The end of the school year is always a busy time and this year it seems even busier – probably because I have been gone the last three weekends and the laundry fairy hasn’t made an appearance. The last few weeks have also been filled with packing. As of May 22, I will be trading textbooks and students for children and chickens. I have enjoyed teaching the last 14 years but am excited about this new adventure as a full time mom and farm hand.

With endings, also come new beginnings. On May 9th, we had our first Tips and Tastes party. Jim and Jennifer Tillberg were very gracious hosts and we shared farm fare and fellowship with several other couples. If you’re interested in hosting a Tips and Tastes party in the fall, please let me know. It’s a great time to find out more about how your food is raised and meet your farmers.

This seems to be a time for firsts. Beginning May 23rd, Dale Family Farms will be attending the Greensburg Farmers Market. After two years of looking for a farmers market that would fit with our production model and distance, we finally found a place to go. We are very thankful that they are allowing us to come and are sure that it will be a learning experience.

I think last month I wrote that we had received a huge amount of snow at the end of March. The moisture has continued and we’ve received 6-7 more inches of rain during the last month. Everything is green and growing. My husband, the optimist, assures me however that we are always two weeks away from being dry again – the hazards of living in the desert. I’ll enjoy it for now.

We still have chickens available at this time and they will be available around May 30, June 13, June 27, August 22, and October 3. If you’re interested,
please email me and reserve them. Remember because of state statues, home processed poultry must be sold ON the farm. Several people have asked if we sell cut up chickens. Not yet – I’m still learning how to cut them up and my parts don’t look very pretty yet. Possibly next season if enough people seem interested. For now, check out the YouTube video on our website showing how to cut up a chicken – it’s really not that hard.

We always have eggs available. Our hens are very faithful layers. Allison was very puzzled one evening – we collected 41 eggs from 40 hens! They’re also prone to field trips. They hitch a ride on the back of Kurt’s pick-up and once he finds them, they get to ride home in the caker.

We are still taking orders for quarters, halves and whole sides of beefs. We plan to have cuts and hamburger available for the summer as well. Check out the website for available cuts and pricing. If there’s something not listed, let us know and maybe we can add it to our list. Kurt’s also working on a beef bratwurst that we hope to have available this summer.

Now since several family members are on our mailing list, I’m going to take a minute to brag on the girls.
Allison can ride a bike! Woohoo! This has been an accomplishment several years in the making.

Natalie is no longer afraid of any farm animals. She and the dogs have made nice and are now friends. She throws grass to the chickens to “feed” them instead of running away and has even helped her dad collect eggs.

Anna’s vocabulary is expanding by the day – she’s adding words like “down,” “Grandpa,” and everybody’s favorite, “yeehaw.”

Until next month. . . .