This week our team spent a lot of time in the plant!

Typically, after our last Saturday delivery route each month we turn our focus on restocking so customers will have product to order when the time comes for their delivery.

We had postponed slaughtering pigs about a month until our plant was ready. Monday was scheduled for pig slaughter that would include five customer orders for half/whole pigs as well as seven pigs for our farm store. PLUS a bonus - three RAM LAMBS!

Sean & Emilie (the young couple who were using our pastures for their sheep) have actually found a farm to purchase and closed on it the end of March. They have relocated all of their sheep to their farm except three ram lambs that were born here last Spring. As a token of their appreciation for the use of our pastures they left the three ram lambs for us to share with our customers.

We are very thankful for folks like Sean & Emilie who want to farm regeneratively and make a difference in their community.

So, Monday we slaughtered 10 pigs and 3 ram lambs. All went very good. So thankful for Ethan & Benny's experience & dedication to a humane slaughter and for coming and helping with this important task.

Tuesday followed with chicken slaughter and Wednesday was cut and pack day for chicken. This inventory was added to our store Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, the numbers this week and for the next slaughter as well are lower than expected. This is due to the 4-inch rain followed by a drop in temperatures a few weeks back that killed about 90 of our young chickens on pasture.

The good news is that we have started receiving larger batches now that we are no longer needing to help a fellow farmer with his processing. Be looking for our inventory position to improve as school season ends and you start grilling more this summer.

Remember how nasty Thursday morning was? That is when our team was driving in to help cut & pack the pork and lamb. While we had a slight delay getting started Jake, Amy, Kim, and Brooke really stepped up and made it happen. In about 8.5 hours we had cut & packed all 10 pigs and 3 lamb. The fresh cuts were in the freezer. Trim for sausage and hams/bacon for cure were in the cooler ready to be finished the next day. And, the plant was cleaned up.

Yep! The girls came back Friday and helped Beth with the ground pork, patty sausage, link sausage, and prepping the hams, bacon, and hocks in the cure solution.

This inventory was added to our farm store late Friday afternoon. Check it out - you will find many of your favorites back in stock like:

• Boston Butts
• Both St. Louis Ribs and Country Style Ribs
• Pork Steaks
• Ground Lamb & Stew Meat
• Regular & Loin Chops
• Leg Roast
• Rack of Lamb
• and MORE

Many customers (about 100 as of Friday evening) have already placed their orders for May deliveries. No worries, simply edit your order and add some of your favorites.

Please note that pork bacon will be added late next week after it has cured and then smoked, cooled, sliced, and packaged. Trust me, Beth is looking forward to our bacon again too.....

Another significant event this week happened Friday afternoon when our new bull arrived. I had not anticipated buying a bull this year. However, when I had the vet perform a breeding soundness (semen check) exam he found one of the bulls was not longer fertile and will have to be replaced. The timing could not have been better as Southern Reds out of Texas was having their 2nd Annual Bull Sale last week.

Working with Michael we were able to select a very good bull that is sure to add value to our cow herd. This is my second time to work with these guys and I could not be happier. Excellent bulls and folks that stand behind their animals.

At Nature's Gourmet Farm, our intent is to create a community that will evolve 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.

** Product Availability Update **

Chicken - Next harvest date is May 9th with restock the following day. Processing will continue for twice per month for the balance of the year.

Eggs - Eggs have improved drastically and you will see the difference in availability. Please note that eggs will be added to our website the Wednesday PRIOR to your delivery date by 6pm. So, we have decided to put them on sale as follows:

Jumbo/ XL - buy 4 or more flats for $10 each. Save $5 each

Dozen - buy 4 or more cartons for $4.50 each. Save $1 each

Beef - Restocked April 21st.

Pork - Restocked April 28th. Bacon will be added late next week.

Lamb - Restocked April 28th. Next restock will not be until July timeframe.