To Your Health! from Our Father’s Farm.
1 April 2011
Hope and Timothy taking first steps with Peace turning one.
Glorious EGGS
Kim
Spring has sprung and the chickens are so happy! We have never had such an abundance of eggs! There are a lot of factors involved in the high egg production. The chickens are young (this is their first spring laying), they have a deluxe model chicken house that is predator proof which helps their morale and lowers stress levels, and the days are getting longer and warmer. Our chickens are released from their shelter every morning and allowed to range freely over the farm. We try to run them behind the cows, but they go all over the place foraging and enjoying life. They all go back to the house by dark and like being closed in nice and safe from foxes and other predators
Most of you getting this newsletter are already “food quality savvy”. It’s so important for us to know from whence our food comes. And what the food we’re eating “ate” prior to our consumption… whether it is plant, mineral or animal. We are what we eat, literally.
That said:
We have found a great place that grows non-GMO feed. We drive over four hours round trip to get that stuff to the farm. Our broilers (Eating chickens) eat this non-GMO feed as well. We really don’t want any GMO’s on our farm . In the last newsletter we discussed the what and why of GMOs.
We’re excited about the bounty of eggs on the farm right now and wanted to offer a special! This month, we’re going to keep the old price so you’ll be able to get your eggs for $3.50/dozen for the month of April. But
for the first fifteen herd share customers that respond to this email we’re offering a free dozen eggs with your next delivery.
You all are such a blessing to us! When we enjoy a bounty here we want to share it with you! Thanks for your support.
For those of you with only one or two people to feed a dozen or two of eggs might sound like more than you can eat.
I wanted to share some amazing egg facts with you!
Eggs are one of the easier animal proteins to digest.
Our kind of eggs can be eaten raw (the yolks)
Lovely clean eggs coming from chickens raised correctly on beautiful pasture with good food and no medicine or hormones or crowding… can be kept in a cool dark place for up to four months. Isn’t that interesting? During this time of year chickens lay like crazy but they wane during the winter months (unless you feed them hormones and light their house and “force” egg production). But if you plan ahead and stock pile a few dozen lovely eggs they can last through the winter months when the chickens take a break. Our forefathers understood this and kept eggs in the cool dark cellar to be used during the snowy time when the chickens were just surviving and not in the “family mood”. They did the same thing with milk; they planned ahead and when spring grass and new calves were causing great abundance in milk they made butter and cheese to be aged, stored and enjoyed during winter months when milk production was much lower! There are so many rich blessings and insights we learn when we get back in touch with where food comes from and when we learn how to adhere to nature’s natural cycles.
Check out the end of the newsletter for a few of our favorite egg recipes. Or got to Kim’s recipies on our website.
Our Father’s Farm News
Jack
The cost of sustainable farming
We are first here to serve God and raise blessed children that are assets to this land. We seek to live as much as we can self sustained. The conventional farming model is very dependent on the government for funds, grants, loans, and subsidies. These farms could not exist the way they are farming without outside help from taxpayers, they are not sustainable. Our model of farming is sustainable. We are dependent on little or nothing but our customers, we have no government involvment or funds coming into our farm. This is a great plus– if the “system” goes down we can keep running. You also have direct influence, accountability and control over our farm. As long as we have customers buying our products we can keep producing. We are blessed also to know our customers personally, they are able to give us feedback good or bad on how we are doing. We are extra careful in our handling, first because we eat everything we raise, and second because if we mess up our customers know whose fault it is. When a “poisoning” comes through a grocery store millions of products are recalled and there is little or no accountability. With us the “buck stops here”. Sustainable farming provides customers with real food, grown naturally and healthy, at real costs. The conventional farms costs are subsidised. Take a look at “Food Inc.” or “Fresh” for a great presentation on this subject. We would be glad to loan out copies of the movies to anyone interested.
Check out our updated Price list going into affect May 1, 2011. Please give us feedback on prices, let us know if you have a lower price for the same product, we would like to try and beat it.
Organic Vegetable CSA partners with Our Father’s Farm:
We are partnering with Warren Landis of Strawberry Creek Farm to offer our Herd Share customers organic vegetables each week delivered with their milk. Roanoke customers can pick up with their milk. Lynchburg customers will have to meet us in the parking lot on Friday mornings. Check out Mr. Landis’ web site and sign up directly with him and go to him with any questions or concerns. We will deliver the veggies for Mr. Landis to those of you who decide to partner with him. We have visited his farm ourselves and have seen his practices and his model. He is very innovative and the “real deal” in organics. For those of you who want to get the veggies we will deliver free of any extra charge to herd share delivery folks.
Raw Milk Herd Share customers:
We are into beautiful spring grass and when that happens the flavor of the milk changes. It’s a wonderful flavor that varies depending on the type of grass they are in, the color will also be much greener, indicating lots of great healthy vitamines.
Cost: Even though grain and fuel prices are rising we are able to continue to offer the same $35 per month per share boarding fee. We are commited to keep costs low. In the spring and summer we feed very little grain and because we are now leasing another 65 acres next door we have plenty of grass.
Delivery: For our customers that receive their milk through delivery to Roanoke or Lynchburg we are happy to offer the option of receiving your milk in 1/2 gallon glass jars. There will be the extra chore of cleaning and returning the jars each week. If you are interested please read the instructions and then e-mail us.
Creamery: Only for herd share owners we also ofer other items for a labor fee only.
Butter $10 per pound or $5 1/2 pound labor fee
Yogurt $ 4 per quart labor fee
Fresh Cream $ 4 pint or $8 quart labor fee
Butter Milk $3 Quart labor fee
Kefir $4 per quart (available next month) labor fee
It’s so important that we Educate Ourselves!
We’d love to help. I’m not a certified or licensed anything. I am just a mom of eight with eleven plus people to feed three times a day. I learned much of what I know from living in the heart of Africa for seven years, the Weston Price foundation, avid research, personal testing and raw experience J
I love to teach and share. The synergy that comes from a group is educational too as all come to the table with different experiences and gifts. We want to offer classes here at the farm for families, or couples, small groups or even private sessions. More details on this soon, but if you are interested and want to be added to a list please contact us. Tell us if there are any specific areas you’d like to learn about (making your own home remedies? Whole food from scratch cooking? Bread making using freshly ground whole grains? Cooking organic whole food on a tight budget? Home made green cleaning supplies? Basic survival/homesteading skills (butter making, gardening, basic animal care?)… And also please tell me if you’re interested in group or private learning. We’re working on a schedule and want to poll you before we get things firmed up.
We are honored to serve and empower you in this way! It’s what I wish someone had been teaching when I was first starting out sixteen years ago! I had to learn the hard way J and would love to share with you in order to make your way easier!
Thanks so much!
Kim e-mail
Titus 2: 3-5
Kim’s Recipies:
Here are a few of our favorite egg recipes. I would never eat a raw egg yolk unless I knew exactly where that egg had come from and how the chicken who laid it was raised.
Egg Yolk Yogurt smoothie:
1 raw Our Father’s Farm egg yolk J
1 C kefir or yogurt
2 Tb raw honey OR maple syrup
1 banana (can freeze it to make your smoothie colder) OR 1 C of any organic frozen fruit
For a mega energy boost also add:
1 Tb almond butter
1 Tb green powder (barley greens or greens plus powder)
Blend all until smooth and creamy. DELICIOUS! If you drink this for breakfast you won’t be hungry again until well into the afternoon. If I drink this I usually drink a glass or so of milk during the day and just wait to eat again until an early dinner time.
Egg Nog
1 C Our Father’s Farm Milk
1 -2 raw egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tb honey or maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp each nutmeg, allspice, cloves
Blend well chill and enjoy!
Cleopatra’s Beauty facial wash
Egg white (brilliant way to use leftover white from smoothie or drink)
1 Tb honey (optional)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (optional)
Beat until smooth and smear over your face (no make-up) do this at breakfast time before you get ready for the day… leave it on until it dries (stiffens J) rinse completely with warm water. Pat to dry. (can store for 1 or 2 days in fridge if you didn’t use it all up… but if you take it to the shower with you… use it all over arms, neck… skin exposed to sun to nourish and heal and soften heels, elbows, neck, etc)
This is an AMAZING facial! It’s loaded with vitamins, collagen (active ingredient found in many high priced beauty creams) if you add the vinegar it stabilizes the ph balance in your face (as it does for the rest of your body when taken internally) helping with rashes and acne.
Anything-On-Hand Strata
Mix all the following:
3 eggs beaten
1 ½ C milk
Salt, pepper, dash nutmeg
Sauté garlic and onion and any veggies you have on hand
Think which veggies go better with which cheeses
Ie: peppers and tomatoes with pepper jack for a Mexican strata (add cumin and cilantro)
Tomatoes and mozzarella and fresh basil for Italian (add italian seasonings)
Spinach and onion with swiss or very sharp cheddar (add herbs de provence)
Mushrooms onions and fresh goat cheese…
You need at least a cup of veggies and as much cheese. Can go more of either or both.
To make:
For base layer you can use a pie crust (for quiche)
You layer veggies and cheese then pour over egg/milk mixture over all and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes until knife inserted comes out clean
For strata you use any old bread you have. Grease your pan tear up the bread layer veggies then cheese then pour egg mix over all. The above amount should be enough for an 8X8 pan double it for a 9X 13 amount.
In the strata it puffs like soufflé and you should serve it immediately as it “falls” but it’s still yummy J
Perfect Scrambled eggs for two:
4 beaten eggs
¼ C milk
Sauce pan
1-2 Tb butter
Melt butter in pan add milk to just warm it pour in eggs stir constantly with a wooden spoon over medium heat until “done” (you know how you like your eggs, but these will be lighter and fluffier than American style “Fried scrambled eggs”. Add salt and pepper even a sprinkle of cheese. Delicious! If you do have leftovers save them and mix them in with fried rice or toss them into chicken soup.
Angel Eggs
Cover 6 eggs with water in a medium sauce pan
Bring to a boil and set a timer for 7 minutes for a firm yolk (if you cook them too long the yolks turn sort of greenish have you ever seen that?)
Drain off water and cool eggs by using cold water.
Be sure the eggs aren’t too fresh when you boil them as they won’t peel away from the shell. If you’re using our eggs wait until the end of the week as ours are only a couple of days old when they get to you at most.
Gently cut the eggs in half long ways and remove yolks to a small bowl. Arrange whites on a plate.
Smoosh yolks with a fork.
Add 3 Tb yogurt
1 Tb Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic minced tiny
1 green onion minced (tiny ones that you grow yourself are best)
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp salt
2 Tb parsley chopped (fresh) or 1 tsp dried
Mix all. If it’s not “wet” enough add a bit more yogurt until the consistency you like.
Carefully fill the hole in the white with this mixture form nice peaks.
Arrange nicely garnish with parsley OR make a big dinner salad and put four halves of egg per salad prettily arranged. Great with left over meat you might have on hand (fancy chef salad)
The cayenne and the garlic are the secret ingredients! Yummy.
Do you know the Lord Jesus? We would love to help introduce you to Him and the blessed abundant life He offers. Click here to answere some life changing questions.
Thank You all so much
Jack and Kim Fuhrmann
with Samuel, Joshua, Sheila Grace, Hope, Timothy, Joy, Daniel, Peace, and Grandmere
Our Father’s Farm & The Fuhrmann Family
2664 Deer View Rd. Gretna, VA 24557
www.ourfathersfarmva.com
[email protected]
434-656-1188