we're snowed in.

We love the snow. The hens, on the other hand, are not so into it. This is the young girls' first big snow and they don't quite know what to make of it. They are braving the cold weather amazingly well. We still plan to move them into a barn for the winter once we move but we're glad they're doing so well.

We are so ready to move but are still waiting for the final word. Time is going so fast and I can't believe it's taken so long to work this out. I promise more details soon. And yes, it's December 19th. Nuff said.

7 foods people shouldn't eat

I can think of many things people shouldn't eat but I just came across this article that mentions 7 foods you might not expect could be harmful...

http://www.huliq.com/8326/89563/7-foods-people-shouldnt-eat

Canned Tomatoes
The tin can your tomatoes come in is lined with a product that contains bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen. The natural acidity in the tomatoes causes the BPA to leach into your food. This could cause all sorts of medical ailments, including diabetes and obesity. Buy tomatoes in glass jars, or can your own organic tomatoes using the old-fashioned Ball Canning Jars. Aseptic pack tomatoes can also be found in Whole Foods Markets, natural food co-ops, and most large supermarkets.

Corn-Fed Beef
Cows are herbivores, and as such, were meant to eat grass, not grains. "We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure," says Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming.

Microwave Popcorn
The bag microwave popcorn is popped in, is full of chemicals that vaporize during the process of microwaving, and end up in your popped corn. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. They also stay in your body for years. Quit microwaving your popcorn, and pop it the old-fashioned way – in a pot on top of the stove. Tastes better too.

Regular Non-Organic Potatoes
Potatoes grow underground, and as such, whatever is sprayed on top leaches into the soil and eventually ends up in the potato. Fungicides and herbicides are the worst culprits, but then they are doused again after harvest to prevent sprouting, because no one likes potatoes with "eyes". Washing isn't good enough, so buy only organic potatoes.

Farmed Salmon
For obvious reasons, farmed salmon is not as good for you as wild salmon. They are kept captive in pens, and fed things most wild salmon don't eat. As a result, the salmon are lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens and various pesticides. Buy wild Alaska salmon. Stay away from Atlantic salmon. Despite the label, they are still farmed salmon.

Conventional Apples
The produce with the most frequently sprayed pesticides probably has to be the apple. The residues don't get washed off easily. Studies are being done to determine whether or not cancer and Parkinson's disease are directly related to the chemicals doused on apples. Buy organic or at least peel the apples before eating.

Milk with Artificial Hormones rBGH or rBST
It comes as no surprise that milk tainted with artificial growth hormones, rBGH or rBST, would be one of the top do-not-eat foods—or drinks. Recombinant bovine growth hormones have been in the news for a while now, citing that high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. The solution of course, would be to check labels, and buy organic milk. Ben & Jerry's ice cream uses milk and cream from dairy farms that have pledged not to use rBST. Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores featured hormone-free "Great Value" brand milk, but did not label it as such in 2008.

7 Foods People Shouldnt Eat

www.huliq.com

the downside of having laying hens.

Something else happened this week that added to the intensity and I've been conflicted as to whether or not I should blog about it. For seasoned farmers, it will sound like "blah, blah, been there, done that. Toughen up already." And to the average person it will sound cruel as hell. But this is the reality of farming and honestly, I need to talk about it. This blog is mostly about chronicling our journey and I want to remember all of it. Even the sucky parts.
We had to butcher our older flock of laying hens this week and man, I think it was the hardest thing we've had to do so far. Really. These were our first hens and we were very attached to them. They taught us a lot. See, a hen really only has 2 seasons of good laying in her and ours had pretty much stopped. We could have taken a loss and foolishly kept them anyway if only for better circumstances. We hope to be moving somewhere soon and just can't realistically move 2 flocks of hens nor could we easily house them for winter. If inside for a spell, hens need more space than they would if allowed to range outside. There's also the expense of feeding them without getting any return. Oh how I wish there was a 'spent hen sanctuary' somewhere that could house all of the old layers of the world. Unfortunately, that would have to be run by a very wealthy person because they're very expensive to feed.
We knew we would be doing this someday but needless to say, it was a very emotional day. We thanked them for all they've taught us and given us and did what we had to do. They have gone on to fulfill another purpose...the most healthy, flavorful and golden soup ever. We process and sell them as stewing hens and people love them. Most older folks know what amazing stock, chicken noodle soup and 'chicken and dumplings' old hens make since that's what our grandmother's used.
So, we're hurting a bit here. We miss them a ton and keep wondering if we made the right decision, even though we know we did. We're appreciating and loving our younger girls a little more these days and holding the memories of our very first girls close. Oh, and we might have let our two favorites escape....on purpose.

still here, and brrr!

Wow. This last week has been pretty intense around here. For starters we've been having a serious cold snap which should be normal for this time of year, however, we're STILL living in this teensy tiny little box on wheels and baby, it's cold! We've worked out a little system where we let the faucets run to keep them from freezing and add a little electric heater into the mix. It's far from ideal but we're surviving. I'm dying to have a house again. I haven't had a real kitchen or taken a real shower since August. Yeah, seriously.
Add to that the crazy 60 mph winds we've had and it sure makes for a super fun ride. The wind would howl, the camper would sway and we would just look at each other and hope we didn't fly away. I'm happy to say that we're still here, safe and sound.
And our hens made it through as well. After losing our first Eggmobile to 2 windstorms last year, Nate has done a fabulous job building 2 new, very windproof designs and we're thrilled to report that they're still standing. We're waiting to figure out their winter housing arrangements for the girls when we get to our new destination so we've been trying to make do for now. We thought we had really pushed our luck when we had those 12-14 degree nights. Nate put up a windbreak around the Eggmobile, covered the wind-facing windows and they were in good shape. They are such resilient creatures, it's amazing. Our only issue is keeping their water from freezing which is next to impossible so we just keep dumping out the ice and filling with more water.
You're probably wondering just how long we're going to be stuck in this camper, right? I mean, we were supposed to have moved to a new farm way before now, right? Well, some amazing and very exciting news may be coming but we're just not able to say anything just yet....so stay tuned.

gratitude

It seems so fitting that it’s Thanksgiving because this time of year, as our farming season comes to a close, I am feeling so very thankful for so many reasons.
I'm thankful to be a part of this exciting local and sustainable food movement as it's something I believe in so much. I know Nate and I can't change the world but it's a start.
I’m thankful to have such amazing customers. The fact that there are so many people who have educated themselves about food and farming and who really appreciate what we’re doing feels amazing. I love talking with you at farmers markets and telling our story. I love that so many of you care enough about your food to want to come out to the farm, have a look around and learn about how your food is raised. That is what we’ve always hoped for. We think everyone should want to know how their food is raised and anyone is always welcome here.
I’m thankful for all of our animals who have enriched our lives and have given theirs to nourish others. I'm thankful for the privilege of knowing and raising them. I’m thankful to have such supportive friends, family and customers without whom, we could not do this. When we started this farming endeavor, we never would have dreamed that we would raise products that would be so well received. We completely sold out of chicken and turkey this year and have such a demand for our eggs, we never have enough. Somehow, we have to figure out how to increase production without compromising our sanity. That, my friends, is how we’ll be spending our winter. Lots and lots of planning.
We are still unsure of where we’ll be moving to and we're just about out of time. I simply cannot describe how that feels. We have a few options and are waiting to see what happens so stay tuned.
All of that stress aside, I have never felt more like I’m right where I’m supposed to be. And for those of you who know me, you know that this is huge. And for that, I am most grateful.

empty nest

The feelings we are experiencing today are truly bittersweet. We just butchered the last of our turkeys yesterday and our only animals remaining are our 180 laying hens who we keep over the winter. Besides those hens, WE ARE FINISHED FOR THE SEASON!

On one hand, we welcome the break as we’ve both worked harder than ever this year. I feel like I could sleep for days and days. But to be honest, we’re feeling a bit sad. We miss our animals.

We have such amazing friends. We had a big crew helping with the turkeys and it was a really fun day. We made it a ‘turkey honoring party’. Everyone left not only with their Thanksgiving birds but also with a deeper appreciation of what it takes to get those birds ready for the customer.

Chris, Greg, Jen, Nate, Marc, Mike, me in front and Justin far right.

Nate and I love raising turkeys. They have such personality and are so much fun. We put a lot of love and sweat into those birds and, however sad it is to see them go, I can’t begin to describe what it feels like to know that our turkeys will grace so many tables and nourish so many families this week.

Is this really my life?

this gets easier, right?

I'm not going to try to be the tough farmer today. No, today I write with a hole in my heart. That's the space that my lambs used to fill. Yep, they're gone. I know, I need to toughen up. And actually, I'm quite proud of myself for handling it so well.
After all, that was the deal. They were to be butchered in the Fall and here we are. I can't say that made it any easier to say goodbye to them. Of course, it doesn't help that we bottle-fed them and bonded with them. And it doesn't help that they were SO cool and friendly towards us. And it certainly didn't help that since they trusted us with their lives, it was super easy to load them up and take them away.
That was the deal though. And we gave them the happiest life we could. Since they were orphans, they wouldn't have been good for breeding and keeping sheep over the winter means buying or growing hay which we're not prepared for. We don't even know where we're staying for the winter! They were also all males (Rams) and their cuteness and sweetness would soon have turned into aggressiveness. I have heard stories of people being knocked over and injured by their rams.
They were so much fun and so easy to raise. Nate and I could have spent all day sitting with them, scratching their heads. There are definitely more lambs in our future but there will only be those 6 that were our first.
To top things off, we've started processing some of our turkeys and they too leave a little hole in your heart each year. They've got a sweetness all their own and it's hard to see them go.
That's the price we pay for providing good, clean, healthy food for folks.
Sigh....this get's easier, right?