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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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 Posted - Aug 19 2015 : 1:34:32 PM
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Hello!
My name is Ginger Kelly and my husband's name is Ken. We live in Central Massachusetts, in a little town called Charlton.
I am an attorney who has been engaged in agriculture most of my life. My family was in the dairy business, years ago. I've raised horses, cattle, swine and poultry. My husband is an engineer who is actively engaged in water conservation and solar energy.
We own and operate a very small homestead, Kelly Homestead Apiary, where we raise our own organic food and do our best to engage in ideas and concepts involving nutrient-density, permaculture, conservation, organic, and sustainable agriculture.
Like us on Facebook and view a few photos and videos of our homestead at https://www.facebook.com/KellyHomesteadApiary
We are very interested in learning more about Heritage Jersey cattle and reading stories from different folks. We have a Miniature Jersey on our homestead named Little Bit. We also have an Irish Dexter/Jersey named Oliver. We are looking forward to breeding Little Bit, AI, within this month or next. It will be wonderful to have a new calf next spring/early summer, hopefully.
We look forward to meeting all of you. Perhaps other people from the Northeast will be joining this forum soon. Who knows?
Cheers and Best to all of you ~Ginger Kelly
This is a photo of Little Bit, taken about a week ago. She's showing off her new bling.
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~Ginger Kelly, Kelly Homestead Apiary, Charlton, MA~.jpg?v 26652890) gingerbkelly@gmail.comWhen a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? ~Author Unknown
Check us out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/KellyHomesteadApiary/ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Aug 19 2015 : 2:27:32 PM
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| Greetings and welcome again Ginger and Ken. Your homestead sounds wonderful and I love hearing about raising organic food, sustainable agriculture, and all that you are accomplishing. Little Bit is a sweetie. Thanks for sharing your Facebook link. It will be fun to check it out. Thanks so much, and again welcome. Can't wait to see your journey with your cow and hopefully soon to be bred heifer. |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Aug 19 2015 : 2:34:06 PM
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| Wonderful to meet all of you Ginger. Well, more of you I guess. Enjoyed your FB page and photos of you making syrup, etc. and more photos of Little Bit. She is GORGEOUS in every way possible. She has a face similar to one of my minis, Eliza Belle, who graces a series of notecards we use. I'll bet that's one of Ken's solar panels I spy behind Little Bit (who's looking a little shy--or is that coy)? |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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Posted - Aug 19 2015 : 3:03:53 PM
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| Thank you so much, NellieBelle and Maryjane. We are doing our best to raise Miniature Jersey cows, well at least one for now. @maryjane - I will have to find a photo of Eliza Belle, maybe I shall see her in your magazine (just sent out a free subscription card today, thanks!) Yes, that is one of Ken's solar panels...LOL. Good catch! Your welcome NellieBelle, we hope to keep folks posted on antics and happenings around the homestead. It is simply wonderful to find other people who share our affinity for agriculture, cattle and just about everything healthy, outdoors and wonderful! So glad to meet you all. |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Aug 19 2015 : 3:58:35 PM
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Here's a picture of Eliza Belle on our notecards. If you have a good photo of Little Bit, my graphic designer, Karina will do some special effects and we will send you a dozen cards with envelopes to use. Gratis. The link below has more information. https://www.heritagejersey.org/chatroom/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=771
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Aug 19 2015 : 5:07:18 PM
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| Welcome, Ginger! |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Aug 20 2015 : 10:53:08 AM
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Welcome, Ginger, to the chatroom. I look forward to hearing more about your sustainable agriculture practices, organic foods, and conservation practices. We are just beginning in our homestead and are trying to incorporate as much as possible of the same.
Thanks for introducing yourself! As a child, my family lived for three years in Massachusetts ... in Reading, MA. I still remember all the great history all around there. Out west, a hundred year old farmhouse is a wonder where we had friends living in a 300 year old house in MA. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Aug 23 2015 : 9:30:51 PM
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hi ginger and welcome! i'm a california native transplanted to texas and hubby and i are also doing the small homestead thing. my cow arrives in about a month so i am just embarking on my bovine adventures, but as everyone on this board can attest i am very excited and interested in all things cow.
go give your cows a hearty welcome hug for me. |
_(199x300)_(66x100).jpg?v 93697001) Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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Posted - Aug 24 2015 : 05:36:19 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by maryjane
Here's a picture of Eliza Belle on our notecards. If you have a good photo of Little Bit, my graphic designer, Karina will do some special effects and we will send you a dozen cards with envelopes to use. Gratis.
OMG Maryjane! Eliza Belle is gorgeous! Absolutely, I'd love to have notecards with Little Bit on the cover, with special effects by a good graphic designer. Thank you so much. We will try to get a good photo of her and send it in. (it may take a little time, however)
WOW! Is Eliza Belle really still only 34 inches at the withers?  Now that's tiny! |
~Ginger Kelly, Kelly Homestead Apiary, Charlton, MA~gingerbkelly@gmail.comWhen a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? ~Author Unknown
Check us out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/KellyHomesteadApiary/ |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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Posted - Aug 24 2015 : 06:08:25 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by CloversMum
Welcome, Ginger, to the chatroom. I look forward to hearing more about your sustainable agriculture practices, organic foods, and conservation practices. We are just beginning in our homestead and are trying to incorporate as much as possible of the same.
[It will be nice to have others interested in sustainable agriculture, organic and conservation practices. Thanks! Please share some of yours with us as well. I'd love to hear your ideas and learn more.]
Thanks for introducing yourself! As a child, my family lived for three years in Massachusetts ... in Reading, MA. I still remember all the great history all around there. Out west, a hundred year old farmhouse is a wonder where we had friends living in a 300 year old house in MA.
[Reading is about an hour from my homestead. Yes, the history, like the water supply, is plentiful up here. Thanks for sharing a bit of your story.]
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~Ginger Kelly, Kelly Homestead Apiary, Charlton, MA~gingerbkelly@gmail.comWhen a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? ~Author Unknown
Check us out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/KellyHomesteadApiary/ |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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Posted - Aug 24 2015 : 06:12:58 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by txbikergirl
hi ginger and welcome! i'm a california native transplanted to texas and hubby and i are also doing the small homestead thing. my cow arrives in about a month so i am just embarking on my bovine adventures, but as everyone on this board can attest i am very excited and interested in all things cow.
go give your cows a hearty welcome hug for me.
Thank you, txbikergirl! So happy to meet you on this forum. I'm so excited to hear more about your new cow. Is she a Jersey? Tell me more about her! Just like you, I am so excited and interested in all things cow! A big and hearty cheers. (PS: We try not to hug our cows; however, I'll give them a mighty scratch under the chin and mention that the happy scratches are from you...lol!) |
~Ginger Kelly, Kelly Homestead Apiary, Charlton, MA~gingerbkelly@gmail.comWhen a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? ~Author Unknown
Check us out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/KellyHomesteadApiary/ |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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Posted - Aug 24 2015 : 06:19:21 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by NellieBelle
Can't wait to see your journey with your cow and hopefully soon to be bred heifer.
So happy to announce that Little Bit was bred (for the first time) on Friday. The AI guy said she was in "good" heat. Let's hope and pray that she "caught" and we will have a little one running up and down our hills, sometime around the end of May.
I also have to say, my husband Ken and I laugh and quote your quote, ever since we saw it on this forum. "To laugh is human but to moo is bovine." Thanks. Humor keeps the heart and soul healthy!  |
~Ginger Kelly, Kelly Homestead Apiary, Charlton, MA~gingerbkelly@gmail.comWhen a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? ~Author Unknown
Check us out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/KellyHomesteadApiary/ |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Aug 24 2015 : 08:19:53 AM
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| Ginger, hit Reply to Topic so you aren't capturing the previous post. Takes up a lot of computer space:) |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Aug 24 2015 : 3:26:35 PM
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my cow is a mid-size jersey, in milk now with her little calf of almost three months. and possibly bred when we pick her up the end of september ;> we are bringing ALL of them home to their new farm in Texas.
just went to a cheesemaking class this last weekend so VERY excited to start that journey once the sweet bovine's join the family.
lover boy (the hubby) is just as excited as me in all things farmstead so having each other along the journey is wonderful.
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Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Aug 26 2015 : 10:56:08 PM
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Congrats on hopefully Little Bit's successful A.I. If her heats have been regular, by about Sept. 12 or so, you'll start to say, "by golly, I think she's pregnant" and you can open up a bottle of milk, pour it into wine glasses and make a milk toast. Are you going to send off a blood sample at 30 days to confirm pregnancy if you're thinking she is?
Tomorrow I get to take my granddaughters to WSU with me for a quick trip to have Rose Etta tested for fetal sexing. They successfully AI'd her June 12. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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Posted - Aug 27 2015 : 03:20:41 AM
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The vet here said that I should call him in the fall for a return visit, and he will give her a booster and some other kind of shot that prevents in utero calf mortality. He also mentioned something about palpitation, to check her pregnancy, but I have no clue what exactly palpitation entails. Do you know, Mary Jane?
Cindy - Oh Wow! I bet you're so excited you can hardly stand it! |
~Ginger Kelly, Kelly Homestead Apiary, Charlton, MA~gingerbkelly@gmail.comWhen a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? ~Author Unknown
Check us out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/KellyHomesteadApiary/ |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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Posted - Aug 27 2015 : 05:35:12 AM
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Mary Jane, you are too funny. If she is pregnant, we shall pop open a bottle of milk and toast with wine glasses! Great idea! 
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~Ginger Kelly, Kelly Homestead Apiary, Charlton, MA~gingerbkelly@gmail.comWhen a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? ~Author Unknown
Check us out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/KellyHomesteadApiary/ |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Aug 27 2015 : 05:37:26 AM
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I've never heard of a shot to prevent calf mortality. I'm taking Rose Etta to the vet today and will ask them to bring me up to speed on that. I'm curious.
Checking for pregnancy using palpitation means your vet is going to put a glove on up past the elbow and go in through her rectum to she if a calf can be felt/detected.
I prefer a simple blood draw taken from under the tail (less invasive), put into a small plastic vial, and then sent off (in my case dropped off because the national company that does the testing is in my home town) for confirmation of pregnancy. The test costs $2.50 plus shipping (not priority, just USPS). You can't take the blood draw until they are at least 30 days pregnant. The details for that are in my book that's on its way to you! |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Aug 27 2015 : 08:13:36 AM
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| MaryJane, can I ask why you are doing fetal sexing? Will the results change your future breeding plans? |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Aug 27 2015 : 08:38:50 AM
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| Good question. Since Dr. Pearson was successful this time doing A.I. on one of my girls (Rose Etta), I can tell she'd like to know and stay involved. It's always good to keep them involved in your animals plus it's an opportunity for me to take my grand girls to WSU for something minor involving only one animal. Stella is keen on the birthing/pregnancy part so I know she'll love every minute of it and ask lots of questions and learn a lot. Good excuse for a field trip. Not to mention I'd like knowing what I have in the oven. The 9.5 month wait seems forever sometimes. I'm always thinking about who, what, and where and given the number of cows I have, knowing that Fanci is having a boy and Eliza Belle a girl coming up in November helps me plan for my family's milk and meat needs (should I steer so and so--not if Fanci is having a bull, etc.) Also, knowing Eliza Belle might be replacing herself makes me think I can in fact start getting her ready for a new home and dealing with the psychology of that--preparing myself. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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Posted - Aug 27 2015 : 6:40:08 PM
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Many good ideas for sexting your cows, MaryJane. I love the idea of a field trip with the granddaughters.
Also, thank you for letting me know about the blood test. I did not know about this. Maybe we shall try this, rather than palpitation. I'll ask the vet. The Vet also mentioned to me that the shot she will get to prevent fetal mortality is related to a certain bacteria that often occurs in the womb (if this helps) of cattle. The bacteria affects the fetus and causes an aborted pregnancy. However, he did mention that it probably is not a likely problem, for us, due to the low number of cows per acre. I'll ask them about the shot and what it is, and what the risks may be, when I schedule our next appointment. |
~Ginger Kelly, Kelly Homestead Apiary, Charlton, MA~gingerbkelly@gmail.comWhen a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? ~Author Unknown
Check us out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/KellyHomesteadApiary/ |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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Posted - Sep 28 2015 : 07:20:49 AM
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Thank you for our very cool neat little gifts, Mary Jane. You are way too sweet!
We appreciate all you do and we wish you many many blessings, from Kendall, our granddaughter, Ken and myself, with Little Bit (the miniature Jersey heifer) and Oliver (the Irish Dexter/Jersey steer).
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~Ginger Kelly, Kelly Homestead Apiary, Charlton, MA~gingerbkelly@gmail.comWhen a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? ~Author Unknown
Check us out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/KellyHomesteadApiary/ |
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GingerBKelly
274 Posts
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Posted - Sep 24 2016 : 7:16:43 PM
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We are very proud to announce our first calf, born this past July to our miniature Jersey, Little Bit Kelly. I'll share a couple of photos.
Little Bit Kelly and Tiny Bit Kelly
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This is Ken, my husband, taking Tiny Bit out for an afternoon stroll.
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Ken and myself, after milking. We are feeling very dairy in this moment, holding up our lovely white gold. I told Ken he has "dairy" hair. He laughed and said, "excellent!" Ha ha!!!
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~Ginger Kelly, Kelly Homestead Apiary, Charlton, MA~gingerbkelly@gmail.comWhen a cow laughs, does milk come out her nose? ~Author Unknown
Check us out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/KellyHomesteadApiary/ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Sep 25 2016 : 05:08:59 AM
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| Congratulations once again on Little Bit Kelly and calf, Tiny Bit Kelly. And the liquid gold is a lot to be thankful for. Happy for you both. Thank you so much for the update and photos! |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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![[flourish]](/images/flourish-txt_mobius.png)
Salutations from Massachusetts
![Heritage Jersey Organization [logo]](/images/HJO-logo.png){kind=logo}
