Birdsong Farm
4809 Back Enderby Road V0E 1B8 Armstrong, BC, Canada

Woohoo! Summertime *finally* calved, a whole week after her due date. This handsome fellow is my eighth calf born this year, and the sixth bull calf. With the arrival of every bull calf, I can hear my old neighbour telling me, Well, that’s no way to grow a herd! It’s a good thing there’s only one Jersey left to calve this year, or I might start running out of ‘S’ names for all my bull calves.

Blossom's first calf, Colby, was born on September 1, 2004; he was followed by Dawson on September 12, 2005, and Ebenezer on August 23, 2006. I'd milked goats by hand before, but milking Blossom was very different from milking a goat. First, there were four teats instead of two, and second, there was about four times the milk! Before Colby was born I tried to strengthen my hands by squeezing a hand therapy ball every morning and evening while Blossom ate her grain, but I remember my hands and arms still being pretty sore for several weeks after Blossom first freshened. One morning I was talking with my mum while straining the fresh milk and said, "My forearms are so sore!" My younger sister was standing there and exclaimed, "You do NOT have four arms!"

This photo of my husband, his dad, and one of our farm employees covering the bunker while silhouetted by the sunset is my favourite photo from this year’s corn harvest.

Hey @jerseycanada! I found you a super cute fashion model.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! This weekend I'm offering a special to my Canadian customers. Place an order between Saturday, October 10th and Monday, October 12th and be entered to win free shipping. www.naomisbirdsongfarm.ca/store

My love of Jerseys all began with a heifer named Blossom... Blossom was born on the Queen Charlotte Islands (now known as Haida Gwaii) on August 28, 2002. In a letter dated September 8, 2002, my friend Elizabeth wrote "Our black cow had a cute heifer calf on August 28th. It is a chocolate colour." When I received that letter I didn't know that one day the 'cute heifer calf' would be mine! In this photo, a newborn Blossom rests with her mum, Diamond.

This afternoon I made a batch of fresh Jersey butter with Jasmine’s cream! It’s been at least three years since I’ve made butter. For this batch, I skimmed the cream off the top of three gallons of milk, and churned it in my Kitchen Aid mixer. I’ve made butter hundreds of times (for the first eight years of milking Jerseys I’d make a giant batch of butter with 3-1/2 gallons of cream every Monday), but watching the cream break and the butter come in never grows old.

Tonight, I went out to the barn before going to bed to visit Shirley Rose. She’s leaving for her new farm in the morning, so I wanted to tuck her in for the night one final time and reminisce about all the milestones we reached and memories we made these past eight years. I’m going to miss this sassy gal.

The first person to purchase a Mozzarella cheesemaking kit today (Tuesday, October 6th) will receive free shipping on their order. Enter the coupon code FREESHIP at checkout (limited to Canadian addresses only).

If you've wanted to learn how to make Mozzarella (or tried and failed), this class is for you! I'm teaching this online class on Zoom, so you can join from your kitchen. I'll demonstrate each step of the cheesemaking process, share my favourite Mozzarella tips and tricks, and answer your questions and help you troubleshoot as we make cheese together.

I'll be showing you Birdsong Farm's Mozzarella cheesemaking kit, and answering your questions about the kits and the virtual cheesemaking class.

The Back to School sale ends today! Enter the coupon code BACK2SCHOOL at checkout to get 10% off Mozzarella cheesemaking kits https://www.naomisbirdsongfarm.ca//mozzarella-cheese-kit.h and the virtual cheesemaking class https://www.naomisbirdsongfarm.ca//virtual-mozzarella-clas. If you have questions about the kits or the virtual class, leave a comment below, or join me live at 5:00 pm PDT today.

Happy 8th Birthday, Shirley Rose! My husband took this photo of me with Shirley Rose (left) and her only living daughter, Jasmine (right) this evening.

We’re celebrating #tongueouttuesday this week with a birth announcement! . Marina calved yesterday afternoon, and we’d like you to meet the newest Birdsong heifer, Masako.

I'm extending my Back to School sale until the end of September! Enter the coupon code BACK2SCHOOL at checkout and get 10% off my Mozzarella cheesemaking kits and virtual cheesemaking class. Virtual Mozzarella cheesemaking class: https://www.naomisbirdsongfarm.ca//virtual-mozzarella-clas Mozzarella cheesemaking kits: https://www.naomisbirdsongfarm.ca//mozzarella-cheese-kit.h

I’ve decided to sell Shirley Rose, and am writing this post with mixed feelings. I know I’m going to miss her, but I’m excited about this new chapter in her life. Shirley Rose was born on Birdsong Farm, and she’s been part of my life for nearly eight years. She was there when I started my first dairy job as the herdswoman on a small farm, and we’ve achieved many goals and milestones together. I’m going to miss her cute waddle when she walks (it’s seriously the cutest). I’m go...ing to miss those moments when she tosses her head, kicks up her heels, and prances down the barn alley. She might be a small cow, but she has a BIG personality! Deciding to sell one of my sweet Jersey girls is always hard, but after talking with Marie from Snowdrop Farm, I am confident that they will provide Shirley Rose with a loving home where she will be well cared for. Marie and her partner Edwin are starting their own new chapter of farm life, and I am happy that they will get to experience many firsts and make many memories with Shirley Rose by their side, just as I have.

There’s still time to register for Jersey Canada’s virtual AGM tomorrow!