Local Food

[dancerjodi]

The turkeys are growing really well – they are about to be released onto the field peas that we planted in July. This year we are trying to use all natural peas that we grow ourselves- no pesticides, chemical fertilizers etc..- to help our turkeys self-feed. Poultry is the best animal for food to meat conversion – They are able to use convert nearly 57% by weight of grain to meat. The conversion factor and length of time from birth to plate is what we pay attention to in calculating meet available for our CSA. Our chickens average 8 weeks in the summer and 11.3 weeks in the winter from poult to plate. Turkeys take about five months to get to 25 lbs (ave) and the last eight weeks accounts for almost half of their finish weight. This means that they eat a huge amount of expensive grain during this time. This year we planted field peas in the back field to see how they would do by simply eating their way through the field. They are not the smartest (okay, so turkeys are REALLY stupid) but they seem to get the concept of food. It will be interesting to compare grain costs at the end of this season and last and see how the field peas worked. Our next door neighbor, Skip the dairy farmer, planted the field for us because we do not own a planter. We lent him our post hole digger (the one that goes on the tractor) to help him fix his barn. This reminds us yet again how important it is to have colleagues and how threatened New England farmers, especially dairy farms are.



I did send an email out for Thanksgiving Turkey orders. I will be collecting money for turkeys with the OCTOBER distribution. If you think you would like one - please reply to the other turkey email.



This summer we have had pig heaven up in two of our back fields and woods. Both our breeders and our feeders have enjoyed a summer of woods, pasture and muck holes/wetlands to play and frolic in. All are growing well and seem very healthy and happy. Currently we have five sows in the barn ready to farrow. We have just move three back up with Mike. One sow, Lily, had ENOUGH of her piglets by about seven weeks. She would lay on her stomach and refuse to open the nipple bar. Her eight little ones would scream and holler and carry on for a nursing and she turned a deaf ear. The first few times this happened I thought one of the piglets was stuck in the slats at the front of the stall. This occasionally happens – from about a week to eight weeks the piglets run around the barnyard and explore the area then go back to mama. This gives them experience and confidence so that when we do move them to the pasture they are fine and happy to be outside. Usually a sow will start to allow nursing only a few times a day by five weeks, but I have never seen one shut down as completely as Lily – nor have I heard a litter scream as loudly. Neeless to say, after a day and a half of this we moved all her piglets out to their weaning pen and put her back up with Mike and the other sows in the pasture.



We have had three new calves in the last week. Our heifers and cows give birth year round, but spring and fall tend to be the most prolific times. Our matriarch Maggie is bagging up and looking like she will deliver yet another calf for us this year. She was our first cow; a mothers day gift from Rich and the kids nearly ten years ago and has produced eight calves – this will be her ninth. When she was an only cow she got LOTs of individual attention and clearly still relishes that. I can call her from across the field with a big loud “MAAAGGGIEEEEE” and she will come. The very cool thing is that the herd will follow her – she remains queen of Chestnut Farms and we should expect her new addition in September.



Due to the heavy rains this summer our pastures have been lush. The lambs have grown really well and we have already begun processing some fall lamb. You should expect to see lamb in your shares beginning this month or next – it depends on our slaughtering schedules and how they relate to the distribution. The other factor is that we are charged per head for lamb and goats, not per lb, so it is better to have the lambs as close to 100 lbs as possible.



The goats are slated to be processed in October. We will have goat available at the share distributions in October for separate purchase. Based on feedback, we may raise even more next year.



With all the publicity around locally grown meat and vegetables and the dangers to our health, our land and our children of corporate farming, we would hope to see more about the issues surrounding dairy farmers. The dairy industry still struggles with low milk prices and high cost of production, Each farmers is trying cope as best as he/she can. One neighbor is really working the direct to consumer approach, another said he just hopes to hold on long enough for others to go out of business so prices will go up. The challenge is that milk production has shifted from the family farm to the industrial model; in upstate NY, throughout the mid-west and on the west coast there are HUGE dairy farms literally milking thousands of cows. These cows go from the milking parlor to the feed area to a stall to rest to the milking parlor to feed to stall and this happens three times every 24 hours seven days a week The cows never see outdoors and by age six are so weary that they are slaughtered. Usually there is a crew of milkers that work eight hour shifts – one recent farm worker told me all he did for eight hours was dip cows teats. That was a full time job.


The slaughtered dairy cow (replete with years of hormones to increase milk production) is then ground into hamburger and sold on the open market as well as given to schools, prisons and other public institutions by the federal government food distribution programs. This has the effect of driving down beef prices and confusing the public about the true cost of beef production – a beef cow is different than a diary cow, but both can easily be made into hamburger. Last year I spoke as part of a panel of farmers to the five college dining directors in western MA about how they could better support local farmers. The bottom line is the dollar – we cannot compete with free and until we have national farm polices that at the very least do not penalize the small farmer it is very difficult. The real cost of our beef is over $5 per lb and that is without any of our time, land or infrastructure. It is simply to grow a calf for 27 to 29 months from birth to process and then to truck to the slaughterhouse, pay to have it butchered, wrapped and labeled and brought back to the farm. As members of our CSA and most of you are also part of a veggie CSA I know you get it – but it is important to keep the education flowing.



On that note, I have had several requests for things such as trip and chicken feet. In keeping with the “I’m from the government and I’m here to help” as my all time favorite oxymoron, we cannot get these things out of our slaughterhouse. There are regulations around cleaning tripe and feet that call for specific and expensive pieces of equipment that our small, family run slaughterhouse simply does not have the resources to acquire. Without that equipment, the offal is not allowed to be released and must be destroyed. This is similar to our struggles with bacon and ham. Our regular slaughterhouse is not UDSA certified for smoked meats due to the cost of the required computer monitoring equipment for smoking. They have chosen not to invest in the monitor ($35,000 plus) although they do smoke meat. Thus their bacon is not USDA approved. After several years of looking we were able to locate a smokehouse in Vermont that has agreed to take our pork bellies and hams and smoke them under full USDA approval. However, they will not do nitrate free hams. After much discussion our bacon is all nitrate and nitrite free – but the risk of the hams is too much and they will not do them as nitrate free. So, like any business we make our compromises and move on. We are very grateful to have a slaughterhouse that works with us and does a great job and are thrilled to have a smokehouse that will take our meat. We are also happy to honor any no-nitrate request from our shareholders.



Finally – PORK CUTLETS!! I have had many questions regarding pork cutlets this summer and want to give a bit of information: The pork cutlets are simply unsmoked ham. They are from the ham of the pig – the big muscle the pig uses to run through the pasture. They can be tough. The best thing to do is to treat it like a boneless chicken breast – they are GREAT marinated and sliced thinly for stir-fry (a ginger-soy marinade is my personal favorite) They also chunk up really well for pork kebabs – again a marinade will help break down the connective tissue and make it more tender. They are from the same place as a veal cutlet – the butt - but remember most veal is very contained and doesn’t move around a lot so it will be a lot more tender than our happy, romping hogs : )

I look forward to connecting with you tomorrow - Thanks so very much for supporting local farms! Not only are you a local hero, but you are part of the solution to our food future.


Thank you.


Naturally yours,

Kim and Rich
www.chestnutfarms.org

Comments

[roaming.livejournal.com]

Those guys are great. I feel so much better buying meat from them: I'm happy to pay $8/lb of meat that I KNOW has been humanely raised and humanely slaughtered, not to mention no hormone/steroid use.

THANK YOU for turning us on to them last year!

[dancer.livejournal.com]

I feel the same way about them - love, love, love getting our stuff there! :)