News from CSA Pasture…
The “I can’t believe it’s almost September” newsletter
I don’t know how anybody else feels, but I think it is getting a bit too chilly in the evenings here lately and a bit too dark too early. This is the coolest fair week that I remember. The Washington County Fair is a big deal around here. Everyone goes at least once during the week it is on. The animals are all over the place, kids are running around, everyone is eating all these weird things like French fries with gravy on them and funnel cakes or delicious things (purely personal opinion!) like maple syrup milkshakes and apple cider slushies. My sister Beverly and niece Laura come to visit at this time every year so we went to the fair on Tuesday and are going again today (Thursday). Laura and I write.
When we go to the fair we like to visit certain places first. We like to look at all the different animals (cows, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, poultry, and rabbits). It is also fun to see how each farm decorates their animal’s stalls. Laura also likes to go to the barn that lets you hold baby ducks and chicks. A popular place to get snacks from is the maple syrup barn. At the maple syrup barn you can get maple milkshakes, maple cotton candy, maple slushies, maple coffee, maple kettle corn and maple doughnuts. Laura’s favorite ride at the fair is the swings. The ride is basically you get on a swing and the machine starts to twirl you around until you go up pretty high. Another cool ride is the wild claw. It is like a huge tire swing but, more people go on it (they sit in seats with cages around them) and it goes really high. There is a lot of screaming in the ride section of the fair. The fair is a lot of fun for everybody! Alan likes the all antique tractors on exhibit and the farm museum.
The newest additions to the farm are twin gray kittens. They are about 3 weeks old and have just opened their eyes. Laura has been finding them and holding them – they are so tiny they fit in her hand. The annoying part is that each time we hold them Mama Cat moves them to a new secret location….and Laura has to find them again. The newest batch of hay bales are now in the barn and the holes between the bales are perfect for a new home for the kittens but it sure makes it hard to find them. Mama Cat (we call Mystery since she really slinks around the barn) is the only female cat that did not get “fixed” because we could not catch her. Right now the kittens are living in a hole between a couple hay bales and the corner of the barn. It is the worst spot so far because you cannot see the kittens and if you want to hold them you have to stick your hand down in the hole. The interesting part about the kittens is they have really small ears and when they grow up they will have bigger ears. I will keep you posted about the kittens!
Maggie, one of the dogs on the farm, got lost yesterday and we were all looking and calling for her. We searched all around the farm for her and guess where she was! Maggie was locked in the barn! She never barked to let us know where she was. Everybody was relieved and Maggie had a lot of energy when she got out because she was shut in the barn all afternoon!
We also had a wonderful visit last week from Tess who is a member of the Clinton Hill CSA. We kept her working everyday until her visits to Windflower Farm and Gillis Acres Farm where she was likely recruited again as a helper! Thanks Tess!
Good news!! We will be receiving a new delivery of beef, chicken and duck Friday and will have it on the website by Tuesday am!!!
Our farms are still offering their delicious products:
New Products this month include 4 more kinds of Bread from Rock Hill – Pane Bello, Onion Rye, Sesame Semolina and a large Pane Peasano. Rock Hill has also announced a price increase for the breads. Wheat prices are soaring, gas and energy costs too as we all know and after quite a while without an increase, they were forced to make changes for all the breads but some of the specialty breads had a large increase.
New Products from Rudi’s Lakeside Garden also include some interesting flavors such as Sumac Lemonade Jelly and Port Wine Jam in the 6 oz size. Try them!
Artisan CHEESE and DAIRY PRODUCTS
Each of these soft fresh and harder aged cheeses and yogurts have a unique flavor which comes from their kind of milk.
Cows milk cheeses made by Consider Bardwell Farm and West River Creamery
Goats milk products made by Gillis Acres Farm and West River Creamery
Sheep’s milk products made by 3 Corner Field Farm
All Natural POULTRY
All natural Chicken, Duck - whole or parts of chicken, whole duck from KNK Poultry under the categories, Chicken All Natural KNK, Duck All Natural, Turkey All Natural KNK. This processor is NY State certified and offers poultry from farms who feed no antibiotics or growth hormones.
All natural Turkey items processed with no nitrites include a variety of turkey sausages – Cajun, Hot Italian, Mild Breakfast and Sweet Italian: Ground turkey in all dark meat and mixed dark and light turkey; Turkey breast fresh frozen and smoked. Large whole turkeys are also offered by Stonewood Farm, certified by the State of Vermont and are found under the Turkey All Natural Stonewood category.
Fresh EGGS
Our natural Eggs are collected by Cornell Farms. The feed for all the birds is raised at the farm and the birds are free-range.
LAMB
USDA processed Lamb is offered by 3 Corner Field Farm. Their lamb eat a small amount of grain as a supplement to the grasses and hay and can be found under the Lamb, Grass-Fed category. We are sorry the selection of lamb is dwindling this time of year, but it seems that everyone is beginning to “buy local”.
BEEF and PORK
USDA processed Beef and Pork are raised by Lewis Waite Farm. The beef is 100% grass and hay fed with trace minerals from kelp and salt. The pigs have a pasture too but are fed with corn, soybeans, hay and kelp (especially in winter). These items can be found under the Beef, Grass Fed Grass Finished and the Pork, All Natural, Pastured.
We have all Grass-Fed Angus Beef from Mack Brook Farm to supplement our offerings and to help this farm get started retailing their own beef. Their small herd is growing. Their goal is to provide our customers with 100% grass fed and finished; pasture-based Angus beef (a breed chosen for suitability to our climate) that is a tastier and healthier alternative to commercially raised beef, while practicing farming techniques that benefit the environment.
Their cattle DO NOT get antibiotics, growth hormones, or genetically modified feed. Our cattle DO GET grass and hay from only their fields, acres of pasture to wander, and lots of TLC. They are not certified organic but operate using what they consider ’best practices’ for the animals and the environment.
We are proud of the 12 farm network we have created to provide you some of our regions fresh and family grown products. We hope you enjoy then all and we also hope to expand our offering as time goes by and we get better at our coordination with everyone.
Don’t forget, the next order deadline is August 30th at midnight, and delivery is on September 4th.
Please remember to place your orders on time as late orders can be a disruption to all of the farms involved
Alan & Nancy Brown
135 Lewis Hill Lane
Town of Jackson
Greenwich, NY 12834
Lewis Waite Farm
Grass-Fed Grass-Finished Beef
Natural Pork
www.csapasturedmeatandpoultry.com
www.lewiswaitefarm.com
518-692-3120 or 518-692-9208