Most people probably think of farmers' markets when they want to buy the freshest, best tasting fruits and veggies, but farmers' markets can also be an excellent place to find the freshest, best tasting meat and poultry as well. There are many compelling reasons to buy meat directly from local farmers, including: 1. Ensuring that … Continue reading Why You Should Be Buying Meat Directly from Local Farmers
Author: Laura Cook
Laura holds a B.S. in Agribusiness from the University of Tennessee at Martin.
It seems like there’s been more and more talk about PFAs lately, but what are they? PFAs is an abbreviation for per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances, a class consisting of thousands of different chemicals. These substances can be found in all sorts of products, from cosmetics, to clothing, to paint, to non-stick cookware, to fast … Continue reading Keeping PFAs Out of Our Food System
We know that it can be expensive to purchase high quality local foods. Fortunately, there are many programs that can make eating locally affordable for people from all walks of life. This blog post outlines some of the resources that are available to help make food access more equitable. While some of the programs we … Continue reading How to Eat Locally on a Budget
Our off season came to an abrupt end last week when one of our goats delivered triplets, launching us into a frenzy of baby goat bottle feedings. We also received our first order of chicks last week, and opened our farmstand up for the year. Since then, we have had two more does deliver their … Continue reading Baby Season
Winter is a season of rest on our farm. The animals are in the barn. The garden is covered in snow. Most of our projects are put on hold until the temperatures allow us to work outside without freezing our fingers off. With the lighter workload comes some additional time to pursue our own interests. … Continue reading What the Farmer’s Reading in 2024
Our family usually eats chicken twice a week. We pull a whole chicken out of the freezer, and once it thaws, we generally break it down into cuts. A whole chicken yields two breasts, two tenders, two wings, two legs, and a backbone that can be used to make broth or soup. For our family … Continue reading Pasture Raised Chicken 10 Ways
I don’t get to travel as often as I would like to, but when I do, I am naturally drawn to agritourism destinations. I like to think that this is because agriculture and the food system are my passion, but it could be that I’m just not good at leaving my work at home. Whatever … Continue reading Agritourism Through a Different Lens: White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, AZ
It’s the season of giving! This year, we are continuing our annual tradition of funding a new Kiva loan to a fellow farmer. Normally, we encourage people to think locally when it comes to the food system, but in this case, we are supporting our global community of agricultural practitioners by making a contribution where … Continue reading Funding a Loan to a Farmer in Need (2023)
There are lots of different ways to prepare a turkey, but our family chooses to cook our Thanksgiving bird in the same manner year after year. We love a brined turkey, because the meat stays moist, and the flavors of the herbs and spices in the mix really shine through in every bite. Our pasture … Continue reading Turkey Brine
This week, one of our pigs gave birth to a litter of piglets. These were her first piglets, but they were also the first piglets to ever be born on our farm! I'll be honest, this is a milestone that we never expected to hit. Raising pigs was not a part of our vision when … Continue reading Why We Raise Kune Kune Pigs