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Seconds old
The face you make when you’re trying to get the biggest bite of tomato as humanly possible. Vine-ripened tomatoes are just that good!
Apple and peach tree pruning!
Our apple and peach trees aren’t your average backyard apple and peach trees. They grow on a trellis system. The trellis bears the weight of the fruit, limiting the need for strong, thick branches. The new growth (thin branches) are the fruit-bearing branches. We are pruning the weight-bearing branches, leaving all fruit-bearing branches intact. Additionally, we are tying the branches to the trellis system to keep the trees in their proper place - straight and utilizing the trellis system efficiently.
Guess what happened at the farm today?? Baby 19, 20, 21 and 22 were born today!
The brightest rainbow I’ve ever seen!
Today, while checking on the sheep, we discovered a laboring doe in distress. The labor wasn’t progressing as expected, which is very uncommon, especially given our investment in good herd genetics. We quickly realized the seriousness of the situation when we saw a stillborn-like appearance of a lamb’s head protruding from the ewe. With gratitude for the tools at our disposal, we stepped in to assist the ewe. We stepped in just in time and saved the lamb!
Our relief was short-lived as the doe continued to display worrying behavior. She showed no signs of bonding with the lamb and remained in a state of distress, indicating that her labor hadn’t concluded. We monitored her from a distance to reduce stress and encourage her maternal instincts to kick in. It became clear that the labor wasn’t progressing naturally.
With Gary’s expertise as a certified livestock reproduction specialist, we conducted an examination and discovered an unborn lamb, along with the ewe’s ceased contractions. In a race against time, we cleaned the area to prevent infection and started efforts to deliver the second lamb. Despite our tireless efforts, we were heartbroken to find that we couldn’t save the second lamb. We were able to help the doe deliver the stillborn lamb and saved the ewe.
The ewe is recovering, and both the first lamb and ewe are doing well and getting stronger. We did everything within our power to save all three today. While we’re grateful we were able to save the ewe and the first lamb, our hearts ache for the loss of the second lamb.
As farmers and ranchers, we have a profound responsibility and privilege of being caretakers of animals. We poured our hearts and souls into saving the lives entrusted to us. Watching Gary and Hayden today - seeing them pray over the ewe as they were working tirelessly to save their lives - the love we have for our animals is indescribable. We take the responsibility entrusted to us very seriously!
Thank you to each and every one of you for your love! Thank you for your prayers! Thank you for caring about the story of all farmers and ranchers!
***You found the directions to enter our giveaway! We love giving back to you, so we are giving away tickets to the Farm to Table Dinner. The night will feature instrumental entertainment and an AMAZING four-course farm to table meal.
To enter follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok. Our username is @mortimerfarmsaz. Each follow equals an entry - that's it - super easy. We will be drawing the winners Monday.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring about the story of your food. Thank you for supporting our family, our team, our farm, and Arizona agriculture!
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