Hello all,
We hope everyone has managed the snowmageddon! Wow, glad that’s just about over. We have mounds up to six feet tall in some areas and the dogs are loving every bit of it. Humans, not quite as much.
Ranch Happenings: Pofey and Betty, our two sows, are in fact preggers and should be ready to pop around late March/early April. Everyone loves to see the babies so we’ll be sure to keep you posted on visitation days/times. New babies are always so exciting! Speaking of new babies, we have quite a few customers also expecting, you know who you are. We are praying for healthy, happy babies of all species.
Gus was wise enough to look crazy far ahead and book with our processor well into 2022 and at the healthy rate our pigs are growing, we will have no shortage of pork in the next year. Beef got a little delayed this past month and we say thank you so very much to all of you who were so gracious about the adjustments we had to make to CSA packages. That’s part and parcel for CSA though, you get what is available as opposed to mass produced, sometimes sub-par quality. Just Friday the 19th Gus was able to pick up the beef and there is a steer in a trailer in our driveway as I type this.
The chickens are still not digging the snow and so even though we do open their door daily, unless its below 15 degrees, they are not too keen on venturing outside. The eggs are still coming in at a healthy rate although a tad slower with that crazy cold snap we had but we do not foresee a shortage there either. Also, we have learned the hard way that the barn is not always the best place to keep eggs in a cold snap. We only lost about 10 dozen eggs but that’s to the pig’s gain since they will get treats and a little extra protein. We try to not throw anything away if it can be useful. We mentioned last month that we will be taking down the chicken taj mahal and building a better, more accessible coop. This will also give Niko yet another chance to showcase his construction skills. We will salvage every screw and board possible in this project, fingers crossed. Anyone want to get their hands dirty this spring? Come on out and help. We will make sure you are well fed for your efforts.
This month, instead of recipes we will include a short menu of Ready! Set! Eat! Meals and this time you can let us know what you want and when. Anytime you have a recipe question don’t hesitate to reach out.
We now have 6 available CSA slots so if you know anyone who may be interested, have them give Gus a call ASAP.
DOG FOOD: The very short wait list is getting shorter as we work out how much we need so if you would like to add it let us know. Pricing: Beef- $7.25/lb. Boar- $5.25/lb. Turkey- $5.25/lb
Veggie CSA: Janet and Andy have officially started seed tables and seedlings in their beautiful, new hoop house where it’s a balmy 80 degrees during the day and some slots are still available for their CSA. Feel free to contact Janet directly with any questions. 708-359-4449.
Joel (their oldest son) is thee best salesman but Janet will give you the best details about the program.
Melissa has only cried two or three times about hating it here and how it’s too cold so let’s call that a win for February, lol. Niko meanwhile will go out to tend to animals in a T shirt or spring jacket, go figure. So with that, COME ON SPRING!!!!
As always, we appreciate your support so much. Eat well, stay well.