read Josh's book The Bucolic Plague, the story of how the boys purchased Beekman Mansion and continuously attempt to turn it into a self sufficient farm.

They own and run a mercantile store front in Sharon Springs, NY where you can find fine soaps, jellies and sauces, hand forged items, and delicate hand stitched pillows and towels. But best of all, their cheese!

Their cheese is sold by the wheel only, and is coated in an ash rind that they rub on by hand. The cheese is made in small batches, which makes it even more quaint and wonderful! It's a delicious blend of 60% goat and 40% cow. But don't count on ordering a wheel and serving on this weekend's cheese platter. Blaak is in such high demand that I was put on a waiting list and e-mailed when our wheel was ready. But it was WELL worth the wait.

It has great texture and flavor, has a mild goat taste but is still tangy and delicious. I thought that the ash rind would give it a smoked taste but the flavor is very mild.

We also ordered a jar of their Blaak Onion Jam which is so unique! It is blended with a balsamic vinegar (reduction I think) and would be great on a pork roast, (in my opinion).

Wish I could give you all a sample!  

Iron Oak Farm Community

I've been thinking about all of you. Zach and I have been working on the new logo, exciting changes and opportunities have been opened up to us lately. As I think of all the blessings that Zach and I have, I'd love to pay it forward.

I get so many precious e-mails everyday, stories of your lives, projects your working on, things you've experienced. So many of you have been doing this so much longer than Zach and I have, and I feel like there is much knowledge to share.

Do you have an organization, a small homesteading business, a craft, animals that you love to brag about, a garden that you love, recipes that your family can't live without? Let me know and I will share your stories and photos!

I would love to give your business a shout out, because after all, we need to be supportive of each other if real change is ever going to happen. The Iron Oak Farm community is growing everyday, and Zach and I know how hard it can be to get the word out. So let us help you in the ways that we can! Plus I'm nosy, and would love to know what our readers are up to! (wink)  

No Tricks, Just Treats! Contests Galore!

Today's a great day on the farm because.....I get to give things away to you our readers, who make it all worth while!
Yesterday was the last day for two of the three contests we're running.

Congratulations to Lacey Wilhelm of Garrison, ND! She is the winner of the Purina 60 Day See The Difference Flip Camera Sweepstakes! Lacey won with her great photo and testimony of how Purina Feed improved her Nigerian Dwarf Goat KKK-Katy.

"I was excited to hear about the Purina 60 day challenge and quickly signed up for a chance to achieve quality improvement in our animals.  I am on week 3 of the challenge and have seen amazing results with the Purina Goat Noble and Purina Goat Chow with my Nigerian Dwarf Goats!  One little goat in particular, KKK-Katy, has shown amazing improvements with her sparkling bright blue eyes, increased energy level, and healthy growth rate. I am extremely happy with the Purina Difference and so our my goats!"

Lacey won this awesome Flip Video camera, the very same model that I use to film many of the Iron Oak Farm videos. (Check out out the video bar or You Tube Page) 

The other winners of the day are Brian and Karen Cooper of Kaboodle Farm located in Clark, MO. Congratulations on growing the largest pumpkin in the Pumpkin Contest this year! 

They will receive one of Zach's hand forged bottle openers.

Don't feel sad if you didn't win, we still have the Facebook "Like" goal contest going on. When we get to 200 likes we'll giveaway a prize! 
Thanks to everyone who participated!