FARM HAPPENINGS
As I was moving the beef herd into their new paddock this morning, I stopped for a few minutes to appreciate just how perfect everything was, even if just for this one day. The pasture forages were lush and green, thigh high as I setup a temporary fencing line in PPB (Permanent Pasture B), surrounded by towering old oak trees and a clear blue sky. It was a cool morning so the flies really haven't set in yet. And our long dry spell was broken by the rains that finally came midweek.
The cows love this paddock as much as I do, they can't wait to rub off the remnants of their winter coats on the old oak trees. Of the 50 or so daily grazing paddocks we have on our Elkhorn Farm, averaging 4-5 acres each, there are a handful that have many trees like PPB. We are never able to make hay in these paddocks so they tend to be the most fertile areas of the farm, and we try to save them for grazing the herd on the really hot summer days. But we usually have to rotate them through these permanent paddocks once in the spring to keep the grass under control or it would be shoulder high by summer.
PLENTIFUL FRESH MILK AND EGGS IN THE STORE
To add more to the perfect day, our milk and egg production is really great right now… better than ever these past two weeks. We have a bunch of new calves born and their mamas are making copious amounts of milk on the fresh spring pastures. Not sure how long these good times will last but we will enjoy this bounty while we have it. Reserve milk online in the morning or stop in with your jar to purchase milk in the store. During the week we are no longer selling out of milk or eggs on a daily basis, but on weekends we may not have enough milk inventory to get through the entire day, so better to come in the morning if you don't reserve milk online.
LAST CALL FOR FARM CAMPS
The summer farm camps start in June, and we still have a few openings available in all three camps. Our friends at Crate Free USA published a great story on their website about our farm camps so if you would like to learn more about what goes on at the camps please check it out. During the camps the kids help with farm chores, learn how to raise livestock, collect eggs, milk a cow, and have some outdoor fun! Reserve your space online today.
MEMORIAL DAY GRILLING SPECIAL - SAVE ON STEAKBURGERS AND GROUND BEEF
With Memorial Day on Monday, many are getting ready to fire up the grills and start the summer BBQ season. To celebrate we are offering $1 off per pound on our grass-fed chopped steakburgers and regular ground beef chubs through next week. This is an in-store special not available on the website. The farm store will be open regular hours during Memorial Day so feel free to stop in and grab your grilling meats Monday morning!
FARM STORE UPDATE
We just had a fresh batch of sausage made from our pastured pork trim this past week, so we have the popular Jalapeno Brats and Maple-Sage-Ginger breakfast links back in stock.
And we have brought in some new products in recent weeks. One item we love is Ice Cream for Bears, with a base only three ingredients - grass-fed milk and cream, egg yolks, and raw honey. Just in time for summer!
Other new items include Harmless Harvest Coconut Water and Smoothies, organic flour tortillas, Miracle Noodle low carb konjac flour pasta, and Rumiano artisan organic butter.
We haven't gotten into the full swing of local produce yet but its building up. This week from our on-site gardens we have chard, rhubarb, spinach, kale, and chives. Other local produce from nearby farms includes mixed lettuce bags, sweet potatoes, kohlrabi, turnips, microgreens, fresh mushrooms, apples, and radishes. Non-local organic produce includes lemons/limes, avocadoes, pears, and squash.
With the weather turning summer-like soon we are getting more interest in farm tours. We do private tours by appointment, but we also offer the weekly farm tours every Saturday at 1:00 PM. Tickets are now available online for the May and June tour dates.
Anna is leaving for a trip to Poland next week, leaving me here to cover for her. So don't be surprised if there is no farm newsletter for a couple of weeks until she gets back.
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!
Cliff, Anna, and the Farm Team