Shelling Peas

We have some shelling pea this week. They usually aren't a fast seller because they are extra work to get the peas out of the shells. But the work is worth it.

Sold by the 1# bag, spend 10 minutes to shell these peas, give them a quick boil, season with salt and butter, and enjoy.

Mushrooms

Each week we try to keep a good selection of fresh mushrooms on hand. Our mushroom network has really improved the last few years, and we are excited to always have:

Oyster

Shiitake

Lion's Mane

The Lion's Mane is pictured here. That's my favorite. Slice it thick and pan fry in a little butter until golden brown. Season with salt and enjoy. There isn't anything else you need to do.

Summer holidays are hard for us to take off. The food keeps growing and needs harvested.

So, as usual we'll deliver on the 4th of July. There are a few small changes to the schedule, including:

Mayfield - cancelled. Please pickup at Beachwood on Thursday.

Other East Side options include Solon (Wednesday), Chagrin (Wednesday), and Shaker Heights (Friday).

Westlake - ending at 6 PM (3 to 6 PM)

Strongsville - same as usual (3 to 6)

Ohio City Provisions - same as usual (3 to 7)

For a full list of pickup locations, times, and addresses, check here: Pickup Locations

We are so grateful for all our new members this year. We understand that the concept of a farm share is foreign in today's world of endless choices.

There are a few administrative things I wanted to point out.

Customer Service. We do our best to get back to customers quickly. The first month of the season is overwhelming for Allyson in our office. Between emails and "notes" from the back of the truck, her list is hundreds deep. If you send an email Friday night, please give us some time to respond.

Substitutions will Happen Our bag contents are advertised often before the product is harvested. We do our best to always put something in the bag in place of an item. For example, the peas were a rough go last week. Above is one of the many young hands helping harvest peas. That's the planting about a month ago.

Last week some bags got broccoli, some cauliflower, some peas, and some zucchini. In this case, the farmer is a Swartzentruber Amish - very low order - and has no means to communicate with us. When our truck gets there and is surprised to be shorted, it's often too late for us to react.

If you are missing an item on the list, please check for an item that's not on the list. 90% of the time when we get an email that someone was missing something and ask if they got X, the answer is yes.

Missed Pickups and Vacation Requests Our program allows you to skip up to 4 weeks of the season with advance notice. When you get back, you have "credits" to shop for extras in our online store. Please use them within 4 weeks.

If you simply miss a pickup, please show up at any of our other stops. No need to tell us. The full list of pickup locations and times is at the link below.

We cannot offer a credit for missed pickups (that were not registered for vacation). In that case, we had food ordered and available for you at the back of the truck.

Vacation Policy Here

Full list of Summer Locations Here

I was asked at the back of the truck last week what brand of milk we carried and where it's from.

Then I realized I was taking for granted that everyone knows.

One of the cornerstones of our product line is our exclusive Guernsey milk. Farmer Edward Keim of Wilmot has a small herd of about 30 Guernsey cows. The Guernsey cow is a smaller breed of dairy cow known for its rich, golden colored milk. The milk is high in protein and butterfat, making it also ideal for artisan cheese making (which is what our friends at Marchant Manor use).  

Edward grazes his cows on pasture all growing season and grows his own non-gmo corn, beans, and hay for winter feeds. In years past, we had offered farm tours and Edward's was a perennial stop. Those who attended likely milked these beautiful ladies and saw first-hand the care that Edward has for his cows.

And now, onto the technical milk nerd stuff...

A2A2 Beta Casein

One of the important aspects of our Guernsey milk is that Edward's herd is exclusively A2A2. What that means is that one of the milk proteins, beta casein, is of the A2A2 orientation. The easiest way to think about this is that the protein can have two configurations, let's say a right hand (A1) and a left hand (A2). A2 is the original orientation found in older genetics; A1 is a variation found in more modern dairy breeds. The protein's makeup can be that of A1A1, A1A2, or A2A2. The A2A2 is known to be easier to digest for humans. 

Why is this important? Many consumers think they are lactose intolerant. Lactose is milk sugar. But what could be happening is that the consumer is actually beta casein intolerant, causing inflammation in the body. We have many customers who previously couldn't drink milk until they had the A2A2 milk. 

The Cream Rises to the Top, and some insight into homogenization

Milk often goes through two processes - homogenization & pasteurization.

Homogenization simply means the milk is processed so that the milk solids - mostly the fat - are evenly suspended in the milk by making them smaller than they naturally are. This makes for a smoother product.

However, it also means that the fat - now a smaller globule - can more easily pass into the bloodstream without digestion. These un-naturally sized fat globules are now released into the body in such a way that the same amount of fat now acts as if it is much more.

Think about surface area here. If you sit a bowling ball and a tennis ball on a table, which touches the table more? They are both the same. But, to achieve the same amount of displacement (volume), it takes many tennis balls to equal the volume of a bowling ball. Those many tennis balls now have more surface area in contact with the body.

When searching the web, you'll find all kinds of claims, often backed up with a statement that scientific data isn't conclusive to the link between homogenized dairy and cancer or heart disease. I can tell you from farming, there are so many variables to control in a living creature's environment that pinpointing one culprit is near impossible.

What I can tell you with certainty though is, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. Cream has risen to the top of milk for millennia. I'm A-OK with that.

Vat Pasteurized

The words "Ultra Pasteurized" can be really misleading. To me, "ultra" sounds better, but it's not.

Pasteurization is the process of heating milk to kill harmful bacteria. There are three common ways to do this:

1) Vat Pasteurization - warm the milk to 161 degrees gently, think of a crock pot

2) HTST - high temp, short time. Bring the milk up rapidly to 161 degrees or more for at least 15 seconds to pasteurize.

3) UHT - ultra high temp or ultra pasteurized, bringing the milk up to between 275 and 300 degrees for 1 second to kill everything in the milk

Vat Pasteurized and HTST kills the harmful bacteria but still preserves many of the good enzymes that aid in the digestion of milk. One particularly important enzyme is xanthine oxidase, which aids in building the good flora of the gut, is preserved in vat pasteurization but is 100% killed in UHT (ultra) pasteurization.

In short, we feel that vat pasteurization is the healthiest option we have for pasteurizing milk.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids and CLAs

I don't want to sound like I'm hitting the buzz words now, but milk from grass grazed mammals is high in Omega 3 fatty acids and 500% higher in CLAs than those not grazed on grass. As a result, we suggest drinking the whole milk for both flavor and health. Remember, not all fat is created equally, and in this case, the fat of grass grazed guernsey milk is superior.



What about raw milk?

We get a lot of questions about buying raw milk. We legally cannot sell you raw milk. This Guernsey milk is, however, the next best option.

Further, raw milk in Ohio requires that you jump through hoops to buy it - either as a member of a "herd-share" or buying it from an illicit vendor who is bootlegging it.

Summary is, because Ohio has made it difficult to buy raw milk, the markets that do sell it may be questionable. I'm not saying there aren't good vendors; what I'm saying is that the market for the illicit sale of raw milk is so small that it is difficult for the participants to have the best infrastructure and sanitation. A traditional dairy farm is routinely inspected - there are records that must be kept for sanitation and insurance requirements to protect the consumer. When you are buying raw milk be aware of the risks.

If it were my way, Ohio would find a way to permit raw milk and help set standards for the safe handling of raw milk. But I'm just a small guy in this big regulatory game.

Can I buy your milk anywhere else? Or what about other A2 milks?

Guernsey itself doesn't mean A2, and A2 doesn't mean Guernsey. Nor does A2 or Guernsey mean grass grazed or organic. Guernsey is just a breed.

The "boutique" milk market is exploding at the grocery store, and you'll find many products labeled as A2A2.

Most (not all, and I can't speak for everyone) products in the store that are A2A2 are those from confinement dairy operations where the cows live in a barn and eat a controlled ration that is mixed daily of grains and forage. It is easier for the farmer to grow big fields of hay, beans, and corn than to build miles of fence and graze the cows.

There is one notable brand at the grocery store - Origin. It is actually the same milk that we sell. Fresh Fork isn't big enough to sell enough milk to support a creamery and the dairy farmers, and approximately 5 years ago a fellow Cleveland entrepreneur started labeling and distributing the same milk under the brand Origin. It's available at most major grocery stores; however, you'll find that our label is 30% cheaper ($1.74 per half gal less) due to our direct connection back to the farmer and our lean distribution model.

Oh, and I guess I missed the most important part. Besides all the dairy nerd stuff above, this milk just tastes great!

Try some of the A2 Guernsey products at 10% off, including

Milk - whole, 2%, and skim

Heavy Whipping Cream

Cultured Yogurt

Paint Valley Farm Cream Cheese

Like the weather, subject to change.