Season's Greetings from Hidden Springs Farms!

     We hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and was able to spend time with family and friends.  Thanksgiving was wonderful at Hidden Springs Farms.  Lots of food, lots of family, and loads of FUN!  We had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, hot-fresh rolls, and more.  After enjoying our meal, I do believe that everyone was ready for a long nap.  My favorite part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers.  Is there anything better than that?

    It's hard to believe that Christmas will be here soon.  The time just slips by so quickly.  Next week we will be starting our Christmas baking.  Each year we spend several days baking cookies & breads and making candy.  Then we wrap everything up and treat our neighbors and friends to some homemade goodies.  It's become a family tradition.  If you'd like to try one of our favorite recipes, we've included it here:

Mom's Chocolate Candy  (this is one that is very easy, BUT probably a million calories per bite.  Then again, it's Christmas so those calories don't count!!)

1 pound butter

2 Cups Brown Sugar

2 Giant Chocolate Bars or 12 regular-size (I use Hersey's)

Nuts (Optional)

Melt butter in a saucepan and add brown sugar and boil to the hard-cracked stage.  Pour into a buttered 13X9 pan.  Break chocolate bars over the top of the hot butter mixture and sprinkle with nuts (if desired)

Place into frig overnight.  In the morning, turnover onto counter and break into bite-size pieces using a hammer or mallet.  Store in frig.

     We had our first snowfall this week although it didn't stick, it was fun to watch it coming down.  The horses have their wooly winter coats on and the boer goats are enjoying their shelter.  The Angora goats, on the other hand, are LOV'IN the cool weather.  I suppose if we all had on fabulous mohair coats, we'd be warm too! In just 4 short months, we will have new kids on the ground.  We can't wait to see what our new Angora does, Betty & Megan, will bring us.

    If you are looking for a special gift for someone (or maybe yourself), don't forget about our dired herb products.  We have homemade soaps, dream pillow kits, bath teas, and more.  Most are listed on the e-commerce portion of our site, but if you are looking for something special, just send us an email and we will let you know what we have available.  These items make wonderful gifts.

   In closing, we want to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas.  We hope that you enjoy every moment and are able to spend some wonderful time with family and friends.  We are looking forward to having you visit us in the New Year!

   MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Staff of Hidden Springs Farm

Greetings Friends,

    The Fall weather is prefect at Hidden Springs Farms.  We are enjoying the cooler weather and the colorful changes in the leaves on the trees.  I've decided that in my next life, I'm coming back as a barn kitty.  As you can see, Tiger has it rough at the farm.  I think it must be nice to run and play in the pastures and then sleep with the cool breeze blowing lightly over you.  I snapped this picture of Tiger actually sleeping on the fence.  She woke up when Jake, our new border collie, got a bit to close. 

    Romance is also in the air at Hidden Springs Farms.  The boys are all with their ladies and everyone seems happy.  That means that we will have new kids arriving starting in March!  Sampson, our Angora Shire, has two new lady friends. Megan and Black Betty are playing a little hard to get, but Sampson is determined!  We've also added 6 yearling Angora wethers to the farm to keep Ernie and Isabella company.  We just finished doing the fall shearing so everyone will have time to put one a new angora coat before the really cold weather gets here. 

Another recent addition is our baby chicks.  It is unbelieveable how quickly these little guys and girls grow.  I think all they do is eat!  

We are getting ready for the colder weather because we know it will be arriving shortly.  The greenhouse was moved to a new location and we've moved several of our herbs indoors so we can continue to enjoy them even when the weather turns cold. 

    With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we thought you might enjoy this Stuffing Recipe.  Use fresh Sage for a fabulous flavor:

  Sage Stuffing

Greetings from Hidden Springs Farm,

   Oh how wonderful to finally have some cool, crisp mornings!  Fall is one of our favorite seasons at Hidden Springs Farms.  The colder weather makes it so enjoyable to be working on the farm.  We just had our hay cut and the hay fields look wonderful.  Our friend Barry does a great job getting the hay cut and baled.  All of the animals at Hidden Springs Farm will be enjoying tasty hay all winter and Barry's cows will be enjoying it as well. 

  With the cooler wether, there is also "Romance" in the air.  Our bucks have put on their perfume and are ready to entertain the ladies.  We will be putting the gentlemen in with the ladies this month so we will start kidding in late March. 

  We've harvested the majority of veggies from the garden now but the herbs are still going strong.  We will be adding a large greenhouse this fall so that we can expand our herb garden and this spring be able to sell small potted herbs to our customers.  Fresh herbs are so wonderful to add to your home-cooking and very easy to grown.  We are also planning our Spring herb classes so be sure to check our calendar for offers after the 1st of the year.

   Need something special to warm you up, try this easy pear cider recipe:

Hot Pear Cider

Greetings from Hidden Springs Farms,

   September is has finally arrived and hopefully we will soon be seeing some cooler weather.  Summer in middle Tennessee has been very hot and dry.  We were thankful to see some nice rain a week ago and with the storms in the Gulf of Mexico, maybe we will have some more heading our way shortly.  The pastures could use some more of the "wet-stuff". 

  We are preparing for breeding season which will begin in October.  Our bucks are busy making themselves smell pretty for the ladies.  I do wish they would pick a better cologne though.  Our little angoras are growing quickly.  Little Ernie, our bottle baby, will be leaving soon to find a new home with Jackie.  I will miss his cute little face.  We still have Issac and Ace available if anyone is interested in adding a fiber animal to their farm.  Angoras are mellow and easy to handle, but they are BEAUTIFUL.

 Our herb garden has enjoyed all of the dry weather we've had.  Our Oregano, Thyme, and mints have been growing like crazy.  My favorite herb has to be the Basil.  Its wonderful aroma adds so much to our meals.  Here's a very easy recipe that you can use to make your own home-made pesto for your pasta:

FRESH BASIL PESTO

2 Cups fresh Basil leaves, packed

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 Cup Pinenuts (can use walnuts as an option)

3 medium-size Garlic Cloves, minced

Put everything in a food processor or blender and mix until creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with paste, baked potato, or spread over french bread.  Can be frozen.

  We wish the best to you and your family.  Come and visit us soon.

The Staff of Hidden Springs Farms

Greetings from Hidden Springs Farm!

    August is half-way over and we are doing the rain dance at Hidden Springs farms.  It seems like it has been weeks since our last rain and the pastures are crying for some rain.  The weatherman says we have a good chance for rain later this week and we are keeping our fingers crossed.......and our "dancing shoes" on just in case the weatherman is wrong.

   We'd like to introduce Lincoln; the newest addition to our farm.  Lincoln is a 20 year old quarterhorse that acts like he is 1/2 his age.  I am new to quarterhorses so I am learning how to ride the trot.  Its a bit bouncey compare to the running walk that the Walking Horses do.  Lincoln is a gentleman and gets along very well with Bonnie and Rebel.  He is a big boy too; 16.3 hands.  And, he really likes to GO!

   We've sold all of our Boer kids but will have several Angoras for sale in October.  (Check out our sale barn page on the website for pictures.  www.hiddenspringsfarms.com)  The boer goat kids are cute, but I must admit, I have fallen head over heels for the angora kids.  Their colors are fabulous and they are as sweet as they can be.  Who couldn't fall in love with a face like this:

Litte Ernie and his brother Bert have the sweetest personalities.  The picture doesn't do justice.  You need to see these guys in person!

   We are still harvesting herbs and veggies from the garden.  There is nothing more enjoyable then harvesting fresh herbs from the garden.  The aroma fills the kitchen. In our next newsletter we will be featuring some receipes from Chef Elaine at the Lowes Vanderbilt.  Watch for those to be coming very soon! 

   We welcome you to visit us.  Call or email to schedule a time!

The Staff

Hidden Springs Farms

Greeting from Hidden Springs Farm!

     July is here, the weather is HOT, and we need some rain.  Summers are always challenging.  There is lots of work to do on the farm but the heat makes you want to enjoy the cool AC or sit in the shade drinking ice tea.  The goats don't seem to mind it though.  On any hot, sunny afternoon you can find the boer nannies and their little ones laying in the hot sun while the shade of the trees goes unused.  The angora goats tend to find a shady spot, but then again, if I was wearing an angora sweater, I'd be looking for shade as well!

   I had my first experience shearing the angora a little while back and thought I'd share my pictures.  I am not expert (that is obvious from the photos), but for my first shearing, I don't think I did too bad. 

BEFORE:

 AFTER:

  Venus and Holly have added to our Angora herd.  Holly had twins, a buck and a doe (one red brown and the other black).  Venus also had twins.  Two cute little black bucks. The little angoras are very different from the boer kids.  Their colors blend in so well with the trees and ground that I have difficulty finding them when momma decided to hide them away.  I'll have some pictures posted soon.  All I can say is "Cute! Cute! Cute!"

     We've spent the last two weekends cutting some new trails in the woods on our property.  It is wonderful being able to ride the horses into the woods and explore.  Rebel, my main riding horse, is a bit of a chicken, but after he figured out that the turkeys and deer weren't going to eat him, he relaxed and so did I. 

   We hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July and enjoy our update.

The Staff of Hidden Springs Farm

  There are more new babies on the ground at Hidden Springs Farms.  Eight new kids in the last 48 hours and still more to come.  These little guys and girls are beautiful.  Our #8 doe had a beautifully colored buckling (and his sister is pretty cute too) 

 I love the little white strip on his nose.  All of the momma's and babies are doing great!

  We also had a new visitor to our barn this morning.  A nice big Snapping Turtle decided that he liked the barn.  Emma found him and she and I decided to escort him out to the pond.  Hopefully he will decide to stay there.

   We like to thank Dani and her children for coming to visit this week.  We all had a great time playing with the new babies and visiting with the nannies.  Our #3 doe has a new home with Dani and family.  She will be a great addition to their family.  She is a sweet doe.

   If the rain will stop long enough, we will be able to get our hay cut very soon.  As was done in the old days, we have bartered the cutting of our hay.  We were lucky enough to find a farmer who raises cattle that will cut and bale our hay in exchange for taking a portion of it.  It works out prefectly for us since we do not need all 60 acres of hay for our animals.  It is a nice way for both families to benefit.

   We are waiting for you to visit!  Contact us soon.  We'd love to have you.

   May is a wonderful time to be at Hidden Springs Farm.  I just love all of the green.  The trees have their leaves, the hay pasture is tall and lush, and the herb garden is coming up wonderfully.  This past weekend, we weaned the 1st set of kids.  It is rather noisy right now as the does call for their kids and the kids call for them.  But everyone is settling in nicely and before long, the kids will forget about nursing and will be waiting for me to bring their feed. 

   Our little bottle baby, BB, is also being weaned.  It is very hard for me not to bring him a bottle when he starts calling me.  But, he is a big boy now!  BB has made friends with our new barn kitty Sissy. 

  Our angora goats, Venus, Weenie, and Holly have had their spring shearing and do look a bit silly without their beautiful coats.  Can you believe they are already growing back in.  It is amazing how quickly their coats grow.  Sam will be sheared this week.  I'm not as young as I used to be so after shearing three, my back decided it needed a rest.  Besides, Sam is a big boy so I will need my strength to shear him.

   We hope that you are enjoying the beautiful weather and wonderful colors of Spring.  We'd love to have you visit us sometime.  Just call or email. 

     Last weekend was spent planting all of our new herb plants.  Working the soil is hard but rewarding work.  It is wonderful to see all of the new plants in the garden and watching them grow.  The aroma is wonderful.  Basil, Tarragon, Rosemary, Sage, and more.  I can't wait for the Lavendar to begin although it will take some more sunny days for that to happen.  There is nothing better then smelling all of the aroma's and cooking with fresh herbs. 

   This year we are adding fresh cut flowers to our menu of items.  A large variety so that we can see what works best in our garden.  I think I will have just about every variety of sunflower.  The colors will be beautiful and I am sure will attract many birds, butterflies, and maybe even some bees. 

   We love this time of year.  Everything is growing and the pastures are a deep shade of green.  It won't be long before we are cutting hay and filling up the hay loft.  We will have hay for sale in addition to our veggies, flowers, and herbs.  Watch for us at the Robertson County Co-Op this summer.  We will list our dates and times on our calendar of events.  And remember, you are always welcome to come out to the farm and choose your own products.  Just call or email us to schedule a convenient time. 

     It seems that Mother Nature is playing tricks on us here at Hidden Springs Farms.  A few weeks ago we enjoyed some wonderful warm, sunny weather and this week we have freeze warnings.  We had a drought last year and this year the rain doesn't seem to want to stop.  Dressing in layers, including our muck boots is the only way to ensure we are covered for what Mother Nature has in store for us each day.

    But regardless of the weather, the beautiful colors of springs are here.  The patures have turned a wonderful deep shade of green and trees have begun to open their leaves.  The boer goat kids are having a wonderful time playing and butting heads.  Just one more month before we start weaning.  It is just about time to start planting the garden with new veggies and flowers for this season.  Our herbs are awakening from their winter sleep and the wonderful aroma is already starting to fill the air.

     This year, we will be selling our herbs, flowers, and veggies at the Robertson County Farmer's Co-Op.  Watch our calendar for days and time.