Mulberry Creek Farm CSA

Mulberry Creek Farm NewsBlog

Volume 1: Issue 13 – published occasionally at the whim of the editor

12/01/09

In this issue:

Introduction

Garden News

Turkeys, Chickens and Ducks

Egg Update

Hog & Hive Hearsay

Jams & Jellies

Miscellany

It's hard to believe we're in the first week of December and it's been as mild an Autumn as this. As I write, however, the weather forecast calls for much colder temperatures within the next few days - I think winter may be upon us!

The big news on the farm is that in the next couple days we expect to have babies! Luna and Nova are both due to farrow this week, one on Thursday and one on Sunday. We'll welcome visitors to see the piglets.

Garden News

Amazingly, there are still several of the hardier fall greens in the garden - we're hoping they'll still be thriving when it comes time to pack our Christmas Winter Share baskets in a couple weeks! We did have a huge disappointment with our potatoes - the reds are holding out fine, but the whites haven't kept at all. We're not sure why, but that's the way farming goes sometimes.

Speaking of the garden, we're in the beginning stages of planning for next year's planting so if you have any input you'd like to share, please let us know. I posted a few survey questions in last month's NewsBlog and I'll try to get them sent in a separate e-mail as well. 

Glenn already has his grow lights set up indoors and is getting ready to start planting seeds shortly after the new year. He is also making arrangements for about 5 or 6 additional acres for next season which will give us more flexibility in planting, and should help aleviate the flood issues of this year. Additionally, that acreage will act as a buffer between our livestock and the conventional farmer upwind.

Turkeys, Chickens and Ducks

We had rave reviews over the heritage turkeys for Thanksgiving! Donna and John Moore told us it was the best turkey they'd ever had. I'll have to say that we won't be going back to those dry, mushy store turkeys! This was our first pastured, heritage turkey and with my first taste I thought: "This is how turkey is supposed to taste!"

We do have 6 more turkeys that will be ready for processing sometime around Christmas. If you're interested in giving one a try, let us know. Again, we need a $25 deposit to hold your bird and the remaining $5 per pound is due at the time of pick-up. Next year we'll probably need to raise the price, but hopefully not to the $12-$15 per pound for the same birds from farms listing on Local Harvest!

We still have chickens in the freezer and Glenn is growing more. The first batch is due to hatch within days and he's considering hatching on a schedule to keep fresh birds available as much as we can. Again, chickens are $8 each.

Ducks are available on order. If anyone hears of a local poultry processer who does waterfowl, please let us know. Ducks are $10 each.

Egg Update

Our hens are producing around 3-4 dozen eggs a day now and we can cerrainly support more customers. We're offering a discount to any current shareholder who gets another signed up - that goes for eggs, poultry or garden shares. More to come on that later on, but be sure to have your friends mention your name when they contact us.

Glenn is in contact with Bushel and Peck, just a mile or so from us, about carrying eggs from us. We'll keep you updated as we know some of you shop there.

Hog and Hive Hearsay

I already shared the news that Nova and Luna are nearing delivery. We are very excited about having our first piglets on the farm! Glenn has already sold one breeding trio and we anticipate being able to sell others for breeding or feeding out for pork. Mulefoot is supposed to be one of the best tasting porks around. We will likely feed out at least one or two ourselves and hopefully have freezer pork available next fall. Let us know if you might be interested in all or part of a hog - we'll work on coming up with some kind of share plan over the winter.

The bees have hunkered down for the winter but on warmer days we can see some out and about. Glenn's uncle used to keep bees and has given us all his old hives so over the winter Glenn will be cleaning them up. Hopefully next spring we'll be able to begin to expand our honey business.

We do have some honey available. Let us know if you'd be interested - it won't last long!

Jams and Jellies

Our first shipments of jam and jelly have gone out! There's still plenty back there and they make wonderful Christmas gifts. Contact us with your order and we'll make arrangements with you for pick-up. Again, everything is $4 per jar except the seedless varieties which are $5 per jar.

Miscellany

Our fall building projects have come a long way! Glenn has the chicken house nearly complete enough to hold them for the winter, the hog farrowing houses are done, except for light and heat which Glenn is doing today. The spot for the farm stand has been leveled so construction can start as soon as it's warm enough in the spring and Glenn is in contact with two or three people about renting or purchasing an unused greenhouse. It's always busy around here!

We had a bit of an interruption in barn buidling a couple weeks ago when a neighbor created a stir because a turkey pooped on his patio (turkey poop is big!), so we put a fence along the north and west property lines. The down side is that the lane will have to remain muddy for a while as we spent the gravel money on the fence. The good news is the fence will help keep our critters a lot safer. Once we have the fence extended all the way around (west of the creek) we'll be able to do more with livestock. Excellent lawn care!

I guess that's the news from Mulberry Creek Farm! Thanks as always for your support! Please continue it by purchasing a share for next summer and selling us to your neighbors! Don't forget ... eat local!

Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All!

Gail

Apple Butter

Apple Jelly

Apricot Jam

Cherry Pie Jelly

Currant Jam

Elderberry Jelly

Gooseberry Jam

Grape Jelly

Red or White Mulberry Jelly

Mulberry Syrup

Peach Jam

Plum Jams:

Purple Plum

Red Plum

Yellow Plum

Yellow Plum Wine

Sugar-Free Yellow Plum (and this has NO sweetener whatsoever)

Raspberry Jam

Raspberry-Currant Jam

Rhubarb-Peach Jam

White Mulberry Jam

Seedless Blackberry Jam

Seedless Red Raspberry Jam