Holiday Hams - Adam and I have spent the last 5 years perfecting our holiday ham. We start with a quality fresh ham from one of our pasture raised heritage hogs. That ham undergoes an intensive brine and vacuum tumble to evenly spread out the seasonings before being smoked for 16 hours to a tender, smoky finish. Holiday hams are fully cooked and ready to reheat.

All ham orders are through Ohio City Provisions but will be available for pickup at the back of the Fresh Fork truck this week.

To Place a Ham Order: Ham Orders Here

Wild Salmon Buying Club: Each year for nearly a decade now we have offered "fisherman direct" salmon from my friend Heidi. She fishes in Alaska each summer and sends us individual filet portions each fall. If you've had it before, you have likely reordered already.

Supply is very limited and will sell out. Order quickly: Salmon Order Here

If you missed it, here is the separate email about hams and salmon with more details: Salmon and Ham Email Here

Maybe you need a gift or maybe you just want to stock up your freezer at a discount...it doesn't matter to us. We have bundles for you!

Bundles this year range from cheese promotions to canned goods to frozen bundles.

Learn About Bundles and Order Here

Spoiler alert here. The Amish don't pose their dogs for pictures in front of the Christmas tree. That's what Allyson and I do.

This week I've been in the kitchen quite a bit. We have one young girl in the kitchen - Melinda, - who is a fantastic worker and really devoted. She's 18 years old and of the Swartzentruber Amish sect. That means she is of the most conservative, most rule based Amish group. They have strict standards on everything from the brim width on the men's' hats to the type of wheels on their buggies. They see it as a way to remain humble, to resist pride and individuality, and to devote their lives to serving God.

Knowing what I know about the Amish - that religion comes before law and that it is the most important aspect of their lives - I had high expectations for an Amish Christmas.

"Melinda, what is your family doing for Christmas." I asked. 'Oh, not much. Just relaxing.'

I found this hard to believe. I asked more. "What about food? Is there a traditional Amish meal at Christmas?" I explained to her about traditions like the Polish Wigilia to have a Christmas celebration without red meat. She answered back, 'No, we don't have a meal.'

I asked about church services, visitations, gifts, and more. Here's what I discovered:

Church Service: there will be no special service for Christmas, just the usual weekly service

Visitation: They had a gathering this past weekend with all her aunts and uncles (read below)

Gifts: Mom and Dad do buy the kids each a gift. The boys in her family all want binoculars this year for hunting; the girls want things ranging from furniture (Melinda wants a nightstand) to cookware.

I was still in disbelief that the celebration wasn't more elaborate or didn't have rich traditions. I told her more about what my family does and how it is important to us in hopes of sparking some conversation with deeper insight. She stayed steadfast that Christmas is a day off. They will eat breakfast as a family and go on their way.

In thinking about the logistics of a Christmas celebration, the Amish families are so large that a multi-family gathering would nearly require a stadium. Melinda was explaining that her father was one of 15 children and that her mother was one of 12 children. That means she has 50 aunts and uncles! She said she had once tried to figure out how many cousins she had. She said she was counting well over 100, but I interrupted her before she could finish - "but you couldn't get a final count because they were being born as you counted." She laughed and admitted that it was a possibility.

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