Bad Storm = too much water

Last night's storm dumped way too much water way to fast here.  In between storm one and two I went out to check all the huts for flooding and had one hut flooded.  Skittish just had babies yesterday morning (10 new little ones) her hut had standing water in it.  Dan and I had to open up her pen and move her hut to a dry area.  Most of you would think this is no big deal but what you don't know is pigs are major creatures of habit.  They absolutely hate change!

We got her to go into the dry hut easily enough but the piglets kept laying back down where the hut originally was.  "This is where I was born and this is where I belong".  Yes, if you listen you can hear them speak to you.  It took Dan and I about 15 minutes to get them to go into the dry hut.  It took so long because you cannot pick them up and move them, you kind of have to shoe them in.  If you pick up a piglet it squeals and then mom comes after you.  Yes that happened a few times last night.  I can tell you, you do not want a 400 lb angry sow coming after you.  She can and will do major damage.

Thankfully that was the only hut that had to be moved.  Now the sun is shining and all is quite and calm

Copy of a customers blog from the Party

Forest Pigs Hate Johnny Cash 05/10/2011 0 Comment(s)   Pulling up to C & D Family Farms in Knox, Indiana, the last thing I expected to find was a lush, expansive forest filled with pigs. Forest pigs. The porcine paradise of shaded swine was awaiting us (us being my sister, Kim, brother-in-law, Bob, and their kiddos, Simon and Louie), after driving two hours southeast of Chicago to attend CSA member appreciation day held at the farm. Yes, there are meat CSAs. The pigs roamed, rooted, nursed and grunted to the sweet smell of grilled pork, bratwurst, pulled pork, pork burgers, bacon burgers and more, all made from their siblings. Under the trees and amid the mud, 200+ pigs are fenced in with wire fencing, but generally have run of the woods--which they took advantage of as soon as the on-site band started playing "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash. More than 40 large pigs sprinted from one end of the lot to the other trying, unsuccessfully, for a prison break. The farm, which is owned by Crystal and Dan Nells, is a true labor of love. The couple moved to their house in the woods years ago, and decided that they wanted to find a way to earn a living off of their land. After much research, they decided to breed, raise and sell hogs. "You gotta like their shit," says Dan, pointing to his pants, which are, indeed, covered in pig shit. Dan went on to say that he yells at people all day during his day-job, but the pigs? "You don't have to yell at them," he said. You speak quietly and they listen. The pigs ranged in size from tiny squealing piglet to intimidating 800-pound boar. Allow me to indulge you in some fun facts: * Light skinned pigs get sunburned, and forest pigs are protected from the sun. * Pigs can live for about nine years. * They breed continuously from the time they're sexually mature. * With all the pressure and expectations mounted on them, boars often experience ED so artificial insemination is common. * The pigs go to "market" at about 5 and a half months. * The runts and the babies who get injured are actually the lucky ones. The Nells take them into their home to nurse them back to health. They often strike up a liking for the critters, so those are the ones who are destined for breeding--rather than bacon. * If a piglet is rough while nursing, it's mother will stop feeding it. It's then separated into a different pen and fed goat milk (see, humans aren't the only species who drink the milk of another species.) It was refreshing to see pigs living such a nice (albeit short) life, and it was great meeting the Nells--salt of the earth folks with a penchant for pork. This is how they describe their farm on their website: "Our philosophy is simple, we are all on this earth to live. While they are going to become food we want them to live the best and most comfortable life they can while they are here. Just as we are trying to do. You can taste the difference love makes." Can't beat that, can you? Love tastes like bacon.

What A Party

I must say customer appreciation day was a great success.  While rain was in the forecast it held off for quite a while.  When it did come it didn't stay for long and the day ended with sunny sky's.  We had a bon fire going the whole day.  Three of our completely free range pigs (Baby Ear, Allia and Foot) were roaming the property and did not cause the damage I feared they would. 

We did make a major discovery.  Pigs don't like bands!  No way, no how.  When the band started playing the entire farm freaked out.  The pigs were very scared.  They went to corners of their pens and wouldn't move.  Even in the rain, they wouldn't go into their huts, they just huddled in groups.  So, unfortunately the band didn't play very long. 

Customers (and friends) met Dan for the first time.  One of the customers told Dan they thought he was a figment of my imagination and that I just made up the name of the farm.  Even one of my friends from the market told Dave they didn't think Dan really existed.  Well now many of you can attest to the fact Dan is a real person.  Dan is a full time electrician so when he isn't working at his electrical job (in Chicago) he spends all his time on the farm. 

Dan gave full and very informative tours of the farm.  Dave filled in a couple of times to give Dan a break but for the most part Dan was in his element.  If Dan had it his way he would never leave the farm.  He absolute loves being with the animals, so much that he sings to them.  Both Dan and Dave know every single pig on the farm.  They know their individual personalities, their likes and dislikes.  I on the other hand know your individual personalities and likes and dislikes.  While Dave loves the farm (as you know he moved out hear last October) he also loves the farmers markets and can't wait for them to start.  That is why this works so well.  Dan loves being on the farm.  I love the farmers markets and all my customers and Dave is the best of both of us. 

The food was great!  One customer brought piggy cupcakes.  As promised the grill was going the whole day.  I had also made a ham and pulled pork.  Next year I will skip the ham and make at least 2 batches of the pulled pork.  The guys made pork burgers, sausage links and pork chops.  The customers provided us with plenty of wonderful side dishes and desserts. 

All in all it was a great day and fun was had by all.  If you missed this years party, next years party (mark your calendars early) is Saturday, May 5.

Thank you all for coming!

Luke and Samantha get new room mates

Dave got quite the surprise this morning when he took milk out to Luke and Samantha.  As he was pouring the milk in their bowl he looked in the back of their hut and saw big yellow eyes.  He looked again and saw that it was Onix, our pregnant barn cat, no longer pregnant with a ball of kittens. 

Dave came in to tell me that the two pregnant pigs we are waiting to have piglets had not had their litters but there was new life on the farm.  I immediately guessed that we had the kittens we have been awaiting.  He told me to guess where she had them.  I guessed a pig pen and he told me in the back of Luke and Samantha's hut.

We went outside to count the kittens and take pictures of them.  Luke and Samantha were lying right in front of mama cat and her new litter.  Mama was quite friendly, letting us pet her as she purred away.  The kittens all seem to be in good health.

Mama (Onix) and the father, Carmel are now proud parents of 7 new kittens.  Carmel is long haired and orange so I have been hoping for some calico kittens and it appears that I have gotten my wish. 

This Rain Needs to STOP

The rain is steadily falling and the pigs are all staying in their huts.  The property looks like one big mud pit.  In places the grass seed is coming in.  Hopefully when this rain is finished with us we will be able to move the pigs around to new clean pens.

When you come for customer appreciation day please do not where good clothes or sandals.  Nothing you care if it gets dirty.  Dirt and pig farm kind of go hand in hand.

Today we have someone coming out to price grading and stoning many places that have been rutted and ripped up this winter.

The work around here is never done and the rain is putting a damper on getting everything cleaned up before May 7. 

Our New Truck is Coming

Thanks to Rick Bayless and the Frontera Grant we are getting a new (used) and as you can see much larger truck.  We are going to be able to add upright freezers inside this truck so that we can be more organized and find items much quicker.  As many of you know having only the 2 1/2 chest freezers some items could take us quite a bit of time to find because inevitably what anyone wanted would be at the bottom.

Now we will be organized and be able to see what we do and do not have on the truck for easier restocking.  I spent a lot of time looking for a vehicle with the step down curb side door just like this to also make our lives easier for getting in and out of the vehicle.  We will also be able to stand up straight.  That in itself is a major plus. 

We will continue to use the van at our "smaller" markets but for markets like Lincoln Square and Andersonville where no matter how much we stock on the van we would run out of many items we will be using the bigger truck.

We are excited to be able to serve you better and faster this coming market season.

I will be flying to Columbus Ohio next Friday, April 29 to pick up our new truck. 

Clean Bill of Health

Let me start by saying that I apologize for the delay since my last post.  I have been sick for the past 5 days and just haven't felt like doing anything not 100% necessary.  Sorry!

Frankie (Franklin's son) got his stitches out today and received a clean bill of heath.  He is getting bigger by the day.  With piglets you can literally sit and watch them grow.  We brought another piglet in the house basically to keep him company but he did have an open cut on his foot so he is better off.  His little friends name is Lil John.  Yes, after the rapper that is on Celebrity Apprentice.  We are really scrapping for names these days so if you have any suggestions we are open to them.

At any rate, Frankie and I went to the vet today (an actual vet trip that cost me no money) where he to ooohed and aaahed over.  A little boy was enthralled with him.  An older couple couldn't believe it was a "real" pig, not a pot belly pig.  At 5 lbs now it is hard to believe that in a short period of time he will be over 300 lbs and ready to breed.  He got an ointment to soften up the scar but other then that he should be ready to go outside by Saturday. 

I have to tell you that I am really looking forward to having no piglets in the house for a while.

The Vet Gets More Money

Yesterday afternoon while I was at Andersonville I got a phone call from Dave on the farm.  He informs me that there is a new piglet in my office.  This little guy is one of 13 to a 3rd time mother.  He is also a Franklin baby.

In case you don't remember Franklin was one of Stinker Thinkers babies.  He was stepped on by Stinker and had to get stitches on his side.  Franklin is no longer with us but his legacy continues on.

Dave tells me that the baby was stepped on and you could see his guts.  I am thinking that this is not good and doesn't sound to me like he is going to make it.  This just goes to show that the guys should never try to describe the problem over the phone to me.

This morning I took our little friend to the vet.  It was not his intestines that Dave was seeing, it was mussel.  The little guy got stitched up and is doing very well.  He is set up in my office away from the other two, Luke and Samantha who are in the living room.  He is readily drinking goats milk from a bowl and enjoying the pillow he has to sleep on under the heat lamp. 

The vet has gotten to the point they don't even laugh at me anymore.  They have accepted that we are never going to be the "normal" hog farmer that would have hit him in the head with a hammer and disposed of his body.  They know that we are going to do whatever we can to save every one of these little guys.

That is why we are now Animal Welfare Approved!

The Morel Dilemma of Factory Farming

The Morel Dilemma of Factory Farming

Posted On: March 24, 2011

• Church Life

On Sunday, April 3, Mr. Gene Baur will speak at the worship service about the mission of Farm Sanctuary. Mr. Baue co-founded the Farm   Sanctuary in 1986 to combat the abuses of factory farming and to encourage a new awareness and understanding about "farm panimals."  Farm Sanctuary has grown to become the nation's leading farm animal  protection organization committed to ending cruelty to farm animals and  promoting compassionate living through rescue, education and  advocacy efforts.
On April 4, Mr. Baur will speak at Northwestern University School of Law. The event, which is sponsored by the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and part of a week-long series of animal law programs, will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Northwestern University
School  of Law in Rubloff (RB) Room 150 (located at 375 East Chicago Avenue.) This talk is free and open to the public. Gene will also be on hand to sign copies of his national best-seller, Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food.

Pigs Are Dirty Animals

For those of you that know me you have a good idea that it takes a lot to make me mad.  Yes, I have a very dry sense of humor.  I am very brash and can come off like a real bitch without meaning to.  At the same time I have one of the biggest hearts you will ever find. 

All that being said the one thing that really makes me angry is when people tell me they don't eat pork because pigs are dirty animals.  If you tell me you don't eat pork because of religious reasons or don't give me a reason at all I don't think twice about it and just move on.  But to tell me you only eat chicken and beef because pigs are dirty makes me steam.  It is probably the only thing I will argue with you about.

Chickens - poop where they eat, walk around eating out of other animals poop.  Cows - poop and then lie down in it.  Pigs do not poop where they eat or sleep.  In the winter the pigs will make one hut a poop hut because let's be honest here who wants to poop outside in the dead of winter. 

Pigs do not wallow in mud because they like it.  Actually pigs prefer to be clean at all times.  They do not have sweat glands so the only way they have to cool off on a hot summers day is to wallow in the mud.  Anyway, you aren't eating their hair and in most cases you aren't eating their skin so does it really matter that they lie in mud???????  Doesn't it really matter what is going inside them?  What they eat?  How they live? 

I am sorry for the rant but this is the one subject that pushes my buttons.  Well, this and commercial "farming" which I don't consider farming at all.  But that is another subject for another day.

And Then There Were Three

Monday night Dave and I stayed up half the night with a pig in labor.  She ended up having 2 alive and 2 dead.  This morning she only had 1 left and was no longer nursing the other 1 so we brought her inside to join Luke and Bo.  So we now have three little monsters in the house making a mess and eating lots of goats milk.  Dave has named our newest addition Samantha. 

Cinnamon Beef Noodles Recipie Tried by a Customer

Cinnamon Beef Noodles
From Cooking Light

In this classic version of red-cooking, the meat is simmered in a soy
sauce-based mixture for a long time until tender. Seasonings such as
ginger, garlic, and cinnamon provide extra flavor. This method can be
used to cook a variety of meats, including pork, lamb, chicken, and
duck.
Yield:  8 servings (serving size: 1 cup beef mixture and 1/2 cup noodles)
5 cups water
1 1/2 cups rice wine or sake
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
8 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cinnamon sticks
1 (1-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach, chopped
4 cups hot cooked wide lo mein noodles or vermicelli (about 8 ounces
uncooked pasta)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Set aside.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add
half of the beef, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat
procedure with remaining oil and beef. Return beef to pan; add water
mixture, onions, garlic, cinnamon, and ginger. Bring to a boil; cover,
reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard
ginger slices and cinnamon. Stir in spinach; cook 3 minutes or until
wilted. Serve over noodles.

CALORIES 403 (14% from fat); FAT 6.2g (sat 2.3g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.3g);
IRON 5.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 44mg; CALCIUM 80mg; CARBOHYDRATE 50.4g; SODIUM
1080mg; PROTEIN 30.5g; FIBER 2.9g

Dave's Piggy Mama Days are Over

Sadly Dave is no longer a piggy mama.  Luke is doing great!  He is growing up and will no longer let anyone hold him and when it comes to feeding he doesn't care who is holding that bottle.  One week old and he is running around the house like he owns it.  He does still have a heat lamp at night and refuses to eat from a bowl so he will be inside for at least a month or knowing Dan two months.  After weaning Dan off Freddie I am already dreading the day we take Luke away from him.

An egg is an egg is an egg. Or is it?

I understand why so many people associate white eggs with the bad grocery store eggs however it has nothing to do with the egg being white.  Egg shells come in over 60 different colors, all based on the breed of the bird.  Some of you may have noticed that recently we have had green and blue eggs. 

What makes the eggs you buy from me better then the ones the grocery store sells?  Even though the grocery store eggs may claim, farm fresh, free range, cage free, organic, etc......  Eggs purchased in the grocery store are 3 to 9 months old.  The farms are not running to the store with 10 or 20 dozen eggs at a time.  They are holding their eggs until they have thousands to ship at one time.

Farm fresh means that it goes from the farm to the grocery store.  It does not mean it goes there quickly.  Free range means that the chickens are all in a barn with a small opening in the wall that they "can" go out for 20 minutes a day.  Cage free is the same without the option to go outside.  Organic just means they receive an organic grain mix.  It has nothing to do with how they are raised or treated.  When we say free range we mean that the hens are outside just being chickens.  Yes they do have a hen house that they can go into whenever they want but spend most of their day outside on pasture.

I am sure you have noticed that not only do the eggs taste better but the shells are harder and the yolks look different then those in the grocery store.  Part of a chickens balanced diet is grit and oyster shell.  These two items should be left out for the chickens to eat whenever they need to.  These two items are extremely expensive and not provided to the hens in commercial confinement.  It is the grit and oyster shell that strengthens the shells.

Egg yolks should stand up.  The color of the yolk should be a true yellow to a deep orange depending on the time of year.  Have you ever noticed that grocery store eggs yolks are a very pale yellow?????  The yolk color changes based on the amount of protein the chicken eats.  Outside chickens are eating bugs and worms and are getting a higher level of protein thus their yolks turn from a deeper yellow to almost an orange color.

If you have any additional egg questions I will be happy to answer them.

"Pigs eat anything" Fact or Fiction??????

I hear on a regular basis the weird things that pigs will and will not eat.  I have heard that I have to be careful or they will eat me.  I have heard that they will eat cans, their own poop and that they won't eat raw potatoes.  Sometimes I truly have to wonder where people pick this stuff up.

We like to say that the term pig does not mean will eat anything but will eat a lot of what they like.  Pigs are omnivores.  They are not vegetarians.  Will they eat humans?  Well, I guess if you don't feed them then yes they will but then again how many stories are there about humans that have eaten humans when left no other choice?  Our pigs are well fed (as reflected by our feed bills) so we have no fear of them trying to eat us. 

Pigs have more taste buds then humans do.  They have likes and dislikes just as humans do.  I have pigs that go crazy for tomatoes and others that turn their noses up at them.  The only item that I have found pretty much across the board that they don't particularly like is peppers, green, red, yellow or orange.  All of mine seem to love broccoli, pumpkins, lettuce, and most fruits.  Cucumbers are a hit or miss kind of thing and asparagus seems only to be appreciated when it starts to turn bad..  They love corn on the cob and no they don't eat the cob.

They do not eat their own poop and do not poop where they eat.  So the answer is Fiction!!!!  Pigs do not eat anything!

2 Quick and Easy Dinners

First - using our Cajun burgers, ground and brown and mix in Dirty Rice. Serve with salad and dinner is done.

Second - using our bratwurst burgers, ground and serve over baked potatoes. Serve with your favorite veggy like broccoli.

2 inexpensive and easy dinners.

Pass on your comments.

Our new favorite dinner

The constant chore of coming up with what to make for dinner is often an overwhelming task. One night Dan suggested country fried pork chops.

This is such an easy meal that I am always happy to make it. I have prepared it 3 times now and each time it has been better then the previous time.

I use the boneless pork chops. I dip them in egg and then coat them in flour with salt, pepper and paprika. I then brown them in a frying pan with extra virgin olive oil. Once they are crispy I put them on a cookie sheet and bake them at 350 for about a 1/2 hour.

I serve the chops with mashed potatoes with country gravy and green beans.

Give this one a try and let me know how you like it.

Dave is now a piggy mommy

Luke is our newest piglet in the house.  He is now 5 days old and doing great.  Luke was discovered pushed away from the rest of the litter so he was brought into the house.  We quickly discovered the problem.  Luke is unable to suck so he grinds his teeth back and fourth on the nipple to get milk.  Since we do not cut wolf teeth this is very painful to mom so she won't feed him.

We tried everything to get Luke to drink out of a bowl but he held out for 24 hours and eventully Dave gave into him and started bottle feeding him.  Usually the three of us, me, Dan and Dave will take turns feeding the babies but Luke only wants Dave.  He won't let Dan or I hold him.  Dave stayed up till 2:30 am with him on Monday night and 1:30 am with him last night.  Dan and I told him that we would go to bed and set our alarm for every hour and get up and feed and go back to bed but Dave is being as "pigheaded as Luke".

I bet Dave never imagined he would one day become a piggy mommy!

He is finally out!

Tonight is Freddies second full night outside with his two girl friends.  Dave and I have been joking that weaning Dan from his piglet is harder that weaning a mother pig from her litter.  Freddies temporary pen is right outside my bedroom so that Dan can hear him if he cries at night. 

I don't believe my world will ever be normal again!  I guess I need to just learn to go with the flow.

Breadman Spends More Time On The Farm

So Frank came out to the farm on Sunday.  While he was here 2 mothers succussfully gave birth plus we had the problem labor.  Frank is not into gross things at all.  The miracle of life is not something he wants to experience.  Before he left he asked how we were going to be able to top this trip.  I asked him how he would like us to top it.

He will be back in 2 weeks so I am going to have to think up something exciting for him.  Even though I don't create the excitement, I just go along with it.