We're really looking forward to 2017 and meeting with our current and new customers at the Meat Clubs. Thank you to everyone who is committed to quality food and comes to our Meat Clubs. You keep our family farm running.
The farm never slowed down for Christmas (no time off), but Sara and I are planning a little vacation time soon when our baby granddaughter comes to visit (with her parents). It'll be her first time at the bacon farm.
We're well stocked with a great assortment of roasters and frozen cuts. Look at marbling and great color in this bacon! There's traditional bacon, country bacon, jowl bacon, bacon ends...
This litter of piglets was born on Christmas Eve. Their mother is the self-appointed "Gate Guardian." She's hundreds of pounds of don't-mess-with-me, but as gentle as can be with her little jelly beans. She made a nest for herself with fallen willow trees and I built it up for her with compost for the extra heat it provides. Side note: we've never had a case of mastitis, which is a huge issue for lactating animals. I attribute it to the compost and the pigs' healthy lifestyle.
Look at all that beautiful, muddy water! We lost a lot of trees in the drought this past year, including some our kids planted over 15 years ago when they all lived at home. I'm already replanting river willows and curly willows. I'm looking for some weeping willows to get going because they provide great shade for the pigs in the summer. We're grateful for all the rain and the pigs love the mud, of course.
Hundreds of doves showed up for the walnut hulls we're feeding the pigs right now. Naturally, they attract raptors. Every once in a while we'll find a fluff of feathers where a dove became lunch.
A farm cat showed up. As I fed the pigs a few days ago, there it was: a white thing with an entourage of 20-pound piglets, poking it, nosing it, and just being buddies.
Here's Django, our farm dog. He's a boss to the big pigs, but lets the little piglets get away with anything, including marauding through our kitchen garden!
