My Christmas Gift . . . . oh my gosh!!! A SOUS VIDE MACHINE!!!!!

I was floored this Christmas. Mark gave me a Sous Vide Machine. I am now in high tech foodie heaven. This thing (a very high tech water oven) will cook meats, vegetables and some fruits perfectly through temperature controlled water immersion. Think of Thomas Keller of the "French Laundry" when you see this in your kitchen . . . . yes . . . cooking in our household will now go from three stars to five stars with this contraption.




So this is what I cooked tonight . . . . Narrangansett Turkey Breast with pesto mayo on a bed of spring greens, hothouse tomatoes and garlic croutons . . . . the turkey was to die for. One of the best meat dishes that I have ever cooked. Next up is our lamb, chicken and the last duck that I have saved for this winter. Oh, and I have some great baby back pork ribs from Tide Mill Farm . . . . may put those in tonight and have them on Tuesday. Love this machine . . . . Thanks so much my big Honey!!!!

Buy Local . . . . Eat Well . . . .

Christmas Turkey and Availabilities for 12/17

Although a bit late . . . . our power was out most of the day yesterday due to the huge storm that has been crossing the country over the last few days. Strangely we did not get snow but warm thundery rain (almost 8 inches!!!!) and lots and lots of wind.

We still have some turkey's available for Christmas. Our local paper wrote a great article on our farm. Because of this article . . . the turkeys are selling fast so please contact me soon to reserve one.

Above is a photo of our Thanksgiving Narrangansett Turkey prior to cooking our big meal. Since I have had so many requests on how to prepare a heritage turkey ~ I will be uploading a video later this week. We had some technical difficulties with the video but everything should be up soon via You-Tube.

Here are the availabilites for this week. Please have all orders to me by this evening. Please return all glass jars for both Tide Mill and Olde Sow farm.

Thanks so much!!!

Olde Sow Farm:

Raw Creamline Milk
$5 per gallon
$3 per half gallon


Greek Style yogurt
16 oz jar $3.75 plain
16 oz jar $4.50 Flavored
Flavors are :
Cranberry Apple
Strawberry Rhubarb
Raspberry Peach
Chunky Cranberry
Fig, Meyer Lemon
Black Cherry
Key Lime
Strawberry Pomegranate
Honey
Blueberry
Blackberry
Orange
Boysenberry

Raw Jersey Cream- I am not offering cream this week but I would like to make a suggestion... I suggest that you order a 1/2 gallon of milk at $3 per gallon versus 1 pint of cream at $4 per pint. There is at least a pint of cream on each 1/2 gallon and it pours off quite easily!


Please return all glass jars and lids so they can be sterilized and reused! Thank You

Tide Mill Organic Farm:

Certified Organic, Maine Raised Produce Price/ Quantity Amount Requested
Produce Bag...A selection of fresh, seasonal vegetables $10.00 each
Beets from Peacemeal & Beech Hill Farm $2.50 per lb
Carrots from Tide Mill or Peacemeal Farm $2.50 per lb
Rutabega $2.00 per lb
Onions from Peacemeal Farm $2.00 per lb
Garlic, extremely limited quantities available $12.00 per lb
White Potatoes from Misty Meadows Farm (shepody) $2.00 per lb
Green Hubbard Squash $1.00 per lb
Small Red Kuri or Blue Kuri Squash (dry squash like buttercup) $2.00 per lb
Festival or Acorn Winter Squash $2.00 per lb
Sweet Dumpling/Delicata Winter Squash $2.00 per lb


Certified Organic, Pasture Raised Cow Dairy
Ricotta, Made by Garden Side Dairy with TMOF milk $6.50 per 1 lb
Order your whole milk yogurt from Tide Mill Creamery!
Whole, raw milk in 1/2 Gallon Glass Ball Jars $2.75 per 1/2 gallon


Whole, Raw Milk (in a Recyclable plastic pint) $2.00 per pint
Whole, Raw Milk in Recyclable Plastic Gallon Jugs $5.50 /gallon
Whole, raw milk in Recyclable Plastic 1/2 Gallon Jugs $3.00 per half gallon

Certified Organic, Pasture Raised Meats. Stock up for winter because our inventory won't last long! Frozen Pork and Beef.
For our meats: If you buy 25 lbs or more you get a .25 cents per pound discount. Buying 50 lbs gets you a discount of $.50 per pound.
CHICKEN...Available frozen only
Half Chickens $4.75 per lb
Whole breasts, (~1.8-2.5 lbs) with skin and bone $7.00 per lb
Boneless breasts $9.50 per lb
Drumsticks, 6 per pkg (~ 1.5 lb pkg) $4.00 per lb
Leg/thigh quarters (2 per package) $4.50 per lb
Wings 12 per pkg (approximately 2 lb bag) $4.00 /lb
Chicken Necks (2-4 lb bags) $2.00 /lb
Chicken Livers (~1.0 lb bags) $4.00 per lb
Dehydrated chicken feet (great for dogs or as gag gifts) $5.00 per dozen
TURKEY...PREORDER YOUR SMALL FRESH TURKEYS FOR CHRISTMAS
Small turkeys (10 lbs ish) $4.50 per lb
BEEF
Ground beef $5.00 per lb
Tenderloin Steaks $15.00 per lb
NY Strip Steaks $14.00 per lb
Ribeye $13.00 per lb
Beef Liver $3.00 per lb
Beef Suet $1.00 per lb
Short Ribs $6.00 per lb
Beef Roasts $6.00 per lb
PORK
Pork Chops $8.00 per lb
Pork Rack of Ribs $6.00 per lb
Pork Sausage (please specify hot or breakfast) $7.50 per lb
Pork Loin Roast $8.00 per lb
Ground pork $7.00 per lb
Fat Back $1.00 per lb

WREATHS...Tide Mill Balsams. Visit our website for pictures and more details.
Plain Balsam Wreath, double sided ~24 inches in diameter $7.00 per wreath
Plain Balsam Wreath with Pine, double sided ~24 inches in diameter $8.00 per wreath
Natural Wreath, double sided, ~22 inches in diameter with Raffi ribbon and cones $21.50 per wreath
Traditional Wreath, double sided, ~24 inches with red ribbon, cones, & reindeer moss $27.50 per wreath
Seaside Wreath, double sided, ~24 inches with burgandy bow, mussell shells & sea lavender $33.50 per wreath
Spray, ~ 15 x 20 inches with a red ribbon and cluster of cones $16.50 each
Box of Greenery & cones for your own holiday decorating $12.95 for 4 lbs of brush and 12 cones
Centerpiece $29.50 each
Kissing Ball $26.50 each
Table top Tree, ~24 inches high by 22 wide by 22 deep, decorated with cones, berries, & ribbon

Buy local . . . . Eat well . . . . .

Fresh Narranganset Turkeys Still Avaliable ~ Buying Club Will Resume Next Week

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Mark and Declan came back late last night with our processed batch of Heritage Turkey's. Your turkey can be picked up at our Farm Store Monday - Wednesday between 10 am - 5 pm. We still have a few available. I am also holding a few over for Christmas orders this year.

I find that this is the breed of turkey which has the best taste and texture . . . . think the "Essence" of turkey. It may be due to the breeding of these birds. They were bred in Rhode Island in the 17th century by crossing the Eastern Wild Turkey with a Spanish Black breed. Someone mentioned to me that these are one of the hardest heritage breeds to raise. We have been fortunate to not have any problems. Our turkey's are hatched from proven breeding stock. Our Tom is now four years old and his hens are between 2-4 years old. They are extremely hardy and healthy.

I will be taking some photo's and putting up some of our Thanksgiving recipes. I use my Grandfather's dressing recipe and have a certain way of cooking our turkey so it stays wonderfully moist. Mark likes to have just Turkey, Gravy, Stuffing, Cranberries, and Pumpkin Pie ~ who really has a large enough appetite to eat any more:)

Buy local . . . . . eat well . . . . .

Kilby Ridge Farm Availabilities for 11/19

Here are this week's offerings. Please phone or e-mail your orders to me by Tuesday evening. Pick up is on Friday between 12-6pm. Thanks so much!!!!

Olde Sow Farm:

Raw Creamline Milk $5 per gallon, $3 per half gallon


Greek Style yogurt 16 oz jar $3.75 plain or $4.50 Flavored
Flavors are :
Cranberry Apple, Strawberry Rhubarb, Raspberry Peach, Chunky Cranberry, Fig, Meyer Lemon, Blk Cherry, Key Lime, Strawberry Pomegranate, or Honey


Raw Jersey Cream- I am not offering cream this week but I would like to make a suggestion... I suggest that you order a 1/2 gallon of milk at $3 per gallon versus 1 pint of cream at $4 per pint. There is at least a pint of cream on each 1/2 gallon and it pours off quite easily!


Please return all glass jars and lids so they can be sterilized and reused! Thank You

Tide Mill Organic Farm

Nov.15th-Nov. 22nd. All products are Certified Organic.

Grown and Raised on Tide Mill Farm, unless otherwise noted.

New and/or Sale Items are Noted in red

Certified Organic, Maine Raised Produce
Produce Bag...A selection of fresh, seasonal vegetables $10.00
each
Beets from Peacemeal & Beech Hill Farm $2.50 per lb
Turnips from COMOC $2.00 per lb
Rutabegas from COMOC $2.00 per lb
Carrots from Tide Mill or Peacemeal Farm $2.50 per lb
Potatoes from Misty Meadows Farm (please specify yukon golds, whites or reds) $2.00 per lb
Blue or Green Hubbard Squash $1.00 per lb
Delicata $2.00 per lb
Butternut Winter Squash (tan, hour glass shaped squash with moist, orange flesh) $1.50 per lb
Buttercup Winter Squash (round, green squash with dry organge flesh) $1.50 per lb
Spaghetti Squash $1.50 per lb
Pie Pumpkins $1.00 per lb


Certified Organic, Pasture Raised Cow Dairy
Ricotta, Made by Garden Side Dairy with TMOF milk $6.50 per 1 lb
Whole Milk Yogurt, made with Tide Mill Organic Farm's cow milk...We are transitioning to $5.00 per quart
Rachel Bell of Tide Mill Creamery to begin to offer this yogurt on her own. The yogurt is no different than what you are currently getting, but look to order
it from Tide Mill Creamery, instead of Tide Mill Organics and also be on the lookout of other great cheese products made from Tide Mill Organic Farm's milk.
Whole, raw milk in 1/2 Gallon Glass Ball Jars $2.75 per 1/2 gallon


Whole, Raw Milk (in a Recyclable plastic pint) $2.00 per pint
Whole, Raw Milk in Recyclable Plastic Gallon Jugs $5.50 /gallon
Whole, raw milk in Recyclable Plastic 1/2 Gallon Jugs $3.00 per half gallon

Certified Organic, Pasture Raised Meats. Last week for fresh Chicken! Stock up for winter because our inventory won't last long! Frozen Pork and Beef.
For our meats: If you buy 25 lbs or more you get a .25 cents per pound discount. Buying 50 lbs gets you a discount of $.50 per pound.
CHICKEN...Available fresh or frozen this week.please specify if you have a preference
Whole chickens $4.50 per lb
Half Chickens $4.75 per lb
Whole breasts, (~1.8-2.5 lbs) with skin and bone $7.00 per lb
Boneless breasts $9.50 per lb
Drumsticks, 6 per pkg (~ 1.5 lb pkg) $4.00 per lb
Thighs, 4 per pkg (~1.50 lb pkgs) $5.00 per lb
Wings 12 per pkg (approximately 2 lb bag) $4.00 /lb
Chicken Necks (2-4 lb bags) $2.00 /lb
Chicken Livers (~1.0 lb bags) $4.00 per lb
Dehydrated chicken feet (great for dogs or as gag gifts) $5.00 per dozen
TURKEY
Small...8-12 lbs $4.50 per lb
Medium....13-17 $4.50 per lb
Large....18-21 $4.50 per lb
X-tra Large....22 plus $4.50 per lb
BEEF
Ground beef $5.00 per lb
Tenderloin Steaks $15.00 per lb
NY Strip Steaks $14.00 per lb
Ribeye $13.00 per lb
Sirloin Steaks $11.00 per lb
Beef Liver $3.00 per lb
Beef Suet $1.00 per lb
Short Ribs $6.00 per lb
Beef Roasts $6.00 per lb
Beef Stew Meat $6.50 per lb
PORK
Pork Chops $8.00 per lb
Ground pork $7.00 per lb
Fat Back $1.00 per lb
Leaf lard (render for purified lard to make the best pie crusts, biscuits, scones & dumplings)

Udderview Farm:

Fresh tubs (5 oz) $5.00
*Garlic & Herb
*Garlic & Dill
*Plain
*if someone would like a different flavor, I can accommodate

Italian Torte (6 oz) $8.00
...has a layer of sun-dried tomato and pesto (there are walnuts and pignolia nuts)

Marinated Chevre (5 oz) $8.00
Medallions of plain goat cheese in roasted garlic-infused xtra-virgin olive oil with herbs and peppercorn.

Feta Crumbles 3 oz/$2.50
Feta Chunks 5 oz $4.00
Marinated Feta 5 oz $6.00

CRANBERRIES! Harvest begins on September 20 and may have a limited amount of 1# in reclosable plastic bags. $3/#

Buy local . . . . . . Eat well . . . . .

An Important Link . . . . .

Just found this farm's blog a few weeks ago and have been meaning to post this think to a fantastic article written on the "Honest Meat" blog.

http://www.honestmeat.com/honest_meat/2010/09/so-you-say-you-want-a-food-revolution.html

It is a shame about their farm though. I do hope they travel to Maine and see what the farmers here are doing. Maine is a state where our farm numbers have actually INCREASED by 13%.

Here is a great article from the Bangor Daily News that describes what is happening on the Ag Front in Maine.

http://www.bangordailynews.com/story/Opinion/Reasons-for-optimism-about-Maines-farms,157023

Buy local . . . . . Eat Well . . . . .

Is Healthy Food Expensive? I Am About to Bust The Myth.

Pictured on my dining room table is my weekly order to a local food buying club (as some of you know we also host one here at our farm store - pick up is on Friday's).

These healthy and fresh items (picked hours before delivery) include:

4 Pounds Kale
1 Pound Heirloom Tomatoes
5 Bunches of Chocolate Mint
4 Dozen Eggs
1/2 Dozen Duck Eggs
1 Pound Brussels Sprouts
1/4 Pound Mixed Baby Lettuce
3 Large Bunches Beets
1 Pound Beet Greens
2 Pounds Russian Banana Fingerling Potatoes
1 Pound Swiss Chard
3 Bunches Scallions

All of the products above totaled $76.25. Round out this batch of produce and eggs with a gallon of fresh raw milk and a few cuts of pasture raised meats and a pantry stocked with bulk beans, rice, flour and various oils, condiments and spices ~ you can eat very well on $100.00 or less per week.

It is so sad to see what people buy at the grocery store. 9 out of 10 carts are loaded with processed boxed foods, soda's, chips, frozen entrees, etc. Most of these products are not only cheap but so easy to cook . . . . just heat and eat. The health consequences for eating foods loaded with the wrong kind of fats, preservatives, salt, etc. can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

We are three generations removed from routinely eating fresh, local foods and knowing how to cook from scratch (healthy meals based on primary ingredients). The local food movement in our own remote area of the country has begun to catch on and I believe will continue to grow. As local farmers/producers it is our job to not only grow and raise the healthiest, best tasting food but show everyone that - YES, it can be purchased reasonably with some simple menu planning and staples bought in bulk.

Future posts will feature some of my favorite (quick) recipes using locally produced products and staples that everyone should have on hand.

Buy local . . . . . eat well . . . .

Hen of The Woods Mushroom!!!

Over the past few years I have noticed a very distictive mushroom growing at the base of our neighbor, Ed's Oak tree. Last year Ed tried some of this mushroom as he was told it may be edible (and I thought so too) and called us the next day to say the mushroom was delicious and he was still alive to tell us about it. Please, if you are foraging for mushrooms for the first time ~ take your harvest to someone who can positively identify what you have picked and don't use yourself as a guinea pig.



This year Ed is down in Portland, ME while his mushroom has grown over the last week. Mark called him up yesterday and asked if we could harvest it. Ed said "go ahead but freeze some for me". Well, we harvested two from the same tree a 25 pound "Hen of The Woods" mushroom and a smaller 5 pound "sister" mushroom. We had these this morning sauteed with a mixture of our chicken and duck eggs scambled and they were great. This evening I made an old fashioned cream of mushroom soup with some raw jersey cream and milk from Olde Sow Farm ~ fabulous.



We froze the smaller mushroom for Ed and bagged up the rest for our freezer. Hen of the Woods is really one of the only mushrooms that can be frozen raw. I put up 18 2 lb bags of mushrooms for this winter (along with our chantrelles).



This mushroom is also known as "Mitake" and is not only a superb culinary gourmet treat but also boasts medicinal traits as well. It is reputed to stimulate the immune system in various ways. Google the mushroom and you can find out more about it.

We have enough meals to get us through until the next harvest in the fall...

Buy local . . . . forage. . . . and eat well.

Kilby Ridge Farm Products for 9/29 - 8/2

I have had many requests to put up our own list of products available for the week as the produce is changing weekly now. Please think about reserving one of our Heritage Narragansett turkeys soon. I will be posting more about them later this week (with some great photo's).

Turkey growth has been outstanding this year and we will have some birds close to 20 pounds!!

The farm store is open between 10 am - 5 pm Wednesday - Saturday. You do not need to be a buying club member to pre-order any of our products. We can also do mail order within the state of Maine for our ducks, chickens and turkeys. All of our heritage birds are Maine State Inspected and are processed by the COOP in Monmouth, Maine.

For produce this week we have:

Beets $4.00 per bunch of 12.
Baby Fennel Bulbs at $4.00 per bunch of six
Brussels Sprouts (limited) : $3.75 lb
Sugar Cherry Tomatoes: $4.50 lb
Sorrel $3.00 per bunch
Red Ball Cabbage: 75 cents per pound
Hierloom flat dutch Cabbage: 65 cents per pound
Hierloom tomatoes (a variety of Cherokee purple, old German and brandywine) in very limited quantities right now: $1.75 per lb. Some individual tomatoes may be as large as 2lbs
Mesculn mix with baby spinach: $2.50 for 1/4 pound bag.
Onions - $2.50 for a trio of large Red, White and Yellow onions in a bunch
Hierloom Dutch Cabbage - 65 cents per pound (heads weigh between 4-6 pounds.).
Winterboor Kale - $2.00 lb.
Fordhook Giant Chard - $3.00 lb.
Frissee Lettuce: $2.50 1/4 lb.
Russian Banana Potatoes (fingerlings) $3.50 lb.
Herbs all $2.00 per generous bunch
Sage, Marjoram, Basil, Chives, Tarragon, Mint (chocolate, peppermint, spearmint), Savory, Parsley - Italian flat or traditional curly.

Eggs - $3.00 per Dozen. Duck Eggs - limited quantities - 50 cents each.

Welsh Harlequin Duck - Whole - $7.00 per pound (weigh between 3-4 pounds each)

Silver Laced Wyandotte chicken - Whole - Fryer size (around 2 pounds or less). $5.00 per pound.

We are starting to take deposits for our Heritage Narragansett turkeys. We have a final count of 45 for this year. Price per pound is $6.00. Please specify weights - 8-10 lbs, 11-14 lbs 15 - 18lbs.

Deposits are $25.00 per turkey. We were sold out by October of last year so place your order soon. These turkeys were the first breed ever developed in the US - 17th century in Rhode Island from the Eastern Wild Turkey and the Spanish Black. The flavor is probably the best of all the heritage turkeys we have tried. We hold one of the few remaining flock of breeders in the US (there are only about 300 breeding adult Narragansetts in the US).

Please reserve them early as we were sold out by October of last year.

All of our turkeys are hatched here on the farm from eggs laid by our breeding flock started in 2007. We do not source any of our poultry from hatcheries after the first year of raising them on our farm. We keep only the best for breeding stock whether it be turkeys, chickens or this year it is ducks.

Buy local . . . . eat well.

Welsh Harlequin Duckling

Our ducklings were processed last Friday and we now have pasture raised duckling available for sale in our farm store or through the Calais Buying Club.

We had our first one on Sunday. I roasted in with carrots and parsnips and basted the bird with balsamic vinegar and tupelo honey. Mark thinks it is the best duck he has ever had (duck is one of his favorite meals.) There was less fat than the birds I have purchased in the past from our co-op (they come from New York). The skin turned quite crispy which creates a wonderful texture coupled with the mild and tender meat. I was pleased with the size too (dressed between 3-4 pounds).

The ducklings were processed at about 16 weeks of age and they grew very fast and ate so much feed (even though they were on pasture). Here they are at a few days old in May:



This year we will not make much of a profit as we paid $8.00 per chick and $7.00 to process them. Five Harlequins will be used for breeding next year so we won't have to pay for chicks again. A beautiful drake named "Sir Francis", and four females. Black Indian Runners are also a fun and comical addition to our farm (they are my pets:). I just can't wait to begin baking with their eggs!

Buy local . . . . eat well.

Barberpole mitigated and not eliminated as of yet . . . .

Our fecals came back for August. 100 eggs were found so that means there are still some barberpole out there but they are no where near where we were at 1 year ago. I nearly lost both my Hunnie and Saltie last year. Many of my ewes were very pale in July and August last year. I ended up worming everyone towards the middle of August. This year Saltie has shown "red" eye membranes all summer and so has Hunnie who is growing out wonderfully (and although she will not be as big as her Lodi Mom Pip - she will be close:)

Out of 40 sheep this week, there were four borderlines which I wormed. These sheep were primarily ewes and lambs from meat conformation AI backgrounds.

I read so much from other shepherds about this month as the "Killing Time". Heat stress along with parasites will kill a sheep very, very fast. In this time of year optimal grazing is very, very, important during the early and later part of the day with heat relief as in a cool barn or shaded "sheep shed with fans" during the hottest part of the day. Our Icelandic lambs have nearly 6-8" of fleece at this time of year . . . a cool respite is a must. If a cool shelter during the heat of the day cannot be given ~ then I believe you are raising the wrong kind of sheep and should look at the Barbados Blackbelly or the Katahdin sheep breeds. Eye Membranes need to be checked weekly during the months of July, August and September.

A promise that I made to the editors of the ISBONA newsletter will be undertaken next month. I will be repeating our last winter doses of Ivermectin as we are acquiring another ram from the farm which we bought all of our wonderful foundation ewes - The Lavender Fleece. I want to give this study one more year to be on the safe side.

I thank god every day for giving us such beautiful, intelligent and healthy sheep. In the four years that I have been a shepherd - I have not lost a sheep to parasites or disease. I love this breed of sheep dearly and I hope that other shepherds can learn from my experiences and instead of looking at the month of August as the "Killing Time" . . . . they will be looking at this month as the "Healthy Weaning Time".

Turkey!

We are starting to take deposits for our Heritage Narragansett turkeys. We have a final count of 45 for this year. Price per pound is $6.00. Please specify weights - 8-10 lbs, 11-14 lbs 15 - 18lbs.

Deposits are $25.00 per turkey. We were sold out by October 1st of last year so place your order soon. These turkeys were the first breed ever developed in the US - 17th century in Rhode Island from the Eastern Wild Turkey and the Spanish Black. The flavor is probably the best of all the heritage turkeys we have tried. We hold one of the few remaining flock of breeders in the US (there are only about 300 breeding adult Narragansetts in the US).

All of our turkeys are hatched here on the farm from eggs laid by our breeding flock started in 2007. We do not source any of our poultry from hatcheries after the first year of raising them on our farm. We keep only the best for breeding stock whether it be turkeys, chickens or this year it is ducks (more on this soon . . . . very limited supply).

Buy local . . . . eat well . . . .

Icelandic lamb count for the year and one breeding ram for sale . . . . .

This year one of the ram lambs we used for breeding was too young when we put him with his ewes. Lenny was the only ram that bred his batch of girls this year. We had fewer lambs than I expected - this actually turned out to be a good thing because I was able to focus more on the farm store opening.

I will only be offering our best ram lamb for sale as breeding stock and holding back five ewe lambs to increase our flock size for next year. We will be offering only four whole lambs this year for meat. I will begin taking $50.00 deposits for the lambs starting August 1st. Last year we sold out before October so please reserve your lamb early.

Our lambs are butchered the first week in November and are delivered boxed about a week later. Weights on meat are usually between 25-30 pounds and we price the meat at $7.00 per pound plus the $40.00 custom butcher fee. Lambs are 100% grass fed (no grain) and the flavor of Icelandic lamb is unlike any other sheep breeds - very, very mild with a tender, fine grained texture. "Cooks Illustrated" describes Icelandic lamb as being "Lamb Lite".

Now for the ram . . . . He is a beautiful Moorit Grey just like his mom - Elena. His fleece is spectacular and he is built like his grandsire - BLW-607N Mjaldursson. He is almost as big as mom and only 3 months old!


You can see his front and face here - he is such a "pretty boy".


And here is a good photo of his build:


Price: $500.00 registered and $350.00 non-registered.

Liz and her girls are in the next photo. Icelandic sheep are quite intelligent. Liz has learned to pull down a branch and hold it under her neck so her lambs can reach and eat with her. Both of her lambs have beautiful faces, great conformation and have inherited Liz's special fleece. Sugar - the black/grey ewe lamb, bonded with me at only a day old. She is a great friend and comes when called. Sugar just loves to be petted and hugged. She even allows Declan and Brynne hug her. I have high hopes for her future lambs. Sugar's sister, Spice, has not bonded with me yet . . . . we are getting there slowly. She is cautious like her mom ~ Liz took over two years to bond with me but now we are great friends.

Chantrelles

In the summer of 2006, I found my very first patch of chantrelle mushrooms on our property. This year has been a perfect growing season for them. Warm with dry spells and then some gentle rain. This morning the family went over to our friends property and gathered about 10 pounds of them and we are hoping these will last all year.

After they are wiped/washed I will put them individually on a cookie sheet and freeze them. I will then put them in gallon freezer bags and return them to the freezer. They can also be dried on a screen and then stored in glass jars.

Chantrelles are wonderful sauteed in butter with scrambled eggs and made into a cream of chantrelle soup. I also love them sauteed in olive oil and butter, lightly seasoned with garlic and herbs and then stuffed into the cavity of one of our Wyandotte chickens.

We are really starting the harvest now . . . . the tomatoes are beginning to ripen, peppers are now ready to pick and I am nearly finished with my fall vegetable planting. Hope everyone is having a bountiful summer.

Fresh Wayandotte Chickens Available on Friday July 16th

Our Wayandotte chickens are ready to process. We will be taking 50 birds to a Maine State inspected processing facility in Monmouth, Maine on Thursday. Fresh chicken will be available on Friday and Saturday from our Farm Store.



Wyandottes dress out at about 3-4 pounds at 12-14 weeks. Our next and final batch of 50 will be processed in the beginning of October. These birds have a wonderful flavor. Since our birds are very low in fat - the best way to cook them is by braising. My favorite way to cook them is stuffing the cavity of the bird with a scored lemon and herbs such as thyme or rosemary.

There is a perfect balance of light and dark meat. As with our heritage turkey's the meat is very fine grained and dense. This is the same breed of chicken that our ancestors ate in the 19th century. Now, over 99 percent of chickens reared on farms are the large cornish X breed.



We raise our birds in static coops and train our birds to go into the coop nightly. They have free range of over an acre of pasture during the day. Our chicks are hatched here on the farm from proven breeding stock.

It is exciting having the opportunity to not only raise this rarely found heritage chicken breed but to offer them through our farm store.

Buy local . . . . . eat well . . . . . .

Farm Store Photo's

Took some photo's this morning of the farm store.







Enjoy:)

Buy local . . . . eat well . . . . .

Farm Store is Now Open!!!

After 8 long months of restoration on our c. 1767 ell ~ our farmstore is now open.

What a relief. . . . We will be open W - Sat, 10 am - 5 pm. Fridays we will be open until 6 pm to accomodate all of our buying club members.

Buying club orders are due by Tuesday evening at 6:00 pm

Orders can be picked up on Fridays between noon and 6pm.

The availabilities for the buying club this week are:

Udderview Farm:

Soft Cheeses: 5 oz tubs - $5 (can do other flavors upon request)
Garlic & Dill
Garlic & Herb
Chipotle
Horseradish
Herbes de Provence
Boursin Style
Roasted Red Pepper
Plain

Herbed or Lemon Pepper Log: 4 oz - $4

Feta Crumbles: 3 oz. - $2.50
Marinated Feta 5 oz - $5.00

Marinated Chevre: 5 oz - $8.00
5 one-ounce balls of hand rolled chevre marinated in a roasted garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil with herbs and peppercorn

Bloomy Rind Cheeses (camembert style) (aged cheeses can take 2-3 weeks, so need to order ahead)
"traditional" or "ash dusted"
priced per piece (small ave $4-5; large ave $8-$10)

Drinkable Goat Yogurt - 12 oz bottle - $2
Plain of flavored

Smoked Summer Sausage (goat): $10/lb
(frozen and average link is .75/lb)
**great tossed in pasta with marinated feta, tomato, and garden greens


Tide Mill Organic Farm:

Certified Organic, Maine Raised Produce
Produce Bag...A selection of fresh, seasonal vegetables $10.00 each
Young Onions $2.00 per bunch
Swiss Chard $2.50 per heavy 1/2 lb
Kale $2.50 per heavy 1/2 lb
Garlic Scapes (the flower of the garlic plant, great mild garlic flavor) $0.20 each
Zuchinni $2.00 each
Summer Squash $2.00 per pound
Basil $1.50 per 1/8lb bag
Mint $1.00 per bunch


Certified Organic, Pasture Raised Cow Dairy
Ricotta, Made by Garden Side Dairy with TMOF milk $6.50 per 1 lb
Whole Milk Yogurt, made with Tide Mill Organic Farm's cow milk $4.00 per quart
Whole, raw milk in 1/2 Gallon Glass Ball Jars $2.75 per 1/2 gallon
Whole, Raw Milk (in a Recyclable plastic pint) $1.75 per pint
Whole, Raw Milk (In a narrow mouth ball jar) $2.00 per quart
Whole, Raw Milk in Recyclable Plastic Gallon Jugs $5.50 /gallon
Whole, raw milk in Recyclable Plastic 1/2 Gallon Jugs $3.00 per half gallon

Certified Organic, Pasture Raised Meats. FRESH Chicken! Frozen Pork and Beef.
CHICKEN...If it makes a difference to you, please specify "Fresh" or "Frozen"
Whole chicken. ~5 lbs each $4.50 /lb
Half Chickens $4.50 per lb
Whole breasts, (~1.8-2.5 lbs) with skin and bone $7.00 per lb
Boneless Breasts $9.50 per lb
Drumsticks, 4 per pkg (~ 1.5 lb pkg) $4.00 per lb
Thighs, 4 per pkg (~1.50 lb pkgs) $5.00 per lb
Leg/thigh quarters, 2 per pkg (~1.75 lbs) $4.50 per lb
Wings 8 per pkg (approximately 2 lb bag) $4.00 /lb
Chicken Necks (2-4 lb bags) $2.00 /lb
Chicken Backs (4 lb bags) $1.00 per lb
Chicken Livers (~1.0 lb bags) $4.00 per lb
Dehydrated chicken feet (great for dogs or as gag gifts) $5.00 per dozen

BEEF
Sirloin Steaks (1.40 lbs) $11.00 per lb
Strip Steaks $14.00 per lb
Ground beef $5.00 per lb
Stew Meat $6.50 per lb
Beef Roasts (large, Sirloin) $6.00 per lb
Beef Soup Bones $3.00 per lb
Beef Short Ribs $6.00 per lb

PORK
Country Ribs, thick cut ribs $8.00 per lb
Pork Shoulder Roast (great for pulled pork sandwhiches) $8.00 per lb
Nitrate-free Smoked Ham Roast $8.50 per lb
Nitrate-free Smoked Bacon $11.00 per lb
Leaf lard (render for purified lard to make the best pie crusts, biscuits, scones & dumplings) $2.00 per lb
Fat Back, Salt and brine to make salt pork (2 lb pkgs) $1.00 per lb

Olde Sow Farm:

Raw Creamline Milk $5 per gallon, $3 per half gallon

Raw Jersey Cream $4 per pint

Yogurt Plain $3.25 per 16 oz
Flavored Yogurt $4 per 16 oz
Flavors:
Fig or Ginger Peach

Cottage Cheese $3 per 8 oz tub

Cream Cheese $3.50 per 8oz tub
Garlic and Chive Cream Cheese $4.50 per 8 oz tub

Fromage Blanc w/ Garlic and Herbs in Olive Oil $4.50 per 8 oz tub

Thank you all for visiting the farm store over the last few days. Supporting our local communities beginning with our agricultural base is one of the first steps to local self sufficiency. We need to keep our currency where it counts - locally rather than globally.

Buy local . . . . eat well. . . .

Elimination of Barberpole - Confirmed

My fecals today came back negative for barberpole. Bill Newcombe, our vet, confirmed this today.

I am hoping that this means this parasite has been eliminated from our farm.

I am so excited because so many, many sheep can now be saved by using my method based on the PJ Waller Study cited in prior posts.

Icelandic sheep have no experience to Barberpole Worm . . . . there is no way you can breed for resistance to barberpole 'unless' you have many, many generations exposed to this parasite. Most top North American Icelandic sheep breeders use Semen from Southram in Iceland - so the traits that we are looking for cannot be found from Icelandic semen and can only be found from rams born and bred in North America for many, many generations.

The study I followed is one way to eliminate this parasite. Also very important is to make sure that you have the proper mineral balance and correct any deficiencies.

We need to use supplemental copper on our farm as our soils have very poor levels. Last year I started giving a few of my sheep a 2.5 gram copper wire bolus in the middle of the summer and noticed a huge difference in fleece color and parasite loads. Silvering on darker fleeces ended and everyone just seemed healthier.

This year I did a combination of both the PJ Waller, et. all. study as well as copper supplementation.

I am planning to write up an article about this later this summer (when parasite season is finally over), I will be sending another fecal to my vet in August and will post the final results then.

I am hoping that my experiences will enrich others in their shepherding. The happiness and health of my ewes, two rams and all our growing lambs have been worth all the hard work of the last four years.

Farm Store and Barberpole Worm Update

The Farm Store will open on July 9th. We pushed it back one more week to make sure everything is done right and the kitchen garden looks good (with all the rain over the past week - weeds are taking over).

Still no barberpole worm. Hunnie and Manon (my canaries:) are still bright red and everyone else has bright pink skin and are still very, very active. There are no laggards to the barn when called (they all come at my call - full speed).

Our vet is coming out this week and will confirm that there are no worms infecting my girls and boys this summer. If this is so then I think I have done what everyone said could not be done - eliminated this horrid parasite from our farm. If this can be replicated on other farms - then so many, many animals can be saved from anemic death.

Gardens are all in and I am starting in on second plantings of lettuce, radish, etc. Wonderful weather this summer. Yesterday we spent the afternoon on the ocean with friends and their beautiful boat. Mark, Declan and I had a wonderful time.

The harvest is just beginning . . . .

Buy local . . . . eat well:)

Barberpole Update: Still No Worms

As of June 15th . . . . Still no barberpole eggs in our fecal counts and also all of our ewes are showing very "red" eye membranes.

This is the first year that I have seen our sheep act so very happy and crazy midway through our worm season. Last night they were running circles around the pastures and leaping into the air with joy. Bunny hops to the barn were not uncommon:)

Our lambs are growing so huge this year!!!!!

The Waller study from Sweden is working here on our farm - we are also adding some supplemental copper this spring.

I will keep all of you informed with regular updates . . . . Please e-mail if your have any questions.

violetjwillis@yahoo.com

Shearing Sheep - Mark Shears a 20 year old Ewe

Our neighbor - Bob McCallister, has a ewe that Mark has shorn for the last four years now. She was over fifteen when Mark first sheared her and she is close to twenty this past weekend. As a shearer to our local "small" flocks in Washington county, Maine - this is his favorite shearing job. This old girl is probably on her last Maine summer as she is suffering from severe arthritis - but otherwise she is in quite good health.

Here is a photo of Mark and the ewe nearly shorn:





I am so proud of Mark. When shearing a very elderly sheep - the skin is so very, very thin. Mark sheared her with just a few very superficial nicks. Bob's old girl will now have a very comfortable summer:)

How I Got Rid of Barberpole Worm . . . .

I think I have finally done it . . . . Eliminated this pest on our farm.

We finally sheared the last 16 ewes over this past weekend and every single ewe had membranes that were very, very red. The only ewes that were even slightly off this color are my milky girls who send everthing to the lambs (boy the lambs are sure getting big this year too).


The secret is this . . . . This past winter I wormed with Ivermectin - three different times. I sent some fecals during spring lambing season in to my vet - no barberpole eggs found. First membrane check with shearing - well you know what I have found:)

I think I have done it. The only problem is - you need pastures that are exposed to temps close to 0 degrees farenheight in the winter. Any state south of Pennsylvania probably cannot replicate this study "Towards the Eradication of Haemonchus Contortus From Sheep Flocks in Sweden, P.J. Waller et a., Veterinary Parasitology, 2006".

I will be doing this once again this winter as we are adding another ram to our farm and I just want to "be sure" .

We will be offering our first "Shepherding Workshop" this fall where I will go over my study and results regarding Barberpole in great detail. I will also give my own perspective on minerals and Icelandics - they need so much more than the average sheep:)

I have one Great ram lamb left for sale as breeding stock - he is the grandson of Pumpkin and Noison. Very, very healthy like mom (who is 1/2 leader sheep) and very, very fine fleece like Noison. So far he has an easy going temperament too. His color is solid Moorit. All the rest I am going to keep (the ewe lambs) and the rams will be sold as meat.

Our Heritage Meat Chickens - Silver Laced Wyandottes and Farm Store Update

Our first batch of around 50 wyandotte chicks were just put out on pasture last weekend. They are beginning to grow very well. The above photo is what our Wyandotte newborns look like.

We started collecting eggs from our breeding flock in March and set the eggs in both of our incubators on April 1st. I have two Brinsea digital incubators that work extremely well. The incubation period for chicks is around 21 days. Wyandottes are ready for processing at about 12 weeks of age. They will weigh in around 3-4 pounds dressed out.

The flavor of the meat is more complex that the standard meat bird (Cornish X's) used in pasture flocks as well as the factory farm setting. My foodie friends describe the flavor as reminiscent of a game bird in both texture and taste. The fat on our birds is pretty much non-existent. If there is any under the skin - it is a very dark yellow/orange color. This reflects not only the bird's food conversion genetics but the bird's diet rich in greens and insects.

Here is a Wiki link that describes the chicken breed:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyandotte_(chicken)

This bird is a heritage breed and is listed in the "Ark of Taste":

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/ark_product_detail/wyandotte_chicken/

Now for an update on our Farm Store: We will be opening on Friday, July 2nd. Our first pick up for the buying club will be on that day too. Participating farms include: Tide Mill Organic Farm, Olde Sow Farm, and Udderview farm. I will not be assessing a percentage fee for each member order per week - only a $25.00 yearly membership fee is required.

(All availabilities will be posted on this blog and orders can then be e-mailed to me by Tuesday of each week.)

Our carpenter, Lester, finished the restoration of our Ell just yesterday. He did a great job. It was a difficult job to piece Sheetrock around the exposed beams - because of our home's age none of our walls are square. I really wanted the post and beam structure to show - esp. since it dates to 1767. Lester did a beautiful job.

Now Mark and I will be busy cleaning, painting and finishing floors over the next few weeks. Then we can have our store inspected for our food license (whew). Since it is raining today I will be working on both the membership form and my press release. I also have a few items I need to send our artist who is drawing up our farm logo.

We are very, very excited about the store. . . It has taken us four years to get to this point and we are so happy to be offering healthy, nutrient dense food to our local community - year round, with the addition of our hoop house this fall.

Buy local . . . . eat well,

Violet

Store Bought vs. Farm Raised Eggs

We first started raising chickens for eggs when our son was three years old (2002). Our first chicken breeds were the Dorking and Dominique chickens. The hatchery we purchased our chicks from threw in a "free exotic chick" which later turned out to be an araucana rooster - whom we named Caesar.

When our first eggs started arriving we noticed a Huge difference in color and taste.



You can see the difference in the yolk color - the lighter yolk at the left is a store bought egg and the one on the right was laid by one of our "pasture raised" hens.

The darkness of the yolk is due to a high concentration of omega - 3's picked up from the grasses and bugs the chickens eat. The egg on the left tastes bland and the egg on the right is loaded with flavor. Don't be fooled by the eggs at the grocery store that claim to be high in Omega-3. These chickens are still raised in a factory shed with very little room per bird (even if the package says "cage free"). The only difference is the feed. The birds laying "Omega - 3" eggs contain fish protein. These eggs always taste slightly "fishy" to me.

If you have the chance and never have done so - stop by a farm that advertises that they raise "fresh eggs". Better yet, become a member of a Local Buying Club that sells locally raised meats and produce (hopefully you also live in a state that allows the sale of raw dairy). Raising your own chickens can be fun too. About 6 hens will provide enough eggs for a family of four,
Meat birds will be the next topic on this blog . . . .

The Lambs are here!!!!

My leader ewe - Pumpkin was the first to go a week ago. As of today we have four sets of bouncy and healthy twins on the ground and over 16 ewes to lamb. This should go on until the end of May. These first sets of twin lambs are exceptional this year due to Lenny.





Lenny was our fastest growing lamb last year. His fleece is to die for - a very unusual shade of moorit with the mouflon pattern and so, so soft. I never had to worm him last summer and only needed to do so during the stress of weaning from his mom Helen in the fall. He is a very bright boy with an easygoing temperament. Lenny's twin girls out of Liz are showcased in the new blog photo. Sugar is the black/grey ewe with the faintest sugar lips the other sweet spotted ewe is unnamed as yet.

Elena's boys came next. Wow was I in for a surprise here. This is the first year that she has thrown me really, really chunky boys with thick, hairy legs - they look like clydesdale feet! Elena is out of a Mjaldurson and a Rektor daughter.



Manon gave birth when Mark was building more brooding pens for the turkey and duck chicks. It was super noisy in the barn and I did not notice Manon was in the barn and in labor until Declan noticed she was laying in the darkest corner of the sheep pen. Her water bag was already out and in minutes she gave birth to two gorgeous black/grey ewes.



Tolkie and Pepper are going to go any day now . . . .

Finding the Farm - Part 3

On a long Thanksgiving weekend in 2006 we came back to Downeast Maine.

Our real estate agent took us around to two farm properties that we had picked out. The first had lots of land (mostly swamp), a nice view of the ocean but the house was not really what we were looking for and contrary to the listing - did not have a restorable barn. The second had 36 acres of land that was perfect for raising sheep but the house was close to a busy road. I knew when I stepped into the third house that this was our dream farm that we had talked about for many years. The 200 year old cape was filled with light from the afternoon November sun. Most of the restoration work needed was mainly cosmetic. The huge timber framed barn was still in relatively good condition on the inside and the land was perfect for animals - a long narrow parcel that is nestled between two main roads. The land gently slopes down to a year round stream with many feeder springs nearby. Over 100 heirloom apple trees are on the property. This was the farm we had been waiting for.

Four years later we have settled into our life in Downeast Maine. We are blessed with two healthy children and livestock raised on fresh ocean air and lots of Maine sunshine. The summers are never too hot and the cold winters allow for snow to stick around for longer than a few days. Our farm is slowly growing as we clear land for more pastures for our sheep and poultry. Everything we do here is sustainable from hatching turkeys and chickens from carefully selected breeding stock to raising sheep on 100% pasture and hay. All of our vegetable gardens are fertilized from our own compost and seed is saved from year to year.

This year the farm will go "public" and open our farm store - opening day is May 28, 2010. Our farm store will sell Icelandic fiber, yarn, pelts, chicken, eggs, turkey, produce, cut flowers, forced bulbs, and orchids. We will also be hosting a weekly buying club for products such as dairy, seafood, pork, honey, berries, cheese etc. A large hoophouse will go up this fall so we can grow produce year round. Eventually, time permitting - shepherding classes/workshops will be added in the fall.

We are very excited to bring our products into our local food marketplace. We are very passionate about local agriculture as it provides food security and promotes healthy eating. Hope you enjoy the blog and looking forward to all your comments.

How We Found Our Farm - Part 2

We purchased our first home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in 1999. At the time our son was just a baby and Mark was starting law school at George Mason University while working full time as a software engineer for a government contractor.

While Mark was in the Army - we travelled and lived in Europe for three years. France became a weekend destination for us and we loved to visit the local farmers markets and the French supermarkets which were amazing with hundreds of varieties of local raw milk cheeses, fresh seafood and pasture raised meats.

I planned our first vegetable garden around the varieties of vegetables we were used to seeing in the markets of France. These were eagerly purchased by the Inn at Little Washington when we grew excess salad greens, artichokes, fennel and French Breakfast radishes. We soon expanded into growing fruits such as plums, peaches and heirloom apples. Of course we also put in ornamental flowers in numerous cottage garden beds. My favorite garden feature was our fish pond - right off our back porch which was a magnet for amphibians and dragonflies. Our son loved to watch and feed the fish.

All of this was accomplished on our 1 acre lot that our house sat on. The house had been built prior to the Civil War and was a simple cottage that at one time housed the local blacksmith. The view from our front porch was amazing as you could see the Shenandoah Valley below and the mountains of West Virginia in the distance.

In 2003 we built a chicken coop. Once we mastered the husbandry of chickens we started to search around for an actual farm in 2004. Mark had just graduated from law school and we were thinking about adding to our family. Our house was beginning to become too small for our way of life.

As we started to look for our farm in Virginia we quickly came to the harsh reality that real estate prices had really changed in the five years since we bought our house. A nice farmhouse on good farmland was approaching $500,000 or more even in out of the way towns within a 2 hour commute of Washington, DC. Land was much cheaper in West Virginia but we never really saw anything we liked (right land - wrong house, wrong house - right land). One day in the fall of 2006 I was looking through my Maine Antique Digest and saw a small farm listed at a very reasonable price in Downeast Maine - not too far from our memorable visit in 1994. The price was quite low and it even had an ocean view!!! I called Mark at work and asked if he would like to buy a farm in Maine. After a short pause Mark said "Thank you God". Little did I know this decision would alter our lives forever but in a very positive way. . . .

Next - Finding the Farm - Part 3

How We Found Our Farm - Part 1

This is a long, long story with a very happy ending. It all started Memorial day weekend 1994 - nearly 6 months after Mark and I were married and we were finally settled in at Mark's first Army duty station at Ft. Monmouth, NJ.

I picked up the "Old House Journal" and saw a great ad for a house up in Pembroke, Maine that was listed as "museum quality - no renovations and alterations since the early 19th century. The house was really cheap and since Mark and I had never been to Maine - we decided to check the house and the area out.

The house was exactly as described. It was gorgeous and still had all the original milk paint throughout. There were brass eagle head coat hooks at the front entrance. I was so excited to find such a treasure.

Reality then set in. The house needed a new roof - immediately. The original upper two floors which had been preserved intact for all this time needed to be lowered onto new sills within the next year - it went on and on. We decided not to buy it due to all the work that needed to be done from a long distance in a very short time.

If the house although gorgeous was not practical - then the area was heaven. No big tourist traps. No large housing developments on the ocean. Pristine hiking right along the ocean with bald eagles flying overhead and whales surfacing right in front of us. The seafood - detailed descriptions will be in a future segment - the best in the world. The most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen (at Quoddy Head lighthouse). We fell in love but where would we work . . . . . .

Over the next 12 years every house we saw was compared to the house in Pembroke, Maine. Nothing was ever right. Little did we know - there was a reason for this.

Part 2 - Raising Chickens in the Blue Ridge and Selling Fruits and Vegetables to the Inn at Little Washington.

Welcome to Kilby Ridge Farm

Welcome to Kilby Ridge Farm. We are a sustainable farm on the coast of Maine way . . . way downeast. Am hoping friends and customers will stop by here often to check out our progress as the farm grows. We have high hopes for this year. Not only are we expecting a very large crop of Icelandic lambs in the spring but will be hatching out and pasturing many more of our Wyandotte chickens and Narraganset turkeys. Welsh Harlequin ducks will be pastured around our new pond starting in the late spring.

The farm shop will open up this year once our 1767 dated ell is restored in the spring. We will be selling seasonal vegetables, fiber and yarn from our Icelandic sheep, eggs and our Wyandotte chickens (Maine State Inspected from the COOP in Monmouth, Maine). Although we are not certified organic - all of our produce, poultry and lamb are raised without pesticides, hormones and soy. Our lambs never eat grain and are raised on pasture, hay and finished with apples and apple pomace from over 500 heirloom apple trees which grow on our farm.

I am hoping to share our day to day farm adventures, tips on animal husbandry, my own version of "permiculture", cooking, and possibly articles on the local food movement and "food politics".

Buy local and eat well:)

Violet