20 December 2007
Try to imagine a happy farmer wandering
his paddocks in the rain, crooning to his cows in his best imitation
Bing Crosby voice, "I'm dreaming of a green Christmas, just like the
one six years ago". Well that happy fool is me! It really has been 6
years since we had tall green grass in the paddocks at this time of the
year. The cattle are fat and happy, the chooks are getting lost in the
grass, and the pigs are literally skipping about playing. Life's good
when it rains.
This will probably be my last entry for the
year, so I'll give a quick overview of where our produce is up to. This
is so some of you can plan ahead.
Lamb. More feedback has
been coming in - all positive. We tried the rolled forequarter roast
last night and it was magnificent; moist, full flavoured, and tender. I
know it's summer and most of you would rather the forequarter as chops
for the bbq, but the rolled roast is really good! There are still four
lambs left, and then that's it until late Feb. 2008.
Hogget.
That's older lamb for the uninitiated. In late April 2008 we will be
introducing hogget to our menu. These will be Hampshire Down, a rare
breed, and pasture finished , chemical free, and hung for two weeks
minimum. Hogget has much better flavour than lamb and the cuts are a
little bigger. Well aged hogget is a real treat, and a favourite of
foodies and those who remember the 'lamb' of yesteryear.
Pork.
Our 10 growers are coming along nicely and will be ready early Feb
2008. These are free ranging on certified organic feed at Tobias
Koenig's Biodynamic farm past Michelego. Once these are sold there will
be a lull in pork availability whilst we sort out a new boar and join
our gilts (maiden sows). There is another new litter, but these are 5
months off being ready, so May 2008. We will be introducing 5 more
registered Wessex Saddleback breeding sows in the new year to solve the
supply issues, but realistically it will be mid year before we can
offer our rare breed pork on a regular basis. So if it's real taste
heritge pork you desire, get in early.
Beef. I have a
truly superb crop of steers growing in the top paddocks of the
property, and the first of these will be available early Feb 2008.
Supply should be fairly constant from then on, but I won't promise this
as demand has been steadily growing for our Belted Galloway beef.
Eggs.
I think we have reached the limit of our production of quality pastured
eggs. We mainly use our happy free range chooks as pasture sanitizers,
and fertilizer distributors. Great eggs are simply a welcome byproduct;
we would keep chooks even if they didn't produce eggs. Our regulars
have us reserve eggs for them, and then pick them up at the Sunday
markets.
Honey. The Yellow Box Eucalypts are budding up,
which means a honey flow will happen soon. It seems we will be
extracting this honey in January 2008. In the mean time our hives in
town are producing local Canberra garden honey. Obviously not organic,
but probably the best honey for a Canberran hay fever sufferer. Raw
Canberra garden honey should be available year round, but the farm's
Raw Eucalypt honey will be seasonally available and species specific.
Ham, spec and bacon.
All I can say is, "we're working on it". We want to introduce a nitrate
free range and this will be in extremely limited quantities. I hope to
have some samples for you to try towards the end of 2008 - no promises.
So
that's it for 2007, and thanks to our wonderful clients / co-producers,
we've had a great year. No, we haven't made much money, but we have met
some lovely people, many of whom are fast becoming friends.
We'll
be at the markets this Sunday 23 December, and then again in the new
year January 6. So from the Croft family of Mounatin Creek Farm, have a
safe and happy Christmas, and may you have a wonderful and wet new year.
17 December 2007
Initial feedback on the lamb is all positive, and comments have
been coming in faster than anticipated (our clients only got the lamb
yesterday!). "Very good, lean, tender and full flavoured", "Lean, soft
meat, full flavour." (these were independent and so similar). We found
the chump chops we tried 'sweet', tender and very lean. The sweetness surprized
me, I'll have to try more before I can articulate what I think it is.
I
found the sausages a bit bland. Lean and meaty, but in need of more
bush pepper and thyme - kids will like them. More feedback please.
Lamb
will again be at the markets this coming Sunday. We sold out yesterday
(16th) so will take more this time. We have approximately half of the
lambs left, and I suspect this will sell out over the next two weeks -
first in first served.
Well I have finally made the decision on the breed of sheep we will run on the farm - I purchased a small flock of Wiltipols. Wiltipol sheep are are rare breed derived from the Whiltshire Horn sheep. They were developed in Australia to be hornless, hence Whiltshire Polled became Whiltipol. Anyway they are a low maintenance meat sheep and as they shed their fleece there is; no shearing, no mulesing, no crutching, no fly strike and no need to dock the tail either. All in all they are a good sheep for the ecological niche we have for them. As exclusively a meat bred, they make good eating too!
Christmas fast approaches and as predicted we are running very low on beef. We have a few of the smaller special packs left, but not many. The next lot of steers will join the food chain early January 2008, but by the time they are hung for three weeks and then cut, packed and labelled it will be early February before we have more. I'll be putting all steers through the yards later this week, checking on progress - but they look magnificent (even if I do say so myself).
The rest of our Belted Galloway herd will go through the yards this week, when I bring them back from accross the road. We'll be marking the calves and doing a general health inspection. They all look healthy and in excellent condition, but it's good to occassionally run a hand over them and have a closer look.10 December 2007
Hampshire Down Lamb will be available at the markets this Sunday 16 December, so why not try a rare breed roast leg of lamb for a uniquely Australian Christmas? The lamb is Hampshire Down, a very rare breed of sheep, it is has been properly aged, is pasture finished, is 'chemical free', and has been humanely raised and killed.
We will be making several different
packs up this week and they will all contain: a leg roast, loin chops,
premium chump chops, and cutlets. The forequarters we have decided to
do half as chops and half as rolled roasts so there will be choices;
some packs with fore quarter chops and some with rolled roasts. Lean
lamb sausages with Australian bush pepper and native thyme will also be
in the packs - gluten and preservative free of course. Our butcher's
brother is a butcher on the south coast, and we are assured that his
south coast customers love the bush pepper lamb sausages - so are they
good? You be the judge and let us know.
The lamb pack weights and prices will be approx. 4 to 5 kg packs at $18 per kg (so roughly $75 to $90 a pack), and 9 to 10kg packs at $16 per kg (so roughly $145 to $160 a pack).
Belted Galloway Beef. There are still a
few beef packs left for those Christmas functions and bbqs. We still
have plenty of what our clients tell us are 'wonderful' beef sausages,
and still ample supplies of our acclaimed mince. Once this lot of beef
packs is sold and enjoyed, there will be no more until the end of
January '08. So as usual, first in best fed.
Yesterday at the markets I was feeling Canberrans winding down for Christmas. Our sales were good but slower than the last few weeks, and sales almost ground to a halt an hour before the markets closed at noon. I suspect the annual exodus and migration to the coast has commenced too.
At
the Southside Farmers Markets a long brewing storm has blown in from
the Northside Farmers Markets at Mitchell. At long last the organisers
of both markets are forcing the agents or resellers to identify
themselves as such to the public. This is great news for the local
growers and producers, as it is hard to compete on price with a
reseller who buys conventional produce from wholesalers in Sydney.
Whilst quality is better from many of the local producers, and the food
miles significantly less, just how do the patrons know who is a local
producer or farmer, and who is not?
The Northside Farmers
Markets have made the decision to put the genuine producers in one
shed, and the 'agents' in another. It would be a fascinating
sociological experiment to track, and see how both sheds fair as time
goes by. I suspect, or rather hope, that the local/producers shed will
do twice the trade of the agents. After all, an agent or reseller is no
different from shopping at any outlet, anywhere. The only difference
might be if the agents products were only available from them and
nowhere else in Canberra.
Whatever happens there will be
noses out of joint, as some agents and resellers were trading off the
desire of Canberrans to buy local and support farmers and producers.
The changes can only be good for the credibilty of the farmers markets
in Canberra, but in all cases please ask the seller, "where does this product come from?" or "did you produce this?".
7 December 2007
The month is off to a good start, we've had 25mm so far and it's raining as I write this!
I
have been contacted by a Sydney providore who appears to be on the same
wavelength as Mountain Creek Farm. We are often approached by
restaurants and wholesalers but none have met our criteria to date.
This time Feather and Bone
might be different and Grant plans to visit the farm to inspect us and
our operation. I like the fact that he wants to check our integrity and
produce, he wants more than just a supplier of meat, more along the
lines of 'good, clean and fair food' of known provinance, treatment and
history. It holds much promise for a mutually beneficial relationship -
we shall see.
Garden Vegetables! Well after much searching it looks like we may have a family that is interested in running with the vegetable garden idea. A Burmese refugee family appear set to take on the project and it should be a genuine win for all concerned. They will get the area into working order over summer and plan to have winter vegetables on offer at the markets. They were very impressed with our soil and were excited about what they could grow. I look forward to a long and happy association.
Our lamb is hanging up at the butchers and aging nicely, I can't help but salivate as I write this and sincerely hope they eat as well as they look. Four of these lambs are now pre-sold, so if you are feeling just a little brave and wish to be part of our lamb trial send me an email.
30 November 2007
A lot has happened in the last week, and not just in politics. I have been to Henty to inspect the Hampshire Downs lambs we purchased. These are a rare breed and look magnificent - great lamb will be on the menu soon! Whilst I was there I also purchased some more Wessex Saddleback pigs, 4 gilts (young unmated sows) and 2 young boars. I'll be picking these up next week, and in time this will mean improved pork supply from Mountain Creek Farm. It also means we now hold close to 10% of the worlds' genetic material for the Wessex Saddleback, and that's a scary thought.
Aylesbury ducks will be arriving this evening - two trios (a drake and two ducks). The Aylesbury is a very rare old English breed and reputedly one of the best eating ducks (the best actually). We have also been given a clutch of fertile Aylesbury duck eggs, these will be placed under our broody hens and hatched. We have a fully automatic high tech incubator, but find the low tech broody chooks do a better job. The trick will be providing a fox free environment for any chance of breeding success. Aylesbury's will be on the menu in the fulness of time, they are not exempt from the paradox of having to eat them to save them.
Our Belted Galloway breeding herd is back on our neighbours farm for the next 6 weeks or so. Something quite strange happened post move. I expected the cows to chow down on the knee high green grasses in the wetter south eastern area, but it was not the case. They went straight for the short patchy grasses on the north west, walking through the lush green. It must be that these shorter grasses have a higher mineral and/or vitamin and/or enzime content, and the cattle know it.
Well that's it for this time, off to the abattoir again this Sunday with the lambs. If you think you might fancy a roast leg of rare breed lamb, for a truely Aussie Christmas, please let me know. There are only 10 lambs available at this stage and three are sold, they will be properly aged of course ................... first in best fed.
Oh, and a big thank you for your Senate vote, it appears that our Senate will once again be our house of revue. And an even bigger thank you for the 134mm of rain we received this month!! Tanks full, dams filling, grass growing :-)
20 November 2007
The Slow Food people are coming to visit the farm this Saturday and I'm looking forward to it. I have moved our breeding herd of Belted Galloway cattle back to the home farm for the event to show off the cows and calves, they are very cute. No electioneering at Mountain Creek Farm, just a long leisurely lunch of Wessex Saddleback Pork, Belted Galloway Beef, Australorp egg quiche and a Botobolar Organic Merlot, or two.......... But speaking of elections, and no matter your political persuasion, please give serious consideration to saving our Senate. It is the house of review, and it can not do it's job if controlled by whichever major party wins in the House Of Representatives on Saturday.
Pork. As predicted, we have sold out. We have 11 Wessex Saddleback piglets at 'Ingalara', Tobias Koenig's organic farm near Michalego. These will not be ready until early February, so please be patient as this pork is worth the wait.
Lamb! We are trialling a rare breed of lamb (Hampshire Downs) and they should be ready for Christmas. Helen Raven is the breeder/grower, they are not organic, but grass finished and 'chemical free'. This means that they have been grazing on conventional pasture and have had no grain, drenches, antibiotics etc. Helen produces excellent quality lamb, widely acclaimed as being superb, and the Hampshire Down has a first class reputation for eating quality. No prices, cuts or quanities yet, these will be available early next week. We have had a few unsolicited expressions of interest in lamb, so if you think this might be of interest, please send me an email as the trial quantities will be limited.
Beef. Two more steers are being prepared and packed this week, and this is the last Belted Galloway Beef we will be able to supply until the new year. Approximately half is pre sold, so if you want that special holiday BBQ to be really special - first in first served.Farmers Market. For the first time we sold out of everything, and I mean everything. We will bring more this coming Sunday, but we took two full freezers of beef and pork, plus eggs and honey and came home with nothing but orders for more. This is fantastic, and the interesting thing is that 90% of this buying is from repeat customers, so we must be doing something right. What's even better, although a bit embarrassing, is our existing clients do the selling for us. Elizabeth starts telling a potential client about what we are doing, and an existing client steps in, takes over and completes the sale. Thank you all, this is as good as it gets.
Kim De Poorter of Fine Terrines and Pates is next door to us at the markets. Some time ago we gave him some of our pork to play with. He has made two batches pork rillette, one with conventional pork and one with 30% of our free range Wessex Saddleback pork. Last Sunday he was excited, and when he showed us the difference in colour texture and taste, so were we! With a mere 30% of our "real taste heritage pork", the rillette was darker and tasted soooo much better. Needless to say, we are now on a quest to produce Australia's best pork pates using 100% our pork. This will take some time of course, as demand still exceeds supply, but "we're working on it!"
17 November 2007
Here
is something to ponder. I can taste and smell my farm when I cook our
beef. Not only that but friends, who are grass fed cattle farmers, can
taste and smell their farms in their beef too. There is definitely a
qualitative difference. So is this taste and smell difference
quantifiable, I think it is, and if so, just what is it? My guess is
the different species of grasses and the different mineral and vitamin
balance they contain. So our meat tastes and smells different due to
it's chemical composition (albeit slight), so is it better for you too?
I suspect so, and so does the Weston A Price Foundation
So
beef ain't beef, and if your butcher can't tell you if your meat was
pasture or grain finished, shop elsewhere. Furthermore, if your butcher
can't tell what breed of cattle your steak came from, shop elsewhere.
Cattle raised as draught or dairy animals aren't as tender and don't
taste as good as the specialist meat breeds. The best example of this
breed difference is dairy cattle. The meat from these is universally
known to be inferior eating, and yet 'dairy bulls' are a large sector
of the market. Dairy bull calves are either raised as vealers in
feedlots, or fed out (again in feedlots) until they are ready for the
'domestic trade', ie. you.
12 November 2007
I've
just returned form a trip to Victoria to attend the agm of the Rare
Breeds Trust of Australia. I stayed with Fiona and Nicolas Chambers of Fernleigh Farms
and drank a little too much red wine at a bbq in their forest
'sanctuary'. Needless to stay that they are great people doing their
bit for organics and rare breeds.
A storm is brewing
between the organic industry and my stance on free speech, language and
transparency. The certified organic industry is in the process of
preventing non certified growers form calling themselves 'organic' or
'biodynamic'. In effect they will, through bureaucratic legalization,
steal the words organic and biodynamic for their exclusive use. These
are the same people and organisations who object strongly to the
patenting of genetic material, seeds and the like, because it means the
company who owns the patent can exclude use by others. If the organic
industry can not see the contradiction and hypocracy of their actions,
there is no hope for them. The organic industry is becoming no less of
a 'player' in the economic industrialisation and misappropriation of
farming than Monsanto - they have sold out.
When having this
discussion with several certified organic growers and certifiers, it
quickly becomes obvious that it is mainly about preserving and
enlarging economic turf. So money (greed, power and control) is
motivating the organic industries actions in this matter, and
'organics' have become part of the problem in buying into the 'big
agribiz' systems and mechanisms. This is very same 'system' the organic
pioneers opposed. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em", but I wonder if
the organic industry even realises it is playing by agribuisness rules
and in so doing have closed ranks with Monsanto and their ilk? Just
what is the difference? Monsanto controls a seed for the economic
benefit of shareholders to the exclusion of others, the organic
industry controls a word for the economic benefit of it's stakeholders
to the exclusion of others.
Beef. Summer is here and T-bones are back on the menu. Just be aware that the T-bone comes from the loin, and this is where Sirloin/Porterhouse and eye fillet come from. So if you select T-bones in a bulk pack, you will receive fewer Sirloin and Eye fillet steaks.
2 November 2007
Running freezers
to keep our meats at minus 20 degrees Celcius generates a lot of heat.
This means that the room they are stored in gets quite hot and this is
counter productive, not to mention wasteful of energy. The solution was
quite simple, install an extractor fan for the hot air. I wasn't overly
impressed at the thought of running a fan 24 hours a day, but using a
small amount energy to save a greater amount (by having the freezers
work more efficiently) seemed a good idea.
So off I go to the local hardware store where minor miracles are known to happen. There I found a 250mm (10inch) exhaust fan that consumes only 3.7 watts!!! That's a very small amount of electricity for the function, the fan cost a mere $19.95, and it comes with a 12 month warranty too. OK, so I'm easily impressed by this sort of thing, but it will reduce our energy consumption - cheaply. So if you have an exhaust fan, consider replacing it with a new super efficient model.
Slow Food day at Mountain Creek Farm. It was promoted in the latest Slow Food Canberra newsletter 4Czons and all the places were filled very quickly. The day is set for November 24, so we can forget all about election and enjoy a convivial event. Anyway, I'd like it known, that although there is a modest charge for the day and food , all proceeds go to Slow Food Canberra. This is our way of supporting this wonderful movement. It has been suggetsed that there should be another Slow Food event at MCF in the new year, so stay tuned.
1 November 2007Pork. The pork packs are selling fast. We sold nearly half of all our pork last Sunday, and this Sunday will probably clean us out. So if you want to taste what all the fuss is about, rare breed Wessex Saddleback, free range pork, best get in quick. Our next pork won't be available until late January 2008.
Beef. Our Belted Galloway beef is again receiving great praise. The following comments came with a repeat order for an eighth, "The meat was fantastic, and the mince was the best beef mince I've ever tasted" KL Campbell ACT. Repeat orders are the highest praise we get. More beef will be available 18 November, quality remains high, but quantity is low (the drought hasn't gone away), so first in, gets the best of choices.
Eggs. A comment form one of Sunday market customers "We tried your eggs, we're converts!" And people wonder why I call myself an evangelist for pasture based sustainable farming, 'a born again farmer'. I think quality is self evident, and it's really nice when our clients notice this too. Eggs are common (and cheaper) at the markets, but we always sell out by mid morning. So grab them whilst you can; genuinely free range pastured eggs - see and taste the difference.
Honey is again available. This honey comes form the hives in Wanniassa, so Canberra garden honey - raw and lightly cold filtered. If you suffer from hay fever, raw local honey is reputed to help - must be local, must be raw and cold filtered.
Please note We will not be at the farmers markets on Sunday 11 November.
27 October 2007
I'll be brief; this morning, bright and early, I collected our Organic Wessex Saddleback Pork for tommorrows markets. It looks good and promises to taste even better. Prices have gone up due to the fact that pigs must be fed, and feed prices are at all time highs. These pigs will be the last 'organic' pigs that will be available from us for some time.
Organic feed prices and quality in this drought? How does $1,500 a ton for bottom of the barrel rubbish sound? Consequently we will be buying feed produced in a human food grade mill; "HACCP certified under Codex HACCP Alinorm 97/13A and all products are produced within those guidelines and procedures." It's good clean feed, and local too, but it's not organic.
15 October 2007
Yesterday at the markets it was a busy morning and we sold out of all but a few of our beef sausages . Those that were lucky enough to get some of our Wessex Saddleback standing pork rib loin roasts, are in for a real treat.
I must say I am very proud of my daughters. The first day of their new business at the Sunday Southside Farmers Markets went well. They won't be retiring to the Bahamas just yet, but it was financially worth their while to get out of bed early on a Sunday morning. As parents, it's not about the money, it's the learning of all sorts of business skills in the process of earning an income; ordering, people skills - dealing with suppliers, landlords and customers, money handling, banking, budgeting and paper trails, small scale marketing and selliing, new product introductions and monitoring, service, fixed and variable costs, overheads, gross and nett profits, and all sorts of other life skills our 'education' system fails to provide. Our teenagers are having fun, making some money independently, and learning a tremendous amount. A parent always wonders how their children will turn out - so far so good.
The Murrumbateman Field Days were fun and tiring. I spoke to many people about the activities of the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia, and I think we will see a few more people signing up. Much sincere gratitude goes to Jan and Gordon Matheson of Honeypot Farm (Galloway cattle breeders), for making part of their site available free of charge to the Rare Breeds Trust - a big thank you for your help and support.
Pork will be back on the menu Sunday 28 October. These Wessex Saddleback pigs are the first in a while, and as there are only 4 available I strongly suggest getting in early. I will be posting the packs, cuts, weights and prices in the next few days. Prices will rise slightly due to the extreme cost of organic feed - understandable due to the drought, and I suppose quality always comes at a price, but ..............
Beef will be back on the menu Sunday 18th November. Sorry for the delay, but we can't (won't) force nature. Beef mince and sausages are still available in the meantime, and there are still a few Creative Packs and possibly some 2-up packs available. The 2-up packs have been a hit with singles and couples, as it gives them a chance to try our beef before committing to a larger purchase.
Our egg secret is spreading! These are some of the best eggs you can buy, and they sell out by mid morning at the markets. Modesty prevents me from saying they are the best, but that's what our customers are telling us - particularly those that bake and poach with them. Supply will increase a little when our latest batch of Black Australorp pullets come on the lay. $6 per dozen for genuinely free range, biodynamic pastured, and fresh eggs from happy chooks.
Honey. Those 'in the know' are buying our honey, and it too sells out by mid morning. Raw, unblended, local honey really is good for your health and wellbeing. Former bee keepers buy our honey because they know what happens to the commercial and imported stuff. Our raw honey is never heated at any point in the extraction or bottling process, we never blend honeys, and it is only lightly filtered. Short of raiding a wild beehive yourself, our honey is as natural as it gets.
12 October 2007
I forgot to mention that I will be at the Murrumbateman Field Days this weekend. I will be telling all-comers about the activities of the Rare Breeds Trust and how they can help. Of course I will be in two places at once and be at the markets on Sunday morning as well!
It's a pity we are philosophically opposed to exporting food, as we've had some wonderful requests for our product from overseas. The latest request was from Dubai UAE, and I believe the expats there would really appreciate some of our beef and pork. Pork is simply not on the menu in a Muslim country. And here's something for the ethicists to ponder; if the world were Jewish and/or Muslim, would pigs exist? Perhaps there is something to be said for the eating of rare breeds of whatever species to preserve it, IF the animals have a contented life and die a humane death. So, is a short happy life better than no life at all?
9 October 2007
The farm open day last Saturday went well, and our friends, supporters and co-producers are a lovely bunch of people.
Whilst I was secretly hoping they would bring rain, the weather was fine so a farm walk and talk, followed by a relaxing lunch, was enjoyed. People brought salads to share (I really liked that wild rice salad) and I cooked a few sausages and some Belted Galloway rump. I look forward to the next one, and I promise I'll be a bit better organised.
To market to market to buy a fat .............. Yes, limited pork will be available this Sunday and will sell out early, so as usual - first in first served.
Our daughters will be starting a new business at the markets this Sunday. They will be selling organic and fair trade coffees, both as beans, grounds and to drink. They will add complimentary products as time goes on; teas, muffins and so on. Prices are most reasonable and you will be helping them to develop independent business skills. Their stall will be next door to ours, so we can help as required.
4 October 2007
The Southside Farmers Markets turns one year old on Sunday the 14th of October. A festive morning is planned by the organisers, and we will have special packs on the day to help celebrate, including some Wessex Saddleback pork! Special beef packs will also be avialable only for the day, and will be excellent value. The pork in particular will sell out early as there are only 8 on offer - this is prime meat saved for a special occassion - standing rib loin roasts!
Having again read Peter Singer and Jim Mason's book "the ethics of what we eat", I was amazed at how closely we fit their description of an ethical producer of meat. We fit all but one of their criteria, and we only miss out on that because it is against the law for us to do otherwise. But more on that later, as I plan to create another web page on this site soon, perhaps called "ethical meat eaters?"
26 September 2007
Already we are running low on beef, the solutions to our ongoing problem are almost 'in hand', but not yet. In the mean time, we have created a few more packs for those who interested in our “simply divine” beef.
The 2-up Pack.
No we don’t gamble or condone gambling, but it did seem like a good
name for Australian beef. This is simply a small sample pack that might
suit an individual or couple. The 2-up pack contains two of our now
world famous porterhouse steaks (some of our wonderful clients have
spread the word abroad!!), one pack of ultra lean mince, and a small
pack of 6 of our lean beef sausages which also contain fresh tomato,
onion and garlic. This pack is good value as a sample pack and is $20.
There will be limited numbers of the 2-up packs, with which we are
hoping to entice new devotees.
The Creative Pack.
Well, what else do you call a pack that we created out of necessity,
that in turn requires creative people to cook it? Essentially these
packs will be an ongoing feature in our line, and are of excellent cuts
left over after the eighths, gourmet packs and slow packs are filled.
We always have cuts left over! This due to the fact that our animals
are all different in growth rates and size, and we put together a
eighth of beef based on a hypothetical 400 – 420 kilogram animal with a
consistent carcass yield. The Creative Pack contains a variety of cuts
all of which are labelled by cut and weight and sells for between $60
and $70. Cuts may include; scotch fillet, rump, round, blade, diced
chuck, schnitzel and Osso Bucco. Obviously the contents will vary so we
have a list of the contents and weights in every pack, please ask for
details at the markets.
Peter Singer (Australian
philosopher whose thinking on ethics sparked the Animal Liberation
movement) has a term to describe our co-producers: conscientious omnivores.
With a new book, "the ethics of what we eat", Peter and co author Jim
Mason describe our clients to a T. Educated, intelligent and thoughtful
consumers, navigating the maze of conflicting messages about just how
one should live ones life.
I am a sure Peter and Jim’s many
messages in the book will be used by some to rationalise a ‘business as
usual’ approach to meat eating – how is beyond me. So again I sincerely
ask anyone reading this, please eat less meat. If you do eat meat, only
eat meat that is ethically or humanely raised and killed, local i.e.
within a 250 kilometre radius of where you live, sustainably pastured
based on land not suitable for cropping, and organic or biodynamic.
A mayday call went out from the Canberra Convivium of the Slow Food Movement
late last week that on Monday the ABC Stateline program wanted to due a
feature on the local convivium. We had a great lunch organised at very
short notice, and held at Majura Winery. I rallied to the cause and
Mountain Creek Farm supplied the beef and sausages, which went down
well with the Merlot! Anyway I may just get my 15 seconds of infamy, as
I was interviewed at the event about rare breeds and how producers
relate to the slow food movement. Hopefully I will be edited out of
show, but all will be revealed this Friday evening when the show goes
to air. By the way, it took over two hours of filming for a 3 minute 45
second ‘slot’.
Interestingly it was Jo (the ABC interviewer) who
motivated me to visit Peter Singer’s book. As a strict vegetarian, it
must have pained her to interview a meat producer! I forgot to tell her
that a significant numbers of our clients are ex vegetarians, who only
started to eat small amounts of meat once they discovered what we were
doing. Our ex vegetarian clients are the classic conscientious
omnivores, and there should be more of you.
17 September 2007
Beef is back on the menu! This week I pick up our next lot of beef ready to be sorted into the orders. All orders will be ready for collection at the coming Farmer's Market on Sunday. There will still be a few of our Belted Galloway Beef packs left after the orders are filled, however there will not be many of these, so first in - first served.
The Eurobodalla Biodynamic
Group came for a farm tour a week ago, and they were a nice bunch of
people. I believe they left with a favorable impression of what we are
doing, and what is planned for the farm. I'm also sure they left with a
few things to ponder, as we are doing things very differently.
Unfortunately
my rainfall predictions for this spring have proved to be correct, and
the media is now warning of the impending disaster. For once the media
are not sensationalising the issue, and there will be serious social,
environmental and financial consequences from this extended drought. At
Mountain Creek Farm our belts are tightened, and our hatches are still
battened down from the last 5 years of drought. We will survive
the ongoing drought, and have put strategies into place to make sure
the social, environmental and financial consequences are bearable. In
fact, I suspect that the climate has shifted to an extended drier phase
for decades, and this is not just an extended drought. That said, I
believe there is a solution ....................
I will be implementing Natural Sequence Farming at Mountain Creek Farm is a more sytematic way than I have been. I truely see this as the answer to Australia's water and hydrology issues, however I caution that it is a sophisticated process that should only be attempted once it is well understood.
8 September 2007
I have just discovered that Winston Churchill held Belted Galloway beef in such high regard, that he keep his own herd!
Not
only that but 'Rules Restaurant', a well established (over 200 years)
restaurant in the UK, maintains it's own Belted Galloway herd, to
ensure a supply of superior beef.
7 September 2007
Our on farm 'shop' is nearly complete. Nothing flash, and it's not really a shop, just a room I have done up to house our collection of freezers - 13 at last count! My better half says I'm running a retirement home for freezers and old trailers. Only a few freezers are on all the time, the rest are for when we take initial delivery of our beef or pork. We thought about a walk-in freezer room, but they require 3 phase power which we don't have, and they lose a lot of storage space to the 'walk in' feature. At least with multiple freezers, we can turn those off that aren't required, and the ones that are on can be filled to the brim, which makes them more energy efficient. For peace of mind, and quality assurance, we have a large back up generator in case of power failures. We also have many monitoring thermometres to ensure the freezers maintain temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celcius or better.
Tomorrow morning the south coast biodynamic group are to visit the farm. I am nervous about the impression the farm will create as I have 200 projects 'on the go' in various stages of incompletion, so the infrastructure looks a mess. On top of this we are heading into our 5th or 6 th year of drought. Although the farm is significantly better than when we took it on, it's not going to paint the pretty picture. Still, I hope they will be understanding and bring rain up from the coast.
New aquisition
- a real boys toy! I lashed out spending $500 and purchased not one,
but two Ditch Witches. One is 'going', the other 'has potential'. The
one that's 'going' is like something out of Mad Max meets Chainsaw
Killer and Lethal Weapon 6. For the uninitiated, a Ditch Witch is best
described as a chainsaw for the soil. These are big machines (16 hp)
that will cut narrow trenches 100mm wide and 900mm deep. This is to
help with the laying of several kilometres of irrigation piping for the
water troughs, and buying was a lot cheaper than hiring one.
Putting
the pipes under the soil does several things; it protects the pipes
from animals, vehicles, UV degradation, fire and frost, and it keeps
the water going to the animals cool. Digging several kilometres of
trench by hand was not an option.
28 August 2007
I
sincerely hope I'm wrong, but I suspect we are slipping back into
drought. After a promising start in winter, and with predictions of a
'la nina', the district is now in trouble. Our pastures look
superficially good at the moment, but the ground moisture that will
sustain spring and summer growth is not there. The 9th of September is
our next predicted rainy period, let's hope it eventuates.
Beef.
The 5 steers went to the abattoir without a hitch. They were so good
and went into the stock crate without fuss, so gentle and quiet. I made
the mistake of talking to them individually before we set off - I knew
them all too well. It was a very sad affair and tears flowed - so much
for the tough and callous farmer. For those who ask "how can you do
it?", it's really hard at times.
Anyway the beef will be
ready on Sunday 23rd of September. More orders have come in during the
week and I still haven't accurately tallied them up to see what's left.
Because we took two more steers than anticipated, there should be
enough to supply a few more orders. So keep 'em coming and, first in,
first served.
Pork. As predicted we sold out of pork packs on
Sunday at the markets. We have pork sausages left for sale, and not
many of these. There will be more Wessex Saddleback pork on the menu,
but not for 8 to 10 weeks - sorry.
Honey. Our raw, unblended, and cold extracted honey is proving to be a hit at the markets. We having been selling out of this unique honey by mid morning, so promise to take more. We hope to have raw and cold extracted Canberra garden honey on offer soon. For those of you who suffer from hay fever, raw local honey is reputed to help. It has to do with the small amounts of pollen in the honey providing some sort of immune system boost. Not just any honey will do, it must be genuinely local and raw, with minimal processing. Our honey is cold extracted from the frames, lightly filtered, and bottled - short of raiding the hive yourself, this is as minimal as processing gets.
Eggs. Our chooks are a bit ahead of themselves and think it's spring. As a consequence, the girl's eggs are popping out at an increasingly rapid rate. Our chooks lead happy, healthy and long lives, and graze our biodynamic pasture - genuinely pastured and free range (no semantics). They dust bathe in the dry patches under the gums, scratch for grubs and worms, do all the things chooks naturally do. When you buy our eggs they are no more than a few days old and will keep for ages - $6 per dozen.We are examining our prices right now as we need to remain financially viable. Our beef prices have remained unchanged since we began direct relationship marketing a few years ago, and of course all our costs have risen. An example of rising costs are our land rates & taxes which have increased 40% this last year alone. We believe in affordable good food, so any price rises will be reasonable.
The farm open
day is going ahead on the 6th of October inspite of the fact that we
have been downsized by 50%. Our daughters will be on a field trip in
central Australia, so the open day will be a much simpler affair. The
music and sausages will not be happening unless I can find substitues
for our talented slave labour. We can recommend Uriarra Crossing for a
picnic on the day, it's close to us, and has bbq facilities, toilets,
play areas and the Murrumbigee River.
21 August 2007
I
pulled a brand new calf out of a wombat hole this morning, and this is
not where calves come from. The calfs mum must have done her final push
over the hole, and down her calf went, head first. By a fluke I got
there just in time, so mum and bub are now both well. In my rush to get
the calf out of the hole, I forgot to check the sex. I have pulled
calves before, but never out of a wombat hole. Anyway, if I sound like
an expectant dad, I am, times 40. I watch the cows more closely at this
time of year, checking who's due to calve and for signs of trouble.
Luckily the 'belties' are easy calvers, but the first time mums (maiden
heifers) need to be watched just the same. So I am a bit bleary eyed at
the moment.
20 August 2007
Calving is
in full swing, and more calves are on the ground. Both mum's and bub's
are doing well without any assistance. Incidentally, our first calf
turned out to be a heifer, which is great news as she is from excellent
bloodlines and looks like
'a keeper'.
Beef. After weighing all the steers last friday, it appears that we have 5 ready to go. They are a bit smaller than I'd like due to the drought. However they are in outstandingly good condition, as healthy as I have seen. This means that we will have beef available again on Sunday 23rd September, after our extended hanging. It also means we will be able to complete our advance orders, and have a bit left over for the farmer's markets. There will not be a lot of beef left over after the advance orders are filled, so if you wish to taste what we're on about ...................... first in, first served.
Pork. I have spoken with Tobias (the organic, Wessex Saddleback producer at Michalego) and it seems like we are on the same wavelength. There is still a lot to sort out, so that we have a genuinely beneficial arrangement all round; for the pigs, Tobias, us and you, but so far so good. If we can make this work, of pork production has just doubled! There will still be peaks and troughs of supply, but these should be more evenly distributed. Please note, we have a few 'premium pork packs' left after last Sunday, but these will not last long.
Next
door to us at the Southside Farmer's Markets, a new vendor has
appeared. Kim is a French chef and produces the most delicious pate. No
it's not organic, but it is local and made with great skill and care -
try some. Sunday afternoons in front of a fire with friends, fresh
woodfired bread, real pate, and good red wine ....................
c'est bon, non?
15 August 2007
The launch of the local Natural Sequence Association chapter went well. We have well over twenty founding members, a demonstration site, a web site and so on. Peter Andrews talked us through his observations on the sites and opened the chapter. I've certainly got a better understanding of how water moves, or should move, through the Australian landscape. I plan to start playing with our own intermittent streams soon.Brian Marshall, our Holistic Management educator, mentor and friend, spent time with us on Sunday and Monday and came to the launch. He was impressed at the condition of our cattle, and could see the land responding well to our management. We are still working on having the pigs and chickens following the cattle grazing rotation. It sounds simple, but the practice is less so. We're working on it.
Our first calf of the season arrived today! It's mum wouldn't let me get close enough to determine the sex, and the calf refused to piddle for me. It looks like a heifer though; either that or it's a metrosexual. Either way, the cycle continues and it's a healthy and good-looking calf from excellent bloodlines.
More forward orders for beef have arrived after last Sunday’s markets. This means supplies are getting tighter. I haven’t tallied it up, but the group that are 5 weeks away may all be sold. This Friday we put all the steers through the yards to determine who joins the food chain, and I'm hoping that an extra steer might be ready to go. So please don’t delay your beef orders as there will be a 4 month wait for the next lot.
Our pork has been selling extremely well. So well in fact, that we will run out sometime in the next three weeks. Supply was always going to be an issue with such a rare breed, but something short of a miracle has happened. We have found a local, biodynamic, Wessex Saddleback pig producer! I didn't think one existed, and I'd looked too. More than that, we know them - small world. So I'll be trying to convince them to supply us with grower pigs, and to share genetics. This could solve our supply problems long term, and be a classic win - win - win - win; for us, the breeders, the breed and you. It still means a 4 to 6 month delay before more pork is available, but I'm excited!
Rain, or lack thereof. I am still an incurable optimist, however, if we don’t get 150mm of rain before months end, the region will be in trouble. We need this rain to replenish the soil moisture profile, so that we get good spring growth. If not, stock numbers will remain low, grain growers will be going out backwards, and we will see dust storms this summer blowing Australia's precious topsoil away. We have a plan B at Mountain Creek Farm if the spring doesn't eventuate, and this involves leasing adjoining lands. It won’t be cheap, however it is the responsible thing to do, and we believe our environment is definitely worth it.
Incidentally, by buying our product, you support us in being responsible producers. Actually, by buying our product you become our co-producers, or better yet, our share farmers. Wendell Berry says "Eating is an agricultural act!", the Slow Food Movement has relabelled consumers as "co-producers", and so I've just called you our "share farmers". It's not the traditional definition of a share farmer, but just as accurate. Anyway whatever you'd like to be called, we couldn't do it without you. Thank you.
9 August 2007
Somehow
I ended up on the interim committee of the Natural Sequence
Association, which is dedicated to restoring and rehabilitating
Australia's rivers and landscape. I must remember to keep my mouth
shut, as I am definitely not a committee person, but this is a
worthwhile cause, so......
Peter Andrews as featured on ABC TV's Australian Story, will hold a walkabout to explain his methods for rehabilitating the Australian landscape at Point Hut, in Gordon ACT at 1:30pm on Sunday, and again at Guises Flat, at Williamsdale (off the Monaro Hwy) at 1:30pm on Monday. On Monday evening there will be a public meeting at Wests Rugby Union Club, Macquarie at 7:00 pm to launch the Upper Murrumbidgee Chapter of the Natural Sequence Association. Everyone who has an interest in restoring the Australian landscape is welcome to attend.
Peter will also be signing his book "Back from the Brink", on the Monday night, after he has explained his somewhat radical methods, and fielded questions. All welcome, and the events are free.
8 August 2007
Our
new super efficient freezers have arrived, and these will be at the
markets this coming Sunday for all to view. These should enable us to
bring more produce to market - we had enough beef, but ran out of pork
last Sunday. We hope running out of produce is now a thing of the past.
The freezers use only 118 watts whilst running at minus 20 degrees C,
and in ambient temperatures of 40 degrees C and 80% relative humidity -
well I'm impressed anyway.
This week we expect the first of
our calves to appear, a couple of the girls are well and truly ready.
It's hard not to anthropomorphise, but after 9 months, they look like
they've had enough of being in calf. We'll also be putting our older
steers through the yards to weigh them, and more accurately determine
the time frame for more beef to be on the menu.
Forward
orders for our beef packs have been coming in fast. One of the three
steers that we will select is already sold, and we have a standing
order from a leading restaurant for another. This means we have one
only unallocated steer that will be ready in the next 6 to 8 weeks, and
I don't need to tell you what that means.
Some carnivore humour, arrived via email;
The Meat Eaters Credo
"Vegetables are not food; vegetables are what food eats.
Fruit are vegetables that fool you by tasting good.
Fish are fast-moving vegetables.
Mushrooms are what grows on vegetables when food's done with them."
2 August 2007
"Don't eat that, you don't know where it's been!"
We really should have listened to our mothers. The food in an average
Melbourne shopping trolley travelled 70,803 kilometres, according to
The Melbourne Community Environment Park. They studied a shopping
basket of 29 common foods Australians buy every week. So please, buy
and eat local, become a "Locavore", for the planets sake.
Pigs do fly! and we have the proof. The worst 'food mile' offender was a Danish pork sausage which had travelled 25,000 kilometres!
Just imagine the energy and carbon emissions it took to bring us that
sausage. It is an outrageous waste of resources which we can do
something about. Buy and eat locally produced products, and eat more
fruit and vegetables. On average fruit and vegetables travel a lot less
than meat. So eat less meat! That's probably a bit different from the usual cry you hear from a meat producer?!
30 July 2007
Well, we did give advanced warning; we've run out of Belted Galloway Beef for at least 6 weeks. However, we have plenty of beef mince and beef sausages to tide us over. Last Sunday we sold out of mince by 10:30 am. and are sorry we didn't take enough beef mince for our clients. The demand for our beef took us by surprise (again), and we will be taking more mince this coming Sunday to compensate.
Please bear with us as we work out what is needed at the South Side Farmers Markets. We will make mistakes in the quantities that we bring, and will occasionally run out. We are in the process of investing in several new and ultra energy efficient commercial chest freezers. This will enable us to bring more of our product to the markets, but is a couple of weeks away.
If you would like to try our beef for the first time or are a repeat customer, please consider an advanced order for our packs. We only have three steers that will be at market weights in 6 weeks time. If current increases in demand continue, these will be sold by the time they are ready. So in all fairness, first in - first served.
We are getting more rave reviews about our Wessex Saddleback Pork. ‘Simply superb’ is a common expression; we actually had someone ring us from a dinner party to tell how magnificent the leg roast was. Now I know I’ve said this before, however, we will run out of pork before long and there will be a significant delay before there is more. I am trying to source a quality pure bred Wessex Saddleback Boar, and more pure bred sows. This is not easy, as the Wessex Saddlebacks are such a rare breed, and we must guard against inbreeding whilst simultaneously maintaining purity. So to cut a long story short, it may be 6 months, possibly more, before we have more pork to offer when this lot is sold.
Our free range and pastured eggs are really very good, however our chooks are off the lay, so numbers of eggs
produced are extremely low. We have two
new groups of hens (pullets) fast approaching maturity and they should start to
lay in the next 4 weeks. I am currently
building a big mobile chook house, complete with feed, water and laying boxes, based on an old caravan to house them. This is
to enable the frequent moves to fresh pasture, our farming system requires.
20 July 2007
We're famous - well almost - it's our
pork. A friend mentioned an article in The Canberra Times Food and Wine
section which claimed Wessex Saddleback pork as being "simply divine".
That was our pork they were talking about! The praise came from Richard
Everson chef, and owner with his partner Evelyn, of Country Guesthouse Schonegg, a multi award winning establishment.
To
cut a long story short, being the shy, retiring and insecure type, I
felt the need for some professional validation of our belief in our
product. We supplied the Wessex Saddleback pork roast, and Richard and
Evelyn supplied expect culinary skills and good company. Fellow
Galloway breeders Jan and Gordon Matheson join us for the occassion,
and a truly fine meal was enjoyed by all.
We hope to be in a position to supply Country Guesthouse Schonegg with Wessex Saddleback Pork in the not too distant future. Evelyn and Richard are wonderful supporters of local producers supplying a quality product.
The smaller beef packs are a hit. So were the pork packs. We sold out last weekend and will take more again to the markets this Sunday. Beef mince is still not available until Sunday 29 July.
The cattle are back on the home farm now in
preparation for calving. They are in great shape and look a picture in
the front paddock. We eagerly await this 'drop' of calves, as it is
Yogi's (our new bull) first. It's always exciting seeing what our A
grade girls and a new A grade bull produce - they should be magnificent.
14 July 2007
Anyway the resulting packs are;
Michael's Gourmet Pack @ $100 approximately
This pack is approx. 4kg in weight and at $25 per kg includes;
Eye fillet steaks
Scotch fillet steaks
Sirloin/ Porterhouse steaks
Rump steaks
Topside Roast
Oyster blade steaks
Elizabeth's Slow Pack @ $108 approximately
This pack is approx. 6kg in weight and at $18 per kg includes;
Osso Bucco
Topside Roast
Rolled Roast
Chuck (diced)
Round steaks
Rump steaks
Mince and sausages are available seperately at $13 per kg and $10 per kg respectively.
We look forward to your feed back on these packs. Of course our eighth's are still in demand and available in 15 to 17kg packs at $15 per kg.
Please
note we will run out of beef packs in the next week or two and then
there will be a wait of 2 months or so before more is available.
Pork Packs
We are now offering two different sized packs of genuinely free range, chemical free and rare breed (Wessex Saddleback) pork.
10kg @ $12 per kg = $120 approx.
The 10kg pack includes: Scotch fillet, Loin chops, Forequarter chops, Leg roast, Spare ribs, Mince and Sausages.
5kg @ $14 per kg = $70 approx.
The 5kg pack includes: Scotch fillet, Loin chops, Forequarter chops, Leg roast, Spare ribs.
The above packs are sold by weight so the prices will vary slightly and you only pay for what you get.
10 July 2007
We are
being swamped with orders for beef. This is a nice problem to have of
course, but we will soon be unable to supply bulk orders. The beef
mince and sausages will remain available. As a solution, I have
approached several Belted Galloway breeders to see if they will supply
me with chemical free weaners (6 month old) on an ongoing basis. This
would mean they would still be pure A grade Belted Galloway steers, and
grown out on our property for another 18 months or so. This would be a
good solution long term, but does not solve the supply issues for the
next 6 to 9 months.
So, friends and supporters of Mountain
Creek Farm, please be patient and bear with us as we sort out the
supply side. We really don't like letting you down, but sustainably
farming a rare breed in the worst drought in living memory, has
delivered some challenges (mild understatement!).
4 July 2007
It's
raining as I write this; the dams are filling and the rainwater tanks
are overflowing for the first time in 4 years. It doesn't rain grass,
so the drought is still not over, but it's a good sign for the coming
spring.
I've just been co-opted to the board of the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.
So I'll be putting more effort where my mouth is. Decreasing habitat
and biodiversity is not just an issue of the natural environment. The
world has been losing 5 breeds of farm animals per month (FAO 1995) to
factory farming. This may not sound all that alarming, as there will
always be pigs, goats, cattle and chickens for food, right? No,
stability and survivability are directly related to the genetic
diversity within a species. This is common sense, as even within our
own families, different members have different levels of resistance to
disease.
What has been happening for the last 50 years at least,
is the selection of breeds within a species with attributes that favour
industrial / factory farming and maximum profitability. This is at the
expense of all other values. It has been very easy to isolate the
breeds of animals that fit this narrow set of criteria.
So for
example, the supermarket frozen chickens have been selected for maximum
growth rates and efficient feed conversion, to the point that they are
now killed at 8 weeks of age and aren’t even fully fledged – you only
have to pluck them anyway! If these birds were left to grow longer,
they would be unable to support their own body weight. They must be
white birds too, because ‘consumers don’t like dark skinned birds, and
any remaining pin features are very visible’. But don't worry as
strains of featherless chickens are being developed. The fact that
these fast growing homogenised hybrid birds, taste like soft moist
cardboard is beside the point. It’s not just chickens either; pigs are
in the same boat with sheep and cattle trailing behind.
Anyway,
the net result is that the older breeds with attributes such as; the
ability to perform well when free ranged, foraging ability, fecundity,
taste, easy of birthing, and so on, were all sacrificed in the pursuit
of maximised returns.
Food security is also addressed by the
resurrection of rare breeds into small scale farming. Our industrial
farming complexes are dependent on a very narrow genetic base, so what
happens when disease, infertility or other issues threaten that narrow
base? There will be nowhere to turn if the rest of the genetic material
within the species (breeds) has been abandoned and lost forever. The
wholesale destruction of a species, which poses a transgenic threat to
humans, is a reality (bird flu), and this is but one possible threat to
food security. So this is not some theoretical scare mongering
scenario, many geneticists agree that farm based genetics have become
perilously narrow. That said; some geneticists would feel the answer
lies in engineering the problems away – but that is another issue, and
I won't go there today.
So maintaining rare breeds is not about
the cute and cuddly, as this is subjective, it’s about maintaining
genetic diversity and security in our foods. The same issues are being
addressed with fruit and vegetable growers, who have created and
maintain large seed banks of non-hybridised heirloom varieties. The
heritage value of rare breeds is also very important, although far more
difficult to assess.
The solution to this problem of genetic simplification and neglect, may seem at first glance to be a paradox. We must eat rare farm breeds, to save them. By eating them they acquire a 'value' by being in demand. This demand means other small farmers will take note of the niche demand, and supply it. So the solution is a simple formula; eating rare breeds creates demand, farmers respond to supply this demand, in so doing the consumers (co-producers) and farmers save an endangered breed. The slow food movement has correctly identified and renamed 'consumers' as 'co-producers'. Without exception, our choices create the future, and to quote Wendell Berry (again) "eating is an agricultural act."
So please eat less meat, and if and when you do eat meat, eat rare breeds. Go for quality over quantity and rare breeds over factory farmed animals; if you buy local and organic as well, you'll be doing the world and your taste buds a favour.The Southside Farmers Markets are a great success for us, ‘great’ in a micro kind of way. Beef.
Once again we are struggling to supply the demand for our beef. We will
run out of beef mince sometime during this coming Sunday 8th July, so
first in first served. Beef mince will be back on the menu Sunday 5th
August. So far, all are singing the praises our new beef sausages.
These are our pure Belted Galloway Beef Sausages, with fresh tomato,
onion and garlic added. It seems we got the balance right; some flavour
for the adults and devoured by children. These are still in natural
casings and use the Coeliac meal, so are gluten and preservative free.
Someone asked for the sodium content of the sausages and it is 830mg
per 100grams or 0.0083%. This is ‘low salt’, but not low enough for
someone on a medically restricted sodium diet.
Pork mince
and sausages are once again available. We are being told that a 50:50
mix of pork and beef mince makes the best; Bolognese sauce, meatballs
and meat patties. Pork mince is a staple in Asian cooking too. I'm told
Asians prefer ‘black’ pigs, we are happy to oblige with the Wessex
Saddlebacks.
I read with interest an article by Jane Adams in
July’s issue of Cuisine, the self proclaimed “world’s best food
magazine”. She and I hold surprisingly similar views. I thought I was
reading my own words paraphrased at times, particularly the bits about
Peruvian Asparagus, factory farmed organic, food miles, reconnecting
with our food and truly free range eggs. It’s quite a good article on
food trends, and is an inkling that my ‘weird views’ are becoming
mainstream.
Well if you’ve got to the bottom of this, you are in
the extreme minority of Australians who are not time poor. Please say
hello to us at the Southside Farmers Markets if you visit, we like meeting our 'co-producers'.
14 June 2007
Warning! We are running out of beef. We are micro or 'boutique' producers at the best of times, but the drought, means we are running very low numbers of cattle. We also refuse to 'buy in' animals and sell them as our own, it's not ethical or in good taste (pun intended). This means that when the current lot are sold, there will be a wait of up to 6 months before any more steers are ready to join the food chain. We will be genuinely sorry if you miss out, but this is how nature works. If this happens, try some of our pork, it's getting wonderful reviews.
It takes us years to produce good beef; it is a slow process - quality takes time. From conception in paddock, to perfection on plate, takes nearly 3 years all up. So we simply can't 'produce on demand', nature won't allow it. People are understandably sceptical when we say, "this is an exclusive product, of slow growth, limited in quantity, and demand is high", it really does sounds like a sales pitch. However, Nature imposes very real limits to our production and growth.
Of course in an economically rational world, we could put up our prices until demand slowed and balanced with supply. However we prefer a more egalitarian model - 'first in, first served'.
We will be back at the Southside Farmers Market this coming Sunday 17 June. The only beef available will be our pure beef sausages. We will have lots of pork available.
On Sunday 24 June we will again have beef available for sale. However, this will only be 3 steers and one is presold. So we will only have 8 quarters or 16 eighths available, after that the next lot will be available in late spring.
28 May 2007
Business (sweat equity) opportunity at Mountain Creek Farm! We
are seeking a person or persons to resurrect the market garden, and
perhaps start a plant nursery. We have the land, with good soils, lots
of manures and lots of water! All very close to Canberra (20 minutes to
Weston Creek). We don't have the time to run a market garden, but would
like one on farm, so want to offer the opportunity to someone else to
grow (pun intended).
The infrastructure is all in place;
irrigation pipes, take off points and taps. We also have a large amount
of irrigation pipe, connections, filters, drippers, micro sprays and
bits and pieces. The water is gravity fed, and comes from a spring fed
dam, several megalitres in size. We still have lots of water in this
drought. Rabbit and roo fencing is almost complete with a little
maintenance required. The site is gently sloping with a north easterly
aspect and sheltered from the westerly winds.
We envisage
someone growing seasonal vegies, and then taking these to the Farmers
Markets, resturants, etc. We can help with establishment, as we have
the machinery and tools required. Hoop houses can be arranged. There is
a clean caravan on site that could be used for overnight stays during
peak season.
What do we want in return? The garden needs to
be organic, we will supply biodynamic preps (made on farm) which we
expect to be applied. We also expect the creation and maintenance of
compost heaps for the vegie garden. If we received some downgrade
vegies as payment that is enough for us.
If you know anyone
with a passion for organic growing, that may be interested, please send
them our way. I believe this to be a great opportunty for a self
starter, as there is effectively no dollar outlay. We will need to be
assured of any applicants integrity, so a 'user friendly' selection
process will apply. This is a long term proposition.
27 May 2007
The farmers markets are a success and we will continue going every Sunday. Funnily enough, and after only two outings, we are becoming 'known' as evangelists for sustainable farming. Customers are sending people to 'check us out', and it appears that our way of farming and 'doing business' is appreciated.
Please note we will not be at the markets for the June long weekend (June 10). We are having that rare commodity - a short break. We will be back the following Sunday and thereafter.
Rave reviews are coming in about the pork - they will be posted in the feedback area shortly. Truth is it's a little embarassing to have people gushing praise for our pork, it caught us by surprise. We expected to have to work at improving quality for some time, but it appears that free range Wessex Saddleback pork has 'hit the deck running'. We will continue to work at improving quality, and we expect to see further improvements in our 'real taste heritage meat'. Mainly through improved nutrition.
Belted Galloways. Our first calf for the year has arrived! A gorgeous A grade black Belted Galloway stud heifer. She's not of our breeding which is why she came so early; we don't normally commence calving until early spring. A new calf is aways a delight and puts a spring in your step.
17 May 2007
We are now at the Southside Farmers Markets every Sunday 9am - 12 noon.
(but not the June long week end)
The
markets are located on the CIT Campus, corner of Hindmarsh Drive and
Ainsworth Street, Phillip. We will be taking both beef and pork mince
and sausages, honey and eggs. We will be taking orders for bulk meat,
and then will bring the orders to the markets the following Sunday.So if you're up and about on a Sunday morning with nothing better to do, come and say hello.
13 May 2007
We have two new Wessex Saddleback sows on farm. Delightful girls they are too. They are on pasture close to the house whilst they settle in. We have built them a straw bale house and this is warm and dry; friends have tell us "it's just as well they are no wolves in Australia to huff and puff!". I'd like to see them try as the bales are 8 x 4 x 3 feet and weigh 400 kilos each.