HERE WE ARE!!!!

WE'RE BACK!!!! Who seems to drop off the face of the earth and then resurface two years later? WE DO!!! And so much has happened in the mean time. New babies, now mommas, more beehives, more honey, more chickens, more eggs,  raised bed planting in the greenhouses, less weeds, lots of visitors to the farm, becoming our steady patrons. Expanded products, new helpers, Facebook (where most of our updated information is posted) and sadly no more u-pick, or CSA. All that the farm produces will be available for purchase in the market. Information and updates will be posted to keep all who read in the know about the everyday activities on the farm. This is going to be a spectacular season. Looking forward to meeting new and seeing old friends. The farmstead market opened this past week to a flurry of dedicated customers, as they rushed the market in order to get their favorite farm fresh goods. In the blog posts that follow different items from the market will be featured, some old favorites and the introduction of some new ones. Its great to be back in the groove, from our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

A NEW BEGINNING!!!!

Whoever said that " all good things must come to and end" did not know very many farmers! Just when it seems that life is taking a detour and the trek is slower due to potholes and dead ends, a superhighway opens and a new destination is charted. With the Farmer retiring from the fire station and acquiring a fishing boat, his leisurely days are pretty well a given. With the promise that he will contribute the absolute necessities concerning his farming skills, if and when needed, he has been given carte blanche to occasional absences from the farm. Thank goodness his favorite fishing lake is only ten minutes from the back door. Meanwhile back at the farm, the farmers wife has a new helper. Maggie has arrived! Equipped with her overalls and boots, she has breathed new life into the every day list of chores and responsibilities necessary to keep the ever-turning wheels of a farm rolling along. She came from a goat dairy background so she was prepared to jump in with both feet planted firmly on the ground.  Her enthusiasm to learn of all of the elements that make up  R and C Dairy has proved to be a delight. Her excitement for small experiences and discoveries has given us a new perspective on what a treasure we have in the ownership of our farm. Even though we are consolidating the gardening and crops to a smaller area, will still plan to produce sufficient produce to do the CSA this year as well as a variety of items in the market. We will still provide honey, beef, soaps and sundries, baked goods, preserves, and of course a broad assortment of our freeze dried foods. And seasonal produce from our fields and orchard.  Our opening date will be Easter Weekend, Friday March 25. Our hours will be the same Noon until 4:00 PM. We should have the beginnings of our goat milk supply. The first couple of weeks most likely will be limited, but as the does continue to freshen, the supply will increase. Many have inquired about the u-pick strawberries. Depending upon the crop, we will determine if there will be enough for u-pick. We planted a much lesser amount this past fall, as we were unsure of our help situation.  We may only have enough to sell in the market. We will post that information on this blog, and on our facebook page.  We are excited to be back, will keep all updated on the farm happenings. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

Freeze dried home made chocolate ice cream puffs......also strawberry, banana, vanilla, yum!!!!!

AND THE RAIN FINALLY CAME, THEN CAME AGAIN!!!

Grateful for the abundant rain, we took the downpours in stride. The animals found shelter, the equipment was housed in the new equipment shed, the fields just drank it all in, with the huge cracks and crannies closing up. As Fall is well under way, preparations are being made to prepare for cold weather and the short days of winter. The strawberries have been planted for the next season, the garlic is going into the ground this week, the Spring milkers are being reintroduced to their favorite Lothario, the fall milkers are producing lots of good goat milk to supply the increasing demand. It is time to start thinking about the holidays, and market preparations for all of the goodies. The pantry provisions are increasing in the market with additional freeze dried and dehydrated foods. Soups in a jar, herb and spice mixes, fruit leather, ice cream puffs made from homemade ice cream, yogurt drops, everything granola, are some of the offerings. Will have raw honey, and some in jars with the honeycomb. Our honey, citrus ginger tea mix will be in the cooler this week and watch for a new beverage called "Shrubs". It is a doozy!  The pecan trees are loaded, just waiting for a snap of cold weather and some big wind. The Farmer is adjusting to his retirement from the Fire Station and the Farmers Wife is looking feverishly for him a job. She has already sent him to Arkansas to visit friends, bought him a boat to send him to the lake to fish, volunteered his services at a nursing home, arranged for him to chaperone any field trips at the school, and is open to hiring him out to do odd jobs ( he is extremely handy!) Just give her a call....... oh you may have to wait a day or two, the rain knocked out the phone line at the farm, and the phone company is none too speedy. MARKET HOURS: FRIDAY AND SATURDAY  from noon until 4:00 PM. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!!

THE CLOSING OF A CHAPTER!!!

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and in the farming business it usually means someone is moving on. In this case, the Farmers Son is going to the city for an opportunity to expand his horizons. To the farm it means the crops and animals will be without one of their most attentive caregivers for the last eight years. He will still be coming to help some evenings and an occasional weekend, but the steady 6:00 in the morning milk hand will be tending to others needs. The ultimate decision to revise the farm milk program was more of a natural process than an immediate snap judgment. For the time being, the cow milk supply will be greatly reduced, as most of the cows are moving to greener pastures, to an up and coming raw milk dairy farm, in all places, Farmersville, Tx. It was very hard for the Farmers Wife to part with her dear friends, but in determining what two people who are reaching their golden years can maintain on a busy farm, the cows became the victims of their owners declining energy and increasing years. For the time being a couple of the most cherished will remain on the farm giving what milk they can, when they can, seasonally supplying the market with a few gallons each week. All cow milk will be by reservation, so call ahead for availability. The goat milk is another story altogether. The goat herd is flourishing, the milk flowing abundantly at this time. Breeding season has started for the coming milk year, anticipating a good prolific year. The Farmer and his Wife are able to tend to the goats without additional help, so the farm will continue to provide goat milk interrupted. There will still be produce, honey, meat, eggs, as well as all of the pantry items in the market..... and plenty of goat milk products. If by chance we come upon the perfect helper, who cannot live through a day without milking a cow or two, we will most assuredly consider expanding the cow herd again. Tears have been shed, good buys have been said, and a huge thank you to the best herd of jersey milk cows on the face of the earth.  MARKET HOURS: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4 PM. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

WE ARE ALL STILL HERE!!!

Watched the blood moon eclipse and was mesmerized by the beauty of the giant orb fading out and then back in. The sky was clear, being in the country, with only natures night sounds breaking the silence, it was an experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. And as the world did not come to an end, a lifetime that will be a bit longer. The nights are cooling just enough for the tomatoes to start to produce, the pears and apples have all been picked from the trees, and the days are filled with canning, dehydrating and freeze drying. The strawberry plants for next spring will be here in a couple of weeks, so hopefully we will get a little rain to ease the plowing. The animals are loving the cooler weather. Watching the calves and goats frolic in the early morning and early evening, confirms that they can function at a much faster pace when it is not sweltering outside. The Farmer has been cutting the last cutting of hay for the season. The girls will be kept fat and happy. The market will be open this weekend Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 PM. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

FALL SCREAMS..... FARMERS MARKETS!!!!!!!

 The crisp, cool mornings are so delightful, it makes baking and canning so much more comfortable. There will be sour dough bread in the market this weekend, as well as a wide assortment of fruit breads. Just a reminder that our e mail address has changed. If an order was sent to our old address, it is floating out there in the cloud somewhere and it will not find its way to us. Our new address randcdairy@hotmail.com will get your message to the right source. There will be some fall produce, the tomato vines are loaded with green tomatoes and the squash are blooming. If by chance the world ends on Sunday, hopefully we will meet on the other side, and thank you to all those that helped support our efforts to be farmers. If not, see you next week! Our market hours are Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 PM. ( and yes, we have plenty of goat milk at this time). From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

MEAT LOAF????

He certainly filled up the freezer! The most delicious tacos were made for supper. Nice lean, grass and milk fed, this ground beef will be the best yet. Due to the increase in processing the price of the ground beef will now be $6.50 per pound. Comparing other farm raised beef prices, we are still less expensive than any in our area. The market will be open tomorrow, Friday, from noon until 4:00 PM , as well as Saturday, the same hours. Dairy, meat, honey, home canned items, as well as freshly baked breads and cookies. Come see us! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!                                                                                                                                                                          

A SMALL TASTE OF HEAVEN!!!

If ever there was an item that came from our farm store, made in the farm kitchen, that evoked a more diverse assortment of reactions than the delicacy made from vanilla beans, raw sugar and goat milk, it has not been made. Tasting Cajeta, or Dulce De Leche is an experience that will leave one speechless. The rich, smooth, creamy, caramel made from the sweet, creamy, milk inevitably will cause curiosity, surprise, nostalgia, a slight state of euphoria, followed by intense satisfaction. Your taste buds will be jubilant. Made small batches at a time, slowly and patiently this confection has little else that will rival its perfection. Whether it is poured over ice cream or waffles, covers an apple, flavors a cup of hot chocolate or coffee, or eaten right from the jar, it is well worth the splurge. Available in the farm

market, indulge yourself, you will not regret it. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

FROM FRUIT TO HAMBURGER!!!

What a glorious day..... sunny, slightly breezy, cooler, and just the right amount of customers visiting the store at a steady pace, making the day perfect! No produce for sale to speak of, have been doling out cucumbers and peppers as the cool weather has reactivated the plants. The cooler weather is motivational..... going to dig out the seed packets and make a plan. The latest obsession that has taken over the pantry, is the freeze drying machine. Fruit snacks are now available in the market, with on the spot fruit and nut oatmeal mixes, soups in a jar, and soon meats and vegetables. One customer said the freeze dried tropical mix with mango, kiwi, banana, pineapple, is like crack cocaine, you just want more, more, more! This next week will be a flurry of cleaning old beds, adding fresh compost, planting seeds, and  preparing for the arrival of next years strawberry starts. Time to order garlic. Decisions have to be made on what to replace the expired trees in the orchard with. The bull that was sent to the processor, should be ready any day now. His demise was his own doing, as it was determined that he was the reason our milk production was less and less, as the summer heat increased, we blamed the decrease in production too the excessive temperatures. Lo and behold one evening about dusk the Farmer took a little jaunt in the go buggy to the pasture to check on the animals and found a milk thief just sauntering from one cow to the next helping himself to their wares, and I am not talking about their lady parts on the back end, but the lady parts down under! That was entirely unacceptable. Once they taste the creamy bovine nectar, there is no turning back, his fate was sealed. On the upside, we will have wonderful milk and grass fed ground beef in the market. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

WHERE TO BEGIN????

Let's just say that the past few months have been a steady diet of patience, endurance, feast, famine, surprises, mysteries, joys, sorrows, with us shrugging our shoulders at the end of many a day and uttering, " well, we made it through in one piece!" Starting where we left off, just kicking off the strawberry season, the first couple of weeks of picking were stupendous. Lots of berries, both inside under the hoop house, and outside in the fields. Then came the rain, and then more rain, and then more after that. If someone would have said that a whole field of strawberries would mold and turn rotten in three days, OH POPPPYCOCK!!! would have been the reply on this end. Well it happened. While the strawberries were drowning, the blackberries were basking in the abundant rainfall, growing plump and black on the vines. So many berries that picking on the halves was an everyday occurrence. As there are several varieties, the season lasted a few weeks as the early varieties heralded the mid-season berries, which prepared the way for the later varieties. Berries were picked in the morning, during the day, and at night, sunshine and rain. And it continued to rain. For anyone that has grown fruit trees, it is a well known fact that peaches, pluots, plums, do not like wet feet. With fields saturated for days with nowhere for the water to go, our orchard suffered grave damage, as the roots of some of our younger trees rotted in the ground. Our helplessness turned to despair as we watched the tender young fruit and leaves shrivel on the branches and fall to the ground. Thankfully, some of the older trees, with deep established roots, withstood the effects of the water emersion. Needless to say, there will be several new peach trees planted this winter. As the rains also limited our vegetable planting, our CSA was short but sweet. If anyone goes boating on Lake Ray Roberts, be sure to take a swing around to the North east banks near Tioga. Most likely there you will find a huge garden with watermelons, cantaloupe, squash, corn, peas, beans, okra, seeds all washed from the farm, settling on the banks of the lake. What was with the incessant heat that enveloped us like a brick oven?  What little we had planted turned to powder in a matter of days. It was all we could do to keep the animals cool and hydrated. It was during this time that our summer crop of goat babies took the greatest hit. No matter how many fans and misters we kept on them, or how often we fed them bottles, the dead heat of the summer is no place for baby goats that are bred for the Swiss Alps. We suffered several fatalities. Bummer! Those that were hardy enough to survive the heat are thriving.  The Farmer finished his equipment building, allowing all of the farm equipment to be under cover, ensuring a longer and more productive lifespan. The market has had a good summer, despite the slight setbacks in crops. The self serve produce table was a huge hit again this year. There are plans for a fall crop of sorts. Will post what should be available to come. More updates will be shared in the coming days, as well as an announcement or two. Our market days are the same, Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 PM. Due to the hacking of our e-mail, we have a new address. For the life of me, who would want to hack into a homestead farm's mail? What top secret information do they think they will retrieve? How to compost goat poop? From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!!    New address randcdairy@hotmail.com

HERE WE ARE!!!! Summer time is nearly over, the farm has had a whirlwind of activity and new additions. We apologize for not keeping everyone in the loop, but now it is time to pay catch up!

IS IT SPRING YET????

The blossoms are finally adorning the fruit trees, the strawberries are finally blooming, the new babies are filling up the pens in the barn, the asparagus is waking from hibernation, and the bees are busy with anything that looks remotely like a flower.... going to go out on a limb and proclaim that Spring is finally here! The Farmer and Son are anxiously awaiting some stretches of sunshine that will dry the fields in order to plow and plant. The Farmer planted a beautiful wheat cover crop. Theoretically, when plowed back into the ground should die back and become organic matter for the soil. In our case, with the rain it just spread and grew more wheat grass, taller and taller. So much for that idea. We may be selling wheat grass instead of lettuce this year!  Spring/Summer harvest are going to be behind schedule,  just as the ground becomes a little mudless, another spell of showers saturates the soil. Alas, we need the rain so very little complaining is done. Just another small hurdle in the life of a Farmer, and a heads up that the potatoes and onions will be a little smaller this year.  Still weighing in on the strawberry crop. The hard freezes were a challenge for the tender plants. Many of them froze, despite our efforts to protect them. As the blooms appear over the next few days, it will be decided if there will be enough for u-pick this year. Next week, information will be posted about the CSA. Many from last year have already reserved a share, so there may be just a few shares available. Depending upon the success of spring planting, the date that the CSA will begin will be determined.....most likely around the first week in May. The market has been bustling, as the Spring milkers are getting into full swing. The goat milk production is finally on the rise, and the cow milk is abundant. The hens will not take second fiddle to the cows, so they are giving it their all, with egg production at its peak. MARKET HOURS: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 PM. If a volume of milk is needed, it is a good idea to call ahead and check for availability. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

WHERE HAVE WE BEEN?????

One night we go to sleep and Thanksgiving is approaching, one morning we wake up and it is almost Valentines day! The concept of hibernation makes so much sense, now. The Christmas holidays came and went here on the farm with lots of fun with family and friends. The Farmer and Farmer's Son have kept the animals fat and happy, making sure everyone has an abundance of food and shelter during the occasional cold spells. Two new calves were born, giving us the prospect of  plenty of Spring dairy products. The acquisition of a new herd sire for the cows and a buck for the milking does sets our minds at ease and relieves the pressure of trying to determine the breeding cycles of the girls for artificial insemination. A guy is gonna do what a guy does..... and he usually knows just when to do it! Preparations are being made for Spring planting. The Farmers Son is planting seed trays in the grow house, the fields are plowed, the addition of another hoop house is being planned. Strawberries are being harvested in the berry hoop house, as well as some rhubarb.  Chocolate dipped strawberries will be featured in the market for Valentines Day. Plans for the CSA are under way. Applications will be available at the end of the month of February. More information will be posted. There will be two pickup days this year, Tuesday and Thursday. The market has been busy this winter, thanks to all of our loyal, dedicated, die hard customers. Products available have been cow milk, goat milk, yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, honey, ground beef, preserves, bath and body items, home made baked goods, and our newest obsession, food storage for the preppers. Our motto " Plant it, Pick it, Preserve it... one way or another". Our market hours are Friday and Saturday from noon until 4 PM. Call ahead for availability if larger quantity needed, as we sell out every weekend. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

PRALINES AND PRETZELS!!!!!

The Christmas holidays are fast approaching. The lingering cold snap was just enough for that little nudge of inspiration to gear the goodie making towards the fast track. The market will be closed the Friday following Thanksgiving day, but will be open on Saturday at our normal hours from noon until 4:00 PM. This year we will have a wide assortment of sweets and treats, as well as unique food gifts fresh from the farm. Who would not like a basket overflowing with homemade preserves, honey, freshly baked bread, fruits and nuts, cookies and candies? We have a fruit cake that is actually edible, and will have the recipient standing guard over it, making sure no one else sneaks a bite. Starting the first weekend in December the market will be overflowing with plenty of choices for those special folks that warrant a personal gift from the heart. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

I SCREAM...YOU SCREAM...WE ALL SCREAM....

Finally, enough sweet cream to make slow churned ice cream. Nothing so luscious will ever pass your lips, unless it is the gooey caramels or fudge made from the same cream. The girls have really come through for us. Buttermilk for the pecan pralines, yogurt for the fruit smoothies, cream for the butterballs and ice cream, even a little cottage and feta cheese. The Farmers Son takes some high tech music box called a turtle, or frog, or lizard, or something and plays his ipod music for all the ladies on the milk line to hear. While the guitars are strummin' the milk is a flowin'. As a matter of fact, you may hear the dairymans rendition of the Frozen theme song "Let it Go, Let it Flow" ..... as he serenades his charges, but you would have to be up at 5:00 in the morning for that little treat to your ears! The market has been bustling on Friday and Saturday, even with the waning of the produce selection. The added dairy items as well as other staples, ground beef, honey, jams and jellies, goat milk soap, bee wax candles, essential oil products, to name a few, take up the slack.  The tomato house is full of green tomatoes, but the sub freezing temperatures may take its toll, will know soon enough, like in the morning. As usual for this time of year, the bustle of farm life shifts to a lower gear. Most of the time is spent feeding and watering, as the pastures are dormant, and the troughs freeze over. The holidays are just around the corner, the Farmers Wife has drug out all of the Christmas goody recipes and is gathering up supplies to start making the contents of the treat boxes and the gift baskets available in the market for the discriminate shopper. As in years past at this time, the goat milk supply will be on the decline.The Spring Kidders will slowly decrease their supply as all of their energy will be used to make baby goats instead of producing goat milk. The few Fall Kidders will be left with the daunting task of producing milk for all. The goat milk will be limited, but we will try to make sure that all that will need milk will be able to get some. MARKET HOURS: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4 PM. It would be a good idea to call ahead for availability. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

IT'S BEEN AGES AND AGES!!!

We go to sleep night after night after a full day of milking, feeding, plowing, planting, mowing, picking, to look at the calendar and realize weeks have gone by and it is OCTOBER!!! We are busy getting the farm ready for the winter, assessing the hay and feed situation, gathering the heaters, checking the water lines for cracks or leaks and planting strawberries. The Farmers Son was booted from the nest and sent to the far end of the pasture in his own little cozy RV. His loft apartment is now vacant and will soon be a work place for the Farmers Wife to expand her projects and multiply her junk. After fall cleaning and decluttering, and countless trips to the Good Will, there is lots of room for some new junk! The market has been bustling with new patrons as well as our reliable regulars, keeping the girls busy producing milk. The pumpkin patch was reduced to several plants that were salvaged in the kitchen garden that were planted late, due to the grasshopper infestation, so we will probably have pumpkins for Christmas. The canner is still full of pickles, jams, juices. The fall produce is trickling in, some squash, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, peppers, soon to be followed by tomatoes and greens. The honey harvest was abundant. This year we filtered through a more course filter, so there may be bits of pollen, propolus, probably a bit of wax, and an occasional bee knee. So much the better! The market hours are the same FRIDAY AND SATURDAY FROM NOON UNTIL 4:00 PM. Call throughout the week for dairy pickup if needed. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

CATCHING UP!!!

We have not dropped off of the face of the Earth, just enjoying preserving the glorious gifts of the Earth. The canner, juicer, dehydrator, have been going nonstop since the end of the summer harvest. Lots of work, but it has its rewards in the winter hours as we are enjoying a bowl of hot chili with home canned tomatoes or a peach cobbler with peaches from the back yard. Because of the abundant harvest, despite the hoards of grasshoppers that set up camp in our fields, there will be plenty to share in the market. Lots of activity on the farm as we are preparing for the Fall/Winter. The milk supply has held steady, with some late births of goat and cow babies. Diamond B Cattle Company let us buy one of their bull calves to raise as our future herd sire. Top notch Jersey cows come from their farm. The Farmer and Son are preparing the greenhouses for the fall planting of the strawberries, as we are still fighting the endless influx of grasshoppers, the pumpkin crop will be minimal this year, again, darn. They wiped out a field of corn in three days. The serve yourself produce table has been a great success this year. For those that supported our lazy ways, and weighed and calculated your own purchases, and filled our money box, thanks a bunch! Because of the heat and the lull in produce production, we are just filling the table on the weekends, Friday and Saturday. The market is hosting a few crops at this time. MARKET HOURS: FRIDAY AND SATURDAY FROM NOON UNTIL 4:00 PM. Some last minute tomatoes, some okra, squash, onions, potatoes, peaches, garlic, eggplant, peppers, are available. Not a good idea to wait until the end of the day to come get goodies for supper, as the table is usually bare at that time. The freezers are stocked with ground beef and ground goat meat. The honey is plentiful, as the bees just booted the grasshoppers over as they enjoyed the nectar from all of the produce blossoms. It will soon be time to consider if there will be enough vegetables for the CSA to continue through the Fall/Winter. Updates will be posted. It is good to be back! From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

AN UNEXPECTED GIFT!!!

Three guesses what is in the jar, and no it does not have anything to do with inards or outards. The liquid at the bottom is honey, seeping from the stack of honeycomb. The Farmer and Son retrieved an established hive underneath the floor of a barn that was going to be torn down. The bees were saved, as was the treasure trove of honeycomb and honey. The watermelon season is well under way. Lots and lots of red, ripe watermelon, as well as cantaloupe and Isreal melon. The grasshoppers have wreaked havoc on the corn and the peaches, so there will not be much of those in the market. There are a few fresh vegetables on the self serve table, but the Spring/Summer harvest is nearing the end. We are already anticipating for the Fall. The cow and goat milk supply are holding steady, as the girls adjust to the heat. Market Hours: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00. Special appointments can be made for dairy pickup throughout the week. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

JUST ANOTHER DAY!!!

We will be open on the 4th of July, as the goats, cows, and chickens, do not care that it is a National Holiday, or that the Post office and Banks are closed, or that the nighttime skies will sparkle with unusual bursts of colored lights! We will have plenty of milk, meat, produce, honey, and if the Farmers wife gets on the ball, some blackberry, strawberry, and peach preserves. The corn is iffy due to swarm after swarm of grasshoppers, the melons are wonderful. The supply of homegrown tomatoes has been sufficient for all who stop to be able to go home and make the best BLT ever. MARKET HOURS: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:PM. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!