Trautman Family Farm News & Opinion
Jan 8, 2010: Effective today, our FARM STORE is once again
OPEN FOR BUSINESS, courtesy of Dane County Health!
Stop on by an pick up some grassfed goodness, and Support Legal Raw Milk!
Farm store hours -
Saturday 9am - noonish
Wednesday - 4pm - 7 (winter hours)
OLD NEWS: Jan 1, 2010: Until we have the proper licenses, we still believe through DATCP, unjustly taken from us, we are closed.
Our intention, however, is NOT to have a farm STORE, but simply an order pickup point. We will process orders via phone or email, and they can be picked up at our farm.
We no longer carry any products that are not from our farm. They were always a very, very minor part of our business anyway; it is no inconvenience to anyone, including us, that this is the case.
It is truly sad that our state government is so corrupt and so bent on the destruction of family farms. It's embarrassing to be from Wisconsin.
Say folks -- look to my BLOG for further news, comment and stories from the farm.
http://www.localharvest.org/blog/15556
We're also on Facebook, now -- come join us there - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38511132613
by Scott M. Trautman
November 1, 2008 A Very Progressive Farm
We are very proud of our farm. We are proud to be a certified organic farm, and more proud still that our dairy herd is certified organic. It does mean something, and it is worth it. This is a bar that few can reach; anyone can say "I don't want to be certified organic", and then insert some reason here why not. Not that they aren't capable, of using their skill and determination to become something better: but they haven't. We have. We are certified organic by design, it works so very well. We support the whole organic system; we are a part of something much larger than ourselves. Our meaning as a lone farm is almost nothing; as a part of a movement, a voice of hope for the future, our farm is powerful.
A comment from our certification determination letter:
"Your inspector commented on your excellent management practices and how well prepared you were for your inspection with detailed and accessible records. We appreciate your conscientious approach to organic farming."
Folks, we are doing a great job: show us with your purchase of our fine foods that you appreciate the kind of work we do.
Just how progressive a farm are we? Do you know how much time/effort we put into farmer outreach and education, to make the world a better place, beyond our farm? When you support our farm, you are providing your family with the very finest in healthy life giving food, but also, you are providing the fuel for us to really make a difference.
If you come to our farm, ask us about how progressive we are, and what we're doing beyond ourselves to make a better world. And if you see this and you go to another farm, ask them the same questions.
Just an idea on how progressive we are:
There are 1.25 million dairy cows on 14,000 dairy operations in Wisconsin at this time. That's an average of 90 cows per farm; considering I estimate there are only 10 farms in Wisconsin doing 100% grass, that's 900 cows. That would be two decimal places short of 1%. THAT is "trivial". Then add our Once A Day milking and Calf with Cow practices, there are NO farms in Wisconsin that combine all three practices. In fact there may be no farms in the United States like ours. But come to our farm, see it in action, and you will wonder why we are so "unique" when what we do makes so very much common sense.
Scott
October 15, 2008 "what about me, what about right now"
My first effort just about got uploaded to this page, but fortunately, I did not give in to my frustration, but let time and reflection bring me back to what I believe is my fundamental nature; that being a person of hope and faith in people. We are frustrated and concerned, and saddened when some customers tell us "they're watching their pennies right now", and that means back to the cheap food. We feel badly that we have not done our job of educating them of the value and importance of pure, quality food, and supporting, especially now, the farms that produce them. The stakes have never been higher. So instead of a rant, I say the following:
Thank you so very much for your business, and for your votes – your dollars, for our farm and our methods, and what we represent.
In these trying times, it means so very much to us that you choose to spend your money with us, when there are so many choices out there, and the persistent message is one of “what about me, what about right now”, and it is so very difficult to resist.
We appreciate, and feel hope for the future, that even in
trying times that you and others like you will value ours, and other local,
sustainable, organic farm’s products, enough to continue to choose them, instead
of retreating into cheaper, lower quality, less sustainable foods. Quality food
from sustainable, local farms is not a luxury, but a necessity to change our own
lives and the path of the world. Your choices reflect your true values in life,
and we are proud and humbled to be a part of that.
We are confident that your reward will be better health and a better world. It
takes courage and wisdom to make good long term decisions, and sacrifice today
for a better future, even as those around us may tempt us and call us foolish.
It is never foolish to look out for one another and work towards a better world.
Our rewards may not be immediate, but they will come and they will be
everlasting.
Our individual and collective character isn’t determined when times are easy, but by the difficult choices and sacrifices we make when it isn’t easy.
We have never and do not now believe, arrogantly, that you or anyone else should pay us any price, but that we owe it to you to be efficient and provide excellent value, and if we fall short of that, we do not deserve your business or your faith.
Our gratitude to you will be to continue to work tirelessly, to work with you in providing value, and to be a beacon of hope with our farm, the values it represents, and to give unselfishly to others that would also make the world a better place.
At these frustrating times, rather than get sucked into the unfairness of it all, a pity party, negative thinking, I am reminded of how very grateful we are, especially to the following people who have given of themselves to our farm; with their time, and materials and money. I can't imagine how we would be where we are at without the help of these people, especially.
Bruce and Cindy Andre
Norm Bouchard
Joe Kester
Don Warren
Mike Logan+Family/Dan Utter
Dwayne Trautman
Richard Falkenstein
Art Johnson
Mike&Jeanne Cary
Gary Zimmer
Duane Siegenthaler
Eric Stokstad
Larry Johnson
Jeff Hougan
A Special thank you to Gary Hougan, previous steward of our farm
Muriel Plichta
Dick&Ardy Straub
Martha O'Reilly
MaryJo Fahey
Steven Wilson
Sincerely,
Scott, Julie, Ian, Quinn & Lilly Trautman
View of our farm June 9 2008, from 50ft off the ground in a bucket truck.
May 1, 2008 A Very Dairy Springtime
A few moments to do the traditional farmer-whining. Whaaaa! It's too wet. Not getting the heat to make the grass grow. There. It's out of my system, we'll adapt; we always do. We were happy to have some heat and sunshine and started grazing some cereal rye on April 24th, and same day, the first dairy calf of the season was born. Bright, healthy and a joy to see; it is one of the true joys of farming. We are scrambling with umpteen situations and details of the season, but this is to be expected, and we roll with it. A special thanks to Joe Kester for his help this season; an able and bright assistant. Joe's grandfather has a farm up north and he wants to learn from us this season to in the future continue the legacy. And we too from him, and with his labors, be able to do a few things we otherwise could not.
We are quite occupied with our dairy setup. As seems to be the case, never a moment too soon, that would just be wrong and would steal that exhilaration we get from getting it done at the last minute. Or that is what I will believe, anyway! We have some beautiful beef animals here, our Jersey cross boys and some Hereford, angus/crossbreed beef steers. All concerned are very anxious for lush pasture. This is the time of year the cattle start looking at the hay and are thinking, "you've got to be kidding me!"; they want the grass. We've just squeaked by on hay, which given how expensive it is getting (along with everything else), is a blessing.
Yesterday the hens arrived! Now we can answer the emails, phone calls, with YES, we have eggs. Now it will take here about a month before we get to the usual A+ quality eggs, as soon as they get outside and start eating grass, bugs and the like.
Well, off to play today's weather roulette. It's always 20/20 hindsight as to what we should have done, I try not to drive myself too crazy about that, and make the very best decisions we can.
I hope you'll take a few moments and scan our many web pages for updates. I apologize that it seems we took a web-update holiday in 2007, and apparently Scott "Rumplestiltskin" Trautman was asleep all winter. I've got some exciting new things planned as well -- maybe in days here a "Video Blog" of what's going on out at the farm. I have to thank Joe Kester for his help in making this possible.
Finally, we deeply appreciate your business, and look forward to seeing you out at the farm this year. We hope you get as much from seeing our beautiful farm and animals as we get from seeing you, our customers, the ones that make this all possible.
God bless, and enjoy the day!
Quote of the week:
"Study books and observe nature, if nature and the books do not agree, throw away the books" - Dr. William Albrecht
Scott, Julie & Family
March 5, 2008
Some winter, eh? Much more "mileage" I could get out of it than would be real. The animals have been comfortable, the hay is holding out, and our biggest worry, ice, and cattle "splaying" and hurting themselves, hasn't (yet) been an issue. Ah-yep, water flow through the farm is an issue, and I am carefully noting what must be done when we "eventually" get back to warmth and growth. We are, as we have been, in certain things, had "dumb luck" to have our setup just pretty much work out, despite having not really thought about it all that much prior.
But now is the time for action, the winter, I have certainly kept myself busy, teaching Introduction to Organic Farming at MATC, and especially with that, doing a great deal of reading. Part of why I instigated the program at MATC -- so I would be put in a position where I needed to become better versed in the subjects in order to teach it. The other, and more important, way more important, part, is looking at our three children and doing all I can to make a place for them in farming, and doing all I can to make that life inviting. By having neighbors, their own age, that farm. By having successful small farms around us, and throughout the state. What can I do? I can teach. I can and have talked to farmers, frankly, until I'm blue in the face. What I've got to say -- about solutions that is -- requires thought and sacrifice and accepting responsibility for themselves. Farmers know all about the sacrifice, the thought, sorry guys, not seeing it, and take responsibility? Nope. Seeing it all in the same line as is programmed in you by agribusiness and for their benefit. Just this week, talking to farmers; so many have all the time in the world to go to fertilizer meetings, equipment meetings, but to hear someone speak that's going to change how they farm? No time. Sorry fellows, but you get what you deserve. We all do --
The absolutely most important thing we can do on this farm is succeed, and glaringly so. If we are happy farming, getting a fair price, have happy customers, our children will be naturally drawn to this. Funny how not so many current farm kids are considering being farmers.
So we enter this season hopeful; as in every previous season, we have not left well enough alone, but continued to evolve according to our customer's needs and our needs. We add dairy this year. And also as usual, we leave our fellow farmers scratching their heads as to what the heck it is we are doing. I'm to the point where, rather than argue, just say, "we're doing it all wrong" and leave it at that. If how most dairy farms are doing it right now is right, then indeed, we desire to do it all wrong.
We continue to welcome new customers; at the rate of a couple each and every week. We are sure not blitzing the market with advertising, we are, we think, doing a good job and providing excellent value and the products people want. We especially appreciate that our customers tell their friends, neighbors and family members about us. And we hope to get input from you, too -- how can we improve, what can we do. We feel there is so much potential -- we are at the center of so many good people: how do we play a part in that in making the world a better place?
We often hear from people, "we just love the feeling we get out here". And that isn't simply that of a zoo, an entertainment center, but the positive, joyful goodness emanating from us, our animals, the land, everything. We have an "attractive" place here. Not as in handsome (and we do think it is that too), but as in attracts people. We are now starting to see people want to volunteer at the farm. To help, to learn, to be here and be a part of this farm, and we welcome that.
A focus for this help is in farm beautification. You can appreciate that farming is a full-time plus job; for the whole family. If it's a question of planting flowers or planting crops -- you know where we need to be. But is the planting of flowers important? Trees? YES it is, and we need help. These things add to the "attractiveness" of our farm, the welcoming that our farm is.
Come April -- there will be several weekends, any of which you could have the opportunity to work along side us and help us beautify our farm. And of course, help through the summer to keep it beautiful. Contact us and let us know you're willing to help. Even a couple hours is a help. Bring the family. Let's get a chance to know one another. And feel the goodness, the hope, emanating from this farm; and the opportunity for you to be a part of this farm..
God bless,
Scott, Julie Trautman & Family
December 5, 2007
It was a beautiful fall. Now into a real winter with ice & snow & cold. I enjoy every season, I enjoy the changes, and appreciate and anticipate the next season. Find a way to enjoy the snow, and know how much more you'll appreciate spring when it comes.
Eggs: So sorry, but no eggs until spring 2008. Because of a) high organic feed prices b) hens are getting old, which means a lower percentage of hens laying eggs each day and c) the hen house needs a rest too; good cleanout, some maintenance/changes and a nice sanitizing time.
Chicken: Wholes and cut up wholes are sold out for the season. We have lots of breasts, ground chicken and other convenience packaging chicken available. Stock up -- they will sell out too. Wouldn't you like to enjoy great chicken all the time -- our convenience packaging of breasts et al allow you to do that.
STEWING HENS available -- make some GREAT BROTH or chicken soup for cheap. $8/each.
Beef & Pork: Bulk portions (wholes, halves & quarters) are sold out for the season. We have plenty of individual portions available in our farm store; come on out and stock up.
Lamb: Wow! I am now a big fan, first time lamb eater, chops & a wonderful shepard's pie. We have a limited amount of lamb available, come and get some.
Honey: Honey from bees on our farm is now available, it is absolutely wonderful, try some today.
NAHO: Pick up some PC decongestant, it really works to clear up the nose; The footpowder and BAN products are great too. Not to be too gross, but the BAN really does work well for athlete's feet and other fungal infections, I know this from personal experience. The tubes of goo from the store: man they don't work very well and they do it over a very long time.
Shaklee: Try the Get Clean products, economical, environment friendly, and they WORK. We've tried a few other brands at the store, and the Shaklee products always work much better. The membership gets you the best price, which is significantly cheaper than the non-member price.
We have also redone our individual cut pricelist, and yes, prices did go up. We are already planning for next year, and some of the increases we are seeing are obnoxious. In one case -- seed that was obnoxious at $105/bag, is now $138/bag. Fuel -- wow, $2.95/gallon where last spring it was $2.50; and it's only going up from there. The money we take in today has to pay for that -- and last us all year. Meat prices are up in the store, and will continue to go up. We are doing our very best to be efficient here and hold the line on price increases.
To add to this and underline the value of eating well: Our health insurance went up 24%, for the stated reason of "for various reasons", which is to say, because they can. We already operate on a $10,000 deductible. We can't afford sickness -- and the best way to not be sick is to eat well. We buy organic and of course eat our own products. We are "padding our bets" in every way we can to maintain our health. Try getting sick to find out how much that costs -- and how cheap eating quality foods is in comparison.
August 21, 2007
Well! We go from no rain for most of the summer to nothing but rain. Certainly a challenging year, but as usual, we are making the best of it and are grateful that we have what we do. It is getting time to get those beef deposits in; they are going fast, and we have less than last year's crop to sell.
We now have chicken breasts, drummies, wings, ground chicken, chicken brats & chicken stix available. Try some, you'll like 'em!
Pork should be in later this week. Yum Yum.
June 2, 2007
RAIN. Mood much improved. New "hanging weight" bulk beef & pork prices posted. Why the switch to hanging weight pricing, from the take-home weight pricing? Because certain choices can be made in processing that result in less take-home weight, and then we don't get paid for that. In most cases, the pricing should be consistent with prior year's take-home weight pricing.
May 30, 2007
STILL no rain -- a very unusual May indeed. Taking a defensive posture to preserve grass for grazing.
May 9, 2007
A little rain, if you will! I need a break--and we could use the moisture. The pastures are really coming on, and the animals are so very happy.
April 27, 2007
Okay, this time I'm serious -- Spring has sprung. I looked over last month's message, and from the great weather of end of March, we had a snowstorm and cool rainy weather afterwards. We started grazing April 22nd, and that is late. But everything is indeed very green now, and after today, we will see the 70's and even 80's and most importantly, the sun.
Things are about to get crazy busy for us, all in that 1st week of May. Many new animals showing up. Much now delayed, with the weather, fieldwork to do. If we sound a little crazed here in the next week or two, you'll know why.
Yahara Grocery Cooperative!! http://www.yaharagrocery.coop/ -- we'll be seeing you at the kickoff this sunday, April 29th, noon to 4pm. What an exciting, positive thing this is. So many in our wonderful community have really put their heart and soul into getting this project off the ground. We're so pleased to be a part of it. Wouldn't it be great -- if our little community of Stoughton brought local farmers into their hearts -- and pocketbooks -- and it became a part of our culture here to support and encourage local, organic foods. With this group, the sky's the limit.
Organic/biological/chem-free lawncare: I was happy to attend a local meeting of http://www.healthylawnteam.org -- a small group to start, but I'm sure with more information every day about dangerous herbicides, pesticides it will grow. You CAN have a very nice looking yard without chemicals. And we have a program for that -- come to our store and find out more. It will take time -- just as it has taken time to get our wonderful farm soils repaired from years of chemical abuse. Don't do all the good of eating right to undo some of that good by spraying your lawn with a bunch of harsh chemicals and fertilizers.
Chickens - Broilers: Now is the time to put in your orders for the season. We have some additional options this year, please help us with putting in "pre-orders" and paying a $5/bird deposit. Folks, that makes a huge difference to us; we end up having a lot of money hanging out there in production of our farm products, and a deposit means we don't have to pay interest on the money, and we do indeed pass that savings on to you. You'll notice a pattern -- those that pre-order, get the best price, those that don't, will pay more later, and that reflects our costs. You can certainly find cheaper chicken out there -- but none better, and none with more respect shown to our animals. Please see our Pastured Poultry Page and order today!
Eggs!: We now have have about 230 hens - we are finally catching up to demand. Come and get some of the best eggs of the season -- our hens get plenty of greens, worms and top quality organic chicken feed. Our eggs are now $3.50/dozen. Folks, crack one of ours open next to even an organic egg and you tell us which is superior. And then taste, and you'll know.
Newsletter: There's these little missives here, and then there's our newsletter. Please check it out online; if you haven't gotten a copy already by email, please let us know and we'll get you on the list. And do feel free to forward to your friends. This is in PDF format.
Farm Help: As you can probably appreciate, there is always a long, long list of things to do at the farm. But certain projects, most typically those involving beautifying the farm, tend to get shoved to the bottom of the list. We work hard at trying to knock a few of those items off the list each year, but it's hard; some are just plain time consuming. Rock walls. Flower planting. Tree planting. Tree cleanup. Fencing projects. Barn work. Landscaping. The list is endless.
We often hear from people that they "get a good feeling" just from being out here; our positive attitude is infectious, the beauty of our farm and being a part of the importance of what we're doing.
Perhaps you'd enjoy spending some time here at the farm. We always have interesting projects going on; and we'd love for you to feel even more a part of our farm than you do already by buying our products. I wish I could say it's glamorous action-packed work, sorry, it wouldn't be, but fun, satisfying and in most excellent surroundings and company. Let us know if you'd like to help.
Big thanks to Hansa who is volunteering out here, and making a huge difference for us. She's taken on the fruit trees, and they're now getting the attention they so desperately need. She'll help us plant strawberries, trees and other projects.
Your friends and partners,
The Trautmans
March 26, 2007
Spring has Sprung! As of March 22nd in fact, when overnight, from a moist high 60's and a thundershower, and a 50's overnight temp, the grass turned green overnight. Surely everyone had to get outside this weekend, time to spruce up the yard, and just enjoy the warmth of the sun.
We're excited to get out grazing. Our goal is to be "in the field" by April 1, consistently, and we will surely be able to do that this year. Today it's supposed to be 77 degrees and sunny -- in March still -- the grasses will just explode today. We have 27 acres of cereal rye across the road; that will explode in growth, our job will be to manage this tremendous growth, slow some of it back by letting the steers eat it, and get our available pastures phased so we can graze right through the whole season. All of it growing big and mature at once is not helpful. With the management intensive grazing we do, it replicates the roaming of the buffalo across the plains. They would travel and catch the grasses at the right times for both the grasses and them, and with that, both would gain and the maximum productivity would be achieved.
I am always reading, always looking for new ways to look at things, new ways to think. It is said that "if you change how you look, what you look at changes". We look at our farm, our animals, our place here, in the humility of "what is nature's intent?", rather than in our human arrogance of "what do we (humans) want?". We can have it all; but it is through cooperation and assistance TO nature, rather than in war and "beating" of nature. Nature always bats last says Joel Salatin, and nature is absolutely relentless, it will never, ever give in. We don't need to fight it with chemicals, or practices that are of convenience to us, and of detriment to our animals, soils, the world around us.
A small item, maybe, but an example, of the "thinking harder" we desire, and have to do here; this winter we fed round baleage bales. They are a fermented hay bale basically, and they feed really great. Feeding them to the steers, we would fire up the big tractor, go get one, unroll 1/3 of the bale, then put the tractor with the rest of the bale back in the shed. So each day we'd need to fire up the tractor. Rather than just think "that's the way it is" and not think anymore of it, it seems rather silly in retrospect now. Now what we do is once every 6 days we fire up the tractor, bring 2 bales up to the barn floor, and Julie and I then over the next 6 days, without any tractor, unroll and feed them. So we are using less than 1/6th of the fuel we used earlier this year. Already -- with the grazing we do -- we use less fuel by a huge margin, than do traditional farmers. And yet we won't rest, in thinking or action, until it is as close to no fuel used as we can get. Good for the world, but also good for us.
Many of you are familiar perhaps with the book "The Secret". I haven't read it yet, but when I go on some about what I'm been reading, it's along the same lines. I've been reading "The Power of Intention" by Dr. Wayne Dyer. If you have a chance, and you're ready for it, read it. Life is what you make of it.
Please make it a point to come see us this spring, and share in our joy, in the beauty and wonderment that our farm is. The more everyone sees of our farm, the more they're going to know why what we're doing here is so very very good.
Happy springtime, best of health and happiness,
Scott & the Trautman Family
Feb 25, 2007
Stop on in to our farm store, no appointment necessary Saturdays 9am-noon, Wednesday nights, 6-8pm.
With the snow whipping out the window, what a great day to be inside, reading, planning, dreaming. 2007 promises to be an interesting, challenging, wonderful season for us. But with each new season come changes, challenges, surprises and disappointments.
There is so much pro-active, beyond just our farm, initiative going on here. You're going to be seeing, hearing and reading more about us and these initiatives in 2007 and beyond. We truly are working to promote all family farms. This is a new day for family farms; such an exciting time to be involved, and we hope you'll join us, both at our farm -- and at other wonderful area farms as well.
First such item: We are so excited to be a drop point for Bluemoon Community Farm CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). We've been a member of Kristin's CSA for two years ourselves (no time to grow our own garden), and are now excited to be even more a part of her CSA. Egg shares and our meat and store products are available to CSA members. And you can count on more farm associations -- to bring more wonderful farm fresh foods to people. Kristin tells us she has about a dozen shares open for the area. We have her pamphlets and signup sheet at our farm store. They promise to go fast, so if you are considering a CSA (a weekly basket of veggies during the season), please get on that ASAP. We'd love for our friends & neighbors to all get in on this.
Second item: The number of items in our farm store keep growing. We carry some wonderful "Bee Barf" honey -- anyone with that kind of humor is gonna fit in real well here, and Sue Richards the owner will be putting bees here -- so honey from Trautman Family Farm, from our beautiful fields of clover, and our fruit trees.
Item three: NAHO (Native American Healing Ointments) are available at our store. We use them ourselves. What unique, local items would you like to see us carry?
Number four: (sounding a bit like Paul Harvey here) Our commitments, for our family for the 2007 season
- 80% certified organic eating, up from say 60%. Many more bulk items and less processed food
- 25% reduction in fossil fuel usage (50% farm equipment, 50% vehicles)
- Focus on reducing waste; less packaging, less non-recyclable items
- Planting of many trees, with help from our many friends
"Be the change you seek"
Thank you again for your interest, your business, and we look forward to getting to know you, and being YOUR FARMERS.
Scott, Julie, Ian, Quinn & Lilly Trautman
January 15, 2007
Mid-January already! Where has the time gone? Planning is in full swing, purchases being made. And decisions, too.
We've "pulled the trigger" and will be starting to milk Jersey-cross cows as of Spring 2008. A recent interaction with a fellow was useful in goading me in this direction rather than in another, perhaps safer direction. We are so very pleased that the support at the state level is here for those that would innovate in dairy. You can count on great things; this will be such an exciting year of planning, coordinating and surely some building to be ready for dairy.
And we will dairy our own way -- and challenge yet more of those assumed truths of farming. Once a day milking; calves on cows (as they were intended -- and do best), seasonal dairying, all grassfed. Some beautiful milk it will be. But surely, too -- learning, disappointments, changes from plan, outright mistakes. I've found it very interesting -- that even dairy farmers themselves tend to steer people away from milking cows. Why the misery? We love the farming life, we love our animals, we're here all the time anyway. We hope to visit New Zealand on a scholarship in March -- and something I was told about New Zealand dairyman has stuck with me. It was said, they tend to sit around and think -- strategize -- what they're going to do, and not so much time in activity. Well then -- that sounds good -- all too often the American farmer -- and many others, too -- confuse activity with accomplishment. Dairying is good, hard, noble work.
2006 was our best year yet. Julie and I have really honed into a team, and the very best moments in life have been the appreciation of the sun, grass, animals and peace -- and in getting to know all our wonderful customers.
This will be yet another new chapter for us, and we are excited at the prospect.
What can we do for you?
We have our new farm store, and as a new beginning,
we try and re-think what we're doing and why. We are limited by acres to how
much livestock we can grow; that situation improves yearly, but as you probably
know, farming, even organic farming, even direct market farming, is hardly a
high-margin business, and we find we do need to complement our products with
others in the vein of healthful, distinctive and
generally local. We carry free trade organic coffee, some
wonderful local popcorn, honey and we're looking at other
distinctive and healthful products. We carry what we use and are satisfied with.
We'd like you to consider us for a larger basket of quality farm related items.
Please let us know what products you use in this vein that you're very satisfied with.
FARM STORE OPEN TO GENERAL PUBLIC
Saturday's 9am - Noon, Wednesday's 5pm - 8pm. Not a large number of hours, but
you are free to just "drop in" during those times, otherwise a call ahead is
needed to assure we're home. If you've called, you've found us very
accommodating and almost always home, but we've had folks say they wish we had
some regular hours so they could just stop in.
SHAKLEE
We are now independent distributors for Shaklee;
we have used their products in the past, and think their vitamins, natural
supplements & their
green cleaning products are consistent with our message.
MIDWESTERN BIO-AG
Since 2003, the very smartest thing we have done (ahem, amongst some not so
smart things, or "learning experiences" as we like to call them), was focus on
our soil fertility; and that is a result of our using
Midwestern Bio-Ag's system and products and
the wisdom of Duane Siegenthaler our consultant, and through Gary Zimmer, president of
MBA's book,
The Biological Farmer: A Complete Guide to the Sustainable & Profitable Biological System of Farming
Over the past year I have attended invaluable consultant training, and am now an MBA Independent Consultant. It's vastly improved my knowledge about farming and taking care and optimizing soils and growing systems. No one was going to shut me up anyway about helping farmers, but this is giving me the positive tool to spread the good word to fellow farmers - even home gardeners and lawn owners.
Are you interested in utilizing organic/natural/biological knowledge with your lawn/garden/acreage? Please contact me. There is no reason you can't have a very nice and healthy lawn/garden without using harsh fertilizers and dangerous herbicides and pesticides. Perhaps you have family or friends that are farmers that would be interested in a much happier farming life as well. Let me and MBA help them.
Beef: All the cutting has been done, and we're down to only a few halves and wholes available. A select number are cut for individual portion sales: ground beef, roasts & steaks. We will have some bone-in standing rib roasts (that's Prime Rib) available -- great for the holidays!
Chicken: Thanks to all of you that put in deposits for chickens this season. Our last run of 200 were not 'to order', but are available from our freezers to you for $3.50/lb, until March 1st. At that time we will be having any leftover chickens made into chicken brats, which will be available for sale, and are really wonderful.
Our system this year worked very nicely and we anticipate doing the same in 2007. Thanks to everyone that ordered birds and paid the $5 deposit; that really helped our cashflow and allowed us to sell them to you a little cheaper for the privilege.
Pork: The pork is GREAT. All sold out of bulk halves/wholes until summer 2007. We have hams, roasts, bacon & other items for sale. See our price sheet.
Eggs: New hens! New hens! Beauties, New Hampshire Reds, 50 of 'em. (okay, 49 with one rooster snuck in, and he went back where he came from. Awful happy rooster for that day though). We expect egg production to increase dramatically in December as these Pullets (young hens) start laying. Note too that pullet eggs are even tastier with darker (still) orange yolks, although the egg size typically is smaller.
Other Farm Store Items of Interest:
Redmond Sea Salt - Everyone that tries it loves it as a replacement for your
regular salt. Could you believe that salt could make such a huge difference in
taste? It does! We also use Celtic sea salt, but that's a larger crystal salt
and not really for the everyday use; by shape and by price. The Redmond sea salt
-- it has lots of good minerals in it, it's for your daily salt use in the
shaker and in recipes, and it is so very good! Try some today!
Holiday Gift Baskets - ask us about our gift certificates, but also for gift baskets. Grassfed butter, a sampling of our wonderful beef, pork and eggs. Especially for those that enjoy great food, or certainly that has enough "stuff" already.
Big Picture corner:
Why do we buy Organic? We as a family buy as much organic as we can find. Produce, foods, certainly veggies, milk. For the farm -- also -- we purchase organic, even though our animals to date have not been sold as certified organic, still we feed all organic feeds, on organic ground. Why? In addition to the healthful aspects of organic, these products are from "our people", and we're supporting our own. Indeed we ask for a fair price for our goods -- but to do that in good faith we are willing to pay a fair price. You get as you give. Do unto others. Vote dollars. A person can become frustrated at what they can do in a life to change the world for the better; the very easiest way is how we spend our dollars. You only get a chance every two years or so to vote for politicians, but we vote our dollars every day, and indeed, they are the most important votes. We have found in our lives as we integrate more organic and thoughtful spending into our lives, that we have invited more harmony and happiness into our hearts.
Why do we bother becoming (the farm that is) certified organic? We invite knowledgeable scrutiny from an objective observer. For you, as customers, you know only so much and see only so much. Indeed the organic inspector is typically here only once a year, but that is an observer that is digging very deep indeed. We don't ask that anyone simply "trust us" -- although we appreciate it -- we walk the talk and we reach for a much higher bar in everything we do.
In my previous life as a computer consultant, I would find those consultants that would zero in on the most vulnerable and not-knowledgeable folks. To those people -- even the most incompetent consultant could smile, joke, explain things in a friendly way, sound so very confident (I called them false-confidence consultants) and by all appearances be helping -- when in fact, from my viewpoint, wow, were they spending a lot of money on a consultant that didn't know much. Problem solutions, because they didn't know much, took hours and hours when if they knew their stuff, should have taken minutes. Yet -- as far as the customer went, because this was such a friendly person, and they knew so little, this was just great. That consultant was not going to want to be around someone that knew a lot -- as they themselves knew how little they actually knew. Certified organic is very much like that situation. We invite the knowledgeable scrutiny and not just the folks that appreciate how friendly we are.
Scott's final thoughts:
THANK YOU to all our wonderful customers. We couldn't do it without you! May every blessing be yours in this most blessed season.
Your partners in leading a rich life,
Scott, Julie, Ian, Quinn & Lilly Trautman
