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farm animals

Saratoga Farmers Experience Joy of Animal Births

April 2, 2019 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Our goat Tory went into labor Sunday afternoon. My husband Jim Gupta-Carlson, who had been keeping watch overnight, was ready with his “kidding kit”: sterile gloves and lubricant; towels to help dry the kids; iodine for cleaning; and molasses in warm water as a treat for the new mother.

Goats most often give birth to twins. The kids usually arrive one a time. Tory’s nearly tumbled out together. Jim donned gloves, applied lubricant, and helped Tory deliver her kids, one by one.

Kids at Squashville Farm, photo courtesy of Squashville Farm

Within an hour, the kids were standing and suckling at Tory’s udders. Spring is the season of babies for Saratoga Farmers’ Market vendors who raise animals. At Nettle Meadow, Moxie Ridge, Lewis Waite, Mariaville Mushroom Men, Squashville, and other farms, chicks, ducklings, and goslings are chirping; lambs and kids are prancing about; and soon piglets and calves will appear in woods and pastures.

In ideal circumstances, the animals birth on their own. But when complications arise farmers help.

At Elihu Farm, 70 ewes are giving birth this spring. One ewe had been in labor for a long time, so Bob and Mary Pratt intervened. Bob held the animal’s head, and Mary found that one lamb was in a breech position. She straightened the legs and pulled it out. A second one followed. Thanks to the intervention both lambs and their mother are doing fine.

At Longlesson Farm, Christophe Robert is looking forward to 35-40 calves in late June. The cows give birth outdoors, and by the end of the day, the calves are running around their mothers, sniffing curiously, shaking their limbs.

“I never tire of watching them,” Robert says. “All that energy.”

Orphaned calf at Longlesson Farm, photo courtesy of Longlesson Farm

Once, he found a calf that had lost its mother lying alone. He carried it indoors to warm it up, and his family fed it with a bottle until it could survive on its own.

At Ramble Creek Farm, Ann and Josh Carnes are preparing for piglets. Last year, Ann recalls, the sows created shelters in bushes as their deliveries drew near. Josh camped out with them in the woods, prepared to help if necessary. But the sows birthed on their own.

 

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: Elihu Farm, farm animals, Lewis Waite Farm, Longlesson Farm, Mariaville Mushroom Men, Moxie Ridge Farm, Nettle Meadow Farm, Ramble Creek Farm, spring, Squashville Farm

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A wonderful sunny market day! We have plenty of p A wonderful sunny market day!

We have plenty of produce in season, with tomatoes being the star of the show 🍅✨ With dozens of different varieties from our vendors, you’ll find plenty to make shakshuka (recipe on our website from last week!), sandwiches, soups, and more 🙂 

Corn and zucchini are also in season, perfect for a summer salad 🌽🥗

We hope to see you at High Rock Park today from 9-1!
It’s National Farmers’ market week! Stop by an It’s National Farmers’ market week! Stop by and celebrate with us tomorrow from 9-1 at High Rock Park! We will be joined by Saratoga’s Office for the Aging, CDPHP Comfort Food Community, Bicycle Benefits, the Academy for Life Long Learning and CCE Master Gardener! Tomorrows musicians are the Acorns and Running the River 🎉 Hope to see you there!

#saratogafarmersmarket #shopsmall #farmtotable #summer #agriculture #tomatoes #sweetcorn #saratogasprings #farmersmarket
Join us for POP Kids’ Club week 6! 4-H Robotics Join us for POP Kids’ Club week 6!

4-H Robotics Group will be bringing plenty of robots for kids to watch, play with, and even operate 🤖 Along with a larger robot that can be driven around!

We’ll also have supplies out for kids to construct their own designs with some produce and toothpicks 🍎🥦🛠

We hope to see you at High Rock Park tomorrow, Wednesday 8/3, any time between 3-6pm!
🫐🫐🫐 There are so many great vendors and p 🫐🫐🫐
There are so many great vendors and products here today for our Blueberry Festival!

We have…
Blueberry Lime jam from Kokinda Farm
Blueberry Lavender Lemonade from Slate Valley Farm
Blueberry hand pies from Nightwork Bread
Blueberry “woofles” from Mugsy’s Barkery
Adirondack Jill PB (with blueberries!) from Saratoga Peanut Butter Co.
Blueberry stickers
Fun crafts
And more!

We hope to see you today at High Rock, we’ll be here until 1! ☀️

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  • Programs
    • SNAP/EBT & FMNP
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    • Featured Article
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