R&C Dairy and Farmstead Updates

OREGON TRAIL SOURDOUGH BREAD!!!

2012-01-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

My new obsession! Who knew that bread could consume ones life! I have spent the last few weeks studying, gathering tools,( I had no clue what a banneton was), and equipment, reading about crusts and crumbs. I have baked bread most of my adult life...... just took a little flour, yeast, salt, water, oil and tadahhh! Bread! But sourdough is like the rocket science of breadmaking. I came across a sourdough starter some time back, originally from 1847, and used on the Oregon Trail. That alone tweaked my curiosity. I obtained some of it, trying to get up the nerve to see what bread with a hundred and sixty year old starter would taste like! It has been dormant in my refrigerator, getting a little nourishment here and there, when I was recycling leftovers and would shuffle it around. I had been hesitant to give it a try, as sourdough bread is my favorite, and knowing that if I tried it and it did not live up to my expectations, it would put me in the funk for days to come. The beginning of a New Year and wanting to broaden my horizons, found me activating the starter, searching for the perfect flour, all the right tools, thoroughly studying different experiences of others with the sourdough bread venture, and this is where my quest has led. They look right darn tasty, if I do say so myself! Mind you, since I have also started curtailing my intake of carbs, I have not tasted one morsel of my sourdough bread. My recommendation comes from the three days from start to finish that it takes to make it. Anything that takes that much time, has got to be good! The bread is available in the Market on the weekends, at $3.50 a boule'. MARKET HOURS: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. Call throughout the week for dairy pickup. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!!

2012-01-25T12:34:00.001-08:00

WONDERFUL RAIN AND.........FISH FROM ABOVE!!!

2012-01-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

Will wonders never cease! As we scoped the pastures and gardens for the welcome effects of the continuous rainfall that has blessed the farm, we noticed some collateral damage from the storms, resting in the driveway. I have heard of the phenomena of frogs, worms and fish, falling from the sky during a violent tempest, but now I am a witness!The tiny fish, the Farmer, an avid fisherman, says are shad......native to Lake Texoma and Ray Roberts. That is a long way to travel through the air. Brings a whole new perspective to Flying Fish! On a more sensible note, we are making headway in our preparations for Spring planting. The propogation houses are filling up with seed trays for planting. The ground is ready for the hoop house, that will soon be here. The Farmer's Son has jumped the gun a little and planted a round of onions. The market had its first week end opening, it was good to see our friends after a brief lull during the Christmas season. Our MARKET HOURS: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. We only have cow milk and cow milk products at this time. The goat milk will resume the first of March.The CSA is almost full-up. Thank you to all those who sent in their applications so quickly. More information will be posted here as we get closer to the season, around the first week in April. Valentines Day is just around the corner, we will have some special treats in the market for that special someone. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

E-mail crash!!

2012-01-23T11:43:00.000-08:00

Our e-mail has a glitch, working on getting it fixed, so sorry......info@randcdairy.com is under repair.

MARKET OPENING FOR 2012!!!

2012-01-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, I did not get my house cleaned, gather a box for the Goodwill, or reorganize my pantry! But I did have a good rest and am ready to put the Petals ( fruit & veggie blooms) to the Metals( rake,hoe, & shovel). The Farmstead Market will be opening on Friday of this week, with cow milk and cow milk products. We will be introducing a few new items. Our homemade laundry soap, our country breads, as well as our homemade preserves, soap, etc. from our farms produce. We will have a few green onions and some mixed salad greens this week. The goat milk will be available the first of March, and we should have produce starting the first of April. The ground beef should be plentiful again in Feb. as should be the bacon. The all natural boneless, skinless, chicken breasts will be available next week. Call or e-mail for more information. The CSA information is posted on the website randcdairy.com. We have a few spots available. AND for all of you romantics, this year, we are going to be doing Specialties for your favorite Valentine. We are going to have Chocolate dipped strawberries, Candies, cookies, and, cakes. Nothin' says lovin' like a dozen double dipped chocolate strawberries or a handful of pecan pralines! From our Farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

THE STAFF OF LIFE!!!

2012-01-13T03:46:00.000-08:00

And the main reason that my little red Scoot-A- Long is such a perfect fit! The new year brings another addition to the market.......Farmstead Breads. Nothing says yummmm like a loaf of all natural, freshly baked, bread. Honey Wheat, Cinnamon Raisin, Sourdough, Country White, will be some of the choices to be had. As is everything else in the market, what selection we have each week, will depend on what the Farmers wife, yours truely, gets baked. Also, we have perfected our home made laundry soap recipe. Did you know that suds are completely useless in a washing machine? I was under the notion that the more bubbles, the better the soap was working. Not So!! Our all natural, special ingredients, (Hint:What has 4 legs, grows a beard, gives milk) works good laundry soap, will be available at a bargain price. Our market is going to reopen on Friday Jan. 20. We will resume our regular hours. Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00pm. Cow milk is available at this time, with some of the cow milk products, yogurt, kefir, buttermilk. The goat milk will be available again the first of March. The Farmer and his Son are anxious and antsy, biding their time through this lull , making a few preparations for early Spring planting and the arrival of the new babies. I am enjoying a little down time, going to bed at 8:30 pm is heavenly, those two are driving me nuts! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

CSA 2012 INFORMATION

2012-01-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

We are now accepting applications for our CSA 2012. A CSA is Community Supported Agriculture, where members provide support to the farm, by committing to a weekly share of what the farm produces. We are planting a wide variety of fruits, veggies and herbs to accomodate the increase in requests we have had for membership. E-mail the farm at info@randcdairy.com or call 903-429-2319 and request the information/application be sent to you, or all can be picked up at the farm. There are a limited amount of spots available. There will be deliveries made to host families in Sherman, Frisco, Aubrey, where produce shares can be picked up. There will also be a day scheduled for pickup at the farm. We are excited to begin the new season and are looking forward to sharing our bountiful harvests. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

MY NEW BEST FRIEND!!!

2012-01-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

It is all about ease and comfort, when age creeps up on you. The Farmer wants to make sure my old bones are saved excess wear and tear. This little contraption will get plenty of use this spring as I scoot along thinning and picking. I was a little offended at the size of the seat when I looked at it, but kept my comments to myself as I plunked myself down and gave it a little whirl around the patio, realizing it was a perfect fit! Thanks be to all the holiday goodies! The Winter itch has hit the farm. The Farmer is anxious to get things rolling for the new year. The weather is cold and thankfully a little drizzly. We are spending the evenings pondering over the seed catalogs, trying to decide where and what to plant. The mama goats are moving slower and slower each day, their steps impeded by blossoming bellies. LuLu is finally earning her keep on the milk line. Along with Zoey, Poppy, and Godiva, they are keeping up with the demand for cow milk, during the goat milk drought. The market will reopen January 20. Cow milk can be picked up at this time by calling ahead and making an appointment. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

READY FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

2011-12-28T16:43:00.000-08:00

Nothing like fresh ripe tomatoes...... in front of the Christmas tree. Since we had to pick all of the fall tomatoes, green as new grass, due to an early frost, these red tomatoes have been welcome during the chilly winter days, fresh salsa, creamy tomato soup, chili, grandma's goulash, and big fat BLT's. Now that I have you smackin' your lips, I am going to give a hint about one of our new projects next year. Tomato greenhouse, climate control, year round! The market is closed until January 20. Cow milk can be purchased by calling for a pick up time throughout the week. The mama goats are all out to pasture, awaiting the next few weeks before kidding season starts, concentrating on eating and sleeping, restoring their bodies and renewing their energy for the new milking season. We have a new heifer calf, born Christmas Eve. Her name of course is Noel. The new high tunnel greenhouse should be here in a couple of weeks. Santa Claus visited the farm, he sure knows what us farm girls like! Pictures of his generous gifts will follow. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support !!

TOMATOES IN OCTOBER!!

2011-12-28T16:08:00.000-08:00

THE TIME HAS COME!!!!

2011-12-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

They held on as long as they could, proudly marching up the ramp to the milking stations, with their heads held high, until they dove into the treat buckets, chin deep, all the while knowing that the few little squirts of milk they gave, were more valuable than the market price of gold. I finally conceded to the fact that a pregnant goat is more concerned with nourishing her unborn kid, than satisfying the demand of goat milk enthusiasts, waiting in line for her meager offerings. For those that have been through the cycle with us for the last few years, here we go again, it is feast or famine in the goat milk business. With deep regret, I recall pouring a gallon or two here and there, to the chickens, the pigs, using it to spray for bugs, ( I read that somewhere) squandering it, thinking there was more than enough to take care of everyones needs. So now I am rationing it out, telling myself, next year it will be different. We will try a different breeding schedule, we will hold some of the girls until late Spring, so we will have winter milk. Knowing full well that ain't a gonna happen! When the courting season starts in October, and that Buck is on the prowl, and all of the girls have the "twitch" better get the job done as timely as possible, because after making the rounds to about 40 does over a period of two months or so, he is done for the year, and do not bother to entice him for another go around in the Spring, as he is not interested! Period! Looking on the bright side, milking time will be quite a bit shorter, as we will just be milking the cows. We are closing the market for Christmas and New Years, and will reopen around Jan. 20th. Cow milk will be available, throughout this time, just call ahead and make an appointment to come to the farm. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

NOW "THIS" IS SNAIL MAIL!!!

2011-12-15T05:52:00.000-08:00

If I had had to depend on the Butterfield Overland Stage for my Christmas card and package deliveries, I would have had to have them ready by the 4th of July. Noting my consistant procrastination in preparation for Christmas and its festivities, all of my recipients would be greatly dissappointed, especially if they were expecting greetings and presents at Christmas time! I am just now thinking about preparing to prepare for Christmas and it's celebrations. I am not a big one for lots of decorations, shopping frenzies, gala parties, but I do like the idea for using Christmas as an excuse to bring a scattered to the ends of the Earth family together to get reunited, reacquainted, catch up on family news, compare a years worth of wrinkles and weight gain. Not to forget the reason that Christmas is celebrated, as we rejoice in the birth of Jesus the Christ and the beginning of his life on the Earth. We are looking forward to a wonderful new year. The Farmer has lots of plans in the works.( Did I mention greenhouse? asparagus? grapes? figs?...... we are going to hold off on the rice paddies.) The market will be open this weekend Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00 pm. We will open next Fri., Dec. 23, from noon until 4:00pm. We will be closed through the holiday season and will reopen around the 20th of January. Exact date will be posted. By the time we reopen, all of the fruit in the freezer should be in jars on the shelves of the market. Hopefully and new display cooler will be ready for the new year. I have been hinting for a new set of shelves to be built, but am not going to hold my breath. The goat milk is nearing its last drop for the season. The cow milk will still be available, call ahead for a pickup time. The meat availability will be a little sparse, as we just processed our last until early spring. Applications for the 2012 CSA season will be taken in January, more information will be posted . From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

SIGNS OF APPROACHING WINTER!!!

2011-12-02T16:26:00.000-08:00

Now ain't that a dismal sight? One night of frosty weather and not a live tomato plant to be found! But being the eternal optimist that I am, I am looking on the bright side...... we can start racking up the chill hours for the fruit trees, specifically required for them to produce next year. The animals are hunkering down for the cold weather as it slowly approaches. The cows look like Yaks from the North Country, the chickens are all fluffy, with frilly tails, as they don their winter feathers, the goats are puffing up in their impending pregnancies, and I am dragging out the coveralls and stocking caps, preparing for winter morning chores. The farmer is contemplating several different greenhouses, soon to make his choice. The strawberries are going through a premature " Is it Springtime?" stage, blossoms are already apparent on a lot of the plants that have thrived in the warmer weather. We may see a few berries around Christmas. Go Figure!!!! We are preparing for the Christmas Holidays, with some extra goodies in the market again this year, we will have the Jar Breads, some candies, cookies, decadent caramel apples, the Goat Milk Caramel, candied jalapeno's, as well as the jams and jellies, pickles and salsas. And ice cream! Homemade ice cream is so much easier to make when it is colder, freezes in a snap! This weeks flavors are Banana Nut, Mint Chocolate Chip, Pecan Praline, Strawberry. It is sold in pint containers, at $4.00 each. Ben and Jerry lookout!! Our regular hours will remain until Dec. 23, then we will close for the holidays and will reopen sometime the middle of January, it will depend when I get my house cleaned! MARKET HOURS: Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00PM. Special appointments can be made throughout the week for dairy pickup. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE!!! (AND PINEAPPLES,("sigh!") )

2011-11-20T05:33:00.000-08:00

I seem to have been in a thick fog this past few weeks, and as the haze has lifted due to the strong Northers that have started blowing in, I realized that it is nearly Thanksgiving, and Christmas is bumping along not to far behind. The days have just melted into each other as we bustle along with our farm duties. The Farmer is making plans for the new year, supper conversation centers around fertilizer, irrigation, propagation, climate control, imagine my delight when he agreed to my proposal of a much expanded asparagus bed...... speaking of climate control, our winter project is going to be a high tunnel. What might you ask is a high tunnel? It is like a greenhouse or a hoop house, but it is on a much larger scale. You can drive a tractor through it. The Farmer is wanting to put a better handle on controlling the elements over some of our crops. I would just like to be able to get some red tomatoes in the fall!( it may be time to hit him up with my lifelong yearning to grow PINEAPPLES!). The market will be open this week on Saturday only from noon until 4:00pm. Milk orders can be picked up throughout the week, just call and let us know you are coming. There will be plenty of cow milk throughout the winter, but as always this time if year, the goats are winding down, so it may be a good idea to start stocking up if you have room in the freezer. Right now there is plenty if a little extra is needed. As they near the early Spring kidding season, the milk supply dwindles. The market will close the Friday before Christmas, and will reopen the first week in Feb. CSA applications will start for the 2012 year in December, more information on that will follow. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

END OF SEASON BONUS!!!

2011-11-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

The first crop froze, the second crop slowly burned, and the third crop, put in only because there were some left over seeds, and hoping for a little folage to till into the ground , has exceded all expections. My Mothers Day present (pea sheller deluxe) has been going non stop for a week now. I pick a bushel and say to myself " This should be plenty ." Then I ponder the peas that are still on the plants, I just can't let them sit in the field and dry up. That was 14 bushels ago. I am headed to the pea patch for one more bushel, going to be good and ready for New Years Eve, just in case we have a great big party. There will be lots of good luck peas in a pot on the stove, in case you happen by and forgot to prepare some. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

CADDYSHACK REVISITED!!!!

2011-11-09T17:18:00.000-08:00

We are in the middle of an invasion! For the last month a colony of gophers have found our rich, sandy soil. Every morning we would wake up to several new mounds polka dotting the pasture, lawn, garden, vegetable fields. Coming and going to run errands within a several mile radius, we noticed other properties with the same condition, freshly dug dirt mounds popping up everywhere. Now, I have a deep respect for the natural order of things, but when one of my critters or myself is in danger of breaking a leg in a gopher hole, I feel it is my responsibility to take action..... and considering our farm does not have natural predators to gophers, the Farmer and his gopherliminator were called into action. For all intents and purposes, the idea behind it is simply brilliant. As a fireman, and an expert with hoses, he just simply hooked one end of a specially rigged hose to the tail pipe of our Poppin' Johnny antique tractor, inserted the other end into the gaping hole dug by the offending culprits, started the tractor and patiently counted about 20 minutes, ( The wait is simply exhausting!!) Next morning we looked out the window, to see if there were any newly excavated mounds. If not, mission successful. As of this morning the ground around the treated area is flat as a fritter, it is possible the rodents are just in a deep sleep, should know in another day or two. If it was an irrefutable success, I will be hiring out the Farmer and his gopherliminator by the hour, will keep you posted! From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!

HAPPY WINDS-DAY!!!

2011-11-05T16:47:00.000-07:00

In the immortal words of Winnie the Pooh, what a blustery day was Saturday. Thank you to all of those that braved the elements and came to the farm for our picnic. Despite the wind and the cool weather, we had quite a day. To all that were loaded with pumpkins and winter squash, e-mail me if you have questions on preparation. One order of business..... our friend volunteered to help with the tickets for the days activities, she misunderstood the amount that we told her for the charge. Instead of $6.00 per adult, and $3.00 per child over 8, and 10.00 for a couple, I believe she may have charged 10.00 per adult. Please contact me and let me know if you were overcharged so that we can rectify the mistake. For those that come to the market, we will take care of it when you come, for those that may consider coming to the farm in the Spring for berries, we will credit you, with some berries or other items we have. We apologize for the mixup. Thank you again for coming. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

IT'S A FAMILY PICNIC!!!

2011-11-04T16:01:00.000-07:00

The weather is going to cooperate for our fall family picnic tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 5. The picnic will start at 12:00 noon, with lunch being served until 1:30 pm. It is casual dress, keeping in mind it may be windy, and walking will be involved! All those planning to attend, don't forget your picnic blanket, and maybe some camp chairs. You can come and stay or come and go. Tours of the farm will be given, with an insight as to every day farm life from milking goats and cows, to planting and harvesting fruits and vegetables. Tickets are $6.00 for adults, $3.00 for children, babes in arms are our guests. Entertainment will be provided so plan on hearing some toe tapping , foot stomping music, and don't be surprised if you leave wanting to learn the jig! The market will be open, with some of our products available. We got the freeze, so the produce is pretty well through for the season, but we have our honey, baked goods, preserves, dairy products. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!!

BUT NOT ON THE TOMATOES, PEPPERS ,SQUASH, CUCUMBERS!!!

2011-10-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

We saved the day for the CSA! The frost snuck in during the wee hours of the morning, but thankfully we were waiting will all barrels loaded, or in our case all rows covered. The Farmer and his Son, diligently covered what we wanted to protect with everything we could find. If you drove by the farm you would have seen the crops covered with tarps, bedsheets, plastic wrap, old coveralls, gunny sacks, garbage sacks, it looked like remnants of a tornado that dropped its contents in our fields. For their efforts, we should have produce for the CSA another couple of weeks, at least. Autumn is here, a bit of a chill is in the air and the farm is bustling. The breeding season is nearly over, the new pullets( young hens) are settling in, Ms. Dewey the duck has found the nesting box for her egg that she lays every day. We have a new foundling, a heifer calf with only three feet. She has found some playmates, lulu's calf Maizey May, and the boys, Rosco and Bosco. They are very patient with her, they seem to sense her disability, as they let her eat first and make sure she is not left alone in the field. Animals are beyond amazing! Looking forward to those attending the Family Farm Picnic, looks like the weather is going to be fine. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

A BIT OF FROST ON THE PUMPKIN!!!

2011-10-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

FALL FAMILY PICNIC APPROACHES!!!

2011-10-25T05:29:00.000-07:00

Preparations are starting for the Fall Family Picnic on Saturday, Nov 5. Those that have made reservations, we are looking forward to your visit! The picnic will start at 12:00 noon with lunch being served until 1:30. Come at your leisure, as we will continue the event until around 3:00 pm. Everything for the meal will be provided, but all are asked to bring a blanket or covering to spread on the grass for your family to sit on to eat. Camp chairs are also welcome. During that time, tours will be given around the farm introducing our farm family members( Lulu is anxiously awaiting your visit.) You will get an insight as to what farmers do to be farmers. A wagon ride will be available to see how the watermelons, strawberries, pumpkins, and all of the fall crops are faring. Some top knotch entertainment will be performing for your enjoyment. We suggest that all dress for the occasion. This is a farm with plenty of dirt and poop. Closed toed shoes, long pants,( hay is stickly) and a jacket if it is chilly. Spiked heels will only be good for aerating our soil! Plenty of parking will be available. Tickets will be available at the welcome table.... $6.00 for adults, $3.00 for children. This will be a very casual event. Folks around here don't get in too much of a hurry, or make a whole lot of fuss. It will be an afternoon of family and fun, with a little education in the mix. We request that those that come, respect that this is a working farm and part of our livlihood. Children are the responsibility of their parents. Parts of the farm are not available to be toured, as we do not want any mishaps. Our bull is sweet, but we are not going to take visitors into his domain to pet him. The picnic is contingent on the weather. Since this is an outdoor event, we will postpone it if the weather is bad. An announcement will be posted early that morning on the blog and a message will be on the answering machine, 903-429-2319, if we have to change the date.....again. The market will still be open for regular customers. MARKET HOURS: Fri and Sat from noon until 4 pm. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

FINALLY, SOME COW MILK!!!

2011-10-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

Snickers is letting us have some of his nummy, and Lulu is giving us her all! Finally some cow milk. Soon we should have enough to remove the cream, and hopefully, churn a little butter. It still would be a good idea to call ahead and reserve what you need, to make sure it will be available, as we have a waiting list. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!!

AUTUMN UPDATES!!!

2011-10-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

What a difference a week makes!! We have had rain, we have had a new baby calf, our barn is full of hay, and we have orange pumpkins! Best of all I can drag out the sweat shirts to hide those extra pounds that I did not quite work off this summer. First order of business is the fall CSA is going to start next Thurs. Oct. 20. We will probably go for 5 weeks, unless there is a freak killing frost that shuts us down. Due to the fact our delivery person (Chris the # 3 son) is fulfilling another commitment through November, we are going to have all of the baskets picked up at the farm on Thursdays. When we begin the Spring CSA in 2012, we will resume the deliveries to Provident Village and Sherman. To participate in the CSA program, call or e-mail to reserve your share. Membership is not required for this fall. Reservations must be made by Tues. for pickup the following Thurs. We do have a limited amount of shares available so call early to assure there will be one for your family. Price per share is $30. This includes fresh produce picked from our farm, or a local farm that we barter with. Recipes and extras needed for those recipes ( herbs, spices, etc) may be included in your share. These items may not come from our farm, but are included for your convenience. Because raising crops is not an exact science, we reserve the right to include in your share other items from our farm if the weekly harvest is a little slight, to make sure you are receiving a sufficient amount for your investment. There may be honey, eggs, ground beef, preserves, or maybe some homemade bread or granola included in your basket. Payment can be made when share is picked up, between 3:00pm and 6:00pm. The following weeks share can be reserved at that time. The first share will probably include the following: Watermelon, cantaloupe, yellow squash, zuccinni, cucumbers, okra, eggplant, black eyed peas, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, mixed salad greens, garlic, pears. Tomatoes, beets and peppers are coming along. Next on the list is the Fall Family Picnic scheduled for, weather permitting, November 5 from noon until 3:00 pm. There are a few spots still available, so call and reserve for your family. Later this week more picnic information will be posted . Godiva had her calf and Maizy May is headed across the street to hang out with Bosco and Rosco. There are going to be a few noisy, sleepless nights, as Lulu adjusts to an "empty nest". Long story short, we are going to have cow milk in a few days. Market hours are: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

2011-10-06T15:50:00.000-07:00

Waylon and Willie Jean!!

A HAVEN FOR WAYWARDS!!!!

2011-10-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

Huey, Lewy and Ms. Dewy

OUR VERY OWN!!!

2011-10-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

Lots of different shapes and sizes, a fall rainbow of assorted colors,and our guaranty that they are our own home grown, by the gird of our loins and the sweat of our brows, PUMPKINS!!! It is like a treasure hunt walking through the lush folage of the patch. A lot of the bigger ones have a week or two until they are ready, so come to the farm, and we will go pick you a fresh, never passed the through the doors of Wal-Mart pumpkin. This year, we are not going to do a formal pumpkin patch, as we were not sure of our pumpkin growing prowess, so we did a test run. And WOW!! Underneath the wide green leaves are oodles of the fall fruit. The only hitch is the timing, we may be having a special on Christmas centerpieces featuring pumpkins and holly! Next year, we will have a pumpkin patch, a maze, hay rides...... the whole kit' n kaboodle. We will have some pumpkins picked for the market starting this weekend. Besides the standard varieties we have grown some unique varieties for fall decorating. The price will be $2.00 and up depending upon the size. There will be plenty of larger ones for decorating,or carving starting the 14th. Remember that a carved pumpkin will last about a week before going south, so don't get in too big of a hurry. Market hours Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00 PM. The Fall Family Picnic on Nov. 5 has a few spots left. Call and make your reservation for your family. More information is posted on the blog under Big Announcement. We will post updates as the date nears. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

BURIED TREASURE!!!!

2011-09-24T04:57:00.000-07:00

Breathing a sigh of relief here, that the satellite did not fall on our heads last night, as it would have really put a kink in our day! As Autumn arrives, and the weather cools, there is a bustle of activity on the farm.We are busily harvesting the first of the fall crops and anticipating preparations for winter and early spring. It is time for the strawberry plants to arrive from Canada. Preparations need to be made for the large asparagus and garlic beds to be planted. Romeo the Buck is patiently awaiting his reintroduction to the girls after a long respite of rest and relaxation. The next 30 days will be a flurry of lovin', lovin' and more lovin'. The Farmer claims this is the only time he wishes he were a goat! Silly Man.... Despite the dry spell we are having, we have been able to plant green beans, snap peas, carrots, beets, squash, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce, spinach, chard, tomatoes and peppers. Hopefully by the middle of October, we will be able to start the fall CSA. The melons have risen from the grave! There is a whole new crop of some of the sweetest watermelons to pass a pair of lips. The pumpkin patch is about 3 feet tall and completely covered over in folage. Haven't a clue as to the outcome of the pumpkin harvest, as we can only see a hint of what is underneath the leaves. It does look promising. The summer fruit harvest in the freezers seems to have multiplied, as told by the endless jars of jams and jellies that are passing through the canner. It is nearly caramel apple time, and the holidays are just around the corner. The goat milk supply is steady, the cows will freshen the first of October, the meat and honey is still available, and as the early mornings are cool, the baked goods will start to appear in the market.Some hot young chicks have arrived at the farm, giving the roosters a reason to strut their stuff. Some of the old hens are none to pleased.They don't want them, but don't want any other fluff to have them either! The Fall Family Picnic is still scheduled for Nov. 5, we have taken about half of the reservations we will be able to take. There is still some time, but when we reach our limit, NO MAS!! More information will follow as the date draws near. The market hours are Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. Call for special appointment for dairy pickup through the week. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

IT'S PILES OF DIRT!!! SOON TO BE PILES OF POTATOES!!!

2011-09-12T04:26:00.000-07:00

WE HOPE!!! Take some shriveled, past their prime, leftover from the spring crop, bitty potatoes, dig a hole in the dirt, drop them in, water and wait! I am in gambling mode, again, we will see if my risky move pays off! If little green shoots pop through the ground, we are winners! It is a flurry of activities at the farm. Breeding season is looming near, we have three cows freshening before the end of the year (Yippee! plenty of cow milk for the cow milk diehards) Time for preparing the beds for the strawberries to be planted in October. The first of the fall crops are planted. If all goes well, we will be able to do the CSA for several weeks starting in October. The sweet potatoes are ready to harvest, and the pumpkins are making progress. The Farmer and I and all of the critters are enjoying the cooler weather, despite the lack of rain. The water wheel runs round the clock in an effort to add some green to the pastures to keep the cows and the goats content. The old adage "The grass is greener on the other side of the fence" does hold true, us, being the other side of the fence for a change. Time to cull the laying hens, as we have about 60 and only a few of them are laying. There are quite a few that are about the age of Methusala's grandmother. A friend donated two roosters to the farm. As all of our hens are old widows, due to demise of our prize rooster last Spring, they have become set in their ways. The new boys are not having much luck in their arduous courting efforts.......... they are doing good to scramble to get something to eat, let alone a little lovin'. The Market Hours: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00PM. Special appointments can be made for dairy pick up through the week. Reservations are coming in for the fall family picnic on November 5. More information will follow as the date is closer. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

CHANGE IN THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

2011-09-09T03:21:00.000-07:00

In my zeal for planning our First Annual Family Farm Picnic, I neglected to consult a most trusted friend. I have sought advice on when to plant, where to plant, what to plant, will there be rain, will there be snow, what will grow. I have lived my farm life according to the dictates of the Farmers Almanac. Pish Posh you say!! Well more often than not it is right on the mark, or pretty darn close to it. The date of October 15 has an ominous forecast. Unless you are a family of ducks, it would probably be a miserable day spent under severe thundershowers and cold winds. First rattle out of the box, we are changing the date to Saturday November 5, from noon until 3:00PM. The forcast for that day is dry and mild. We will plan accordingly. All of those who have already called for reservations, will be given a spot on the new date. If you are unable to attend, just let us know. All else will remain the same. Now if, by chance, we wake up that Saturday morning with grey skies, drizzle, or.....snow flurries, I will gracefully acknowledge that there is always a margin of error, and we will again reschedule. Updates and more information will follow, hopefully with only a minor change here or there. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

A VERY IMPATIENT PUMPKIN !!!

2011-09-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

Just couldn't wait until October, tis way to far away. This little guy wants to make himself known RIGHT NOW!!! Hopefully he will have lots of brothers and sisters!!!

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

2011-09-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

We are finally making plans for our Fall Family Picnic here at the farm. The date will be Saturday, October 15, starting at 12:00 noon. We will continue the festivities until 3:00 P.M. There will be a charge of $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for children,( babes in arms are free) which will include a picnic lunch, of a BBQ sand or Hot Dogs, Veggies, chips, lemonade, brownies, going hand in hand with bang up entertainment, a wagon ride, farm tour and more! As our space is limited we will plan for a certain amount of guests. We will take reservations before the date. Families can pay upon arrival that day. We are asking all to bring an old blanket or spread to lay on the grass, on which to eat your lunch and listen to The Full Quiver Bluegrass Band. Call or e-mail us to reserve a spot for your family. Let us know your last name and the number that will be included in your group. We will contact you with a confirmation of your reservation. If all goes well, the pumpkins will be ready. Fall treats will be available for purchase in the market.... popcorn balls, caramel apples, pumpkin cookies etc. More detailed information will follow! We are so excited!!! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

HINT OF AUTUMN!!!

2011-08-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

REMNANTS OF A LONG HOT SUMMER!!!

2011-08-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

THE NEVERENDING GIFT!!!!

2011-08-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

I am convinced that 4 good rows of okra will solve the worlds hunger situation. The rows can be picked clean one day and loaded with pods the next.....and it is 110 degrees outside, with not a hint of rain in sight! The farm is weathering the heat wave, one day at at time. Our days have become a routine, water the animals, cool a spot on the ground for the animals, water the crops, water the animals again, cool another spot on the ground, water the pasture, water the animals again. Our efforts have been successful, as we have had no heat related casualties.(not counting some of the tomato plants) Lulu gave us a scare with her heat stroke episode, but she has survived, and she is basking in the extra attention she receives to assure her comfort. The market has not had cow milk for a while, due to the extreme heat, we are letting the calves get all that they can get from Mama. The goats are carrying the load for milk production. The girls are doing a superb job of keeping up with the demand. The chickens are still iffy. They lay just enough eggs every so often to keep them from the stew pot! I have got to learn how to tell if a hen is past her production years. The last time we gave away what we thought were our old hens, our egg production dropped by half. Today will be the first time I am not in the market ( except for the holidays) as I am giving a presentation sponsered by the Fort Worth Organic Garden Club at the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth on the wonderful world of goats. A series of different speakers will be there on various subjects pertaining to sustainable living. It is free to all, starts at 9:00 am. I am looking forward to sharing with everyone our Caprine Connection. Mostly, since I have been blessed with the "Gift of Gab". I am excited about a captive audience that has to listen to me as I rattle on about one of my most favorite subjects! Our daughter will be in the market today, doing her best to assist any visitors coming for dairy, honey, meat, etc. Our market hours are Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. Thurs. are still set aside for the CSA, and because that one has been such a hit, we will be opening another one next Spring. More information on that later. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

THE RAINMAKER!!!

2011-08-05T05:25:00.000-07:00

The nightly rain dancing didn't do it! The scathing insults directed to the weatherman didn't do it! So remembering the principle that the Lord helps those who help themselves, we decided to "create" some rain so that He would help our crops and pastures to grow! Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures. Here you see my new SUV disguized as a Water Wheel! It may not get 34mpg, but it will sure drop an inch of " rain " wherever you want it to. The fields are dry, the crops are begging for more water, and the animals patiently await the daily water puddles. I would only feel guilty driving a new to me vehicle, anyway, knowing the dire need for water on every inch of the farm. ( I tell the Farmer, I just need wheels to get me from point A to point B without incident, doesn't matter what it looks like or sounds like, just let it get me to where I need to go and back!) I will put my fleeting desire for a vehicle with air conditioning, a CD player and windows that roll up, on the back burner, saving it for a RAINY day! Incidently, the market is open on Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. The pantry shelves are getting stocked with pickles and preserves. The baked goods will be on the bakers rack again soon, and the honey is plentiful. The goat milk products and meat are still available. The produce and eggs are meager! The cows milk is nil! This is farming in Texas and we have learned to be inovative and patient. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

BIG PLANS FOR FALL!!!

2011-07-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

We are psyching ourselves up for fall planting....and it is a stretch to imagine tender seedlings flourishing in 105 degree heat ! Our strawberry plant growers called to check on our order for October. They are in Canada and it made me feel cooler just talking to them from way up North where there are glaciers and iceburgs. The Farmer is not deterred by a little scorching drought, a few more feet of drip irrigation here and there should keep the crops green. Every living thing on the farm is moving at a slow crawl as the heat dome envelopes us day after day. Even the composting worms in the worm hotel only show signs of life when they are stirred with a stick. We are grateful to those who brave the heat to come to the farm for their supply of milk, eggs, honey, meat, soap, etc. and the limited variety of produce we are harvesting at this time. Fall is just around the corner, and that will mean salad greens, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant. Our market hours are Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support !!!

HOT? IT'S NEVER TO HOT FOR OKRA!!!!

2011-07-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

How this heat resiliant plant just keeps on producing day after day, is beyond my comprehension!! It is take your breath away hot, even the Farmer says it is hot. He has been in blazing infernos with 100 lbs of bunker gear on, and does just fine. But this continuous heat wave is taking its toll on him and the farm. Our daily mission is to keep what crops we are growing watered, keep the animals sprayed down and watered, keep us hydrated and cooled. It is only July, we have yet to plod through the endless days of August. We still count our blessings, grateful that night time comes, and a reprieve, grateful that we had the forthought to drill a well for water, and ever so grateful that we do not live in New Jersey where it is 110 degrees! The dairy goats are taking the heat in stride. We spray them a puddle of water under the big oak trees in the morning and they all find a spot to wallow and laze away the day. The milk production is holding steady, as long as they can stay cool and drink all the water they want, it should remain so. The market hours are Friday, and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

A SAVING GRACE OF A LONG HOT SUMMER!!!

2011-07-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

Visions of desert sand, a palm tree oasis, Arabian Nights, swirl through my head during my brief summer fling with figs. They are a perfect fruit. Never a worry if they are sweet enough, never filled with worms or bugs, easy to freeze, dry, or preserve. A perfect cure for a childs sweet tooth! Surprisingly enough a lot of people have never experienced the taste of a fresh fig. I had some in the market this weekend and asked several visitors if they liked fresh figs. The general reply was, " I don't think so!" ( Never confuse a fresh fig with Fig Newtons) So, I asked them to try one. " Oh, My!" was the comment that was repeated over and over. "I did not know that they would be this good!" Gratefully, with the heat, the fig season is upon us, I am gathering all that I can while the crop is flourishing. There will be more fig preserves in the market, as well as fresh figs for the snacking. The second planting of sweet corn will also be ready for this weekend's market. The crops that we are irrigating are holding their own, and we are still harvesting lots of melons, some squash and cucumbers, peppers, a few tomatoes, eggplant, the different varieties of peach trees are ripening sporadically, and of course the sweet corn. We planted pumpkins this week! If we can keep the maurading grasshoppers at bay, we may have some pumpkins this fall! The MARKET HOURS: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. Special appointments can be made for dairy pickup through the week. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

MY POT OF GOLD!!!

2011-07-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

Corn flakes, cornbread, corn oil, corndogs, cornpone, corn syrup, popcorn, and ever so yummy buttered, hot, sweet corn on the cob, and now fuel!!! What ever would we do without corn! Yes, there is a big controversy about feeding some animals corn, namely cows, but telling LuLu that she is not supposed to eat anything but hay and grass, is like telling a teenager don't use cell phones, or you will get a brain tumor! They are thinking, I think I will just take my chances. She loves her watermelon and cantaloupe. The heat is taking its toll, but we are keeping everything going that is on irrigation. This week we will be harvesting lots of corn, and it will be available for bargain prices.... by the sack full or the bushel. The watermelons have been small, but very sweet. The cantaloupe are just starting, and we will be doing taste testing on some of the odd varieties that I planted to see if they will get a repeat performance next year. The goat milk supply has slacked a bit, but we still have plenty. The cow milk is another story. We are going to turn Godiva dry to get ready for her calf in the fall, so we will have a trickle from LuLu. It is time to start putting up her calf, as she is getting the three gallons that we should be getting. She is not going to like it! MARKET HOURS: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00pm. Special appointments can be made at other times for dairy pick up. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

HOUR OF RECKONING!!!! WHAT IS IT?

2011-06-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

Every year, as we are making plans for the seasons crops, the Farmer offers the same suggestion. "Let's plant just a couple of varieties of each vegetable, make a note when it is harvested, if it was a good choice or a BUST, then we will know what to plant the next year!" Every year I wholeheartedly agree, until I immerse myself in page after page of seed catalogs from countless seed companies. It is just too tempting to order burgundy okra, purple tomatoes, or banana melons. I convince myself that if it is in a seed catalog, then maybe I should order it, try something new, be adventurous, Needless to say, our basic variety of melons has become an assorted variety of melons. As the Farmer was determining the ripening status of the melons, the gig was up! He has most certainly figured out that I have more that two types of cantaloupe and watermelon. I wasn't smart enough to order those with similar characterics, I had to order completely different colors and sizes! Just what they are, I am not so sure. To me there are really just two types, good ones and bad ones. The melons are being harvested, I have yet to determine the yays or the nays! The corn is ready, we are picking this week and will have lots of sweet corn in the market this weekend. Nothing says 4th of July BBQ, like corn on the cob! We are still getting a few blackberries for the market, some peaches, plums and some summer pears! The only thing growing on the okra are the pods, the plants aren't any taller than they were when the first blooms appeared. I am still scratching my head about that one! It has been so hot and dry, the black eyed peas are having a struggle, they like the heat, but this may be a bit much! For some reason, my tomato, cucumber and pepper plants are faring pretty well, I am sure that watering twice a day doesn't hurt, either. MARKET HOURS: Friday, Saturday from noon until 4:00pm. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

KAPUT, EL FINITE', NO MAS!!!

2011-06-22T04:39:00.000-07:00

The final curtain is closing on the blackberries. It was such a good performance, we hate to see them go, but with the promise that they will return bigger and better next year! Saturday will be our last picking day. There are still a few berries on the bushes, so we are TAKING APPOINTMENTS for pickers, as we want to make sure all who come to pick will be able to pick their fill. E-mail or call by Friday, we will respond and confirm your appointment. Picking will start at 8:00 AM and will continue until 10:00AM. The MARKET HOURS: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00. Big news for the home canners and bakers, as the governor signed the Cottage Food Bill, which allows me to sell my canned goods and baked goods in the market legally. No more worries that I will get sent to the pokey for my pickles! The dab of rain we got gave the corn and the field peas a new burst of life. Irrigation is good, but there is just something about thunder, lightening and rain that rejuvinates the crops. What does not kill us, makes us stronger and all that! Summer is here, the farm is shifting into low gear, just watering and harvesting for the CSA and the market. For some reason, the goats have not been effected by the heat. Usually the milk production dwindles, as the temperature rises, but the girls are holding steady. The cows are a different story. Lulu just looks at us and smiles, as she loads up on sweet feed and alfalfa at milking time, and gives us a few squirts, here and there. The sweet corn should be ready by the 4th of July. We are harvesting a few cantaloupe and melons. Time to break out the new pea sheller, as the black eyed peas are starting to bloom. We are dumbfounded at the production of our midget okra! It is not 12 inches tall, and all the plants are full of pods! Will wonders never cease! Speaking of wonders, The farmer has planted a very special melon species, that should be ready in about 2 weeks. I am sure no one in the state of Texas has ever seen one, let alone eaten one. If the plants produce, they will be featured here at R&C Farmstead. We will keep you posted! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

HONEY, AS PROMISED!!!!

2011-06-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

The honey is starting to flow, there is not a more perfect food. Right now after the pollination of the wildflowers and fruit trees, it is light and slightly fruity. We will be harvesting through August, and because the Farmer tended to the hives with extreme diligence, the honey crop is plentiful. We learned our lesson last year, he left the hives with a surplus of pollen and honey for the winter and the bees fared very well, even through the frigid snaps we had. Our honey is not heat treated, only put through a series of filters. There may be an occasional wax bit, or some bees knees, but not to worry, that is just part of raw, untreated honey! The honey is $6.00 for an 18 oz. container. We do have some comb honey for $10.00 per pt. BLACKBERRY UPDATE!!! It has been a stellar year for us with the u-pick blackberries. All who have came have been able to fill their buckets in no time at all. Thank you for supporting our venture into early morning berry picking. We will probably have just one more Saturday of picking, and will start at 8:00 AM. picking out at around 10:00AM. We will provide the buckets and the take home containers. Due to the relentless heat wave that we have been experiencing, our days constitute continuous watering of animals and crops. If we can stay a jump ahead of the grasshoppers, we should have sweet corn by the bushels. MARKET UPDATE: Our market hours are Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00 pm. Special appointments can be made for dairy pick up through the week. What we are harvesting at this time are, summer squash, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, black eyed peas, potatoes, onions, garlic, some peaches, (due to the untimely death of a certain squirrel in a motor vehicle accident), some apricots, green beans, cantaloupe, not soon enough, watermelon, eggplant, sweet corn..........., lots of good eatin'. The baked goods are minimal, as there is not much baking going on around here, right now, as the stove is covered up in jars and lids for canning. A special thanks to the special fathers in my life, my dear sweet Father, who helped to give me life, the Farmer, for taking in a woman with four little children, calling them his own, and setting such a good example as to what a father does for his family. And to my Father in Heaven, for all the the blessings he has given to us and our little farm, as we venture from one escapade to the next, in our sojourn into sustainable living. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

SUMMERTIME, SUMMERTIME, SUM, SUM, SUMMERTIME!!!!!

2011-06-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

Nothing says summertime, like sweet corn on the cob and watermelons. Of course the 95 degree days are also a dead giveaway. Springtime was lost somewhere along the way, but we are making the best of it, preparing for the hot, dry days of summer. The okra loves it, the black eyed peas love it, so we just buck up and water on! I capitulated and turned on the air conditioner in the house.... it was so hard to close everything up, as I love the night breezes and the sounds of life outside the kitchen window. The farmer patiently waited until I gave him the signal to clean the air filters and batten down the windows. As I spend most of the day outside anyway, it is tolerable to be a shut in at night. I have been known to get up in the night, sneak outside in my gown tails, drag a lawn chair out near the kitchen garden and fall asleep listening to the crickets and the bull frogs. All is well here on the farm, we have had great success with the blackberry pickers. Every one seems to be getting the amount they need, the berries seem neverending, but that is a good thing! Some of the varieties are nearing the end of their production, as new growth is starting for the next year. We will be harvesting through June and possibly the first part of July. We will have OPEN PICKING on Saturday, starting at 8:00 AM. and will pick until around 10:00 AM. as that is the time the heat starts to set in. Special appointments can be made for other times. We have had pickers come as early as 7:00 AM throughout the week. Just call a day ahead and let us know you are coming! We are just starting the summer crop harvest, summer squash, peppers, cucumbers, green beans, still have beets, potatoes, onions and garlic. It will be a couple of weeks for the tomatoes and melons, closer to the 4th of July. The canner will be going, so will have pickles and preserves in the market. The hens have decided that it is entirely too hot to go to the effort to lay an egg, so the egg supply is zilch! HINT! The Farmer promises some honey in the next couple of weeks! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

BLACKBERRIES APLENTY!!!

2011-06-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

The blackberry bushes are loaded back up with ripe berries, in preparation for open picking on Saturday AM. We will start early, to beat the enevitable heat that will overtake us before noon. 8:00 AM will be the target time we will start picking.Pickout time will probably be around 11:00 AM. Picking containers and take home boxes will be provided. We haven't had problems with chiggers or skeeters, but dress comfortably, We charge by the container pt. $3, qt. $5 gallon box $15. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

BOTTOM'S UP!!!

2011-06-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

With the nectar in full flow, the bees are keeping long hours gathering nectar and pollen. Everyone has been so patient as we wait for the Farmer to start harvesting this years crop of honey. We will need to check all of the hives to make sure that there is plenty of reserve to feed the new brood that are hatching every day. It is easy to harvest the honey when the weather is warm, as honey flows much easier when it is around 90 degrees. We will have regular honey and some comb honey in the market. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

JUNE NEWS !!!!

2011-06-06T07:41:00.000-07:00

New updates for farm goings on! Blackberry picking is trucking right along, we are open this week for special appointments. If you want to get up with the chickens and pick, just give us a call to make an appointment, we will let you pick. If you want to come early in the evening as it cools off, just let us know you are coming, we will be here! We will have open picking again on Saturday starting at 8:00 as it is getting hot by mid day. We will pick until around 11:00. Market hours this week will be Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. Special appointments can be made for dairy pick up throughout the week. The spring produce is nearing its final hoorah, and the summer produce is in wind up mode to hit us full force in a couple of weeks. I am so ready for sweet corn and tomatoes. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

VAMPIRE FREE FARMSTEAD!!!

2011-06-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

It's a sure bet that a vampire can not be found within a 10 mile radius of our farm! We also have plenty of the Old World remedy for dropsy, hysteria, the vapors, and consumption! Not to mention athletes foot! I had no idea garlic was so versatile, and all this time, I was just smearing it on bread and tossing it in my pasta sauce. It definitly goes without saying that eating garlic is a group effort, if one in the group eats it everyone in the group had better eat it........ Well, we got lots, once again the Farmers concern that "maybe some won't come up, so lets plant a bunch" was unfounded. Gratefully enough, we should have enough cloves left over to plant for next years crop. All of you CSA members, better get ready for 101 ways to use garlic! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

IT'S...... RASPBERRIES!!!!!

2011-05-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

It sure enough is a pretty as a picture, delicate, bountiful crop of ripening raspberries! What is even more amazing is that this overly zealous variety of berry has multiplied from 6 plants to two rows of berry bushes! Next year probably enough for some U-pick ! Well, we actually picked out of blackberries for the weekend. Still lots of red ones that will be ready for the next open picking days, which will be Thurs. and Saturday at 9:00 AM. The thornless variety are starting to ripen, they are a little smaller, but still yummy. The market this weekend will have some new veggies and fruits that we are harvesting. New potatoes, Sweet Texas Onions, some fancy, french variety of green bean that I planted, and just regular ol' stringless green beans, the tail end of the cabbage and broccoli, some blackberries, for sure, and some raspberries, and peaches, if they haven't all been bitten into by this crafty squirrel that has learned to climb the trees knock one off, bite it to see if it is to his liking, if not he tries another one. We have dug some elephant garlic the size of a baseball. There are still beets and some baby carrots. I am catching up on the goat cheese supply, so we should have most of the varieties. The canning and baking are going to slow down because of the heat, so there will be a limited amount of preserves and pickles. The summer crops are progressing along, there are little cucumbers and melons on the vines. The corn is not quite as high as an elephants eye, but it looks very promising. The black eyed and purple hull peas and the okra are just enjoying the heat and are dawdeling along. I am anxious to try out my new pea sheller this summer, so there will be shelled peas in the market. And of course the tomatoes and the peppers. The anticipation is killing me! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

BEE BEARDS!!!!

2011-05-28T18:10:00.000-07:00

A sure sign that it is hot! hot! hot! The bees congregate outside the hive, fanning their wings, clustering together, trying to keep each other cool. They take turns going to water, dipping their wings and flying back to the hive and fanning the queen and the brood, keeping a constant temperature in the hive at 91 degrees. If the farmer gets all of the potatoes, onions and garlic harvested and the sweet potatoes planted, we should start harvesting some honey in a couple of weeks. One good point about the unusually hot temperatures, is that it makes for easy pouring of the filtered honey. We do not heat treat our honey. If it is very cold outside, it has to be warmed to the standard temperature of the hive(91 degrees) for easy pouring. Generally it is harvested in the mid to late summer, when it is toasty outside and perfect for honey pouring! It was a wild day for blackberry picking! The wind was blowing, the sun was relentless, but the folks just kept coming. Even the wee ones were little troopers, filling their baskets and enjoying the outdoors. We are going to be open MONDAY, MEMORIAL DAY @ 9:00 am. until pickout, which will be around noon. Maybe we will beat the heat just a little by getting an earlier start. There are still lots of blackberries for picking. Some of the later varieties have a week or two to go, but the earlier varieties are coming on strong! We provide containers to pick and take home. Pt. $3, Qt.$5, gallon box $15. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

TANTALIZING TATORS!!!

2011-05-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

A direct quote from the Farmer " I've never met a French Fry I didn't like!" He would eat them with every meal, especially home fries from freshly dug potatoes. It doesn't get any better than this! ...... so he says. The potato harvest is great this year. We are just mowing the tops and letting the skins season a bit. We beat the potato bugs , they were just starting to hone in on the lush green leaves. New freshly dug potatoes will be in the market this weekend. NEW MARKET HOURS: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. We will be closed on Thursday, as we prepare produce boxes for our CSA members. For more information call or e-mail us. U-Pick blackberry schedule : Open picking Thurs. Fri. Sat. 10:00 AM until we are done. We will be open for picking Monday, Memorial Day at 10:00 AM until pickout. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

BERRY PICKERS.......MUCH THANKS!!!!!

2011-05-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

Our fist week of blackberry picking was a whoppin' success, thank you so much to those who ventured to the farm in questionable weather and picked and picked and picked some more! We just love company, and hope everyone felt welcome and had a good time. For those that did not make it this week, we will have oodles of berries for another few weeks. We will be available throughout the week for call ahead appointments, or will have open picking again Thurs. AM 10:00 and Sat. AM 10:00. We are going to be open on Memorial Day for picking also. Give us a call, if you might head our way on that day and we will keep a spot for you! We will start at 10:00 AM, and pick until we get picked out or pooped out, whichever comes first! Our new market hours start this week : Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 or call ahead for an appointment for dairy pick up. Thurs. is CSA day. A CSA (Community Sustainable Agriculture) is a produce co-op we have started where each week a box of freshly harvested produce is prepared for pickup at the farm. The cost is $30 per box for approx. 4-5 persons. Each box contains at least 7 items. This weeks box contained summer squash, new potatoes, fresh garlic, sweet onions, beets, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, lettuce mix, blackberries, If anyone would like more information just e-mail me and more details will be given. We have a couple of spots open. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

BLACKBERRY PICKING INFO.!!!!

2011-05-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

This is our first year of u-pick blackberries! Our bushes are young, but are proudly presenting an abundance of beautiful, ripe, berries for picking. Boxes are provided, that can be taken with you. A box is $15, when level full it is approximately 7 lbs. Quart containers are also available for $5. We have baskets for children to pick into. As we have several different varieties of berries, they do not ripen at the same time, some are earlier producing than others. Some of the early varieties are ripening and ready for picking. This week, we are accepting appointments in the mornings for picking the first of the crop, just call and set up a time that will be convenient for you, we will be available. Berries are best picked in the morning or evening when it is cool! Friday, May 20 will be open picking without an appointment. We will open at 10:00 AM. until pickout. We will also be open Sat. May 21 for open picking at 10:00 AM, picking until pickout. We will keep updated information on our answer machine, and continue to post on the blog. Some guidelines for pickers: Wear appropriate clothing, jackets, hats, close toed shoes, as we are in sand. The berry patch is a slight distance from the market, so prepare for a little stroll . Pick all around dark berries, as they are the most ripe. All berries you pick are keepers, so be selective. Children are welcome, if well behaved and supervised. We are a working farm, so there will be equipment, animals, electric fences etc. within our gates. We ask that you respect our home and our livelihood as we would yours. The season should last for about 6 weeks. We look forward to your visit! We accept cash or checks in the form of payment. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

SPUDS, SPUDS, AND MORE SPUDS!!

2011-05-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

Before the impending attack of the potato bugs and their voracious offspring, we are going to start harvesting the potatoes. It has been several weeks before the first ones have bloomed, we have taken a sneak peak, and there is a treasure trove of new potatoes in the soil. Yukon gold and a red variety will be available in the market this week. BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!! This week the CEO ( The Farmer) and the board of directors (me, myself and I) held a meeting. Our intern Danny from Ohio, is returning to his home after a year and a half of intense farm related indocterination. (He was to be here for 3 months). He now has an opportunity to coach soccer in high school. Hopefully learning how to milk cows and goats and drive a tractor will help him with his new occupation! We will miss him when he is gone!Soooooooooooo, we are going to regroup! The market will be open on FRIDAY & SATURDAY Noon - 4:00PM. Special appointments can be made at other times for Dairy pickup. New hours will begin May 27. Our family farm day is postponed until fall (maybe Danny will decide goat kids are more fun and a lot less trouble, than high school kids, and come back). Blackberry picking update posted tomorrow. HINT: We will be starting u-pick this week, by appointment, with open picking starting May 27, and will be open Memorial Day at 9:00AM for picking! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

BERRY NEWSFLASH!!!!

2011-05-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

Come wind or rain, sleet or snow, frost or hail, blackberries are the stormtroopers of the garden. This is our third year for the plants, as they are so plentiful, we will be able to begin the U-Pick blackberries this year. Our target date is Friday May 27. We will open for picking at 9:00 am. The price for the berries will be $15.00 per level box. We will provide the boxes for picking and take home. More details will follow, as the berries ripen. Our family farm day scheduled on June 4 is going to be postponed. We have had a few sailors jump ship! Danny, our farm intern is going back to Ohio. Some of our family members who volunteered to help had conflicts in their schedules We will be rescheduling in the fall, when our pumpkins are ready. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

SAUERKRAUT SO SIMPLE!!!!!

2011-05-09T14:52:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs to try fresh, homemade sauerkraut at least once in their lifetime. It is a completely different food from what is sold commercially in the store. You will be incredulous after sampling it, at how good it tastes and amazed at how simple it is to prepare. I am going to share with you the basics of making the best tasting kraut that you have ever eaten. First of all, a clean, glass or ceramic crock works the best to ferment the cabbage in. Use fresh, trimmed of all the bad leaves, cabbage. For fresh cabbage from the garden, check carefully for crawly critters camping amongst the leaves, get them out. You can wipe the cabbage off, but the bacteria on the cabbage encourages the fermentation. I know it sounds kind of scary, but the ancient kraut makers knew what they are doing. And believe me, after the cabbage ferments for several weeks, nothing unwelcome will survive. Quarter the cabbage and remove the core... slice the quarters into 1/2 inch shreds. Place the shreds into the crock sprinkling sea salt or canning salt over it. Apply generously. You may" stomp" on the cabbage a little with the end of a wooden spoon to encourage it to break down. A wondrous reaction will occur and the salt will draw liquid out of the cabbage, making a brine! After about 2 hours the cabbage may be submersed in the liquid. If not make a little salt water brine and pour over it . Find a plate that will fit down into your crock without much room on the sides, and put something clean and heavy on top of it to squish the cabbage down into the liquid and keep it there. Cover it lightly with a tea towel or cheesecloth. That's it! Now find a spot in your house that is cool, around 70 degrees, and wait patiently for about 4 weeks. A word of caution: There may be a little gunk growing on the top, that's ok. Just scoop it off. It may smell like something is a little off in the house, well that is ok too, just close that part of the house from company for a while! I promise that when it is ready, all of the odd smells, will be forgotten. Just scoop out the kraut, some rinse it lightly, some don't, and put it in the fridge. Enjoy!!! It is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

FEED MEEE!!!!!

2011-05-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

Perhaps I am not really a cabbage? Perhaps I am a cutting from a quaint little flower shop on skid row named Mushnik's. Perhaps my momma's name was Audrey II? Perhaps I have a real affinity for the Farmer and his wife that pass by me several times a day and smell so deliciously...... alive? I can just imagine what is passing through everyones mind, and I realize that once again, I am really aging myself. That musical was from the 70's and most of you have probably never heard of it. I still dig out the cassette now and again and become reaquainted with the great doo-bop songs! And because I walk on the safe side of caution, if I ever hear singing coming from the field in the middle of the night and someone calling out FEED ME!!!, All of the cabbages will be harvested the next morning. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

MARKET HOURS !!!

2011-05-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

The wind has laid down a bit, and the crops are breathing a sigh of relief! The melons are starting to bloom and the corn stalks are standing straight as little soldiers after being laid low by the storms. We planted the second wave of sweet corn this week. We are harvesting broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, beets and salad greens for the market. Still a week or two for the potatoes. We plucked out all of the casualties in the tomato and pepper beds. Thankfully, we have a back up plan with about 60 plants in the kitchen garden. That should give us plenty for the market and the CSA. Fall tomatoes are much more my forte, anyway. Lulu will go to the milk barn this weekend, so we will have a little more cows milk. We share with Maizey, and after learning that she has to get on her knees to find her nummy, she has become a little glutton. Our market hours are:Thurs. Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00pm. The blackberries seem on schedule, so the U-pick will probably start the last weekend in May. More info as we get closer to the date. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

FIRST BATH!!!

2011-05-02T03:36:00.000-07:00

Ms. Lulu and Mr. Colorado proudly announce the birth of their daughter Maizey, born at the height of last nights storm, (naturally) weighing approximatly 15 lbs and standing on wobbly legs, about 24 inches tall. Mother and daughter are doing well! Lulu the doting mother, and Colorado thinking one more mouth to feed! Visions of fresh cream and butter are dancing in my head! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

LETTUCE BE HAPPY!!!!

2011-05-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

MARKET HOURS FOR MAY!!!

2011-05-01T05:23:00.000-07:00

Happy May Day!!! Market hours for this month will be Thurs. Fri. Sat. from noon until 4:00 pm. As we milk every day, special appointments can be made to get milk at other times. Inquiries have been made as to the possibility of coming earlier on market days. Our milking and chores are done in the morning. As the competent staff is very limited ( The Farmer and myself, and sometimes our son) it takes us most of the morning to make the rounds and get all of the work done. Anyone is welcome to come earlier, but you may find yourself with a pitch fork and a poop scoop in your hand! The kole crops are still being harvested, the supply should hold steady, if the weather stays cool, for several more weeks. Several customers have asked if we have tomatoes......it is still early Spring. Tomatoes are harvested in the early summer, along with peppers, squash, cucumbers, etc. I refuse to go to the Dallas Market and buy cardboard tasting tomatoes imported from who knows where, and try and pass them off as home grown. Our customers are far to intelligent for that to work! Besides, that would totally defeat the purpose of our policy, "We Sell What We Grow". in some form or another...... with the slight exception of the Vanilla Beans for the vanilla extract....and the wheat in the bread...... and the chocolate in the cookies..... well, "We Sell What We Grow and Make! If you happen to see some limes in the market, they have come from my very own trees thriving in my kitchen garden, but I can guarantee you will not see coconuts and pineapple on our shelves. The blackberries are looking luscious and loaded.Will give plenty of notice as the picking time nears. Should be new potatoes and green beans in a couple of weeks! Will keep you posted! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

FARM TAILS!!!

2011-04-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

Part of my youth was spent in Illinois, where our family had a farm upon which we raised fat, corn fed, Angus cows, and pigs. (this was way before the grassfed movement began, at which time the herd was moved to Montana of all places), so I have very little taste for store bought meat. This is one of the main reasons we have decided to share our farm raised animals with others, giving them the chance to have some of the choicest of meat. Each year we seek a source for calves to feed if we have not been able to produce our own. It has been slim pickins here on the farm as our Herd Sire Colorado has produced all " She's" except for two, since he came to us four years ago. Great for the dairy business, grim for the meat business! Since the girls are spared the frying pan, we haven't had much to fill the freezers. In the local Dairy Farm network there are plenty of calves that are available from other farms to raise from birth for what ever suits your purpose, to nurture and care for them and control what constitutes their diet, keeping us with a constant supply....... And occassionally like pennies from heaven, we are blessed with friends like Walter! Now, Walter is a farmer from way back, whose farm is smack dab in the middle of Denton Texas. His farm is surrounded by swanky subdivisions whose developers have offered him a pricey sum for his land. He has declined, as he would have to find a new home for his momma cows and calves. The Farmer got a call from Walter one morning, with a serious dilema. He had a momma cow that had given birth a few days before, who just up and died, leaving the little bull calf an orphan. Walter did not have time to feed it, would we consider taking it? " Sure, the Farmer said, I will come and get it with the cattle trailer." Walter claimed he had to come by our place later in the day, he would just bring the calf by.(I think it was free buffet for seniors day at the casino up the road) We prepared a stall, washed and prepared a bottle, and waited in anxious anticipation. As I watched the road, I was on the lookout for Walter's pickup and cattle trailer. Not 40 minutes went by and a brand new white Dodge Ram pickup pulled into the drive, my heart sank as there was no trailer attached. Walter must have changed his mind. I noticed someone sitting in the passenger seat, so I decided to be hospitable and invite Walter and his companion for something to drink. Walter hopped out of the drivers seat, toodled around to the other side and opened the passenger door. Out jumped the purtiest little black calf I had ever seen. Oh, My,!! As I looked at the baby poop smeared on the interior, I looked at Walter, as he declared, "It'll all wash off!! Take good care of him, he will be real good eatin' one day", he called, as he backed out of the drive, waved and drove off! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

AFTER THE RAINS, A GOOD SURPRISE!!!

2011-04-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Some folks proudly display pictures of their children and grandchildren, I boast of pictures of cauliflower and broccoli! The crops have been rejuvinated after their three day Spa experience. Lots of rain and mist, some occasional sun and wind. Even the weather beaten tomatoes and peppers have yielded new growth. The pastures are flourishing and the blackberries are heavy laden with little green fruit. The strawberries, whipped stripped, and beaten by the Spring winds and hail, have started to set new fruit! We may have berries in the market for a few weeks. Our market hours are Thurs. Fri. Sat. from noon until 4:00 pm. We have all but given up on LuLu. She waddles down to the pasture, finds a place to laze in the sun, and just lays there swishing her tail.... taunting us. Her belly and bag are so big, her top, back foot can't touch the ground! Our good friend Dairy Larry, calls her " Stumpy," we are just proud to call her ours. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

LADY IN WAITING!!!

2011-04-23T06:11:00.000-07:00

There are no words to properly describe LuLu other than just how it is! A fat, short cow! She takes the term "How the Cow ate the Cabbage" to a whole new level. The cabbage, the apples, the pecans, the spinach, watermelon, not to mention the grass and hay. I realize she is eating for two, but she eats for two all of the time. What is truely amazing is that when she hears her name called, and sees a bucket, she flies across the pasture like she weighs 100 lbs. Quite a memorable sight! You can actually feel the earth move as she approaches. She is patiently awaiting the impending birth of her calf, we are impatiently awaiting for her fresh creamy milk!! At this time of year, we reflect on the season and the sacrifice that was made so that we can have redemption from our misdeeds. Thank you Father in Heaven, and a special thank you to Jesus the Christ. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!

NO RAIN? NO PROBLEM!!!!

2011-04-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

Did I happen to mention that the Farmer is the handiest man that I know? All I have to do is mention that the dryer knocks, or the faucet drips, or that I would like another raised bed in my kitchen garden, or maybe a nice three compartment sink with a vegetable sprayer, in the market would be nice! And there he is.... Johnny on the Spot. Well I mentioned that since we haven't had much rain, it would sure be nice to irrigate most of the crops. TAH-DAH!! He rigged himself up a gismo that will lay the drip line under the ground! Now there will be some sweet corn, and some okra, and some black eyed peas, rain be darned! I admit that there is still nothing like a soft spring shower to leave everything clean and fresh. We were so grateful for that hint of misty rain and calm winds we got a couple of days ago, as we can now see evidence of new growth, after the beating everything took during the storms. The MARKET HOURS: Thurs. Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00 pm. By the way, one of our devoted customers put the farm on facebook. Due to my complete lack of the workings of cyberspace, I haven't figured out how to post the little Facebook logo on our blog to make a link. If you put our name R & C Dairy and Farmstead on facebook we should come up! I will continue my efforts to search the vast beyond for information on how to LINK??? From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

SHORT, BUT SWEET!!!

2011-04-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

The Farmer has made an executive decision, after scoping out the strawberry field. We are closing the strawberry U-Pick for this year. We will have some berries in the market this weekend, but the plants are doing all that they can do to withstand the raging elements they have been exposed to. I actually saw a hail stone the size of a golf ball. It was a great couple of weeks and we felt the season was a success and we are going to plant them again next year, but will prepare with wind breaks, hoop houses or something to give them some protection. Onward and Upward!! The corn and the black eyed peas are poking through the ground, the tomato plants are looking slightly pitiful, but we have an optimistic outlook for them, and I am an avid believer in the miracle of resurrection. The market will be open the regular hours Thursday, Friday, Saturday, from noon until 4:00 pm. We will have cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, beets, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, onions, winter and spring, and of course some strawberries. Plenty of goat milk and not so plenty of cow milk, but we are anxiously awaiting for LuLu to come through for us. The blackberries should be ready in mid May. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

COMATOSE BERRY PLANTS!!!

2011-04-18T15:45:00.000-07:00

The berry plants that have survived the elements have decided to put themselves into a deep sleep, I am sure they are hoping to awaken to calm winds, fresh air, sunshine with a hint of rain! We still have berries, but are watching them ripen very slowly. We will be picking again on Thursday morning, at 9:00am, if all goes well. Check the blog early in the morning for an updated post. The farmer says he has never seen the wind and drought like this in many years. Our hearts go out to those that are dealing with much more severe conditions than we are. The Farmers team at the fire station are helping fight the East Texas wildfires......I am not going to complain about a few dried up strawberry plants and blowing sand. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!

BERRY LULL!!!

2011-04-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

Between the hail, the sandstorms, the hurricane force winds and the ardent strawberry pickers, we are giving the berries a little respite.We will not be picking again until Tues. morning at 9:00. We will again pick on Thurs. and Sat. at 9:00 am. until pickout. The cool weather at night is allowing the strawberry plants to continue to produce more blooms and set fruit. As a good share of them are bare naked due to the loss of their leaves during the extremes in the weather, we will watch them carefully to see what they do. In our guestimation, we should have at least three more weeks of production. Then on to the blackberries. They don't care what mother nature unleashes on them. They are the gladiators of the berry field and will stand tall and fully loaded, ready for picking mid May. The produce is slowly coming on, we have had cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, asparagus, broccoli, and onions, in the market. We are anticipating beets next week.Market hours are Thur. Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00pm. The supply of honey as dwindling, as we are playing the waiting game for the bees to nourish the new brood and start making honey for the new year. We will probably start harvesting some honey the end of May or first of June. Bag check is done on LuLu each evening. She knows that she has everyone on the Jersey milk list anxiously waiting for the white gold she is toting around, and could not care less! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

SATURDAY PICKING!!!!

2011-04-16T05:33:00.000-07:00

Up and at em! We will be picking this morning from 9:00 am until pickout which will probably be around noon. The next picking day will be Tues am at 9:00 . The market will be open today from noon until 4:00pm. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

PURTY,PURTY,PURTY!!!!!

2011-04-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

The berries are gearing up for weekend # 2 of berry season. The cool weather has made it possible for the plants to keep setting fruit, as it looks, we should have berries for three or four more weeks! The schedule will continue with this Friday and Saturday picking, starting at 9:00 am. until pickout. The next picking day will be Tues. am at 9:00, as this will give the remaining berries time to ripen. We will then pick again on Thurs. at 9:00am and again on Saturday at 9:00am. Now if I have you totally confused, just call the farm, 903-429-2319 and each morning a current schedule will be announced. The market hours remain the same. Thurs. Fri. Sat. from noon until 4pm. What seasonal produce and dairy that we have, will be available. Due to the odd weather we have had, cold, then hot, windy, then calm, rainy,then dry, our planting and harvesting is out of whack, so the produce will be available as soon as we have some to harvest. (We have planted our tomatoes three times, so much for being a gambler) As for the dairy, we have plenty of goat milk and goat milk products. The cow milk is still on rations, as we are waiting for Lulu the Diva, to decide it is time to help us out. She has always done things her way and whenever she feels like it. Poppy is a first time freshener and she is due a little later. As we leave the calves on the mommas, we may be lucky to get a squirt or two of what is left from her milk! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

BEE DANCE OF THE HONEY BLONDE!!!

2011-04-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

If you were passing R&C Dairy and Farmstead late Tuesday P.M. and happened to see a full figured blonde woman, peeling off her hat and shirt, waving her arms in the air, shaking her head back and forth and hopping on one foot then the other.........I have no idea who that could have been. It could have been someone who just happened to be passing through the orchard, checking out the peaches, and was not aware that the bee hives had recently been checked. Someone who had recently eaten a peanut butter and honey sandwich, and somehow had gotten a little sticky in her hair and on her shirt sleeve. An innocent bystander that did not realize that guard bees take their job so very seriously, and a scout bee can smell a hint of honey or nectar, far, far, away. I am sure that whoever it was, will be a little more careful going into bee territory after they have been disturbed. The berry picking is going wonderfully well. We have met lots of newcomers to the farm. The strawberry season should last another three or four weeks. We will be picking Thurs. Fri and Sat at 9:00 am. Sunday we will start at 11:00. The market will be open from noon until 4:00 pm on Thurs. Fri. and Sat. We will have picked berries available in the market. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

IT RAINED! IT POURED!! WHILE THE STRAWBERRIES SNORED!!!

2011-04-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

Yippee!!! the berries had a bath, the crops had a drink and the rain barrels are fullup!! We are picking this week every morning at 9:00am until pickout. Hope to see you!!! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

WE ARE BERRY, BERRY GRATEFUL!!!

2011-04-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

What a great berry picking weekend we had! Thank you to all who came and made our Picking Premier so sucessful. We will be picking Sunday starting at 11:00 AM, for those who could not make it, and every day next week, starting at 9:00 in the morning. There are still lots of luscious berries ready to be picked. The wind did not seem to deter any, and we are on the lookout for missing hats, caps, and other misc. objects that may have taken flight. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

STRAWBERRY PICKING COUNTDOWN!!!

2011-04-06T05:02:00.000-07:00

Despite the relentless Spring winds and the Sahara Dessert like sand storms blowing over the strawberries, they are valiantly holding their own. There may not be a green leaf left on the plant, but there are sure enough some really nice berries. Tomorrow,Thursday, is the first date of open picking. We will start at 9:00 AM. and pick until we want to quit! The containers will be provided: $3.00pt. (approx 1lb.) $6.00qt. and $20.00 for 7pt. box. A brief synopsis of the farm guidelines. One adult for each child under 8: Wear appropriate shoes and clothing: Do not eat the unwashed berries: Please be respectful of our fields and crops: Keep what you pick and only pick the completely ripe, all the way around, berries, red does not necessarily mean READY. We will not be able to give farm tours during picking season, but invite all to our family farm open house on June 4, ( more on that later).Picking will resume on Friday 9:00AM and then again on Sat. 9:00AM .Our market will be open for regular hours, Thurs. Friday, and Saturday, from noon until 4:00pm. We look forward to seeing everyone, contact us if there are any questions. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

UPDATE TO THE UPDATES ON BERRIES!!!

2011-04-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

The Strawberries are coming on strong, we are going to move the U-Pick opening day for all to Thurs. April 7. We will pick Thurs. Fri. and Sat. at 9:00 AM. until around noon. Special appointments may be made in the early evening or on Sundays if there are strawberries that are ready. Picked berries will be available at a slightly higher price. The price of the berries are by the container, which we provide. $3.00 per pt. $6.00 per qt. and a larger picking box that holds about 7 pts. is $20.00. Check the Strawberry Updates page(the first one) that will tell the guidlines and information. Our Market will be open on the regular days and hours, Thurs. Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00 pm. Call or e-mail if you have any questions. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

PICKING PREVIEW MON.,TUES., & WED EVE.

2011-04-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

The berries are starting to ripen, the spell of warm weather did it's magic, so we are going to start picking! We are going to take appointments for Mon. Tues and Wed. as there will be berries for some, but not for everyone, yet. We will start at 3:00pm and pick until whenever. Call if you are interested, let us know if you are coming and about what time. Check the Strawberry Updates page for guidlines and information. The main date for open picking is still April 11, at 9:00 AM. So excited to have you visit ! From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!

HEADED FOR THE HONEYMOON!!!!

2011-04-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

All of the young "SISTER WIVES" are preparing for their honeymoon this week. There are 28 of them! If Romeo survives, we will have winter milk! Goats breed in the cool weather months, we are taking a gamble with our last year doelings( we let them reach maturity before we breed them), to see if any of them will get a hankerin' this late in the year. As it is still a might nippy at night, there is a good chance we may have babies again in the fall. Romeo is a young buck we raised that will be introduced to his first females for a whirlwind of fun and frolic, that is unless the girls gang up on him and emasculate him before he has a chance to prove how macho he his. That has been known to happen! The Doe Motto: WE ARE READY WHEN WE SAY WE ARE READY, NOT WHEN YOU SAY WE ARE READY!!! Gotta love those goats! Coco Puff (pictured above) has that look of breathless anticipation, actually more like borderline curiosity and shear boredom as her fate awaits her. Will keep you posted on the pasture paramours! Still on target for the April 11 U-Pick date for strawberries, will post updated information. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!!

Strawberry U-Pick Update!!!

2011-03-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

The daily strawberry field inspection finds the berries right on schedule,...... as far as we can tell. The projected date for the picking season to begin will be Monday, April 11, the time will be 9:00am. Throughout that first week we will also pick Tues, Thurs. Fri. Sat. morning at 9:00 am. Depending upon the amount of ripe berries, we will determine the number of days open each week the following weeks. Most likely it will be Mondays,Wednesdays, and Saturdays. We planted more strawberries this year, so we are not requiring reservations. We want to make sure that your trip to the farm is fruitfull! We will provide the containers for you to pick and take home . We have several sizes to choose from, the price of the berries will be $3.00 lb. As we are a working farm and have farm equipment and animals thereabout, we have some guidelines for your visit to make sure that it will be a pleasant experience, with no mishaps. #1. Wear clothing and shoes for walking and picking. The berry field is a short walking distance from the market. Sun hats or caps if needed, as well as close toed boots or shoes. Our fields are in sand, and there may possibly be mud. Jackets if it is cool. We will not pick if it is raining. #2. Keep what you pick, only pick the all the way around RED berries as they will not ripen after being picked. #3.We fertilize with old, broken down poop. We suggest not eating the berries until WASHED for it is a sure fire guarantee you will have a mouth full of sand that has blown onto the berries, not to mention what may have splashed up on them in the rain. We do not spray for bugs, so a thorough rinsing would be a good idea in case any critters are hiding undetected. We will have a big bowl of washed berries for you to taste to your hearts content # 4.We ask that there be one adult for each child under 8 years of age, for supervision. #5. No matter how tempting it is we ask that you not walk on the beds that the strawberries are grown in. One tear in the plastic mulch will require hours of extra work for us. We will not be able to give tours during picking times, but welcome visitors to attend our Open House on June 4 for a complete run down of the farm and its activities. More on that will be posted later. #6. We will show you how to pick the berries from the plants, and provide a place for you to wash them. We welcome all to our farm and hope that you would respect our home and our livelihood, as we would respect yours. Snacks and beverages will be available to purchase from the market. We have a new canopy with picnic tables provided. As picking time approaches, we will continue to post updates and information . If there are questions, call or e-mail and we will answer them for you, From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support !!

CURING THE CURE!!!

2011-03-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

If you haven't tried goats milk soap it is a sure bet that your skin has not been soft as a babies bum, since, well, you were a baby. I am here to tell you it is the answer to what ever ails your epidermis. Dry skin? Excema? Zits? Wrinkles? well maybe not wrinkles, but your skin will be forever grateful if you bathe it in an all natural bar of Goat Milk Soap! When making the soap, I use the old fashion cold process method. The soap cures for several weeks. There is a list of ingredients sheet available with every bar of soap. Each bar has the purest base oils, coconut, palm, palm kernal, olive, almond, avacodo, with coco butter, shea butter, and honey added. I only use essential oils and herbs for fragrance. There are various scent combinations. Oatmeal and Honey, Tea Tree Oil, Vanilla, Eucalyptus/Mint, Citrus, Lavender, are just some of the varieties we make. For all of you manly men, we have just the soap for you. Timber/Musk. Your mate will not be able to resist the woodsy, earthy smell!! When the farmer uses it, he kind of reminds me of what it might be like to be married to Paul Bunyan,..... without the Ox. The bars sell for $3.50. What a bargain! Next week the update on the Strawberries and whatever else is happening. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!!

Honeybee Heaven!!!

2011-03-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

"When I grow up I want to be a big juicy peach!" We dodged the freezes and the frost, we survived the blustery winds and unless we get a hail storm or a wildfire, we should have some luscious peaches this season. If we can decide on an ice cream machine, the fresh peach ice cream will be a welcome treat on a hot summer day. The Farmer has had a busy week preparing the ground for the okra, corn and the melons. The next two weeks will be busy getting the rest of the crops in the ground, as the last frost date has passed. The old timers claim that there is usually one last frost before Easter, but as Easter is so late this year, we are going to throw caution to the wind and get it all in the ground. The potatoes are popping out of the soil, the broccoli is starting to head and the asparagus plants are giving it their all. Since nature has a way of doing things her way, we are only a little surprised at a variety of blackberry bushes that are already starting to bloom. The strawberries are looking sooooo fine. Next week picking information will be posted, our guidlines, prices, hours, etc. The market will have plenty of kefir, goat cheese, buttermilk etc. this weekend. Sorry we were so short last weekend, it was necessary to fill goat milk orders first, now the milk line has plenty of contributors, so there is plenty of milk for the other goodies. The cow milk is going to be a little slight for a little while, as LuLu is taking a sabatical while preparing to calve again. Poppy still has several weeks before she calves, so Godiva is trying to feed the masses with her daily offerings. MARKET HOURS: Thurs. Fri. Sat. from noon until 4PM. We are available through the week if milk is needed, just call and we will set up a convenient time. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!

Introducing Wallhemina, the Goat Nanny Extraordinare!!!!

2011-03-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

We would like for all to meet one of the most indispensable members of our goat family, Wallhemina! She is a gem! She keeps all of the babies content, as she feeds them any time they want to eat. She warms up their milk lets them eat a little snort of a whole belly full. She and I are best friends, as she lets me get a good nights sleep, without any complaints she takes care of all of the night time feedings. I can spend my time with them cuddling and playing. She will feed just one or she will feed a whole pen full of hungry baby kids. She makes my life so much easier and even though she is an immigrant from some far off country, we communicate very well and the babies just love her to pieces! I am not in the least bit concerned that the Farmer will get a wild hare and decide to run off with the babies Nanny!!! I find myself wanting to cover her up, but I guess that would defeat her purpose, so we just hope visitors to the barn are not offended by the bold display of her assets. Remember this is a farm, and nature will show you all sorts of things here, you may not see anywhere else. From our farmstead to your table , thank you for all of your support!!!

You Got Me Over a Barrel!!!!

2011-03-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Nightime in the Nursery!!

2011-03-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

We are knee deep in babies, babies and more babies! So far, all are doing well. The Farmer had the brilliant idea to breed the does all at the same time, within a two week period, so it has been nonstop labor and delivery! Looking on the bright side, in a few days, all of the babies will be born, and we will have gone from "zippo" goat milk to "muchas a lottas" of goat milk (the Farmer claims he is bi-lingual). We had our Spring Market opening this weekend. It was like a family reunion! Looking forward to seeing everyone else as the season progresses. The strawberries are looking especially hearty. If we don't get a late Spring freeze or a sudden hail storm, our strawberry U-Pick season may start a little earlier than we expected. Should have yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, some goat cheese in the market this coming weekend. And for you pork eaters, the addition of bacon, chops, ham steak, not to mention the breakfast sausage, are irresistable! ( Thanks be to Arnold and his bodacious sister Abigail) may they rest in peace...... on our plates...... . I realize you may think me a little tacky and insensitive to their plight, but they were raised with the intent of providing no hormone, antibiotic free, with no preservatives, meat. And as they were getting a little mean and aggressive, I have enjoyed them much more in the afterlife! People ask us, "How can you eat an animal that you have raised?" It is a bit of a controversial subject, we realize, and in our defense might I explain that we decided to raise our own animals for food, instead of buying .... who knows what at the grocery store. No " mystery meat" found at our farm. We would treat them well, be good stewards over them as they are enjoying the comforts of a leisurely country life. We never take for granted the gift that they give to us, in the form of healthy and nutritious food. ( And I might add, it is a little easier to eat the mean ones, and one day I will share the tale of the viscious rooster with nine lives, and my trusty silver bat that I used for protection). The Farmer and I are from a long line of farmers and ranchers, always having a one on one relationship with a large portion of our food. We are happy to be able to share it with you!! The market hours : Thurs. Fri. Sat. from noon until 4:00 pm. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

Hello, Pretty Baby, Welcome to our Family!!!

2011-03-07T07:07:00.000-08:00

I'll Push if You Catch !!!!

2011-03-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

The midwives have been busy this week. Finally, the babies are arriving. The girls are just taking it all in stride, but as for me, I never get tired of the anticipation of each new birth. I am the nightwatch, they all seem to expect me when I sneak out in the wee hours to make sure all is well. I know that they feel assured that they will have help if something goes amiss, or they need a little tug. The first of the goat milk is here!! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!

Market Opening!!

2011-03-04T23:36:00.000-08:00

The market will be opening for the season next Thursday, Mar. 10. Our hours will be Thurs. Fri. Sat. from noon until 4:00 pm. We will have ground beef, bacon, varieties of sausage, honey, preserves, baked goods, fresh eggs as well as some of the first of the season lettuce, swiss chard, spinach, onions, possibly asparagus. Followed a little later by broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy. A fresh supply of goat milk soap will be waiting. As it is the beginning of milking and planting season, some items will be a limited supply. As the season progresses, much more will be available. The goats will have started producing milk, but for the first couple of weeks there will be a limited amount, until all of them have freshened. At which time, we will have yogurt, buttermilk, kefir etc. available. The target date for Strawberry picking is April 17, more info will be posted closer to that date. Blackberry picking will start following the strawberry harvest, around June 1. This year we will have a large selection of seasonal produce. Along with the squash, tomatoes, cukes, peppers, eggplant, carrots, beets, etc., we are expanding our corn field, so if all goes well, will have an abundance of fresh corn. Last year some yellow watermelons were requested, we will have some delicious yellow, as well as red melons, and an assortment of cantaloupe and honeydew. As the produce is ready in the field, we will have it in the market. Depending on the success of our crops, there may be other U-pick options, especially the black eyed and purple hull peas, and grean beans. We look forward to a wonderful season, and are anxious to see the return of old friends and we welcome everyone to come visit our farm. We are planning our Family Farm Day on Saturday, May 14. We will be giving tours, having demonstrations, providing entertainment, a fun day for the entire family. More information will be given closer to the date. We look forward to seeing you, from our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!

Doc the Cook and Vanilla Extract!!!

2011-03-01T08:06:00.000-08:00

During my youth I had many wonderful adventures and met a broad assortment of interesting and colorful characters. Due to the fact that my father made some varied investments our family had some real estate holdings. One of the most unforgetable was a cattle ranch in Montana .(Stay with me here, I will get to the gist of my tale.) Part of this ranch was on the Crow Indian Reservation, the land being leased from the tribe to run cattle. The ranch was complete with a bunk house, horses, cowpokes, branding season, the whole kit' n kaboodle. We would spend summers there living the life of real honest to goodness cow punchers. We had several hired hands, mostly drifters, to tend to the every day chores on the ranch, and as it was far from the city or anywhere else for that matter, we had accomodations for the workers, a bunk house where they would sleep and eat. And we had Doc! Doc was an aging retired army cook that made the best biscuits that ever passed your lips. He could rustle up a meal for twenty ranch hands, in no time at all. ( Now for the crux of my story) Doc had a slight penchant for, as it was loosely labeled in the old West ," Firewater"! Being out in the middle of nowhere, the ranch was not the most accessable for this slight indulgence. This did not deter him one little bit. We noticed that when he filled out the request for supplies every week, he would request a quart of vanilla extract, needed exclusively for his special vanilla ice cream, his tasty vanilla puddings, his secret recipe vanilla pound cake, and his insistance to make his own vanilla wafers! Needless to say, I am sure my parents were aware of his noticebly obvious scheme, and they probably let him get by with a little nip now and again, but I did not realize until later in life when I started researching how to make my own everything, the true components of Vanilla Extract. Whoopeee!!!!! Being a teetotaler myself, I had to do some serious research as to the best hooch, as the Farmer calls it, to use with my Organic Vanilla Beans, shipped all the way from Madagascar. I went by smell, and the best smelling to me, the ultimate butter eater, was Rum! Now, FYI we sell Vanilla Beans and homemade Vanilla Extract in the market. I would be happy to give instructions for making your own. It really is superb. You may have to keep it on the top shelf in the kitchen cabinet, as to avoid any undo temptation, but it really is tasty....... so I have been told. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!

A dab of dirt, a pinch of seed, a splash of water, a ray of light and VOILA!!!

2011-02-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

The grow house is filling up with seed starts to plant when the frost date passes, the middle of March. This week we were able to get the rest of the broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce and spinach in the fields. The warmer weather crops such as corn, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, cucumbers etc. will be planted later. The warmer weather is producing slight buds on the fruit trees, even my cherry trees have signs of life! Our days are spent preparing for the new market and milking season. The girls are just waddling from one resting spot to the next. All of my pumpkins saved from last year for seed have finally rotted to my liking on the back porch, so I can now harvest the seeds. Actually, the Farmer told me to do something with them or he will toss them all to the chickens, as he discovered that nothing was dead in his shop, it was just rotten pumpkin stench seeping through the walls. Wait until he smells the fermented tomato seeds! The market will be opening March 10, and will be open from noon until 4PM. Our hours will be the same, Thurs. Fri. Sat. from noon until 4PM. The hours will be extended when picking season begins. The freezers will be stocked with meat, the chickens are redeeming themselves for their unproductive spell, we finally have eggs, we will have some produce, and the goat milk supply will be starting for the year. The target date for strawberry season is April 17, if they are ready. Updates will be posted . From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!

A Good Days Work!

2011-02-17T16:24:00.000-08:00

In the immortal words of my favorite Farmer "You can never have too many potatoes!" Funny, that is exactly what he said about the 5,000 onion starts, the 300 tomato plants, boocoos of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce plants, and everything else we are planting. I applaud his enthusiasm and am grateful he enjoys working our little piece of land in an effort to produce delicious homegrown fruits and veggies, but I am silently pondering...... a Potato Festival, contacting McDonalds, or wondering where to find out how to make potato flour. I am just grateful that nearly everyone I know likes potatoes in one form or another. We are in a planting frenzy this week, it feels so good to be out digging in the dirt. We have set the carrots, beets, lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and since the good Lord saw fit to protect our little onion starts, and the strawberry plants during the arctic chill, we will not have to replant those. We are eagerly anticipating the opening of the market on Mar. 10. We may not have a big selection of produce for a couple of weeks after we open, but later in the month we should have assorted greens, asparagus, green onions. I have been saving some honey, so that we would have some to hold us over until we start harvesting this coming summer. We are adding an extension to the front of the market, where we will have picnic tables to sit and enjoy a snack......maybe some home fries or potato salad, how does a bowl of potato soup sound? We will be serving up some homemade ice cream, made with our fresh picked fruit when the fruit season starts. I know all will be loosing sleep in giddy anticipation, we surely will. From our farmstead to your table, Thank you for all of your support!

Dried Tomatoes!

2011-02-11T09:10:00.000-08:00

The last basket of tomatoes, nearly finished. I know that I should be so grateful for an abundant fall harvest, I should not complain about the seemingly never ending supply, I should humbly acknowledge the opportunity for preserving these precious fruit and should look at this as a labor of love. We thank all of those who graciously accepted bags of tomatoes slipped into their shopping bags, left on the back seat of their vehicles, snuck onto front porches during the night..... and did not bring them back. I realize that there are many people in the world who do not have tomatoes, I am ashamed to say that I secretly thank the winter freeze fairies for biting the remaining fruit hanging in the barn, OH, DARN!!! not to worry, ( the chickens will have a feast).These dried tomatoes will be used in the tomato and basil goat cheese, Yummy! We are making preparations to open the market. Our opening date will be Thurs. Mar. 10. Our hours will be the same, Thurs, Fri, Sat. from noon until 4:00pm. When the U-Pick berry season starts near the end of April, we will extend the hours. We are anticipating the girls to start kidding the first week in March, so hopefully we will have goat milk at that time...... and maybe a few tomatoes! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

It's all about Grandma's Comfort Food!!

2011-02-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

As I am slowly approaching the "Golden Years" I have decided to explore just exactly what Grandmas do.....so that when I reach that period in my life, in the not so distant future, and as I watch as my precious grandbabies are growing into little people, I will be well prepared and not have to fumble around trying to hit and miss, and can be right on with every Grandma Thing that I attempt. I believe it is a general concensus that all grandmas make cinnamon rolls! I have spent the last two weeks experimenting with evey type of flour, sweetener, berry, nut, leavening, oil, and spice, that can be put into a cinnamon roll. The freezer is full... if I died tomorrow, my legacy to my grandchildren would be 25 dozen cinnamon rolls. I know that they would honor my name, and respectfully declare to all of their friends that " My grandma made cinnamon rolls......lots and lots of cinnamon rolls." Hopefully, I will outlive the freezer expiration date on the cinnamon rolls, and as I attempt to tackle more stereotypes of Grandmas, think of my grandchildren and wonder if they would be proud of a Grandma that could Hula Dance???? Come get some cinnamon rolls!!! We will be selling them in the Market!!! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!

Snowbirds!!!

2011-02-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

The Bucket Brigade!

2011-02-06T07:45:00.000-08:00

The girls are patiently and not so patiently waiting for the Farmer to bring them a fresh, warm, drink of water. Our days have been a constant flurry of breaking ice and hauling water...... replenishing hay mangers, and hauling more water. A cow can drink 20 to 30 gallons of water a day, with several cows, that's a lotsa buckets of water! The goats are a little less demanding. We weathered the deep cold snap pretty well. The main concern is that the animals would be smart enough to migrate to the sheds and stay put. I finally convinced the chickens that they were not snowbirds and that walking barefoot in the snow was less than desirable. No sooner than I would carry a hen back to the coop, another would race through the door to the chicken yard and the new fallen snow. I finally got them all penned up and the door securely shut, not feeling a hint of guilt that they would be on lockdown for a day or two. Under our main barn, the goats have each burrowed a hollow in the hay and dirt, making a comfy nest that is seldom vacated. Even though our goat milk supply is nil, we are grateful that we waited until March for the babies to start their appearance into the world. The cows are another story. For some reason, they just seem inclined to stand out with their rumps to the wind, in the worst weather imaginable, with a secure shed not twenty yards away! Go Figure!! From our Frosty Farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!

The Honey Hilton!!!

2011-02-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

Winter time is a ssslllooowww... time for bee colonies. The hive is in survival mode. The Queen is in the middle of a huge cluster of bees, and they keep the hive warm by flexing their wings, and taking turns migrating to the middle of the cluster and back out again. The entrance to the hive is reduced so that the guard bees don't have to work so hard to halt unwanted guests. What might you ask are the bees doing flying around outside in the middle of winter? Well, if the temperature is above 50 degrees, they will take turns taking potty breaks outside of the hive,( I can't imagine having to hold it all winter!) and the maids will clean house inside the hive. If we were successful in our feeding assistance, the bees should have enough food to last until early Spring, when the nectrar will start to flow. We left quite a bit of honey for them also, as some of our hives were newbies. We still have honey from the fall harvest, and hopefully the supply will last until summer, when we will start to harvest again. The farmer has been contacted by several persons, that have hives on their properties, in very inconvenient places, so we will be retrieving some hives as soon as the weather warms to add to our bee family. The target date for the opening of the market is Thurs. March 10. We will resume our Thurs. Fri. Sat. days and noon - 4:00pm hours. When the berry picking season starts in April we will extend our days and hours.We are planning our Spring festival, Saturday, May 14. This will be a family fun day with farm tours, demonstrations, food and entertaiment. More details will follow. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!

Brave little Blossom!!!

2011-01-31T04:58:00.000-08:00

After several days of balmy, pleasant weather, we are battening down the hatches in preparation for the next arctic blast! I am sure all of the trees and plants are a little bit confused as to what is going on. Thankfully the strawberries like the cold weather, as long as it isn't sub-zero and doesn't last for days and days. The Farmer would much rather see 100 degree days as 28 degree days. He claims it is much easier to take clothes off, than pile clothes on. I grew up in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah, I will take THIS cold any day of the week. Hopefully the 5,000 onions that we planted will agree with me. The girls are all coming along in their pregnancies, as we are noticing the "saddle bag" look and the telltale waddle. We are making progress in our preparations to open the first weekend in March. We just had a beef processed and the meat is wonderful, so we will have ground beef in the market, we are also going to have our first round of pork. Delicious smoked bacon and several sausage varieties will be available. I am coming near the end of fruit in the freezer, so there will be a selection of preserves. A hint of things to come on the farm.....Spring festival in May, fresh fruit ice cream, berry picking, bigger assortment of homemade baked goods, and much, much, more! For the record, we only sell what we make, bake, or grow here on the farm! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!

Logs with Polka Dots?

2011-01-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

If all goes according to well laid plans, by summer, these logs should show signs of tiny little mushrooms bursting forth from the white polka dots ( wax splotches protecting the mushroom spawn). This is one of those maybe it will and maybe it won't experiments. We followed the directions to a tee, and if we are successful, the whole farm may be covered in polka dot logs! The weather has been tolerable, so we have been able to make some progress in planting preparations. The starts in the greenhouses are poking up from the seed trays, the Farmer was able to start planting onions in the field. The strawberries are starting to set green leaves and we are so excited for a great picking season. Our target date to open the market is the first weekend in March. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!

Goat Milk Soap....Fit for a Queen!!!

2011-01-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

It has been told that Cleopatra took baths in goat milk because of it's undeniably beneficial qualities that enhanced her complexion and made her luminous skin the topic of conversation at every dinner table in Ancient Egypt. At $9.00 per gallon, that would be a pretty pricey extravagance today, so here is the perfect alternative. Goat Milk Soap. This soap is made the old fashioned oils and lye method, curing for a period of time then packaged and labeled according to the essential oils and herbs that are used in each bar. Goat Milk Soap is nothing short of amazing in its ability to clean skin without irritation or excess dryness, leaving it soft and supple, while the hidden ingredients of cocoa butter, shea butter, almond, avacado,and grapeseed, and olive oils, vitamin E and honey, combined with the coconut oil and palm kernel oil, work deep under the surface to nourish, hydrate, and repair. Only essential oils and herbs and spices are used as fragrance. Nothing artificial!!! The soap is reasonably priced in the market for $3.50 -$4.50 per bar, depending upon the size. Several selections include Tea Tree Oil, Oatmeal & Honey, Citrus, Lavender, Vanilla Bean, Rosemary Mint, Unscented, Patchoulli, just to name a few. Relief from assorted skin conditions can easily be had. As it takes 5 - 6 weeks for the soap to cure, these bars will be ready when we open the market in March. Try a bar and see what great skin really feels like! From our farmstead to your table, or bath tub, thank you for all of your support!

Tomatoes picked from dead plants hanging upside down in the barn!

2011-01-19T07:11:00.000-08:00

This was certainly a first for me! Everyone had heard you could do it...... they knew someone, who knew someone who did it, but no one we knew had actually done it themselves! Well, I am here to tell you it works! These are tomatoes picked from the vines we pulled before the big frost last fall, that we hung from the rafters in the barn.The vines are deader than dead but there are still bunches of green tomatoes, still turning. I will probably still be canning last years tomatoes when our this years summer crop is ready to harvest. We are just as busy as we can be getting ready for spring planting. I have been planting starts of lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy, in the cold crop greenhouse, and cucumbers, squash, in the hot house. Our pluot trees should be here this week, and it is time for pruning and planting other fruits and berries. For those of you who have fruit trees, remember the dormant tree spray they need before blooming. If you have berries, and you need to divide and conquer. Now is the time for that, also. Dig up any errant shoots and transplant them where you would like for them to grow. Remember that raspberries and blackberries can be invasive, so find a spot that they can multply to their little hearts content. The opening date for the market is going to be pushed back until the first week in March, as we will not have much that will be available until then. Unless everyone wants to come for green onions. The goats milk will start flowing again, and by then we will have some of the additions completed to the market. We will be selling heirloom vegetable starts, onion sets, seed potatoes, among other things for your garden. A word to the wise, and not so wise, PLANT A GARDEN!!! With the price of gas going through the roof, and the fact that truckers will not be able to afford it, grocery prices are going to be ridiculous. If you need some help come ask me, I can give you a few pointers from my successes and my foibles. And if you bring an empty bucket I can fill it up with poop to get you started. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!

A Little Hut in the Arctic?

2011-01-13T11:36:00.000-08:00

Not Quite!!!! It's a little Greenhouse in Texas! Brrrrrr.... it is cold here on the farm. We are all in survival mode. The animals get up from their burrowed spots to get a bite to eat and an occasional drink. The farmer has spent the last few days breaking ice in water troughs and replenishing hay and feed mangers. I keep telling myself this is good, be thankful for the chill hours so that we can have luscious fruit in the summer time. Maybe the bugs won't be so bad this year. The snow will melt and penetrate the ground slowly and deeply. Best of all, I can wear my flannel jammies all day long, as chances are not a soul will be stopping by for a visit during this arctic blast. There is an air of anticipation for the coming spring, as we are pondering over the seed catalogs and gardening magazines. We have ordered some Pluot trees ( nixed the pomogranate idea, as we need an arid desert climate), and another cherry tree.Trees do best when planted when they are dorment. All of last years trees are doing well during their deep sleep. The berries are flying under the radar and are just biding their time. This should be a great strawberry and blackberry year. And as I mentioned previously the raspberries are flourishing. For those of you who garden, this is a reminder to prepare to plant onions, asparagus, and then potatoes. Some farmers plant onions late January, we usually plant mid February, as the ground is usually soaked from the January rain AND snow. It is now time to start seedlings indoors, as they can be transplanted 6 to 8 weeks after starting. The last frost date for North Texas is around March 17, but mark my words, there is usually one more frost that sneaks in sometime in early April. Easter is late this year, so schedule your transplanting accordingly. As for me, I wait until at least two weeks after the frost date, and hope for the best. The Farmers Almanac has weather information, although not always right on, it is pretty close. For those that want to plant according to the moon phases, the almanac has information and the dates for you. The Market will reopen in Feb. The exact date will be posted as Feb. approaches. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!

Fruit of the Loom....Move Over !!!!!

2011-01-07T05:35:00.000-08:00

I have come to the very obvious conclusion that this is the reason that the North won the civil war! These have been a basic necessessity in the Farmers winter wardrobe since their discovery at Tractor Supply ( for the extremely reasonable price of $19.95). This timeless, form fitting gem has been on battlefields, treked across the plains, moved herds of cattle on horseback, not to mention weathering blizzards in the Rocky Mountains. Back then, at 80 cents apiece, they were a bargain. Notice the finished neck and the pearl buttons. You could wear these under a business suit and be just dapper! Did you know that they were first designed for women? I must say that despite the lack of 21st century coiture, the Union Suit Rocks! What might you ask does this have to do with a Dairy and produce farming? Well, not much, but it sure makes it a little cozier going to the milk barn when the ground is frozen and the wind is howling, or plowing the fields when your breath swirls around your head in a cloud. No drafty, open gaps anywhere. And might I add, they are just a little bit sexy! Now it can be said that this bright red, 100% cotton, all button, easily accessable, ( get one, you'll see what I mean) versatile garment, has done the chores at R&C Dairy and Farmstead, and will do the chores for many more winters to come! Take my word for it, it will be 20 bucks well spent! And yes, I have one too! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!

Winter Greens!!!

2011-01-02T08:40:00.000-08:00

My little indoor salad crop is making enough lettuce for a couple of BLTs and 2 dinner salads! Which in my estimation is a huge success compared to none at all! Along with Mother Nature we have made a judgement call and have turned all of our expecting does dry, as they were very steadily decreasing in their milk volume as they prepare for their new babies in early March. We are still milking the cows, as their time is not until early summer. The farmer is chomping at the bit in anticipation for the new planting and milking season. It will soon be time to plant onions, and then potatoes. I am taking this down time to catch up on decluttering and downsizing. So far, I have gone through three rooms and have collected a shoe box of junk to haul away. I rationalize that almost every thing that passes through my hands will eventually be needed at one time or another,(or so I keep telling myself). I have a hard time turning loose of treasures that have served me well, but may be a little worn and out dated. My 30 year old Maytag dryer started complaining, very vocally, and I laid awake at night worried that it was on it's last legs, it was like a good old trusted friend that was about to give up the ghost!.......... But thanks to my persistance and a penchant for penny pinching ,and complete faith in the healing powers of a very reluctant husband who just wanted to" kick it to the curb" and buy a new one, he took it apart, oiled and cleaned it, fixed some hoses and now it is as good as new, at least for another day or two! Our market is closed until the first weekend in February. Special milk orders for the cows milk can be made, just call ahead and we can schedule a time for pick up. Valentines Day is approaching and we will be doing special gifts and treats, dipped strawberries, chocolates, baked goods, etc. More information will be posted at a later date. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!