Casey O’Neill is a farmer and owner of Happy Day Farms in Laytonville, Calif. The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of The Mendocino Voice. If you’d like to write your own column for The Mendocino Voice, send your idea to info@mendovoice.com.
The flock of red-winged blackbirds swoops and whirls, settling in the sloped meadow next to the driveway. I am stunned by the beauty and choreography of their movements, stopping the truck to watch. It is chilly enough that there is a thin sheen of ice on the water bowls at the ranch, but the sun is shining bright on this fine November morning.
As I watch, more scattered groups of blackbirds arrive to the main flock, stragglers and outliers alighting in the meadow for congress, scratching and feeding. They prefer grassy meadows, but also spend time in our garden. They love the vertical stems and seed heads of the many sunflowers, which are replanted each year in part by their activities. I look forward to the profusion and new configuration each year as the sunflowers hopscotch around the garden in fine volunteer fashion. Blackbirds are also adept at finding and scratching through any areas where we’ve laid straw and seed, often to my chagrin.
I remain transfixed, watching as small groups begin to shift across the road into the adjoining meadow, alighting on fence posts and tree branches. They spread out in a Northerly direction, like water drops separated from the main mass, which suddenly arises into the air and flows across the road in front of me, following the frontrunners. Small groups continue to join from other directions, coming back into the main flock.
As they alight in the next meadow, many are lost from sight, camouflaged in the grass so that the true size of the flock is obscured. I marvel at the group dynamics, intrigued by the mechanics of their movements, each bird a participant in the larger movement that draws the eye. As they continue into the trees to the North I sigh with deep joy and put the truck back in gear to head to the ranch.
The livestock all seem happy to see me, although I suspect it’s more about the assumption of breakfast that human arrival entails than it is about me personally. Saturday morning is one of my slots for chores, and I love that on this day I feel no hurry or rush, so I can take a few extra minutes to scratch pig bellies and do small maintenance tasks. Though the air is still cold, the sun and physical activity of feeding warms me so I take off the jacket that I put on over my hoodie when I realized how chilly it was as I walked out the door.
We have the pigs separated into 4 groups right now, having just weaned the two sows. The 4 remaining piglets are in a group with Boink and Doink, who are larger barrows that we are raising for slaughter in another few months. They were born here on the farm almost a year ago, while the young piglets are about 3 months old. The two sows, Sweetie and Ms. Piggie, are in separate enclosures, both on a reduced ration now that they are no longer lactating. Sweetie is svelte and in good shape, but Ms. Piggie is obese, so she is pastured where she can move and get more exercise and hopefully drop some of the weight after birthing her third litter of piglets.
The boars, Hank and Tank are in a separate enclosure where they can’t make any more copies of themselves, but also on a ration more designed to maintain than to put on weight. The smaller pigs are all on a heavier ration that will support rapid gains, although with Kunekunes you have to be careful with feed because they put on fat so easily. Their diet consists of a blend of organic alfalfa pellets and 14% all-purpose organic feed which we soak for 24 hours before feeding and then supplement with apples, funky winter squash and any other farm leftovers. Gathering these types of crops is a core part of our animal management strategy, making use of waste food resources cuts down on feed costs and the carbon footprint of our animal operation, and it makes me happy to gather them in the vein of “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”
Yesterday I drove over to gather pig apples at our mentors’ farm on the other side of the mountain. As I traveled along Bell Springs, enjoying the sunshine of the afternoon, I saw a hawk dive into the ditch near the road. I slowed to a halt as I watched the bird climb back out of the ditch, flapping its wings and then folding them to alight on top of a phone pole. I could see a mouse dangling from its talons, and I watched in fascination as the hawk ate the mouse in a few quick bites, sharp and powerful beak tearing off pieces of the still-warm creature. After finishing its meal, I watched as it glided along the curve of the hill, and then I progressed on my apple mission, coming home with 11 totes of apple windfalls stacked in the back of the truck and weighing between 800 and 1000 lbs.
I’m struck by the way that communities interact, human and nonhuman alike. I suppose this is logical given that I majored in sociology, yet it remains one of the deep sources of reflection in my life. We humans build and maintain community through our individual efforts, just like the movements of each blackbird makes up the flock. It takes timing, effort and showing up, and I’m glad for the chance to be in community with so many amazing people. As always, much love and great success to you on your journey!