old & new

Isn't he magnificent? Our tom turkey was in full uniform during morning chores yesterday. Obviously, he thought he was pretty special because he didn't even take time to eat. Following close behind two hens, he stayed puffed up for about ten minutes. Wonder if there was any food left after he deflated himself? He is handsome, though!

Click on the photo to enlarge.

Today's beautiful weather prompted another butcher (too many mutts in the barnyard). Most of them were hatched last April, but never culled. Today is the day! These birds may be a bit tougher than than the 8-week birds you've been buying, but they shouldn't be too bad. Using a slow cooker is a good idea, though.

We learn something new everyday, don't we? As I [Paula] was preparing today's blog post, I learned that the MHf blog has a follower! That's just for Facebook, right? Apparently not. I also learned that a list of followers could be added to the blog. One thing lead to another and to another. Hence, the blog has virtually been transformed from head to toe, including the background (as you can clearly see). No longer does it mimic the website, and that's probably not a bad thing. If you have a Google account, become a follower!! Comments are welcome, too.

Remember, farm products are still available during our break from deliveries. CSA customers have access any day during normal business hours as stated here. Give us a call so we can have the gate open for you. For all others, the gates will be open each Saturday from 2-4 pm.

Merry Christmas!!

holiday foods

Mmmmm...Sweet Potato Pie

Two varieties offer a unique twist on the traditional pie: O'Henry and Beauregard [darker]. For a distinct color difference, keep the two separated and use designated utensils during the entire prepping process: cooking, mixing, & spooning. Ladle two scoops of each into the plate (one across from the other), and then top the alternate variety with the remaining filling. Use a table knife to swirl the filling starting from the outside and working toward the middle. The color variation is subtle, but pleasantly noticeable. Before baking, top it with chopped nuts for an extra special treat. You may want to prepare a crust, as well. In the excitement to get it baked and photographed for today's post, the pie crust was waived. Each order of sweet potatoes comes with a 50/50 blend.

Speaking of other holiday foods, the turkeys have been relocated to their new home! (We know these birds won't actually be available as holiday food until next year, but it made for a good segue.) Turkeys and chickens were relocated and have enjoyed their new space since last Thursday. Electric netting is next on the agenda.

Saturday was a VERY productive day on the farm - thanks to two neighbor girls who wanted a bit of extra cash! After the brooder room was completely cleaned out and scrubbed-down, we then moved onto to cleaning the out front part of the shed. We made so much progress in there that Eric was able to install a small wood burning stove - and light it, to boot! Working in a heated atmosphere is a welcome change.

Ready-to-eat fish has been added to the In Season page. Two men have enthusiastically offered to harvest fish and throw them in a holding tank. Eric cleans them that night and soaks them in salt water. The pond is stocked with crappie, bass, bluegill and channel cat. All varieties are priced equally and orders are filled from what's available. Sorry, no specific orders will be accepted.

There's still time to register for the upcoming herb class. Paula will be co-teaching with Jacque Spangler. While both represent the Harvey County Master Gardener program, Jacque also represents Harvest Greenhouse. Click on the poster to read the details. We'd love to have you!

promotion day

Promotion: to further the growth or progress of.

This weekend the turkeys and chicks were promoted to larger facilities. This grand hotel became the new home for the turkeys. After they learned they had more space above their heads, they began roosting on the water tank and the feed bin. So, today they get an official roost in their pen! With portability in mind, these larger pens are surprisingly easy to move and the design is much more stable than the smaller pens.

The incubator chicks and the La Fleche moved into the turkey's old house. La Fleche is the breed that arrived during the heat of July. Starting with 24, only 6 remain. The tallest on the far right is a La Fleche.


Farm tip for the day: when one cow is all alone in the pasture without any inkling to join the herd, there's much more to the story. "Congratulations, Angus! You have just been promoted to motherhood!!" She calved a healthy bull-calf yesterday morning. Eric and Snow checking on the pair.

Eric's Endeavors ~
Put up electric fencing in 1/4 acre plots along the driveway. The cows have pretty much eaten the available grass in the existing pastures, plus it saves us time mowing.

[click on any photo to enlarge]

gobble, gobble

Turkeys are much more fun than chickens. Loud, but fun! Anxiously awaiting fresh grass, they just trot right along with the pen. They've actually flown the coop a few times, but are always ready to go back without any trouble. We're starting to see definite turkey characteristics: blue head, snood, and wattle. But who can tell hen from cock? They all look the same right now, so let's hope we start seeing differences soon!!

Remember the eggs we set a few weeks ago? They started hatching Tuesday and we now have 22 chicks running around the brooder pen! The La Fleche are still hanging in there, too.

Lack of rain had us watering the garden several times this month. No more fall crops have been planted yet, either. All the cows take to the shade about 9:30 or 10 in the morning and don't resurface until mid afternoon. They must be part camel because they don't even venture for water.

Apples this week are of an unknown variety, but comparable to a Winesap: crispy & sweet/tart.

Eric's Endeavors ~
The BCS arrived last week. It's so easy to handle and takes very little effort. Using the sickle bar mower, I've been able to mow a walking trail around the entire 80 acres and around the pond.

[click on any photo to enlarge]

more babies!

Bourbon Red turkeys arrived last week. At first glance, they don't look any different than chicks. Their necks are a tad bit longer, though. As they age and take on more distinct "turkey" features, we'll upload photos so you can follow along.

(click on photo to enlarge)