The weather this past week was a bit more accomodating for the farm team which spends the majority of the day working outside. The frequent rains and cooler nights have really accelerated our pasture growth so we are hoping for some good gains this fall in the beef herd and an extended grazing season.
Our raw milk supply has been limited over the last few weeks as we have quite a few of the Guernsey cows dried off now for fall calving (the heat and humidity don't help either). Good news is we are expecting four calves in the next several weeks so if we can get all those mama cows back into production that should help ease the supply shortage.
We also processed another batch of our pasture-raised, organic No Soy/No Corn broiler chickens this past week, and we have fresh whole chickens available at the farm store this weekend. We do sell the No Corn/No Soy chicken parts (breasts, thighs, wings) on our website but not in the farm store due to lack of freezer space.
FARM STORE CLOSING FOR REPAIRS
We will be closing the farm store early at 2 PM on Tuesday, September 22nd to replace the asphalt drive in front of the store, and also ALL DAY on Wednesday September 23rd. If you are a milk herdshare owner please make arrangements with the store team to pickup your milk shares early Tuesday or wait until Thursday.
FALL FEST SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 10TH
Our annual Fall Fest on the Farm is scheduled for Saturday, October 10th from 12 PM - 3 PM. We will re-create the “hay mountain” which is always a big hit with the kids, and this year we will also planning for for some fun contests for kids of all ages that might include the egg toss, chicken rodeo, gunnysack race, hay bale toss, spoon egg race, tug of war, and the three-legged race. And of course hay wagon tours of the farm to see the cows, chickens, pigs, and turkeys in their pasture settings.
As usual the main attraction will be the street tacos from the Jarabe Taco Truck. They will be coming out from Chicago to serve up their Carne Asada, Beef Birria, Chicken Tinga, Al Pastor and Mojo Mushroom tacos. Made with our own grass-fed beef and pasture-raised pork and chicken. Side dishes will include chips and salsa, roasted tomato rice, refried black beans, and guacamole. All you can eat including bottled water and flavored sparkling water will be provided.
We now have tickets available, reserve your space now before they sell out. $30 for adults, $20 for kids 5 - 12, $15 for little tykes that don't eat much.
“MEET THE MAKER” EVENTS COMING UP
Sunday September 13th – Tom Olhoff, syrup maker at County Line Maple, will show off his assortment of maple syrups and related products. 10 AM - 2 PM.
Saturday September 19th - James Lee, maker of the wonderful handcrafted CHILEE oil will be sampling his fantastic seed-oil free sauces at the farm store. 12 PM - 3 PM.
FARM STORE UPDATE
We have a good supply of rendered beef tallow and rendered pork lard on hand right now, so we are offering both items this week as our featured sale items at 20% OFF!
Fresh organically-grown produce in the farm store from our on-site gardens:
Bok Choy, Herbs (Parsley, Mint, Oregano, Basil), Dikon Radish, Green Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, Slicing Tomatoes, Fresh Shallots, Red onions, Yellow Onions, and Mixed Bell Peppers
And fresh local produce from our network of downstate Illinois farms: Green Bell peppers, Mixed Bell peppers, Sweet Corn, Potatoes (German Butterball, Kennebec, Norland Red), Sweet Potatoes, Jalapenos, Summer Squash, Red Beets, Watermelons, Heirloom Tomatoes, Slicing Cucumbers, Butternut Squash, and Spaghetti Squash as well as local Garlic, Mushrooms, and Microgreens.
Other fresh organic produce in the store includes: Mandarin’s, Limes, Lemons, Avocados, Apples, Barlett Pears, Black Plums, Coconuts, Figs, Kiwi, Carrots, Ginger, Turmeric, and Sweet Potatoes.
We haven't been getting as many participants on the weekly Saturday farm tours so we will move those to a monthly event. Our next farm tour is Saturday, October 17th at 1:00 PM, and includes a 75-90 minute hay wagon ride around the farm with stops to visit all the different animals we raise. Reserve your seats on our website or purchase tickets in the farm store.
Visit our online store to order grass-fed meat bundles for curbside pickup or ship them to your home.
Please remember to bring us your used shopping bags and egg cartons - we can reuse them.
Have a great weekend!
Cliff, Anna and the Farm Team
