Hello Everyone,
We thought it was about time to let you know how your animals are doing…..here are some updates from the Egg.
Farrowing
Our sows Sugar (Shoog for short) and Piper are doing their job to bring beautiful little piggies into the world. Piper gave us a small litter of four gilts (girls) three weeks ago. All are healthy and solidly built and exploring their surroundings and pasture when the sun shines. Sugar is due this week and looks really ready to pop. She waddles the length of the pasture though her teats almost drag over the grass. She gets some extra brushing which results in some contented grunts and sighs to take her mind off the wiggling masses that are preparing to make their appearance!
Buffies
Our Buff Orpingtons are starting to come into lay now as we find tiny little ‘wind eggs’ (nothing but shell and whites) and slightly bigger ‘rooster eggs’ (the whole package only very small) each day. We’ll have rooster eggs for sale later in the spring (all smalls) for $2.50/doz. but don’t be fooled by the name. The old wive’s tale on ‘rooster eggs’ is that the girls are rather embarrassed to be producing such small eggs so they blame them on the roosters.
Our Buff Orpingtons are starting to come into lay now as we find tiny little ‘wind eggs’ (nothing but shell and whites) and slightly bigger ‘rooster eggs’ (the whole package only very small) each day. We’ll have rooster eggs for sale later in the spring (all smalls) for $2.50/doz. but don’t be fooled by the name. The old wive’s tale on ‘rooster eggs’ is that the girls are rather embarrassed to be producing such small eggs so they blame them on the roosters.
Egg drop until April
We’ll continue the egg drop at Drake Park on Sundays between 3 and 4pm through April, and if egg production is looking massive (see the note above about the Buffies) we will start deliveries then as well. In the mean time, we have lots of sausage (Breakfast, Maple, and Sweet Italian), bacon (Maple, Jowl, Cottage/Shoulder, Peppered and British/Loin in a few weeks), as well as boneless and bone-in chops that we bring each Sunday.
Spring is around the corner
Chicken again in May! The abattoir has been cleaned and closed for the winter but as the weather changes, chicks will arrive and we’ll start processing chickens again in just a couple of months. Like last year, we’ll have fresh and frozen chicken at the farmers markets this summer! Yum! Don’t forget to plan for farm days this summer….these are definitely our favorite days of the season.
Turkeys in July and November
Thanks to all who emailed or called with Thanksgiving turkey reports. We really appreciate the feedback and are so pleased by the responses. This year we finally got the size right as most were a good fit for the dinner table. We’ll have turkeys again this year with some available this summer (think about BBQ-ing some drumsticks or plan a truly awesome summer wing party) and for Thanksgiving 2012. Last years birds were great on the farm and the table so we are sticking with the formula for 2012. They are social birds that forage well- so the summer birds are really going to enjoy the pastures! The fact that these turkeys herd so well really make them fun….nothing worse than chasing a rouge birds off the neighbors field!
Bend News
Where will the market be this year? Not sure, but the rumor mill has us back in the alley between Oregon and Minnesota….hope we hear soon!
Where will the market be this year? Not sure, but the rumor mill has us back in the alley between Oregon and Minnesota….hope we hear soon!
Salem news
You will find the Great American Egg products at the Salem Public Market (www.salempublicmarket.com), Oregon’s oldest farmers market, on Saturdays from 8:30 to 2pm along with Ling Farm Beef (www.lingfarm.com) and Henny Farm Lamb (www.hennyfarm.homestead.com). This is a great market with great traditions and has been a good fit for us. Your patronage has really helped the farm this winter. We’ll be back at the Saturday Salem Market when it opens in April as well. We hope to have a fixed booth along Marion Street this year which means no more playing Marco Polo as you try to find us by the port-a-potties. . . or behind the band. . . or next to the zero-waste stations!
Chicks and turkey poults and ducklings have been ordered so spring must be near! See you soon!!!!
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