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New Enterprise

written by

Ben Simmons

posted on

April 1, 2017

Sales Update –

This is the last weekend to get your orders in for the April 4-5 delivery.

Everyone loves a SALE! Last Tuesday we put many of our items on sale after learning that we needed to find another cold storage facility while The Merchants Company repaired their facility that was damaged by the January tornado.

We appreciate your support. 25# Ground is sold out. More will be available late May.

We have 10 & 25# Beef Variety (3) and 25# Pork Variety Shares (4) available.

Life Changes: – when I retired from the MS Air Guard about 2-years ago, Beth & I discussed the possibility of her ending her public job (she has done medical transcription for the past 19 years) and start a farm enterprise when my retirement “kicked in”.

Well, that time has come. This is her last Friday night to transcribe. YEAH!

Farm Activities – Last December Beth & I flew to Indiana to visit the Seven Sons Farm. Specifically, we wanted to look into how they raise all those hens on pasture and see if that is something Beth might consider for her farm enterprise.

After consideration and prayer I found myself driving to the middle of OH Amish country about a month ago to pick up a portable hoop house and then to IN to pick up next boxes. I really enjoyed my short visit with Mr. Yoder. After a 14+ hour drive he welcomed me into his home and said “let’s sit and visit a bit”. He started out by explaining they are “horse & buggy Amish” meaning they do not own any type of automobile and the phone was in a separate structure out by the driveway. “They believe in living simply”.

So, Beth has herself a farm enterprise. The hoop house has been completed as well as the egg processing room and cool room. Nature’s Gourmet Farm egg cartons have been ordered. And, about 500 or so hens will arrive April 14th and should start laying soon thereafter.

Because they are young pullet hens the first eggs will be more medium size to begin with. Then, they will be large brown eggs.

We are excited that Vitamin’s Plus will stock our eggs in addition to our beef and pork. Helen and her family have been very supportive of our farm and are much appreciated.

Additionally, Corner Market will carry our eggs as well as pork – probably starting early May.

What is the Difference between Pastured Eggs and CAFO eggs? –

According to a study from 2007 Mother Earth News egg testing project, conventional store bought eggs are nutritionally inferior to pastured eggs. Compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:

1⁄3 less cholesterol

1⁄4 less saturated fat

2⁄3 more vitamin A

2 times more omega-3 fatty acids

3 times more vitamin E

7 times more beta carotene

4-6 times more vitamin D

Other advantages to Nature’s Gourmet Farm eggs are: Local, Pasture Raised, GMO-Free, and No Drugs or Antibiotics. Basically, we are committed to producing eggs without feeding antibiotics, drugs or GMO grain. Our happy hens are rotated through fresh green pastures daily where they can freely express themselves.

More from the blog

Real Health Is NOT A Pill. It's A Practice!

Two Great Must Read Articles – Typically I don't make a big deal about articles we have read, but these two are so good that I felt they needed to be shared. The first is by Joel Salatin titled "Food Think" that is part of his The Lunatic Farmer blog. You can read the full article at this link. The second article is one Beth forwarded to me from the Health Viewpoints section of Epoch Times titled "Americans Spend Trillions on Health Care but Remain Unwell - Here's Why" Dr. Yang, FAPA, a board certified psychiatrist, begins by stating the difference between treating disease and building true health lies in a proactive and preventative lifestyle. Note - Beth and I would agree with other folks who commented that his article is spot on and very important for folks to read and understand. You can read at this link.

What's Your Favorite Sausage?

Sausages – so, we are looking to our customers for Sausage Inspiration! Since we added pigs to our farm in 2015 (wow- 10 years ago) we have sold basically the same five sausage flavors. The Patty & Regular Link sell pretty good, the Cajun & Cracked Black Pepper sell fair and the Jalapeno not so much. When you look around there are many various flavors available.

A Really Cool Farm Story

Our Really Cool Farm Story – To really understand I need to take you back to April 2024 when we took delivery on 23 heavy bred Red Angus cows from a WY ranch. If you are new to our newsletter, we purchased them from a ranch that converted to Red Angus in 1960 when they bought their stock from the ranch that started the Red Angus breed. And, have kept a closed herd since inception except for two years. This means these cows should be as close to the original breed as there is. When they were unloaded onto our farm they really kept their distance from us. Granted, our management style is different than the ranch where they came from - basically they were turned out onto the range in the Spring and