We were pleasantly surprised this morning to find that our herd matriarch, Annalise, at the ripe old cow age of 10½, had successfully delivered twins on her own, with no assistance in the early hours.
Ever since we found out she was pregnant with twins we were dreading this day. For cows, twins are almost always a problem to deliver as they are usually not lined up right for a normal calving and typically one or both has to be pulled out with chains … survival of both calves is uncommon.
Annalise herself is a twin that was successfully delivered with no assistance way back in December 2015, one of the first calves born during our first year at the Dundee farm. She has given us quite a few heifers over the years, these twins are a bull calf and a heifer which often means the heifer will not be fertile after sharing amniotic fluid with a male. We will get her tested to find out if she is a viable heifer that will be able to get pregnant.
LOOKING FOR FARM HELP AT OUR ELKHORN FARM
We currently have an opening for a Farm Manager/Trainee at our Wisconsin farm, located on County Road D between Elkhorn and East Troy (near Alpine Valley Resort and Music Theatre). This is a 400-acre certified organic farm where we raise our grass-fed beef and lamb, as well as organic pasture-raised eggs.
Ideal candidates will have at least 2 years of experience with beef production, preferably in a managed grazing environment. However we are willing to train good candidates with the right skills and aptitude. There is on-farm housing available, to learn more about the position please go to the job description on our website.
“MEET THE MAKER” EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Tomorrow (Saturday May 30th)- our long-time store staffer Amy Tolleson will be showing off her handcrafted natural stone bracelets. Choose from unique designs inspired by connection, creativity, and the beauty of our shared home on Earth. Onsite beading will offer the opportunity to create a piece that is personal and meaningful to you. Create a custom mantra bracelet that reflects your intentions, spirit, and story. Celebrate America’s 250th birthday with festive red, white, and blue bracelet designs to honor heritage, unity and individuality. 10 AM - 1 PM.
Meet the Maker events coming in June:
Saturday June 6th – Anna and I will be out front of the store ready to talk about all things related grass-based farming, cows, chickens, raw milk, and probably sampling some of our favorite items from the store. 10 AM - 1 PM.
Saturday June 20th – Olga Boldyreva, founder of Mion Artisan Soaps and lotions will be showing off all of her natural skin care products. 10 AM - 1 PM.
FARM STORE UPDATE
We will have our first batch of pasture-raised FRESH CHICKENS in the store on Thursday, June 4th by noon. This is our first processing of the year and most weeks through the summer we will be processing a batch. Full calendar is in the store.
Fresh produce in the store this week from our onsite gardens: Cilantro Box, Parsley Box, Mint Box, Spinach, Kale, Chard, and Broccolini.
Other organic produce in the store includes Oranges, Mandarins, Lemons, Avocados, Sweet Potatoes, Ginger, Mangos, Carrots, Cabbage, Potatoes, Apples, Celery, Shallots, and Garlic. Also local Microgreens and Fresh Mushrooms.
And we still have 10% off all remaining organic, non-GMO seedlings:
From Pocket Garden Farms (Aleks). We have Early Jalapeno, Red Flame Cayenne, Thai Peppers, Jimmy Nardellos, King of the North, Wisconsin Lakes, Poblanos, Guajillo, Sage, Oregano, Lavender, Yarrow, Celery, and Alisa Craig Onions. And Sweet Pepper seedlings from Blacksmith Acres.
Join our Saturday farm tour to see all of our farm animals up close. Every week at 1:00 PM through Thanksgiving. This is a 75-90 minute guided tour around the farm on a hay wagon, with stops to visit all the different animals we raise. Reserve your seats on our website or purchase tickets in the farm store.
That's it for this week, please remember to bring us your leftover shopping bags and egg cartons so we can recycle them - over and over again!
