Cedar Meadow Farm Newsletter
Fall 2007
Greetings from Cedar Meadow Farm!
October has arrived here in CT and you would never guess it, based on the weather. It has been hot and humid and our poor ponies with their winter coats growing in are not very happy about it! We do hope that as the leaves continue to change, the cooler weather will join us.
We are winding down after another great season here at the farm. Demand for locally grown products has been incredible. Flavor comes with age, and we take care not to overgrow our animals or over stress our environment. We appreciate the patience our customers have shown as they wait for us to grow out their orders. Though it can be difficult not getting "instant gratification" as you would if you went to the supermarket, we know that with patience comes an excellent product.
We've found a number of customers are interested in bulk orders (25 or more chickens at once) so they can stock their freezers over the winter. This is something that we are more than happy to do for you; however, as it takes nearly three months to grow out our birds, we need to plan in advance. Let us know now if this is something you would like to consider for next fall.
In September, we welcomed 16 new piglets to the farm. The two first-time mothers have done a fabulous job co-mothering their brood. We've already sold several feeder piglets and will be growing out more for you to enjoy next spring. As reflected on our price list, we will only be offering our popular pork sampler through June of next year. This is an extremely economical choice for customers and takes up a minimal amount of freezer space. Shortly, we will begin to offer "parts" for sale, but this will be limited to the more unusual cuts of pork: trotters (pigs feet), fatback (perfect for making lard), saltpork, and organ meat (hearts and livers).
The ducks continue to keep us on our toes. The extremely dry August and September has wiped out much of our greenery. It is a challenge to keep their voracious appetite for greens satisfied. They have proven to be much more difficult to dress out then we had anticipated so they've stuck around longer than we originally planned. Once we finish processing the final batches of broilers mid-October, we can concentrate on refining our techniques on the ducks. Please note: if you are interested in skinned ducks, we can offer you a great bargain! Something else to consider - if you have a pond and would like a pair of ducks to complete the scene, let us know. Our ducks look just like mallards but can't fly away.
Thanksgiving turkeys sold out by the end of August. We raise only a limited number and are continuing to refine our stock until we find a line of breeders that perform to our high expectations. Dressed out weights continue to be lower than we like - but that is a challenge we knew we would have to face. Due to low interest in heritage breeds over the past 4 decades, there has been little focus on keeping breeders that have good meat characteristics. It will take us several more years before we are able to establish a flock that gives us the end product we desire. Please continue to be patient and understand that these kinds of activities take time to complete.
As mentioned in our previous newsletter, we are the recipients of a grant from SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Researsch and Education) and are wrapping up our study of the effect of pastured poultry housing techniques on two varieties of birds: a fast growing genotype and a slow growing genotype broiler chicken. We've gotten some surprising and unexpected results and are looking forward to doing a complete write up of the study upon it's completion.
Julia Cronin, co-owner and manager of the farm is scheduled to speak during the Women Chefs and Restauranteurs at their Annual Conference in Newport, RI on November 3-5, 2007. The conference theme this year is
Back... for the Future!
Traditional food ways inspiring a healthier tomorrow
She will be speaking in the General Session: Heritage Breed Farming, What Is It And Why Should We Care? Learn more about the conference by visiting the WCR website at: http://www.womenchefs.org/displayconvention.cfm.
If you would like us to come speak at your event, contact us with specific details. We are able to speak to the topics of: Heritage Breeds Conservancy, Sourcing Locally Grown Products, Alternative and Sustainable Agricultural Practices, Misleading Labeling Practices used by Agribusiness, and a general overview of farming trends in America from 1850 until today.
We enjoy the hustle and bustle of summer and all the activities on the farm, but admittedly, we are looking forward to a quiet winter where we will clear fencelines, build more animal shelters, and continue planning for another successful season.
Wishing you all health and happiness,
Brian and Julia Cronin