A Snowy Afternoon

I appologize from the start for the poor quality of these shots

Winter is here. The snows have come, gone, and are due to be here again.

The sheep are all wearing their winter's best and look so warm and fluffy in the fields or taking a peek around the barn.

 This past week was just a wonder of snow and a promise of spring to come. I saw birds in the trees which are usually bare, and was even blessed one morning with song!

 I know that the infamous "THEY" are forecasting more snow this week. But I also know what THEY may not!We are now in February. Ha!! Next month is March and according to Punxsutawney Phil Spring will be here early Folks!

So dust off those spring time thoughts, and break out your seed trays. Go on out and buy your seeds to start indoors.

I, for one, am going to ignore these last bits of winter that is going to get thrown at us. I am going to fight it all with Vitamin D,  raw milk, raw foods, and good, healthy, living! Join me, I always hate to be alone.

 Only 42 days until Spring!!!!!!!

~Pine Grove Farm

Breakfast on The Farm

 At the Farm Shop this week is a whole, wonderful, natural, and healthy breakfast for you this weekend. (Or maybe a snow day?) 

How about starting with some eggs cooked to perfection, followed with some Buckwheat pancakes (a recipe is on the bag!) Slather each pancake with some delish perserves, and add a side of bacon or sausage! Don't forget that tall, cold glass of milk...

Divinity

~Pine Grove Farm

View on a Wintry Walk

So glad we no longer have to use this bad boy!

You'll never have to ask again

We've been loading our freezers with fresh FRESH beef just for you! All of our beef is pasture fed- no grain! It's true Red Meat and oh-so-very-healthy for you. We are now stocked with all different cuts of Roasts, Steaks, and Ground Beef. These are packaged in friendly 2 or 3 lb packaging for you.

And just in time for the Super Bowl or Datona : Short Ribs!!!!!

So never ask yourself "Where's the beef??"

Right here at Pine Grove Farm!!!

Have You Any Wool?

 

Our sheep are a Jacob/Romeny cross and look so very fluffly during this time of year. I always enjoy seeing them gathered together in the fields while they eat, or just look cute. 

Many of you might not know that we harvest our own wool and sell it right in the Farm Shop.

This wool felts very well and is a great all purpose worsted weight wool. It looks so scrumptious on it's own, or is a great wool for your dyeing projects.  And what a great way to support local farming and business in one go!!

Have you taken time to look around the Farm Shop recently? Well, consider this your personal invitation to take a walk by the shelves. With snow-bound weather on the way, maybe learning a new craft (or picking up an old one) is just what you need to keep sanity close. ;-)

Speaking of sheep and being snow bound:
We not only raise these sheep for wool , but also for their Oh-So-Nutritious meat!

Here is a small list of it's benefits:

Health Benefits Of Eating Lamb 

• Lamb is a good source of high quality protein and supplies the body with 60.3% of the daily requirement for protein.
• The meat is a good source of selenium, a mineral whose deficiency can lead to asthma attacks.
• Lamb is rich in iron, which is an integral component of hemoglobin and aids formation of red blood cells in the body. The form in which iron is present in lamb is easily absorbed by the body.
• The meat contains a high amount of zinc, which is required by every living cell in the body for healthy immune function, cell division and overall growth.
• It is a good source of vitamin B12, necessary to prevent a dangerous molecule called homocysteine from harming the body. It also promotes a healthy nervous system, supports the formation of red blood cells and prevents anemia. Moreover, vitamin B12 is found naturally only in animal foods.
• The niacin (vitamin B3) present in lamb provides protection against Alzheimer's disease, promotes healthy skin and keeps age-related cognitive decline at bay. Moreover, it retards the risk of developing osteoarthritis by as much as half.
• Lamb is good for health conscious people, as it is a source of ‘good fat’ in the body and has less saturated fat than other meat products. (you can read more at http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-lamb-6426.html )

So take a look in our freezer as well and take home some delicious lamb for your family. 
~Pine Grove Farm

PS: Keep your eyes open for another knitting class next month!!

Christmas 2010

Well, maybe this should be entitled "Better Late Than Never"? So very sorry that I've taken this long to get these wonderful pictures up. But they do bring a certain bit of peace, remembering the Christmas season.

~Pine Grove Farm

Top 10 in 2010

Thought we'd write a post with some of the highlights from the past year.

2010 was a year that brought some major snow. .. and C~O~L~D temperatures with it!

 Here the Farmer's Daughter is helping with the livestock. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the family all pitching in to help, the snow might never have been moved at all....

 But spring finally came around, as it does every year, and we began with all of the excitement and vigor a severe winter seems to give. Our very first post for this blog was all about spring, and you can read all about it HERE.

Many things happened in Spring 2010. You can read about another one HERE

Along with our classes, we had many posts about Making Butter, Raw Milk Information, and some great Farm Recipes.

 There were some silly Farm Life Stories  (and another one)  that came our way, not to mention one very HUGE storm!

2010 was a year filled with lots of growth. Not only did we have many new arrivals, but we also opened the General Mercantile down at the Farm Shop, and built  a Green House for this winter.

I think, one of the biggest things to happen here was our introduction of classes!  We started with a bang when we introduced you to Cheese Making, and then had some Knitting Classes, and yet another Cheese Class. We have such a grand time at these events getting to know you better while sharing knowledge of a healthier lifestyle. We are very much looking forward to expanding our classes in 2011.

Alright, what started out as a Top 10 has morphed into a Top 12, but can you blame me? So much happened worth sharing that I just couldn't keep it down to 10. =)

Have a very blessed and productive 2011, filled with good home cooking of fresh farm food!

~Pine Grove Farm

PS- (see, this doesn't count since it's at the end..) Check out a view of the Farm House HERE.

May Your Days Be Merry...

Christmas has come and gone, another year is coming to and end, and life still goes on here on the  farm.  Our Jersey Girls all still need to be milked each day, the chickens need to be cared for along with the rabbits, and trhe list gones on.  Even Christmas is no vacation. But we'd have it no other way. =)

We hope that each of you had a blessed Christmas and may your New Year be one of growth and health.

~Pine Grove Farm

Farm News

With the beginning of winter this coming week, and snow already established, it looks as if it's going to be another snow-filled wonderland until spring. Not that there's anything wrong with that though. =/

Here on the farm we've been able to get our wood cut, split, stacked, and some of it burnt. While the fire is truely a delight, since we only heat with our stoves, it makes for C~O~L~D mornings!

Some other "new" happenings around here is our newest Jersey Girl, Jade. She's settled in and doing nicely.  We were recenlty sent some pictures of another finished sock from our Sock Making Class back in October. This student has made a stocking ready for Christmas!

Simlpy wonderful!

We have some fresh lamb on the hoof that will be ready to slaughter at the end of the month. If you would like some super delicious, highly nutritious lamb for your family, just contact us here at the farm! Here are some articles to teach you all about this selenium dense, rich in iron, zinc, and B12, high protein food.

• http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-lamb-6426.html 
• http://hubpages.com/hub/Health-Benefits-of-Lamb  
• http://www.naturallambcoop.com/nutritionalbenefits.htm

We hope that each of you keeps warm and keeps your loved ones near this Christmas Holiday,

~Pine Grove Farm

Raw Milk Products Win Again!

Just take a quick look at this article (found at MSN) about some funky butter. Although my Grammy always swore that butter was the best things for a burn, I don't think she meant it would SAVE me from getting burned.

I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter (because it’s also flame-retardant)

This is one more reason to save your cream each week and make your own butter! We've shared with you before how easy it is to make your own butter right at home. If you don't want to do it our way, you can also just pour your cream right into your blender- it takes at least half the time that way. (I'm just a purist I guess)

It really is so simple and just so darn yummy! The health benefits are wonderfully rich as well

So here's to our beautiful Jersey Girls! They've done it again!

~Pine Grove Farm

A Fellow Blogger Drinks Raw Milk

It's always wonderful to find a fellow blogger who also enjoys the benefits from raw milk. In her post, she even shares with us some highly-nutritious recipes from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions Cookbook. (See side bar for ordering info)

How Much Milk is too Much?

~Sock Class Revisted~

Life is busy on a farm. And around here isn't any different than on any other farm. So, even though our Beginner Sock Class was held last month, it's only today that I've had time to show you all about it!

 

~Pine Grove Farm

Our Jersey Girls Are the BEST!!

 You GO girls!!!

The Devil in the Milk is a new book written by Keith Woodford is a look into why we neede to drink the proper kind of milk- yup. even when it's raw.

Here's some informative links to this book:

The Bovine (a blog)

Mercola.com




~Pine Grove Farm

Fresh Pork Has Arrived!

Last week the Farmer and his Wife left the farm and returned with a whole bunch of farm fresh pork. The freezer is now stocked with sausage,  roasts, bacon, mmmmmm, bacon. Stop by this week and choose some for your family table.

~Pine Grove Farm

Just a Few Spaces Left!

Our Cheese Making 101 class was so very popular the first time we held it (back in the summer) that we are hosting one again! This class has filled up very fast as well, and we only have 3 spots left! Is one of the spaces yours?

From our Summer Class

In this beginner's class, we will start with basic cheese recipes, such as Rennet Cheese, Chevre' and a basic hard cow's milk cheese. We will also discuss Latin American "White Cheese" and Ricotta. Also, along with cheese, butter, and yogurt. Recipes and sources for cultures, enzymes, molds, and molds (yes even the yucky looking green stuff!) will be distributed.

Sample cheese and crackers as you learn.
Class includes:
~Cheese samples
~Recipes
~Sources List

So contact us here at the Farm today and we'll make room for you on November 6!

Can't wait to see you there,
Pine Grove Farm

~Home Cooking~

Have you seen the weather forecast for the next week? Brrrr- down into the 40's each night! Do you have any wood split, stacked, and stocked yet? How many of you heat with wood? Here on The Farm we heat only with wood stoves- 3 to be exact.

What do you like to feed your loved ones during the cold seasons of the year? This past week we have had great success with some rabbit meat grown right here at Pine Grove Farm. This recipe takes such a small amount of work, and yields such a healthy, filling, yummy meal that we want to share it with all of you.

Slow Roasted Rabbit

• Slice 2 onions and place in bottom of slow cooker
• rub salt & pepper (to taste) onto 3-5 lb rabbit
• place 1-2 sliced garlic cloves into the cavity
• set rabbit on top of onion inside cooker
• add 3 bay leaves
• 1 whole clove
• 1cup hot water
• 2 tbs soy
• 2-4 tbsp bacon grease, butter, or even bacon slices (yum)
• Cover and set on LOW for 10-12 hrs

When you return from your busy day, your home will be filled with the pleasing aroma of dinner! You can even remove the rabbit, add a few tablespoons of flour (or corn starch, or arrow root powder) into 1/2 cup water, mix, then pour into cooker for a wonderfully healthy-tasty gravy!

Don't forget to add a veg to the side!

Stay warm and stay healthy,
Pine Grove Farm
PS- If you haven't heard about our next class, it's all about learning to make cheese! Check out the side bar for more info on how you may register. =)

Leaves Aren't the Only Thing Falling ...

Well friends, it looks as if we'll be getting some new pork in next week! That's such good news for you because that means (drum roll) we're cleaning out the freezer down in the Farm Shop!!

Without further ado, here's the updated Meat Prices. This list is only good for as long as it's there folks, so get it while the gettin's good! =)

Pine Grove Farm

Now Available All Natural Beef, Pork, Lamb

White Stand Up Freezer

1^st Shelf Rabbit $4.75 lb.

Chicken 4.25 lb.

. Pork Loin Roast 4.54 lb.

2^nd Shelf Beef Arm Roast 3.59 lb.

Beef Rib Steak 5.24 lb.

Beef Silver Tip Roast 4.89 lb.

Beef Sirloin Steak 5.24 lb.

Beef Delmonico Steak 9.59 lb.

Beef T-Bone Steak 5.24 lb.

Beef Liver 2.99 lb

3^rd Shelf Pork Tenderloin 6.24 lb.

Lamb Loin Roast 13.99 lb.

Lamb Crown Roast 13.99 lb.

Lamb Chops 9.59 lb.

Lamb Shanks 7.99 lb.

Lamb Ribs 10.99 lb.

Small Drawer Parmesan Cheese 6.99 lb.

4^th Shelf Beef Short Ribs 3.05 lb.

Bottom Drawer Beef Ground Sirloin 4.89 lb.

Door Beef Soup Bones 3.24 lb.

Beef Ox Tail 3.24 lb.

Bread Country White Wheat 5.50 loaf

Flour Fresh Mill Hard Red Wheat

Revised 10/22/2010

Our Jersey Girls Do it Again!

Our Jersey Milk is some of the most healthy and nutritious milk available.
(This info comes from www.tasteofgoodness.co.uk)

Nutritional Benefits

Jersey or Guernsey milk products are an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals.

 

 

Vitamin A for eyesight Vitamin B12 for red blood cells Carbohydrate for energy Magnesium for muscle function Phosphorus for release of energy Calcium for teeth and bones Potassium for nerve function Protein for growth and repair Riboflavin for healthy skin Zinc for the immune system Milk from these breeds contains; 9% more protein up to 33% more vitamin D up to 25% more vitamin A and 10% more calcium than average milk.   In children 4-6 years old a 200ml glass of Jersey or Guernsey milk will provide approximately The full daily requirement for Vitamin B12 60% of the daily requirement for calcium 59% of the daily requirement for phosphorous 49% of the daily requirement for riboflavin 38% of the daily requirement for protein 21% of the daily requirement for magnesium 26% of the daily requirement for potassium 24% of the daily requirement for vitamin A 13% of the daily requirement for zinc 12% of the daily requirement for folate 21% of the daily requirement for thiamin

Ummm, YUCK!!!

An intersting article over at Yahoo News.

"Vladimir Lenin, King Tut and the McDonald's Happy Meal: What do they all have in common? A shocking resistance to Mother Nature's cycle of decomposition and biodegradability, apparently...."

To read the rest of the article, click HERE

Don't forget to pick up some of our super FRESH rabbit, beef, or chicken meat the next time you're visiting the Farm Store

~Pine Grove Farm.

So Fall has fallen and we are getting ready for winter here. We have had some great classes these past few months, and are looking forward to having more to come. (Check them out in our side bar) Our Green House is up and we are so excited to see the good things growing there. We can't wait to share them with you soon!

We have introduced Rabbit Meat to our freezer recently.  So we'd like to share with you  a few easy recipes on how to prepare your Oh-So-Healthy-Pine-Grove-Farm-Rabbit. These are  just a few of the many that you can find over at
www.mybunnyfarm.com 

Crock Pot Rabbit Recipe

Rabbit Stew Recipe 

 Barbecue Rabbit Recipe