BRC Fallow Deer

School is back in session and I feel like we blinked through summer. Anyone else thrilled for kids to go back to school, but also sad that the long summer days have come to an end? Anyone else still figuring out the new routine?! 🙋🏻‍♀️

So much progress has been made on our fallow deer farm this summer. The long days and extra sunlight were not wasted. As is the case on most farms, even on the hottest days of the year (heat index topped out at 129°), our efforts are put towards maintaining and improving our homestead. Brendan is the driving force for most of our projects and this summer was no different. Don’t be fooled though, the kids and I still perform much needed supporting roles around here.

The list is LONG but here is a quick highlight reel of the major accomplishments from this summer:  

⭐️ A successful fawning season

⭐️Wrapped up the deer barn 

⭐️Completion of the holding pens and boxes that lead up to our Papa deer chute 
(Designing and building our own deer barn from the ground up was a massive undertaking. To see it standing just gives me all the warm fuzzy feelings. It really is a true testament to the determination and grit it has taken to make it this far in our endeavor.) 

⭐️Built dividing fences that splits our main deer pen into five individual pens

⭐️Installed a watering system for each individual pen

⭐️Ez37 joined our herd
(He is our partnership buck from Oklahoma and will be used for breeding this fall. He loves peanuts and we are enjoying tossing him some in the evenings.) 

⭐️Sourced enough alfalfa bales for fall/winter/early spring feeding. 
We may need another shed just for alfalfa bales………. How many sheds are too many sheds on a farm?!?

⭐️Published in the Exotic Wildlife Association Magazine again 😀

While we did ALL the BRC Fallow Deer THINGS this summer we also maintained the rest of our homestead. Gardening took a major portion of our summer. It is such a wonderful feeling to grow, eat and preserve your own food. We have been extremely blessed with our garden production this year. In fact our 4 zucchini plants are STILL producing. Anyone want some?!?! Our fall garden crop of radishes, turnips and carrots have been planted but aren’t faring so well in the heat, the drought and alongside the giant grasshoppers….. Maybe chickens will be in our future to help combat this problem next year….. do we really count as a farm without them?? 😉

Even though our summer was spent focusing on the farm we also had fun! Family swim nights in our small inflatable pool, nova drives to get ice cream, bike rides around our circle driveway, sidewalk chalk obstacle courses and playdates with friends are all cherished memories. We are still clinging to the remaining hot days, milking them of the last of the summer fun, but we are looking forward to the cooler fall days ahead. So many exciting adventures are planned for this fall. The upcoming fall highlights include honey harvest from our 3 beehives, fallow deer antler removal, AI Breeding of our fallow deer, AI breeding of our cattle and all sorts of fall family fun.  

What a sweet summer we had.

~The Deer Wife
BRC Fallow Deer