FARM HAPPENINGS
What a difference a week makes! We finally started getting a steady rain last Friday evening as I was working on the newsletter, and it continued through most of the night and all day Saturday. Just what our pastures needed to recover from the month-long dry spell that was July.
While it was raining Saturday morning we had an opportunity to bring our entire finishing beef herd up to the cow yard and weigh them. That involves running groups of 8-10 head into the cow shed at a time, through some gates and into the chute where we have the scale. If all goes smoothly we can weigh 140-150 head in 2-3 hours.
Mostly they go through pretty easily but there are always a few crazies that try to jump over the gates or climb out of the alley leading into the chute. That's when it can get dangerous and you just have to get out of the way and let that 1200 pound animal go where they want to go.
The good news is that most of the herd has put on a lot of weight this summer, even with the hot weather we've experienced these last few months. We should have plenty of fat beef ready to process this fall.
Our young hens are still pumping out lots of eggs so the egg bundle sale is still on …save $1- $2 per dozen based on the size of the bundle. Order the bundles online for in-store pickup or grab a bundle on your next farm store visit.
FARM STORE POSITION
We are still interviewing for the farm store job - we are looking for an energetic and passionate individual to help out. This is a full-time (28-32 hrs./week) role and candidates must be available to work at least one weekend day every week. Visit our website for the full job description.
“MEET THE MAKER” EVENTS COMING UP IN AUGUST
Saturday August 22nd– Mr. 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.
Sunday August 30th – Our beekeeper Willie will be back sampling his various honey and other bee products - make sure to try his bourbon honey! 10 AM - 2 PM.
FARM STORE UPDATE
We have fresh soil-grown Michigan Blueberries back for another week although this is likely the last week for the fresh berries.
Our weekly special is our grass-fed beef jerky - this is the real stuff made the old fashioned way from dried round roast and perfectly seasoned. Not any pressed together beef parts. Perfect snack for those summer camping trips or back-to-school snacks. 15% off this weekend.
Fresh organically-grown produce in the farm store from our on-site gardens:
Cucumbers (Slicing & Pickling), Carrots, Spring onions (Red & Yellow), Fresh Garlic, Daikon Radishes, Green Beans, Green Bell Peppers, Zucchini, Herbs (Parsley, Chives, Basil, Oregano, Cilantro, and Sage), Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Shallots, and Red Radishes
And fresh local produce from our network of downstate Illinois farms: Tomatoes, Okra, Potatoes (Red, Gold, Russet, Blue), Golden Beets, Red Beets, Celery, Fresh Shallots, Mixed Sweet peppers, and Hungarian Peppers.
Other organic produce in the store includes: Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Ginger, Turmeric, Avocados, Kumquats, Mandarins, Lemons, and Limes.
Fresh Mushrooms, Microgreens, Garlic Escape Garlic Bulbs
Join our Saturday farm tour to see all of our farm animals and practices up close. The tour starts 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 any used shopping bags or egg cartons - we can reuse them - keeps them out of the landfills and oceans and saves us money to boot!
Have a great weekend!
Cliff, Anna and the Farm Team
