"I like turkey in a big brown shoe"

Imagine our surprise when our partner in farming crime found this letter blowing around the Turkey pasture.  Good thing it made it to us so we could share it with all of you.

Farmer Dale Batty out with the Pasture Raised Turkeys! 

Dear partaker of turkey,

I have been enjoying my life out here in the green green grass, roaming free and eating little insects.  It is starting to get chilly now however, the grass is starting to die and I know my life is not meant to last long.  I know you would love me to wait until November, but I am getting big and it is getting cold.  I am ready to fulfill my final purpose in life.  I've had a good life.  I know that through my death you will enjoy a wonderful meal with family and friends, and I will be the center of attention.  I am so thankful that I am raised differently than most of my friends, who tell me life is not enjoyable.  They don't even get to go outside to see the big blue sky!  Thank you for supporting the friendly and healthy way I am raised.  I ask that before you eat, you take a little moment to give thanks for me...my life, my efforts to grow for you, and my farmer's efforts to raise me and end my life in the kindest way possible.  I am a curious little creature and I've included some pictures of my friends and I for your viewing pleasure.   Happy Thanksgiving.  Love,

Tom (your turkey)

A few thoughts of our own now.  This is a busy time of year for us.  We've been meeting a lot of new people at the farmer's markets, wrapping up our gardening, selling turkeys, and last but not least raising 2 cute little girls.

We've had one successful turkey pickup and will have at least 2 more.  Make sure to email us with your order of a locally raised, pastured, free-ranging, Thanksgiving loving, cold hating Turkey, and then tell your friends.  Oh, and don't forget to look up at those beautiful trees turning colors.  Love the fall!  We celebrate 7 years of marriage this month (obviously we weren't farming yet when we planned an October wedding).  We hope to see many of you soon at our house if we haven't seen you yet!

Pricing!

EGGS from our Pastured Raised Hens: $5 Dozen  (Available every Wednesday 9am - 8pm)

ALL PRICES ARE IN POUNDS.

CHICKEN (Pastured Broilers)

Whole Chicken:  $4.35  (Cornish Cross - average 4.5 lbs - no feathers or insides.)

Cut up Whole Chicken: $7.50  

Boneles Skinless Breasts: $11  
Legs and Thighs: $5.50 
Wings: $3.50
Carcass: $2 
Feet: $2.50
Heart & Liver: $3.50

TURKEYS: $20 Reservation.  We will have around 120 Turkeys this year so send us your $20 reservation!  

                   $5 Broad Breasted White  (15-24 pounds) (Nov 2014)
                   $5.50 Broad Breasted White (Less than 15 pounds) (Nov 2014)

                   $8 Whole Bone in Breasts  (9-12 pounds) Both breasts left on the ribs with skin on. (Nov 2014)
                   $11 Boneless Skinless Breasts  (7-9 pounds) (Nov 2014)

                   $5 Dark Meat  (8-11 pounds) Rear Quarters and wings. (Nov 2014)
                   $2 Carcass - Back, Neck, Giblets  (heart & liver) (Nov 2014)

                  $7.50 Red Bourbon  (Heritage Turkey) (Fall 2015.  We are sorry but we won't have any
                                                                                            Red Bourbons this year)  

PASTURED PORK

Chops:  $6  (2 per package)
Ham steaks: $5 (Uncured)
Country Style Ribs: $6
Ribs: $5

Shoulder Roast $6  (average 2-3lbs)
Ham/ Leg Roast: $5  (Uncured)
Ham Roast: $5  (Cured)
Ham Hock: $5
Jowls: $6

Bacon: $9

Cottage bacon: $7.50 ( bacon from the shoulder)
Side Pork $8.50  (Uncured bacon)
Sausage: $5  (1-1.5lbs) mild, medium, spicy

Ground:  $5  

GRASS FED LAMB

Chops:  $10.50  (2 per package)

Lamb Steak:  $7.50
Ribs:  $7.50
Back Ribs: $7.50

Shoulder roast:  $7.50  (~2-3 lbs each)

Leg of lamb roast:  $7.50  (~2-3 lbs each)

Ground:  $7.50

Sausage: $7.50 (Mild)

Ground mutton:  $5  (mutton is adult ewe)

Stew Meat: $7.50  (1lb packages) 

Soup Bones:  $4

GRASS FED BEEF

Hamburger: $5.50  (~1lb each) 

Hamburger patties:  $6.50.   4 pack ($6) or 6 pack ($9) 

Fajita Strips: $9

Short Ribs $6
Brisket: $6

Chuck roast: $6

Round roast: $6

Stew meat: $5.50 
Soup Bones: $3.50

STEAKS:  (2 per package)

Rib eye: $14  ~2lbs 

T-bone: $14  ~2lbs 

Sirloin: $13  ~2lbs 

Tenderloin filets: $19  ~.5lbs
Flank: $14
Round: $8
Cubed Round: $8
Skirt: $13

 WHOLES AND HALVES - This is great to split with family or friends to get the great local, quality pastured meats we offer at a little cheaper price than by the piece.  Please call or email to order or if you have questions.  Buying guide:   http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM2076.pdf

Beef:  $4.50 Whole ($300 deposit), $4.95 Half ($200 deposit) - hanging/carcass weight.  (Typically ~600-700 pounds)  This yields roughly 350-450 pounds of meat depending on the cuts you want.  A Whole cow would then be $2250 - $2625.  A Half cow would be roughly $1200 - $1400. (Halves or Wholes available Summer 2014)

Pork: $4 Whole ($100 deposit), $4.50 Half ($50 deposit) - hanging/carcass weight.  (Typically ~150-200 pounds)  This yields roughly 110-150 pounds of meat depending on the cuts you want.  A Whole pig would then be $525 - $700.  A Half pig would be $281 - $375. (Order for April.)

Lamb: $5.25 Whole or $5.50 Half, ($50 deposit) - hanging/carcass weight.  (Typically ~60-90 pounds)  This yields roughly 40-60 pounds of meat depending on the cuts you want.  A Whole lamb would then be $270 - $405.  A Half lamb would be $135 - $200. (Order for Summer/Fall 2014)

PICTURES!!

It's high time we posted some pictures.  As many of you know, we are now offer much more than pastured poultry (poultry raised on pasture for meat and eggs).  So, here are some photos of the animals 'home on the range.'

Actually, before you browse pictures, there is one thing to say.  Sometimes, it's hard to look at the pictures knowing this is something you will eventually eat.  Instead of feeling bad about that, we have learned to feel incredibly thankful to animals for providing us with food.  We try not to consume a lot of meat, and try to consume meat that has been raised in the healthiest, and most respectful way possible.  So keep that in mind as you look at these beautiful animals - and say a little thanks!

Chickens:  These are cornish cross chickens, raised for meat- they take about 8 weeks and are allowed to run around and free-range.  They usually wander a bit during the day, and then stick together like birds of a feather at night.   The shelter is moved daily so the chickens have a new clean salad bar pasture every day.  Our chicken is available every Wednesday at our house.

Egg laying hens:  These are the new pullets and will start laying soon!!  Are you ready to start eating pastured eggs?  

Turkeys:  These are the little turkey babies in the brooder.  If you look close, you can see the little bumps on the tops of their beaks.  These are out on pasture now.  Have you sent us $20 to reserve your Thanksgiving turkey?



Sheep:  Beautiful isn't it?  Many of you don't know that we now sell these lambs for meat and it is tasty.   Order a whole or half lamb from the farm.  Or we have individual cuts at our house on our weekly Wednesday pick ups. 

Cattle:  These grass fed and grass finished cows got through a fence and moved into the old farm house.  You can order them also in the whole or the half as well.  Individual cuts also available Wednesdays.  

Piggies:  And last but not least...the piggies.  This little piggy didn't like roast beef.

These little piggies are out on full pasture now and will be ready to harvest over the next few months.  Nothing is better than local, heritage breed pork that was raised on pasture.  Mmmmmmmmmmhh!!!!!  Hope you enjoyed!



Recap

We have been on this farming adventure now for 3 years.  The first two years we did the work of both farming and selling.  Since we don't have land of our own, in 2012 we decided to partner with our friends, Dale & Lynda Batty in Vernal, who wanted to do the farming while we do the selling/distribution.   This partnership has been great for both of us.  We love being able to have access to and offer meat that is raised in a way that we feel is humane, healthy, and appropriate.  Here are some of the reasons people buy:

Local: Knowing who grows/raises your food is so important. Buying local keeps your dollars in your community. It saves money in the resources used to transport food across the country and world.

Antibiotic/hormone free: The animals are not given any antibiotics or growth hormones.  We are not certified organic, but like to say we are "beyond organic".

Happier animals: The animals are given large space on pasture to run around and do what animals do. They have access to food and water at all times (chickens can only get up to 20% of their nutrition from eating grass and bugs, pigs also require feed, but cows and sheep are purely grass fed and finished). The poultry shelters are moved daily to allow the birds fresh, clean pastured areas in which to run around.

Taste:  Have you ever tasted a chicken that was raised on pasture?  Have you ever eaten purely grass fed beef?  Local pork raised on a small farm, outside in the pasture?  Just try it and you will be hooked!  The health benefits are huge as well (see our list of recommended reading).

Springing back to life!

We've pretty much vanished for the last year, but we're back...and we've added a new little chic to our family.  Samira McDowell was born on 2/7/2012 and we've been adjusting and enjoying her since then.  I (Shawnee) have difficult pregnancies so we needn't say much more than that about the past year.  However, we are all on the mend and excited to update you and continue in our farming and eating adventures!

We recently visited Rockhill Creamery and Appenzell Farm in Logan, Utah. It was great to make connections with these other farmers, especially Jesse Corbridge at Appenzell.  He and his wife also raise pastured poultry for folks in Cache Valley.  We talked processing (a whole book on it's own), egg mobiles, high tunnels, chickens, turkeys and many other small farm topics.  And of course we had some fun!

Here are the bullet points to remember for this year. 

* Our first chickens should be available in June.  We may have some ground beef and sausage then too, but will send an email out when it gets closer.

* This year we will have half and whole pork available as soon as July (through October).  We'll also have  quarter, half and whole beef.  Ordering and pricing information will be coming soon. 

* We will still offer individual cuts of pork and beef as they are available.  We typically send an email out whenever we have a fresh batch of chickens, and we'll also let you know in that email if any other cuts of meat are available to purchase at that time.

*We have a separate egg email that we send out weekly.  If you'd like to be on that list, send us an email and let us know.  Otherwise, you'll just be on our regular farm email list and will receive emails periodically throughout the year.

*We will start taking turkey orders in the next couple of months.  We'll have mostly broad breasted with a few heritage breed, so start thinking Thanksgiving, but enjoy the summer first - if it ever warms up :)