Good Afternoon
The old saying goes "Make hay when the sun shines." But usually we don't expect it to shine for 3 weeks on end with no rain. I've seen guys cut hay on the weekend and not bale until the following. That's unheard of in Ohio, especially in May/June.
Now, the problem is there is more sunshine than hay to make. We need the rain to get everything growing again, so maybe we can cut hay again!
As for the produce, this dry spell has been really throwing us a big curve ball. Most strawberries are grown on what's called "Matted Rows." Essentially rows with straw for weed suppression, no irrigation. Usually the spring is wet enough that the rain is usually detrimental - reducing shelf life and causing molds and mildew. Not this year. The farmers are begging for rain to get berries to size up. I'd estimate that right now the harvest is about 25% of usual.
This week we will be on the road searching for berries as they come off the plants. We do not feel comfortable committing to having a reliable supply of berries for the bags. Rain is in the forecast for Sun/Monday, so next week looks more favorable. What we do get in will appear at the back of the trucks for sale. Again, we don't want to let you down, so we aren't going to commit them to this week's bag.
A quick summary of this newsletter:
1) Around the farm. Spring is a rush. Read below to see what's going on around Wholesome Valley and our network farms
2) Late Signups. Forgot to signup? No big deal, we expect it. Email back to get in for this week.
3) Promotions and Sales. Some fun kits this week from szekelygulyas (pork and sauerkraut goulash) to steak burger to taco salad.
4) Turkeys. Thanksgiving is on the ground, so to speak.
5) Bag contents.
Thank you again,
Trevor & the FFM team (Lauren, Allyson, Connor, Jesse, Zach, Maddie, Pauline, and all the new 2023 staff)
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If you or a friend are still considering joining, we would love to have you. Our farmers are excited to feed your families this summer!
Late signups are pro-rated so that you pay for when you join through the end of the season.
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Return of the Steak Burger Bundle - $24
Last week's steak burger bundle sold out quickly and we had several customers email in asking if there were more. There were no extras last week, but we worked with our suppliers to offer this bundle again this week.
Only 40 bundles available. Order online now. Here are the details:
The Steak Burger Bundle: $24 (save 20%)
- 1 package steak burgers (4 ct, approx 1.25#)
- 1 pack brioche buns (4 ct)
- 1 wedge swiss cheese (8 oz)
- 1 package mixed oyster mushrooms (6 oz)
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Szekelygulyas Kit - $30
(Hungarian Pork and Kraut Goulash)
The cool weather this week had me throwing on a sweatshirt in the morning and craving some comfort foods.
So I went to the fridge and found some inspiration in sour cream.
The sour cream is the thread that holds the rug together, so to speak, in this Hungarian classic. And if you can spell it without google, than you are clearly very gifted!
Szekelygulyas, or as the Czechs call it Szegedin Goulash, is an easy dinner featuring pork slow cooked in broth and saurkraut, then finished with some sour cream and served over noodles.
You can google plenty of blog recipes for inspiration, or follow Chef Parker's lead here at the Fresh Fork recipe page: Pork and Sauerkraut Goulash
This week's bargain bundle includes all the essentials for just $30
Heritage Pork Shoulder Roast, approx 2.25#
Raw Sauerkraut, 1 quart
A2 Guernsey Sour cream, 1 half pint
Grassfed Beef Stock, 1 quart
Egg Noodles from Flour Pasta Co, 8 oz
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Taco Salad Kit - $23
Easy dinner here. Or snack. When we are out of time, it's not unusual for us to toss some veggies, meat, and salsa over some tortilla chips and call that dinner.
This kit is your essentials for some tex-mex inspired dinners:
Shagbark Corn Tortilla Chips - 1 bag
Pork Chorizo - 1#
Sour Cream - half pint
Salsa - 1 pint
Black Beans - 1#
Cilantro - 1 bunch
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Off to the races: Heritage Turkeys |
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I feel like Thanksgiving was just yesterday, and here I am again chasing turkeys around.
We raise two types of turkeys - broad breasted bronze and standard heritage bronze.
The standard bronze is an older genetic line that naturally reproduces, grows really slow, and is extremely hardy on pasture. They are really a joy to raise. The only challenge is catching them to load out for harvest.
This year's Thanksgiving started last fall. We have found that the best breeding combination is young hens (females) and older, big toms (males). We have found that a 1 to 2 year old hen will lay twice the eggs as an older 3 to 4 year old hen. And her eggs tend to be more easily fertilized. So last fall we held back some of our best hens to reserve for breeding.
Last year our hatches were up, and this year they are up even further. So far, we have 5 hatches on the ground already - totaling approximately 250 heritage turkeys. We have 3 more hatches in the brooder for what we hope to be nearly 350 total heritage turkeys! That's 30% more than last year!
So while Thanksgiving is nearly 25 weeks away, the work has already begun.
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Farming is a tough job, mentally and physically. For me, this time of the year the hardest part of my job as a manager is prioritizing.
The growing season is really preparation for the winter. We have a limited window to maximize on the generous resources of mother nature - the sun, rain, and temperatures.
For those who get an "eeyore" type response from me when you ask how things are going, here's a quick snapshot of life on the farm.
Spring Means
- Planting. Get the beans, corn, and garden in the ground.
- Fertilizing. Plants need nutrients to perform to their max.
- Making Hay. The spring flush is real, and grass comes on faster than you can mow it.
- Keep up the fence rows. Electric fence doesn't work if the tall grass and brush is growing through it. This means miles of fence to weed-eat or mow with a sickle bar
- Plant summer annuals - like sorghum and oats - for the turkeys
- Turn the manure pile for compost to spread in the fall
- Haul manure out of the winter beef barn
- Do the daily chores like moving and feeding the beef, chickens, turkeys, ducks, etc
- Get the sows bred for next summer's pork supply
- Finish all the winter projects that never got done....
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Small Omnivore
Green Onion Brats
Kohlrabi
Cauliflower
Swiss Chard
Garlic Scapes
Asparagus
Lettuce
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Small Vegetarian
Kohlrabi
Cauliflower
Swiss Chard
Garlic Scapes
Asparagus
Lettuce
Fresh Egg-Noodle Rigatoni (refrigerated)
Extra Vegetable*
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Mini
Kohlrabi
Cauliflower
Garlic Scapes
Asparagus
Lettuce
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Large Omnivore
Green Onion Brats
Kohlrabi
Cauliflower
Swiss Chard
Garlic Scapes
Asparagus
Lettuce
Pork Sirloin Roast
Zucchini
Rhubarb
Bunching Onions
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Large Vegetarian
Kohlrabi
Cauliflower
Swiss Chard
Garlic Scapes
Asparagus
Lettuce
Fresh Egg Noodle Rigatoni (refrigerated)
Extra Vegetable*
Zucchini
Bunching Onions
Rhubarb
Pancake Mix
Eggs
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Small Vegan
Kohlrabi
Cauliflower
Swiss Chard
Garlic Scapes
Asparagus
Lettuce
Applesauce
Extra Vegetable*
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*Extra Veg. Our growers are still out harvesting. Looks like maybe kale and radishes early part of the week, maybe cucumbers or zucchini later part of the week. |
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