Join me for a FREE cheesemaking class! ~ The Moo's

Join me for a FREE cheesemaking class! ~ The Moo's–Letter

Published: Tue, 11/30/21

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Hi ,

The geese are flying south in their 'V' formations, and I feel my motivation is flying with them. The muted colours and shorter days at this time of year activates my hibernation (procrastination) mode. It's hard to get stuff done when I'd rather curl up next to the fireplace and read a book or take a nap.

I actually think a season of rest is a good thing after the hustle and bustle of the summer and autumn, and we need the quieter winter months to rejuvenate and prepare for spring. So I'll be embracing my hibernation mode as often as I can these next few months!

I'm teaching an online 'Introduction to Cheesemaking' class this Saturday, December 4th, and you're invited! We'll be using three simple ingredients—milk, lemon juice (or vinegar), and salt—to make cheese at home, and no special equipment is required.

You can register for free at www.naomisbirdsongfarm.ca, and there are two times to choose from: 10:00 am or 1:00 pm Pacific Time. (If you've already signed up for one of the classes, welcome—I can't wait to make cheese with you!)

I've started announcing the dates for my 2022 cheesemaking classes. I'm teaching Traditional Cheddar classes on January 29th and November 5th, a Mozzarella class on April 2nd, and a Gouda class on May 21st. I'm releasing several new classes as well, and will announce the dates as soon as I finalize the details.

There's a new Jersey on the farm! Gypsy Moon finally calved on November 26th, nine days after her due date.

Bull calves often take a little longer to bake than heifers, and we've noticed that the longer a cow goes past her due date, the higher the chance that the calf will be a bull. So, I was fully expecting this calf to be a bull, but Gypsy Moon surprised me with a heifer!

I've named her Amethyst Joy. I'm naming calves from my Fancier family with a Canadian nature theme, and amethysts are semi-precious gemstones found in Thunder Bay and along the north shore of Lake Superior. In 1975, the amethyst was adopted as the official gemstone of Ontario.

Amethyst Joy is the sixth heifer calf born this year, breaking my previous record of five heifer calves born in a single year. What's even crazier is that I've only had one bull calf born since October 2020. (And before you ask, no, I didn't use a single straw of sexed semen.)

There's still one Jersey left to calve, and then I'll be done until next year. She's officially five days overdue today, and the suspense is killing me!

Naomi

Calendar of Events

Online Traditional Cheddar Cheesemaking Class

Saturday, January 29th from 9:00 am–5:00 pm

Tickets: $79.95 per device

Learn how to make Traditional Cheddar and squeaky cheese curds with the Modern Milkmaid™, including how to properly cheddar your curds. While this is an 8-hour class, you will not be hovering over your pot the entire time as there are several long gaps in the cheesemaking process where you can do other things.

Make Cheddar & Cheese Curds