Farm Day 2012

For Margaret's birthday proper, we decided as a family to go out and celebrate Manitoba Farm Day, where numerous farms around Manitoba open themselves up to the public.  The only reason I had heard of it was because on the way up to the lake we stopped at Chorney's family farm, a long standing Yost tradition, and they were opening themselves up this year for the first time.  Due to time constraints though we were only able to visit the Chorney's farm, but hopefully next year we can make a longer day of it.

We learned all sorts of tidbits about their farm and farming in general.  The Chorneys do mixed farming with around 1500 acres within 6 miles of their farmhouse.  They have a ton of crops that they bring in, in addition to the produce for the farmstand, including oats, wheat, canola, corn & soybeans.  I had never thought that soybeans were so prevalent in Canada yet, but they have made a large inroad in the past decade, in part due to their success in low rain environments.  The level of automation is pretty amazing nowadays.  Apparently when he first started it would take hours to fill a grain truck, now with the large combines they are filling them every 15-30 minutes.  The combines now weigh their loads so they have an inventory management system that is accurate within 1%.  They just added an air blower to their combine to keep more seed on it that was apparently necessitated by their foray into soybeans, which will now yield slightly greater harvests for all crops.

According to Mr. Chorney (I believe it was Doug) they plant about 14 acres for their farm stand (under 1% of their acreage), but it takes up 50% of their time.  Clearly this is either a lucrative venture or they understand the part they play in some people's weekend driving trips around Manitoba...

Now for a short retrospective on the day.

On Highway 59, just North of Highway 4.  Home of the 1976 Manitoba Potato of the Year.

Big tractor tires.

Cara approves of their choice of John Deere equipment.

This tractor was attached to a disker / plough / seeder that was run by air pressure.

After seeing the tractors, the combine & the grain augers, we were off to the garden patch to pick our own produce.

Cara is SUPER EXCITED about getting her own tomato.  We had a frost two nights prior, so the plants were suffering.

Frances is pleased with her selection of a tomato and a jalapeño pepper, though not nearly as excited as Cara was...

 

Apparently they use this little guy when they are out picking produce, and removing severely injured football players from their fields.

Enjoying theirs self-chosen carrots by the grain truck.

Margaret is 1!

It is hard to believe, but today Margaret has officially turned one.  No longer an infant, now a toddler (though that realistically started sooner) she has been enriching our lives with her cuddles and craziness for a year now.  In honour of her first birthday we hosted a small gathering for her yesterday, with her Godmother, auntie and grandma Friesen in attendance, and we lavished her with food and gifts.  Cara spent the last month or so knitting her a blanket, so she received that.  Soon she will be out of her sleeping sack and sleeping with her blankie I suspect.

In the long time that has passed since we last posted (yes I know I said I would be better, but there was a summer, an ongoing renovation, and three wonderful kids that occupy almost every moment of our lives until we crash) but the milestones keep coming down.  Margaret got her first tooth about 3 weeks ago.  She started walking around the same time too...  Now she chases her sisters quicker than ever seemingly enjoying terrorizing them (not that they don't get their comeuppance).

Here are some pictures from her party Saturday.

Auntie Paula & her Goddaughter.  Uncle Andy looks amused by the shenanigans.

The cake.  Outside...

... and in

Margaret seems confused / concerned with the cake...

Cake?  Why would you torture me with this?

Mmmmm....  Ice cream!!!

  

Did I mention I like ice cream?

Oh yeah, that's a happy not-baby-aymore

Her sisters thoroughly enjoyed the food too.

Mmmmmm....

One happy kid.  She ate most of her cake, all of her ice cream (& some of mine) along with a full dinner.  This kid has a career path in competitive eating.

Is that a $600 camera grandma?  Don't worry, you can trust me with it.

And a one year retrospective... Yes, it is a little long but I made it for the party to run on the TV.