Fresh, Pastured and Non-GMO Eggs

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Emily

Here is a little more information for you about our farm raised chickens and the tasty eggs they lay for you each week.

We feed our flock 100% organic, non-GMO, local feed from Coyote Creek Farm in Elgin TX. You can read about the difference between GMO and non-GMO feeds on their information page here. Though this special feed costs twice as much as typical feed, we believe it is worth it to know exactly what is going into our eggs. As a result of buying this premium feed, our eggs are priced higher than other eggs at our market, but we hope you will agree that the health benefits are worth the extra dollar or two.

As you can see in these pictures, our chickens also enjoy free ranging and foraging to their hearts content. This means they are much less likely to ever get and pass on diseases, so there is no need for them to be treated with antibiotics or vaccinations.

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Spring on the Farm

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Emily

This is one of the busiest times of year around the farm! There’s so much to plant and prepare for. We are happy that the weather is finally warming up enough for our plants to really start growing! Here are some pictures of our garden springing into life!

Leek transplants ready to be planted tomorrow

Leek transplants ready to be planted tomorrow

Green Kale - planted in the fall and finally starting to take off

Green Kale – planted in the fall and finally starting to take off

Onions planted last fall - almost ready for harvest

Onions planted last fall – almost ready for harvest

Nine 100 foot rows of delicious nutrition!

Nine 100 foot rows of delicious nutrition!

Lettuce mix - should make a great salad in a couple more weeks!

Lettuce mix – should make a great salad in a couple more weeks!

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Broccoli and cauliflower

Broccoli and cauliflower

Broccoli - we planted about 500 plants, but unfortunately we are fighting the bugs to keep many of them alive.

Broccoli – we planted about 500 plants, but unfortunately we are fighting the bugs to keep many of them alive.

Chinese cabbage - our fastest crop

Chinese cabbage – our fastest crop

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Red Cabbage

Red Cabbage

Our potatoes are growing rapidly with the warmer weather

Our potatoes are growing rapidly with the warmer weather

Cover crop of oats and peas in the plot reserved for fall

Cover crop of oats and peas in the plot reserved for fall

Tiny blossom on one of our pear trees

Tiny blossom on one of our pear trees

Blackberry bushes starting to put out new growth

Blackberry bushes starting to put out new growth

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How to Fix Collard Greens

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Mark

Collard greens grow well this time of year and we have a steady supply at the farmers market.   Did you know you can cook and use them in many different ways?  We didn’t, until we read this article:

Collards Are the New Kale, by Whole Foods Market

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Grass Fed Beef Hamburgers in Downtown Austin

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Mark

Get on down to Svante’s Stuffed Burgers in downtown Austin for one of their delicious all grass fed beef hamburgers. For the next week these are made with our new ground steak. Svante’s normally has beef from their own ranch but the restaurant’s popularity grew faster than planned. So they bought a two week supply from us to hold them until beef from their cattle is available.

One of the owners of Svante’s said the cooks had this response to the Blessing Falls beef:

“They love the meat.  They had filled in with grass-fed from HEB one day last week and yours was much, much better.  Night and day they said.”

Thanks Svante’s!

From Svante's Facebook page - our beef on their grill along with fried eggs

From Svante’s Facebook page – our beef on their grill along with fried eggs

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Turkeys and Chickens

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Mark

A family we know is moving out of the area so we acquired their flock of mature poultry – 10 turkeys and 7 chickens.  These are heritage turkey breeds of Spanish Black, Royal Palm, and Rio Grande.  Most were born last year and will be breeding and laying this year.  We hope they’ll hatch  several  healthy poults which we’ll raise for the holiday table.  Turkeys are a new experience for the farm so we’re looking forward to learning a lot this year.

We’ve had chickens in the past.  Since the last of our original flock died several months ago, we’re glad to have laying hens back on the farm.  There’s a rooster in the group so we may have some chicks hatched this year.

Currently the turkeys and chickens are together in the coop they’ve stayed in since birth.  We’re working on portable pens we can drag across pasture, giving them access to fresh grass everyday while keeping them safe.  The plan is to separate the turkeys into 2 smaller flocks before breeding season.  The chickens will have their own portable pen also.  Recent cold weather has slowed pen construction, but also gives the flock more time to get accustomed to their new surroundings and caretakers, while staying in the coop they’ve always called home.  The 6 chicken hens are laying 3 or 4 eggs a day.  And the turkey hens are starting to lay.  We’re getting 1 or 2 turkey eggs daily.

Flock arrives, ready for temporary quarters on one of our summer garden plots.

Flock arrives, ready for temporary quarters on one of our summer garden plots.

All coop'ed up and ready to get out!

All coop’ed up and ready to get out!

Out of the coop and enjoying the clover growing in the garden.

Out of the coop and enjoying the clover growing in the garden.

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The dominant tom wastes no time reasserting his presence at the new home.

The little ones welcoming the flock to their new home.

The little ones welcoming the flock to their new home.

Checking out the flock. He'll have a big role in their daily care.

Checking out the flock. He’ll have a big role in their daily care.

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Seed Starts for 2014

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Mark

We’ll have a series of seed starts this spring.  Every two weeks starting in mid January we’ll start seeds for transplants.  These will be replanted in the garden about 6 weeks after planting.  The first couple of seed starts will be strictly cold weather crops such as broccoli, cabbages, and leeks.  We’ll transition into warm weather seedlings in mid February – tomato, peppers, eggplant – and move these into the garden starting in late March.  Here’s a look at our first seed starts from about 3 weeks ago.

Organizing the seeds. We plant only non-GMO seeds and almost all are heritage seeds.

Organizing the seeds. We plant only non-GMO seeds and almost all are heritage seeds.

 

Filling seed trays with our custom starter soil mix

Filling seed trays with our custom starter soil mix

 

Young men filling more trays! We had 14 total on this first start.

Young men filling more trays! We had 14 total on this first start.

 

14 trays with about 50 cells average per tray - about 700 seedlings expected from this first of many seed starts for 2014.

14 trays with about 50 cells average per tray – about 700 seedlings expected from this first of many seed starts for 2014.

 

Team work in every facet of farming.

Team work in every facet of farming.

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Extending the Harvest

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Mark

An early cold front brought near freezing temperatures last night and a low of 30 is forecast for tonight.  We’ve covered the tomatoes and some peppers and eggplant, hoping to extend the harvest.  Our average first freeze is early December, so hopefully we’ll have another 3 weeks before we’re forced to abandon these crops for the season.

Picking ripe eggplant and cutting basil, in case the cover strategy doesn't work.

Picking ripe eggplant and cutting basil, in case the cover strategy doesn’t work.

Eggplant and basil

Eggplant and basil

Peppers and eggplant covered. Some bigger eggplant we are leaving uncovered, as it may survive 30 deg. OK.

Peppers and eggplant covered. Some bigger eggplant we are leaving uncovered, as it may survive 30 deg. OK.

Broccoli under cover with garlic sprouting on the right.

Broccoli under cover with garlic sprouting on the right.

Tomatoes on the covered trellises with covered peppers in front.

Tomatoes on the covered trellises with covered peppers in front.

 

 

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