News and blog
What's happening on the farm.
Posted 4/7/2010 11:04pm by Heather Redden.
Happy Spring Everyone!
Life is so grand and full of hope this time of year. It's crazy busy too on a farm. It's a time of babies, flowers, and optimism for the coming season. Our animal population is skyrocketing. We have been blessed with another uneventful lambing season. We have five new ewe lambs and one new ram lamb. We now have 3 generations of Shetland sheep because one of the ewe lambs from last year gave birth to two adorable little girls. I continue to be so impressed with the hardiness and excellent mothering abilities exhibited by this little breed of sheep. We have chicks ranging from 1 week to 8 weeks old and are expecting another batch of 100 on Friday. Turkey poults (babies) are arriving in another couple of weeks and some new packages of honey bees will be here Sunday. The first of the chicks that we have raised for the fast growing population of backyard chicken keepers have gone home with their new families.
The tom turkeys got totally out of hand with hormones over the last several weeks. One of them became so aggressive that it was not safe to let our daughters outside and I had to carry a stick to do any work in the yard. He always attacked from behind. The other tom would do his best to keep the aggressor away from us so they were fighting constantly. The behavior kept escalating until Julia got attacked by the turkey. I asked her what she thought we should do with him and she declared "EAT HIM!". He was delicious. That was the first heritage pasture raised turkey I have ever tasted and I can tell you for sure that I'm never going back to supermarket turkey again. Now the remaining tom doesn't know what to do with himself. The turkey hen is tired of him. He spars with his reflection in the car paint and in the windows. He also has decided that he is infatuated with me. He shows me his best courtship moves and is glued to my side when I'm in the yard.
Brandon, with the much appreciated help of his dad, has driven a lot of fence posts and hopefully we will soon have the marauding sheep permanently under control and I might possibly be able to plant a flower or two in front of the house and not have them dug up by dustbathing chickens. He has once again reconfigured our gardens (hopefully for the last time) and disked the freshly plowed gardens today. Lettuce is growing fast and is ready for harvesting this week. In fact, the lettuce is growing so fast that I've decided to make a trip to Independence this week on short notice so that you can share in the bounty.
I am planning on being at the courthouse from 5:00-6:00 PM on Saturday, April 10. Michelle Peluso will also have her delicious baked goods available for ordering. The following items are available from Nature's Harbor Farm this Saturday:
1. Grass Fed Eggs from free ranging hens: $3.50 a dozen
2. Romaine Lettuce: $3.00 a head- grown without the use of synthetic chemicals or fertilizers and protected from pests by an army of baby praying mantises (or is that manti?).
Products from Michelle Peluso:
1. Jumbo cupcakes: $2.25 a piece- She makes three different delicious varieties. Specify whether you would like caramel frosted blackberry jam cupcakes, amaretto cupcakes, or fuzzy navel cupcakes. Minimum order of 4 of one variety.
2. loaves of buttermilk honey bread: $4.00
3. Crumb topped blueberry muffins: $2.25 per muffin-minimum order of 4.
Please email me back by noon on Saturday with your order for eggs and lettuce. Please email back by Friday at 6:00 PM with any baking orders for Michelle so that she has plenty of time to work her magic.
Wendell Berry, Wes Jackson, and Gene Logsdon will be speaking at Xavier's Cintas Center Sunday at 7:00. The event is free to the public and I predict it will be wonderful. They are among the greats of sustainable farming and well worth the time to listen to. http://www.xavier.edu/campusuite/modules/calendar.cfm?cal_id=29136&grp_id=2516
Get outside and enjoy spring's beauty and we hope to see you all soon.
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden.
www.naturesharborfarm.com
Posted 3/8/2010 11:27pm by Heather Redden.
Greetings my Farm Friends!
Wow, what a difference a few days can make! We feel like we've come out of a long hibernation here at the farm. I don't think we realized how much of a funk this winter has put us in until the sun came out and made it pleasant to be outside again. The lack of sun made it hard to even grow anything in the greenhouse for most of the winter. We have put the winter time to use planning for the spring and furthering our education. Brandon and I attended the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group conference in Chattanooga in January. It is always such a great time and we learn so much. I attended everything I could on multi-species grazing, pastured poultry, and marketing. Brandon went to anything on growing lettuce and soil health. He just loves all those critters that make up a healthy soil ecosystem. Saturday, we will be attending the annual Bluegrass Beekeeping School in Frankfurt. We always learn something new and it's a great place to get started if you are thinking of becoming a beekeeper.
Winter is also a time that we spend reading and watching whatever we can about farming and food. I thought I would give a few recomendations for those of you wanting to learn more. Some of the great books out there are:
1. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver where you can follow her and her family through a year of local eating.
2. The Omnivore's Dilemna and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan are both a great look at how we've ended up where we are in our western diet and definitely provide you with some food for thought.
3. The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry is a most insightful look at how the dismantling of the small family farm has led to just about every social ill plaguing our society today. Wendell Berry is a farmer from Kentucky. He is a wonderful poet and fiction writer also.
And then there are the documentaries. Super Size Me is so much more than a gross out film about eating at McDonalds although some of it is gross. The part of that film that stood out the most for me was a look into a high school in Wisconsin for the "bad" kids that have been expelled out of their regular schools for behavior problems and how a switch to all fresh foods instead of processed in the school breakfasts and lunches has impacted the children's ability to focus and achieve at school. And finally, there is Food, Inc. I don't think I can say enough about this. It is the single most impactful piece of film I've seen in my whole life. The range of emotions that Brandon and I went through while watching it ran from disgust to anger to deep sadness to joy and all in about 90 minutes. It is a look into the food industry in the U.S. like you've never seen before. You get to see industrial corn and soybeans and the monster that Monsanto has become. You see factory farms and the grip that Tyson has on poultry farmers in Kentucky. You see how animals are viewed and handled in an industrial food system and you see how the farmers and slaughter house workers are used and abused. You also see how our food dollars make a huge impact and that Walmart can be a force for good (I know, it's shocking). One of the best parts is seeing and hearing from Joel Salatin, who is probably the single most inspiring sustainable farmer out there. It is not appropriate for small children as it is graphic in places. Everyone needs to see this film.
If I'm not careful, this is going to turn into a book so time to move on. Everything is hopping here at the farm. Brandon is starting lots of seeds, the bees are flying, chicks and lambs are arriving, and the chickens are laying like crazy. I am planning on coming to Independence for a drop off on Sunday, March 14 at 1:00 PM. Please make careful note of the day and time since this is different from my normal (whatever that is) schedule. Michelle Peluso will be coming again with her baked goods if you would like to order from her as well.
Available this week from Nature's Harbor Farm:
1. Grass Fed Eggs: $3.50 per dozen-We have eggs in abundance right now so no one will be limited on the number you can get. Now is the time to stock up!
Pasture Raised chicken parts:
2. Gizzards: $3.75 per pound
3. Hearts: $6.50 per pound
4. Feet: $3.25 per pound-great for soup
5. Necks: $1.50 per pound-also great for soup. Feet and necks also make tasty and healthy supplements for a dog's diet. Chicken bones are safe for dogs to eat as long as they are NOT cooked. Cooked chicken bones splinter and can kill a dog (or cat) when lodged in their throats.
6. Wheatgrass in 4 in. pot: $3.00-Great for your indoor kitties or for juicing.
Products from Michelle Peluso:
1. Jumbo cupcakes: $2.00 a piece- She makes three different delicious varieties. Specify whether you would like caramel frosted blackberry jam cupcakes, amaretto cupcakes, or fuzzy navel cupcakes. Minimum order of 4 of one variety.
2. loaves of buttermilk honey bread: $4.00
Please email with your orders by 5:00 PM Saturday evening.
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
Don't forget you can now follow the farm on Facebook also at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Natures-Harbor-Farm/216328054616?v=wall
Wow, what a difference a few days can make! We feel like we've come out of a long hibernation here at the farm. I don't think we realized how much of a funk this winter has put us in until the sun came out and made it pleasant to be outside again. The lack of sun made it hard to even grow anything in the greenhouse for most of the winter. We have put the winter time to use planning for the spring and furthering our education. Brandon and I attended the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group conference in Chattanooga in January. It is always such a great time and we learn so much. I attended everything I could on multi-species grazing, pastured poultry, and marketing. Brandon went to anything on growing lettuce and soil health. He just loves all those critters that make up a healthy soil ecosystem. Saturday, we will be attending the annual Bluegrass Beekeeping School in Frankfurt. We always learn something new and it's a great place to get started if you are thinking of becoming a beekeeper.
Winter is also a time that we spend reading and watching whatever we can about farming and food. I thought I would give a few recomendations for those of you wanting to learn more. Some of the great books out there are:
1. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver where you can follow her and her family through a year of local eating.
2. The Omnivore's Dilemna and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan are both a great look at how we've ended up where we are in our western diet and definitely provide you with some food for thought.
3. The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry is a most insightful look at how the dismantling of the small family farm has led to just about every social ill plaguing our society today. Wendell Berry is a farmer from Kentucky. He is a wonderful poet and fiction writer also.
And then there are the documentaries. Super Size Me is so much more than a gross out film about eating at McDonalds although some of it is gross. The part of that film that stood out the most for me was a look into a high school in Wisconsin for the "bad" kids that have been expelled out of their regular schools for behavior problems and how a switch to all fresh foods instead of processed in the school breakfasts and lunches has impacted the children's ability to focus and achieve at school. And finally, there is Food, Inc. I don't think I can say enough about this. It is the single most impactful piece of film I've seen in my whole life. The range of emotions that Brandon and I went through while watching it ran from disgust to anger to deep sadness to joy and all in about 90 minutes. It is a look into the food industry in the U.S. like you've never seen before. You get to see industrial corn and soybeans and the monster that Monsanto has become. You see factory farms and the grip that Tyson has on poultry farmers in Kentucky. You see how animals are viewed and handled in an industrial food system and you see how the farmers and slaughter house workers are used and abused. You also see how our food dollars make a huge impact and that Walmart can be a force for good (I know, it's shocking). One of the best parts is seeing and hearing from Joel Salatin, who is probably the single most inspiring sustainable farmer out there. It is not appropriate for small children as it is graphic in places. Everyone needs to see this film.
If I'm not careful, this is going to turn into a book so time to move on. Everything is hopping here at the farm. Brandon is starting lots of seeds, the bees are flying, chicks and lambs are arriving, and the chickens are laying like crazy. I am planning on coming to Independence for a drop off on Sunday, March 14 at 1:00 PM. Please make careful note of the day and time since this is different from my normal (whatever that is) schedule. Michelle Peluso will be coming again with her baked goods if you would like to order from her as well.
Available this week from Nature's Harbor Farm:
1. Grass Fed Eggs: $3.50 per dozen-We have eggs in abundance right now so no one will be limited on the number you can get. Now is the time to stock up!
Pasture Raised chicken parts:
2. Gizzards: $3.75 per pound
3. Hearts: $6.50 per pound
4. Feet: $3.25 per pound-great for soup
5. Necks: $1.50 per pound-also great for soup. Feet and necks also make tasty and healthy supplements for a dog's diet. Chicken bones are safe for dogs to eat as long as they are NOT cooked. Cooked chicken bones splinter and can kill a dog (or cat) when lodged in their throats.
6. Wheatgrass in 4 in. pot: $3.00-Great for your indoor kitties or for juicing.
Products from Michelle Peluso:
1. Jumbo cupcakes: $2.00 a piece- She makes three different delicious varieties. Specify whether you would like caramel frosted blackberry jam cupcakes, amaretto cupcakes, or fuzzy navel cupcakes. Minimum order of 4 of one variety.
2. loaves of buttermilk honey bread: $4.00
Please email with your orders by 5:00 PM Saturday evening.
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
Don't forget you can now follow the farm on Facebook also at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Natures-Harbor-Farm/216328054616?v=wall
Posted 1/13/2010 11:42pm by Heather Redden.
Greetings Everyone!
I hope that all is well with everyone in the New Year. We find ourselves full of hope and optimism for a wonderful 2010 here at Nature's Harbor Farm. In some ways, it feels like spring is already here for us. We are planning away. We have already ordered potatoes, some seeds, raspberries, asparagus crowns, and enough new chicks to double our laying flock! We were astounded at the response to our offer to raise small numbers of chicks for those of you who would really like to know the chickens that lay your eggs. Just be careful because I've found that chickens are very addicting.
I could tell stories about ice or how my crotchety horse kicked Brandon but what fun would there be in that? I've decided instead to introduce you to our flock roosters, Buttercup and Pretty Boy. We have always liked to keep a couple of roosters with our hens. It just seems to make the flock more cohesive, roosters can be quite majestic, and they act as guards for the hens. Our roosters do tend to end up with names and in the past they've usually sounded pretty tough. We've had Bubba, George, Mr. Miagi, and Brutus to name a few. Then Buttercup came along. He was second in command to Brutus and a total wallflower. He would run to the other end of the farm to crow in the morning so that Brutus wouldn't hear him. He is also small. Maybe 5 pounds soaking wet. I had never met a rooster with less personality! But then, Brutus had to go to the big stock pot in the sky and Buttercup came to life. He took care of his hens and knew he was in charge! At the same time, I was keeping my eye on one of the Red Broiler roosters. They were all supposed to be for eating but this one was just too pretty as far as I was concerned. I decided he could stay. Now, this is a meat bird so he is huge. Probably three times the size of Buttercup. I figured back to wallflowerdome for Buttercup. Boy, was I wrong! It seems like every time I look out the window, Buttercup is chasing Pretty Boy around. And then one morning I heard a big ruckus from inside the coop. I opened the door and there was Pretty Boy with his head stuck in the corner while Buttercup tried to attack his ample backside. I sent Buttercup on his way and had to coax Pretty Boy out of the corner. He was totally unharmed other than his dignity. Who needs cable when you've got chickens?
Sorry for the short notice. I will be coming to Independence on Saturday, January 19. I will also be taking orders again for Michelle Peluso's baked goods. We will be at the courthouse from 10:30-11:30 in the morning. Please have your orders in by 5:00 PM on Friday.
Available this week from Nature's Harbor Farm:
1. Pasture raised whole chickens: $4.25 per pound-They range between 2.5 and 6 lbs so let me know approximately what size you would like.
2. Cut up chickens: $5.00 per pound-They are between 2.5 and 3.5 lbs
3. Gizzards: $3.75 per pound
4. Hearts: $6.50 per pound
5. Feet: $3.25 per pound-great for soup
6. Necks: $1.50 per pound-also great for soup. Feet and necks also make tasty and healthy supplements for a dog's diet. Chicken bones are safe for dogs to eat as long as they are NOT cooked. Cooked chicken bones splinter and can kill a dog (or cat) when lodged in their throats.
7. Grass Fed eggs: $3.00 per dozen-They are limited right now due to hens not laying much because of the short daylight and extreme cold. I will make sure everyone gets some but you may not get the entire amount you order.
8. Wheatgrass in 4 in. pot: $2.00-Great for your indoor kitties or for juicing.
Products from Michelle Peluso:
1. Jumbo cupcakes: $2.00 a piece- She makes three different delicious varieties. Specify whether you would like caramel frosted blackberry jam cupcakes, amaretto cupcakes, or fuzzy navel cupcakes. Minimum order of 4.
2. loaves of buttermilk honey bread: $4.00
One last tidbit and then I'll put this lengthy newsletter to bed. Nature's Harbor Farm is now on Facebook. If you just can't get enough and would like to become a fan we would love to have you!http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=100000549832699#/pages/Natures-Harbor-Farm/216328054616?ref=ts
I look forward to seeing some of you on Saturday and hope everyone has a great week!
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
I hope that all is well with everyone in the New Year. We find ourselves full of hope and optimism for a wonderful 2010 here at Nature's Harbor Farm. In some ways, it feels like spring is already here for us. We are planning away. We have already ordered potatoes, some seeds, raspberries, asparagus crowns, and enough new chicks to double our laying flock! We were astounded at the response to our offer to raise small numbers of chicks for those of you who would really like to know the chickens that lay your eggs. Just be careful because I've found that chickens are very addicting.
I could tell stories about ice or how my crotchety horse kicked Brandon but what fun would there be in that? I've decided instead to introduce you to our flock roosters, Buttercup and Pretty Boy. We have always liked to keep a couple of roosters with our hens. It just seems to make the flock more cohesive, roosters can be quite majestic, and they act as guards for the hens. Our roosters do tend to end up with names and in the past they've usually sounded pretty tough. We've had Bubba, George, Mr. Miagi, and Brutus to name a few. Then Buttercup came along. He was second in command to Brutus and a total wallflower. He would run to the other end of the farm to crow in the morning so that Brutus wouldn't hear him. He is also small. Maybe 5 pounds soaking wet. I had never met a rooster with less personality! But then, Brutus had to go to the big stock pot in the sky and Buttercup came to life. He took care of his hens and knew he was in charge! At the same time, I was keeping my eye on one of the Red Broiler roosters. They were all supposed to be for eating but this one was just too pretty as far as I was concerned. I decided he could stay. Now, this is a meat bird so he is huge. Probably three times the size of Buttercup. I figured back to wallflowerdome for Buttercup. Boy, was I wrong! It seems like every time I look out the window, Buttercup is chasing Pretty Boy around. And then one morning I heard a big ruckus from inside the coop. I opened the door and there was Pretty Boy with his head stuck in the corner while Buttercup tried to attack his ample backside. I sent Buttercup on his way and had to coax Pretty Boy out of the corner. He was totally unharmed other than his dignity. Who needs cable when you've got chickens?
Sorry for the short notice. I will be coming to Independence on Saturday, January 19. I will also be taking orders again for Michelle Peluso's baked goods. We will be at the courthouse from 10:30-11:30 in the morning. Please have your orders in by 5:00 PM on Friday.
Available this week from Nature's Harbor Farm:
1. Pasture raised whole chickens: $4.25 per pound-They range between 2.5 and 6 lbs so let me know approximately what size you would like.
2. Cut up chickens: $5.00 per pound-They are between 2.5 and 3.5 lbs
3. Gizzards: $3.75 per pound
4. Hearts: $6.50 per pound
5. Feet: $3.25 per pound-great for soup
6. Necks: $1.50 per pound-also great for soup. Feet and necks also make tasty and healthy supplements for a dog's diet. Chicken bones are safe for dogs to eat as long as they are NOT cooked. Cooked chicken bones splinter and can kill a dog (or cat) when lodged in their throats.
7. Grass Fed eggs: $3.00 per dozen-They are limited right now due to hens not laying much because of the short daylight and extreme cold. I will make sure everyone gets some but you may not get the entire amount you order.
8. Wheatgrass in 4 in. pot: $2.00-Great for your indoor kitties or for juicing.
Products from Michelle Peluso:
1. Jumbo cupcakes: $2.00 a piece- She makes three different delicious varieties. Specify whether you would like caramel frosted blackberry jam cupcakes, amaretto cupcakes, or fuzzy navel cupcakes. Minimum order of 4.
2. loaves of buttermilk honey bread: $4.00
One last tidbit and then I'll put this lengthy newsletter to bed. Nature's Harbor Farm is now on Facebook. If you just can't get enough and would like to become a fan we would love to have you!http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=100000549832699#/pages/Natures-Harbor-Farm/216328054616?ref=ts
I look forward to seeing some of you on Saturday and hope everyone has a great week!
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
Posted 1/2/2010 10:48am by Heather Redden.
Hello and Happy New Year!
We are getting ready to add to our layer flock. I am going to be placing an order with Welp Hatchery January 11, 2010. They are a great hatchery that always sends us very healthy chicks and they offer a wide variety of chicken breeds. I thought I would offer you all the opportunity to order through us. I know that one of the barriers for the small flock owner is getting over the minimum orders of most hatcheries. Yes, you can go to Mt. Healthy and pick up 6 but they have a limited number of breeds available. Yes, there are a couple of hatcheries that will ship as few as 3 chicks but since they have to be shipped express mail, the shipping cost is between $35-45. Welp Hatchery offers over 65 different breeds and varieties. Their website is www.welphatchery.com . If you ever thought it might be neat to have a silver spangled hamburg, a sicilian buttercup, or a polish chicken running around your yard, then here is your chance.
This is how it would work. You pick out the breed or breeds you would like. You can order as few as one chick. If you don't have any chickens yet, I would suggest getting three. You would then email me your order by Sunday, January 10. Because it is very hard to tell chicken breeds apart until they start getting feathers, we would brood your chicks here with ours until they were weaned off the heat lamps, probably about 6 weeks. At that point, they would be ready for you to pick up. The cost would be $7.50 per chicken at the time of pick up or I will give a 10% discount to anyone who would like to pay in advance. If you would like that option, I will send you a Paypal invoice for your order.
We raise all our chicks on unmedicated chick starter. We introduce greens early into their diet. This time of year, we sprout flats of wheatgrass for them. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Heather Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
Posted 12/31/2009 9:21am by Heather Redden.
Happy New Year Everyone!
We had a lovely holiday and hope that everyone enjoyed time away from work spent with family and friends. Here at the farm it 'tis the season for ordering and planning everything for the coming spring. The great new development for us this year is getting involved with a group of like-minded farmers who are the core of the Earth Mother Market in Ft. Thomas. We have already had a couple of meetings and the emails have been flying fast and furious. We are coordinating seed and plant orders from various companies and using our combined buying power for savings on shipping and quantity discounts. It's a great way to build our sense of community and grow our local food network.
We will be taking a bit of a break from coming to Independence. Brandon had to do some rather drastic cutting back of the lettuce in the greenhouse due to an unbelievable explosion in the aphid population. Apparantly, it is staying warm enough in there to keep the aphids alive but not the lady bugs that eat them. He was able to save some of the younger lettuce and has started new seedling trays of lettuce and bok choy. I'll send an update when I have a better handle on the growth in the greenhouse. I will have eggs still but will probably give it another couple of weeks before I am able to come up again.
The turkeys continue to be the main source of entertainment around here. They spent Christmas morning perched on the porch rail watching the festivities inside the house. They also continue to see me off on the mornings I leave for work. A couple of mornings ago, they were watching me get in the car when I heard birds calling down the driveway. I wandered off down the driveway to see what kind they were (Carolina wrens). When I turned back, there was only one tom turkey admiring himself in the finish of the car, the other one was standing in the driver's seat of my car. I could just see his turkey head over the back of the seat. I think they would enjoy a car ride if I ever tried it.
We are offering a new service if anyone is interested. We will be ordering some new chicks in a week. We are willing to brood chicks for anyone wanting to start their own backyard flock. If you would like further information on this opportunity please contact us.
Have a safe and Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
We had a lovely holiday and hope that everyone enjoyed time away from work spent with family and friends. Here at the farm it 'tis the season for ordering and planning everything for the coming spring. The great new development for us this year is getting involved with a group of like-minded farmers who are the core of the Earth Mother Market in Ft. Thomas. We have already had a couple of meetings and the emails have been flying fast and furious. We are coordinating seed and plant orders from various companies and using our combined buying power for savings on shipping and quantity discounts. It's a great way to build our sense of community and grow our local food network.
We will be taking a bit of a break from coming to Independence. Brandon had to do some rather drastic cutting back of the lettuce in the greenhouse due to an unbelievable explosion in the aphid population. Apparantly, it is staying warm enough in there to keep the aphids alive but not the lady bugs that eat them. He was able to save some of the younger lettuce and has started new seedling trays of lettuce and bok choy. I'll send an update when I have a better handle on the growth in the greenhouse. I will have eggs still but will probably give it another couple of weeks before I am able to come up again.
The turkeys continue to be the main source of entertainment around here. They spent Christmas morning perched on the porch rail watching the festivities inside the house. They also continue to see me off on the mornings I leave for work. A couple of mornings ago, they were watching me get in the car when I heard birds calling down the driveway. I wandered off down the driveway to see what kind they were (Carolina wrens). When I turned back, there was only one tom turkey admiring himself in the finish of the car, the other one was standing in the driver's seat of my car. I could just see his turkey head over the back of the seat. I think they would enjoy a car ride if I ever tried it.
We are offering a new service if anyone is interested. We will be ordering some new chicks in a week. We are willing to brood chicks for anyone wanting to start their own backyard flock. If you would like further information on this opportunity please contact us.
Have a safe and Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
Posted 12/16/2009 9:32am by Heather Redden.
Hello Everyone!
I hope you are all having a lovely time getting ready for the holidays. As usual, I wish I was a little farther along than I am but it will all work out perfectly in the end. The girls and I had great fun putting up our Christmas tree two days ago. It sits in our front windows which look out on the porch. Yesterday morning, I was sitting on the couch holding a sleeping Ella when a head appeared in the window. Frick, the tom turkey, had discovered the Christmas tree. He spent quite awhile looking it over from all angles and after much scrutiny decided it would make a suitably beautiful backdrop to a full turkey display. He spent the next several minutes puffed up and tail fanned in front of the window. If I hadn't been holding a sleeping child I would have run out with the camera. The turkeys and a couple of the chickens are fascinated by the house. Any time I leave the door open to load or unload a car, I usually end up with one or more of a turkey, Whitey (I know, what a creative name for a white chicken!), and a New Hampshire Red chicken in the house. Don't worry, Mom, I shoo them out before they leave any deposits!
I will be coming to Independence for another drop off on Saturday, December 19. We are going to try something new this Saturday. In addition to the products we offer, I will also take orders for baked goods and jams from Michelle Peluso. She was one of the vendors at the market this summer. Her cupcakes, bread, and jams are delicious and would be perfect to have for the holidays. I will be taking the orders but Michelle will come to the courthouse Saturday and you will pay her separately for her items. I like collaberating with other farmers when possible. I think we all do better when we help each other out. We will be at the courthouse from 10:30-11:30 in the morning. The orders need to be in by Friday at 5:00 PM. Available this week from Nature's Harbor Farm:
1. Pasture raised whole chickens: $4.25 per pound-They range between 2.5 and 6 lbs so let me know approximately what size you would like.
2. Cut up chickens: $5.00 per pound-They are between 2.5 and 3.5 lbs
3. Gizzards: $3.75 per pound
4. Hearts: $6.50 per pound
5. Feet: $3.25 per pound-great for soup
6. Necks: $1.50 per pound-also great for soup. Feet and necks also make tasty and healthy supplements for a dog's diet. Chicken bones are safe for dogs to eat as long as they are NOT cooked. Cooked chicken bones splinter and can kill a dog (or cat) when lodged in their throats.
7. Grass Fed eggs: $3.00 per dozen-They are limited right now due to hens not laying much because of the short daylight. I will make sure everyone gets some but you may not get the entire amount you order. At the last drop off, everyone got their entire order so don't be shy.
8. Romaine lettuce: $3.00 per bag
9. Wheatgrass in 4 in. pot: $2.00-Great for your indoor kitties or for juicing.
10. Baby Bok Choy: $2.00 per bag-Delicious in stir fry, steamed, or sauteed.
Products from Michelle Peluso:
1. Jumbo cupcakes: $2.00 a piece- She makes three different delicious varieties. Specify whether you would like caramel frosted blackberry jam cupcakes, amaretto cupcakes, or fuzzy navel cupcakes. Minimum order of 4.
2. loaves of buttermilk honey bread: $4.00
3. Seedless blackberry jam: $4.50
4. Pina Colada and Strawberry Daquiri jam: $4.00 each (That is two different flavors just to clarify. They are not together!)
I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you this Saturday. Thank you so much for all of your support over the past year and we wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
I hope you are all having a lovely time getting ready for the holidays. As usual, I wish I was a little farther along than I am but it will all work out perfectly in the end. The girls and I had great fun putting up our Christmas tree two days ago. It sits in our front windows which look out on the porch. Yesterday morning, I was sitting on the couch holding a sleeping Ella when a head appeared in the window. Frick, the tom turkey, had discovered the Christmas tree. He spent quite awhile looking it over from all angles and after much scrutiny decided it would make a suitably beautiful backdrop to a full turkey display. He spent the next several minutes puffed up and tail fanned in front of the window. If I hadn't been holding a sleeping child I would have run out with the camera. The turkeys and a couple of the chickens are fascinated by the house. Any time I leave the door open to load or unload a car, I usually end up with one or more of a turkey, Whitey (I know, what a creative name for a white chicken!), and a New Hampshire Red chicken in the house. Don't worry, Mom, I shoo them out before they leave any deposits!
I will be coming to Independence for another drop off on Saturday, December 19. We are going to try something new this Saturday. In addition to the products we offer, I will also take orders for baked goods and jams from Michelle Peluso. She was one of the vendors at the market this summer. Her cupcakes, bread, and jams are delicious and would be perfect to have for the holidays. I will be taking the orders but Michelle will come to the courthouse Saturday and you will pay her separately for her items. I like collaberating with other farmers when possible. I think we all do better when we help each other out. We will be at the courthouse from 10:30-11:30 in the morning. The orders need to be in by Friday at 5:00 PM. Available this week from Nature's Harbor Farm:
1. Pasture raised whole chickens: $4.25 per pound-They range between 2.5 and 6 lbs so let me know approximately what size you would like.
2. Cut up chickens: $5.00 per pound-They are between 2.5 and 3.5 lbs
3. Gizzards: $3.75 per pound
4. Hearts: $6.50 per pound
5. Feet: $3.25 per pound-great for soup
6. Necks: $1.50 per pound-also great for soup. Feet and necks also make tasty and healthy supplements for a dog's diet. Chicken bones are safe for dogs to eat as long as they are NOT cooked. Cooked chicken bones splinter and can kill a dog (or cat) when lodged in their throats.
7. Grass Fed eggs: $3.00 per dozen-They are limited right now due to hens not laying much because of the short daylight. I will make sure everyone gets some but you may not get the entire amount you order. At the last drop off, everyone got their entire order so don't be shy.
8. Romaine lettuce: $3.00 per bag
9. Wheatgrass in 4 in. pot: $2.00-Great for your indoor kitties or for juicing.
10. Baby Bok Choy: $2.00 per bag-Delicious in stir fry, steamed, or sauteed.
Products from Michelle Peluso:
1. Jumbo cupcakes: $2.00 a piece- She makes three different delicious varieties. Specify whether you would like caramel frosted blackberry jam cupcakes, amaretto cupcakes, or fuzzy navel cupcakes. Minimum order of 4.
2. loaves of buttermilk honey bread: $4.00
3. Seedless blackberry jam: $4.50
4. Pina Colada and Strawberry Daquiri jam: $4.00 each (That is two different flavors just to clarify. They are not together!)
I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you this Saturday. Thank you so much for all of your support over the past year and we wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
Posted 12/3/2009 6:44am by Heather Redden.
Greetings from Nature's Harbor Farm!
I intended to send this out last night but ended up with a very uncooperative 17 month old (our daughter, Ella) who decided that she wanted to stay up and play until 2:30 in the morning. Oh, it's going to be a long day!
Living on a farm, especially one with livestock, makes us very connected to the changes of seasons. They must be cared for no matter how hot, cold, icy, rainy, foggy etc it is outside. I have noticed that I watch for signs that have nothing to do with the date on the calendar to signal to me when we change from one season to the next. I think that those signs are personal to each farmer and the land they live with. For me, winter became official two days ago. I usually try to get out to the animals right after first light. I walked out and there was a hint of frost on the leaves in the yard. Frick and Frack, the tom turkeys, were already up and trying to impress anyone who might pass by. Their feathers are black tipped usually but this morning they were each tipped in white frost. The sheep and dog had frost on the ends of their wool and fur. And the biggest sign of all? I had to break ice on everyones' water troughs! Ugh.
I will be coming to Independence on Saturday December 5 again to meet everyone for a drop off. I will be waiting in the parking lot next to the Independence Courthouse in front of the maintenance garage. I am changing the time a little bit. It gets light out so late in the morning right now and I have to take care of the animals before I leave. I will be there between 10:30 and 11:30 AM this time. We have the following products available at the moment:
1. Pasture raised whole chickens: $4.25 per pound-They range between 2.5 and 6 lbs so let me know approximately what size you would like.
2. Cut up chickens: $5.00 per pound-They are between 2.5 and 3.5 lbs
3. Gizzards: $3.75 per pound
4. Hearts: $6.50 per pound
5. Feet: $3.25 per pound
6. Necks: $1.50 per pound
7. Grass Fed eggs: $3.00 per dozen-They are limited right now due to hens not laying much because of the short daylight. I will make sure everyone gets some but you may not get the entire amount you order.
8. Romaine lettuce: $3.00 per bag
9. Turnips: 3 for a $1-These turnips are still in the ground so the greens will also be fresh and are delicious as a cooked green.
10. Wheatgrass in 4 in. pot: $2.00-Great for your indoor kitties or for juicing.
11. Baby Bok Choy: $2.00 per bag-Delicious in stir fry, steamed, or sauteed.
Please email me with your order by midnight on Friday. I will send a confirmation email so that you know I received it.
Brandon has been working ridiculously long hours right now at his off farm job. I've been left to take care of most everything around here myself for awhile. I'm actually enjoying it for the most part. It never hurts to occasionally be reminded that you are more self reliant than you remembered. Having children and farming both require that you dig deep sometimes. That said, the produce part of this operation is Brandon's arena. I'm the animal person. I harvested and packed the lettuce 2 weeks ago for the last drop off instead of Brandon. After coming home and discussing it with him, we decided that I made the bags too light. So, anyone who ordered Romaine two weeks ago will get a $1 credit per bag to put towards your next order along with my apologies. Thanks for sticking with us!
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
I intended to send this out last night but ended up with a very uncooperative 17 month old (our daughter, Ella) who decided that she wanted to stay up and play until 2:30 in the morning. Oh, it's going to be a long day!
Living on a farm, especially one with livestock, makes us very connected to the changes of seasons. They must be cared for no matter how hot, cold, icy, rainy, foggy etc it is outside. I have noticed that I watch for signs that have nothing to do with the date on the calendar to signal to me when we change from one season to the next. I think that those signs are personal to each farmer and the land they live with. For me, winter became official two days ago. I usually try to get out to the animals right after first light. I walked out and there was a hint of frost on the leaves in the yard. Frick and Frack, the tom turkeys, were already up and trying to impress anyone who might pass by. Their feathers are black tipped usually but this morning they were each tipped in white frost. The sheep and dog had frost on the ends of their wool and fur. And the biggest sign of all? I had to break ice on everyones' water troughs! Ugh.
I will be coming to Independence on Saturday December 5 again to meet everyone for a drop off. I will be waiting in the parking lot next to the Independence Courthouse in front of the maintenance garage. I am changing the time a little bit. It gets light out so late in the morning right now and I have to take care of the animals before I leave. I will be there between 10:30 and 11:30 AM this time. We have the following products available at the moment:
1. Pasture raised whole chickens: $4.25 per pound-They range between 2.5 and 6 lbs so let me know approximately what size you would like.
2. Cut up chickens: $5.00 per pound-They are between 2.5 and 3.5 lbs
3. Gizzards: $3.75 per pound
4. Hearts: $6.50 per pound
5. Feet: $3.25 per pound
6. Necks: $1.50 per pound
7. Grass Fed eggs: $3.00 per dozen-They are limited right now due to hens not laying much because of the short daylight. I will make sure everyone gets some but you may not get the entire amount you order.
8. Romaine lettuce: $3.00 per bag
9. Turnips: 3 for a $1-These turnips are still in the ground so the greens will also be fresh and are delicious as a cooked green.
10. Wheatgrass in 4 in. pot: $2.00-Great for your indoor kitties or for juicing.
11. Baby Bok Choy: $2.00 per bag-Delicious in stir fry, steamed, or sauteed.
Please email me with your order by midnight on Friday. I will send a confirmation email so that you know I received it.
Brandon has been working ridiculously long hours right now at his off farm job. I've been left to take care of most everything around here myself for awhile. I'm actually enjoying it for the most part. It never hurts to occasionally be reminded that you are more self reliant than you remembered. Having children and farming both require that you dig deep sometimes. That said, the produce part of this operation is Brandon's arena. I'm the animal person. I harvested and packed the lettuce 2 weeks ago for the last drop off instead of Brandon. After coming home and discussing it with him, we decided that I made the bags too light. So, anyone who ordered Romaine two weeks ago will get a $1 credit per bag to put towards your next order along with my apologies. Thanks for sticking with us!
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
Posted 11/19/2009 6:22am by Heather Redden.
Happy Pre-Thanksgiving!
Summer is over although it's a little hard to believe considering the weather this November. I'm still hanging clothes out to dry and am all excited because I put up a longer clothesline so I finally have room to hang sheets outside to dry. Ah, the simple pleasures in life. We are working on battening down the hatches on animal shelters for the winter. The horses are finally going to get a roof on the skeleton of a shelter that has been standing there taunting us for far too long. The sheep have their little shed and the main hen house is in good shape. The auxiliary chicken house needs to have ridge vents added. It is getting too stuffy in there at night. It's a common misconception that chickens need to be kept warm in winter. Chickens are perfectly adapted to cold weather with all those lovely feathers for insulation. They suffer far more from lack of ventilation causing respiratory illness than from exposure to cold, fresh air.
This has been a summer of reexamination of our farm and ourselves. Brandon and I had to come to the realization that we were spread too thin and everything was suffering for it. We have had to learn to curb our enthusiasm a little bit. We tried to do so many things that we weren't doing any of them well enough. Some projects have had to be set aside for the time being while we take a step back and focus on some core aspects of the farm. This will be a bonus for you because we plan on producing more of what we already do well and leaving most of the experiments for later. One main focus is going to be on our delicious grass fed eggs. We will be ordering a new batch of chicks to raise this winter that will double the laying flock for the coming summer. We will continue with pasture raised chicken where I believe I've finally found the economic key to the castle. Our goal there is to offer you healthy, humanely raised chicken that we can make a living off of and you can afford. We will never meet Tyson's prices but that's a matter of you get what you pay for. My honeybees are tucked in for the winter and I plan to focus more on comb honey production for next year as I was very pleasantly surprised at how well it was received this year. I will still do extracted honey too. I prefer that for my tea and biscuits. Garlic, wheatgrass, and lemon squash will continue as will the romaine lettuce. More on that in a moment.
I feel like this has been the summer for eulogies to our animal companions and I hope that this is the last for a long while. My, how my life has changed. As a child, I didn't experience the death of a pet until I was a freshman in high school. I guess once you live on a farm with a lot of animals, the odds that one is going to die increase but I'd rather get a break sometimes. My favorite sheep and resident troublemaker, Fergus, died this week. His most recent jail break proved to be his undoing. He busted through the fence a couple of weeks ago and gorged on chicken feed. My immediate concern when he did this was that he could bloat which can be fatal but occurs within the first 24-48 hours of excess grain. He did not bloat so I thought we had dodged a bullet and he would be fine. Well, I learned the hard way that the other result of overeating for sheep, goats, and cattle can be liver ulcers. The animals are amazing teachers and I have learned so many lessons I will never forget. Each lesson makes us better at animal husbandry but I always regret when the lesson comes at the expense of one of them. And once again, I saw how much emotion an animal can show over the illness and death of a companion. Our Great Pyrenese, Rolo, was quite attached to Fergus. Rolo protects our sheep from coyotes and Fergus was the sheep that would play with him. Rolo stayed with Fergus all the while I doctored on him and was obviously upset when he died and Brandon removed him from the pasture.
Enough of depressing matters! We are alreay looking forward to new life here. I'm eagerly awaiting my new chicks and one of our ewes is already obviously pregnant. It's hard to imagine anything cuter than chicks or lambs. There is no doubt that the only constant on a farm is change.
Now about the lettuce. I will be coming up to Independence for my first drop off of the winter. I am planning on being at the site of the farmers' market next to the courthouse on Saturday November 21 from 10-11 AM. Below is the list of products we have available right now. Please email me back by 7:00 AM Saturday morning with your order and I will have it ready and waiting for you at the courthouse.
1. Romaine lettuce $3.00
2. Whole chicken $4.25 per pound-Chickens range between 2.5 and 6 pounds. Please let me know about how big a chicken you want.
3. Cut up chicken $5.00 per pound-between 2.5 and 3 lbs
4. Gizzards $3.75 per pound
5. Hearts $6.50 per pound
6. Feet $3.25 per pound
7. Necks $1.50 per pound
8. Free Range eggs $3.00 per dozen
I know some of you were interested in stew chickens but unfortunately I'm already out of those. I was amazed at how popular they were and they sold out quickly. There are a lot of you that want to make chicken soup like Grandma used to make! You can still make great tasting soup with one of the whole roasting or broiler chickens we have though. They still have so much more flavor than grocery store chicken. I will have some more stew chickens next summer.
I look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday. My plan is to come up every two weeks while the lettuce continues to grow.
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
Summer is over although it's a little hard to believe considering the weather this November. I'm still hanging clothes out to dry and am all excited because I put up a longer clothesline so I finally have room to hang sheets outside to dry. Ah, the simple pleasures in life. We are working on battening down the hatches on animal shelters for the winter. The horses are finally going to get a roof on the skeleton of a shelter that has been standing there taunting us for far too long. The sheep have their little shed and the main hen house is in good shape. The auxiliary chicken house needs to have ridge vents added. It is getting too stuffy in there at night. It's a common misconception that chickens need to be kept warm in winter. Chickens are perfectly adapted to cold weather with all those lovely feathers for insulation. They suffer far more from lack of ventilation causing respiratory illness than from exposure to cold, fresh air.
This has been a summer of reexamination of our farm and ourselves. Brandon and I had to come to the realization that we were spread too thin and everything was suffering for it. We have had to learn to curb our enthusiasm a little bit. We tried to do so many things that we weren't doing any of them well enough. Some projects have had to be set aside for the time being while we take a step back and focus on some core aspects of the farm. This will be a bonus for you because we plan on producing more of what we already do well and leaving most of the experiments for later. One main focus is going to be on our delicious grass fed eggs. We will be ordering a new batch of chicks to raise this winter that will double the laying flock for the coming summer. We will continue with pasture raised chicken where I believe I've finally found the economic key to the castle. Our goal there is to offer you healthy, humanely raised chicken that we can make a living off of and you can afford. We will never meet Tyson's prices but that's a matter of you get what you pay for. My honeybees are tucked in for the winter and I plan to focus more on comb honey production for next year as I was very pleasantly surprised at how well it was received this year. I will still do extracted honey too. I prefer that for my tea and biscuits. Garlic, wheatgrass, and lemon squash will continue as will the romaine lettuce. More on that in a moment.
I feel like this has been the summer for eulogies to our animal companions and I hope that this is the last for a long while. My, how my life has changed. As a child, I didn't experience the death of a pet until I was a freshman in high school. I guess once you live on a farm with a lot of animals, the odds that one is going to die increase but I'd rather get a break sometimes. My favorite sheep and resident troublemaker, Fergus, died this week. His most recent jail break proved to be his undoing. He busted through the fence a couple of weeks ago and gorged on chicken feed. My immediate concern when he did this was that he could bloat which can be fatal but occurs within the first 24-48 hours of excess grain. He did not bloat so I thought we had dodged a bullet and he would be fine. Well, I learned the hard way that the other result of overeating for sheep, goats, and cattle can be liver ulcers. The animals are amazing teachers and I have learned so many lessons I will never forget. Each lesson makes us better at animal husbandry but I always regret when the lesson comes at the expense of one of them. And once again, I saw how much emotion an animal can show over the illness and death of a companion. Our Great Pyrenese, Rolo, was quite attached to Fergus. Rolo protects our sheep from coyotes and Fergus was the sheep that would play with him. Rolo stayed with Fergus all the while I doctored on him and was obviously upset when he died and Brandon removed him from the pasture.
Enough of depressing matters! We are alreay looking forward to new life here. I'm eagerly awaiting my new chicks and one of our ewes is already obviously pregnant. It's hard to imagine anything cuter than chicks or lambs. There is no doubt that the only constant on a farm is change.
Now about the lettuce. I will be coming up to Independence for my first drop off of the winter. I am planning on being at the site of the farmers' market next to the courthouse on Saturday November 21 from 10-11 AM. Below is the list of products we have available right now. Please email me back by 7:00 AM Saturday morning with your order and I will have it ready and waiting for you at the courthouse.
1. Romaine lettuce $3.00
2. Whole chicken $4.25 per pound-Chickens range between 2.5 and 6 pounds. Please let me know about how big a chicken you want.
3. Cut up chicken $5.00 per pound-between 2.5 and 3 lbs
4. Gizzards $3.75 per pound
5. Hearts $6.50 per pound
6. Feet $3.25 per pound
7. Necks $1.50 per pound
8. Free Range eggs $3.00 per dozen
I know some of you were interested in stew chickens but unfortunately I'm already out of those. I was amazed at how popular they were and they sold out quickly. There are a lot of you that want to make chicken soup like Grandma used to make! You can still make great tasting soup with one of the whole roasting or broiler chickens we have though. They still have so much more flavor than grocery store chicken. I will have some more stew chickens next summer.
I look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday. My plan is to come up every two weeks while the lettuce continues to grow.
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
Posted 10/30/2009 10:28am by Heather Redden.
I forgot something in the letter last night. I also have a few stewing chickens that I will bring to the market tomorrow. Any of you who would like to make chicken and dumplings or chicken noodle soup that tastes like Grandma used to make would want one of these. The older the chicken, the more flavor they have. See you tomorrow I hope!
Thanks,
Heather Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
Thanks,
Heather Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
Posted 10/29/2009 11:38pm by Heather Redden.
Hello Everyone!
Boy, what a summer we've had. We have learned so much again about raising chickens for meat. We made the trip to the processor in Bowling Green yesterday with the last batch of chickens for this year. We just had one for dinner and it was yummy! These are the red broilers so they have a lot of nice breast meat. I will be set up at the market on Saturday. It is the last one of the season if you can believe that. I will have whole chickens ranging in weight from 2.5-6 lbs, cut up chicken and packages of hearts, livers, gizzards, necks, and feet (yes, I said feet!). We have a lovely Jamaican couple as customers and they grew up using all parts of the chicken including the feet. I love not wasting anything.
The greenhouse is a great place to be right now. The romaine, baby bok choy, and spinach are growing beautifully. None of it is ready for Saturday but I'll be able to meet up over the winter with you if you would like some. After this market, I'll send out the email with the winter schedule for my trips to Independence with eggs and chicken and produce. It worked out really well last year and I'm looking forward to keeping up with you over the winter.
We did get the garlic in the ground and it is already growing. This is the first year that we were able to save enough seed garlic to plant for next summer and didn't have to buy any. Just one more small step toward sustainability.
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com
Boy, what a summer we've had. We have learned so much again about raising chickens for meat. We made the trip to the processor in Bowling Green yesterday with the last batch of chickens for this year. We just had one for dinner and it was yummy! These are the red broilers so they have a lot of nice breast meat. I will be set up at the market on Saturday. It is the last one of the season if you can believe that. I will have whole chickens ranging in weight from 2.5-6 lbs, cut up chicken and packages of hearts, livers, gizzards, necks, and feet (yes, I said feet!). We have a lovely Jamaican couple as customers and they grew up using all parts of the chicken including the feet. I love not wasting anything.
The greenhouse is a great place to be right now. The romaine, baby bok choy, and spinach are growing beautifully. None of it is ready for Saturday but I'll be able to meet up over the winter with you if you would like some. After this market, I'll send out the email with the winter schedule for my trips to Independence with eggs and chicken and produce. It worked out really well last year and I'm looking forward to keeping up with you over the winter.
We did get the garlic in the ground and it is already growing. This is the first year that we were able to save enough seed garlic to plant for next summer and didn't have to buy any. Just one more small step toward sustainability.
Sincerely,
Heather and Brandon Redden
www.naturesharborfarm.com