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Here is where we will update you on what's new at the farm.
Check my blog: fromfarmtomarket.blogspot.com
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Wondering what wonderful homemade items I've been working on? Check out my store:
...or Emily's store:
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10/24/08 We have had a great summer here at the farm. I have attended the farmer's market at Columbia City or Saxton Nursury almost every Saturday Since May, So, I'm kinda glad for a winter break. We will still be selling eggs off the farm Saturday mornings, so I may never get a totally free Saturday!
With another 40 layers (we have about 90 now), we are getting 21-26 doz eggs a week. That's a lot of egg washing! Soon, however, we should be getting into a month or two of molting and we explect the number of eggs to slow down for a bit. This can be frustrating because this usually happens in November and December, the two months when demand is the highest for holiday baking.
Our chicken sales went very well this summer, despite the higher prices due to the cost of feed. We were paying twice for a ton of feed this year than we did last September. I'm glad, though, that the price of corn is back in the $3/bu range again, which means we shouldn't have to raise our prices for next year.
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4/21/08 Our Early chicks are now 8 weeks old. They probably won't be ready for processing until the end of June. A little late but we had a few weather problems in February getting them here. We are staring our next batch of 100 birds this week. They are a mix of male and female Delaware chicks. We are going to keep the best males and females to start our breeding flock. We hope to get this flock up to 200 or so birds in the next few years.
EXCITING NEWS: We have been approved by the Animal Welfare Institute. This organization has some pretty tough standards...even tougher than Organic in many ways. We are exicited to be a part of this organization.
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Did you see the article about us in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette?
http://www.fortwayne.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/JG/20080302/BIZ0102/803020408
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1/16/08 We have put 2007 behind us and are moving forward in 2008. As new markets for our eggs and chickens continue to open, we are thankful for all of the wonderful people who support our efforts! We have just ordered our first batch of broilers for the spring and they will be arriving in a couple of weeks. We hope February is not nearly as cold as it was last year...that cold is really hard on the little chicks! We've hatched 10 of our own eggs for layers this year, but have ordered some more Buff Orpington layers for the spring. They are such gentle birds and great layers! They love the outdoors and our favorites!
8/11/2007 Our summer is going quick! July was a busy month with 4H. The girls did really well this year and we are very proud of them! Grace received a blue ribon for her scrapbook project, a blue ribbon/Reserve Grand Champion ribbon for her cake decorating project, and blue ribbons/Best of Breed trophies for showing her two rabbits. Emily received a blue ribbon/Champion ribbon for her cross-stitch project, and she received a blue ribbon/Reserve Grand Champion ribbons for her computer project. The computer project was also selected to go to the State Fair, and there she won a gold Merit Ribbon. We can't wait to visit the State Fair in a couple of weeks.
 
6/14/07 Well, now that cherries are done, it's time to start on the mulberries. We've been out every night this week picking off the tree on our side yard, and unlike the cherries, we seem to have a bumper crop this year. I also had a nice surprise Wednesday evening as I walked our property, I found another mulberry tree. This one has been pretty picked over by the birds, so hopefully next year we'll remember to check on it sooner. What do we do with the berries? I made up a jelly recipe last year using mulberries and blueberries that was delicious. I hope to duplicate it again this year. I might even enter it into the 4-H fair this summer.
6/9/07 In all the "egg-citement" of getting the chickens processed, I almost forget about the cherry tree. Gracie brought a few into the house for me and asked, "Aren't these ready?" Oh my goodness yes! We got right out there and started picking but I noticed this year that the cherries didn't come on in pairs like they did last year. It could be a bi-annual thing or it could be because of the late snow we got in April. Either way, we only ended up with 3 pints from our little tree. Maybe next year!
6/5/07 Today is the big day. We took a total of 69 chickens to be processed up to an amish farm near Shipshewana. Soni and the girls spent the day shopping at the Flea Market while the chickens...well...were packaged into delicious bundles of meat. It was a long day but it felt good to have that job done!
5/16/07 New Chicks Have Arrived! Everyone arrived safe and healthy. After making a few modifications to the brooder (they kept getting out!) all is well. They are very cute little puff balls.
5/10/07 Made arrangements for our next batch of 100 chicks to be delivered next week. Jerry is busy readying the "love shack" for the breeding of the Delewares.
5/6/07 Soni and Jerry work very hard at getting the garden tilled and planted. We are about 75% done!
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