• 2 pounds lamb riblets
• 4 Tbls oil
• 1 large onion – chopped
• 1 Tbls flour
• 1 ¼ cup dry white wine
• 1 pound whole figs
• Salt & pepper

Instructions:

• Cut riblets in to 2” pieces and brown in oil
• Add onion and cook until caramelized
• Sprinkle flour over top and blend well
• Add wine, slowly, and mix to thicken.
• Reduce heat
• Place figs in with the meat
• Cover and simmer one hour

• Leg of lamb (or shoulder roast)
• Apple juice or cider
• Garlic cloves, sliced thick
• Fresh rosemary

Cut slits every 3"around roast. Insert slices of garlic, then put a small sprig of rosemary in each. Place roast in a zip lock bag, and pour a couple cups of the apple juice in bag. Turn occasionally.

Place in 450 - 500 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes to seal in juices. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees and continue cooking to desired doneness. 20 minutes per pound for bone in leg, 25 minutes per pound for boneless leg roast. Internal temperature of 150 for medium rare

Note: GREAT slow cooked on the BBQ with hickory or apple chips

The hay hauler had called at 8:30 pm Saturday night to say he was loaded and going to arrive around 7:00 am Sunday. Wow! Well... maybe! To unload a truckload of hay, we usually have a gizmo they call a "hay squeeze" to unload. It has forks that smash the hay all together and they lift it off the truck and put it in the barn. Well, we didn't have a squeeze available on such short notice so we had to get a bit creative.

Luckily, or not... these are bigger bales than most people are used to seeing. These are 4x4x8 bales that weigh about 2000 pounds each. Don't think I am going to be able to help move them around much, but luckily we had some tractors and some wonderful operators available to put it all together. We put some rinky dink forks on a tractor and tried to lift the bales - that didn't work as we kept breaking the strings that hold them together. Then we went to stabbing the bale with one tractor and pushing on the other side with another tractor. WooHoo! it worked! All of the bales of hay are now in the barn, and winter can now come.

I think we are ready now on this Sunday afternoon.

• 1-1/2# ground lamb
• 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbls balsamic vinegar
• 1-1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves, crushed

Instructions:

Mix all together and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Grill 4 - 5 minutes per side

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp grated gingerroot
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped

Instructions:

Place chops in zip lock bag with marinade. Broil or gill lamb chops over medium heat to desired doneness.

• Lamb shanks
• Italian seasoning
• Season salt
• Garlic powder
• Cayenne pepper (optional)
• Chicken bullion for broth

Instructions:

• Sprinkle each side of shank with above seasonings. Heat heavy pan, and add oil to lightly coat. Place each shank in the heated pan and sear, browning on each side well. Once browned, add water to simmer, adding more water as needed.
• Cover and simmer until meat starts to fall from bone – separate and remove bones from pan.
• Add bullion or chicken stock, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Place meat on rice, and pour juice over top

• 1 (4 to 5 pound) leg or shoulder
• 1 cup Dijon style mustard
• ½ cup oil
• 2 Tbls red wine
• 2 clove garlic – crushed
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

• Combine in shallow bowl or a zip lock bag, blending well. Place meat in container, cover and refrigerate 4 – 8 hours (or overnight).
• Great cooked on the grill or in the oven @ 325 degrees (approx 35 minutes per pound) at an internal temp of 150 for medium.

Note: I am generous with fresh herbs and garlic. Italian seasoning works pretty good for a simple measurement

From: Lamb Country Cooking by Jill Stanford Warren

The canal that we and many others get our irrigation water from was washed out in April this year due to a mudslide. PG &E and our irrigation district have been working to get it fixed, and we have all been on water rotations. When the canal first broke, we were all very concerned on where to get our irrigation water for our crops and fields and pastures, let alone our livestock.

I guess if there is a silver lining in the situation, it is that we have had a very wet year in our area. We get a dosing of rain every few days to wet our pastures and keep our ponds full. We have ended up with a great grass year, and our livestock are able to benefit from it.

Our cows are nearly done calving and our ewes are gaining back their weight after nursing their lambs, and all of the lambs themselves are growing and looking very good.

Matt is still moving the sprinklers each day at the ranch, and Keith is still moving them here at home. Would like to get a few days of warm weather to spark the growth "just a bit", but will leave that up to... Mother Nature

• 1 - 6# bone in leg of lamb
• 10 leeks – tops cut off
• 1 cup olive oil
• ½ cup roasted garlic, chopped
• ½ cup kosher salt
• ½ cup coarse pepper
• ¼ cup chopped oregano
• ¼ cup chopped thyme
• 1 cup red wine

Instructions:

• Pre heat oven to 250 degrees
• Combine the garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme and olive oil and make into a paste. Rub all over the leg of lamb
• Blanch the leeks in boiling water for 2-3 minute. Wrap the leg of lamb in the leek tops, using olive oil to help the leeks adhere to the meat
• Set the lamb on a baking dish. Add the red wine to the pan and put the lamb in to the oven.
• Cook until the internal temperature of the meat is 135 – 140 degrees for medium rare – approximately 2 ½ hours.
• Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before carving. The internal temperature will rise another 5-10 degrees.
• Shave the lamb and serve

Courtesy of Superior Farms Lamb Lovers News

We have been busy fixing the floors in the hen houses, replacing the wire floor and pulling the boards up. Last week Matt was trying to pull a board and it came down on his foot. Spent most of the afternoon at the hospital with him for puncture wounds. This week we were working on the culvert pipe so the water would go through it instead of over it.

Yesterday - Thursday - wound up being like Monday!

While digging around the end of the culvert where we are going to place some rock, ended up hitting the water line to the well. Most people that live on property have simply learned how to fix things... you become a plumber, electrician, mason.. what ever it may take. Finally got it fixed, for the most part.

Today we tried to find our bull... been missing for a few days. We have been so busy trying to get the water fixed here at the house that we put the "missing" bull on the back burner. Today, we found him on the other side of the creek. The bull must have crossed a few days ago when the water level was down, and it has since rained and the water level has come up. The bull is visiting the neightbors and doesn't seem to want to come home right yet... We will need to go and pick up some of our portable panels and set them up so we can catch him in a pen then load him in a trailer to haul him home. Will try to get this done in the next day or two... where are all of those volunteers?

We got our young hens moved in to the real hen house where they will get situated for a few days to learn that this is their home. They should start laying in the next few weeks, so they will have some time to relax and explore. Hard to believe that we lost so many to predators with this go around. Somehow those critters seem to find a way to get in, and by the time we find it - usually have lost quite a few. Our dogs are let in to the area at night time now, which has certainly made a difference.

Noticing that the almond trees are getting ready to bloom, which means that I need to start thinking about shearing the sheep. Seems like it wasn't very long ago that we did that, but guess it has been. What to do with all of that wool? I understand they are starting to use it for insulation in homes, which is a wonderful idea! Warm in the winter and cool in the summer. What would you do with all of this wool?

January is right around the corner and all of the animals are due for their annual vaccinations. The cattle get gathered up in to the corrals and we have someone sort the cows through the alley way. One person is in charge of the head catch - a very important part of the activity! There are three levers that need to be pulled - the head catch, the squeeze and the stop gate. One person vaccinates on one side, one cleans and checks the ear tag, one pours wormer down the back and one person has another cow lined up. A hearty breakfast is necessary for all of us to keep going, and lunch is prepared for all those involved.

The sheep are a little more work. We trim the feet when we bring them in as they seem to grow much quicker than the cattle. We also vaccinate and worm the ewes, and we try to operate two tilt tables. A tilt table makes it much less stressful on the ewe and a lot easier on us ol' folks.

January is a month of maintenance with our animals. The health of each and every one of them is checked throughout the year, but this is the real time to get them all together.

Happy Holidays!

Due to the wake up call, we decided to move all of the ewes back to our house pastures so we can keep a closer eye on them. Lambing is a month later than normal this year and we are certainly hoping for some healthy lambs. The ewes look real good coming off of the pastures in Ophir. Other than needing a good foot trim they should be good for the winter.

We have been so busy working on the pastures in Ophir that we have neglected our normal winter preparations. Our wood is still scattered all over our fields yet should be in a stack near the house. I usually go out and pick up fallen branches and twigs to use for our kindling and that too, is still scattered. I know that the government has made regulations on home fires, but in our area the power goes off so often that having a fire is a neccessity. With no electricity we have no other form of heat but our fire. With no electricity we also have no power to cook with or water to flow from our faucet. We save water in containers and store in the freezer for the just in case.

We will be wrapping our pipes this weekend. Another neccessity where we are. When the temperature gets down in the 20's or lower the first thing that breaks is a water line. Although our well has quit a few times also. Even the levers on the well get tempermental. Not sure what our neighbors have thought when they drive by to see that we have resorted to throwing our old shirts and towels over our well on cold days. We do what we need to keep our house comfortable. We do not have the luxury of calling someone else to come and fix it. That is our job

Since he was not able to sell his steer at the local fair, we had them processed at Wolf Pack Meats in Reno Nevada, a USDA facility, so we can now share our product.

We are looking forward to having a larger selection of beef available next year, as we have about 15 calves for our 2011 crop. Some are pure bred Angus calves, and the rest are pure bred Hereford which we have added to the herd.

Some of the heifers will be kept and added to the herd, and a couple will be used for project steers for some of our local exhibitors. Matt will take on the job of trying to halter break a few of the calves. Takes a lot of patience and dedication of which I as a parent, have always enjoyed watching how he handles himself around the animals. I have caught him sitting with the cows, just hanging out with them, and once we found him sleeping with one of his steers.

We have almost gotten all of the blackberry mowed up and our pastures are really looking good heading in to the wet months of winter. We have hay in the barn for the "just in case" situation, but hope that the grass will keep growing and the cows will continue keeping it down.

We brought the cows and calves in Saturday for their weekly check over. Vaccinated and wormed the calves, and all are looking really good. We are hoping to start weaning the calves in about a month. They are starting to drink so much milk from their mothers that the cows start loosing too much weight, and the calves are almost needing to get on their knees to nurse.

Saturday, Tina worked at the Farmer Market in Rocklin and Sunday Matt worked the Farmer Market in Carmichael... both met a lot of really nice people and were able to tell their story about our life on the farm. Matt is extremely proud of his beef program, and certainly showed it today at his very first market. I hope that they both will decide to continue the markets, as it seems such a great way to explain what we do on our farm and with our animals and pastures.

At first, it was about 15 students that had signed up to attend so we planned on gathering and washing eggs, bringing the lambs in for a foot trim and maybe do a little cleaning up. That should entertain about 15 students for a few hours. Well, we ended up standing in our driveway with over 40 students and several parents wondering what exciting things we had planned for them. Ok... change of plans. We all piled in to our vehicles and traveled a few miles up the road to our Ophir ranch where there is much more room and many more options to choose from.

With some anticipation of a truck and trailer load of hay coming some time soon to fill our barn for the winter, our son Matt showed some of them how to stack our unsightly stack of hay up right in the barn. The kids in shorts stood off on the side lines - pants are more suited for hay bucking. The rest of us wandered off to gather up the ewes in the front pasture. Checking the fence line on the way for any excape routes, the border collies spotted the sheep and they started to gather them in to a nice little group. The dogs do most of the work, but the kids were good about following behind them to make sure they went where we wanted them to.

Next was to gather them in to an area for a quick foot check. I have been bad about checking their feet lately due to lack of time, and this was a good time to catch them and do a good trim. We had a few members that handled the animals and got them in to the turn table. I forgot my head gate, so needed to rely on one of the kids to act as a linebacker and stop the animal from running all the way through. He did a wonderful job! Next we explained the foot trimming proceedure. Several kids jumped right in and helped, and some were a bit leary about hurting the sheep.

Once they watched and saw that it was nothing more than trimming their own nails, a few gave it a try and succeeded!

We didn't get them all trimmed up, but certainly put a dent in the day.

Next we were off to pick some pears. This ranch used to be a pear orchard before the cattle grazed it, and there are several old fruit trees that are still producing fruit. Picked a nice bucket of pears, and ate quite a few along the way. A nice way to end the day with a fresh pear in your hand.

Once we had everyone with their ride home, I went back to gather eggs and care for the chickens. Got about 200 eggs collected and received a phone call that Keith had been stung by bees an was all swollen. Poor guy - he is allergic to bees, so I hurried back to the ranch. While mowing, he hit a yellow jacket nest and they went after him full force.

Had stings on the back of his neck and all over his face. While swatting at the bees he broke his glasses, and I think he was more frustrated than anything. Got him taken care of then received a phone call that our hay was coming. Oh my!
Luckily the kids had moved most of the hay in the barn - only to have the delivery guy want to remove it and put it off to the side. At least it was in a nice pile! Had a heck of a time getting all of the hay in the barn, so we will be hand stacking those bales that wouldn't fit inside this week. Think we will wait until it cools off a bit. Weather forcast is calling for mid 90's most of the week, and it is simply uncomfortable stacking hay in the heat.

Another day at the farm!

Moving water for irrigation is a chore all in its own. 3" irrigation pipe that comes in 20' sections gets moved two times per day to make long sections for irrigation. We are covering quite a bit of ground with the pipe, but also hope to be able to expand our coverage soon. Decided to start wearing some rain gear when we are in the sprinkler section, as I got pretty drenched yesterday when fixing some fence near a sprinkler line.

Our son Matt has been mowing the berry bushes to encourage more grass to grow. He broke the front bucket of the tractor a couple days ago trying to move a tree, so spent most of Tuesday welding and repairing the damage. He is planning on getting back in to the pasture today to hit the bushes again while it is cool.

I know that I have the same amount of hours in the day as everyone else. Sometime I wish for more hours in the day, but also know that I would probably fill those hours with more to do

We have moved our ewes and lambs up there, and are moving them every few days in to fresh pasture. The irrigated pastures are ideal for the sheep to put on some needed body condition, but the irrigation is also a bad part to the health of their feet. We have been fighting foot problems from the moisture and are trimming their feet every week to try and stay ahead of the bacteria that they are so succeptible to. The lambs are growing great, so it is simply a balance act.

We have so much grass now, that we have added some more cows to our herd. We are now running our original Angus herd, but added some Hereford to the mix. They were all checked out a couple weeks ago and all are pretty darn healthy. We will bring the herd in this weekend and check them all out again. The bull seems to be limping a bit so will be interesting to try and check out his foot. The cows aren't quite as easy to check on as the sheep!

We have a lot of irrigation water that needs to be moved each day. Aluminum pipe gets moved and set up each day to get the area around the house and front pasture watered and kept growing. So much grass that our animals can not possibly catch up to it all.

We saw our first fire helicopter scoop water out of our "new pond". How interesting! There was a fire on the ridge above us and the fire crew was quick to stop it from coming too close. The helicopter scared the cows and they all took off out back - a bit skittish for a few days afterward.

We are all done lambing for the year, but still have a couple cows left to calve. Everyone seems healthy and in very good condition for the summer heat!

We have started to calve, and so far they look pretty good and healthy. The cows are all out on leased irrigated pasture and have put some nice weight on so far this spring. They have plenty of ponds and irrigation as well as great vegetation with the rain that we seem to be getting each week. We brought the calves from last year home from the neighbors property and they are pretty heavy with the spring grasses. The heifer will go out with the rest of the cow herd in June, and the steers will go out on another pasture to put on their "finish" fat.

Our lambs are doing wonderful and are quite curious. We have one lamb that doesn't mind the electric net fencing as he has stuck his head in to it several times and gotten tangled. We have had to untangle him quickly, but some of the ewes just seem to hop over him and out to greener grasses. Why is the grass always greener on the other side?

We have also found that there is a ewe that sticks her nose under the bottom wire and slips right on under it. She is going to find a new home soon.

We have been having a good time with some of the local events, serving some of our lamb and egg samples. We have talked several people in to trying just a small piece, and they shake their head until finally giving in. Funny... they come back and ask for another piece and then sometimes another.