With  freezing rain hitting us twice this week, those of us who have animal chores are struggling against the elements. Snow and ice slow down many of our tasks. Simple chores such as feeding and cleaning the horse stables become difficult. What keeps me going is the knowledge that in just a few short months I will be sharing the horse barn with a group of amazing teenagers. At many times throughout the winter I think back to previous summers and how one horse or another shared a special memory with a farmer. Kachina, the 29 year old Arabian helped a total beginner gain confidence, or Trey, our rescued 6 year old Thoroughbred, being ridden for the first time by Jordan, a 15 year old from Massachusetts. They are the memories that keep me going in these more difficult times.
    Ray Conner, a former staffer, and Barb Frownfelter our neighbor are both  huge supporters at the horse barn. Caring for eight horses is not a small task and these two hard working ladies give our guys lots of love, time, and energy.
    The sheep and cattle seem to be unfazed by the weather and with their constant rotation to fresh pasture seem as happy as ever. The chickens on the other hand are very appreciative of being moved to the main barn yard where they can escape the cold wind and rain to the safety of the lower barn floor. The main is over 100 years old and has provided warmth and a place to escape the elements for many years. Pre-Longacre time the Long Family grew chickens, pigs and cattle. Here we are 37 years later doing the same tasks and experiencing some of the same struggles that these winter months bring.

Louise

Longacre Farm continues to grow and change.  It feels like a dynamic and evolving community with so much going on.  After 33 years of living in their wonderful house, Susan and Roger have moved into the reconstructed 1882 farmhouse at the center of the property.  They follow their Longacre Farm partners stretching back to their beginnings and to the original Long Family in the early 1970's. The Smiths are embracing this change and experiencing life at the heart of the farm, taking in the ever changing views, and hustle bustle of farm life around them.

Matt and Megan also have big changes on their horizons. They broke ground on land they bought adjoining Longacre Farm and will have their own house built within 6 months. The house will be a south-facing, passive solar, energy efficient building with wood heat. For Matt, farm chores will be close by as he takes a short stroll to the barnyard to feed the animals. Having Megan right here on the Farm is something we have all waited for, for a long time. She and her two dogs Tess and Toby will enjoy many aspects of our daily life, as she picks veggies from the garden, flowers and greens for her special arrangements and they run unencumbered all around the fields.

The Longacre office and infirmary have also moved into the basement of 1001 Markelsville Rd., now called Community House.  (Yes, we've been busy!) Having these located so close to everything else has many benefits. Our days here are filled with evolution as we adapt to what seems to be best for us all.  Change is invigorating.

We are really enjoying the fall season here at Longacre Farm, as the meadows and woodlands turn into a sea of red, yellow, and orange.  It is truly a beautiful time.  It is also an exciting time as we embrace and refine many new initiatives and projects. 

The Farm is buzzing with life and continual change.  We are rotating the herd of Milking Devon cows, Romney sheep, and Nubian goats to a new area above pasture.  It is clear that with fresh pasture every day, these ruminants are happy and robustly healthy.  Priscilla, our Milking Devon calf, is quickly growing--we see the benefits of rotational grazing right before our eyes.  Pasturing a day behind the ruminants are chickens:  Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, and a heritage breed dating back to Roman times, Dorkings. These colorful birds lay their eggs in their portable egg mobiles and fertilize our fields as they go.

Our herd of nine pigs are enjoying the fall harvest, with apples and pears being a large portion of their diet. They also eat poison ivy!  We give them leftover vegetables from our garden and neighbors', which they love.  They roam through small areas of pasture and woodland rotating every third day to fresh ground.

Our good friends Ray Connor and Pete Dow arrived at Longacre two weeks ago and have jumped into animal care, welding projects, harvesting and cooking.  Creating a community to live in during the summer is an amazing experience.  And living in community year round is not only fun, stimulating, and personally satisfying.  It is very rewarding as we share new ideas and experiences everyday.

This past weekend over 100 close family members and friends descended on the Farm for a weekend of harvest celebration.  The weather cooperated--we enjoyed sunny days and cool fall nights.  Folks joined us and pitched in from as far away as Massachusetts and California, experiencing the bountiful harvest here at Longacre Farm.

Susan, Rog, and Anna worked tirelessly processing food, which was a large part of the action. We made a vat of applesauce from Megan's apple trees, fresh plum tomato salsa, yummy beans and sauce, corn bread, pesto, baked kale, marinara sauce, and a cast iron kettle of chicken corn soup.  Jake and Jordan got an early start at 5.45 am on Saturday, to begin roasting a neighbor's pig and get a fire under the soup.  It was all amazing.  Fresh and local!

Matt, Brooks, and Anna took many interested folks to feed the animals and learn about all the new grazing techniques we now practice on the farm. Our year round animal population grew tremendously this year as did our enjoyment at learning and practicing new ways to care for our animals.

As always Louise was found at the horse barn introducing our new horses, Trey, Chester and Blue, to their avid fans. This summer brought great improvements to the facilities at our horse barn.  We continue to put more emphasis on our relationship with the horses and the impact they have on their environment. We have created riparian buffers to protect our water ways and continue our battle against invasive, non-native species that intrude on our beautiful landscape.

Hi Folks - we're into the six week program now, and a few of our four-week farmers worked hard at creating a slideshow to showcase the activities and people at Longacre.  A few of those photos can be found in our gallery here: http://www.longacre.com/gallery.

We will be posting a movie version of the slideshow to Youtube soon! 

Thanks for your patience as we sort through our photos to document the summer here at Longacre.

35th Reunion Weekend was such a blast.  We were blessed with perfect sunshiny weather!  Thanks to all former farmers, big kids, parts, spouses, and their children for joining us here at Longacre Farm.  So many of you remarked on how things seem so much the same to you, in spite of the dynamic changes that we have undertaken over the years.  It was delightful seeing so many of your children enjoying each other, the animals, and the freedom to run around this beautiful farm.  Keep sending us pictures.  We'll post some as we can.  I loved reconnecting with you all.  Do Si Do!  Susan