It hasn’t been a bad winter so far! We have had some glimpses of warmer weather, but we know it’s still too early to hope for Spring just yet. March is not a predictable month! Meanwhile, the cows are doing well, and we are so glad we got the pole shed and cement finished last Fall. We are going to visit Dusty and Camila at the end of April to celebrate his 30th birthday and their engagement. We are really looking forward to it! We have to figure out who will be taking care of the cows and house sitting. It should be very nice in California when we are there! And when we are back it will be time to start our Spring projects on the Farm…. more work!

We are excited about 2020! So far we have accomplished what we wanted to do and more plans are in the works for this year. We sent our two Wagyu cows to Scenic Hills Embryo Transfers in Bloomer to have them inseminated with semen we purchased from a couple of highly rated bulls. They went on December 23rd and we got them home January 10th. Calves are due in early September. Meanwhile, we have weaned Taro and Masaki and they are eating feed and hay- looking great! So far the winter hasn’t been too bad- just a couple cold spells. We are planning on putting in a water fountain next summer and doing a little more fencing so they can graze longer. Very happy with how things are going on Lost Creek Valley Farm! And, more big news from the family- Dusty and Camila got engaged on Christmas Day! Wedding plans are in the works for early 2021. We are so happy!

Merry Christmas!

We feel so blessed this year! We got to spend some time with Dusty in LA this year and meet his girlfriend Camila. Cody is doing very well as our herdsman, watching the cows and helping us with all the farm projects. And we did alot of work to get the cows inside the shed this winter and are keeping them comfortable. It was a busy year, but we are proud of our accomplishments! Our Wagyu are looking great and the calves are growing fast. Soon we are taking the two Wagyu cows to the vet for insemination and the new calves will be born some time next September. We have plenty of hay this year and the only thing dipping in our pocketbook is the cost of bedding and cattle feed! Craig recently bought a nice used Ford F150 extended cab that he has been wanting a long time. Hope to post some photos soon- having some trouble uploading them right now! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Lost Creek Valley Farm!

We have been working to get the shed ready for the cows. Got cattle panels up around the slab outside, put in the bale feeder, put down a base floor of gravel and sand screening, and added bedding inside the shed. We split up the area with gates and cattle panels and added the water tank and feed bunks. It got cold really early this year, so we were happy to get the cows inside the shed last weekend! We know the calves were happy- they bedded down in the hay like a couple of kittens! Next we are adding the alley and shoot so we can give shots and get the Wagyu pregnant. We have been in contact with a vet that specializes in embryo transfers, flushing and artificial insemination. We want to establish a good working relationship with them. Hoping to get all of this finished in next couple weeks!

We worked for about 2 weeks between rain and storms to get the site ready for our 24×30 cement slab behind our pole shed. We plan to fence it in and put the feeders there. The cows will be able to get into the shed for winter protection. It will be awesome for us because we will be able to turn on the lights to do our work! And, next Spring there won’t be any mud! The first part of our plan was finished yesterday. Now to get a good base inside the shed and start getting the gates and cattle panels set up. Then we will move the cattle shoot inside also. Plans are moving along!

As mentioned in an earlier post, Dusty and Camila arrived early Friday morning, Sept 26th in Minneapolis and we were there to pick them up. It was awesome to finally meet his girlfriend Camila! We had so much fun showing her our home and farm. She even was brave enough to walk into the pasture and pet the calves! Thumbs up Camila! We also went to Danzingers Winery in Alma for great views and excellent wine. The weekend flew by and they left late Sunday night. We will treasure these memories and are planning a visit to LA soon!

Our son Dusty and his girlfriend Camila are coming home this weekend! We are so excited to meet her and we haven’t seen Dusty since last February. It will be fun showing her around and Dusty is excited to see the Wagyu cows and calves. Looking forward to a fun weekend- they are only here 3 days, so we have to make the most of it!

We sold some rental property and have some extra funds for Fall farm projects! We plan to add a cement slab behind the pole shed, and use half of the shed for wintering this year. Plans are to also update the watering system by moving it inside the shed. And, we also want to move the cattle handling system inside. Because we won’t be able to drive through the shed anymore, we have to add gravel beside the shed so we can drive around it. We are prioritizing the projects and are hoping all goes well to get everything done! It’s a long list and it won’t be long before cold sets in!

Yes, it’s the year of the bull calf! Taro was born today, Sept 9, 2019. Very healthy and strong! We tagged him and gave him some calf starter precautionary meds and he’s good to go! This evening we will give him some colostrum supplement too. As long as he’s drinking from Mom, #229 Machiko, he should be fine! He picked a cool rainy day to be born- but at least there’s no flies! Now Masaki has a buddy to hang with- he was so excited this morning! And we were too!

A new bull calf arrived August 22nd! We named him Masaki- he is healthy and looks great! Check out the video on our “Life on the Farm” page- Masaki is getting used to his legs! His mother, #223 is a great mom and lets us get close to the calf. All is well- and now we wait for number two!