Farm News
We have reached the "ides" or middle of the month. We are in the midst of our version of "march madness," with close to half of our does kidded. The dairy crew is catching their breath with a lull in the nursery at present; clean empty totes await the arrival of newborns, but not at the breakneck speed of a couple of weeks ago. Meanwhile, the baby barn is full of tail-wagging hungry kids learning how to navigate their new bottle feeding system.
March is always a turbulent yet miraculous time on our goat dairy. The stress of successful deliveries. The exuberance of baby goats chugging down their first colostrum. The speed with which the creamery transforms from low key to quick step in a matter of days.
Climatic march has been equally erratic. Wide weekly swings in temperature, gusty winds shifting direction like a sailboat on high seas, and a current threat of thunderstorms and tornadoes. Nature is confused. The grass has decided to be done with winter and push forth new growth. The forsysthia too! The trees are more cautious, having been tricked before into unfurling green leaves only to have them smoked by an evening frost. A Carolina wren pair has decided to build a nest in a hole in our porch, while the woodpeckers rat a rat with hole-making fervor in nearby rotting trees. The vernal equinox approaches and signs of spring march forward.
Happenings at the Farm & Beyond
Come see us at the Champaign Urbana Indoor Farmers' Market this Saturday. We are there every Saturday through the end of April, 8 am to 12 noon. The outdoor market "Urbana's Market at the Square" starts Saturday May 4th!
NEWS FLASH: FIRST OF THE SEASON CHEVRE IS BACK!!! We're bringing the following:
Chevre frais: plain, herbs de Provence, cracked pepper
Goat milk yogurt!!! First of the season-pints only. Buy your yogurt and then pop over to CIB's stand to grab some of there house-made granola!!
Jersey Milk Gournay: plain, garlic & herb, everything bagel and spiced cranberry--last chance to stock up--perfect substitute for cream cheese!
Ukrainian Farmers' Cheese: think ricotta and cottage cheese having a baby
Angel Food-brie style: petite rounds PLUS ONE large half-wheel
Little bloom on the prairie: camembert style bloomy rind--aging nicely
Pelota Roja: raw goat milk "Spanish" style hard cheese--sharp, nutty with a guajillo chile-olive oil rub on the rind--last few wedges of fall-milk batch left.
We are also bringing some special accompaniments to go with the cheeses!
We are launching a new weekly CSA-style share with ultimate flexibility. Every week, you'll get cheese, bread and house-made accompaniments. We will have these for sale at the indoor famers' market, but please go ahead and sign up for shares. Pretty soon, you will only be able to get these shares if you pre-order. This Saturday's share includes:
A wheel of our camembert-style bloomy-litte bloom on the prairie
Olive tapenade
CIB crackers
We are also launching a new "Farm Club" subscription--join the club and get special perks!
Save the dates and book your reservations NOW: Babies & Brunch!! Easter Edition--Saturday March 30th! and then every Saturday and Sunday in April! Reservations are filling up quickly!
Goat Yoga-Pilates comes to the farm in May, featuring our adorable baby goats and certified Pilates instructor Lisa Staples of Living Legacy Pilates.
Weeknight Farm Dinners: Starting in May, the Farm' s Chef, Garron Sanchez, will be offering pre-fixe multi-course meals featuring locally grown foods, and our cheeses of course. He is still fleshing out the themes and menus, but you can now make reservations. Our "Dinners on the Farm" series will be returning this year as well, with guest chefs and highlighting Chef Garron's culinary prowess. Those dinners will be on weekends. Stay tuned for details in the coming weeks.
