It Feels Like It's On Us: Loss in the Barnyard

We've been a little radio silent on the momma pigs and the new little piglets, because it's been a stressful time. Flora farrowed outside, in a beautiful nest of hay (after a galivant around the farm, don't forget) on a warmish winter day, a couple days before a storm. We built a sort of temporary strawbale shelter around her, to block precipitation and wind. During this time we lost one; this is no surprise, it happens. Losing 1 or 2 wouldn't be a huge shock.

When the storm rolled in we moved all the piglets to a shed, for mom to follow.

Then we lost another piglet. And then a couple more. All to her laying on them. She is a very careful momma, we see how tentative she is. She's also the largest sow we've ever had.

By castration and ear notching time we thought we were through the trauma of loss - a heavy week, with a lot of processing. The day after castration we lost the sixth piglet, of her liter of 14. I could have been anthropomorphizing, but I'd check on Flora and she looked sad.

What could we have done differently? Would it have changed anything? Maybe we shouldn't have sheltered the piglets, left her outside in the space she chose specifically for this purpose. We've never co-farrowed before and Fauna being up in her space could be a factor. She chose the little shed, which she moves around in fine, but perhaps it's just a little too small. Many questions floating around in our heads.

It feels like it's on us.

Raising animals always comes with loss, but it never gets easier. Raising breeding animals is a whole other level. We witness miracles and feel devastation. We're witness the intense innate instincts these creatures have, the bonds and communication. We have a decade of experience under our belts with pigs, but we're still learning all the time.

It's a blow, emotionally and financially. It was a hard week processing that, while looking out at the home orchard which has sustained significant rabbit damage this winter. 

While things seem to have leveled out, one piglet is too skinny and needs extra attention and has been brought inside. Fauna looks like she's starting to dry up (too early at 4 weeks) and we suspect her piglets may be competing with Flora's for her milk. Fauna (the jumping pig) is not the attentive mother Flora is. Last night we started bottle feeding Flora's little nugget and as soon as he puts weight back on he'll head back out with his crew. He seems like he'll be just fine, he has vigor. 

Chickens in the kitchen. Pigs in the basement. Things are pretty normal here at the farm.

Why Homemade Dressing + ACV Dressing

Making homemade salad dressing is a simple act that can benefit you in multiple ways!

1. It saves you money. If you eat a few - or a lot - of salads this can really add up to big savings! Many ingredients you likely have on hand already, so it may not take much more investment. Items like olive oil, vinegars, yogurt, salt, pepper, hot sauce, honey, etc.

2. It keeps garbage out of the landfill. You can only keep and reuse so many salad dressing bottles. Reducing packaging use is a real act of environmentalism! Many glass bottles are tempered and can't even be recycled - just "wish cycled."

3. Making your own (of anything) is empowering. Even as simple as salad dressing. "If I can do this, what else can I accomplish?!"

4. It's a great way to involve the kiddos! We measure into a canning jar and shake! 

5. You know all the ingredients! This is of such importance. Even Organic dressings in the store add organic soy oils I don't want to consume, not to mention all the unreadable ingredients in most dressings.

6. Control your supply chain. Just another aspect of taking further control of your own supply chain. I keep commonly used dressing ingredients stocked in my pantry.

Of course I still need to pick up some Annie's Goddess Dressing or some thick blue cheese every once and a while, just cause, but once we committed to making the bulk of our own salad dressing and it became part of the routine we've never looked back!

Raw Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1-2 tablespoons raw honey, to preference

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Combine in a pint jar and shake it up! Shake before each use. Store in the fridge for up to a week.

Tip: We freeze garlic blended with olive oil in tablespoon portions. I grab one of these for making dressings, making it even easier!

From the Detoxinista

Favorite Ways to Use Microgreens

Microgreens. Tiny little baby plants, which are full of flavor and nutrition. They're cute too. Typically used raw they are very, very versatile. 

With Eggs

If you have been following me for any given amount of time you've probably seen my post 800,000 pictures of eggs and microgreens. This is undoubtedly my favorite way to use them. My morning plate most often has a bed of Zesty Mix! microgreens, topped with 3 over-easy eggs and hot sauce. It's an easy way to start the day with veg. Top a frittata, toss in with scrambled eggs, tuck into a breakfast burrito - they are a perfect companion to eggs.

Sandwiches and Wraps

Tuck the tiny tasty micros into a taco, wrap or sandwich. Or top an open-faced sandwich, as I have pictured. We love micros with all variety of taco and burrito! You could make a wrap entirely of micros and it would be grand. Try layer in a BLT.

I'll just tuck this in with tacos...top all fashion of "bowls" that are so popular. We love atop our Korean Beef.

Meats and Seafood

A customer sent us this dinner pic (I don't know why they didn't have us over?!) and it is on point. A juicy steak or chop and a bed of micros pairs well. Some scallops or walleye can make a great companion too.

With Salad

Microgreens are fantastic on top of a salad, easy peasy. They could certainly serve a a small side salad too, as pictured above. Don't forget taco salad. Or sprinkled on a pasta salad.

All in all microgreens are SO very versatile, just try them with your particular favorite dishes and you are sure to find a good pairing. I've only added them to about one item where I thought they didn't really pair well, but it wasn't bad. We'll sprinkle on just about everything! 

Aim for 1 cup of raw greens, or a 1/2 cup cooked each and every day - studies show it keeps our brains younger! Microgreens are an easy way to keep greens in the diet, add flavor and nutrition...and feel a little fancy when you sprinkle them around. 

P.S. Pro tip...you could take this same advice for pea shoots!! 

Final Winter Markets!

 March 4th and 18th are our FINAL winter markets of the season!

We have appreciated SO MUCH all of you who have shopped with us at our new location at Bomgaars in Mankato. It's been such a blessing to grow microgreen, pea shoots and salad greens all winter for folks; as well as having apples to the end of the year and all the other goodies that show up regularly.

It's also been a blessing to not have to wear long-underwear at winter markets!! lol.

This month we'll continue to have greens. Here's a little snapshot of the market table below.

IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN to the Mankato Winter Farmers Market you are missing out!! We still had over a dozen vendors last time and it is well worth the trip. Storage vegetable - that's right, still carrots, beets, popcorn, meats, eggs, herbal wellness products and soaps, mushrooms, granola, teas, herbs, handicrafts, woodwork and more.

On my table...

Microgreens - Zesty, Mizuna (mild) and Arugula
Pea Shoots
Salad Mix

Free-range Eggs
Applesauce - no sugar added!
Apple Butter - no sugar added!
Elderberry Syrup Kits
Herbal Tinctures - Willow Bark, Motherwort, Holy Basil, Astragalus, Ashwaganda, Stinging Nettles
Herbal Healing Salve
Calendula Lotion Bars

Cash, check or venmo accepted at ARF. Same as the farm store.

Farm store offerings are about the same as listed above! The farm store is open year-round.