June CSA Newsletter

June CSA Newsletter

Hereford Mother and her offspring.
Hereford Mother and her offspring.


First share of Summer, crazy. Do the days of May just skip and jump around, it feels like I've lost a few along the way.

May is probably one of my favorite months. After months of being dormant under a snow covered blanket all the LIFE that is under there just explodes. So much happening in the small, intense season we have of growth. After accessing our pastures this spring we realized that keeping the beef out on them so late had actually hurt them. The biggest thing we are learning is that, just like you and I, they need rest. Under rested and the grass gets stunted, lacking its normal vigor.

Spring grass, overgrazed.
Spring grass, overgrazed.


So for the past month that the animals have been out we have been zealots of pasture maintenance. Shifting them from paddock to paddock, analyzing the consumption and making notes for the next move. SO. MUCH. FUN. Who would have thought? This could become an addiction problem. Seeing much less than stellar pastures ( weedy, uneven and lacking lushness) blossom in just weeks. From this, in early spring till today, just turned the beef into this riot of thick, dense pasture.

Lush pasture!
Lush pasture!


I WISH there was better news regarding the walk-in freezer. It has been a test of patience....everything but two light fixtures and a stinkin wire that heats the door so it doesn't freeze shut is is done. Patience.is.a. virtue. In other, much more exciting news we have been working on a new website ( more on that next month) and needed a photographer. I follow David Zufall on Instagram and have loved his ability to capture animals. Shouldn't be surprising as his family own a grass based, organic dairy. He captures some amazing images and we will be sharing them here, on our website, FB & Instagram. The calendar cows above are his work!

One more new thing, we are showing you our plans for the CSA shares for the next three months and would love your imput, or even choices ( the more time we have to plan the better!) These are for our most popular share, the Half Mixed. If you have a Full Mixed, we usually double the quantities. If you have another share ( half beef, half pork, etc. they will be different than what is below). Your first month of choices are below,

June Option 1 for Half Mixed
  • Beef Roast ( bone-in or boneless Chuck)
  • Ground Beef
  • Ground Pork
  • Mild, Sweet or Hot Pork Sausage/Links
  • Bone-in Pork Chops
  • Pork Shoulder OR Fresh Ham Steak
  • Spareribs, Country Style OR Baby Back Ribs
  • T-bone, Rib, Porterhouse Steak OR Lamb Stew/Kabob
June Option 2 for Half Mixed
  • Boneless Pork Roast ( Shoulder or Ham )
  • Ground Beef
  • Beef 1/4# Patties OR Sandwich Steak
  • Beef Stew OR Lamb Shanks
  • Boneless Pork Chops
  • Short ribs
  • Sirloin or Sirloin Tip Steak
  • NY Strip, Ribeye, Filet Mignon Steak

You are more than welcome to request other cuts on any of these shares, if we can, it will be substituted!

July Option 1 for Half Mixed
  • Bone-in Pork Roast ( Shoulder or Ham)
  • Ground Beef
  • Kielbasa, Bacon OR Pork Stew/Kabob
  • Beef Stew OR Lamb Shoulder Steak
  • Boneless Pork Chops
  • Top Round or Sandwich Steak
  • Sirloin or Sirloin Tip Steak
  • NY Strip, Ribeye, Filet Mignon OR Lamb Chops
July Option 2 for Half Mixed
  • Beef Roast ( bone-in or boneless Chuck )
  • Ground Beef
  • Ground Pork
  • Bacon or Hot dogs
  • Bone-in Pork Chops
  • Sandwich Steak
  • Spareribs, Country Style or Baby Back Ribs
  • BL Pork Loin roast, Lamb Leg Steak OR Pork Tenderloin
August Option 1 for Half Mixed
  • Beef Roast (Bottom Round, London Broil, Brisket, Eye of Round)
  • Ground Beef
  • Ground Pork
  • Pork Stew/Kabob OR Bacon
  • Bone-in Pork Chops
  • Pork Shoulder/Ham (Fresh or Cured) Steaks OR Smoked Pork Cheeks
  • Pork Spareribs
  • NY Strip, Ribeye, Filet Mignon OR BL Leg of Lamb
August Option 2 for Half Mixed
  • Cured Ham/Shoulder roast OR Lamb Shoulder roast
  • Ground Beef
  • Mild, Sweet or Hot Pork Sausage
  • Beef Stew
  • Boneless Pork Chops
  • Osso Buco/Chuck Steak
  • Sirloin OR Sirloin Tip Steak
  • T-bone, Rib or Porterhouse Steaks

Thank you for sharing our harvest!

- - Kassandra and everyone from 8 O'clock Ranch

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