Cole’s Snow Pile

Happy New Year! We didn’t have a white Christmas but winter did show up and a crusty, crunchy snow has covered those greening pastures. This morning, while feeding the beef, our big lead cow Chocolate proudly brought her brand spanking new calf. We had started to wonder if she was pregnant and laughingly called this her longest, 18 month gestation ever. Glad for the big healthy heifer ( female) calf on this first day of 2016!

December is always a bit hectic and this month did not disappoint! CSA share distribution was quickly followed by Christmas shares. Prime Ribs, Whole Tenderloins, Frenched racks and smoked hams, with all of the other wishlist cuts to go with them went out while friends and family started dropping from a stomach bug that I fervently prayed would stay away! It did, everything went out and we took this last week of December off. Time to clean the home, ranch and wee cracks of my brain. New vision for this year needs rest, and time.

Such meaty prettiness!

So….what has happened is a fun year is being planned. Ambitious and exciting. Not just in the planning but who we are doing it with. The Hill family has been building their herd of Berkshire pigs, slowly and steadily and recently put up a new barn so as to give each sow her own, luxuriously bedded nursery to have her piglets. My brother Jordan and his wife are getting ready to start their second year raising pastured chickens. This year, our 16 year old nephew joins the ranks and is planning on raising a group of chickens as well as putting pigs out to pasture. Each addition to this collective that we have improves not only what we can offer to you, but to the collective knowledge of holistically managing animals, and grass. Grass is life to so many, it means the fruits of seeking to discover what each field needs; resting, grazing, minerals, compost. With each new family who undertakes this, more acreage is being brought to life.

Progress is also being made towards moving into the shipping building. This past fall we had the electric work done for all of the wiring. On Monday, Abe Stutzman will be starting on the office, putting up walls, insulating and finishing the wiring. Hopefully by next month we will have moved our little office out of our living room and will have pictures to show you!

Windows for new office

We loved the windows & light in this example, but our office probably won’t have the riding boots or posh sofa!

We offer the two standard CSA share options. Your choice!

 Give us a list of cuts you are hoping for, whatever roasts, ground beef, steaks, sausages, bacon, lamb, chicken – you name it, and we will fill the value ( the cost of that cut) of your share with what we have. OR, send us the share option that you would like.

Option #1 for Half Mixed shares is;
Pork Roast ( BI or BL Shoulder or Ham) OR Chicken
Ground Beef 1-3 ( let us know if you want more!)
Smoked Bacon or Baby back/Spareribs
Beef Stew OR Sandwich Steak
BI or BL Pork Chops
Sirloin OR Sirloin Tip Steak
Cube, Top Round steak or extra Ground beef
Ribeye, NY Strip OR Filet Mignon
and a few misc. cuts!

OR

Option #2 for Half Mixed shares is;
Beef Roast (BI or BL Chuck, Eye of Round, Sirloin Tip etc) OR Chicken
Ground Beef 1-3 ( let us know if you want more!)
Pork Stew or Kabob
Sweet/Hot sausage/links
BI or BL Pork Chops
Flat Iron, Flank or Skirt steak OR Bacon
Ribeye, NY Strip or Filet Mignon
and a few misc. cuts!

Thank you for sharing our harvest!

– – Kassandra and everyone from 8 O’clock Ranch

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