Pop's Old Place

09/10/2026

Little one had enough strength to walk out and join the herd. progress!

09/09/2026

One thing I love about the Randalls is how seldom we have to assist with calving.

Today, this first-time heifer gave birth to a little heifer calf. It wasn’t an especially difficult delivery, but the calf seemed stressed enough that she wasn’t getting up and nursing as quickly as I would have liked.

I brought mama and baby up to the barn just about the time Arthur got home from work. We attempted a bottle of colostrum first, but she wasn’t quite figuring it out fast enough for my comfort. So we switched to a stomach tube and made sure she got the colostrum she needed.

She seems good and strong, so hopefully over the next few hours she’ll get those legs underneath her and figure out nursing from mama.

And granddaughter Willow was quite the videographer through the whole thing—documenting farm life as it happened.

09/08/2026

09/07/2026

While doing morning chores, I noticed one lamb wasn’t looking quite right. Instead of bringing the whole flock back to the barn, I decided to see if Rose could help me separate him from the others and hold him in a corner of the pasture.

Rose is great with the cows, but she hasn’t always been as good with sheep. She can be a little more assertive with them than I like. But over the past few months, something has shifted, and her ability to work the sheep has improved so much.

This video really demonstrates how much better she has become at understanding the proper distance to hold the sheep without causing them to panic or run off. With her help, I was able to catch this lamb in an open four-acre paddock, check him, treat him, and turn him right back out with the flock.

What a privilege to have such a talented working dog as my partner.

09/05/2026

Quick market update for tomorrow:
Farm chores, a hot day, and a little extra work kept me out of the kitchen longer than planned, so I wasn’t able to get to the sourdough for tomorrow’s market.

Thankfully I had really good helpers.

We’ll still have plenty of pasture raised meats available. Thanks for understanding when farm life changes the plan.

09/02/2026

Paint on the Farm: Join us for a peaceful fall morning of watercolor and visual journaling at Pop's Old Place. No advanced experience is needed.

Eastern Shore artist, illustrator, and author Joe Willey will introduce participants to visual journaling, share practical watercolor techniques, and then help everyone choose a favorite spot around the farm to paint.

The farm's fall landscape, chickens, and livestock will offer plenty of subjects to inspire our paintings.

Saturday, October 10 | 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. $50 per person. Limited to 15 participants. Rain date: October 24

Once you register using the link below, we will email you a list of suggested materials.

Please note: Our farm market will be closed on Saturday, October 10, while we host this event.

Visit our Website popsoldplace.com under the Farm Classes tab

Paint on the Farm Details & Registration

https://popsoldplace.com/farm-classes/ola/services/painting-on-the-farm

09/02/2026

It seems the cows needed a little back-to-school refresher today. Nearly every one of them resisted the daily move to a new grazing paddock, which made the process take much longer than usual.

Rose and I eventually got them moved, but I know from experience it would have taken much longer without her. The extra effort also highlighted a weakness in our handling system.

I’ll reposition the gate into today’s paddock so it swings in a different direction. That should give the cows a clearer path and make it easier to guide them through without bunching up or turning back. Rose got a workout this morning and saved me a lot of aggravation and many extra steps.

09/02/2026

My Uncle Lee had a saying, “If you’re waiting on me, you’re wasting time.”

That describes Rose to a tee. She’s usually one step ahead of me, already at the gate and wondering what’s taking me so long.