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October started on a couple of high notes. Not only did we get an inch of rain but about 70 of you can out to celebrate with us on the farm. To make things exciting, these two events happened during the same weekend. Because it hadn't rained much at all this year (maybe you remember me bemoaning this fact), we really couldn't complain at all. Instead, we did what you learn to do on the farm - adapt and thank God for your blessings even when they aren't quite what you expected. Kurt's brother was able to rent an event tent in Topeka and we had a few other tents up in the yard and all was good. The heavier rains even held off while we had company. Except for a little mud in the house (I knew we laid laminate for a reason!), it was all good. Kurt and I and his family enjoyed visiting with many of you we usually on converse with through emails. Thank you again for coming! We've already picked a date for next year - Saturday, September 29th - and we hope to show you what it looks like after a year of normal rainfall.
The weekend after our party, we headed south to Waynoka, OK, for a field day. Usually, when Kurt and I go to something like this, we find a place for the girls and head out. Our invite though said that children were welcome so we loaded up the 'Burban and made a day of it. The entire day was spent outside and it was a perfect fall day. Kurt will remember to pack a hat next time though - I think his whole head peeled! We had the opportunity to tour an established farm that has been doing what we're trying to do. They're also in the process of including the next generation. It was good to spend the day thinking and visiting - especially since the girls were so well behaved - that might have been aided by Kurt's promise of ice cream on the way home if they were good. Allison, who is drawn to animals of all kinds, has fallen in love with a new breed of pig - Mangalista. Look them up if you need a chuckle. I can only imagine the menagerie that child will manage when she's grown! She has a patience with animals that many adults haven't mastered.
We are so excited to offer summer sausage this upcoming holiday season. We have two varieties available - mild and jalapeno cheese. The 12 oz. sausage runs $5 a piece and we are willing to ship anywhere in the U.S. for whatever it costs to mail the package. Along with the summer sausage, we are able to ship our beef sticks and beef jerky.
Here's a gift idea for the dog in your life - pet jerky! Kurt and I have been smoking strips of beef liver and then cutting them into smaller pieces. Our dogs love it! Yeller has always enjoyed raw beef liver and can eat a pound in about one swallow. This is an easier way to store it and give him a smaller, nutrient dense treat instead of an entire meal.
Our turkeys are pretty much sold for the season. We have a few "spares" but we're going to consider them predator insurance since we still have a few weeks to go. If we end up with any turkeys left, I'll put it out there for those who might interested in one for Christmas.
On November 3rd, I'll be making deliveries to Greensburg, Pratt, Wichita, McPherson and Lindsborg. If you need something, please email me. On my way home, I'm picking up meat and we will have steaks and beef roasts in stock again.
If you or someone you know is still interested in purchasing a quarter or half and missed the deadline, let me know. We will have these available through the winter. You won't be able to get custom cuts - we gave pretty generic cutting instructions that include steaks, roasts, brisket and ground beef. Because of the drought and our limited forage, Kurt decided it would be smarter to go ahead and process some of our larger steers now rather than trying to feed them and maintain condition through the winter. A quarter would make a great gift for parents or adult children.
When I come home next week, I'll also be bringing bacon with me (cue celebratory music). Nothing tells me we're producing an excellent product you want like not being able to keep it in stock! So we can share the love, we will be limiting customers to 4 pounds per family. Also, we have had to feed our hogs more this fall because the forage/weeds we were counting on for feed just didn't grow (too hot and too dry). To help offset some of these expenses, bacon will be $8/pound. This is still a steal. I've been told the "good stuff" in the store is running around $10/pound and doesn't even compare to ours.
If you're not quite ready to commit to a quarter beef which is about 100# of meat, what about 60# of amazing pork - chops, roasts, sausage, hams, tenderloin (oh my!) and your own supply of bacon? A half a hog runs $140 plus $25 freight to the processor. Then, you'll pay processing fees of about $75. A total of $240 for a half - money well spent! We have about 5-6 hogs left and Kurt will take them to McPherson in early December. They'll be ready by the first of the year. We'll save some pork to sell by the cut but won't have hogs ready to go again until August 2012.
One last plug for the holidays and then I'll be done. We also offer beef bundles and samplers if you'd like to give good food but are limited by budget or space. AND, I've been busy making soap this week - Wake Up Rosemary that has a minty scent, Lavender and Unscented. All soap is made with DFF lard, coconut oil and olive oil. I won't make any specific claims but my skin isn't near as dry and Anna's eczema is better since we switched from a commercial bar to homemade soap. Bars are approximately 4 ounces and are $3.50.
I've had fun playing in the kitchen as I've made soap. The tricky part though is working when the kitchen is empty. The initial step in soap making involves lye, a caustic base. Because my kids are kids, it's best for them to be absent during the process. Usually, this means I work during nap time or after bed time. . .. I'm finally catering to my inner chemist. Next month's experimenting involves an oatmeal face bar and a Lava-like bar for Kurt.
Next week, Kurt will be loading out the remainder of our cow herd - they're headed to greener pastures, literally. The cows will be hanging out in the Flint Hills where the forage is much better than anything we have to offer in the county. They'll come home in about 3 months and get ready to calve here in the late spring. The calves will stay all winter and graze winter wheat and other stored forages.
Apparently word travels fast in the skunk community and one of them must have bragged about the free chicken at the Dales. I'm not sure how many skunks we've had the last week but there have been a bunch. it's not uncommon to have predation issues - we've seen coons, possums (ugh!), and many others. Skunks, however, present a unique set of challenges. Thankfully, no one, especially Kurt, has had to take a tomato juice shower - yet.
Last weekend, I was introduced to the wonderful cut of meat called pork tenderloin. Oh. My. Goodness. Unfortunately, only abut half of my crew could enjoy the meal because a stomach bug took up residence at our house. I was nice enough to save some for the sickies but it took willpower. I will have 3-4 tenderloins in stock this holiday season if you want that perfect meal for entertaining.
DFF will be at the Holiday Bazaar in Coldwater on November 19th AND we'll have samples! If there are other craft fair kinds of things that you are aware of, drop me a line. I'd be interested in setting up shop during the fall this year or next.
As I write, Kurt is headed off to his last football practice of the season. WOOHOO!!! I love football BUT I'm ready to eat supper before 7:30! This season has not quite been what Kurt and the head coach expected but good things have happened even if they might not be reflected in the Win-Loss record.
Allison is enjoying her time as a 5th grader. Her last big project was to build a house for a Native American tribe. Definitely a father-daughter project. I can help with these but too often I get wrapped up in what I think the finished project should look like instead of hearing what A wants to do. Kurt's approach is much more constructive. What do you want to do? What do you need me to find? And then if he sees something that is a potential train wreck, he asks a good question or two. Allison's Seminole chicki (sp?) turned out very authentic even if the only people we could find at Hobby Lobby that even remotely looked liked the people in her reference book were Jamestown settlers (including the one, the only, John Smith) and were about 2 inches too short.
Natalie is reading for real! And can read a whole book by herself from beginning to end. WOOHOO!! Going to credit Kurt with this success too. He's so faithful about reading with her after supper. The stories she's writing are also delightful. She's become brave enough to write without worrying about spelling every word exactly right and often relies on her knowledge of phonics. While her words may not be perfect, her stories are!
Anna may be my "last" daughter but over the past 3.5 years, she has provided me with entirely too many firsts - eating tomato leaves which according to Poison Control are slightly toxic, opening child safety lids that were way out of her reach, and most recently, shoving a cheerio up her nose during nap time. It was so high, I couldn't even see the sucker. After my initial moment of panic, I took a deep breath and decided I didn't really want to pay the ER copay if I could avoid it. If we headed to the ER, I'd have to go by myself since Kurt was still sick with the stomach flu. I thought we'd try to self treat, handed her a kleenx and told her to blow. Voila! Who knew I had a future in medicine? Unfortunately, I'm not sure it scared her enough to keep her from doing it again. I gave Kurt credit for the other two's success this month, I think he should take the credit for this one too. Pretty sure the orneriness and desire to push the envelope comes from her daddy and not her risk-averse, over planned momma.
When I wasn't creating back-up rain plans for our party, tending sickies, rescuing preschoolers or making soap this month, I've been tutoring a few students. I love it! I've tutored since high school when my desperate friends would call with their College Algebra questions. This is what I love about teaching - one-on-one interactions sprinkled with light bulb moments - not state assessments, faculty meetings or the myriad of other issues that get in the way of connecting with students through a subject I love.
I've also been enjoying Joel Salatin's new book "Folks, This Ain't Normal." I'm going to have to go back and reread it - there's so much to think about and consider. I may not always agree with everything Salatin writes but he always pushes me to think.
May you and I be aware of our blessings as we enter this season of thanksgiving!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Dale Family Farms at OneTrueMedia.com
This is the slide show we plan to show on Saturday. Five years on the farm. Thanks Stacy for your help!
Monday, October 3, 2011
October 3 - The Party Edition
Wow! I can't believe we're down to less than a week before our Big Shindig. In case it's not on your calendar, our Customer Appreciation Dinner is on Saturday, October 8th from 5-8 pm. If you're planning to come, please let me know by Thursday. Don't forget to bring your kids, lawn chairs and if you get a chance, a side dish to share - although, don't let this keep you from coming. We'll do farm tours on a hay rack and visit at 5; eat around 6; let the kids run free and take a "train" ride after that. Well have a little farm store set up inside along with literature and a slide show - that way you can see what normal looks like around here. If you'd like to pick up meat, let me know and I'll have the order packed ahead of time. I know several of you are planning on picking up fresh chickens that day. Don't forget your coolers!
Kurt and his twin brother, Andrew, are making smoker plans - chicken, pork loin, brisket, hot dogs and pork burgers. I'm roasting a turkey inside. Some of the best we have to share - again, to say thank for your continued support and encouragement. Looking ahead at the forecast, there is a chance of rain next weekend although I've become a bit of a cynic when it comes to the National Weather Service and their empty promises. We will have a rain plan ready but more than likely if it showers, we'll be dancing between the drops!
We've spruced up a little and been spurred to finish a few projects - all the more reason to make this an annual event! I gotta warn you though, the yard looks rough. Six months of very little rain hasn't done much for the little grass we had and the chickens and turkeys have fed on the weeds. That said, we're excited you're coming and promise to show you a good, albeit dusty, time!
In addition to party preparations, September has been full. It has been cooler, thankfully, but certainly not much wetter. I keep telling Kurt it WILL rain again but soon I'm afraid it will be winter, and I'm going to have to tell him it will SNOW instead.
Earlier this month, the girls and I headed to Pretty Prairie to cheer for Kurt - he's still learning that the girls like football but they really go to watch and cheer for him. We stayed the night in Pretty Prairie and then headed onto Hutchinson the next morning for the State Fair. Allison had some 4-H responsibilities and wanted to see her exhibits. At first, I thought I was a bit nuts for taking all 3 girls to the fair by myself but it was a good day. We rented a wagon early on and Anna had a special monkey backpack which had a "tail" I could hang onto. No one got lost, no one had a full blown meltdown and we saw a 700 pound butter sculpture - by all measures a good day.
Kurt and I also celebrated our 14th anniversary this month. A few remembrances we shared over dinner: Kurt picked our wedding date with a planting schedule and a K-State football schedule in front of him. Yes, really - and I let him! I was teaching at the time and only had a handful of personal days. Our honeymoon was spent in the very relaxing, very familiar Wichita, KS. We decided the last 14 years haven't been perfect but there has been a lot more laughter than tears and I wouldn't have wanted to make the journey with any other farmer.
Part of our sprucing up has involved repainting the porch railing and the swing. Because I'm a little short on time, I actually put paint brushes in Allison and Natalie's hands - desperate times call for desperate measures. All things considered, mostly their ages, they did a nice job. They enjoyed their time on the porch so much, they asked if they could sleep out there. Anna was most disappointed that she had to stay inside. She's still up at night though and I didn't want her disoriented. Allison and Natalie were quite a sight! They shared a twin mattress and Natalie definitely got the short end of that arrangement. Both were bundled in heavy duty sleeping bags, multiple blankets and stocking caps - the low that night was 45. To listen to them talk, they have plans to do this every Saturday night. We'll see. I'm not quite sure this is what's meant by a sleeping porch.
While Anna didn't get to sleep outside, she did have a friend over this week. I pinch hit for a friend that needed emergency day care. Oh. . . . they were both so excited. Silly me thought that they would both take naps. After about 20 minutes in separate bedrooms, I begun to hear very loud stage whispers:
"C, what are you doing?"
"Nana, can I play with this?"
After about 10 minutes of this, I gave up on the idea of a nap and instead we played, ran errands and headed to the Kreeme for a much needed snack. Both kids were great - or as great as you can expect two 3-year-olds who didn't nap to be. I would help out again in a heartbeat BUT I did learn why God never blessed us with twins! Oh my goodness! the energy! Headed in two different directions!
Our turkeys are growing - it's helped that the puppy is in foster care at the farm and has quit chasing them - hard to eat when you're running for your life. We only have a few left to preorder. If you want one, reserve it soon.
Your last chance to get fresh chickens will be this week. After the Customer Appreciation Party, chickens will go up to $3.50/pound to cover our additional expenses of storing them, etc.
I have good news for those of you who love bacon as much as we do - it's back in stock! We also have ribeyes and fillets back in the freezers. Life is good. We brought home a few new products from Krehbiels made with our beef and pork:
* A sweet sausage link - Natalie's favorite
* A hot link for those of you who like heat. I tried a bite - oh my. Didn't realize I was such a weenie.
*A few pork tenderloins for those very special meals.
*And our most exciting new product - SUMMER SAUSAGE in two varieties, mild and jalapeno cheddar.
Our October special is in deference to my German heritage and Oktoberfest - ok, I'm only like 1/8 or so German but hey, it sounded good. Buy 10 pounds of sausage - you pick the mix, sweet Italian, spicy Italian or zesty breakfast sausage - for $30. A $5 savings.
Last chance to put your name on a quarter, half or whole beef. Kurt is headed to the processor on Thursday. See our FAQ's page for commonly asked beef questions. Hogs will be available in December and our supply is limited so let us know if you'd like to reserve one.
Family updates:
Kurt is frustrated with his hot wire situation right now. The hot wire allows Kurt to keep his cattle bunched up and graze more intensively for shorter periods - a practice that is good for the cattle and the grass. The problem is with very little moisture in the ground, the hot wire isn't grounded and won't carry much of a charge. It's hard to get the cattle, especially the younger, smaller calves, to respect a wire that won't bite them when they hit it. I rode out with Kurt last night to check cattle and was floored to watch the calves duck and walk under the wire and then moments later see the older, more experienced cows who know better step right over the wire - almost as if they were thumbing their noses at Kurt and I. One more reason we need rain - so we can better handle cattle and manage the feed we do have available.
Allison has been enjoying her usual activities. Two weeks ago, she and a friend walked in the Homecoming Parade as chefs from Cupcake Wars - a show we were not familiar with. They took 2nd place and won $5. After the parade, the two girls came up to me and asked, "Can you split this [$5 bill] into $2.50's?"
"Two fifties?? If I could do that, I wouldn't worry about rain." I responded.
After a beat to think about what I'd said, they both gave the obligatory chuckle. Then, headed across the street to the bank to ask the cashier if she would change their $5 into two $50's.
A highlight of Natalie's week was getting to ride home on the football bus Friday night with Kurt. The team played in Greensburg which is only about 35 miles from home. She was very excited about the trip but fell asleep shortly after the bus hit the highway.
Apparently, my concerns about preschool were totally unfounded. Anna has settled right in and I have been informed that she can be quite a "Chatty Cathy" when given the chance.
I am ready to begin my career in the IT field. We have recently replaced our laptop and I took on the challenge of moving important programs and documents from one computer to the other. Some processes have been pretty simple; others have involved more frustration, more time and more muttering under my breath than necessary. Either way, I know more today than I did a week ago.
Looking forward to celebrating with you this weekend!
Kurt and his twin brother, Andrew, are making smoker plans - chicken, pork loin, brisket, hot dogs and pork burgers. I'm roasting a turkey inside. Some of the best we have to share - again, to say thank for your continued support and encouragement. Looking ahead at the forecast, there is a chance of rain next weekend although I've become a bit of a cynic when it comes to the National Weather Service and their empty promises. We will have a rain plan ready but more than likely if it showers, we'll be dancing between the drops!
We've spruced up a little and been spurred to finish a few projects - all the more reason to make this an annual event! I gotta warn you though, the yard looks rough. Six months of very little rain hasn't done much for the little grass we had and the chickens and turkeys have fed on the weeds. That said, we're excited you're coming and promise to show you a good, albeit dusty, time!
In addition to party preparations, September has been full. It has been cooler, thankfully, but certainly not much wetter. I keep telling Kurt it WILL rain again but soon I'm afraid it will be winter, and I'm going to have to tell him it will SNOW instead.
Earlier this month, the girls and I headed to Pretty Prairie to cheer for Kurt - he's still learning that the girls like football but they really go to watch and cheer for him. We stayed the night in Pretty Prairie and then headed onto Hutchinson the next morning for the State Fair. Allison had some 4-H responsibilities and wanted to see her exhibits. At first, I thought I was a bit nuts for taking all 3 girls to the fair by myself but it was a good day. We rented a wagon early on and Anna had a special monkey backpack which had a "tail" I could hang onto. No one got lost, no one had a full blown meltdown and we saw a 700 pound butter sculpture - by all measures a good day.
Kurt and I also celebrated our 14th anniversary this month. A few remembrances we shared over dinner: Kurt picked our wedding date with a planting schedule and a K-State football schedule in front of him. Yes, really - and I let him! I was teaching at the time and only had a handful of personal days. Our honeymoon was spent in the very relaxing, very familiar Wichita, KS. We decided the last 14 years haven't been perfect but there has been a lot more laughter than tears and I wouldn't have wanted to make the journey with any other farmer.
Part of our sprucing up has involved repainting the porch railing and the swing. Because I'm a little short on time, I actually put paint brushes in Allison and Natalie's hands - desperate times call for desperate measures. All things considered, mostly their ages, they did a nice job. They enjoyed their time on the porch so much, they asked if they could sleep out there. Anna was most disappointed that she had to stay inside. She's still up at night though and I didn't want her disoriented. Allison and Natalie were quite a sight! They shared a twin mattress and Natalie definitely got the short end of that arrangement. Both were bundled in heavy duty sleeping bags, multiple blankets and stocking caps - the low that night was 45. To listen to them talk, they have plans to do this every Saturday night. We'll see. I'm not quite sure this is what's meant by a sleeping porch.
While Anna didn't get to sleep outside, she did have a friend over this week. I pinch hit for a friend that needed emergency day care. Oh. . . . they were both so excited. Silly me thought that they would both take naps. After about 20 minutes in separate bedrooms, I begun to hear very loud stage whispers:
"C, what are you doing?"
"Nana, can I play with this?"
After about 10 minutes of this, I gave up on the idea of a nap and instead we played, ran errands and headed to the Kreeme for a much needed snack. Both kids were great - or as great as you can expect two 3-year-olds who didn't nap to be. I would help out again in a heartbeat BUT I did learn why God never blessed us with twins! Oh my goodness! the energy! Headed in two different directions!
Our turkeys are growing - it's helped that the puppy is in foster care at the farm and has quit chasing them - hard to eat when you're running for your life. We only have a few left to preorder. If you want one, reserve it soon.
Your last chance to get fresh chickens will be this week. After the Customer Appreciation Party, chickens will go up to $3.50/pound to cover our additional expenses of storing them, etc.
I have good news for those of you who love bacon as much as we do - it's back in stock! We also have ribeyes and fillets back in the freezers. Life is good. We brought home a few new products from Krehbiels made with our beef and pork:
* A sweet sausage link - Natalie's favorite
* A hot link for those of you who like heat. I tried a bite - oh my. Didn't realize I was such a weenie.
*A few pork tenderloins for those very special meals.
*And our most exciting new product - SUMMER SAUSAGE in two varieties, mild and jalapeno cheddar.
Our October special is in deference to my German heritage and Oktoberfest - ok, I'm only like 1/8 or so German but hey, it sounded good. Buy 10 pounds of sausage - you pick the mix, sweet Italian, spicy Italian or zesty breakfast sausage - for $30. A $5 savings.
Last chance to put your name on a quarter, half or whole beef. Kurt is headed to the processor on Thursday. See our FAQ's page for commonly asked beef questions. Hogs will be available in December and our supply is limited so let us know if you'd like to reserve one.
Family updates:
Kurt is frustrated with his hot wire situation right now. The hot wire allows Kurt to keep his cattle bunched up and graze more intensively for shorter periods - a practice that is good for the cattle and the grass. The problem is with very little moisture in the ground, the hot wire isn't grounded and won't carry much of a charge. It's hard to get the cattle, especially the younger, smaller calves, to respect a wire that won't bite them when they hit it. I rode out with Kurt last night to check cattle and was floored to watch the calves duck and walk under the wire and then moments later see the older, more experienced cows who know better step right over the wire - almost as if they were thumbing their noses at Kurt and I. One more reason we need rain - so we can better handle cattle and manage the feed we do have available.
Allison has been enjoying her usual activities. Two weeks ago, she and a friend walked in the Homecoming Parade as chefs from Cupcake Wars - a show we were not familiar with. They took 2nd place and won $5. After the parade, the two girls came up to me and asked, "Can you split this [$5 bill] into $2.50's?"
"Two fifties?? If I could do that, I wouldn't worry about rain." I responded.
After a beat to think about what I'd said, they both gave the obligatory chuckle. Then, headed across the street to the bank to ask the cashier if she would change their $5 into two $50's.
A highlight of Natalie's week was getting to ride home on the football bus Friday night with Kurt. The team played in Greensburg which is only about 35 miles from home. She was very excited about the trip but fell asleep shortly after the bus hit the highway.
Apparently, my concerns about preschool were totally unfounded. Anna has settled right in and I have been informed that she can be quite a "Chatty Cathy" when given the chance.
I am ready to begin my career in the IT field. We have recently replaced our laptop and I took on the challenge of moving important programs and documents from one computer to the other. Some processes have been pretty simple; others have involved more frustration, more time and more muttering under my breath than necessary. Either way, I know more today than I did a week ago.
Looking forward to celebrating with you this weekend!
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