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