You’ve just purchased your first pasture raised turkey (or chicken, or duck, etc.), and now you’re probably wondering: what’s the deal with the dark spots on it? Rest assured, there is nothing wrong with your bird! Ink spots on one of our pasture raised turkeys. Dark spots, also called ink spots, are just small amounts … Continue reading Ink Spots on Pasture Raised Poultry
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Two and a half square feet: that’s the amount of space per bird that is recommended by the National Turkey Federation. Their guidelines are actually published in pounds per square foot, but two and a half square feet per bird is what 15 lb/ft2 boils down to when you consider that an average tom weighs … Continue reading Why You Should Be Eating Pasture Raised Turkey and Where to Find One
Angora goats produce the lustrous fiber called mohair (not to be confused with the fiber called Angora, which is produced by Angora rabbits). The use of mohair is mentioned in texts dating to 1571 BCE. The breed was developed in what is now Turkey and was exported to France and Spain during the sixteenth century, … Continue reading All About Angora Goats
We used to sell all of our goat kids as pets… Until we realized how poorly pet goats are often treated. Many people will buy goats when they’re adorable youngsters, but aren’t willing to tolerate their adult behaviors, or keep up with routine hoof trimming, or pay for costly feed, mineral supplements, and veterinary expenses … Continue reading Why We’re Raising Goats for Meat
I was recently asked to identify what I perceive as the five greatest issues facing sustainable animal production for my Diversified Animal Production class, and I thought I'd share it here too! Here's my list: 1. Availability of cheap, unethically produced substitute products: It's hard for me to wrap my head around, but there are … Continue reading Top 5 Issues Facing Sustainable Animal Production
A little over a year ago, we took a leap and acquired our farm's first ever livestock guardian dogs. Yes, I said dogs as in more than one! We purchased TWO Great Pyrénées puppies within a couple months of each other. We're sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly about our experiences with our … Continue reading Lessons from Our First Year with Livestock Guardian Dogs
Farmer's markets have ended, which means that we have officially reached the time of year when we have entirely too many eggs. As in, every member of our family could eat eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and we would still have extra. Pretty much anyone who has a large number of chickens knows what … Continue reading Too Many Eggs? Try One of These!
Today I'm sharing a recipe for our holiday favorite: homemade eggnog! Now, I feel as though I'm required to say that consumption of raw or undercooked eggs may cause food borne illness... Because we make ours with raw eggs. One of the perks of owning a farm with chickens is that we can feel super … Continue reading Our Recipe for Homemade Eggnog
Let’s talk about a BIG issue that small farmers everywhere are confronted with: access to capital. In the United States, starting a farm generally costs hundreds of thousands of dollars (for acquisition of land, equipment, inputs, etc.) But agriculture is a business that just doesn't bank well. It's a cash intensive business, with low return … Continue reading How We’re Helping Small Farmers Gain Access to Capital
We've all heard of eating local, but how about gifting local? The holidays present such a great opportunity to support the local businesses in our community. Here's a list of some of our North Country favorites, and what they have to offer: Adirondack Blue Co. - wooden cutting boards & serving trays Berube Botanicals - … Continue reading Holiday Shopping in the North Country