Four Legs 2016 Highlights

I continue to be so thankful to be a part of such an amazing community. I am so lucky to get to farm here in the Hudson Valley.

​1. Being featured in the Chronogram's Farm-to-Label spread in March was pretty cool.

2. My pigs dug up a lot of crazy debris this year. The most horrifying was a pig who got a bungie cord through it's lip. She was running around with the other end dragging on the ground getting caught on stuff. Pinning the pig down and pulling the bungie cord out of it face gave me a new appreciation for those stories where moms lift cars when their children are trapped underneath them.

3. The BBC interviewed my mom and I about how millenials aren't doing as well as their parents financially. It is way more upbeat than my description lets on. My mom is the best!

4. I sold lamb to Marbled Meat in Cold Spring! This was the first time I sold whole, fresh lambs to a buyer and it's a real game changer. I'm excited to work with them in the future. Thanks for your help transporting the lambs Dad!

5. I bought a truck - 2003 Toyota Tundra. And I replaced the battery all by myself. My mom's response was "But the AAA guy could've been cute!"

6. Seeker (part of the Discovery Channel) filmed me for two days in August and made this video. They took lots of fun shots of the farm with a drone and made me feel like a movie star.

7. I had to put down a calf that wasn't doing well. Holly Rippon-Butler was a super hero and helped me. She grew up on a dairy farm and it was amazing to see someone handle cows with quiet confidence and tenderness. This was one of the hardest things I've had to do while farming. 

8. I hosted a Hudson Valley Young Farmers Coalition event. It was an honor to have my community on the farm. The HVYFC organizers did an amazing job putting this event series together.

9. I put on my big girl pants and decided to join Maitri Farm.

​10. I distributed my meat shares. Most of my shares were distributed the week of the election. It felt really important to connect with my community when our whole country is so divided. Thank you all for being a part of this.