Our Father's Farm

Newborn calves kicking up their heels in the fields, chicks arriving in two weeks, garden plot getting plowed, sorting seeds, longer days and warmer weather are all indicators that Spring is coming quickly.  We have enjoyed a bit of a rest this winter, reading a lot, doing bookwork, planning, and having fun next to the wood stove.  Now we are gearing up for the busy time of the year.

This year we will be offering farm tours for groups, courses on healthy eating and living, classes on homesteading, and much more.  Let us know if you have a specific subject you think would interest folks.  

Integrity:  We strongly believe that, as stewards of God’s creation, we must always be very clear and upfront.  Unfortunately, in this “Natural Food” movement, as in the conventional food market, you can’t always trust what you read or hear.  The only solution is to truly have contact and a relationship with the farmer.   We want to be transparent in all that we do.  Please ask questions, give us recommendations for change, we are the farmers, but it’s “Our Father’s” farm.  We named it that because it is a reminder that this is God’s farm.  We also named it that becuase we wanted to always remember our comittment to those we serve.  Whenever you think of or mention it, feel ownership.  It’s your farm too.

Raw Dairy:  Our beautiful Jersey Cows are always out in the pasture, breathing in fresh air and eating grass or hay.  Their primary diet is grass.  We do currently feed them a small amount of grain when they come in for milking.  I consider this a “lactating and pregnant mom supplement”.  The Jersey breed over the past 100 years has been bred to live on grain, it will take some time for us to breed this out of the cows.  Our third generation Jerseys are going to be born on the farm this year and they will be virtually grain free.  But, for now, we are obliged to feed them grains.  We have taken the “expensive” step to give only organic non-soy grains.  Most Raw milk dairies use conventional grains which pass through and into the milk supply.  All conventional grains contain GMO corn and almost always soy as well as many other harmful ingredients.  GMO (genetically modified organisms) are harmful to the environment, the animal and the individual.  It is very tempting, as a farmer, when you need more milk or money to little by little cut corners until you’re feeding more and more grain and using unhealthy grains.  It’s tempting becuase cutting these corners does increase profits.  For us, that feels like “the lowest common denominator” in what’s wrong with the modern food system on the whole.  It can’t be “about the money”.

Our grains are certified organic and come from Countryside Natural Products in Warrenton, VA.  They are the only provider in the state.  A 50lb bag costs twice as much as a bag of conventional feed.  I’m not sharing this info to complain, we love what we are doing and our vision is first to feed our family healthy foods and provide them to you.  So we have the highest standards for ourselves.  I share this so that if you and folks you know who are shopping around for a Raw milk provider will understand that all Raw Milk is not the same.  Someone else’s prices may be much different, but may also be sacrificing quality by polluting the milk with GMO grains.

Beef:  We will have shares of Beef available in a month or two, put in your reservation now as beef seems to go pretty quickly.  Our price stays the same 45 pounds at $6.50 per pound, plus soup bones and liver if you wan them.  Again, our beef is 100% grass fed, much of the beef sold out there and called Grass fed has had some grain in its life, or the farmer uses the term Grass Finished.  Take the time to know what you are paying for.  We do occasionally offer beef from our old dairy cows or from a bull that may have had a bit of grain in its life, but we always make it clear to you before the sale.  When you order grass fed beef from us that’s what you are getting.  Why is grass better?  Cows were designed to live on a 100% grass diet. They cannot tolerate or digest a diet rich in grains.  It would be like raising yoru small child on potato chips, soda, and cookies.  He might grow but he wouldn’t thrive and he wouldn’t be healthy.

Chickens:  We hope to have Broiler chickens available the last week of April.  We sold out two months ago, so many of you are anxious to get fresh chickens. These chickens are currently fed a non-GMO mix that is not certified organic.  This is the mix that Joel Salatin’s Polyface farm uses.

Eggs:  We are rolling in beautifuly healthy brown eggs, let us know if you want them added to your order.  We are blessed to have a wonderful egg mobile up and running.  It protects the chickens from predators and provides a warm safe place for them to sleep and lay their eggs.  The house is on wheels so we move it frequently, but the chickens are let out and free range all over the farm every day.

Thanks again for your business and for letting us be your farmers.  We desire to serve you well, please let us know how we are doing or what we can change.  We love questions.  We admire people that are serious enough about their family’s health and the integrity of their food to ask questions and hold us accountable.  Thank you.

Jack  
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Basic Beef Bone Broth
To make a good bone broth to sip in a mug or as a base for soup you will need:
a large stock pot or 6-7 quart crock pot
You can just use a few femer bones or whatever you have available for example:
A bag of marrow bones
a shank or so (which is a meaty portion with a bone in the center)
1-2 onions(coarsely chopped)
3-5 cloves of garlic(peeled and coarsely chopped)
¼ C apple cider vinegar (with the mother) OR 1 C of good quality red wine (preferably organic)
good quality sea salt
pepper(corns work well)
Water to at least cover.
You can even add egg shells from nice healthy eggs.  As many as you like, I usually add shells from 3-6 eggs to my broth.  Crush them and add to your mixture.  The acid medium of vinegar or wine will pull calcium, magnesium, potassium etc from the shells into your “Life Juice”

Place the bones in a large stock pot or crock pot. (they can still be frozen)
Add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and vinegar (or wine) and egg shells 
Cover well with water
Simmer
 
After 12-24 hours you can remove any meat from the bones and shank as it should be done.  Return the bones to the liquid and allow to simmer longer for another 24-48 hours.
 
The broth can be done after 12-24 hours, but you will achieve a better flavor as well and a more nutrient dense broth is you let it go longer.
 
Strain out and discard bones and other matter.  The nutrition is now all in the liquid.
 
You can store the broth in glass jars in the fridge or freezer.  In the fridge it will keep 5-7 days.  In the freezer, it will keep for months.  If I freeze broth I put it in the fridge or on the counter to defrost so as not to shock the jar causing it to break.(never in a bowl of water or under running water when it is frozen solid)
 
Basic Bone broth can be enjoyed by the mug.  Season to taste.  If you are feeling ill this is phenomenal medicine!  It is nourishing and so easy to digest! 
 
The broth can also the base for sauces and stews.
 
QUICK French onion soup:
2-4 Tb Butter melted in a soup pot
3-4 medium sized onions thinly slices
Sauté onions in butter until they are soft even crisped a bit.  You may want to add a tiny bit of water or a bit of the bone broth to prevent burning.  When onions are nicely softened and browned add ½ up to 1 gallon of broth.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 
Garnish this soup with cheesy toast points or home made croutons and sharp cheese… serve with salad.  It is a complete meal all by itself.
 
If you like steaks or roast, never throw the bones away when you’re done.  Steak bones make some of the best flavored broths!  You can have a bag in the freezer in which you collect bones until you have enough to merit a big pot of broth.  Or if there are only a few to feed in your house, make a small pot and you can have a quick easy, super nourishing meal.  Bone broth is lower in protein content, so it isn’t “the same” as eating meat, but our bodies benefit from the rest from meaty protein and enjoy the easier to assimilate “diluted” forms of protein in a broth.
ENJOY!   Pour yourselves a mug of delicious bone broth click cups and toast:
“To your health!”
God bless you and thank you!