We started milking the cow on Tuesday evening, went well. The calf was unexpectedly easy to separate from her mother. The calf is taking her bottle very well. I will have to get some pictures posted asap.

Got Milk?

We start milking the cow tomorrow evening. I can't wait to get it underway, I'm sure I won't feel that way in a couple of months of getting up earlier, but the milk, butter, yogurt, cheese and more will be well worth the sacrifice. The cow had the calf on Friday 10.23.09 we thought it was a male, but while I was out there looking at her she peed, easy to tell when they pee. My wife has been cleaning and painting our dairy barn, I'll try to get some pics posted.

We made Bratwurst on Friday night, ate some on Saturday, it was great. We also cut the cured bacon, ate some Saturday morning, it was great as well.

The Sausage

My wife and I made some sausage on Friday night of last week. Worked on it from around 6pm til 12pm off and on, with 5 children everything has to an off and on process. I gave some to Matthew, he is a chef at a fine dining restaurant in Aiken, he said it was very good, passed that test, wahoo! We also gave some to my wife's grandparents, Pa Pa said it was the best sausage he had ever eaten, that's awesome. We are making Bratwurst this weekend, i hope it turns out as well as the breakfast sausage.

Guest writer...my wife.

As I type this entry, I am also overseeing my children playing with friends that are visiting. The dads are in the meat barn trying to figure out where exactly that man on You-Tube said to cut the pig carcass and which part is which. I have faith that they will, between the three of them, successfully end up with pieces that are somewhat identifiable and edible. So I type, while pretending to not pay too much attention to what the children are doing, but all the while listening to every word and tone of every word. Being the steward of another’s heart is no small responsibility. I am always on duty, must be always vigilant, always discerning. Raising children is a lot like vegetable gardening. To have a successful garden, one must be in the garden daily looking for pests, weeds, signs of stress. The same is true for raising children. They require our watchful eyes as well as ears. They require trellises sometimes, too. Some need extra vitamins or minerals that others do not. I have a beautiful child/plant that requires a lot of talking to/carbon dioxide. Another of mine requires a lot of hugs/mulch. There is yet another that I am convinced needs some serious pesticides. And just like a garden that has been faithfully tended yields a bountiful harvest to feed us all season long, so it is with our children. The food we reap from our children are the memories of their smiles, laughter, their warm hugs, snuggles, and as they get older we get glimpses of the people they will grow up to be. We see them make the right choice after struggling with a particular issue, we see them deny themselves and put another first, and we see them lift up their hands and voices in praise to the Great Creator of the universe as they stand with us in corporate worship instead of coloring a picture in another building. The harvest we reap after investing our time in the garden of our children’s lives is eternal. I thank the Lord of the Harvest for blessing me with the privilege of tending a small portion of His great garden.

Calf Born

Butchering went well last night, thanks to Duane and Matthew. It was quite an effort to break down that big of a pig, she was probably 300-350 on the hoof. Matthew and I watched a couple of you tube videos in preparation for the event thanks Healthy Butcher. This really helped get a handle on the main parts of the pig, Matthew kind of new his way around a bit, I did not have a clue. There is still a good bit of work to do, I need to cure the bacon and make the sausage.

This morning after i got to work, Kimberly called and told me I was an Uncle again....what? One of the cows had her calf, not a milker but still great news. We have two milkers that are both due at the end of October, hopefully the children are getting tired of frozen milk that we put up before we quit milking last time.

butchering day

Well, Wednesday is here! Matthew and I are very excited about cutting the pig up and putting some meat in the freezer. I have a package coming via UPS with the bone duster and couple of other tools needed to cut up and process the pig, hope it get to my house on time.

steve@hassandhilderbrand.com
Moore Bottom Price List
Gallon Raw Milk $6.00
> ½ Gallon $3.00
> Farm pick-up $5.00
Buttermilk
> ½ Gallon $4.00
> Quart $2.00
Quart Cream $4.00
1 lb. Butter, salted or unsalted $8.00
Sour Cream
> Quart $4.00
> Pint $2.50
Yogurt
> Quart $6.00
> Pint $3.00
Cheese
> Cottage cheese
> Ricotta cheese
> Mozzarella
> Cream cheese
> Hard Cheeses are aging and will be available soon
(made to order and require prior notice of one week to ensure the freshest cheese possible)

Eggs $3.00/doz.
Our hens are whole-grain fed and 100% hormone and antibiotic-free

Bread
Fresh-Ground Whole Wheat Bread $5.00/Loaf
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Swirl Bread $6.25/Loaf

Honey (pre-orders are recommended as honey goes fast!)
> Quart $12.00

Soap - Old fashioned lye $1.00/ounce
(Lye, fats, & water )
> Various scents
Shampoo Bars $1.50/ounce
> Various scents
Lotion Bars $12.00
Basket available (prices vary on size)

Orders being taken for Spring 2010 pastured poultry – yum!

The pigs

We have pigs on the farm. We just killed two on Saturday, we sold one and are butchering the other this Wednesday evening. We started killing at about 8:30 in the morning on Saturday, We had both killed, in the cooler or picked up by around noon. We just got our meat processing facility to the point where we can use it for butchering, a long time coming. The one on the top is Samson, all the ladies and Samson on the first day he arrived, below. I will take some photos of the meat barn and the butchering.

I am just getting started in the blogging world. The reason i want to start blogging is to meet people and to sell product.