We do also sell at Farmers Markets and Flea Markets. Prebuying or getting a collection will put you at a lower price than at our markets. The reason we can do this is in the planning--we know how many plants we need and how many extra to plant. The presold collections and our CSAs all get filled first.
Our produce is picked daily when in season.
1 bushel of tomatoes (53 pounds) will make about 18 quarts of canned tomatoes. 3 pounds of tomatoes will make 1 quart of canned tomatoes.
Yes, you will need to wear gloves when working with hot peppers. Been there without the gloves, will not do it again!
Our produce is grown organically, we are not certified by the USDA as an organic farm. We also do not grow any GMO seed of any type.
Yes, we do lock up our birds at night and yes, our young birds are in brooders. Poultry of all types need protection from predators as well as need to be kept warm, especially in the first few weeks of life. During the day the birds are allowed to range, scratch in the dirt, eat bugs, lay in the sun, and just be normal. None of the birds or any of our animals are over crowded at any time.
Chickens and ducks can be ready for processing in as early as 8 weeks. The Pekin duck and the Cornish cross chicken are both fast growing birds. Other breeds of chicken, duck, and all goose and turkey take up to 4 months. The higher price is due to the length of time (and feed) it takes to raise them.
Calves, kids (baby goats), and lambs are all started in pens in the barn. Pens are cleaned daily. They are not tied nor are they crowded to the point of not being able to move about. Once they are eating well they are moved to a larger pen with free choice shelter. When they have again grown a bit in there and are doing well and trained to a field fence (yes, those cows, goats, and sheep all need to learn how to stay in) then they are put out on the large pastures.
We do raise Great Pyrenees dogs and take in Livestock Protection (or Gaurd) Dogs when we can. These dogs are working dogs and not apartment dogs. From time to time we do have puppies available or adult dogs that need a new farm to call home. If you would like to be on a waiting list please contact me and please do some research on what a Livestock Gaurd Dog is--they are NOT the German Shep or Blue Heeler.
We do de-worm all our animals. When a new animal arrives we use ivermectin on it regardless of the type of home it came from before arrival. For our milk animals we use a daily herbal de-wormer which seems to irritate the parasites out of the animal rather than poison them. Parasites can cause many problems for animals and humans alike. Aside from causing higher feed bills, parasites can cause permanent damage to lungs, liver, and the entire digestive tract--not to mention infecting humans, although that is not common in the United States.
I am happy to answer any questions you may have, please contact me or feel free to call. All information is on the contact page.