March 8, 2008
I've started a "REAL" blog. Check it out at this link.

March 3, 2008
I can't believe it's almost spring! It's sure hard to tell by looking outside! Our driveway keeps drifting over on account of the daily wind. We have lots of sows farrowing right now. Loren and I have been taking turns checking on them - to make sure the piglets keep warm and their mamas don't roll over on them in their half consciousness as they are farrowing. Rodney really loves to watch the new piglets scramble around in the straw.

February 9, 2008
WOW! It's cold. Events are being canceled all over the place! Loren is out giving the animals extra bedding and an early good night kiss ;) Hogs are pretty adaptable animals. They handle this cold much better than I do. With their deep-bedded barns, they burrow deep and bury themselves in the heated pack. When we go up to check on them, and feed the sows, we can only see the tips of their ears before they pop up to see who has come to visit. Without the steam rising and a barely visible ear flapping, you would never know we had hogs in the barn. It's an amazing sight to see.

January 31, 2008
Did any of you read the latest on cloned meat? The Jan. 24 edition of Agri News has the word from the USDA.(an Associated Press article). It starts like this:

"Just over a decade after scientists cloned the first animal, the last major barrier to selling meat and milk from clones has fallen: The U.S. government declared this food safe last week.'

The article goes on to say that consumers are not willing to consume meat or milk that they know comes from clones, but we may never know. These products have been deemed safe by big business, with no labels required on cloned products. Consumer anxiety over cloned meat and milk products has driven Dean Foods Co. and Smithfield Foods Inc. companies to say they will not sell cloned products. The government has asked for a voluntary moritorium on sales on cloned products, just long enough so that consumers get used to the idea. After a while, we will be seeing these products on the shelves at the grocery stores and we'll have no way of knowing if they are cloned products or not. Except for this one way...

Organic food is NEVER grown using cloned animals or semen from clones. If you really want to avoid cloned products, organic consumption is the route to take.

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

P.S. We have an article in the same issue of Agri News. To read it, click here.

January 22, 2008
Tonight I had to test my theory on the "Ultimate Fast Food." Loren and I both worked off the farm today, and no one had the forsight to take anything out of the freezer for supper. It was Fast Food time. Who feels like starting to cook after 8 p.m.? Certainly not me; so I figure others don't either. Here's the supper timeline:

8:28 - Take FROZEN porkchops out of freezer and fill metal bowl with hot water. Place porkchops in hot water (they are plastic-wrapped and vacuum sealed, perfect for this task!).

8:30 - Turn oven on BROIL.

8:35 - Porkchops are almost thawed... By this time I have taken off my jacket and cleared the table. It's time to start the POTATOES. Not thinking too far ahead, I realize that the sink is full of water, and I will have to drain and wash it before the potatoes can be washed. So I spend a few precious minutes on sink preparation. Now it is ready for spuds. Wash and chop potatoes into slices for frying.

8:41 - Turn stove on MEDIUM and place pan on burner.

8:44 - Add a little butter to the pan.

8:46 - Place porkchops on cookie sheet under broiler. Sprinkle with GARLIC SALT. Add potatoes to pan on burner.

8:51 - Flip porkchops and sprinkle with garlic salt again. Warm/cook VEGGIES on stove (fresh or frozen).

8:57 - Potatoes are DONE. Small porkchops are done and veggies are warm.

9:01 - Large porkchops are done.

There you have it. A healthy, delicious meal in (almost) a half hour. Without the sink cleanup, it would have been made in less than 30 minutes - the same amount of time it takes to order. pick up a pizza, and bring it home. (or any other "fast food"). And believe me, the health benefits are worth the extra 3 minutes.

9:15 - Oh yeah. Supper is eaten while Loren is still in the barn. His waits under the warmer. I didn't want my plate to go cold!

January 2, 2008
Wow! Another year has flown by! With the beginning of 2008 we are even more determined to share our local and organic meat with those around us. Not only do we help the environment by gathering our food from nearby, but we also keep our bodies healthier by eating food free of chemical additives, growth hormones and synthetic pesticides. It is with these things in mind that we are more willing and able to pay a premium price for higher-end food at the grocery store and from our neighbors. Taking an exerpt from the 2007 Farmers Almanac, " 'Don't fight to be a bottom feeder' " Raising our animals in the cheapest way possible is not what we are in the business for. We strive to make our meat as healthful as possible, which means keeping our animals healthy and feeding them high quality feeds, such as organic alfalfa baleage and grains. And this is what we are able to offer YOU, our customers. The best quality, tastiest, organically grown, local meat you can by directly from the farm.