News and Blog
Happy New Year!
We hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season and were able to spend time with family and friends. Christmas is such a busy time for everyone that we often forget to slow down and just enjoy being with family. We had a wonderful Christmas and a very busy December. We are excited to be starting a new year. We have so much planned for 2012 and lots of announcements for you in this newsletter.
First off, small drum roll....Our 2012 CSA program is now available for you. This year we will again be offering our Adopt-A-Hen (eggs) share and Poultry Share plus we are adding a Soap share and A Goat's Milk Herd Share Program. You can download our brochure by clicking here and you can easily sign up going to the Member Sign-up section under the Farm Store tab on our website. The Goat's Milk Herd Share program gives you partial ownership in our herd of Nubians and under this program, you will receive raw goat's milk each week. This program is new and we will have a very limited number of shares available. If you have questions about any of the CSA programs, please contact me.
Our next announcement is that our 2012 Workshop & Class schedule is now available and it is a FULL Schedule! There is something for everyone and we can even design a special program for groups of 8 or more. (Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Home-schoolers, etc) You can review our line-up by clicking here. We've increased the number of Soap Making classes since they were so popular last season and are starting classes earlier in the season. We hope you'll plan on attending some of our classes and bring a friend.
We are adding a new program "Soap Making Parties". If you are looking for a unique way to celebrate a birthday, bridal shower, or baby shower, consider hosting a soap making party. We come to your location and your guest get to learn a new skill and take home their own creations. Details are available by clicking here
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We made a quick trip to Missouri right before Christmas to pick up my Christmas present. Pearl and Little Bitty. Pearl, pictured above, had her baby before we picked her up. Little T-Bone is doing very well and growing like crazy. Bitty is due to have her calf anytime now so I am watching and waiting. Both girls are percentage Belgian Blues. If you google Belgian Blue, you'll be able to see just how muscular these cows get. I will be updating the website soon to have more information about the breed. Right now, I am just enjoying getting to know the girls and having them getting to know me. It didn't take them long to figure out that the lady with the food bucket is OK. Our trip was quick, but we did have a great time. It was an 8 hour drive to get there and well....about 10 1/2 hours home because we missed an important turn and took the scenic route. But everyone arrived happy and healthy. My two little Dairy heifers, Josie and Clarabell, finally discovered that they are cows and not goats. We let the big girls get used to the little girls through the fence before we put them all together, but had no problems at all. The little girls play with T-Bone daily. I will post pictures of Bitty's baby as soon as it arrives.
A quick update on everyone else: All of the "girls" are bred and we will be seeing our first Nubian kids towards the end of Feb. It is always an exciting time when the baby goats start arriving. The hens have gone into slow-down mode. When the days get shorter and the weather colder, the hens decide it is not important to lay as many eggs. I guess everyone is entitled to a vacation now and then. The horses are fat and happy in the pasture. I ride when I get the chance and the weather cooperates. And, well, the dogs and barn cats are always up to something.
The seed catalogs are arriving almost daily and believe it or not, it will be time to start getting the garden ready for planting soon. Time really does fly by......
The Staff of Hidden Springs Farms
Hi to Everyone & Merry Christmas,
It's hard to believe that it is December already. Another year is almost over. We hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with their friends and families. I will admit, it is much quieter around the farm now that the turkeys are all gone. I've heard from many of our customers that purchased a turkey from us this year and everyone gave high marks!
The weather has been typical Tennessee weather. One day sunny and 70 and the next day, cold, windy, and temps in the 30's. We've had a considerable amount of rain and honestly, my goats all informed me that they were moving to South Texas and I said I'd go with them. Goats don't like rain and neither do I.
We had a wonderful time at the Christmas Sampler in Springfield the beginning of November and were happy to see so many of your there. Our goat's milk soap was a big hit and we met many new friends. If you are starting your Christmas shopping, don't forget our wonderful soaps. You can order right on our website (or if you are local, just give us a call) and we have a special gift for our readers who order online. If you order $25.00 or more between Dec. 1st and Dec. 15th, enter the promotion code Merry and you'll receive $5.00 off. That's like getting a free bar of soap or a free jar of Gardener's salve. Also, we have a new program that is a perfect gift: Our Soap of the Month Club. You can sign up for 3, 6, or 12 months and have the option for 2 bars or 3 bars of soap sent to you OR a friend each month. You can download details by clicking here. We will send a card announcing your gift and take care of the shipping each month. If you have questions about the program after reviewing the details, just email us.
We often get visitors at the farm and usually enjoy having them. This little fellow was not quite so welcome. Going out to close the door to the chicken coop one night after dark, I turned the corner and ran right into him. Not sure who was more scared, me or him. Anyways, our son set a trap right outside the chicken coop, and sure enough, he was captured. I don't want to share my eggs with a opossum. No worries, we do catch and release, so he was "relocated".
Right after Christmas, we will have two new additions to the farm. Pearl and Little Bitty, two percentage Belgian Blue heifers will be coming from Missouri. (well, technically, they are bred heifers and once they deliver their calves, they will be called Cows....I'm am still learning my Cow Terminology.) Belgian Blue are very muscular cows. We're excited and of course, will keep you posted on how thing are going. Here's a photo of Little Bitty:
In January, we will be listing our 2012 Workshop & Class Schedule. We have lots of exciting workshops & classes planned for you. We will also have information on our Poultry CSA, Egg CSA, and more. We are excited about the New Year!
In closing, we want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy,Happy New Year! We appreciate all of you and the support and friendship you've given us. We have met so many wonderful people and love what we are doing. Have a WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON!
The Staff of Hidden Springs Farms
The leaves are changing colors and the mornings have been crisp and cool. A few mornings even felt like we'd skipped fall all together and went directly to winter. Anyways, we love fall her on the farm. Things are starting to slow down and the cooler weather makes it so enjoyable to be outside. The horses are starting to get their winter coats and it won't be long before they are all wooly!
Thanks to everyone that supported the Robertson County Farmer's Market this year. We had our last market this past Saturday. It was a great year and we so enjoy meeting and seeing everyone. Amazing as it is, it won't be long before we are all back at the market again!
OK, so now for the Pig update: WE ARE PIG FREE! YES! Jon, our oldest son came over last Tuesday and after lots of pulling and pushing, we got the pigs loaded in the trailer. My parents were also here and helped to keep the pigs from pushing down the small alleyway I made to get them from the pen to the trailer. I am sure if we had a video camera rolling, we could have won America's Funniest Video. The pigs screamed their heads off and Jon says the smell will never get out of his boots. Now I am just waiting for the processor to call and let me know I can pick up the finished products. I am a huge animal lover but I can honestly say I did NOT shed a single tear when Porkchop, Hambone, and Wilbur left.
This weekend is the Christmas Sampler in Springfield. This is a huge event and we are very excited to be attending this year. The event is at "The Center" in downtown Springfield, and runs Friday, Nov. 4th from 4:00 - 9:00 pm and Saturday, Nov. 5th from 8:30 - 5:00 For more details you can visit the website at: www.christmassampler.org
Our calves, Josie and Clarabell, have been weaned now. I have to say, I do miss our daily bottles. I am sure both girls would agree. They are getting big and Clarabell was actually sick. But, thanks to our neighbors, the Gunn's, Clarabell got a big shot and is doing great now. Josie by far has the biggest personality. She just wants to be loved on. Here she is giving our grandson, Tyler, a cow kiss:
The Turkeys are entering their final month. We will be driving them to Bowling Green on the 22nd of November. I still have a couple available for Thanksgiving if anyone is interested. They are looking very good. It will be so quiet once they leave. It is amazing how loud they can be. Every little sound causes them to sound off.
I've had several emails asking about our classes. We will start back up in late Feb/early March. We rest and recover during Nov/Dec/Jan. We will have some new classes this year plus our most popular soap-making, raising chicken & goats, and making herbal salves will be offered more frequently.
As we enter November, we wanted to take a minute to wish everyone a Wonderful Thanksgiving! We are thankful for family and friends and all of our customers. So, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!
The Staff of Hidden Springs Farms
Hi to everyone!
The last few days we've had a taste of fall here in Tennessee. It was only in the upper 30's Sunday morning. I'm not complaining...I am ready for the cooler weather. It has been a long hot summer. The horses are starting to get their winter coats and the days are getting shorter, so it won't be long before we will be braving wintery weather. The animals are all enjoying the cooler weather. The turkeys are counting the days until Thanksgiving....
Fall is a wonderful time of year. For those of you with home-school groups or others that simply would like to visit the farm, fall is a great time to do it. You can email us for details and we can schedule a convenient time for you to come.
Just a few more weeks of the Robertson County Farmer's Market. If you haven't been lately, you need to plan to visit. The weather has been great this growing season so there are still lots of veggies available. Last week I saw several types of peppers, sweet potatoes, beans, lettuce, raddishes, pumpkins, and more. Take advantage of eating local!
We are still getting ready for the Christmas Sampler (Nov. 4th & 5th) in Springfield. Here are some of our newest products that we will have for sale:
Peppermint Food Scrub
Felted Soap (a washcloth and soap all in one!)
Cupcake Soap.....yep, its soap. Looks good enough to eat, but do not recommend it.
We wanted to share a recipe with you that is prefect for these cooler nights. And, also quick and easy to make.....I love quick and easy:
Cha Cha's White Chicken Chili
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm.
This is comfort-food. Serve it with some homemade crushy bread.....as my grandson says "yummy!"
Have a WONDERFUL October!
The Staff of Hidden Springs Farms
August really seemed to fly by and we are already into September. I was hoping that September would bring cooler weather, but we are not off to a cooler start yet. The forecast looks promising for next week, but we will see how that goes.
There is so much happening on the farm these days. First, here's the piglet update: Well, they aren't piglets anymore. They stop being cute after the 1st week of having them. A gallon of fresh goat's milk everyday, all leftovers and garden scraps, and 150 lb of hog feed a week, and these guys are well on their way to the butcher. They absolutely LOVE the goat's milk and basically run in circles for watermelon, apple peels, or tomatoes. And, apparently there is nothing finer then a good mud bath if you are a pig. I told Ken that I will fatten them up for 30 more days and then they are taking their final drive. I can't WAIT for October to get here.
We will have 1 pig for sale. If you are interested in putting some fresh pork in your freezer, let me know and I will send you details.
I've sold all of my little bucklings from this year's kids. It is always hard to see the little ones go, but I can't keep them all. I kept the 3 doelings: Lillie, Zoie, and Tye-Dye. They will be future milkers for us. It is almost time for romance at Hidden Springs Farms. Isabell and Olivia will be spending time with Roo, our buck, starting in October. So we will be expecting our first kids in late Feb. or early March. Gwendolyn and Gracie will visit Roo next and then Daisy will be last. I just weaned her two boys and am milking her so I want to take advantage of having at least 1 doe in milk for awhile longer.
Clarabell and Joise, our little dairy heifers, are doing awesome. Oh I do love these girls. They are still on the bottle and love to get their necks and heads scratched. I know I will have to wean them one day, but right now I am enjoying being a cow mom.
I know it is still a bit early to think about Thanksgiving, but here's a nice picture of our turkeys. You can reserve one for your Thanksgiving table starting now. These guys will take their final drive to our Bowling Green process on November 22nd. You can't get much fresher then that! If you are interested in a Turkey, let me know and I will get you all of the details.
I went to Shade Tree Farm & Orchard today and picked up some fabulous apples! I love to get apples local. The taste is wonderful. I picked up a 1/2 bushel and tomorrow I am going to make some apple pie filling for the freezer and do a bit of dehydrating. We love snacking on dried apples. If you are looking for a place to take the family, visit Shade Tree Farm and Orchard. Their website is www.head2thefarm.com They have a great little store on the property with all kinds of local items. And, tell Sarah and Tommy I said "hi". Oh and if anyone is bored tomorrow, I have an extra knife or two and lots of apples to peel.
We hope that everyone enjoys their long Labor Day weekend. It's a great time to get together with friends and family. We are going to spend some time putting in our fall garden. Lettuce, spinach, radishes, cabbage, and peas are part of the plan. And, don't forget, the Robertson County Farmer's Market will be open again starting September 10th from 8:30 until noon.
I will leave you with this picture.....I think you will agree, it is a wonderful view to wake up to each morning!
Come for a Visit!
The Staff of Hidden Springs Farms
Yes, we know it is summer. And yes, we know that we live in the south and should expect this. But, being hot and sweaty at 6:00 am is NOT fun. Luckily, it is August which means we are getting closer to fall. We hope that you are all doing fun things to stay cool. Swimming pools, running through the sprinkler, relaxing in the shade with a cool glass of iced tea?
We have a new word on the farm: "Pigified". Getting Pigified is what happens when you enter the Pig Pen to feed them. Oh yes, we have 3 little pigs: Porkchop, Hambone, and Wilbur. They won't be staying with us long. Just until they are big enough to go into the freezer. I thought they were cute when they arrived as newly weaned piglets. Now a month later, they have more then doubled their weight and basically rush me anytime I enter the pen to give them more feed. Honestly, it freaks me out. Has anyone seen "Silence of the Lambs". I will give them credit. They are smart. They have figured out that I bring goat's milk to them after I finish milking the last doe. As soon as they see Olivia go back into the pasture, they stand at the gate doing that piggy yell until I bring it to them. Tyler thought they were "cool" until he got PIGIFIED! They rub their muddy noses all over you. I think they are trying to figure out if they can eat me.......yuck
I think I will stick with the goats and calves. They are much more fun. We are busy with milking for another month or so. The girls have settled in nicely to the routine. Gwendolyn is a true professional. I open the gate, she walks to the stand, jumps up and enjoys her grain while I milk her. The other girls require a bit more convincing (which means I have to lead them to the stand), but over all, it is a relaxing time. Here's Gwendolyn standing pretty
Clarabell and Josie are getting bigger and boy do they know when it is bottle time. I can hear them Moo-ing for me as soon as I head over to the barn. They are very sweet and oh, so pretty. They are eating grain now (actually, they prefer the goat chow and the nannies like the calve chow...go figure) I should wean them soon, they still seem like babies to me. We love to watch them graze in the evening. I am sure that they are the prettiest little calves around!
We are still at the farmer's market each Saturday. We've seen a lot of you there. If you haven't been, please join us. We have so many vendors this year and lots and lots of wonderful produce, meats, and milk....
We will be at the Christmas Sampler this year! We will have our soaps, lotions, lip balms, dried herbal products, and more. I know its early to be telling you but its hard to get into the Sampler as a vendor so we're extra excited to have been invited.
And finally, a quick recipe for Homemade Chicken Salad. I made this on Sunday using EVERYTHING (except the nuts) from either our farm or another Robertson County Farmer. All I can say is AWESOME!!
2 Cups Roasted Chicken chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 Cup grapes sliced in half
1/4 Cup chopped onion
1/4 Cup sliced almonds
2 TB chopped fresh parlsey
1 TB chopped fresh dill
1/2 ts. curry powder
1/2 Cup Homemade Mayo
Salt & Pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients. Serve on fresh bread or on a bed of lettuce with fresh tomatoes.
As always, we appreciate your support and friendship. Have a great August!
The Staff of Hidden Springs Farms
We hope you are enjoying your summer. It is a crazy time on the farm these days. We've had a lot of rain this year so grass needs to be cut all of the time and the weeds, well, let's just say that I have more weeds in my garden then veggie. I am going to try to pull them all. I think 48 hours worth of pulling will do the trick.
The benefit of lots of rain is lots of veggies. So far, we have canned or put in the freezer: green beans, broccoli, snow peas, strawberry and Blackberry jam, pickles, zucchini relish, and Spicy Red Cabbage. All of my relatives originally came from Germany so we L-O-V-E red cabbage. Here is the finished product:
Here's the recipe:
12 pounds of red cabbage (about 3 large heads)
1/2 cup canning salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup mustard seed
1/4 cup mace
2 quarts red wine vinegar
1/4 cup whole cloves
1/4 cup allspice
1/4 cup peppercorns
1/4 cup celery seed
2 sticks of cinnamon
Remove outer leaves and then shred cabbage. Layer cabbage and salt in a large bowl. Cover, let sit for 24 hours. Rinse and drain well on paper towel for about 6 hours. Combine sugar, mustard seed, mace, and vinegar in large pan. Tie whole spices in a spice bag or cheesecloth and add to vinegar. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove spice bag. Pack cabbage into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Ladle hot liquid over cabbage, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust 2 piece caps. Proces 20 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Don't eat it right away.....let it rest for a few weeks. Then dig in!
Animal Update: We have a new addition to the farm. His name is Brutus and he is a Nigerian Dwarf Goat. He is adorable! He is 1/2 the size of our Nubian kids that are the same age. He is very friendly and has beautiful blue eyes. We will breed him (somehow) to our younger Nubian nannies and the result will be a mini-Nubian.
We have a couple Nubian Bucklings for sale if anyone is interested, just let me know and I will send you some photos. Also, our Mare, Bonnie, is for sale. Three horses and 1 rider is a bit much. :>) Our calves, Josie and Clarabell are doing very well. They are waiting for me every morning and every evening for their bottles. They are in with the Nubian Nannies, who totally ignore them. And, just when you thought we couldn't add anything else, I have the 3 Little Pigs arriving on Tuesday. No need to worry, they aren't staying long. I plan on namnig them: Bacon, Ham, and Sausage. I'll post pictures of them in the next newsletter. Our Thanksgiving turkeys are growing like crazy and if you are interested in a farm raised Turkey for your Thanksgiving this year, you can reserve one. Do it early. We sold out last year and had a waiting list.
If you haven't been to the Robertson County Farmer's market yet, you really need to come by. Every Saturday from 8:30 - noon at the Robertson County Fair Grounds. Every week there is more and more there. Last week we saw the first tomatoes! And sweet corn, peaches, blackberries, blueberries, and more. Yummy!
We just have one class scheduled in July. Our Soapmaking class has a couple openings left. It will be held Saturday, July 9th from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the farm. (yes, we'll be inside in the AC) The class is $35.00 and we will be learning about making cold process soaps. This month: Goat's Milk Soap. If you are interested in attending, send us an email early. We keep this class small so everyone have plenty of personal instruction.
If you've been reading our newsletters, you know we are in the process of getting our kitchen certified so we can bring you some homemade goodies. We had expected to have everything in place in June, however, its taking a bit longer to keep the USDA happy. We will keep you posted.
We hope everyone has a fun and fabulous 4th of July! Be safe. Enjoy your family and friends. And, don't forget to EAT LOCAL!
Happy Summer!
The Staff of Hidden Springs Farms
After a very soggy spring, it seems that Summer has arrived. If you are in the Mid West or South, I am sure you've been through some terrible storms. We have been very fortunate. Some of the storms were really bad but all of our buildings are still standing and all of the animals are fine. We did loose some trees. This 100+ year old Oak tree fell during the last storm. It has left a large blank space in our landscape and we are grateful that it fell away from out building instead of on it. It is hard to tell from the picture just how big it is, but let's just say, we'd probably get several good years of firewood out of it.
We have a few new additions to our farm that arrived just this week: Clarabell and Josie, are week old dairy hiefers (Holstein and Jersey crosses) who we are bottle feeding twice a day. They are smaller then our Nubian Nannies right now but if they keep eating like they are, they will exceed them rather quickly. We don't plan on having these two with us for a long time, but until they are old enough to sell. Then, we'll find the full Jersey that we'd like. But until then, we are enjoying them. They are adorable!
OK, so these are my very first cows and I am rather clueless I will admit. I am lucky to have people around me who I can call that are experts. It is nice to have good friends!
If you haven't been to the Robertson County Farmer's Market yet, you are MISSING OUT! We are having a ball and there are more vendors this year and lots and lots of fresh, locally grown items for purchase. We spent last weekend weeding the garden. Oh, it was HOT and we probably drank a gallon or two of water each day but it is amazing what you can find in the weeds. Like Zucchini ready to be picked and green bean plants loaded with flowers. And Garlic ready to be harvested. Weeding is not our favorite chore and it does seem like the weeds grow faster then the veggies. But it is one of those things you have to do. It would be easier just to spray the heck of out it, but we really don't want to do that. If you get a chance, come by the Farmer's Market, each Saturday from 8:30 - noon at the Robertson County Fairgrounds. This week we will have fresh Lavender and fresh Garlic in addition to our eggs, chickens, herbs, soaps and lotions.
Now, BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: We are finalizing having our kitchen certified by the state of Tennessee and the USDA so we can bake herbal breads, herbal jellies, and GOAT'S MILK FUDGE!! Oh yes, fresh fudge made from our fabulous herd of Nubians goats. "Nosiy Nannies Goat's Milk Fudge" will be sold at the farmer's market and through our website. We will have three flavors to start with:
* Udderly Chocolate
* Udderly Peanut Buttery
* Udderly Nuts
We should be up and running by the end of June...so ladies, get ready for your chocolate fix!
Thanks to all of you that joined our May classes. We had a great time teaching you about raising chickens, goats, and making soaps and herbal salves. We have a few classes scheduled for June and you can register just by emailing us:
June 11, 2011: Raising Chickens Workshop, 1:00 - 3:00 $35.00
June 20, 2011: Herbal Salves and Lip Balm: 6:00 - 8:00, $25.00
You can get more details on our classes on our website.
Well, we hope that all of you are doing well. Plan a trip to visit us.
Happy Summer!
The Staff of Hidden Springs Farms
You can probably tell that I do not like all of this rain. I need some sunshine! I am sure it is on its way, but I would really love to see it soon. We hope that all of you made out OK with all of the nasty storms we've had over the last few weeks. With the exception of having a few trees go down, we've been just fine.
We have a big pond that has never held water. It used too before we purchased the farm, but once we had it cleaned up, it just doesn't want to keep water. Today, I got an idea of what it would look like if it held some water.....so much rain has fallen that it actually has water in it.
We had a great time last Saturday. The Robertson County 4-H Goat group came out to learn more about goats and specifically, more about dairy and fiber goats. The kids had a wonderful time. We also held our first Chicken Workshop of the year and had a great group come and spend the afternoon with us. We think everyone had a great time and learned a lot about starting their own flock. May 2011 will be an workshop filled month for Hidden Springs Farms. Here is our line-up:
| Date: | Class | Cost |
| May 14th, 2-4 pm | Herbal Salves & Lip Balm | $25 |
| May 15th, 3-5 pm | Growing Herbs | $20 |
| May 21st 2-6 pm | Canning 101 | $65 |
| May 24th 6-8 pm | Soap Making | $35 |
| May 28th 2-6pm | Goats 101: Raising Goats | $40 |
All classes require pre-registration. Our Canning Class has a limited class size so if you are interested, sign up early! You can register via email or through our e-commerce tab on our website.
Mark your calenders for May 7th! The Robertson County Farmer's Market will be re-opening and we are EXCITED! We will be in the same location as last year,The Robertson County Fair Grounds, and the time will change just a bit to 8:30 am - Noon. We will have chicken, eggs, lettuce, radishes, soap, lotion, and more. In fact, this year, if you don't want to miss out on getting your eggs or favorite veggie but don't want to get up too early, you can order your items through our site! On Wednesday before the market opens, we will post what we will have available. Simply place your order and then pick it up at the Farmer's Market anytime between 8:30 and Noon. We'll have it all ready for you!! If you have questions on how it works, just let us know. We'll help you out. We will also be accepting VISA & MasterCard at the market! Technology is a good thing.......
Mother's Day is right around the corner. If you are looking for a special gift for Mom, why not send her some of our Goat's Milk Soap and lotions? We can put together a nice package and have it delivered to her. Just shoot me an email and we'll figure out how to make Mom very happy this year!
Now, here's what's happening with all of our critters. The baby goats are growning like weeds. Gwendolyn's twins are as cute a they can be. Lilly and her brother have discovered the leaning tree and find it a great place to climb, jump, and play.
The hens are laying like crazy now and so are the Turkeys, Gertie and Alisa. We should have some baby turkeys in about a month. Diego just struts around all day. Sonny and Cher, our ducks have settled in nicely. I keep seeing a wild Mallard that want to move into one of the ponds but Sonny will not share his space. Everytime the Mallard tries to land, Sonny knocks the fire out of him. I guess our ponds are not big enough for more ducks.
Emma and the puppies are doing great. The puppies will be weaned on May 29th and heading to their new homes. We still have a few left if you are looking for a good livestock guardian.
We've been planting (in between rain storms) and our grandson, Tyler, loves digging in the dirt. He found a lot of worms while helping PaPa plant some corn, beets, and turnips back in the wildlife area.
Hope to see you all at the Farmer's Market and remember to plan a farm visit this year. Until next month, stay dry and think "SUNSHINE".
The Staff of Hidden Springs Farms
With our last newsletter, we were on baby watch. And, we are pleased to announce that we have several new additions to the farm. Olivia delivered triplets and Isabell had twins. The colors are amazing and really, there is nothing cuter then a baby goat. Olivia has two girls and one little boy. The little boy gave us a scare has he decided to enter the world the wrong way so he had to be pulled. After a little extra care during the 1st hour, he is doing awesome. Isabell had boys. We will have the little bucks up for sale after weaning (the beginning of June) but we will be keeping both of the little girls. Our grandson has picked his goat and named her Zoie and the other little girl is Ty-Dye.
Gwendolyn is due next and we'll let you know what she has!
We are happy to announce our 2011 CSA. After much consideration, we have decided not to do our Veggie CSA BUT we are doing 2 new programs for you.
* Adopt A Hen (Egg Share): This share will provide members with a dozen eggs each week, a stewing hen at the end of the season, and a 5 gallon bucket of our chicken poop compost.
* Poultry Share: This share will provide members with 2 whole chickens each month (May - Oct). Our chickens are raised in the pasture and are processed by a USDA facility.
If you are interested in participating or know of someone who would be, you can get all of the details by clicking here. Signs up are done online AND if you sign up before April 20th, you can use the discount code EARLYBIRD and receive 10% off your order.
The Robertson County Farmer's Market is due to start May 7th. We will be in the same location, the Robertson County Fair Grounds and the market will operate from 8:30 until Noon each Saturday. We are going to offer something a little different this year for customers. Each week we will offer you the opportunity to pre-buy your veggies, soaps, and herbs through our website. No more having to get up early or missing out on items you want. Each Wednesday before the Saturday Market, we will post on our website what we will have available. You will be able to place your order online and pay with your debit or credit card. We will pull your order before heading to the market and have it ready and waiting for you when you arrive! Simple and easy! We'll have more details to you before the start of the market.
We've been busy working in the garden (in between rain showers) and of course, making our goat's milk soap and lotion. Thanks to all of your that submitted the names and contact information for retail locations that you think will be great places for our goat's milk products. We are starting to reach out to those companies now. We will let you know how it goes.
This month we have our workshop on Raising Chickens. It is scheduled for April 23rd from 1 - 3 pm. We still have some spots left for those who might want to attend. You can sign up through our website or send us at note at info@hiddenspringsfarms.com The class is just $35.00 and we promise you'll have a great time while learning everything about raising chickens.
We are hosting the kids from the 4-H Goat Program later this month as well. It promises to be a lot of fun and we hope the kids will learn more about Dairy and Angora goats. We always enjoy having children on the farm.
Think Warm and Sunny Thoughts!
The Staff at Hidden Springs Farms