Did you take advantage of all the beautiful days October provided? While unusual and climatically concerning, the dry warm days allowed us to accomplish some big farm projects.

Farmer Chris and crew installed geothermally heated automatic winter waters for all of our livestock. This is a BIG deal!!! Thanks to the financial support of NRCS and the landowners we will better protect water resources, and reduce stress for the animals and ourselves.

Winter Farmers Markets are revamped this year with the Northeast Minneapolis Winter Farmers Market taking place at Earl Giles Distillery and the Neighborhood Roots Winter Farmers Market returning to Bachman's Garden Center.

Unfortunately these markets are occurring on the same day! We'll have to split freezer equipment between the two markets. Pre-orders are recommended

New this year -- St Croix Valley Food Alliance Winter Farmers Market at Abrahamson's Nursery. A wonderful shopping option for those in the St Croix River Valley, and a fun day-trip destination for our urban neighbors.

Shoppers who buy local, seasonal foods at farmers markets make a great impact on sustaining family farms as well as reducing their own carbon footprint.

Plan ahead for holiday meals by placing an order for your centerpiece roast and side-dish ingredients. Inspiration below -

• 24 Main Course Alternatives to Turkey for Thanksgiving
• Turkey Alternatives For Your Thanksgiving Table

With thanks,
Tamara and Chris

The days are long, but the growing season is short. Anyone recognize that phrase? I just co-opted a common phrase about parenting and applied it to farming. Because while the growing season is a lot of hard work, it's also a lot of fun!

So we are savoring these final days of summer. Grilling, camping, and visiting Lake Superior are on the agenda in addition to grazing cattle & sheep, feeding and watering hogs, hauling hay, and seeing all your lovely faces at the market.

Are you a menu-planner or bulk shopper? If so, you might find our online order form a great tool to use when planning your weekly meals. You can pull out your shopping list and order what you need, for pickup on the farm or market. Check out our Meat Bundles & Shares.
Lamb Shoulder Steaks are on my menu for the week and I'm sharing a great recipe for Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops with Herb Aioli. Herb sauces are what our meat should be wearing this summer.

Savor summer,
Tamara Johnson

Praise be, we have a well! And not just a dribble of a well, but a deep, high-capacity well that will be connected to water lines in all of our pastures. This is a huge, labor-saving development for our farm.

It's thanks to a conservation grant we received from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, plus the good faith and support of the landowners. The grant is also funding better fences and waterers.

The grantees know that supporting regenerative graziers like us, results in soil conservation, carbon sequestration, and protects surface and ground water.

"What do you do with ground lamb?", has been the frequent question at the farmers market. Burgers, Meatballs, Bolognese, Curry, Kebabs, and this month's featured recipe - Mediterranean Lamb Burgers. Here's your market shopping list - 

• Herbs & Veg from your favorite produce farmers
• Hummus from Adelle Foods
• Cheese from LoveTree Farmstead
• & Ground Lamb from yours truly

It's no surprise that we have had to raise our prices as our costs rise with inflation. However we can offer you discounts when you purchase in bulk. It saves both of us time and gas money when you purchase more at one time from our farm. Check out our Meat Bundles & Shares.

Water is life,
Tamara Johnson

While the days farming are long, the animals make them sweet.

Lambing season caught us off guard starting a week earlier than planned. The lambs have been really healthy this year, with only two needing to be bottle fed. We are up to about 73 lambs born on pasture in the last couple weeks.

Any guesses to this year's final total? 

Father's Day is just around the corner and we've put together a Father's Day Gift Bundle for Dad. You can choose to get the Father's Day Gift Bundle in a gift box for $54, or in one of our quality logo cooler bags for $66.

I'm renaming this month's recipe the Market Omelet, because it highlights some of my favorite ingredients at the farmers markets. Here's my shopping list for the dish - LoveTree Farmstead's Ricotta Cheese, mushroom's from R&R Cultivation, Burning River Farm's greens, Bacon ends from yours truly, plus eggs and chives.

Bon appetite!
- Tamara Johnson

P.S. Less than 3 weeks to get your Father's Day gift ordered.

We have plenty of grill-ready meats in stock for your Memorial Weekend Cookout -

• Brats & Hotdogs
• Spare Ribs & Brisket
• Burger
• Steak & Chops

Plus we have a new website for placing orders that I am really excited to share with you. It includes images of our products an approximate order total, so you have a better idea of what you are ordering.

CHECK IT OUT!

While our freezers will be stocked at the Northeast Minneapolis & Kingfield Farmers Markets this weekend, if you have a special cut in mind we recommend you place a Pre-order. 

Wishing you are nice Memorial Day,
Tamara

PS - Place your orders by noon Thursday for pick-up this weekend! Orders placed after noon on Thursday will be for the following week.

May is month full of excitement - The mama sheep look double-wide and are close to lambing. The cattle are jumping fences because you know, the grass is always greener. Spring flowers are buzzing with bees and the pigs are laying in the mud. 

Our family will be soaking in all these wonders this weekend, because May 14 is the kick-off of Summer Farmers Market Season. Tamara will be returning to -

• Northeast Minneapolis Farmers Market
• Kingfield Farmers Market

Note that we will be taking the fourth weekends off June-September

We'll continue to take pre-orders for markets and for our Western WI followers Friday On-Farm pickups.

At this point we don't anticipate resuming our Stillwater deliveries. If you are a customer for this delivery site who'd like to see it continue please reach out to us. We are open to exploring other delivery locations and modes of advertisement in this area.
 
In hopes that spring will cooperate, we've put together a Grill Season Bundle. Save 10 % on some BBQ essentials. Plus check out the recipe below for Salt-and-Pepper Ribeye, because that and a hot grill is all you need for a good steak.

Happy grilling,
Tamara

P.S. Don't forget to place an order for the best Grassfed Meat!!!

I have an abundance of frozen Apple Cider each year thanks to my family at Baker Orchard. I love that I am able to combine their cider with our farm-raised ham to produce a local food center-piece roast each Easter. This recipe has been adapted from Cooks Country.

Ingredients1 cinnamon stick, broken into rough pieces
1/4 t. whole cloves
13 C. apple cider
8 C. ice cubes
1 cured bone-in half ham
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 C. packed dark brown sugar
1 t. pepper

Recipe
Cut the skin from the ham and trim the fat to a thickness of about one quarter of an inch. Score the fat in a crosshatch pattern, making sure not to cut into the meat.

In a large saucepan over medium heat toast the cinnamon and cloves for about 3 minutes. Add 4 cups of cider and bring to a boil. Pour the cider into a container large enough to hold the ham, the cider and an additional 4 cups of cider. Add the ice and the 4 additional cups of cider and stir until chilled. Place the ham in the container, making sure that the liquid nearly covers the ham. Refrigerate for 4-12 hours.

One and a half hours before baking remove the ham from the soaking mixture (discard the mixture) and place the ham in a roasting pan. Pour one cup fresh cider over the ham and cover with foil. Let the ham sit at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Bake ham until it reaches 100 degrees – about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan mix the remaining four cups of cider and the mustard. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until it has reduced to 1/3 cup (1-2 hours), stirring often.

Mix the brown sugar and pepper. Take the ham out of the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the foil from the ham. Brush with the cider/mustard mixture and press the sugar/pepper mixture onto the ham. Bake for about 20 minutes – until the ham is dark brown and glazed. Let rest 15 minutes before carving.