It’s a short water year. There is a very low snowpack in the Cascades, our water source. At this time, we are going to receive half our normal water supply. For us, this is a minimal problem. Grapes need the least of any cultivated crop. Our deep soil allows us to go a long time between irrigations. We usually use only half our allotment for the farm. When this happened some years back, we were fine.
To deal with a possible shortage of water for our pastures, we have reduced the number of animals we are pasturing. Last year we fed 25 cattle, 46 sheep, and Miss Piggy for 7 months on 13 acres of lush organic pasture, keeping 3 sheep and Miss Piggy through the winter. This season we are doing summer camp for six cows with calves and our three adult sheep and our four cows. Our Good Mama ewe delivered three lambs a week ago, they are doing well, and all are ewe lambs to keep as breeding stock. Waiting for Spooky Mama to drop some lambs soon. So much less stress when we arrange for births in May instead of freezing January.
