LET IT SNOW!!!!

We have posted some photos of the beautiful winter scenes here on the farm. True, it meant that we did not see many of you out here shopping! Our wish is that you had a Joyous and Happy Holiday with your family and friends. If you now have "cabin fever", stay turned in and we will plan an end of WINTER SALE for sometime in March.

JOIN US FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL:

FAVORITE 5 COUNTRY FARMS HOLIDAY TOUR
JUST CLICK ON THE LINK TO THE BLOGSPOT
FOUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PAGE TO
DOWNLOAD A MAP
EVERY FRIDAY THRU SUNDAY THROUGH DEC 21ST

BIG NEWS COMES IN BIG SIZES!

OH WOW, WHAT INTERESTING NEWS HERE AT THE FARM !
We have "adopted" 4 beautiful Arabian Mares in the past 2 months.A friend of mine read an article in the Oregonian newspaper about some abandoned horses that were to be auction off the last day of September. I saw the advertisement on Craig's List for the same auction and told him about it. We decided to go. Of course, neither of us knew what to expect.
There were about 20 horses in the barn.Each stall had a clipboard attached to tell you the name and age and sex of the horse. Bids were to be written on the bid sheets until 3 PM that same day.
At 3 PM the horses were sold one at a time to the highest bidder. Ages ranged from 6 months old to about 24 years in age. We picked some out that we liked ,for one reason or another, and bid on them as they came up for sale. We ended up with 4! All of these horses had been abandoned by their owner and left to die!
If it had not been for the kindness and good heart of the farm owner they would have died. She fed them and farmed them out to friends until she could file a lean on the owner and get permission to sell the animals . Some of them were hard for her to part with as the family became attached to the horses. A few of the animals did not have names that were known so they were given temporary names. Two of those mares ended up here at Tollen Farm. The other two we purchased do have names that don't suit them but will do until we think of better ones!
All of the girls are halter broken and friendly. They range in age from 2 1/2 yrs. to 6 yrs.

TWO PEAS IN A POD

These two boys have been here on the farm for quite a while. When you come to the farm, you will probably be greeted by "Cookie" but you will not even catch a glimpse of "Dancer".
Dancer is the orange cat in the basket and Cookie is the black and white one. They sleep together at the back door every night. In the morning they eagerly await the opening of the back door and the morning ritual of greetings, petting and best of all, a full bowl of food! Even Dancer, who is extremely shy, will allow a small bit of back petting before he gets his food.
He immediately runs off the porch when anyone comes near the back porch or the back door opens a second time. He has been acting that way for the past 13 years . He arrived as a wild little "gift" kitten and just never felt comfortable around humans. When Cookie arrived as another stray "gift"kitten, they worked it out and Cookie became "boss cat". They just love curling up in the big basket and keeping warm just like two peas in a pod.

VISITORS FROM JAPAN

Oh what an experience these young people from Japan had at the farm this week!They loved petting the donkeys and getting their photo taken with one.
Of course, the little guy, Comanche, was a favorite!

Jamocha Almond Fudge, our baby llama, was NOT about to let ANYONE touch her. She is pretty shy around strangers.

Then they visited the sheep barn, met the new ram, got to see and touch various types of wool, and find out what different kinds are use for commercially. While touring the farm,they saw all the ewes out in the field under the filbert trees . Picking an apple off the trees in the orchard to eat was a treat for them too. We enjoyed their visit as much as they enjoyed coming!
Some of them found treasures to buy in the shop. Everyone had a good time.

A SAD DAY

On Saturday, October 25th Momma Llama died. She was not doing well on Friday and Saturday morning our vet came to see her. We tried everything we could to save her but it just wasn't to be. Her little cria, ( cree ya), is 10 weeks old and really too young to be without her momma! However, she is now eating hay, drinking water, and getting a grain and milk replacer pelleted food to help her continue to grow and be healthy.
She is also becoming tamer and petting her is an option, if done with care and in a calm manner. Llamas do not like to be touched on their face or head. Jamocha Almond Fudge does like her neck rubbed and her back petted. She likes to put her face up to yours and touch you with her nose and mouth. Llama kisses are a new experience!

MEET OUR NEW RAM

The handsome guy you see on the right rubbing noses with one of his new "girl friends" is our new ram. He is a purebred Romney Ram raised by Dr.Fred Fredricks of Pin Oaks Farm in Aurora,Oregon. We are very happy to have him on the farm, but will keep our distance. He is not used to people so he is somewhat afraid of being too close right now,and keeping it that way is a very good idea with a ram! Having a big guy like him who weighs about 300 pounds decide to "ram" into you at any speed, is no picnic in the park! Fortunately, it is usually possible to sidestep a "hit",( if you are looking in the right direction when he decides to charge) ,if not, you will be knocked down.We do not have a name for him yet.
His previous owner, Fred, has been raising and breeding top notch Romneys for many years. He spent time in New Zealand with breeders there researching and helping develop the finer qualities of the Romney breed. He brought back semen from Australia and New Zealand rams to introduce those blood lines into US Romney flocks through artificial insemination.
The cross between the ewes on the farm and this ram should make great market lambs. You can judge for yourself next spring. The lambs will begin arriving on about March 10Th.
The flock consists of 10 ewes,4 Lincolns and 6 Hampshires. We also have 5 ewe lambs that will not be bred this year.

FALL IS CREEPING UP ON US!

As you can see in the picture of a part of one of the Sweet Gum trees that line the driveway, the leaves are just beginning to turn color. By the time they are through with their fall show of color, they will be a dark plum color.
The hay is getting put in the barn for winter and the new RAM arrived yesterday. He will go out with the ewes in a couple of days. There are always a "million" or so things to do before the fall rains really hit! There never seems to be quite enough time to get it all done!
Just a reminder, the farm is CLOSED for October and most of November. If you would like to visit us during that time, please call for an appointment. We will reopen the day AFTER THANKSGIVING for the Favorite 5 Country Farms Holiday Tour.

DON'T MISS THIS WEEKEND'S SALE DAYS!

FRIDAY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
September 26, 27, and 28
DRAW A DISCOUNT OUT OF THE BOX
THAT IS YOUR PERCENTAGE OFF OF
ANYTHING YOU BUY THAT DAY
(PERCENTAGES RANGE FROM 20 TO 40 %)
FURNITURE AND WATER COLORS ARE NOT
INCLUDED IN THE SALE BUT ALL THE
REST OF THE MERCHANDISE IS!
ENJOY

OH MY GOSH

JAMOCHA ALMOND FUDGE HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED IN SIZE IN 5 1/2 WEEKS!
COMANCHE MOON is the name we settled on for the new baby mini donkey. He has not grown as fast as the baby llama. He will be 1 month old this Thursday.
He is much more "user friendly" than the llama. He will come up to be petted, but Jamocha will not do that. She does come up to me in the field sometimes and if I lean over a bit so we are at eye level, she puts her nose up to mine and sniffs my face all over. We hum to each other. Yes, llamas HUM to communicate!
JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT THIS IS OUR FINAL WEEKEND OF THE REGULAR SEASON AND WE HAVE A HUGE SALE GOING ON!!
COME OVER
PICK A DISCOUNT FIGURE OUT OF THE BOX
BUY YOUR HEART'S DELIGHT WITH THAT DISCOUNT.
SEE YOU
THURS. through SUN.
FROM 10 to 4

JUST FOR YOU!

IF YOU ARE READING THIS AND COME TO THE FARM THIS WEEKEND,
(A WEEK BEFORE OUR BIG SALE), AND MENTION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE
THE "EARLY BLOG READER DISCOUNT", YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY SHOPPING
AHEAD OF THE CROWD AND GET A BIG DISCOUNT TOO!
THIS OFFER IS FOR SEPTEMBER 18,19,20,AND 21.
NOTE: FURNITURE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE DISCOUNT.

FALL UPDATE

FALL END OF SEASON SALE-
SEPTEMBER 25,26,27,AND 28!
DRAW A DISCOUNT OUT OF THE BOX
GET THAT AMOUNT OFF YOUR PURCHASES THAT DAY.
NOTE: DOES NOT INCLUDE FURNITURE

Our schedule says that we are shearing the sheep this week end, however, we cannot find the shearer!
It is time to get them sheared. We shear in the fall so that the sheep have enough time to grow some fleece before it gets too cold but not enough time to be so "wooly"
that they take up too much room in the barn. Getting "brushed" by them as they run by, is like getting hit with a very wet sponge, pretty soon you are soaked!
If anyone reading this knows of a good shearer, call us!
Just a couple of reminders, we will be open until the last Sunday in September and our Fall Sale will be a good one. You can draw a coupon for your discount when you arrive. It will be the amount of savings you get that day. Don't miss this opportunity to save on something you like.
We will reopen for the Favorite 5 Country Farms Holiday Tour the day after Thanksgiving. You will be able to visit farms that feature different things and are all located within a 4 mile radius. Pick out a Christmas tree at Rolling Rock Farm, find some great jewelry at Pure Pizazz and get your Christmas shopping done at Tollen Farm, we may also include a local winery in the tour. You will be able to sample and buy wonderful wine from them.

BIG NEWS COMES IN SMALL PACKAGES!

WHEW WHAT A WEEK!
The farm has two new babies! The first new baby arrived on Saturday afternoon. Momma Llama gave birth to a baby girl. We could call this new little one SUPRISE as she was definitely that! The mother has only lived here for about 4 months and I had no idea that she was going to have a baby! She was not at all tame when she arrived but got to the point where she would eat out of my hand and let me touch her neck. It's a good thing that she trusted me as I helped bring her daughter into the world. There was quite an audience watching the whole thing, including the lady who drove in the driveway to tell me that the llama was giving birth out in the field! Imagine my disbelief and astonishment! All the visitors to the farm helped. One lady kept Cowboy out of the way, as he was in the same field as the llama, and another couple got apples to feed him and keep him occupied. I did not want him too close to the mom and baby.
The neighbors all sat on the grass in their yard and watched her arrive. Everybody took photos. Little "Mocha" got a slow start as Momma Llama did not really have any milk at first for her newborn. I gave her a bottle that night and she slurped down 8 ounces of milk. The next day I got some colostrum from the farm store and gave her a couple of bottles. By Wednesday, her momma had plenty of milk for her. Mom and baby are doing fine.
Today, Thursday, I had a group of people here this morning and as we looked at all the donkeys, I made the comment that Moon Beam looked ready to have her baby today.
Sure enough, as soon as I was busy with other things, she did just that! By the time I discovered her little pinto jack, he was up, dry, and going to sleep on his feet! Sometimes, after they are born,the babies can't figure out how to lay down and they are so tired they almost sleep on their feet. It helps to lay them down but when I tried to do that, Moon Beam came over and body blocked me away from her son. She was just reminding me that SHE was his MOM and she would take full care of him! Most momma donkeys do not like people or anything else to get too near their new babies for a couple of days. They like to stand between everything else and their offspring. If it isn't raining this week end, both babies will be outside where you can see them.

A QUICK RECAP

ANTIQUES & Art is over for another year. We had great fun putting it on and look forward to next year being bigger and better. It is always a learning experience
to create and run a huge event for the public.
The Wilsonville Community Sharing Program collected 859.00 in cash and 800 pounds of food for the food bank. That is wonderful news. The volunteers who took care of gate receipts and counting visitors were friendly and did a super job.
Our vendors outdid themselves with their creativity and goods for sale. The carriage rides with Don Price and Johnny Blue Eyes, were a great addition to this season's show.
A big THANK YOU goes out to everyone who participated and came to the event.