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Watch that first step…
…frozen 70 years ago…tucked in an ampule…and speculated about ever since! Who dare risk cracking the seal?! One of the very few samples of semen from the famed Potheridge President. Brought to the United States and put into closed-herd competition with the other great breed sires of the day! Potheridge President emerged the clear winner and Devon beef became the industry standard for quality. With all the other great names in our herd Thistle Hill is proud of its burgeoning reputation as home of pure traditional English Devon anywhere!
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In praise of Devon…
…it isn’t often a Devon develops a hoof problem. But if it happens a half-mile from the working chute, it sure is nice to take the portable chute to the middle of nowhere and know she’ll load without a fuss. Not even some portable panels were necessary. Vet Tom Massey arrived just after the picture was taken and TDA 15 was cleaned right up. David
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The Thistle Hill Alumni club…
…posted by Brooke Henley on Facebook today. Brooke says she watched the calving from her window while enjoying her morning coffee. The sire is Thistle Hill Equinox…with seven bull calves and four heifers so far this year. Two to go. Our relationship with Brooke and husband Tom and their Spring Pastures farm in Maryland goes back many years. They’ve built their herd around Thistle Hill genetics. Equinox is the son of our THF Churchill and the grandson of perhaps the finest cow in modern Devon history, Tilbrook Cashtiller. Not only did she win best of show every time she entered but her bull calves topped the English sales three consecutive…
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Summer camp…
…for our two-year old heifers. They’ll eventually be bred here at Slainte Farm and return home to calve. For now it’s a welcome break in their routine and fresh grass! And btw congratulations to our partners Mary and Mike on their recent marriage! David
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What’s for dinner…
…a juicy beyond organic hormone and antibiotic free sirloin steak. Curt went overboard with his seasoning on this one: avocado oil and then a rub of black pepper, yellow mustard, coriander, lemon peel, garlic, celery seed, dill, Chile, cardamom, and salt! Lightly and quickly grilled. In a word: delicious. David
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The waiting game…
…seems to be a subtitle for much of the year at Thistle Hill. Right now we’ve confirmed the pregnancy of the cows we artificially inseminated(AI). A2a is one of the AI recipients. She’s one of two carrying calves by Grantland Granite of John Forelle’s Folly Farm. That herd was dispersed several years ago. Grantland was the name of Bob Grant’s herd and Bob was an important figure and treasurer of the American Devon Association. Gearld Fry bought his herd and Granite wound up with John Forelle. I saw him at Folly Farm in about 2005 at the very first meeting of the North American Devon Association in Albany, New York. …
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One percenters…
…these pigs are in the one percent of pigs raised outside in pastures. They were out exploring and foraging today. Carolyn
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Ready to start…
…the main herd reporting for their preg check. The calves have been separated to be worked separately…vaccinations, dehorning, steering. Curt is the chief wrangler today…waiting for the signal to start bringing them in. David
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Our guard donkeys…
…have asked for equal time with the farm dogs we featured awhile back. Jenny, pictured here, and Jack are our miniature donkeys…a kind of early warning system protecting our herd from stray dogs and coyotes. They stay with the herd year around no matter the weather. They’re incredibly low maintenance…and they survive on the grass alone…no supplements and never seem to get sick. They’re 20 years old now and still going strong! David
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From the kitchens of Thistle Hill…
…and yes while we have two kitchens…son Church continues his triumphs on the Kamado Joe grill. This time it’s a pork belly smoked by that apple wood tree we harvested a few weeks ago. Church recommends scoring the fat side diagonally and then rubbing all sides with Bone Suckin’ Seasoning and extra brown sugar. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Place over indirect heat and smoke until the meat reaches 200 degrees. My preference is to hold off and make a midnight sandwich. While pork belly isn’t very popular in the States, I have Asian friends who consider this the peak of American cuisine! It is also very popular in Scandinavia, Latin…
