The painting of our house is getting done slowly, but surely. With an almost two year old around I cannot paint until she is sleeping at night. That means I have about 30 minutes to get the paint out, paint a section and then put it all away.
Since it has been rainy here and Tim hasn’t had much time in the fields, he was able to get our new kitchen back-splash done.
Doesn’t that look nice? That is about the only blessing with all this rain. Tim pulled an all nighter on Monday night planting as many pastures as he could. We are about a month behind. Please keep us (and the cows) in your prayers!
So what else have we been up too? Three birthdays, four preschool visits with a calf, one junior high (145 students) dairy visit, Kindergarten graduation, video for Twin Cities Live shot, Sarah was home for a weekend, and Sam completed her third year at St. Kates.
The cows usually kick up their heels a lot more when they are first let onto pasture. I think this year they just wanted to get down to the business of eating grass.
So I am back to answer another one of our 9th grade pen pal questions:
Why do farms smell?
Many of our pen pals asked this question or similar questions like:
How do you handle the bad smells?
Or not even a question at all: “I could never live on a farm because they smell bad.”
So why do farms smell different than your house, or school, or even your city? Good question!
Our noses and brains have a way of getting “use-to” smells. You probably don’t smell anything when you enter your home. But if you visit a friend’s home you might notice that their home smells different. They may use different laundry detergent, cook different smelling foods, or even have different pets. Farms are the same. Soil, animal feed, plants, etc all smell different than your home. One smell that is extremely different than your home is animal poop.
It is simple biology. What goes in, must come out. Our cows eat about 100 pounds of food a day. That means that they will produce about 100 pounds of poop, or as we call it, manure. Let us just say YOU don’t smell like roses all the time neither when it comes to this subject matter.
Is cow manure bad?
Cow manure has gotten a bad rap over the years. Images of “factory farms” leaking toxic poison into our rivers usually comes to mind. But that is usually far from the truth.
On our farm, cow and other animal manure is very valuable. As organic farmers we are not allowed to use synthetic fertilizers (think Miracle Grow). Instead, we rely on the nutrient rich manure from our animals.
We don’t just throw the manure on our fields all willy-nilly neither. Instead, we know which fields need more or less nutrients and apply it appropriately. We, also look to the weather. If we are expecting to get 10 inches of rain overnight, we don’t spread manure. The manure would run off the field. That would do no benefit to our fields and only hurt the environment. We also have a rule of not spreading manure on the weekends. Our neighbors don’t enjoy grilling and smelling that.
Many reasons affect why one farm smells better than another. The more concentrated animals are in one area the more they will smell. Our cows smell their worst when they are all standing on the lot waiting to be milked (think guys locker room). When they are all spread out on a pasture, you typically don’t smell anything. Another thing that affects smell is the type of food the animal’s eat. Every farm will differ depending on what they feed their animals. Yet another difference is how farms store their manure. On our farm we don’t have any place to store more than a few days worth of manure before it must be spread on the fields. As manure sits in storage bacteria and fungi start to break it down which makes it smell different. Depending on the way the manure is stored that difference can equal less or more smelliness.
Cows up on cow yard, where they smell their worst. This is from a 100+ degree day and they are being sprinkled to stay cool before milking.
The cows on pasture, where they smell their best.
What do farmers do to control the manure smell?
On our farm we keep things as tidy as possible to keep our place from being overly smelly and also to limit the places where insects, such as flies, can reproduce. Having the cows out on pasture in the summer is also a great way to control smells. When a cow urinates or poops in the pasture, it is immediately in contact with plants and soil and well dispersed in a wide open area. This prevents smells from accumulating. In buildings that cattle live in, such as our freestall barn where the cows sleep in the winter, lots of ventilation is essential to making sure their home isn’t a smelly one. Cows don’t mind being cool, unlike us, so their barn is open to the outside and the roof has an opening at the top for air to circulate out of. The cows’ bedding that they have used (pooped on) can be some smelly stuff so we compost it before spreading.
So there you have it. That is quite the answer to “Why do farms smell?”. The next time you visit our farm please don’t plug your nose, just enjoy those fresh organic smells.
If you are looking for a healthy oatmeal almond cookie recipe, this is not it. But if you are looking for the most wonderful tasting oatmeal almond cookie recipe, you have found the right place.
This recipe is a combination of two of my favorite recipes because of course I didn’t all the ingredients for either at the time I wanted to bake.
Oatmeal Almond Cookie Recipe
3 sticks (1.5 cups) Organic Valley butter-softened
I just made a simple egg salad recipe that will be a tasty treat after the Easter eggs are all found.
First, I hard “boiled” the eggs in the oven like Corey at Family Fresh Meals. In Corey’s words cooking the eggs this way is a “game changer.” I agree! I could never remember all the delicate steps of actually boiling the eggs. Plus the shells were really easy to peel.
Chop up the eggs. I like to slice the egg in quarters and then chop each quarter in three.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
Enjoy! ~Emily
Make sure to check out our simple Easter Glazed Ham recipe that I posted last week. Check back next week as I share a lovely Oatmeal Almond cookie recipe.
So you may have noticed a new look to our website. I was getting an itch to change it and so I did. If you visit our site often you might have noticed several new looks over the past few weeks.
Don’t worry, we are the same family farm, selling the same great tasting meats.
Now is the time that I would like your input.
What do you like about the site?
What don’t you like about the site?
Are things easy to find?
Are there more things you would like to see?
How is it on mobile devices?
Are there any typos? (I am the queen of typos)
Don’t worry about offending me. I am not emotionally attached to the site at this point.
So please take a look around and let me know your thoughts.
P.S. I am working on bringing back the glossary of farm terms. That will be a post for another time.
This is a re-post from March 25, 2012, but as Easter nears, we are often asked the best way to cook a delisious Zweber Farm’s Ham. This recipe is a goody.
It is that time of year again where people are searching for glazed ham recipes for their Easter celebrations. If you have a Zweber Farms humanely, raised ham in your freezer, you are in good shape. Our hams are delicious and juicy. Remember if your ham is smoked (unless you specified fresh hams, it is), it is ready to eat out of the freezer. Most people prefer their hams warm and with a few added flavors. I loved glazed ham, but don’t like recipes that are overly sweet. This recipe is has a tangy sweet flavor. Just perfect for Easter.
Here is a super easy and tasty glazed ham recipe and that will
Make sure your ham is defrosted (place it on a plate in the refrigerator overnight)
Melt honey in the microwave (about 20 seconds) and spread on all sides of the ham
Mix mustard, brown sugar and orange zest together. Rub the mixture on the ham
Mix the apple cider vinegar and orange juice, pour over the ham gently. Make sure to not splash off much of the rub.
Place your ham cut side down in roasting plan. Follow the USDA guidelines for cooking your ham.
Baste your ham about every 30 minutes with the juices in the pan.
The ham is done when the internal temperature is 145 degrees.
This glazed ham turned out beautifully! All our kids asked for seconds; even 9 month old Hannah. We served this ham with roasted potatoes, green peas and big glasses of Organic Valley milk. But of course on Easter you will want to include your favorite side dishes.
So what do you do with free range chickens in the winter?
Good question. Thank you for asking.
Since we live in Minnesota, our free ranging hens do not free range all year. Instead, when the snow begins to fly, we bring them inside.
They get a cozy heat lamp to keep them nice and warm.
They have nesting boxes to lay their eggs in.
They also have areas to roost.
This day I brought the hens some left over lettuce scraps. They attacked them. Usually they are fed grains and grit.
For all the love we give them, they thank us with about nine dozen eggs each day.
Soon the temperatures will rise and the hens will be able to go outside again. The calendar says Spring starts next week, but here in Minnesota we just never know.
Easter is just around the corner and everyone knows that “older” eggs peel better. Make sure to stop by the farm today and pick up a dozen or so. Our eggs sell for $3/dozen
Congratulations to Mariah for naming our newest calf! Mariah will receive an Organic Valley chico bag with coupons.
Thank you to everyone who participated in our contest! Make sure that you subscribe to our blog (upper left-hand corner) to get yummy farm house recipes, food and farming lesson plans and the latest happenings on our farm.
Click HERE to show Snowball to your Twitter friends!
Check out this cute baby calf photo. She was born during our recent snow storm, but she is a good eater and is strong on her legs. We have her in a coat to keep her warmer until she is a little bigger.
We need help naming her. What are your suggestions?
Tell your Twitter Friendsabout this cutie and her need for a new name.
*Update (March 7, 2013): We had a such a HUGE response to naming this beautiful calf, we decided to do a giveaway. The winner will receive an Organic Valley Chico bag filled with coupons and of course the honor of naming this calf.
Contest Rules:
Leave a your name choice in the comments below.
Contest closes at 9pm Central Time TONIGHT March 7, 2013.
A Random Winner will be chosen using the “And the Winner is” WordPress plugin.
The winner will be notified by email, so PLEASE leave a real email when you register to comment.
If the winner cannot be reached by 9pm March 8, 2013, a new winner will be announced.
If you enjoy cute baby animal pictures, learning about how your food is raised, and yummy farm house recipes, make sure to subscribe to the our blog (upper left hand corner). We promise no spam. Only a few blog posts a week and sometimes random Organic Valley coupon giveaways to our subscribers.
This easy angel food cake recipe is a favorite around our house. I don’t know why I make it more often. I think it is because my mother never was successful at making it and now I have an ingrained fear that I will burn it (though I have never burnt an angel food cake yet).
If you are in need of eggs, stop by the farm and pick up a couple dozen brown eggs. Eggs sell for $3 per dozen. Our hens are laying about nine dozen a day.
Sift together the flour, cornstarch and 3/4 cup sugar. You will want to sift the ingredients several times so that they are good and aerated.
Separate the yolks and whites of your eggs. You can freeze the yolks up to three months. I freeze mine in an ice cub tray. Once they are frozen, put them in a ziplock bag and use as needed.
Next make sure your mixing bowl is clean before you start. You will not want any oil residue. Then whip your egg whites with the vanilla, cream of tartar and salt to medium stiff peaks. They will start to get “bubblely”
Gradually add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar while continuing to whip.
Don’t be afraid to crank up your mixer. You will want to whip until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold in a third of the flour mixture at a time. It is important not to overmix.
Make sure your tube pan is clean, dry and free of residue. Then gently put the batter into the pan.
Bake for 30-40 minutes. The cake is done when it bounces back when touched.
Invert your pan to cool. My pan has built in kick stands. You can also stick the pan on a bottle.
Hannah tried sneaking some cake before I got it off the pan.
Enjoy this easy angel food cake recipe with a sauce made from frozen organic strawberries, raspberries and a pinch of sugar.
Easy Angel Food Cake recipe. This cake is light and fluffy and will taste like heaven in your mouth. Serve with a fresh fruit sauce.
Ingredients
1 cup scant 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoon corn starch
1 12/2 cups white sugar (divided)
12 egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Sift together the flour, cornstarch and 3/4 cup sugar. You will want to sift the ingredients several times so that they are good and aerated.
Separate the yolks and whites of your eggs. You can freeze the yolks up to three months. I freeze mine in an ice cub tray. Once they are frozen, put them in a ziplock bag and use as needed.
Next make sure your mixing bowl is clean before you start. You will not want any oil residue. Then whip your egg whites with the vanilla, cream of tartar and salt to medium stiff peaks. They will start to get "bubblely"
Gradually add the remaining 3/4 cup sugar while continuing to whip.
Don't be afraid to crank up your mixer. You will want to whip until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold in a third of the flour mixture at a time. It is important not to overmix.
Make sure your tube pan is clean, dry and free of residue. Then gently put the batter into the pan.
Bake for 30-40 minutes. The cake is done when it bounces back when touched.
Invert your pan to cool. You can also stick the pan on a bottle.
Enjoy with a sauce made from frozen organic strawberries, raspberries and a pinch of sugar.
