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Apple Cider Vinegar – What a busy week at the farm this week. Tuesday & Wednesday mornings were knee deep in chicken processing and then in the afternoons we were cutting and packing fresh pork items.
Thursday is our standard order packing day! This week we had 107 orders between our farm, Magee, Flowood, and Madison pickup locations.
Friday, Beth & I processed pork trim into fresh ground pork and patty sausage (my favorite - cooked then crumbled into a bowl of hot oatmeal).
Certainly a full week - so, what does this have to do with ACV you may be thinking? Well, frankly, not a single thing. It is just where I jumped into this. hahaha
Okay, I'm back from chasing that rabbit. ACV! We have used ACV mainly in the summertime to help our livestock to better digest forages and feed as well as an internal parasite control. It also works well to keep algae out of water troughs which is where I would apply for their use.
This winter I am specifically adding four gallons per bale of hay before feeding to our cows. Benefits include those already mentioned plus ACV is a good source of ENERGY. Most folks will use things like soy hull pellets or corn gluten as a source of energy, but those are NOT in our toolkit for the farm.
Application is really simple. When taking the bales out of the barn they are stood on their ends. The ACV comes in a 275 gallon ICB tote with a valve molded into the bottom edge where we fill a 5-gallon container that is then used to pour the ACV into the center area of the hay bale. Then, the bale is put back onto its side so the hay unroller can be hooked up and carry the hay to the cows.
Here is a video I made a few years ago showing how we unroll the hay for our cows. There are so many benefits to unrolling hay vs. a static hay ring where only a few cows can access at a time while the others are head butting to vie for an open spot. AND, with the ACV poured into various locations into the bale, then ALL cows have access to not only the hay, but also their share of ACV - they need about 4 ounces per day per head. Here is the video....
Miscellaneous Comments - Next week the weatherman is calling for very cold nights and 50% chance of snow Tuesday (our first day of cutting & packing beef). So, that said, we may have to delay beef cutting & packing until the weather allows folks to drive safely. More to come so stay tuned.
Wednesday I sent a mid-week email entitled "Important Notice - Short Deadline" regarding the USDA FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service) proposed change to regulations to control Salmonella in chicken processing plants. Interestingly, from the USDA FSIS' own studies show that Salmonella is a greater risk from fresh vegetables than chicken and that if consumers simply used a meat thermometer and cooked their chicken to an internal temp of 165 degrees there would not be any risk. Yet, they want to add more regulations and costs to processors (bigger impact on small processors) and possibly require us to use some chemical intervention.
I appreciate the 1850 folks who opened the email, 147 who clicked the link, 25 folks who also took the opportunity to place an order (haha), and there were 6 folks who unsubscribed - no loss as they had never placed an order since signing up on our website. Thank you!!!
Egg prices continue to increase. And I am really concerned that my order for replacement pullets scheduled for late February will be delayed or cancelled. I am sure they will be much higher in price.
A farmer in Foley texted me Thursday that Eggland's Best were $8.39 per dozen. Not much higher than Corner Market in Hattiesburg at $7.89.
I think our winterizing for our broiler chickens will be put to the test this week with 17 to 19-degree nights. I'm praying the weatherman is wrong.
Here we first wrapped the bottom two feet (basically below the metal roof line) back in December. Then, when the weather turned nasty last week we added the front and rear plastic. We use greenhouse channel and Z-wire to secure the plastic to the tractor. Notice how the North wind has the plastic pressed against the tractor and the corners are flapping.
Looking inside, notice the chickens are nice and cozy on top of their bed of hay. Very stress free don't you think? Very thankful for the guys that make this happen day in and day out - regardless the weather.
At Nature's Gourmet Farm, our intent is to create a community that evolves around one of the most intrinsically important things of the ages, and that’s the provision of sustenance. That's our passion - to raise healthy food to nourish families and strengthen immune systems.
If you are new to our farm then maybe you have been looking for premium ALL NATURAL GOODNESS of beef, pork, chicken, and eggs raised on pasture as God intended - with emphasis on Regenerative Principles and NOT conventionally raised animals (with growth hormones, drugs, chemicals, and antibiotics) - and where animals are treated humanely - then you have come to the right farm. Our delivery schedule and product availability are listed below along with order buttons that will take you to our website where you can browse over 90 product choices and place your order from the convenience of your home. It's that simple!
** Product Availability Update **
NOTE: Restocks are made about 6 PM on the dates indicated below!
Chicken -Restocked January 15th. Next Restock will be January 29th
Turkey - Restocked Ground Turkey, Wings, Legs, and Thighs November 22nd. It will be mid 2025 before the next restock.
Eggs - Restock each (NOW) TUESDAY PRIOR to YOUR delivery date.
Beef - Next Restock will be January 24th (hopefully).
Pork – Restocked FRESH items January 15th. Fresh Ground Pork & Patty Sausage January 17th. Smoked items follow 12-14 days later
Lamb - Restocked October 8th
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