Chicama Run Family Farm

A lot of people look at farmers markets as a quick set up because of the tents and the lack of a "store front."  Quite a few have evolved to accepting credit cards and using a cash register even since we started (honestly the first year we were at 2 I never saw a cash register!).

So what does it take to get to market day?

I'll go with us.......

Thursday afternoon/evening - we butcher the chickens.  This past week Joe & I butchered 31 birds.

Friday - load up the trailer.  Pick out the meats that we want to sell this week and what will fit in the freezers.  Load up the eggs (note that we have been washing eggs every day during the week so we don't have to do it all on Friday).

Saturday - Wake up early to do the morning chores before I leave at 6:45.  In order to get there - I need to be milking the cows by 5.

The market opens from 8-12 now.  So at 12, we load everything back into the trailer, drive home, unload everything that didn't sell and continue selling here at the farm.

Now all of this stuff is in addition to the normal every day farm routine.

* Wake at 6 (though I'm trying to do a 5am thing to milk the cows earlier - I'm not doing too great at that yet)
* Kids wake up and take care of their 4-H animals and/or let the chickens out before they get ready for school.
* 1st kid to the bus at 7 (other kids are starting to come back out of their rooms around 7:30)
* 7:45/7:50 - rest of the kids are out the door to the bus
* 8am - hey I think I would like breakfast!!  Maybe an extra cup of coffee!!  Answer emails and go over the rest of the schedule for the day.
* Things never go as planned - such as this morning - I was milking until 9am - I was tired last night and just couldn't get up at 5!
*  Print invoices - see where we are with milk etc. (ie paperwork)
*  Make deliveries if needed or other errands
* 12-2 lunch, more paperwork, emails etc
* 2-6 afternoon chores, milking, gathering eggs, making dinner, things like that
* 6-??  Depending on the week, we usually have 1-3 meetings to attend for 4-H, or other appointments in the afternoon for the kids.  We try and have family time - which sometimes gets mixed in with dinner and TV (catching up on American Idol together)

Now these are just every day standard things...... many things can and do go wrong (or right depending on how you look at it!).... babies being born (this can screw up my entire schedule).... an animal going down due to illness or eating something they weren't supposed to (again - my schedule can get screwed up)..... the ever present "MOM - I need this TOMORROW and I FORGOT!!" (that one doesn't happen often as I have now told my kids "tough" enough times for it to have sunk in :).... fence breaking......picking up the meat from the butcher.... hauling animals to the butcher.... all these things can really change the schedule.

There is NO typical day.  My calendar is color coded and if it isn't on there - it doesn't exist in my world - and all my kids can tell you.... don't mess with Mom's World :)