Hello again!

            Hello and greetings from Middleground Farm once again!

     As you know, I sold my beautiful herd of registered miniature Herefords a few summers back. The new owners are having a wonderful time with the cattle, and once in a while post pictures of the girls, all fat and healthy! The first year after the cattle left, I had the current owner of my original bull (pictured throughout the years in this blog), bring him (Mr Bull) and his cows over for the summer. They were a delight to have here grazing peacefully on the pastures until they left that same fall to go back to his farm, several miles away.
     Summer 2015 the fields rested, or should I say, grew with wild abandon and lush fury! I tried to keep up with some semblance of mowing (with the X-Mark finish mower!!), but have to say the grass won!
     The fences were kept in repair, although the electric was off, and the deer popped a few wires off here and there.
      The barn is still here, and I have space for two box stalls, or, a good size run in barn, with hay storage, and, what will be a tack room , where the cattle vetting and loading pen now stands.
      I am having the interior of the barn finished with boards, and a roof extended over the pen area. The fences will be tightened, and Electro-braid white polywire will be added for visibility. I have used the Electro braid in the back pasture with only 1 additional wire, and never had an animal get through the fence, including the bull. So I do know it is a secure fence.
      I could run 12 head of cattle on grass throughout the spring and summer, with controlled grazing and pasture rotation. These pastures have been well tended over the years, frost seeded to clovers and orchard grass, manure spread on the pastures and dragged into the soil. The posts are not treated lumber, but cedar and black locust, each one pounded in by hand.
      I am looking for quiet, well behaved horses that need pasture, and conscientious owners who appreciate a quiet, safe and well looked after home for their horses, along with acres and miles of open and wooded ground in which to ride, access to fresh clean water, clean local hay, shade, and a gated, private driveway.
      There could also be room for a training area, and I would welcome the conversation.
      Please contact me in comments for more information if you would like.
      Thanks for checking in.
      Its good to be back.

A New Day.

Well, the time has finally come. Last week I said goodbye to my lovely little herd of registered miniature Herefords.
It was a tough two days; last Thursday having my vet, Rob Wilson, come to my farm for the last time. He had been my vet of choice over the last 8 years, from the very start he had been involved with my animals. His last visit before was for my dear sweet Miss Piggy, who died unexpectantly and suddenly in early May. Broke my heart; we did everything to try and save her.  I promised that she would never leave here, by me, and she didn't. She is buried up back on high ground. She never had to leave . Sadly, I lost her orphan calf shortly thereafter. I buried him myself, next to where his momma was. It was raining, and the tears mixed with the rain and the mud.
I think that really knocked the wind and heart out of me. I had been struggling mentally for the past year about keeping them, expanding the herd, or selling. I fought hard to keep my home and herd through the divorce and was blessed with both at the end.
It was time to step back, take stock.
I sold my herd sire this past winter, as hay was at a premium. Little by little the animals went to new homes.
Spring came.
Several inquires from potential buyers came and went. I figured God had His plan; if He sent a buyer, fine, I would sell. If no one was interested, I would keep on.
A wonderful couple from Pennsylvania came up to see the herd.
They had been searching for miniatures. No one had anything for sale.
My circumstances were their opportunity.
With no hesitation on either side, we made a fair deal, and the animals were sent on their way last Friday; the summer solstice.
As I watched the trailer drive down the driveway and out onto the road, I yelled to my cattle goodbye.
I did not cry.
I was exhausted.
A day of vetting, inoculations, tattooing, rounding up and penning the herd; the next waiting for the trucker; pushing cattle that were born and spent their entire lives here onto a trailer. I was spent.
The only tear I shed was realizing I would not see those familiar animals walking through the pastures any more.
I tided up a bit, dumped the water tubs and rinsed them out, put them in the barn.
I unplugged the fencer
All was silent.
They arrived at their new home several hours later. I could sense the same excitement with the new owners as I had when my 4 arrived that October evening from west Texas in 2005.
They kindly sent lots of pictures....The entire herd was simply moved to another pasture, literally; the sight of them grazing as they had here brought me great comfort.
The new owners gave me daily updates and seemed delighted to finally have a real herd of miniature Herefords grazing on their beautiful farm.
I am grateful for the folks that now own them. I am at ease knowing they will be well cared for, well feed, looked after, fussed with, sung to, played with and tended to.
They were my therapy and escape from an abusive and cold marriage.
They comforted me as I struggled in the early months of my divorce; quite literally kept me sane, the repetition of daily chores forcing me to function.
They served me well.
I could not be happier with the home they went to, and pray God blesses them as He did me these past 8 years.
Middleground Miniature Herefords is no more. They will now be kept under the name Middlecreek.
All who have followed this blog, I thank you. Thank you for your comments, thank you for reading my sometimes insane ramblings about cattle, life, doing the right thing, men, fences, hay, chopping ice, building barns, bedding and vetting and babies and .......
Thank you, and goodbye from Middleground Miniature Herefords.
I have been blessed.

Miniature Hereford : Herd for Sale

After much thought and consideration, I have decided to offer my entire herd of registered miniature Herefords for sale.

I am willing to do a very good deal if the entire herd is purchased as a whole this fall.

The herd consists of several mature horned cows, all productive, a polled bull, 5 polled heifers of varying ages. A polled bull calf. 11 total animals.

Please visit my web-page at www.nyminiatureherefords.com

As all of you know, I love these animals, and have raised them by hand...they provided me with a good extra income, very little work and expense (after the initial purchase) and have paid for themselves many times over in the past 7 years.

Several events have happened in the past year, and now different opportunities are presenting themselves to me and my daughters....
I am not afraid of change; I embrace it. For the past is no longer viable; all I have is here now as I sit at this computer....tomorrow, will be a gift. I do not know what the future holds, all I do know is not to hold too tightly onto the past.

If anyone is seriously interested, please contact me directly...please no tire kickers, dreamers or storytellers.. I simply do not have the time.....these are great cattle, and will be a fantastic start or addition for anyone. All animals will be vet checked and shipped with all interstate health and shipping papers.

Of course, if anyone is still looking for one or two animals, or the package deal I  have on the web-site, they are available as well.

Thanks all for hearing me out.

Diane

Miniature Herefords For Sale

Finally! Welcome back.

After almost an entire year of being off line and unable to market and therefore support myself and my two daughters with my livestock business, we are finally up and running once again!
Although I was not allowed to sell any animals during my divorce proceedings, I am now happy to say I am legally the sole owner of Middleground Farm and the herd of registered polled  Miniature Herefords that was begun in 2005.
I have to share with you all; as you know my daughters and I went through a very difficult time this past year dealing with all sorts of nasty divorce issues...and as most of you know, my ex husband had little to nothing to do with the cattle...except to complain endlessly...his only interest, ironically, was after he was told to leave...and it involved money.
Now I had purchased the animals back in 2005 originally, picked them out, arranged for shipping from West Texas, vetted them, etc etc. I built the barn we still use today, by myself. Built the fences. Pulled out calves, vetted the animals, marketed and shipped...Pretty much did 99% of the work involving the cattle, and I liked it. It was my passion, my therapy, and it contributed to my family by paying the taxes , putting braces on my daughter, improvements to the property.
After my ex left for good, he started monitoring the blog and web site...looking for money.
The sites came down or to a standstill.
Greed was the game, and I have to say he made a complete ass out of himself when he insisted to his attorney in a city courthouse 
 that I was "hiding" several breeding bulls that had been sold and transferred by the AHA ,off the farm for years!! I couldnt help but laugh out loud right in the guys face! Neither man had a clue as to what he was talking about; and it only proved his complete ignorance as to what was going on on his own property ...but thinking he was entitled to half of the apparent "wealth" of the "cattle business" LOL!!
Needless to say, he got the Harley, I took the cattle . Everyone happy. Mine will appreciate every year with new babies, his will depreciate every year. Whatever.
I have an amazing group of animals I would like to offer...all polled all heifers except for a very fine polled bull calf....I normally would keep the better polled animals, but I am content to keep my brood cows that have been so good and profitable for me and offer instead excellent quality polled young stock to the market.
Our weather holds here in the east for shipping until about December....my issue is barn space. Believe me if I could house all my polled young stock through the winter and sell them as bred heifers next summer, I would. They would also cost alot more. And everybody is always looking for cattle in the spring...
So now is your chance to get a really good deal if you are considering buying additional young stock to add to your existing herd, or starting a small herd for yourself.
My barn can house 8 comfortably...I have 11 animals. Everyone must have shelter. I am not in the position to build another barn yet.
If you are looking to buy, I am more than willing to deal extremely fair.
I also have our herd sire for sale...we have used him 3 seasons, and its time for new blood. He is a fourth generation polled Long Creek bull. If you are tired of dehorning or just don't want horns period, he is your bull. All my babies from him are out of horned dams and every one is polled. Clean.
Please check my new web-site (still just getting going...) I am now listed as
www.nyminiatureherefords.com.  I am also getting a Facebook page up as well as Middleground Farm and hope to keep current with photos news and videos...
I am happy to help and answer any questions you may have, please do not hesitate to call !
Thank you everyone for your sticking with me this past year, your patience and understanding.
Diane Baron
Middleground Farm
Registered miniature Herefords
Lima New York
Cell: 585-314-6620

How to correctly place a tree.

Advice from Landscape Design Services at Middleground Farm, Lima, NY

Make sure you like where that tree is going...once its growing, you will not want to move it.
 Will it provide shade? Take up excess water? Soften the corner of a home? Provide something nice to look at in the winter months?
Will it drop flowers, leaves, fruit of branches on walkways or patios?
Will it provide shade to park a car under, or a place to hang a swing?
Will it grow where you want it to?
 Is it the right tree for the right planting environment? Wet, dry, soggy...
Will it deal with refected heat from a street, parking area or brick building?
Will it grow into overhead utility lines and be hacked at by the utility companies as it matures?
Will it take alot of wind?
Will it offer privacy?
Will it eventually hit your house on a windy day?
Will it flower, or have gorgeous fall color?
Will it hold its leaves late into the winter?
How tall will it eventually grow?
How wide will it spread?

There are many considerations when selecting the proper tree to plant around a home or property.
I hope these will help.
Try and find a reputable nursery, or do your online homework first before purchasing any nursery stock.
Make sure you now your planting zone, and are aware of micro-climates around your home.

Next up:

The correct way to dig a hole. (for a tree)
(Yes, there is a right and wrong way to do even that!)

Miniature Herefords and the Human Condition

     So here's a bit of a bend to the general musings of cattle and farm life I think....lately, due of course to my current situation, I've have been so burdened by the seemingly countless broken homes and broken families and the unfortunate casualties .... the children.
     You see, when I was growing up, parents were the bastion of stability. When our parents chose to marry and have families, they understood it was work at times, not always fun, but ultimately the best for the FAMILY as a group, a unit, a herd. I do not recall seeing much selfishness or self-centeredness in my home. In fact, I don't recall hearing much of "Ï" or "me"or ""I'm not this..." or "Ï "want/need that..."
     We were taught (mostly by example) as children to put others first, empathy, care and respect for others.
     Today's adults, parents in particular, seem more interested in the "me" instead of the ""us", or benefits, of the collective; aka: "family unit""
    . Calling it as I see it, this generation of adults, in my eyes, is the most self-serving selfish group (and I am talking about my generation) that ever was.
      My cattle stand in the pasture, several generations, grouped together, grooming each other, calling for each other, standing collectively together, because they know they are so much better off as a group than on their own. I have never seen a calf or young cow wandering off by itself, cast out or forgotten. I have never seen one of my cows or bulls ignore a family member, or abandon its young. I have seen and heard the grief-stricken calling for days after a still born calf, or a separated calf at weaning.
      Tell me, why is it animals care so much for each other, simple as they appear to us, and yet we, as humans, so superior in our capacity to think and reason, do not?
       This is a great mystery in my mind, as I see young men set out of their homes, wandering the roads, sleeping in barns, nowhere to go, no fathers to shadow. I see it with the young girls and women, whose example of father is a man consumed with lust, driven from home and family, caring only for the next new thing or thrill. I see mothers leaving their husbands and children behind, restless, looking for new excitement....until that new grows old, and the cycle repeats, over and over, leaving broken spouses, broken homes, broken children, and financial devastation in its wake.
     Broken has come to my home as well, as most of you who follow this blog know, and the cycle continues, repeats and goes on. My two teenage daughters struggle with a father that is no longer there, and look to other men for validation and comfort, which, as you can well imagine, is a very dangerous road to be on. I see the children of other broken homes, homes ripped apart by selfishness, an entire generation of young people set adrift. These are the young people who will someday be taking care of us as we grow old and frail.
     What will we have taught them? What will we really expect from the generation of children who have seen self serving and self gratification as the ultimate goal in life?
     How do we expect the next generation to care for us, if we cannot even be bothered to care for them long enough to see them to high school graduation?
     I shudder at the thought.

The Miniature Hereford; Therapy and Connection with 4 Hooves

So my biggest dearest cow, Miss Piggy, is very close to calving. This will be her 5th calf, she is 7 years old. A dearly beloved cow, she is my one and only original from Point of Rocks Ranch back in 2005 when this all began.
     Miss Piggy is sweet natured, low and stocky. With a beautiful head, pigmented eyes and perfectly turned horns, she is a sight to behold. Her back is so broad and straight I frequently rest a mug of coffee on top while doing chores...she doesn't seem to mind one bit.
     Anyway, I was out in the pasture giving her the up close once over (aka. any excuse to stay outside) and checking to see how close she was to calving. I stood next to her, half daydreaming, rubbing her coat, and pulling off little dull wads of winter coat that had not completely fallen off yet. I noticed slick shiny hide along her top line. The exceptionally warm March and April kind of messed with their shedding, so they are somewhat rubbed of, with little balls and tufts of winter still reluctant to go.
     She stood, motionless, with her nose almost to the ground. Not chewing, not moving, almost holding her breath. I'm not sure who was benefiting more; her from the scratching, or me from the mindless daydreaming as I stood there next to her.
     I stopped.
     She stopped.
     She slowly turned her great head toward my leg, and ever so gently wrapped her neck around my thigh.
     "Please don't stop".
Motionless, she waited for me to resume the scratching.
So eloquent, so simple her request, I began again running my gloved hand along her top line, over her neck, and along her great brisket.
She was a still as a statue.
The birds were singing.
A warm late afternoon breeze was blowing.
The sun felt good on both of us.
I gave her a few pats on the neck, and told her she was a "good girl"and that soon she would be a momma again.
Walked out of the pasture, and towards the house.
I'm quite certain I walked right past the house and out back along the fence line.
Its just so hard to go inside on a beautiful day.
Its just so gentle being around my animals, Gods creation. Nature. Sunshine. Peace.
It was a horrible rough winter for my heart.
The spring is most welcome, I think, by all here on the farm.

Who needs therapy when you are so very blessed?