Short and Sweet! on February 27th, 2010
This week we are busy working on spring order/renewal information. We will be sending out that information on Tuesday. Thank you for taking the time to look it over. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Jessica Smith
(765) 324-2161
It is time to vote, order season is upon us…………. on February 21st, 2010
Each winter we reflect on things done well during the previous season and new things we want to try in the coming season. Once this analysis is complete we bring it back to you to choose what you like. By choosing to support the farm, you are choosing to vote for sustianable agriculture and growing food in a manner that heals the earth while healing our bodies. Each time you support us, you are telling us what you like. We are thankful that over the years you have voted to make our farm a full time operation. So few family farms today can say that. We are so thrilled to be working on bringing you good food with all of our energies now. In saying this, we are able to offer even more options for you to “vote” for. My goal this week is to get your good food craving juices roling so you can think about how the farm can best fit into your meal planning this year. I will highlight some of the ways you can help us grow good food so that in the coming weeks when the order forms come out you are ready to make the final vote.
Lets start with why we love the late winter ordering season. Your early feedback and orders give us a picture of what we need to grow. We want to grow just what you are looking for. The majority of farm expenses, from natural fertility, seeds, livestock, to feed costs hit us early. Your early orders and CSA sign ups help us cover these costs. They help us ensure that we can grow your food. By ordering ahead and choosing one of our payment options you help us not need financing and thus we are able to pass along the savings back to you. If CSA or Community Supported Agriculture is new to you, please visit Local Harvest to learn all the reasons why you might want to support the farm in this manner.
Lets start with what worked well last year. Last year we enjoyed having an order season where you could place an order for an estimated years worth of meat and egg options. Don’t worry, we are happy to help you figure out what might meet your needs best. We used to only offer this plan for bulk purchased items like 1/2 pork, but last year we opened it up to be able to choose individual cuts as part of the plan. If you really like just chicken thighs we can make it happen. You chose to either pay upfront in full for a 10% discount or pay a budgeted amount monthly for a 5% discount. We then provided your patured meats and eggs as they came available or by a predetermined plan. This worked so well for us that we will be doing it again. If you ordered in this manner last year, we will be emailing you a suggested order form based on last year and then you can fine tune it to meet your needs this year.
Another thing we greatly enjoyed last year was a pilot Educational CSA. One of our regular patrons wrote the following on the end of season evalution form, “The educational opportunities at This Old Farm have been a delightful and valuable experience for the whole family. Our eyes have been opened to a whole new world with endless possibilities and a bright, healthier future.” We appreciated her kind words! This Year we are moving the workshop times associated with this CSA option to Saturday to make it more readily available. This Old Farm is launching a workshop series to be held Saturday afternoons, from 2 PM to 3:30PM at the farm or other location upon notification. Jessica Smith will share information about different aspects of farm life from organic gardening to raising chickens to preserving the harvest. Whether you are new to growing your own food or a seasoned veteran, there will be something for everyone. They make a great addition to your home school curriculum. Unless otherwise advertised each class will be $15/ a piece or $25/ family. A $5 discount will be given for any good quality garden implements donated to the farm (ie shovels, farm rake, hoes, hand tools, gloves, hose) If in doubt, ask if we need it. All class topics will be posted in the calendar. If there is something you would like to learn about and you don’t see the topic, please let us know. These classes are also part of an educational CSA. This is intended to be a hands on CSA. As a CSA share owner you will be registered in each of the available workshops. As is standard with a CSA, you will receive a share of the harvest each week representing a basketful of produce intended to fulfill the needs of a family of four. Each Educational CSA is $550 payable in two installments. Though we encourage you to take part in the education part of the CSA we will provide CSA baskets for the same price without the educational opportunity if you are tight for time.
Egg Subscriptions have been yet another sucessful way to support the farm for years now. Good pasture raised eggs can be hard to find. To ensure a consistent supply for your family, we supply egg subscriptions. You could think of this as us raising the number of chickens it takes to supply your eggs. You own that supply. We ask you how many you want per month and then your subscriptions are the first to be supplied each month before other deliveries are made. We appreciate your consistent order and you benefit by knowing where your next eggs are coming from. Right now we are brooding 400 pullets to provide a good egg supply for the coming season starting in May. Get your name on the list now and consider yourself owners of organically raised egg layers.
Cow and or Goat Shares: Sale of raw milk is not legal in Indiana. Because some desire to have and drink raw milk we offer boarding of your goat or cow at our farm. We take care of helping you find an animal and of boarding and milking your animal in exchange for a monthly fee. We have been running a waiting list for cow and goat shares as we searched for good dairy animals. We are hopeful that this coming spring we will have a few new additions to the farm to supply your dairy needs. If your name is not on the list, it is a good time to get it there.
Now that we have touched on lots of opportunities that have been successful in the past, it is time to unveil one last option, new this year. We are especially excited about this option for those new to cooking with whole, natural foods. (Although I consider myself a seasoned cook now and still have greatly enjoyed this methodology.) I have been asked by many to help with menu planning and an easy way to cook good food for your family. Instead of having to create it, I have been so excited to have found an online menu subscription that walks through a weeks menu, outlining natural foods and daily tasks needed to accomplish feeding your family for the week. It is in a perfect format for us to use as a recipe log for our new CSA Meat Shares. Not only can we help you source great meats, we can help you with your menu planning. We encourage you to utilize the menu service offered by “Cooking Traditional Foods” at http://www.tfrecipes.com . To view a sample menu look at the side bar on the left for a menu sampler. This meal planning service walks you through an in season meal plan with all the recipes and groceries needed. By utilizing this service you can make ease of your all natural meal planning and then we will help you source the wonderful meats that you need to make it complete. For $25 per week we will provide 2 meat options/week for a family of 4. For $40/week we will make available all meats needed for your meal plan for a family of 4 with the exception of seafood. We may have to make substitutions at times and will supply substitute recipes if needed. All meats provided will be raised in a sustainable manner following all principles we subscribe to. Only the best will be provided. Billing will take place upfront covering 3 months at a time. Buying our meats, makes your place a good place to eat! Email Jessica for a sample menu and listing of what meats would be included.
Hopefully, I have succeeded in showing the wide breadth of possibilities for your to support the farm and ensure a food supply for your family into the future. Your vote counts! While we love those who make the commitment to order ahead through one of our CSA type options, we appreciate all of our customers. If a CSA is not right for you, we appreciate your support in any way. We are happy to get you started in your quest for good food through providing meat by the cut. Watch for the order forms in the coming weeks!
At the farm, market, or processing retail outlet……… on February 21st, 2010
We are pleased to expand the availability of locally produced meat from our farm and other sustainable growers. Give us a call and let us help you make the choices that best meet the need of your family.
Let us know if you need a wholesale or retail price list. Call (765) 324-2161.
New this week: More Lamb cuts are back. See the full list below.
Specials **This week we have on special hams and bacon for $5.00/lb. In preparation to carry all natural no nitrate pork products we are closing out what we have carried in the past. The pork was fed certified organic grains, raised on pasture, but processed traditionally. You can take advantage of our switch in product type and clear out the October processing in time for the new processing. Pork Steaks are also on special for $4.00/lb
We have……….
100 % Grass fed Beef (Erick is so happy to once again have steak in the freezer! )
- ground beef $5.50/lb
- chuck roast $5.25/lb
- arm roast $5.25/lb
- rump roast $5.75/lb
- cubed steak $5.50/lb
- sirloin steaks $9.50/lb
- rib steak $13.00/lb
- porterhouse and T-bones $15.50/lb
- beef liver $4.00/lb
- soup bones $3.00/lb
- quarter side, halves, or whole beefs priced at $3.50/lb plus processing
eggs $4.50/dozen. I am happy to once again have them available. We have been working hard to get good leafy hay to the chickens that have been missing the greens that make those large yellow-orange yolks. I am seeing an improvement already.
Organically fed and pasture raised chicken-
- whole $4.80/lb
- breasts $8.50/lb
- thighs $6.00/lb
- drumsticks $5.50/’b
- wings $4.00/lb
- broth pieces $3.00/lb
Naturally fed and pasture raised chicken-
Pastured heritage turkey ($5.95/lb)
100% grassfed lamb Still taking orders for whole or half lambs to be cut to your specifications. $5.50/lb plus processing
The following cuts are available from the freezer. We just processed last week!
Pastured Pork- Still taking orders for whole or half pigs to be cut to your specifications. Cuts are now available from the freezer.
- sausage $6.00/lb
- pork burgers $6.o0/lb
- ham $5.00/lb on special to make way for new recipes!
- bacon $5.00/’b on special to make way for new recipes!
- fresh side $5.00/lb
- loin chops $7.50/lb
- steaks $4.o0/lb on special. They make great barbecue pork.
- shanks $4.00/lb
- bratwursts $9.00/lb
- Special Orders can still be made. We have a few small half hogs available and ready to go. They offer roughly 60 lbs of meat and are priced at $3.15/lb plus processing of $60.
Cow and goat shares-running a waiting list
Locally Raised, Traditional Meats- We also now have a full line of locally raised but traditionally grown meats for sale. If you have wanted to support local farms but been unable to afford the higher cost of organically raised and or naturally raised meats, we can now meet that need as well. It is all about choice. We can help you understand the differences, exactly who raised the meat, how it was raised and what the taste differences might be. With this information, you can make the best decision for your family.
This is a great time to make sure we have your order on file so that as soon as we process we can fill your order. We want to grow exactly what you want us to grow. Let us know what you would like. Call (765)436-2186 (farm), (765) 324-2161(retail and processing division), or email Jessica.
We look forward to seeing you at the farm anytime by appointment, at our new retail location during business hours, or at your delivery site at a prearranged time. We will be at the Traders Point Creamery on Saturdays from 9 t0 12. We look forward to seeing you there.
In the news………….. on February 21st, 2010
Following is a write up done late last summer. A version of the story just ran in both Indianapolis Dine and Farm World. I appreciated Linda McGurk and her attention to detail while representing our farm.
1. Top Shelf
By Linda McGurk + Photographs by Polina Osherov
HEADLINE:
SUBHEAD: A longing for healthy food lead one young Lafayette couple to start selling all-natural meats and produce to the public. They’re combining the knowledge of our forbearers and the marketing techniques of today to rejuvenate the land at This Old Farm.
The word “revolution” may be too radical to describe what’s happening at Erick and Jessica Smith’s farm in rural Darlington. And “movement” sounds a bit cliché. But when a growing number of young professionals, like the Smiths, who are one or more generations removed from the farm, decide to go back to the land to discover what it means to be self-sufficient, they are revitalizing the small, diversified family farms that were left for dead decades ago. And if, in the process, they educate their neighbors about the link between our environment and the food we eat, the Smiths will have achieved another one of their goals.
When the Smiths purchased their 88-acre farm nearly ten years ago, they certainly didn’t plan on becoming full-time farmers and advocates for healthy, naturally-grown food. They just wanted a rural haven where they could raise a family and possibly some organic vegetables. “When you have children you start looking at life a little differently,” Erick, a construction engineer, says. “We started looking at our diet and how we could live healthier. We began raising chickens for ourselves and people found out about it. The next thing we knew we actually had a customer base.”
As Erick and Jessica’s family started to grow (they now have five children), so did their farm. Almost every year a new species was added to the menagerie and today the chickens cohabitate with turkeys, hogs, goats, sheep, rabbits, honeybees and cattle. The number of customers has grown along with the farm, at times even resulting in a waiting list for their pesticide- and hormone-free products.
During the summer months, fresh meats and produce from This Old Farm can be found at farmers markets in Lafayette. Dedicated patrons are known to drive from suburban Indianapolis to get their weekly share of grass-fed Katahdin lamb, free-range eggs, pastured pigs and poultry, and goat and cow’s milk. “A lot of people think that only the wealthy can afford organic, sustainable food, but that has not been the case for us,” Jessica says. “A lot of people come here because they are concerned with their health or the environment, and they come from all sorts of economic backgrounds.”
While their varieties of meats have established a great following, Jessica, who was a vegetarian for some time, initially just wanted a garden. But for the farm to be truly sustainable she realized that it needed animals to fertilize the soil. Today the nutrients in the manure help the soil grow the vegetables and the grass and grains needed to feed the animals, creating a circle of life where all the species on the farm are interconnected, and each thrives from the presence of the others. “You are what you eat,” she says. “That’s true not just for us, but also for the animals. If we want healthy meat, we also need to give the animals healthy things to eat. Ruminants are meant to eat grass and grass alone; that’s really important for disease prevention.”
Despite Jessica eventually abandoning her vegetarianism, the family recently expanded their vegetable garden and started selling fresh produce through a small CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) last summer. With that, the farm has come full circle from its humble start nearly 10 years ago. But Erick and Jessica don’t plan on stopping there. Thanks to two grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and matching funds from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, they were able to open a commercial meat processing facility in Colfax last November. At the retrofitted 7,000-square-feet plant, animals come in on hoof and leave as smoked hams, broth, sausages and choice cuts of meat. The facility will be certified organic and unique in that it’s able to offer processed meats without nitrates, sugar and other commonly used additives.
The building will also house a commercial kitchen where vegetable producers will be able to process salsas, jams, jellies and canned fruits and vegetables. Ultimately, the Smiths would like to hire a cook to create all-natural and organic value-added foods in the kitchen as well. “A lot of folks want good-quality, local food but don’t have the time to cook. But they might have the money to pay for somebody to do it for them,” Erick says. “Our vision is to have a chef put together meals that are not highly processed; basically as close to home cooked as it gets.”
The Smiths have already partnered with roughly 15 other small natural or organic farms that will use the facility and market their meat to restaurants and other larger buyers under a common label; This Old Farm Meats. Eventually, their products may even be found in grocery stores. “One of the challenges for small farms is that you either have too little or too much and you’re not able to provide products on a consistent basis,” Jessica says. “Through this alliance we’ll be able to bring our products to a larger marketplace and make it less difficult for people who want to buy local to do that.”
Increased storage and freezer space will also make it easier for the Smiths and other small producers to meet the consumers’ growing appetite for sustainable, locally grown food. “We’re trying to lengthen the window and have meat be more available, but we still want to stay with our mantra of working in concert with nature. Sure, you can have pork 12 months of the year by raising the hogs in confinement but we’re not going to go there,” Jessica says. “We’re not trying to feed America; our farm can feed about 100 families. Through the processing facility we’ll be able to expand that number by offering a way for other farmers to do the same thing.”
The number of farms with less than 10 acres has soared nearly 80 percent in Indiana over the past five years, but operating in a centralized food system that favors industrial-scale farming means fighting an uphill battle. Producers who don’t fit the conventional mold sometimes have a hard time finding feed, processing facilities, and a way to market and distribute their products effectively. “I remember when we started out and went to buy feed at a (grain) elevator, and we couldn’t even find out whether it was non-GMO or not,” Jessica recalls. “And I know of an organic pork producer who ships his hogs to Iowa for processing. That doesn’t sound very sustainable to me.”
With the opening of the new processing facility the Smiths will rebuild at least one piece of the food infrastructure that’s been missing since thousands of small Indiana farms were consolidated in the 1970s and 1980s. If the venture is successful it could stimulate Indiana’s rural economy, and help support a new crop of sustainable farmers. Because the pendulum could be heading for a swing back to the family farm. “We’re seeing a lot of new people coming into farming,” Jessica says. “What we’ve lost is tremendous but I’m excited about putting some of the infrastructure back in place.”
This year the Smiths were able to take the leap into full-time farming, and with the new processing facility in place This Old Farm is poised for expansion. But they’re an exception as few small and mid-size producers are able to live off the farm income alone anymore. All too often, the cheap food in the supermarket doesn’t translate to prosperity for the person tending to the soil and the animals. “The modern-day consumer doesn’t want to pay the real price for food,” Jessica says, but, “We can either pay for our food up front or pay for the pharmaceuticals later on. In America we need to realize that if we don’t have healthy food, our bodies are not going to stay healthy.”
For more information about This Old Farm and their products, log on thisoldfarminc.com or call 765.324.2161. To contact the writer, visit lindamcgurk.com
At the farm, market, or processing retail outlet………….. on February 6th, 2010
We are pleased to expand the availability of locally produced meat from our farm and other sustainable growers. Give us a call and let us help you make the choices that best meet the need of your family.
Let us know if you need a wholesale or retail price list. Call (765) 324-2161.
Specials **This week we have on special hams and bacon for $5.00/lb. In preparation to carry all natural no nitrate pork products we are closing out what we have carried in the past. The pork was fed certified organic grains, raised on pasture, but processed traditionally. You can take advantage of our switch in product type and clear out the October processing in time for the new processing. Pork Steaks are also on special for $4.00/lb
We have……….
100 % Grass fed Beef (Erick is so happy to once again have steak in the freezer! )
- ground beef $5.50/lb
- chuck roast $5.25/lb
- arm roast $5.25/lb
- rump roast $5.75/lb
- cubed steak $5.50/lb
- sirloin steaks $9.50/lb
- rib steak $13.00/lb
- porterhouse and T-bones $15.50/lb
- beef liver $4.00/lb
- soup bones $3.00/lb
- quarter side, halves, or whole beefs priced at $3.50/lb plus processing
eggs $4.50/dozen. I am happy to once again have them available. We have been working hard to get good leafy hay to the chickens that have been missing the greens that make those large yellow-orange yolks. I am seeing an improvement already.
Organically fed and pasture raised chicken-
- whole $4.80/lb
- breasts $8.50/lb
- thighs $6.00/lb
- drumsticks $5.50/’b
- wings $4.00/lb
- broth pieces $3.00/lb
Naturally fed and pasture raised chicken-
Pastured heritage turkey ($5.95/lb)
100% grassfed lamb Still taking orders for whole or half lambs to be cut to your specifications. $5.50/lb plus processing
The following cuts are available from the freezer.
Pastured Pork- Still taking orders for whole or half pigs to be cut to your specifications. Cuts are now available from the freezer.
- sausage $6.00/lb
- pork burgers $6.o0/lb
- ham $5.00/lb on special to make way for new recipes!
- bacon $5.00/’b on special to make way for new recipes!
- fresh side $5.00/lb
- loin chops $7.50/lb
- steaks $4.o0/lb on special. We enjoyed fantastic barbecued pork made with these steaks last week.
- shanks $4.00/lb
- bratwursts $9.00/lb
- Special Orders can still be made. We have a few small half hogs available and ready to go. They offer roughly 60 lbs of meat and are priced at $3.15/lb plus processing of $60.
Cow and goat shares-running a waiting list
Locally Raised, Traditional Meats- We also now have a full line of locally raised but traditionally grown meats for sale. If you have wanted to support local farms but been unable to afford the higher cost of organically raised and or naturally raised meats, we can now meet that need as well. It is all about choice. We can help you understand the differences, exactly who raised the meat, how it was raised and what the taste differences might be. With this information, you can make the best decision for your family.
This is a great time to make sure we have your order on file so that as soon as we process we can fill your order. We want to grow exactly what you want us to grow. Let us know what you would like. Call (765)436-2186 (farm), (765) 324-2161(retail and processing division), or email Jessica.
We look forward to seeing you at the farm anytime by appointment, at our new retail location during business hours, or at your delivery site at a prearranged time. We will be at the Traders Point Creamery on Saturdays from 9 t0 12. We look forward to seeing you there.
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