Christmas Capons

On the farm we have whole capons available for your Holiday feast.

If interested, give us a call.

Karen & Peter
519 232-4105

Farm Fresh Chicken

Saturday November 20, 2010 will be the last fresh chicken day of 2010.

With the autumn weather now upon us, we slowly come to the end of our poultry season. We raise our chickens during the summer months so they can enjoy the lovely sun and run in the pasture.

We will be available between 10am and 2pm at the farm for those of you who plan to drop by on the 20th.

We look forward in seeing you at the farm.

Karen & Peter

(519) 232-4105

Muscovy Duck - An exciting alternative to chicken!

On Saturday October 30 at the farm we will have fresh duck available. Yum! Yum!

Many may have tried duck before at their favourite resturant but may not have tried their hand at cooking one in their own kitchen.
Cooking duck is simple, and rewarding.
Duck has such a delicious taste, it pairs well with fruits and other sweet and spicy ingredients to create wonderful and exotic tasting meals.
I say be creative and experiment! Give it a try.

If you are interested in buying fresh duck on Saturday, drop by between 10 and 2.

Or feel free to give us a call (519) 232-4105.

We look forward to seeing you,

Karen & Peter

Fall is Here

I can not believe that tomorrow will be October. The months have gone by very fast. Summer and then Autumn, before we know it. As a farmer, you see the time going by - by what is happening around you - not by the turn of the calendar.

On our farm, we are busy getting those turkeys that are ready for Thanksgiving sold. We have not too much problem with that, as we are usually sold out and have a waiting list. This year all our turkeys for Thanksgiving are spoken for, we are now starting our Christmas list. If you are wanting a turkey for your Christmas celebration you need to contact us now. That list is also filling up. (call us at 519 232-4105)

We just got more chicks this week, these chickens will be ready at the end of November. After this flock we will not have chicken available until next summer.

We always welcome those interested in "Knowing your Farmer" so call us, and we can arrange a visit.

Karen, Peter and Emily

Duck, Duck Goose!

On Saturday September 18th we will have Muscovy Duck available - FRESH!

If you love to cook duck then do not miss this opportunity. Give us a call to reserve yours, we have a limited supply and we do expect to sell out.

It is always hard to estimate what weight they will come in at, we think maybe these will be around 5 - 8lbs. The price for duck is $3.50/lb.

I want to add in my post today that last night I saw the film "The Future of Food" at the London Public Library. It is well worth watching, infact you cango to the website and watch it online. Check it out of you have the time. It is another film that will make you change some of your habits when it comes to buying food.

September 18th will be a busy day for us. After our "Duck Day" at the farm - which we have asked for pick up to be from 9:30 to 11:00. We are off to the Stratford Garlic Festival, it is a great event for any garlic lover! Need to purchase some new seed this year, love all the varieties available. It is always great to try a piece of that garlic fudge that is usually there! Yes, fudge baked with garlic, it is very tasty.

If you plan to stay closer to London that day there is a Tomato Fest taking place at the Covent Garden Market from 11 - 2. I heard about it last night. It is being organized by the London City Farm Network, they plan to have tomato tastings of over 40 unique varieties. This is a great way to find out what variety you like and then can take note so next year you can plant it in your garden.

Karen & Peter

519.232.4105

Ilderton Fall Fair

I have noticed a few of the leaves falling and it begins to remind me of the fall. Fall always makes me want to bake - apples and squash etc. I am not sure why, it must be a comfort thing.

I had some peaches that were left over from the canning I did. I had a craving for a cake, so I made a peach coffee cake. I did not have a recipe so I took a few that I had and combined them to make one up.

The flour I used was from the Arva Flour Mill, I usually do buy my flour there. I then mixed half of the unbleached flour with spelt flour, I had bought the other week from the Eagleson's at the Exeter Farmers Market a few weeks ago.

The coffee cake turned out delicious! Now I have a winner for the Ilderton Fair. I just may make another and enter it this year at the fair. If you have never been, the Ilderton Fall Fair is one of the best fairs around. This year it is October 1, 2, 3. Hope to see you there!

Bees

Tomorrow is September, and I ask where did the summer go? The past few months have gone by very quickly. It always seems that when spring approaches one starts to make a list of all the projects and things they plan to do over the summer. Well - one of those items on my list was to learn about bees and the world of bee keeping. I hate to admit that I never really did fit this in. I guess I was too busy concentrating on the birds here on the farm!

At the University of Western Ontario there are a few beehives on site. The photos I have included were taken at the Research Station. Bees are very fascinating little creatures. Always keeping busy. Busy as a bee!

Today, while in Chapters I found a book on the sale rack - Keeping Bees, Looking After An Apiary by Vivian Head. I did purchase the book and will give it a read. This will be my start!

I do plan to attend an upcoming tour of the Chatsworth Honey Bee Farm. The tour is being organized by FarmStart on Sunday Sept. 19th. http://www.farmstart.ca/current-events-workshops/. I am sure this tour will be very interesting and look forward to seeing the bees and meeting the farmers.

Maybe next summer, I will invest in that hive that I did not get around to purchasing this year. I shall keep you posted!

Beautiful Bees

• Honeybees wings stroke 11,400 times per minute, thus making their distinctive buzz.


• To make one pound of honey, the bees in the colony must visit 2 million flowers, fly over 55,000 miles and will be the lifetime work of approximately 768 bees.


• Honey is the ONLY food that contains all the substances necessary to sustain life, including water.


• Honey never spoils.


• Bees are the most important group of pollinators. Almost 80% of all flowering plants depend on pollinators to help them transfer their pollen.


• Honeybees are the only insect that produces food eaten by man.


• The estimated total value of Honey Bees to Canadian agriculture is $782 million.

It's August!

When I take a look at the calendar I can not believe myself - where is the time going or gone? Summer always seems to fly by while the winter months take their time.

The activity on a farm is always seen best during these summer months. Currently, we have raked the 2nd cut hay but unfortunately it has yet to be baled. I find myself singing " Rain, Rain go away Peter wants to bale some hay!


The turkeys are growing, and enjoying the lazy days of summer, so by Thanksgiving they should be just right. I may have a hard time with this flock, they are kind of funny. When they see you, they come running so when you come home and drive into the laneway not only do the dogs great you but the turkeys want to say hi too! They are pasture raised but some have decided that free range is a good life to have. A few weeks ago they all got out, we put them back but now some roam all day and just hang out.

This week we also pick up some more Berkshire pork from our butcher. So if you are interested in some - give us a call.

Thanks to all our customers,
Peter and Karen

kareneatwell@execulink.com
519 232.4105

Free Range Turkey

Our turkeys have decided that life would be better if they were Free Range rather than just Pasture Raised! I guess life looked better on the other side of the fence, after one made the plunge the rest followed.

So, this Thanksgiving enjoy one of our Free Range Turkeys. The demand is high so best to get your name on our turkey list.

The funny thing about these little guys (they are little now - but just wait until October) is they come running to you when they see you.

All the animals on the farm get along fine!

We don't have sheep so Fern will have to learn to heard turkeys instead.

We will have fresh capons on Saturday - drop by between 10 - 4 if you are interested.

Besides the capons we have chicken, Black Angus beef , Berkshire pork and also lasagne. The lasagne has been made with our beef, a new product for us.

Try some great food today - Do you know where your food comes from?

Lazy Days of Summer!

It is time to submit a post to the blog. It has been hard to find the time to sit down and update the activity on the farm, as we are usually outside working or enjoying the great summer weather.

This week we are busy cutting 2nd cut hay and this will be baled into small squares. This is when we really miss Pablo and Michael P.! (get back to Canada guys - you are needed on the farm) The wheat has been combined and the straw is also being baled.

On Saturday we will have Fresh Capons available. We will be here between 10:00 and 4:00. If you are interested in purchasing capons -drop by or call us if you are unable to make Saturday.

Some people may ask - What is a capon?

A capon is a castrated rooster. Capons are considered by many people to be an old fashioned sort of food, and they tend to have a more tender, flavourful flesh as well as a higher fat content. The markedly different flavour profile of a capon is distinctive to consumers once they taste it, especially when the capon has been conscientiously raised. Unfortunately, the industrialization of meat production has made capons rare. Chicken breeds raised for meat are engineered to mature quickly, so that they can be sent to market in as little as five weeks. This rapid development has an impact on overall flavour and quality of the meat which most consumers are not even aware of because they have never tasted more naturally raised meat.

The other animals on the farm are all doing well. We have turkeys and Mucovy ducks enjoying the summer weather.

Hope to see you soon.

Karen & Peter

Chicken Day - Saturday July 17, 2010

We have been busy here on the farm.

Peter has been cutting and bailing hay.

The puppies that were born in April have now all gone to their new homes

The chickens are growing more and more each day. We have planned to hold our "Chicken Day" on Saturday July 17 from 10:30 to 4:00

If you are interested in purchasing any chicken then please either call us or drop by on the 17th. The demand for our chicken has grown over the years so we now ask that you either call to reserve your order or drop by - 1st come 1st served.

We will hold chicken for those who can not make it on the 17th but only for 1 week.

Our prices are $3.00/lb and anticipate the chickens to be between 4 - 7lbs.

Our chickens are pasture raised allowed to graze in a field. The grain that we do feed our chickens mixed here on the farm. No antibiotics or hormones go into our chickens.

Black Angus Beef - the best!!

We have just picked up our latest Black Angus Beef. The freezers are full and there is a wide range of cuts available, both steaks and roasts.

For those who do not know us, we raise our Black Angus Cattle naturally. Our cattle do not receive any hormones or antibiotics in their lifespan. They graze on our pasture during the summer months and during those winter days are in the barn eating our own fresh-cut hay. We do introduce corn while finishing the cattle; we feed them corn along with our hay. This helps provide a deliciously sweet beef. Therefore, we cannot say we have an exclusively “grass fed” beef product, but they are not on a “corn fed” program either.

When butchering, we age our beef for approximately 21 days. If you have had a good, aged steak, you know it is more tender and flavourful than what you typically buy in the store. The reason for this is that aging allows natural enzymes to breakdown the hard connective tissue in meats and for water to evaporate away concentrating the flavour.

When you buy direct from the farm you know exactly where your food is coming from. Many consumers (eaters) are now concerned about the food they are eating and feeding their families. When you are able to see how your food was raised and grown it starts the relationship building with your local farmer. We’re always delighted to get to know our customers, and will be happy to show you around our farm.

STEAKS

T-Bone $9.75/lb

Prime Rib $9.00/lb

Sirloin $8.00/lb

Tip Steak $7.00/lb

Blade Steak $5.75/lb

ROASTS

Eye of Round Roast $5.50/lb

Chuck Roast $5.75/lb

Rump Roast $5.75/lb

Steak Roast $6.00/lb

Sirloin Tip Roast $6.90/lb

Short Ribs $4.00/lb

Stewing Beef $4.75/lb

Ground Beef $3.25/lb

Hamburger Patties (all beef - no filler) ($34.00 - 10lb box)

Beef is also available by the 1/4 or 1/2. ($3.15lb)

We ask that you call us first, not only for directions but to ensure we are home!
We can be reached at 519.232-4105

Hope to see you soon,

Karen & Peter

Locavore

LOCAVORE:
A Farmers' Fields To Rooftop Gardens - How Canadians are Changing the Way We Eat


Sarah Elton will be speaking on Wednesday, June 9th at the Central Library here in London.
Her recent book is entitled, Locavore: From Farmers' Fields to Rooftop Gardens - How Canadians Are Changing the Way We Eat.

Sarah will be discussing how Canadians can bring about a more local and sustainable food system.

The book outlines how Canada lost self-sufficiency in food; and recounts with joy and enthusiasm the stories of individual farmers, co-ops, community projects and businesses which will bring us back to a more localized system that won't cost the Earth.
This is a free event and it gets underway at 7:00 pm.

See you there,

Karen & Peter

Time to update the blog and get it going!

It is now time that I find the time to focus on keeping up this blog. It is a great way for us to communicate with our customers and let them know what is available here at the farm.

Things have been busy around here. Spring came and then summer appeared quickly!

We have had some Berkshire pork recently and that was a huge success. It was so tasty and everyone enjoyed it. When we have some more I will ensure that I have it noted on the blog.

In a few days we will have much more of our Black Angus Beef for sale. We do sell by the cut and find that people like to purchase this way. The summer meat chickens will be arriving soon and the pasture is ready for them.

Oh, and by the way - we have puppies! Very cute to watch run around as they figure out life on the farm.

Welcome to the Farm!