I'm my own border collie

'I love cows, I love cows, I LOVE COWS...'

There are days I need to repeat that mantra to myself, quietly and under my breath. Cows can't read human minds and, as such, they aren't always...cooperative. I'm okay with farm life making me work like a dog but when it comes to cows, the dog part of that saying can be strangely literal.

Here's what I mean: On a recent evening, while on my way to take care of the sheep, Adam leapt over a pasture fence waving toward me like he was trying to direct an airplane. I know this signal well; airplane waving means HELP.

I changed direction and joined him. He had been trying to convince the cows that they could move to the fresh grass they wanted, if only they would use the open gate. Seems simple enough. The problem was, there was only ONE available gate and it was at the top of the hill and in the corner of the pasture - slightly out of sight. Not necessarily a simple problem-solving assignment for a herd of cows.

And so they had been giving Adam a collective 'NOPE', refusing to follow him to the gate and instead staring at their fresh pasture through a small gap in the hedgerow at the bottom of the hill. That gap provides a view but not access as there is no opening there. That view was the problem. "It's right THERE, we can seeeeeee it," their pointed gazes seemed to express.

(Granted, the cows were right - that gap is a great place for gate. There should be one there and there will be in the future. But re-configuring old fence is not a simple job and for now, the 70-year old barb wire remains. Hey, we're building this ship while we sail it, cows.)

So, we needed a new plan. Adam would continue to call and entice the herd up the hill with an offering of tasty kelp meal. With herd animals it only takes one or two moving in the right direction to eventually get the entire group going that way. If we could convince a few to cooperate, the rest would follow and there's always at least one who will do just about anything for snacks from the sea.

My task was to keep everyone on their feet and gently pressure the herd from the back - much like you might see in a western movie (minus the horse). When we move cows together, Adam is their leader and I am follower, the human border collie bringing up the rear. Usually my zig-zagging presence and some consistent "yip, yip, YIP, go on girls!" is enough to move them steadily along.

Usually.

As with Adam's earlier attempts, the girls continued to give us the brush-off. "You know you could just cut all those wires and let us through right there" their placid stares suggested. A few matrons chewed their cud and shifted their weight to one hind foot - a resting pose. Their message was clear, "We are not going UP that hill, just to go back down, and you are not convincing - we'll wait while ya go get yer fencing tools, okay?"

Adam and I re-convened in the middle of the field to discuss further strategy - he would go get their big red mineral feeder, the one that means extra special treats. My new job was to be kinda loud and weird so that the cows would decide I was worth moving away from.

I once again returned to my position at the bottom of the hill, pleased to see Adam's idea was beginning to work. A few hungry heifers were trudging toward the corner. Still, back at my end of the herd, most of the cows continued to stand still and longingly stare over the fence. Time to get weird, whatever that meant...

Maybe strange noises would help? I approached the cows, this time wheeling my arms and doing more of a yodel-yell Tarzan song than my usual yipping. This got their attention but they only watched me, apparently bemused.

Okay, next...If I had to play a collie, maybe I could literally sound like one? I tried out some growls, a little embarrassed for myself. The cows glance at me, confused but still bored. 'OK, fine', I thought to myself,  'What if I try barking like a dog?', "Rrraaaw, rrrrwwaarff, go to the gate, grrrruuuFFF!" 

No, nope, NOTHING. The cows were not impressed.

My brain ticked through its files of available choices before abruptly and randomly summoning... Beyonce. Probably because I'd heard her on the radio earlier that day and she totally seems like someone who could take charge in any situation. Inspired, I started to off-key shout and sing 'All the bovine ladies, (all the bovine ladies...) get yer butts up the hill, why's this a big deal, we're starting to run out of daylight....'

The cows stared on. I Beyonce'd in vain.

Okay, time to add bodily antics?  I thought a moment, still sorta yodeling-yelling and waving my arms at yawning cows. Finally, I resigned to being completely ridiculous and started an erratic dance in the grass; a herky-jerky, arm flapping, leg kicking, seizure of a dance that looked a lot like one of those inflatable wind-sock people that flail up and down next to car dealerships.

And... it was weird enough. The cows widened their eyes and started to slowly turn, finally deciding it was better to follow Adam up the hill and toward treats than stay downfield with their secondary and much stranger farmer, who appeared to be having an epic fit on pasture.

I followed them as they moved toward the gate, continuing to flop-dance and shout-sing with what air I had left in my lungs. About half way up, the herd gained focus and speed at last. A group of cows is kind of like a roller coaster, once half has crested a summit, momentum usually takes over.

For the last bit of uphill, I was able to stop dancing and singing and merely stumble along behind, waving my arms weakly and wheezing. Once through the gate, all was forgotten as the herd turned its attention to the fresh grass. We'd done it!

I leaned on that troublesome gate for minute, to catch my breath and admire the happily-grazing animals. Finally, I turned to walk downhill once more, to fetch the cows' water tank and maybe scan the previous pasture for any remaining shreds of my dignity.
 

Sacred Cow

How we choose to feed ourselves affects everything else.

If you’re here, chances are you are in support of farmers like ourselves. But we also know there is plenty of information out there consistently telling eaters that meat (particularly beef) is wasteful, dirty, not good for the environment, unethical, unhealthy... the list goes on. Ooof, we feel the weight of that line of thinking every single day. Maybe you do too, especially if you're an eater of beef.

But is meat really that bad? Especially the beef we work so hard to raise well right here at home? No. It is not. In fact, well-raised beef can be a positive thing in so many ways. As boots-on-the-ground farmers we know this, but it takes more than a slogan or sound-bite to push back.

A few years ago we started following the work of a dietician and farmer in Massachusetts named Diana Rogers. We liked that her work was refreshingly considerate of context and nuance and we found her dietary suggestions reflected an actual working knowledge of responsible, community-based food production here in the northeastern US. She talks about nourishing bodies with real foods and agricultural systems rather than fads.

We've shared some of her information in previous emails and now she has released a book and a feature-length documentary, both called "Sacred Cow". In a world that wants to lump all meat together and the vilify it in favor of feeding humanity with mostly mono-culture grain crops and sugar, materials like these are sorely needed.

We watched the documentary when it was released briefly for pre-viewing. Kelly then set out to plow through the book in just a few days by listening to it on audiobook while doing chores. Both are REALLY well done. It will be again released to the general public in a few weeks.

We encourage you can go to the Sacred Cow website - www.sacredcow.info. From our farming perspective, in a world full of websites, books, and documentaries on food; this one is well done. After you read/watch/browse, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Does it raise any questions for you? Anything we can help answer as farmers?

Thank you for being on this journey with us. Wishing you so very well!

Tips for keeping your farm fresh meat

Stocking freezers is on many minds as we approach winter and I've been answering a lot of questions about the shelf life of frozen meats. With grocery stores full of foods with sundry shelf-lives, it's no wonder we find ourselves confused when it comes to knowing how long something can keep.

That made me decide to share tips I've learned about storing farm-fresh meats over the years. Some of the info is specific to our farm but most of it can be applied to meat from any local farm so feel free to share with friends and family if you feel it could help them too.

I hope this finds you well! Today is full of sunshine and Adam and Silas are out planting one last batch of grass seed into a hay field. I will move on to plant more garlic once I've finished here. All the best to you and feel free to get in touch if you ever have questions about any of our foods.

~ Kelly

FROZEN FACTS:

Fortunately, when buying meats directly from a farm, you are probably getting food much fresher than that in a grocery store. That tends to give you ample time to use it up. Here's why--

• Typically, meat in a grocery store has been butchered, packaged, and then shipped under refrigeration to the store where it may sit on a shelf for a few weeks to a few months (depending on the product). Once grocery store meat goes home with you, it may be nearing the end of its shelf life.

• Should you choose to then freeze your refrigerated grocery store meat, the display packaging from the store will not protect the meat well for long-term storage. It is probably wise to use up such products rather quickly, i.e. within a few months.

Whereas our beef, lamb, and pork is frozen immediately after being processed and packaged. It never has time to sit on a shelf, aging in a refrigerated package. This alone keeps it fresher.

• We also use packaging intended for long-term frozen storage. You may have noticed the lack of air space in frozen meat purchased from a farm. By vacuum sealing the package (the food-nerd term is cryo-vac if you want to sound all fancy), the meat is better protected from temperature fluctuations and freezer burn.

• When kept in a stable freezer environment, meat cuts packaged this way have a long storage life -- up to a few years.

On our farm we've always made sure to sell our frozen meat cuts within one year of having them packaged. It's worth pointing out that we are currently selling most of our meat within a month or two of having it processed and packaged - about as fresh as a small farm can get.

I think the most important thing to know is that well-packaged farm meats kept well and consistently frozen can remain good for years. So if you're inclined to stock up, you needn't worry if you can't eat through it all within a few weeks or months. YOU HAVE TIME.
I once found a steak which had been set aside for us farmers to eat for SIX YEARS before I thawed and cooked it... It was just fine. :)

FROZEN TIPS:

• A clean freezer prevents off-flavors. Clean any spills and defrost as necessary or recommended to prevent any funky freezer build-up.

• Keep your freezer as cold as possible when storing meats. Remember that cold air sinks and so the coldest part of your freezer will be the bottom - keeping meats on or near the bottom can help ensure they remain at a stable temperature.

• Handle your meat packages with care - tossing them about can break the vacuum seal and create a loose package that won't keep as well long term. Over time, loose packages allow freezer burn and potentially for the meat to take on a "freezer flavor".

• There are some products where a tight vacuum seal are not really possible - bones are a good example. Or you may purchase or create a package with a loose seal. For these products we advise using them within 6 months for best quality.

• You may want to invest some time into organizing your freezer. This will help you find what you need quickly, which keeps the cold in.

• Once thawed, farm fresh meats should be used as quickly as possible - we aim for within 24 hours and are sure to keep thawed meat refrigerated during that window.

THE NOSE KNOWS:
Our sense of smell is what nature used to keep us safe long before there were thermometers and food safety agencies with their temperature recommendations. If raw food ever smells gross and it's not surströmming or limburger, you might not want to eat it... then go check your freezer/fridge temps!
But again, if kept consistently frozen, the odds your meat will become bad in storage are slim to none and can be kept for a long time. In the end, buying directly from a local farm, coupled with careful storage and timely cooking will help ensure you can purchase and store nutritious meats with confidence and use them at your own pace.

Have you heard the "mooos"?

Are you having a snow day like we are? We went from pouring rain to near white-out conditions in the matter of few hours, and now a layer of heavy snow blankets the farm. I head out for evening chores soon and I know all that white stuff will add extra hours to the task. Still, I know the animals prefer the snow to sopping cold rain and there is a part of me that appreciates how snow storms force us all to slow down.

I thought I'd use a few spare moments before chores to give a quick hello and a few farm updates. I also wanted to share the recipe for the delicious slow food Silas and I been preparing over the course of this slow-down snowy day.
 

Thank you for being here! I hope you have a warm and safe weekend!
~Kelly

Utica Farmers Market is TOMORROW!
The Oneida County Public Market' is open on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month. We'll be there tomorrow from 9am to 1pm so head over once you dig out.
We have lots of ground beef and lamb, sausage, roasts, fresh eggs and more!
If you live in or around Utica, New Hartford, Clinton, Waterville, or Sherburne and can't make it out tomorrow, I'd be happy to deliver something to you on my way home from market. Give me a call or send a text if I can help you. :) 607-423-6098

. Don't forget the Poolville Winter Farmers Market will only be held once a month from now through April. There is NO market there for the rest of February and the next Poolville Market will be Saturday, March 7 from 10am to 1pm.  

Speaking of mooooooooos, er news...

You can now find our beef, pork, lamb, and sausages inside Parry's General Store in Hamilton. We love this modern day general store's dedication their local community, especially their local farmers! So if you need anything and can't make it to market, pop over to Parry's. They carry produce, breads, eggs, meats and more from other local farms too!
Please let us know if we can stock anything special for you in the freezer there!

Because We Like This Planet

Lately I've been listening more carefully to all the calls for environmental action in the news. I'm so very glad humans seem to be paying better attention to this special sphere we call home. I kinda like this place...

But I also find much of the information to be conflicting and lacking in nuance, especially when it touches on food. Most agricultural-related environmental advice seems to boil down to: Eat plant based because meat is cruel and cow farts are going to end the world.

Every time a new study or report comes out telling me I am contributing to our planet's demise by being farmer and an eater of meat, I feel...guilty, just for a second. What if they're right? Then I look around our farm and compare those reports with what I can see with my own eyes: incredible biodiversity, healthy, contented animals, soils that improve each year, food that grows right outside the door- everything living in a loop as old as time.

They're not completely right but explaining why is not a simple task. That might be the biggest catch of all for us regenerative farmers - what we do and why we do it doesn't fit neatly in a soundbite. Still, I'm up for most challenges so I might as well try to add some nuance to the environmental eating conversation. Maybe they have you feeling guilty too, and you shouldn't. Not if you're eating from farms that close the loop. 

I thought I might start by sharing some basic information on how the carbon cycle is affected by grazing livestock. The bit below is from a London-based company called The Ethical Butcher and explains it well. They gave me permission to share with it you and I encourage you to follow them on social media if you're into that.

As always thanks for being here and reading along, sometimes we just need more than a soundbite.

Kelly and Adam and Silas

From The Ethical Butcher, London England:

“About 40 percent of ice-free land on earth is considered grazing land, which sequesters about 30 percent of our planet’s carbon pool.

This is why we must stop factory farming. Now, because factory farming does not do this. Only animals raised in harmony with nature can accomplish this.

So how is carbon sequestered by animals and plants?

Every plant plays the vital function of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, via photosynthesis. Using sunlight’s energy, the plant fuses that carbon with hydrogen and oxygen to make carbohydrates, which it moves into the soil through its roots. (It also maintains some carbon in its own leaves and shoots and stems.) The roots feed the carbohydrates to dirt-bound fungi; in return, the fungi feed minerals back to the plant. As Mother Earth News describes it, “This invisible partnership…is the foundation of the terrestrial carbon cycle, as plants incorporate carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide into carbohydrate biomass.”

The longer a plant’s roots, the deeper it can sequester carbon in the soil and the more efficiently it can hold it there. A healthy grassland, with a diversity of region-specific native grasses can create deep carbon sinks. Managing grasslands well also contributes to carbon storage other ways: by building up soil health to make land more resilient to extreme events, according to Marcia DeLonge, senior scientist in the Food & Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. This, she says, “can protect existing soil carbon to some degree, but perhaps more importantly may allow continued carbon sequestration. In other words, even when events like extreme heat, drought, fire, and floods don’t significantly affect soil carbon immediately, they could affect the plants above ground that contribute to soil carbon in the longer term.”

Often working against these heroic efforts on the part of plants and trees, though, is agriculture. To produce some of the food we need in order to live, we disturb or destroy our carbon-storing ecosystems. We run animals through them in unsustainable ways, or we chop them down and plow them up to raise monocultures of crops like corn and soy—some of them to feed livestock, others to produce the fake meat that’s meant to replace real meat—that require still more plowing, as well as the application of chemicals that kill beneficial soil bacteria, fungi, insects. The land becomes degraded, and carbon-poor.

Improbable and illogical as it may seem, livestock can help.

There’s been a growing movement of farmers and ranchers who have moved towards a “new” model of raising cattle. I say new in quotes because actually, the concept is based on the way herding animals have lived in nature forever. This method is called many different things: mob grazing, rotational grazing, adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing, holistic planned management and intensive grazing. The basic idea is that you need to intensively graze the herd of ruminants (grass eaters like cattle, bison, sheep, etc) on a piece of land and then quickly move them, providing the optimal nutrition for the animals and allowing the land to rest and recover. There’s more to it than this, and there are different philosophies on how often to move the animals, but that’s the basic idea: “biomimicry” or trying to replicate natural cycles as much as possible.

These are the farmers we source from, we will also teach more farmers to produce like this, because we like this planet.”

“Realize agendas drive data, not the other way around."
-Joel Salatin

Long Johns Be Gone!

I'd say I’m pretty happy to see some spring sunshine!

How about you? What's your favorite sign of spring? I can never decide between the return of bird song at dawn, the peepers, or the daffodils pressing their snub little noses out of the warming soil. Actually, maybe it's that first morning I can step outside without wearing three layers of clothing...?
Last year I made up a joke about how if I had to have a pirate name, in the spring it would be "Long-Johns-Be-Gone".

Arrrrrr! And, um anyway... Just a quick hello from your farmer pirate to fill you in on a few things: 

1.  Summer Market Schedule. Outside markets start soon! 

2.  Easter Roasts, what's available and a few of our favorite recipes

3.  A refresher on how to preserve local eggs during their most bountiful season, and

4. Spring Lamb orders

I'm heading back outside now, to help attend to the bazillion things spring throws our way. But feel free to get in touch if there is anything I can help you with. Be well and hope you get to soak up a little spring sunshine yourself!

Thank you for being here,
Kelly

1. QUARRY BROOK 2019 SPRING & SUMMER MARKET SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, APRIL 13
SATURDAY, APRIL 27
ONEIDA COUNTY PUBLIC MARKET-UTICA TRAIN STATION
9AM TO 1PM
**These are the last two train station markets we will attend until next November**
You can pre-order your food for these two final markets HERE

HAMILTON FARMERS MARKET-SATURDAYS
OPENS SATURDAY, MAY 4
8AM TO 1PM
Our booth will be across from the Hamilton Public Library

CLINTON FARMERS MARKET-THURSDAYS
OPENS THURSDAY, JUNE 6
10AM TO 4PM
We are on the Village Green across the street from Nola's

NEW HARTFORD FARMERS MARKET-TUESDAYS
OPENS IN JUNE (DATE TBD)
3PM TO 7PM
Sherrill Brook Park in conjunction with food truck night
Come get your local groceries and then get dinner from one of the food trucks!

Can't wait to see you! :)

2. EASTER ROASTS

If you need a roast for Easter we still have a few available:

• Fresh Hams | uncured & unsmoked | fresh pork roast | boneless | approx 4 lbs | $14/lb 

• Lamb Leg Roast | boneless | approx 4 lbs | $16/lb

• Mutton Leg Roast | don't laugh! they're really good and a good bargain for feeding a crowd | good mutton reminds me of extra buttery beef | boneless | approx 5 lbs | $10/lb

Please email me to reserve any of these roasts. I can also give you some ideas for less-traditional holiday fare if you aren't feeling like a roast. Lamb meatballs, spring stew, it's always ok to try something new.

Fresh Ham Roast Recipe
Honey Ginger Pork Roast Recipe

3. Here an egg, there an egg, EVERYWHERE an egg, egg… Old McDonald has lots of eggs! E-I-E-I-O!
How to stockpile this spring staple

It’s spring.  Eggs are everywhere at farmers markets.  It almost lets us forget that they will be much harder to find come fall.  If you love your local eggs and don’t want to be without them come September, you might consider stocking up now and freezing them.  It will be like nutritious, delicious money in the bank in a few months when all the local farms’ hens are on vacation and eggs almost disappear from markets. Read more...

4. SPRING LAMB ORDERS:
 Everything is a cycle on the farm and we are just getting ready to complete the lambing cycle. That means we have just a few mature lambs ready for processing at the moment.

Now is a great time to stock up and have all sorts of great chops and kebabs in time for summer grilling season. After this the next lamb won't be ready until late fall.

**You select the cuts and we're happy to help walk you through it if needed**

WHOLE: 30+ lbs depending on cuts selected
Whole Lamb Price: $400 (includes processing)
Deposit: $200
Freezer space needed: A whole will fit into approximately 3 to plastic grocery bags.

HALF: Approx 15 + lbs depending on cuts selected
Half Lamb Price: $235 (includes processing)
 Deposit: $100
Freezer space needed: A half will fit into 2 plastic grocery bags

Please send me an email to reserve your lamb.  Please indicate size of lamb you would like (whole/half) and the best way to contact you. I will get back to you very soon to sort out the details.
Thank you!

"Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems"
-Rainer Maria Rilke

Pulled Beef Shank BBQ

We're not pulling your leg, we're on a mission to find new uses for the often overlooked beef shank.  They are a great way to feed a lot of folks good food without a ton of expense or effort.  They're also really tasty.  I made this recipe on a day when our schedule was jam packed and it was an easy way to have an enjoyable dinner with minimal kitchen effort.

Beef shanks are wonderful when you take the time to do them right.  This recipe is a simple way to use this flavorful, nutritious, and budget-friendly cut of beef.  As a bonus it will leave you with at least a quart of flavorful beef stock to put in the freezer or use with other meals later in the week.

Ingredients: Approx 2 1/2 to 3 pounds Quarry Brook Farms Beef Shanks, thawed
                  Water
                  1 TBS apple cider vinegar
                  Approx 1 to 2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce (or use the provided recipe if you have time)
                  Rolls of your choice (can also be served on a bed of greens if you are eschewing bread/grains)

Servings: About 8

Directions:
1) Place shanks in crock pot and add water until shanks are just covered. Add 1 TBS of apple cider vinegar to water to help draw minerals and nutrients out of the bones while everything simmers. 
2) Turn crock pot on low and allow to cook for at least 6 hours or until meat will come away from bone readily.  This can take a varying amount of time depending on your crock pot.
3) Once meat will separate from bone readily, carefully remove shanks from crock pot and place in a bowl to cool. 
4) Carefully ladle the remaining broth into storage containers, label and place in refrigerator or freezer to use for other meals.  You just made quick broth in addition to being on your way to delicious BBQ.  Bonus broth!
5) Once shanks are cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and use knife or fingers to pull meat apart into small pieces.  Place small pieces back into crock pot.  There will be some fatty, sorta "slimey" bits (can I use the word slimey in a recipe?!?!).  I chop them up and put them in with the meat.  They are a good source of collagen and omega-3 rich grass fed fats. Their texture isn't such a concern once everything is blended together with the BBQ sauce.  *Do be careful to make sure no little bone or tendon pieces end up in the final product though.  Some shanks could have those but they are easy to feel and/or spot as you work as long as you're paying attention. 
6) Add your favorite BBQ sauce to the meat in the crock pot until you are happy with the consistency.  You can also use a little bit of the broth if you would like the beef to be even more juicy. 
7) Turn crock pot back onto low.  Cover and allow to cook together for at least another 30 minutes until all the flavors are mingled and the BBQ is well warmed again. 
8) Serve with rolls and a big summer salad. 

BBQ Sauce Recipe:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar or red wine
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 tsp salt
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Combine everything in a sauce pan and whisk together over high heat.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes or until desired thickness is achieved.  Makes 1 to 2 cups depending on how long you allow it to thicken.

Feel free to experiment with your sauce.  Add honey, more hot sauce, liquid smoke (Wrights brand is additive free), maple syrup, etc, until you find the combo that you love best.