13
July
2010
Chickens are ready!
I just wanted to let everyone know that our broiler chickens are getting bigger. I think they are about 5 lbs or so for the bigger ones and the smallest are probably around 2.5 lbs. We will start butchering next week and continue as we get orders and until they are all gone. Our target dressed weight is 4 lbs but we can get them a bit smaller or larger depending on preference. I wouldn’t really recommend going much over 6 lbs as the meat can get a little tougher at that stage, but if thats how you like your chicken then, by all means request that, they still taste great in the crock pot or pressure cooker.
Right now we have 25 cornish cross broiler chickens which are almost ready. 25 red broilers will be right behind them followed up by 25 jersey black giants after those. We selected these three varieties as a test run of different production systems. We hope to score the final product on tenderness, flavor, cost of production, and survivability to come up with a reasonable production method and mix of birds. Feedback will be very important for this and we certainly welcome any feedback you have.
The final per pound price for chicken will be $3.50 and with a 4 lb target weight each bird will be around $14.00. When placing an order please let us know if you want the giblets included. This price is for a whole chicken, optionally we may be able to cut and wrap the parts separately for an additional cost. Those of you who purchased chicken from us last year will notice the final per pound price is higher than last years price which reflects some lessons learned from last years trial run. We learned the actual amount of feed it costs us to raise our birds to maturity, the time it takes to feed and water our birds each day, and the mortality level we can normally expect as well. The factors listed figured in to a more realistic price point for us to make raising chickens for meat something we can keep doing.
Get your orders in quick as we do not expect these chickens to last long and the extra will be taken to the farmers market in the next two weeks.
Dewayne
Dewayne Arave 
Chickens 
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9
July
2010
OK I shamelessly post this for the paragraph which reads
“Investments should be poured to promote organic farming which will not only benefit farmers in terms of income, promote better health and safer environment for all, but will also “make farms self-sufficient and farmers self-supporting” in the long run, he said.”
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24
June
2010
So I thought I would give a quick rundown of most of the contents from this weeks CSA delivery.
- Mesclun Mix
- Spinach
- Orach
- Radish Pods (affectionately refereed to as Rat Tails)
- Rose Pedals
- Mustard Greens
- Kale
- Cilantro
- Chard
As you can see the season is still young and the share reflects the abundance of greens growing on the farm at this time. Even a seasoned vegan might have trouble putting all this away in one week.
Enjoy your share everyone!
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9
June
2010
I found myself a minute to post a quick update.
This week has seem some good work on the farm. Two chicken coops have been finished and just over 100 laying hens were introduced to the southern pasture area of the farm. These chicken coups were inspired by chicken tractor designs which are available all over the Internet. These little chicks which lay eggs from dark brown, terra cotta, to white, and even blue. They will not be laying anytime soon though so until sometime in mid to late September our egg supply will be fairly limited.
Kevin has been a busy bee harvesting away for today’s CSA delivery which will include the staples of lettuce, spinach, green onions, herbs, and a few new introductions not seen thus far.
Thats my update
Hope all is well, busy, and productive for you all.
Dewayne
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1
June
2010
Saturday market was washed out by rain, snow, hail, and ample wind. We still went to the market and some real troopers came out to support us. The term “after market” pops into my head as I think of what we looked like arriving at the house, dirt splattered, movements slowed by exhaustion, rain soaked clothing grinding past itself with every movement. A warm soak in the tub was uppermost on my agenda. I managed to justify this indulgence even while the weight of farm chores weighed on my mind.
Sunday was the productive farm day.
So much was accomplished it makes me smile even now. Volunteers came to help yet again. Marina, a volunteering neighbor, and I decided that shoveling was our call to duty for the day and shovel we did. A quick count yielded a total of at least 720 holes dug and readied for this year’s potato crop. Asanara and Todd cleaned around each of the greenhouses, making some degree of order spring from the hodgepodge which is our accumulated building materials. Felicia and Kevin found an assortment of tasks to do including planting potatoes in their newly created homes, watering plants, and feeding animals. All told we managed quite a productive day. OH and I almost forgot the amazing salad Asanara created. Every available green was harvested into a large bowl which we each drew our own combo of the freshest possible mix of green goodness. This was topped with a freshly created salad dressing with golden balsamic vinegar, spices and olive oil, also a gift of Asanara’s creation. I was quite surprised at how perfectly every plant the greenhouse had available meshed together into a perfect flavor combination.
Monday – the surprise holiday.
Somehow, even with multiple reminders and knowing it was a holiday; it had totally escaped me that I would not have to work at the INL on Monday. I remember looking at the weather forecast early last week, seeing rain every day but Sunday and Monday, I cheered at the opportunity for planting on Sunday while simultaneously wishing Monday wasn’t a workday so I could plant even more. It was not until Sunday night as I get a phone call to remind me about visiting graves on Monday that it occurred to me that I wouldn’t have to work the next day. What a great surprise it was and the day was certainly used. Marina and I planted many more potatoes, dug out more raised beds in a greenhouse, and once again Todd and Asanara crafted more order from our chaotic, accumulated, materials. Another amazing meal was had amongst the group with salad and dressing, complimented by great conversation.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this weekend happen. From Laura Ann with Lau Family farms who lent us her tarp to keep the pelting hail from destroying out booth and plants (much less the wind from blowing us away.), to Marina who tirelessly dug a field of homes for our future potato crop, to Felicia who came to the farm for the first time not knowing what to expect and yet so very open to whatever the farm needed of her, to Todd and Asanara for creating order and wonderful food.
And now, back to work at the INL I feel ready to settle back into a desk job, tired enough to enjoy the recouping that sitting in a chair and talking on the phone a
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