Farm News
The 2020 season has dealt us challenges we could never have imagined. The pandemic has turned all of our worlds upside down and inside out. Under normal circumstances, Thanksgiving would be a time when we take stock of the season, bask in the bounty of the harvest, go for bust with holiday sales and anticipate some rest. This year has become a year of no assumptions, taking things one day to the next. The uncertainty has taught us a few things: that we are adaptable, that we have each other’s backs, that we can find new ways to connect with our customers, that people always want great food and will find a way to get it.
We may have to dig a little deeper, but there is much for which we are thankful:
-Our tireless and fearless staff who took on kidding season with aplomb at the start of the pandemic
-Our beautiful goats who knew no different and just went on with their lives, eating pasture, browsing trees and giving us their delicious milk
-Our resourcefulness at finding folks to help me make cheese, especially when there was so, so much milk
-Our customers who adapted to our new online store and then patronized the farmers’ market with all its restrictions and long lines
-Our fellow farmers who supported each other, even when we just needed someone to commiserate with
-Our land, that sustains the plants that nourish the rest of us, even when climate change deals her weather assaults and weekly mood swings
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us to All of YOU!
Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery’s Cheeses in the Winners’ Circle
We are pleased to announce that our “fleur du la prairie” and “pelota roja” are finalists in the “Good Food Awards,” a national artisan foods competition. While we await the final list of "winners," you can celebrate these delicious cheeses with us. We still have some lovely ripe & gooey fleur du la prairie that we'll be bringing to the farmers' market. We’re also offering our “cow-goat eclipse,” a mixed milk version of fleur. Pelota Roja is plentiful and is perfect for serving with a tart jam or shaving it over some roasted root veggies. You can also order this combo through our online store.
Our cheeses and gift boxes make the perfect gifts for the holidays
It’s not too early to start thinking about holiday gifts, especially if you want to ship them. We now have several NEW curated collections of cheese, charcuterie and accompaniments for holiday gift giving. We’re especially excited about two new boxes: “Victory Cheese for the Holidays” and “The Farm’s Kitchen Sink.” We’re also stocking up on PFFC merch: t-shirts, sweatshirts, tea towels, aprons and goat milk soap.
Not only can you order for shipping or farm pick up, but we can also accommodate larger business orders. If you would like to discuss a gift box for your favorite customers or clients, please email us at prairiefruits@gmail.com We offer several price options too!
The Land Connection’s WINTER FARMERS’ MARKET-special holiday treats coming!
Starting November 7th and running every Saturday until December 19th, we are selling our products (safely with masks and social distancing enforced) from 8-11 am. We are located just inside the south entrance to Lincoln Square Mall (next to Stango Restaurant). This is a farmers and food only market (no crafts). PLEASE come out and support your farmers! We all have so much great food to share with you.
Here’s the cheese line up for this weekend:
NEW ITEM: Mixed milk (cow-goat) plain yogurt (Quart size only) $7
Add on: Girl & the Goat-ceries blueberry refrigerator jam ($4/ 4-oz. jar)
Fresh Chevre $8/each
--plain
--herbs de Provence
--cracked peppercorn
Seasonal Chevre Flavor: roasted garlic (Blue Moon Farm) $9 (just a few left)
Special Holiday Flavor: spiced dried cranberries (cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg and clove) $9
We are transitioning from goat milk only to mix-milk bloomies. Our very ripe Fleur are Buy 1, get a second at 50% off (Angel Food and Fleur du la Prairie only)
Fleur du la Prairie: Our delicate bloomy with dried herbs and edible flowers—this batch is ripe & gooey with lovely herbal notes! $11 GOOD FOOD AWARDS CHEESE FINALIST!
Snow Fog: mixed milk camembert—Think buttered mushroom! Need I say more? Check out the first batch of the season! $10/round
Midnight Eclipse: mixed milk bloomy with ash rind (similar to black goat with buttery notes from the cow milk) $10/round
Cow-Goat Eclipse: mixed milk version of Fleur du la Prairie (lovely yeasty flavor with hints of herbs) $10/round
Blushing Goat-washed rind goat milk cheese, washed with bourbon-peach kombucha beer; this batch is aging beautifully with slightly gooey edges, and it’s loaded with great umami flavor $8/triangles—LAST of the SEASON—VERY LIMITED
Goat Milk Feta—aged in whey brine, tangy with a creamy-crumbly texture-PERFECT for fall salads or crumble over roasted beets or a hot bowl of stew! LAST BATCH OF THE SEASON, SO GRAB A TUB WHILE THEY LAST $7/each
Pelota Roja—raw milk “Manchego style” hard cheese with a guajillo chile-olive oil rub on the rind $7/wedge-consider shaving this cheese over grilled zucchini or eggplant! Shave it on a wilted salad of fall greens in place of parmesan cheese; grate it over roasted beets or cauliflower. Try using in a local corn-meal polenta! GOOD FOOD AWARDS CHEESE FINALIST!
We’ll be bringing some special house-made treats to the market too:
--Goat cheese truffles with cracked pepper chevre
--pecan brittle made with pecans from Voss Orchard
-spiced and cinnamon sugar pecans from Voss Orchard
HOLIDAY SPECIALS: Nut butter-chevre-dark chocolate bars AND Pumpkin Chevre Cheesecake Bars
ORDERING FROM OUR ON-LINE STORE
If you’re not able to buy our cheeses in person at the farmers’ market or during our farm open hours, you can always order online for on-farm pick up or shipping. If you order for pick up by 10 AM Saturday, you can pick up from 1-4 pm either Saturday or Sunday.
Gelato pints are available for farm pick up ONLY- flavors this weekend include: NEW Seasonal Flavors: Pumpkin Spice AND Local Grape-Champagne Sorbetto, PLUS Vanilla, Chocolate, Salted Caramel Swirl, Pure Pistachio, Anise Hyssop, and Nectarine Sorbetto. Mexican Coffee and Masala Chai added to the list for in-store pick up.
For the upcoming Holiday week of Thanksgiving, we will ship on Monday, November 23rd only. Normally, we ship on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week, 1-2-day ground ($20 shipping/handling) for most of the Midwest and 2nd-Day Air for other areas of the country ($35/shipping & handling).
There are also lots of retail establishments throughout central IL and the Chicagoland area that carry our cheeses. If you don’t find our cheeses in your favorite store, ask them to contact us, so we can get our cheeses to you!
Farm Open Hours and Offerings
The farm will continue to be open through December 20th BOTH Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4 pm each day.
During our weekend open hours from 1-4 pm, you can peruse our farm store, enjoy a cup of gelato, or order a cheese board with wine/beer/other beverages to enjoy outside if the weather permits. We can also put together a cheese board to go if the weather is not suitable for outdoor enjoyment.
We’re also offering custom-made holiday cheese boards that you can pick out yourself in the farm shop, and we’ll put it together for you for Thanksgiving.
You can visit with the goats and or take a walk around the farm. All visitors must wear masks and practice social distancing while visiting the farm.
We feature ALL OF OUR CHEESES as well as some from fellow farmstead creameries, an assortment of accompaniments (jams, pickles, fruit leathers, honey, nuts, crackers, baguette bread), as well as lots of great PFFC “merch” for sale during open hours. Ask about our Holiday Gift Box options too! We’d be happy to put one together for you during open hours.