Farm letter: Welcome baby chicks

After much thought, calculation, and preparation, the broiler chicks have arrived. They are a feisty bunch,  with some being so bold that they charge and peck at our fingers.  This is what we want, though. Active birds.  Broilers have a reputation of being lazy and prone to health issues, so we do a lot to encourage activity in our birds.

Why Pastured Chicken is Better than Organic [updated]

All natural. Cage free. Hormone free. Free range. No antibiotics. Organic. All these terms and more clutter the labeling for “healthy” chicken and eggs throughout the stores and markets. But what do they really mean? I’ve discussed “organic” meat already (see post here), and discovered that just because something is organic doesn’t necessarily make it perfect. In the end it comes down to the farmers themselves and how they treat their animals. It turns out that some practices are more valuable than others, too.

Making your own baby food is as easy as 1, 2. Easier than ABC!

Sometimes when Amy tells someone that we make all of our own baby food, they are astounded. Maybe the idea of giving a precious baby food seems to complicated to get safe results? We’ve found it to be extremely easy. And unlike preparing just about any other meal, making baby food at home is really just two steps. 

Healthy Winter Squash Muffins [recipe]

I don’t think there anything better than warm bread from the oven. Oh, maybe warm bread with a slab of butter melting on it after emerging from the oven, mmmmm and the crack of the crust, and teeth sinking into a soft crumb.   Ahhh.  But most days, I don’t want to wait for the sourdough starter, and then firm starter to rise, and then playing with the dough and waiting. The quicker path to satisfaction is a muffin. The texture is there and it takes under an hour from opening the recipe to having a warm muffin in hand. And what a great snack for a chilly winter day, sitting with a cup of tea or warm in your pocket as you wander in the snow onto the next adventure.

Rooster Tomato Sauce (Recipe)

This may or may not be a unique recipe, we’re not sure. Years ago we took the techniques to make a chicken gumbo and applied it to the preparation of tomato sauce.  Fusion? Intuitive? Possibly been done for hundreds of years?  No clue, we just like it and as far as we’re concerned we “invented” it!  

That’s (tomato) saucy! (tomato sauce recipe from fresh tomatoes!)

I picked up the best looking tomatoes today and I’m up with the sun to roast and chop and process them for the rest of the year! Canning can feel so daunting but if you plan ahead and always have a few certain things on hand, you can be ready when the harvest comes. And BOY is it harvest time up here!

100% Local Meal – Pan-seared London Broil With Sautéed Swiss Chard and Spring Onions and Maple Glazed Spring Carrots

It has been so inspiring to walk around the farmers’ market on Saturday mornings.  I like seeing all the beauty around us, but, it is even more fun to play with the vegetables, meat, and dairy and create meals for our family.  The best part about these meals is that I can picture the fields, I know the farmers’ faces and strong hands. The added bonus that with local amazing food like this, I can feed my family AND support my local economy! This local support not only bolsters community and keeps the market going, but ceases the need to support food shipped from thousands of miles away on trucks. 

How to Cut Up (Quarter) a Whole Chicken

For anyone who ordered some of our whole chickens and for anyone else wondering how to go from a whole chicken to the traditional cuts, we’ve put together an instructional video showing step by step how to do it.  

5 Best Things to Buy At Early Season Farmers’ Markets

The leaves are green! The birds are singing! The sun is bright and warm!  Spring is shifting to summer and that means the farmers are coming out of the woodwork to share their goods at your local farmers’ markets!  But hang on, tomatoes won’t be ready for weeks, what on earth is there to actually buy at these first markets, anyway? 

Is Organic Meat Really Better?

Chicken and other livestock raised for meat qualifies for USDA Organic certification if it meets the following guidelines: all feed consumed by the animal needs to be 100% organic from early in life, they must never receive any antibiotics, hormones, or other treatments, and they must have access to the outdoors on untreated, organic land with sunlight and shelter available (source).  From my research and experience, it would seem that organic practices alone don’t ensure the meat is tastier or even more nutritious than non-organic.  So what is the difference?