Triple B Ranch-Sheep and Cheerful

January 21st, 2016

Today was a treat! I met with Terresa Buffman at Triple B Ranch. I wanted to pick her brain as she runs a successful farm in Oxford Station and I am very interested in learning about farming. I'd love to own chickens, goats and grow our own vegetables.

Shortly after we moved to Kemptville, some locals approached us about boarding their horses. They had three horses and we have seven box stalls. I explained to them that I knew nothing about horses and I was very pregnant so they would need to come every day to take care of their horses. We also had them sign a waiver because we weren't sure if our barn was suitable or safe. They boarded their horses here until they purchased a home with a barn up the street from us and moved their horses to the new home. My daughters and I visited the horses every day when they lived on our property. Occasionally, we would feed them apples. When they left, I missed them and realized I really loved horses. I saw ads on Facebook for free horses and started talking to my husband, the realist, about my dream of having horses on the property again. I talked to horse lovers and they warned me that horses are NOT pets. They cost a lot of money and you need to know what you are doing.

I decided to aim lower, perhaps we could start with chickens. There used to be chickens on this property. Everyone I spoke to assured me they were easy to care for, they even eat dinner scraps and compost. Someone told me they eat egg shells, that just seems wrong. My husband has warmed up to the idea over time, he eats three eggs a day. I know a number of people who purchased lots of chickens and they end up with too many eggs. My goal is to have two chickens. We'd get fresh eggs every day.

I also love goats. They are adorable and, we can get goat's milk, cheese and soap, all from one source. I heard they eat everything and climb on stuff so I thought I would talk to people before we move any further in that direction. Terresa tells me there is a demand for goat's cheese at the moment. She knows someone who owns goats and she thinks they are very much like sheep.

My other goal is to grow our own vegetables. We have a tomato and herb garden every year but the chipmunks always eat our tomatoes before they are ripe. Very frustrating. If we could build a small greenhouse, I'd love to have spinach, kale, onions, tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and herbs.

I was raised in the city so I need to do my research if any of this is going to succeed. That is where Terresa comes in. She is also a city girl. She moved to the country in 1993 with her husband and they built their first house together on a one acre plot of land. They lived there for 17 years. They purchased 50 acres of land with nothing on it, just trees and moved to their home on this property in November 2007. They have since expanded the land to 100 acres. They weren't sure what to do with the land at first. Then, their three daughters became interested in horses. They bought a horse from the 4H lady for one daughter, got a second horse for free and, seeing as their youngest daughter wasn't sure yet about getting a horse, they gave her five bunnies. The girls learned to be responsible for their animals.

Terresa felt intimidated by the horses at first, they are huge. It took her over a month just to get into the paddock with them. When their youngest daughter decided she'd also like to have a horse, they got her a pony. The Buffham family decided to try their hand at chickens. They had watched Food Inc. and it turned their life around. The were determined to know where their food was coming from. They built chicken coops and purchased 2 laying hens, 10 meat birds and 3 turkeys. They now have 85 laying hens, 100 meat birds and 50 turkeys. Terresa says the demand has grown over the years and they plan to have even more meat birds this year because the meat birds always make money.

The Buffhams wondered what their next step might be. They wanted to have something fun that could subsidize their true passion, horses. They decided to launch Triple B Ranch as a business and purchased 18 sheep. This was an investment they made as a family, every member help. It has been a great experience for their three daughters. They learned about responsibility, caring for animals, the food chain and, they spent time in nature (not on technology). The farm became something the girls could fall back on and they just soaked up the experience. Terresa says the children "are like sponges". Her eldest daughter can't wait to own her own farm one day. The farm also helped the family through some tough times. "Farming is a full-time job but it centres you. You are out in nature, the animals are always happy to see you and they won't talk back".

Terresa has started sharing her passion for this way of life with other children through her Agriculture Day Camp. Children aged 6+ can sign up. They get a binder which they are responsible for until the end of the program. They decorate their binder and receive inserts. They must learn about the proper care of animals and the various parts of an animal. They also get to garden together. Each child chose an animal to present, walking up and down the driveway. The children are learning about the food they eat, they are getting fresh air and exercise and, they go home dirty and tired. Many of them fall asleep on their way home. If you'd like to sign up children for the Triple B Ranch Summer Camp, I suggest you do it now. Children are already registered. You can e-mail Terresa at triplebranch2008@gmail.com or call her at (613) 285-6243.

She has had to learn about farming the hard way, losing part of her herd, costly vet bills etc. She taught me so much in our short time together and now I will share her tips with you.

Tip #1 Fencing is key, to keep the animals in and to ensure coyote stay out. Otherwise you spend a lot of time chasing the animals when they escape. Having a donkey is also a good safety measure to keep coyote out.

Tip #2 Start small, you can always expand. They had 18 sheep from the start. It was too much. You must consider how many people are on hand to help.

Tip #3 Sheep don't stay healthy just from being in an area, eating grass. You must take preventative measures to keep the animals healthy. By the time you realize a sheep is ill, it's too late, it will die within three days. Preventative measures include livestock management, you can't have too many sheep in one area or too many animals crowded together. Animals need deworming, vitamins, minerals and antibiotics right away when they get sick.

Tip #4 If you get an animal from another farm, don't mix it with your animals right away. Animals have Coccidia, a parasite that lives in their feces. When they poop, this contaminates the grass where your other animals are eating, infecting all the animals. That's why you never throw their food on the ground, you don't want it to get contaminated. You must treat the Coccidia with an antibiotic before introducing new animals into the herd.

Tip#4 Get a mobile fence and partition your animals. Rotate the animals so you are not putting the same bacteria into the ground. You can also get Guinea Fowl, they will detox your grass for you.

Tip #5 If you can't afford to buy or build a greenhouse, you can raise the garden beds to keep animals out. Terresa will experiment with growing starter plants in the straw bales with a bit of earth this year.

Tip #6 Terresa rescued some pot bellied pigs when a farm was ravaged by a fire. She realized she could never have pigs. They are messy, they destroy the pasture and the smell is intense, especially their feet. So, if you are considering this animal, you may want to visit someone with pot bellied pigs to assess whether this animal is right for you.

Tip #7 They purchased a cow for beef one year ago. She highly recommends it. They'll eat the hay no one else wants, the coarse stuff and, they are hardier than the sheep. However, if you get a male, you must have him de-horned and he should be castrated so he doesn't get too aggressive. They are gentle and affectionate. They will be expanding their beef business so please help get the word out. The Buffham's beef and poultry are free range, without chemicals or by-products.

Tip #8 If you decide to have meat birds, females take longer to grow. Cockerels eat more and grow faster but they get aggressive and start pecking each other. You need to be careful otherwise you start losing your birds.

As you can see, my visit to the farm was very informative. We ran out of time for me to actually see the animals. I will be back to meet the animals. Next time, I'm bringing my daughters.

Anne Walsh