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Farming in Winter

written by

Laura Green

posted on

February 2, 2023

It's been a milder winter so far.  Not as many snow falls or ice storms as other years.  This Texan (yep, that's me - Laura) sure isn't complaining!  However, it's still cold and below freezing during the nighttime hours, which looks like frozen water lines that do not allow us to leave our above-ground water system turned on.  This means tractoring water out to every set of pigs around the farm!

You may wonder, do they stay warm enough? And the answer is yes, they sure do!  We never have to worry about our pigs being outdoors (year-round) unless it's cold & wet at the same time.  If the forecast is calling for temps below 35 degrees and rainy, we will tie up tarps using trees as the four corners and we spread out a round bale of hay underneath.  This gives the pigs insulation and they all jump into the huge nest of hay which keeps them nice and snug.  This looks like a happy pile of pigs with hot steam rolling off their backs - which makes us happy too!

The cows are happy and content as well, hiding under the cedar trees for any extra protection as needed, but mostly out in the sunshine getting all the clean, crisp air they want.  We roll out a round bale of hay for food every day! (This is dried grass that was cut and gathered during the summer months)  We also give them an option to lick up a high quality mineral (think about what you might take for vitamins and probiotics every day - that is what the minerals are for them).  You know, it's interesting that when their bodies need it, they'll eat it, but when they don't need it, they won't touch it!  Nature can sure be perfect.

In just a few months baby chicks are coming and spring will be upon us.  We are planning out the year and regrouping ourselves for another great one!  We are super excited to be adding in CSA Summer Produce Boxes and bringing in some local trout - new offerings!  We love getting to see so many of you at our local drop sites and on-farm store.  For those who live too far to pick up in person - we think of you often too, as we pack shipping boxes and send a taste of the farm to your doors!

Thank you for trusting us to help feed your family! It's a privilege and honor!

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Family Friendly Weeknight Bolognese

Family Friendly Weeknight Bolognese

If you're like me, family dinners are important.  It feels like there are a million different responsibilities these days, and it's easy to get so busy that there doesn't seem to be time to sit down as a family and enjoy a filling, nutritious meal - much less cook one! The more I learn about the food industry, the more committed I become to making my family's food from scratch as much as possible. So then the challenge becomes finding recipes that fit my criteria...  For a meal to be a winner in my book, here's what it needs to be: easy to make with very few separate stepseasy flexibility for dietary needs of individual family memberscustomizable for personal tasteeasy to swap ingredients to a) make it seem like a different dish sometimes and b) use what I have on handbe overall inexpensive (since I have a growing family of 6)have no "weird" ingredients or crazy spices. (In other words, it has to be "kid approved") Now. A quick browse on Pinterest might yield hundreds of recipes that mostly match those criteria, but as soon as I click the mouth-watering picture and actually read the recipe, my stomach churns at all the pre-packaged, ingredient-laden, seed-oil-filled "conveniences" that cook used. 😞 My meals also must be nutritionally dense and use no mystery ingredients or seed oils. Since I created this family-friendly weeknight Bolognese recipe that actually meets all of these requirements, I thought I'd share, because you may be "in the same boat" searching for recipes like this for your family, too.  Hannah's Family Friendly Weeknight Bolognese Ingredients: 16 oz dry pasta (For extra kid-friendliness, I usually choose penne or rotini) 1 pound ground beef 1 pound ground pork sausage (My go-to is breakfast sausage, but you can use any flavor. It does need to be pork sausage because of the fat content.) 2 whole carrots (diced) 1 small onion (diced) 1 1/2 tsp salt (I only use REAL salt) 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp EACH dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley (substitute with 1 Tablespoon of fresh herbs when able. 😊) 4-8 garlic cloves (diced) - depending on size and preference 16-32 oz pasta sauce or tomato sauce - based on preference (I use my home-canned tomato sauce, but any will do) 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream (again, depending on preference) Steps: Cook pasta according to package instructions for al dente and set aside. Cook and crumble meats together in a large saucepanIn the meat pan, add vegetables and spices/herbs and cook until tenderAdd tomato sauce and simmer for 10-15 minutes to infuse flavorsStir in milk (or cream) and cook until warmStir sauce into cooked pasta and serve immediately with parmesan Recommended sides:  Green salad or caprese (tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper) Sauteed kale or Swiss chard Roasted green beans, squash & zucchini, or asparagus Garlic toast Let me know if you try this dish, what you changed, and how you liked it! There are endless substitutions and changes that make this meal so so easy to keep in the back of your mind and just use whatever you have on hand. And its so easy that even kids can help with prep (which I love to have my kiddos do).

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