Update from around the farm

Lots of new arrivals on the farm.  We have been working at getting our poultry numbers up .  Because of the bird flue , we have not been able to by poultry from the bazar so we have been hatching out on our own .  Sergey even went around to neighbours who had chickens and ducks we liked and got the local eggs from them to incubate .  

We now have about 15 ducks and 75 ducklings .  Thy are Mascovy ducks .  they are friendly, great for keeping down bugs in the orchard , and they do not quack and make a lot of noise.  

We now also have another 40 chickens big enough to bring our flock up to about 80 chickens .  They will be great for eggs, and eating the roosters.  They are also great for caring for the apple orchard. 

A couple days ago the grain arrived .   

We have also been working on the walkways aound the farm to make them more wheel chair excessable .  I had a small walk way along the back side of the cafe and Laundry room, but had to build over it when we put on the storage room and the water tanks.  So now we have poured a new walk way to clean that area up a bit.  

We have had an early start on the coal .  Prices down being the middle of the summer , so we have taken advantage of that .  It takes the boys about 4 of 5 days to bag up a truck load of coal, so that gives me about a week between loads to be able to raise funds .  It has been about $750 to $800 for a load rather then $1000.  Our donations after the last load leveled off at $500 so we could not order the next load until we had another $300, but just when we were ready for it we were offered a load for $500 that the driver needed to get off his truck, so the boys are back to work. 

Tanya has been busy as well.  She has so many seniors that she has been workng with. They are always so happy to see her when she    arrives with help for them.  It is also an opertunity for her to do a wellness check.  

We are moving along with the fundraising for the back to school supplies . It has been just over a week since we set out to raise a massive $7000 for knapsacks with school supplies for 700 kids @ $10 each.  With just short of a week to go we have just $3000 to go. They will not be given out until Sept 1st , but several of our donation platforms transfer funds on the first of the month so they will not clear the banks until around the 14th .  This gives us a couple weeks to purchase and pack the bags .. all 700 of them. 

Its been a busy time at the guest house an the yurts.  This morning our friends were up at the kashar and yurts to make beds and fill up the water tanks .  I cant wit to be there myself  in another month.