Monday, May 31, 2010
Beef & Chicken Orders
If you are unaware, we are now in the process of taking orders for our 100% grass-fed freezer beef and our grass-kickin chicken. If you are interested in getting some this year, please get back to us soon as you'll need an order form...and you'll probably want pricing. Orders are filling up fast for the chicken. And there is a limit supply of beef this year. You can see a brief description of each under the "Our Products' posts here if you'd like to know more.
Buzzard Update I
We went out to check on our buzzard nest as it's been a while since we found them--- so far we have no babies.
On a sad note, we could only find 1 egg too. I looked around to see if I could find any signs of a broken shell but found nothing. I hope that doesn't means that something got the other one (vs. one of the parent's breaking it and cleaning up the nest so it wouldn't draw attention). Hopefully they'll hang on to that last egg until it hatches. Stay tuned for further posts.
On a sad note, we could only find 1 egg too. I looked around to see if I could find any signs of a broken shell but found nothing. I hope that doesn't means that something got the other one (vs. one of the parent's breaking it and cleaning up the nest so it wouldn't draw attention). Hopefully they'll hang on to that last egg until it hatches. Stay tuned for further posts.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
A Rare Find
I am excited about this post as in my or John's lifetime we have never seen anything like this. I have wondered at times where buzzards make their nests, but have never seen a nest that would be big enough that would hold a bird that big. We have quite a few fly around here and roast over by the reservior at night.
Buzzards are not the prettiest bird God created, and most times under appreciated none the less, but they are designed to do a very important job in our ecosystem.
Here at the farm they have actually alerted us to a preditor problem, because if we spot them in the pasture we know they are probably munching on a dead egg chicken. This means something else had to killed it and there may be others dead as well (or will be) if we don't stop it.
Buzzard 101 (you came here to learn something right?!?!)
* Buzzards are really called Turkey Vultures--some call them turkey buzzards--- or some just call them buzzards....which is what everyone I know calls them.
* They range from southern Canada to the bottom tip of South America but only live in our part of the country from spring to fall. They fly back south for the winter.
* They have special legal protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
* They roost in large community groups.
* They lack any vocal organs so their vocalizations are grunts and low hisses.
* Their diet consists of meat with everything being dead (which they never kill themselves). They eat those carcasses that are freshly killed but avoid those that have reached the point of putrefaction.
* It finds it's meals with it's keen vision and great sense of smell. Foraging by smell is an ability uncommon to other birds. It flies low to the ground to pick up a scent of ethyl mercaptan, a gas produced by the beginnings of decay in dead things. This heightened ability to detect odors even allows it to search for food that is below the forest canopy.
*Breeding season starts in March, peaks in April and May and continues into June.
*Courtship rituals involve several individuals gathering in a circle, where they perform hopping movements around the perimeter of the circle with wings partially spread.
*There are usually only 2 eggs in a nest.
*The nest has little or no construction and eggs are laid on a bare surface.
Well no wonder I've never seen a buzzard nest--they don't really make one. It took me some effort to get a pic of the inside of this nest as I was standing on my tippy toes just to peak in. The nest was a good foot down from the opening in the top. They picked a good spot.
*Both parents incubate the eggs with hatching coming around 30-40 days.
*Both help in feeding the young by regurgitation.
The eggs were about the size of an x-large chicken egg. For an ugly bird they actually have pretty eggs.
Since both help in the parenting process, this is either mom or dad buzzard watching from a tree far above after I scared it out of the nest when I came up to it. It appears way closer than what it really was. I didn't seem to bothered by me being there. I am hoping to get back out there and take another pic of the babies when they hatch and post them here. We'll see how apathetic they are then. I have visions of them swooping down and getting tangled in my hair though.
Looks like our buzzards are following typical buzzard protical. Check back for buzzard baby updates.
***************
While I was out in the woods, there were some wild flowers blooming:
Call either May Flower or May Apple: It blooms underneather the really big leaf (that I've seen much bigger than a dinner plate) which can hide the flower if you don't look carefully.
Jack in the Pulpit: It has a bloom but it's the same color as the plant so it's easy to miss too. Seems like I smelt it and it didn't have a smell.
This one was everywhere but no one here knows what it's called. Can anyone tell us?
Honeysuckle: This is a bush but we have lots of these everywhere. I've seen a few different colors besides this one on other bushes. It smells really good.
Buzzards are not the prettiest bird God created, and most times under appreciated none the less, but they are designed to do a very important job in our ecosystem.
Here at the farm they have actually alerted us to a preditor problem, because if we spot them in the pasture we know they are probably munching on a dead egg chicken. This means something else had to killed it and there may be others dead as well (or will be) if we don't stop it.
Buzzard 101 (you came here to learn something right?!?!)
* Buzzards are really called Turkey Vultures--some call them turkey buzzards--- or some just call them buzzards....which is what everyone I know calls them.
* They range from southern Canada to the bottom tip of South America but only live in our part of the country from spring to fall. They fly back south for the winter.
* They have special legal protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
* They roost in large community groups.
* They lack any vocal organs so their vocalizations are grunts and low hisses.
* Their diet consists of meat with everything being dead (which they never kill themselves). They eat those carcasses that are freshly killed but avoid those that have reached the point of putrefaction.
* It finds it's meals with it's keen vision and great sense of smell. Foraging by smell is an ability uncommon to other birds. It flies low to the ground to pick up a scent of ethyl mercaptan, a gas produced by the beginnings of decay in dead things. This heightened ability to detect odors even allows it to search for food that is below the forest canopy.
*Breeding season starts in March, peaks in April and May and continues into June.
*Courtship rituals involve several individuals gathering in a circle, where they perform hopping movements around the perimeter of the circle with wings partially spread.
*Buzzards make their nesting sites in protected locations such as cliffs, caves, rock crevice, burrows inside a hollow tree or in a thicket.
This is the hollow tree that they are in. We wouldn't of known they were in there if the parent won't of flown out when we drove by. It took some effort for it to get out of that hole too.
*There are usually only 2 eggs in a nest.*The nest has little or no construction and eggs are laid on a bare surface.
Well no wonder I've never seen a buzzard nest--they don't really make one. It took me some effort to get a pic of the inside of this nest as I was standing on my tippy toes just to peak in. The nest was a good foot down from the opening in the top. They picked a good spot.
*Both parents incubate the eggs with hatching coming around 30-40 days.*Both help in feeding the young by regurgitation.
The eggs were about the size of an x-large chicken egg. For an ugly bird they actually have pretty eggs.
Since both help in the parenting process, this is either mom or dad buzzard watching from a tree far above after I scared it out of the nest when I came up to it. It appears way closer than what it really was. I didn't seem to bothered by me being there. I am hoping to get back out there and take another pic of the babies when they hatch and post them here. We'll see how apathetic they are then. I have visions of them swooping down and getting tangled in my hair though.Looks like our buzzards are following typical buzzard protical. Check back for buzzard baby updates.
***************
While I was out in the woods, there were some wild flowers blooming:
Call either May Flower or May Apple: It blooms underneather the really big leaf (that I've seen much bigger than a dinner plate) which can hide the flower if you don't look carefully.
Jack in the Pulpit: It has a bloom but it's the same color as the plant so it's easy to miss too. Seems like I smelt it and it didn't have a smell.
This one was everywhere but no one here knows what it's called. Can anyone tell us?
Honeysuckle: This is a bush but we have lots of these everywhere. I've seen a few different colors besides this one on other bushes. It smells really good.Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Crumb-Topped Rhubarb Muffins
In the cold climate here in Ohio, rhubarb is one of the first foods available for harvest in the spring. Rhubarb first came to the U.S. in 1820. It is botanically classified as a vegetable, however, in the U.S. a New York court decided in 1947 that since it was used here as a fruit it was to be called a fruit. A side effect from this was a reduction in taxes paid.
Rhubarb is one of those foods that not many people know what to do with and some don't use it as most recipes calling for it also calls for a good amount of sugar because it is kind of tart. I found a recipe at the end of rhubarb season last year that was good and it didn't require lots of sugar. I wish I had frozen some so we could of had these muffins all year. Besides snacking, muffins go good with soup or for breakfast with your free range, pastured eggs.
These muffins are really moist but have a crunch because of the topping which makes it a nice combination. They are not to tart and not to sweet. Give them a try and let me know what you think. We now have rhubarb available for sale if you need some.
Crumb-Topped Rhubarb Muffins
Preheat oven to 350*
Muffin:
1/2 c. yogurt (strawberry, vanilla, etc) *see note
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. (maybe even a 1/3 c) brown sugar (sucanat works good)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. salt
1 1/2 c. (about 1/2#) rhubarb, chopped in small chunks
In sm. bowl, mix wet ingredients. Combine dry ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just about blended; fold in the rhubarb. Spoon into greased or paper lined muffin tins.
Topping:
1/4 c. brown sugar (sucanat)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. nuts, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
Combine topping ingredients. Spoon over tops of muffins and press down into muffin dough.
Bake for 25 min or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pan for about 15 minutes before removing. ENJOY!
Yield: about 10 muffins
**NOTE:
Strawberries and rhubarb par well together so using strawberry yogurt works really well in this recipe. Using a fruit on the bottom yogurt is best as you'll get a bit of a strawberry taste every now and then.....I used Brown Cow's 6 oz. Cream-top strawberry yogurt. The 2 times I've made it this year, I didn't have any strawberry yogurt so I used up some strawberry kefir that I already had and it works good too but I didn't get the strawberry taste like I wanted in the muffins after they were baked. I did try adding a few strawberries last year to the batter but it made the muffins too mushy as the rhubarb already makes the muffins pretty moist.
Rhubarb is one of those foods that not many people know what to do with and some don't use it as most recipes calling for it also calls for a good amount of sugar because it is kind of tart. I found a recipe at the end of rhubarb season last year that was good and it didn't require lots of sugar. I wish I had frozen some so we could of had these muffins all year. Besides snacking, muffins go good with soup or for breakfast with your free range, pastured eggs.
These muffins are really moist but have a crunch because of the topping which makes it a nice combination. They are not to tart and not to sweet. Give them a try and let me know what you think. We now have rhubarb available for sale if you need some.
Crumb-Topped Rhubarb MuffinsPreheat oven to 350*
Muffin:
1/2 c. yogurt (strawberry, vanilla, etc) *see note
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. (maybe even a 1/3 c) brown sugar (sucanat works good)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 c. salt
1 1/2 c. (about 1/2#) rhubarb, chopped in small chunks
In sm. bowl, mix wet ingredients. Combine dry ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just about blended; fold in the rhubarb. Spoon into greased or paper lined muffin tins.
Topping:
1/4 c. brown sugar (sucanat)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. nuts, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
Combine topping ingredients. Spoon over tops of muffins and press down into muffin dough.
Bake for 25 min or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pan for about 15 minutes before removing. ENJOY!
Yield: about 10 muffins
**NOTE:
Strawberries and rhubarb par well together so using strawberry yogurt works really well in this recipe. Using a fruit on the bottom yogurt is best as you'll get a bit of a strawberry taste every now and then.....I used Brown Cow's 6 oz. Cream-top strawberry yogurt. The 2 times I've made it this year, I didn't have any strawberry yogurt so I used up some strawberry kefir that I already had and it works good too but I didn't get the strawberry taste like I wanted in the muffins after they were baked. I did try adding a few strawberries last year to the batter but it made the muffins too mushy as the rhubarb already makes the muffins pretty moist.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Garden Visitors
Earlier this week when it was nice outside, I had finally gotten around to the flower garden out front to get it cleaned up for the summer and found I had visitors. I usually don't like visitors to my gardens (well the 4 legged kind anyway) as it usually means trouble...and this kind of activity only creates more trouble. As I was cleaning I noticed that something seemed to be different....I had a dirt mound where I hadn't before. After pulling some of the creeping thyme away, I found out why.
If you look close enough (you may have to click on the photo to enlarge it) you will see fur. Once I saw this I knew exactly who it was. I knew because this has happened a few times before.... and it seems to be in the same spot none the less. It happens about every 3-4 years so I'm not thinking it's the same momma that tries this. In years past, I have caught this earlier in the process and just filled the hole back in and put everything back and that was the end of it, but it was too late this time.
See if you can guess who it is.
I pulled some more the plant cover away so you can see it better.
Pulled some of the fur away to see if I had any activity or just a hole. I was occupied with 4 little ones.
Know who my visitors are yet?
Maybe this will help give you a better clue. I pulled one out of the warm fur-lined nest to see how big they were. Their eyes are still closed and they were sleepy.....and didn't seem to care for the draft that I had created.
You can see how small they are in this picture. This one was looking for a tight, warm spot to crawl into so it headed between my fingers.
I put everyone back, covered the nest back up as best I could and continued cleaning.
Ironically I have one of the frozen, life-like kind in the bottom part of the garden already for decoration. This is the kind to have in your gardens....no damage done with this one.
I guess I don't mind it so much with these guys as so far the adults don't seem to bother anything around the house or the gardens other than doing this spring stuff.
I have not seen the mother at all except for one morning hopping away over by the driveway.....at least I'm assuming it's was her as we don't normally see rabbits this close to the house. I don't know how or when she feeds them but it must be at night as we never see anything there during the day.
I will keep an eye on them to make sure they are doing OK now that I know they are there and hope the cats don't find them. When they are grown and have left, I will clean out the fur and fill in the hole and everything should be back to normal with little damage done.
If you look close enough (you may have to click on the photo to enlarge it) you will see fur. Once I saw this I knew exactly who it was. I knew because this has happened a few times before.... and it seems to be in the same spot none the less. It happens about every 3-4 years so I'm not thinking it's the same momma that tries this. In years past, I have caught this earlier in the process and just filled the hole back in and put everything back and that was the end of it, but it was too late this time.See if you can guess who it is.
I pulled some more the plant cover away so you can see it better.
Pulled some of the fur away to see if I had any activity or just a hole. I was occupied with 4 little ones.Know who my visitors are yet?
Maybe this will help give you a better clue. I pulled one out of the warm fur-lined nest to see how big they were. Their eyes are still closed and they were sleepy.....and didn't seem to care for the draft that I had created.
You can see how small they are in this picture. This one was looking for a tight, warm spot to crawl into so it headed between my fingers.I put everyone back, covered the nest back up as best I could and continued cleaning.
Ironically I have one of the frozen, life-like kind in the bottom part of the garden already for decoration. This is the kind to have in your gardens....no damage done with this one.I guess I don't mind it so much with these guys as so far the adults don't seem to bother anything around the house or the gardens other than doing this spring stuff.
I have not seen the mother at all except for one morning hopping away over by the driveway.....at least I'm assuming it's was her as we don't normally see rabbits this close to the house. I don't know how or when she feeds them but it must be at night as we never see anything there during the day.
I will keep an eye on them to make sure they are doing OK now that I know they are there and hope the cats don't find them. When they are grown and have left, I will clean out the fur and fill in the hole and everything should be back to normal with little damage done.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Going Local
This article I found at the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund website and thought I'd pass it along as it has some good points and also as we here are about buying and supporting local as much as we can.
You know our forefathers got about everything they needed locally. I'm sure not having to trot all over the globe in horse and buggy might of had something to do with it, but even so, they managed just fine sticking close to home....and as a result had more time for the more important things in life.
Local is Not What You Think
By Ryan Mickle-- April 7th, 2010
Local is not about buying the same stuff at higher prices from a local vendor. Local is about happiness.
I believe that the concept of Local is not well communicated. When people suggest that we “buy local,” it comes off as preachy and turns many of us off. How many times have you gone into a corner store and left feeling like you’d been ripped off? The $2 Coke or $1.50 orange may as well be considered marketing for Target, Walmart, and Costco, which sell the same Coke and orange at lower prices. The math doesn’t work. And it should be said that these retailers aren’t inherently bad. But guess what? It doesn’t have to be this way.
So, what is Local?
Local is something that should be celebrated. We shouldn’t feel guilty, Local should invigorate us, inside and out.
Local is more choices. Endless choices, all with unique stories, people and artisanship.
Local is buying from friends. Just as it used to be, I know companies right here in the Bay Area who love to invite people to their factory for a tour, or even to their homes for a meal. When was the last time you were invited to fly in the private Boeing 787s of a company that you buy from or even invest in?
Local is learning and knowing more. I want to know where my food comes from, appreciating the subtle differences and varieties as we often do wine (rather than by brand). I don’t want to have to watch a documentary or read breaking news to find out what is hidden from my view.
Local is about relationships. I don’t know about you, but I’m not comfortable being considered a “consumer.” I am not a consumer, I am a person and I believe that our central role on our society is a lot more than to consume stuff.
Local is about slowing down and discovering our talents again. In our world of hyper productivity and endless information, is the goal to work every waking hour? A friend of mine, actually a successful CEO, has no TVs in his home, only music instruments and a garden. Perhaps we’ve lost something by having everything we could possibly want available to us in shopping aisles. Our parents or grandparents probably preserved their own jams, pickled their own pickles, and received more in return than just something for their sandwiches.
Local is making less of an impact. We all know that we are destroying our natural resources and that this can’t keep up. We’ve done a really good job at hiding the truth from ourselves, of the resources we are consuming and the endless waste we are creating. Yet, when you can look a local company owner in the eyes and ask them about the impact they (and we) are making, everything changes. We need to get back to that.
Local is reusing more. Nearly everything we buy is mostly packaging and a little of what we actually need or use. But when we buy local we can return the container, no waste, no recycling (as environmentalists will tell you, recycling isn’t nearly as effective as reuse).
You know our forefathers got about everything they needed locally. I'm sure not having to trot all over the globe in horse and buggy might of had something to do with it, but even so, they managed just fine sticking close to home....and as a result had more time for the more important things in life.
Local is Not What You Think
By Ryan Mickle-- April 7th, 2010
Local is not about buying the same stuff at higher prices from a local vendor. Local is about happiness.
I believe that the concept of Local is not well communicated. When people suggest that we “buy local,” it comes off as preachy and turns many of us off. How many times have you gone into a corner store and left feeling like you’d been ripped off? The $2 Coke or $1.50 orange may as well be considered marketing for Target, Walmart, and Costco, which sell the same Coke and orange at lower prices. The math doesn’t work. And it should be said that these retailers aren’t inherently bad. But guess what? It doesn’t have to be this way.
So, what is Local?
Local is something that should be celebrated. We shouldn’t feel guilty, Local should invigorate us, inside and out.
Local is more choices. Endless choices, all with unique stories, people and artisanship.
Local is buying from friends. Just as it used to be, I know companies right here in the Bay Area who love to invite people to their factory for a tour, or even to their homes for a meal. When was the last time you were invited to fly in the private Boeing 787s of a company that you buy from or even invest in?
Local is learning and knowing more. I want to know where my food comes from, appreciating the subtle differences and varieties as we often do wine (rather than by brand). I don’t want to have to watch a documentary or read breaking news to find out what is hidden from my view.
Local is about relationships. I don’t know about you, but I’m not comfortable being considered a “consumer.” I am not a consumer, I am a person and I believe that our central role on our society is a lot more than to consume stuff.
Local is about slowing down and discovering our talents again. In our world of hyper productivity and endless information, is the goal to work every waking hour? A friend of mine, actually a successful CEO, has no TVs in his home, only music instruments and a garden. Perhaps we’ve lost something by having everything we could possibly want available to us in shopping aisles. Our parents or grandparents probably preserved their own jams, pickled their own pickles, and received more in return than just something for their sandwiches.
Local is making less of an impact. We all know that we are destroying our natural resources and that this can’t keep up. We’ve done a really good job at hiding the truth from ourselves, of the resources we are consuming and the endless waste we are creating. Yet, when you can look a local company owner in the eyes and ask them about the impact they (and we) are making, everything changes. We need to get back to that.
Local is reusing more. Nearly everything we buy is mostly packaging and a little of what we actually need or use. But when we buy local we can return the container, no waste, no recycling (as environmentalists will tell you, recycling isn’t nearly as effective as reuse).
Local is more delicious. When it comes to food, eating local means more variety and fresher food. Isn’t life about variety, not a burger that tastes exactly the same, made with exactly the same ingredients? A diet that changes with the seasons sounds fantastic to me, perhaps even a reminder that I’m still alive!
Local is more colorful. Not many of us look like the models on billboards, so why should we bother trying to look like them? I want what I wear to connect me to the culture, people and art around me.
Local is more balanced. We often read about entrepreneurial triumphs to richness, but I have been meeting more and more business owners who are challenging the 5 day workweek. Rather than chase world domination growth, they grow their businesses to an “optimal” size and outcome for themselves, their employees, the environment and the community.
There are some great initiatives in support of Local. However, I think that Local is about completely reshape the way we live, and ultimately bring more happiness and purpose to our lives and our work. I must talk to someone new every day who escaped their cubicle to start a sustainable farm, brew kombucha, or import and roast coffee. Get ready for a new Local, full of flavor, color, and purpose.
What is Local to you?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Got that Pecking Feeling
I tried to post this a while ago but the camera picture wouldn't transfer to the computer. I then got that to work but couldn't get the picture from the software to 'my pictures' so I could add the photo to the post....actually the photo was the post. I finally did get that to work but then couldn't get into this blog account to finally post this but figured it out and here we are...finally. At least I got this posted before all the snow melted for the winter....which we are happy to see disappear! Trying to get around to do chores (or anything) is major work when snow is this deep.
Anyway.......
I had to go over to the barn for a few weeks in Feburary to collect eggs during the day (a job I don't usually do) as John was busy at that time and couldn't do it. We had just had all the snow from the storms that had come through (over a foot of that white stuff) so walking over there got my boots well covered with snow.
When I walked into the barn, I had the fan club greet me at the door and every time I would stop long enough to collect the eggs (or do anything else), I could feel pecking at my feet. They were all pecking the snow of my boots.
I am not sure if they like snow or if it's a novel thing to do....maybe a little of both. The hens do have access to the outdoors in the winter so they could go out there and peck at it all day as there was plenty of it but I guess it's funner this way. There wasn't many going out there anyway with this amount on the ground.....it was over their head.
Anyway.......
I had to go over to the barn for a few weeks in Feburary to collect eggs during the day (a job I don't usually do) as John was busy at that time and couldn't do it. We had just had all the snow from the storms that had come through (over a foot of that white stuff) so walking over there got my boots well covered with snow.
When I walked into the barn, I had the fan club greet me at the door and every time I would stop long enough to collect the eggs (or do anything else), I could feel pecking at my feet. They were all pecking the snow of my boots.
I am not sure if they like snow or if it's a novel thing to do....maybe a little of both. The hens do have access to the outdoors in the winter so they could go out there and peck at it all day as there was plenty of it but I guess it's funner this way. There wasn't many going out there anyway with this amount on the ground.....it was over their head.
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