Beginnings...

The summer of 2011 has brought many changes to our lives.

Those that know us, know that we are a very close family, and the decisions that we make involve all four generations that make up our family.

In the Fall of 2010 it was decided that Curly-Heits farm would again be a working dairy farm, made up of registered Holsteins gathered from several of our own stock, sales and auctions throughout the Northeast.Many changes to the existing farm were completed, including updating the milking equipment, adding a pole barn and repair shop, installing a new barn cleaner, and various other needed adaptations.

In early Summer of 2011 the cows that we purchased and owned arrived, and the daily life of dairy farming began once again. I added my own 'livestock' to the mix with several British White beef cows and 17 bantam chicks, as well as our raised bed gardens.

Everyone in our family has an interest in the farming lifestyle, along with responsibilities and personal pleasures as we go through our daily motions. There is nothing sweeter than seeing our three grandsons in the barn attempting to help 'Pappy' feed the cows, squealing at a kitten, or smiling at a baby calf. Watching our son and daughter leading and fitting animals for upcoming shows or classification brings back wonderful memories from when we made our living as dairy farmers many years ago. Seeing our daughter-in-law and son-in-law learn a new way of life and eagerly join us in our adventure is a gift of love that many parents-in-law will never be blessed to receive. Encouragement and support is given daily by both of our mothers who help us with prayer, love and wisdom every day of our lives.

And so, we begin. We begin to reshape our bedtimes, wake-up alarms, mealtimes, vacations and daily activities. We begin to learn the characteristics of new animals, new farming friends and new neighbors. We begin to watch the weather to plan our daily activities. We begin to change our pace of life to make it a better life for us all.

We begin to educate and raise our new generation to the ways of farming, in hopes that they can embrace it and appreciate it, as those of us in the generations before have done.
We begin to farm...again. :)