We are back

After a long winter's dark, I have come back! Here is our 2011 newsletter. Enjoy.

Dear Friends:

What a delightful time of year Spring is! To me Spring signifies “new beginnings” and in the natural world evidence abounds in the form of buds,”brown-turning-to-green”, baby animals, etc., that Summer is just around the corner. These are just a few of the reasons why we enjoy farming, and want to use this letter to greet you and let you know what we are doing.

Those of you who have been following our activities for some time know that we enjoy the pleasant mix of working on our farm to produce wholesome, healthy, and flavorful local food and, the “connectivity” we have with those who have extended their confidence towards us by purchasing our produce.

You may also know that each year we try something new and are always interested in hearing how we might better serve you and meet your needs. This year we are moving towards the “harvest phase” of what we began last year: natural, pastured beef. We also are planning to move out of the experimental stage with the turkeys and offer more of them. Please be sure to order now; the few we had last year went quickly. We have also expanded the number of high tunnel “greenhouses” in an effort to not only extend our season, but to also protect from various threats to the crop, such as hail, deer, etc. All in all, we are very optimistic about the season ahead of us. One more thing, speaking of new things: we have had some requests for duck and duck eggs—we want to know what kind/amount of interest exists for this food. Would you let us know if this is a strong preference for you—or not? This will help us in our planning for the future.

Now in our 16^th year, we are offering the best of high quality, chemical-free, locally grown food for your household through a limited offering of CSA subscriptions for both the Summer season (June through August 13, 2011) and Fall season (August 20 through October 31, 2011).

CSA, of course, is Community Supported Agriculture, and involves customers who pay a one-time fee, in advance, for a specified period during which they receive seasonal produce from the farmer, and options, if they desire. Basic package pricing includes produce (fruits and vegetables) with options of chickens, eggs, turkeys, beef and honey. Our prices include delivery to your home, or place of business on Saturdays in the Rapid City area. Chadron and Crawford deliveries will be held on a “to-be-determined” mid-week day. In this way the responsibility is on us, not you, to remember your produce. You avoid the shopping hassle and get quality, local produce. The customer and farmer share the risk of crop loss. CSA customers are given first priority over crop distribution. (We satisfy CSA orders before going to any Farmers’ Markets). This arrangement helps farmers such as us plan for the year and evens out the cash flow curve for a more sustainable operation.

We are also taking orders now for our pastured poultry chickens, turkeys and eggs, available in June –October (chickens & eggs) and turkeys (available in late October/early November). Our animals are primarily fed a pastured (grass) diet which is supplemented with insects and grain. Customers “in the know” appreciate the taste and health benefits associated with this type of diet. Honey orders will be filled in September. If you wish to simply order chickens, turkeys, or honey, please state that on the enclosed order form and include a $10.00 deposit per item(s) ordered, to secure your order. Deposits will be applied to the total on your order. Please note that some options are more subject to availability than others.

You may have noticed, as we have, that prices related to food, and food production, have been rising. We walk a fine line between trying to keep our prices in line and competitive, and stay in business to continue to serve you well into the future.

Thank you again for your vote of confidence and business. Those of you who have stuck with us through “thick and thin” may not know just how encouraging you are to us. “Thank you” sometimes seems inadequate. Regardless, we appreciate you and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Sincerely,

Lyn and Donna

After a long pause

Well, here it is nearly 2 months after the storm and my last post. I do not know if I can ever adequately explain the devastation that the storm wrought. I do not ever want to go through such devastation again. Emotional devastation that is. The storm caused everything in my life that was slightly off-key, slightly off-center to become huge, magnified out of proportion. And now I get to try and rebuild my life on so many levels.

And yet....I find myself planning for next year, learning from my errors, desiring to begin again. Yep, it's official. I am crazy. ;)

Job 1:21

wee....
"The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

THAT is my verse of the week/month/year.

Up until last evening, we were having an outstanding garden season. But at 5:50 p.m. July 22, that all changed. A very sudden, very ferocious storm came up with wind, rain, rotating clouds, and massive amounts of hail. Hay in the pasture was as tall as my rib cage. It now is about 6 inches tall. The pumpkins are nothing but pock-marked green orbs. Carrot tops have been sheared off at ground level. Pepper plants that had been loaded with tiny fruits are now nothing but little sticks. Cucumbers are smashed into relish. I have never seen such destruction since I was a child.
We lost 5 windows on the house and 3 on the garage. Fortunately, the 4 calves we have all survived (yes, hail can kill), and some of the plants might come back once they get pruned and have some time to recuperate.
I will be replanting peas, lettuces, spinach, beets and any other crop that will have a chance to fruit before frost, within the next 5 days.
The photo above is what is left of the potatoes. Below is what is left of the tomatoes and a pumpkin--PRE-CARVED!
Through all this, I know my God is in control and I can say "it is well with my soul"

Donna

Summertime

Yep, summer has hit! It has been a month since I have been able to sit long enough to update this. We have been weeding, and raising chickens, and weeding, and haying, and running produce here and there, and weeding, and having company and did I mention WEEDING????
Life's good, just too busy right now.
My dear husband mentioned that I need to fill you in on my "adventures". Let's see, where to begin... the new laying hens are growing up MEAN! They like to jump up and try to spur my arms when I feed them. Other chickens have not learned not to bite the hands and arms that feed them. My forearms look like they have been in a war zone. (Okay, I exaggerate a bit, but not much.)
And take a look at the mower we have! What an interesting learning curve that has been. The mower is an antique horse-driven implement. We don't have horses. We pull it with the pickup. I, oh wonderful super-human woman that I am, get to drive said pickup. Not too fast, not too slow, round and round the pasture we go. Did I mention the pickup doesn't have much for power steering? I have biceps like never before in my 44 years! My job is not as difficult as Lyn's though. He has to bounce around on that thing, lifting and lowering the correct lever to avoid getting the mower bar (upright in the picture) plugged up with cheat grass. Nasty stuff! We have also had to learn to communicate by hand signals for go, stop, left and right. I am SURE we will laugh about this someday. The first time we took the mower out he mentioned something about one of us having some fun doing this. We still aren't sure which one that is.
There are other adventures to tell but will have to wait as I hear the bindweed mocking me and the chickens howling for supper. I guess I'd better get back to it.
D.

Doggies--gotta luv 'em

So it's been a very wet week with rain nearly everyday since Wednesday evening. But that's good for the crops and hay and I would much rather have it wet than go through the drought we have had in the last decade.

One thing I get to do every week for our CSA customers is bake bread. I absolutely love it! The house smells great, I get to experiment with different recipes and some of the outcomes are well, rather unexpected.
The picture above is one of the loaves that a customer was supposed to receive this past Saturday. I had made Challah (Jewish sabbath bread). It was outstanding, if I do say so myself! Fragrant, chewy, a soft crumb, ahh lovely. Then the dogs came in for the night....
Normally they are not left alone and thus, don't get in trouble for say, eating things they aren't supposed to get OFF THE COUNTER. However, Thursday evening, something went amiss.

It had been pouring rain while Lyn and I did chores and we were soaked. I was changing into dry clothes in the bedroom, Lyn was getting a dry jacket as he needed to go out again. The dogs were left alone for maybe 3 minutes max--and boy did they enjoy the Challah! This is why I do not bake on Friday for Saturday delivery. So Friday I made more bread and all were happy, especially the chickens as they got to finish what the dogs began. I love the dogs, I really do, but Thursday I was thinking non-loving thoughts towards them.

Oh well, it's just bread. Have a great week!

Market season is here!

Well here we are at the end of a very long week but a very good week. And we managed to get to 2 markets today! Lyn went to Rapid City and had a good day, for opening day, while I manned the Chadron market, also having a good day. It is so fulfilling to see people appreciate our produce when we work so hard to give them the best we can grow. Lyn also delivered our customers their first CSA packages. YUM! NOTHING like fresh spinach! (We just have to keep Popeye out of the garden :D.)
Every year I learn more about preparing for market before the opening day of the season. This year was no exception. Now that we do two markets on the same day, we have to have duplicates of certain items. A thought that didn't really hit me until about 5:00 this morning as I was packing salad greens for Lyn to take to Rapid. We have a special container we have used for lettuces in the past, now we need 2 of them. Thus, I was running through our local department store at 6:45 with a big plastic box, trying to get Nichole to work on time at 7:00. There was only ONE aisle open...and the clerk and customer were CHATTING about?? ARGGGGH We pulled up at the hardware store at 7 o'clock exactly. Then I rushed home, fed chickens and calves, changed clothes (darn calves--messy little buggers keep using my jeans as their napkins), ate some breakfast and back to town. Good grief it's no wonder I sleep so well.
A thought to leave you with:
To be a success, one must begin.
Donna

May 24, 2010

Well it's been very busy around here, thus my lack of updating this site. We have laid plastic mulch and been planting pumpkins, squash, and cucumbers as well as green beans. The lettuces are up and delicious! and the spinach too. The hi-tunnel green houses are coming along, but, as usual, are taking more time that Lyn or I would like. The fryer chickens are enjoying their pasture buffet and will be plump little things in another month. We have received about 2 inches of rain in the past 2 weeks so everything is growing well, especially the weeds. ARGGH!

Nichole has been working very hard at her schooling and will be finishing a semester worth of school in less than 3 months. Homeschooling is so flexible! She is also working part-time in town at a hardware store and enjoying the cash that comes from that. She had a great time at the local prom. Her friend is a really nice young man that is going to be a senior here next year. If Nichole keeps going as she has been, she will complete 2 years of school in one--for some odd reason, she's looking forward to that. I think she is more looking forward to being in college and not having to help with the weeding ;D.

Hopefully, I will make it back in a more timely fashion next time.
Take care.
Donna