The Galloway genetics should improve the meat tenderness without the use of grains. Raising cattle on grain was never God’s idea of healthy. Feed-lot cattle that provide grocery store fare are typically fed over half of their intake requirements with corn and they do not even see a pasture. The healthy fatty acids in the meat decrease linearly as the corn intake rises. Plus the excess corn in the diet changes the animal’s gastric pH (acidity) in a way that allows pathogenic E. coli to flourish setting the scene for hamburger recalls by the Department of Health. With us you get hamburger from your one animal, not batched from thousands of feedlot critters.

Flossie, our young lady Alpine-type goat, had her tryst with Michael, the buck goat, around Christmas last year. If the angels are right (aren’t they always), a baby goat arrives the middle of May. Hopefully, the baby will share milk for our morning oatmeal, fresh cheese, and Kefir. Goat’s milk is more digestible for humans, lower butterfat, and some old farmers swear it cures ear infections in young children. In the picture Flossie is enjoying a thistle which is very beneficial to our weed control plan. We’ll have to see if this family milk goat expands to another enterprise. Let us hear from you if interested in fresh goat’s milk or related products.

We’ll be expanding our gardens this year and, if the sun shines, participating in the debut of the Isle Area Farmer’s Market. Planning is ongoing and our mission is to feed our neighbors fresh, nutritious garden produce. Locally grown fruits and vegetables can be picked at their prime, don’t have to make the 1500 mile trip from California or Florida, and can be heirloom quality that retain the flavor and nutrition of real food. Hybrids grown to make long journeys after being picked “green” just don’t taste the same. So, if you are not growing your own this year, or if you just want to chat and see what your neighbors are growing this year, come on by the Isle Area Farmer’s Market to be located on main street in front of the Food Coop. Right now we have 6-8 growers, and if we outgrow that location, we are eying the Isle City Park. Watch for signs.

If you are interested in growing for the market, give me a call or email and I’ll fill you in. Our next planning meeting is April 24th, 6 pm at the Creative Arts Center, main street Isle. The market will be on Saturdays from 9 am—1 pm, starting Memorial Day weekend.

In the spirit of our farm, our garden produce will be grown organically on soil enriched with our own cow-horse-chicken-hog manure compost. We grow the things we like so the excess never goes to waste. Of course, with pigs and chickens on the farm, too, that is never a problem. This year Barb is having fun starting seeds by the phases of the moon: Vegetable seeds get started during the light of the moon; root crops will be planted during the dark of the moon. The broccoli seeds just about sprouted when they hit the dirt during the first quarter, light of the moon! Sister Chuckie says I must now blow on them as well. Develops sturdy stems, she says. Well, you know what I’m doing these days. Blowing a lot of hot air and watching the moon….

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