Gatekeeping

I park my truck in front of the same gate every time I go to the barn to feed and water the animals.

If you just glance at it, you might not notice anything unusual. It looks square and upright and serviceable as it stands there between its posts; just an ordinary gate guarding the entrance to a fallowed field full of compost piles.

But if you look carefully, or should you go to open the gate, you will realize it is held together with string. Those strong metal pipes are standing only because they are tied with twine from some hay bales.

Through decades of service -- swinging wide for tractors, shutting tight to hold back cattle, I've watched this once shiny and sturdy gate grow tired. Last year its welds finally gave way and it spent the season half-hanging, half-heaped on the ground while tall grass wove up through its bars. I picked it up and tied it back together sometime in November... because I felt bad for it.

I relate to this gate.

When I started farming, I felt a lot like a new gate – strong and ready to serve. Nearly two decades later, I’m still here, doing a job I love. But I’ve also grown tired and come apart in a few places. In some ways, I am figuratively holding myself together with twine and hoping no one will look closely enough to notice.

Having admitted that, I’ll also admit I'm not exactly sure where I’m going with this or why I feel the need to write to you about it. I’m a farmer so I guess I'm supposed to spend my days tending to land and animals to feed people. Talking about things like this feels a little outside my lane.

But maybe it doesn't have to be that simple. Good farming means noticing connected systems and caring for all the parts in order to better the whole. If I think about people (including myself) as part of the whole, whatever is going on inside our human hearts and minds deserves consideration.

So here's something I’ve noticed lately -  nearly everyone I talk to feels a little broken. We all seem to have at least one crack in some part of our internal structure and we are walking around tied-together or patched-up inside while thinking we need to keep it a secret.

But what if we don't? What if it’s okay to let the breaks and repairs show? After all, there is beauty in a mended gate... or a mended life. It's proof we don’t give up.

Tradition Transition

As we continue plodding our way through this pandemic, it’s obvious the holidays are going to be weird. Many of us are re-examining our usual Thanksgiving traditions and transitioning to something smaller, different, more distant this year.

At first this need to transition made me sad. I could only think about the things I would miss. But then I decided to look around at all that was good in my life and embrace it with the true meaning of the holiday - gratitude. I am alive and well, so are my loved ones so far. I want to keep it that way.

I am aware of what it means to take any position these days - there are always going to be those who spring to argue another view point and that’s OK. That’s being human. But given the resurgence of cases and the many things we still don’t know about the virus, I would rather miss someone’s physical presence this Thanksgiving than possibly be the reason they are missing from our lives next year.

So now I’m not sad. I will use the time I would have spent cooking for a crowd and frantically cleaning my house to instead write a long letter to my grandmother - something she can hold since we can’t hold each other. I will give my child my undivided attention and help him cook his side-dishes. We will call aunts and uncles and wish them well any perhaps have longer to chat than we would have sitting around a crowded table. Alone and lonely don’t have to mean the same thing.

That said, many friends and customers have contacted us in the last few days to ask questions about holiday cooking. So many of us are used to the turkey being the domain of an older, wiser family member and have no idea where to start when it comes to cooking one. So I thought I would share our favorite turkey recipe here on the blog, so anyone can access it. We did not raise turkeys this year but have local farmer friends who still have some available. If you still want a turkey, please contact me ASAP and I can put you in touch with them.

I also wanted to share some ideas for turkey alternatives - there is no absolute rule that one must eat some large, weird-looking bird on Thanksgiving. Our family will probably enjoy a small beef roast or cook a chicken that was lovingly raised by a friend. So if the thought of turkey and all the fixins’ overwhelms you or makes you sad because it’s too reminiscent of normal years, I say it’s OK to cook something else entirely. :)

Lastly, Silas wanted to share one of the recipes he’s excited to make next week - something fun and hands-on to either get the kiddos in the kitchen with you or else bring out your inner child. Or maybe a bit of both.

I just looked out the window and the sky is throwing snow onto the ground. It’s time for me to head outside and be sure all our creatures are tucked in as well as possible for the cold night ahead. Thank you for being here - you matter to us. If you find being alone does make you feel lonely this holiday season, feel free to give a call if you want to chat. Who knows, we may even take you with us to do chores and let you talk to the cows.

~Kelly

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Herb Roasted Turkey with Giblet Gravy

We have always loved this recipe from Shannon Hayes’ The Grassfed Gourmet. It’s a fair amount of work but we tell ourselves not everything needs to be quick and easy. The results are well worth the effort.

Turkeys come in all shapes and sizes so it’s not possible to give precise cooking times. The only sure way to have a properly cooked turkey is to use an internal meat thermometer. The chart at the bottom of this post gives approximate cooking times to help you determine when the bird should go into the oven, but due to the variation in fat and size, there is no substitute for a good meat thermometer. The estimated times given are for un-stuffed birds. If you plan to stuff your turkey, add at least 30 minutes to the cooking time. Make sure that your stuffing reaches 165 degrees F before you remove it from the bird.

For the giblet broth:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• turkey giblets, including the neck, gizzard, heart, and liver (or whichever of those are available)

• 1 medium carrot, scraped and coarsely chopped

• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped.

• 1 1/2 quarts chicken broth (or turkey broth if you have it)

• 1 tablespoon dried thyme, or 3 tablespoons fresh

• 2 teaspoons dried parsley, or 2 tablespoons fresh, finely minced

Start your turkey by making the giblet broth one day ahead if possible. If not, remove the giblets, and make the broth while roasting the turkey as directed below.

Heat olive oil in a small soup pot. Rinse the giblets, and saute in the oil until they are lightly browned, about 4 to 5 minutes (this can be done in batches if necessary). Add the carrot and saute 1 minute longer. Add the onion, and saute until translucent. Reduce the heat to very low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth, thyme, parsley and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, simmer for 30 minutes longer.

Strain the broth, making sure to reserve the giblets. When they are cool enough to handle, remove any gristle, then dice the heart, gizzard, and liver; pull off the neck meat. Refrigerate all these bits of meat separately from the broth until you are ready to use them.

For the herb butter:

• 1 tablespoon coarse salt

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1 tablespoon thyme

• 2 tablespoons minced oregano

• 1 tablespoon minced rosemary or 1/2 tablespoon ground rosemary

• 1 teaspoon dried lavender (optional)

• 1/4 pound ( 1 stick) softened butter, or 1 cup olive oil

Combine all in the food processor and combine until smooth. You can stir them together in large bowl if no food processor is available.

For the turkey:

• 1 turkey

• 3 medium onions, coarsely chopped

• 2 carrots, scraped and coarsely chopped

• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

  4 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme if available (or 1 tablespoon dried)

• 2 sprigs fresh sage (or 1 tablespoon dried)

• 2 sprigs fresh marjoram or oregano ( or 1 tablespoon dried)

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Be sure turkey is dry - pat with paper towels if needed. Place the oven rack in the lowest position and rub 1/4 of the herb butter under the turkey skin at the breast. Rub the remainder all over the bird - on the back, breast, thighs.

Set the turkey on a well oiled rack in a large roasting pan. Toss half of the chopped onions, carrots, and celery into the cavity of the bird. Add half the herbs and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Scatter the remaining vegetables and herbs in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Pour 1 cup water over the vegetables (not over the turkey). Roast the turkey for the estimated amount of time on the chart, basting every hour (you can use a ladle or large spoon to pour juices back over turkey if you do not have a baster).

Early in the roasting, before you have pan juices, use the remaining three tablespoons melted butter to baste the bird. If the vegetables in the pan look dehydrated, periodically add another 1/2 cup water until the turkey starts releasing pan juices.

Halfway through the estimated cooking time, pour the reserved giblet broth into the bottom of the pan. Continue roasting, basting regularly with the pan juices, until the thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees F.

Remove the bird from the oven. Transfer it to a warm platter, tent loosely with foil and let rest for about 30 minutes while you make the gravy.

For the gravy:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1 cup dry white wine (optional - can use 1 cup warm water with a splash of lemon juice for acidity instead)

• salt and black pepper to taste

Pour the pan juices into a large measuring cup or bowl. Strain and set aside vegetables and herbs. (compost them, save for soup, or you can feed it to the kitchen lurkers if you want…lol)

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, stirring constantly until it turns a deep caramel color. Pour in all but 1 cup of the pan juices. Keep stirring the mixture until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the gravy for about 5 minutes, until it is slightly thickened. Be sure to stir the mixture frequently.

Set the roasting pan over two stove burners. Add the wine to the pan, and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Add the gravy and continue cooking until the sauce is reduced by almost 1/3, approximately 5 minutes. Add the remaining broth and chopped giblets and return the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Adjust the seasoning for salt and pepper. Serve gravy along side the carved turkey.

Each pound of turkey will feed approximately one person. Leftovers are always good. :)

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Garlicky Roast Beef

We love this roast beef recipe from Pure Beef by Lynne Curry. It works beautifully on almost any type of beef roast so one can choose the more economical cuts and still have a really nice meal. It makes wonderfully easy gravy to go with the deliciously simple Yorkshire Puddings.

For the Roast: Makes approx 8 servings with leftovers

• 12 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) boneless beef roast - top round, sirloin tip, ribeye, tenderloin, top loin all work very well

Up to 24 hours in advance, smash the peeled garlic cloves with the salt and pepper into a paste using a mortar and pestle or food processor (can also use the flat side of a large knife if needed, just be careful).

Rub the garlic paste all over the roast and put it on a rack in a metal roasting pan. If the beef roast you selected has a fatty side, place that side up. Refrigerate it until 1 hour before roasting.

Preheat the over to 300 degrees F. Read Yorkshire Pudding portion of recipe to be sure you have everything ready to go once the roast is removed from oven so it doesn’t rest too long before serving and become overly cool.

Roast until an internal-read thermometer reads 115 degrees F (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours). Remove the roast if you like it very rare, or check the temperature every 10 minutes and remove it as soon as the center of the roast reaches 120F for rare or 125F for medium rare. Transfer the meat to a cutting board, tent it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes to reach its final serving temperature.

Raise the oven temperature to 425F once you’ve removed the roast, to prepare the oven for baking the Yorkshire Puddings.

For the Gravy:

• 3 cups milk

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour

Remove the roasting rack and pour the milk into the roasting pan. Bring pan to a boil on the stove top over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned garlic bits. Use a fork to mash the butter and flour together in a small bowl until they are well blended. Whisk the butter mixture into the simmering liquids and cook until it thickens to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Taste the gravy for salt and pepper, pour it into a small saucepan, keep warm over low heat.

Slice the roast into 1/4 inch thick slices with a sharp knife and serve with the hot gravy.

For the Yorkshire Puddings: makes approximately 12 servings

• 1 cup (4.5 oz) all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs

• 1 egg yolk (you could use the extra white with the beaten egg needed for the cheesy roll recipe below)

• 1 cup milk

• 2 tablespoons melted beef tallow, ghee, or butter

Whisk the flour, salt, eggs, yolk, and milk together in a medium mixing bowl, beating vigorously to make a perfectly smooth batter. Pour the batter into a 2 cup or larger measuring cup with a spout and let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Once oven is heated to 425F, pour 1/2 teaspoon of the tallow/ghee/butter into each cup of a 12 cup muffin tin and put it in the oven to heat for 2 to 3 minutes. When you can hear the fat sizzling, take it out of the oven and carefully pour in the batter, distributing it evenly to fill each cup about halfway. Put the muffin tin in the oven and keep the oven door sealed so that they rise in the intense heat. Bake the puddings until they are puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

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Cheesy Bread Rolls by Silas

These bread rolls are simple and fun to make. The melted cheese on top of each roll adds a lot of flavor to the bread. You can eat the rolls plain or fill them with whatever you like.

• 2 cups bread flour

• 2 cups whole wheat bread flour

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (approx same temp as human body - if you stick your finger in the water it should just feel slightly warm and comfortable)

• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 1 egg, beaten

Pour 1/2 cup warm water into small bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and sugar and stir until dissolved. Let stand in a warm place for 5 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface.

Put both types of flour and salt into a large bowl and use a large spoon to mix well. Use your hand to make a well (a big dip) in the center. Put the yeast and most of the remaining water into the well and gently mix together to form a soft dough. Stir in the extra water if it’s too dry.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead firmly using the heel of your hand, folding the dough over as you go. Knead for 10 minutes until dough is smooth and shiny. Put the dough in a clean bowl and cover with dish towel. Let rise in warm place for 11/2 to 2 hours, until doubled in size.

Ask an adult to preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Punch down the risen dough by punching it down with your knuckles.

Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces. Dust your hands with a little flour and shape the dough into rolls (balls). Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet. Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit for 10 minutes.

Brush the rolls with the beaten egg and press some shredded cheese on top of each roll. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until risen and golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving with dinner or filling with whatever makes you happy!

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Buckling Up to Buckle Down

"The only way out is through... the only way out is through...."

That has been our mantra of choice for difficult farm seasons. We don't have any other words of wisdom or intense optimism to offer right now.  All we know is that as farmers, we know what it's like to deal with the unknown and we know what a blessing it is to find connection and comfort in community when things get tough. As such we wanted to let you know we're so grateful for the support shown to local farms in the past few weeks.

We can be here for you because you have been here for us.
Truly. Thank you.

Strangely, so much about farm life remains the same. The animals neither know nor care that the human world has been turned upside down. They move about their days with the same nonchalance that is always that of contented creatures. We think there is a lesson there if we look for it - to maybe channel our inner cow or chicken as best we can and just be in the moment. We are every day grateful to be in their presence because they remind us to focus on the essential things.

So that is what we've been doing. We care for the things within our control and hope like hell for the rest. We are growing a lot of produce again this year so there are seeds to plant. Soon there will be sheep to shear and calves to gentle. The hens give eggs daily and the grass is slowly growing green. One day, one task at a time - we keep moving forward.

Your recent support has allowed us to buy seed, feed, deer fence, and a load of extra hay. We just sent another load of beef to the processor and it should be ready within 10 days. We are doing everything we can to hang on through this, so we can be here afterward and feed you through it all.

We still aren't certain when farmers markets will resume but in the meantime we have developed a no-contact delivery and pick-up schedule that has been working well. We still have lots of good food available and lots more on the way. If you need anything the schedule is as follows:
 

SATURDAYS:
Pick-Up at New Hartford Shopping Center parking lot at 2pm sharp
** Please also shop with our partner farms for this pick-up. We have teamed up with Plumb Rocky Farm and Slate Creek Farm so you can also get their products at this pick-up. Please click on "Partner Vendors" under the New Hartford Pick Up Site Delivery Location information.
or
Home Delivery available to Clinton, New Hartford, Utica, Waterville Area 

SUNDAYS:
Pick-Up at Parry's Hardware Parking Lot in Hamilton at 2pm sharp
or Home Delivery available to Hamilton Area

MONDAYS:
Pick-Up at American Homesteader Parking Lot in Norwich at Noon

No contact ON-FARM PICK UP available any time:
Just contact us to place your order and we'll set up a time

You can place your order in the online store or send an email with any questions/requests.

Now is also a great time to sign up for a whole-farm CSA share as we can invest the funds directly back into the farm operation and therefore CSA gets first dibs on the food we produce. More info available below. :)

And lastly, please reach out to us if you or anyone you know is out of work or otherwise in need of good food but short on funds. We're happy to barter, accept volunteers (once the quarantine order is lifted), or otherwise meet people where they are, as much as we are able. Please talk to us if we can help.

**A word about our precautions: We've always been fussy about being clean but we're going extra right now: All orders are individually packed with freshly washed hands and we are the only people with access to our freezers. We do not leave the farm aside from no-contact deliveries. As of 4/2/20 we will be wearing clean, homemade masks to pack and deliver all orders. Please DO NOT return used egg cartons to us at this time. We can accept them again when things are less wonky... :)

We also want to share these words: As many of you know, Wendell Berry is another one of our heroes. His poems have often offered solace for our worried hearts. These particular lines seem so fitting for the times...

"Calling his neighbors together into the sanctity
Of their lives separate and together,
In the one life of the commonwealth and home,
In their own nation small enough for a story
Or song to travel across in an hour, he cries:
Come all ye conservatives and liberals
Who want to conserve the good things and be free,

Come away from the merchants of big answers,
Whose hands are metalled with power;
From the union of anywhere and everywhere;
By the purchase of everything from everybody at the lowest price
And the sale of anything to anybody at the highest price;
From the union of work and debt, work and despair;
From the wage-slavery of the helplessly well-employed.

From the union of self-gratification and self-annihilation,
Secede into the care for one another
And for the good gifts of Heaven and Earth."

~

(excerpt from The Mad Farmer, Flying the Flag of Rough Branch, Secedes from the Union
from The Mad Farmer Poems by Wendell Berry)

Be well, everyone! We'll get through this together and we're here if you need us.
Love,
Kelly, Adam, Silas and ALL the creatures of Quarry Brook

Pantries and Pandemics

How are you doing? We hope your worries over the corona virus aren't too dire at this point.

We're not panicking but we do think common sense preparation and attention to good nutrition should come to the forefront in times like these. Our wish is for every family to have a good supply of nutrient-dense food on hand - good food that can support and boost immune systems and nourish bodies when they need it most. Isn't there an old saying about one's pantry being a first line of defense...?

To us the spread of the corona virus and the ensuing public reaction drives home the importance of local food systems. When the world becomes a scary place it's pretty essential to know where your nourishment will come from. We'd like to make a case for supporting small businesses and local farms as much as possible right now - it will help keep essential skills and systems alive and close to home.

If you are gathering a food supply we might suggest you stock up on meat and eggs -both store very well and are incredibly nutritious. Root veggies and dry beans are also great items to have on hand.

As of right now, Oneida County Public Market has been canceled for the rest of the winter season and we don't yet know about Poolville Market - we'll keep you posted as we learn more. In the meantime, we will find other ways to feed you!

Starting immediately we are offering weekend deliveries and fresh, open-air shopping at the farm. No lines, no crowds, just two farmers to help you and we both use plenty of soap and warm water when washing our hands. :)

Our freezer inside Parry's Hardware in Hamilton is also freshly stocked with ground meats, hamburger patties, sausages, steaks, and roasts.

As always, all delivered foods will be packed at the farm with thoroughly washed hands - we've always been fussy about that.

Deliveries to Utica, New Hartford, Clinton, Waterville and surrounding area are on 3/14 between 1 and 5 pm.
******************
The farm will be open for pick up on Sunday from 1 to 3pm.
Sunday's weather is looking sunny so we'll do pick up's outside, near the front porch to give the sunshine, fresh air, and breezes every opportunity to work in our favor. 

Feel free to send us a call/text 607-423-6098 or email with questions or to place an order.

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

First, we wanted to let you know we have all sorts of beef back in stock and some new things too. The online store is freshly updated and you're welcome at the farm any time. We will also be at both Clinton and Hamilton Market this week with all the goodies if you need anything. Scroll down for more on what's available right now...

Second, have you seen Jaws? If so you might remember the scene where they first spot the shark and then realize exactly they're dealing with. The man tossing chum into the water gets an eye-full and then slooooowly backs into the wheelhouse to flatly tell the captain, "You're gonna need a bigger boat." 

We haven't seen that movie in years but we've been thinking about that scene a lot in the last few days. It seems like a good metaphor for any situation in which one realizes a different plan is needed. And it's looking like we might need a different plan...

Just a few years ago a small farm like ours could eek out a decent living by selling at farmers markets. That no longer seems to be true. All the local farmers we talk with have theories on how and why this change occurred, but we're not sure there is any one answer. Sometimes things just change and that's OK. What we do know is that when we come home from market and tally the books, we feel a lot like the man in Jaws realizing we need to do something different. It makes us sad to write this but it's true: farmers markets alone no longer pay the bills. Something needs to change.

So friends, where to from here?  Since we farm for you and with you, we thought you might like a say in what the new boat looks like. As your farmers, how can we make it easier to support local farms? 

Some ideas we're considering:

• on-farm store/farm stand -would you be willing to come to us?

• cooperation with other local farms for more diverse CSA/farm store offerings - we can't do it all and other local farms have great stuff.

• more structured online ordering opportunities and home delivery

• farm tours, farm dinners, and homesteading/farm skill classes

• shipping...

• others....?

If you have any ideas and a second to reply to this email, we'd love to know your thoughts. What works for you? How can we serve you and others in our community better so we can better pay the bills and keep farming for years to come?  

Thank you so much for being here and for the gift of your time and support. We truly couldn't do it without you, nor would we want to. 

Sincerely,
Your farmers - Kelly and Adam and Silas

Here’s a photo from yesterday's sheep move. They are currently grazing a field without any trees so we build them a new shade structure in each daily paddock. Bella and Cosmo are doing their jobs beautifully and the fields are bonkers with butterflies! High welfare farming is hard work but it certainly has its perks... :)

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

With a Little Help from our Friends

We did it!!

In case you missed it, we asked for something in our last email.  It was a hard thing to do.  Farmers seem to be reticent and self-sufficient by nature and in tough times we just keep working and hoping.  I don't know if that makes us optimists or fools. Maybe it's a little bit of both.

What I do know is that our friends and customers recently taught us a valuable lesson; you taught us that it's okay to ask for help when it's really needed.  We needed to fund a farm project and you placed orders and signed up for CSA shares and it was all enough to make something really important happen.  You all have floored me with your generosity and encouragement.

It took almost a year to find a bonded pair of working sheep dogs for whom our farm was a good fit.  Then it took about 30 phone calls with their previous farm, a long drive to Massachusetts, and an outpouring of support from our community to bring them home.  It may sound silly to be this serious about dogs, but for small farm in coyote country, a good pair of working dogs is essential. 

Guess what?  We were able to bring home our new guardians on Monday and they are perfect.  The Italians are here! Welcome to the farm, Cosmo and Bella!  They traveled like champs and are getting to know their flock now. They are settling in beautifully and I included some pictures below.

So thank you from the bottom of our farmer hearts for standing by us.  I can't talk about it or think about it without choking up. Thank you for helping us give two working dogs a chance to keep doing what they know.  Thank you for helping us keep our livestock safe. And most of all, thank you for the reminder that we don't walk this path alone. 

With love and gratitude and on behalf of Cosmo and Bella, Grazie!

Kelly
 

The Italians are Coming!!

Sooo, we need a little help.  Also, the Italians are coming! The Italians are coming! Or at least we hope so...

First, let me explain what I mean...

Cosmo and Bella are Maremmas which is a breed of working dog with origins in Italy.  Centuries ago the breed was developed to protect sheep from wolves and other predators. They are GOOD at what they do.

Since we began keeping sheep, we have had a pair of Maremmas. They've kept our flock safe from from coyotes, foxes, and any other critters happy to snack on little lambs. As I've said before, wildlife is welcome on our farm but we'd rather they didn't eat our sheep!

For years our guardian dogs have been a hard-working and faithful part of the farm team. Sadly, we unexpectedly lost one of our dogs last summer. One day in June we went out for evening chores and found Marley gone. He had been his happy, silly self earlier that morning but it looked as if he'd later curled up for a nap and then never woke up.

While there was some comfort in the fact that his end was peaceful, it was a shattering discovery and one of the more tragic days in my memory. Since then his older sister Poly has been working double time, which is no easy task as she's not a young pup.

Hence, we have been looking for new recruits ever since.  Then Poly can retire to a cushy desk job before the next grazing season. It has been a long few months, searching for dogs for whom our farm would be a good fit.

Okay, so now back to Cosmo and Bella...we were just alerted that they need a new job... and we have just such an opening... ah ha! Until recently they protected a goat herd in Massachusetts. However, their farmer just had to retire for health reasons and sold the goats.

The tricky thing about working guardian dogs is they need a task.  Farm life is what they know and love and to remove them from that almost always makes for troubled dogs. Their current farmer is being very careful to re-home these dogs together and on a working farm where they can keep doing what they're meant to do. 

 After many phone conversations and questions, she feels our farm is a good match for them and we are honored to be entrusted with their future care.

As you might imagine, well-bred, well-trained and well-cared-for dogs such as Cosmo and Bella are not cheap. That is as it should be and they are worth every penny as they are an investment in the safety of our livestock and the future of our farm. We currently have about half of their $1,200 re-homing fee and that is where the part about needing a little help comes in.

Late winter is a notoriously tight time of year for farmers.  We're lucky in that we always manage to squeak by but it's never easy.

Please don't worry, we've never asked our customers for donations and we're not going to start now.  But what we would like to do is maybe encourage you order some food from us or sign up for a CSA share in the next few days?  Those sales and shares will then be put toward the re-homing fee.

We have a good variety of meats available right now so if you have some funds to spare toward groceries from our farm, we'd be ever so grateful.  You get good food, our sheep stay safe, and Bella and Cosmo get a forever home. 

As always, thank you for being here, for reading my words, and entertaining my thoughts. It means a million just to know you care and are cheering us on. 

Please use the buttons below if you'd like to place an order or sign up for a CSA share. Orders can be picked up at the next few markets or directly from the farm. Also feel free to email me with any questions or special orders.

Thank you so much and lots of love,
Kelly