Bitterweed, Biochar and Bread, Oh My!

posted on

April 22, 2016


Hello Fellow SMALL Farm Enthusiasts!

Off taste in the milk!! It is a bad day when cows get into dog fennel , a weed that the cows like to eat in early summer and the milk can have a bitter taste. We only had 2 or 3 people complain but we know many of you are slow to say anything. I want to say please speak up as this is the only way we know we have issues AND we want to give credits and refunds appropriately, so do not be shy. We were actually not sure what was going on or if something was even wrong but then Alan Boyd from Tallahassee who partnered with us here for several years let us know that he had a little in several gallons and this tip was what we needed. Dog fennel is not harmful in any way in fact probably good for you but the taste is so awful you just do not like the milk. So if you got some of this let us know how many gallons please.

Brian and Angela did make it to NC and we take cows up to them on Friday the 22nd. They will milk cows and sell milk imed in the Raleigh Durham area and beyond. We gave them some cows and traded some for things, we had too many cows and dropped some that were not A-2, so now our herd is 80% double A-2 and we hope by fall this year to be 100% A-2.

We spread some Bio char and biologicals on a 3 acre test plot and we are waiting to see the results, stay tuned and we will let you know. Doing Hi cal lime and mycorriza fungi soon.

RAW LIVER!! During Alicia' last pregnancy she started feeling tired through out the day, at about 4 months gestation. She started taking the "Raw Liver Tonic" found in Nourishing Traditions and in a couple of days her energy was back up. If blending up raw liver into a shake does not appeal to you maybe this will: http://www.primallyinspired.com/friday-favorites-frozen-raw-liver-pills/

We have 10 boxes of sweet potatoes left at half price! $15 for a 40lb box, get’m while they last!

Really, truly awesome, old world bread that is worth eating and yes, maybe expensive but you will not need 3 loaves to fill you up either. We do not eat much bread but when we do we like a little bread with our butter. And we do love this amazing bread that is nutrient dense, living, healing, nourishing food. See below in the bakers own words.

The type of sourdough breads we produce are very difficult to find, and not much compares to them, when it comes to tasty & nutritious breads....here is why…..
We use only wild, living, bubbling sourdough cultures, created using ancient old world techniques that use long, slow fermentation combined with freshly stone ground organic or better whole grains, minutes before the fermentation process. This assures that we provide the best possible foods to the wild sourdough cultures which in turn makes the healthiest and tastiest breads that are:
Richly flavorful, satisfying and easier to digest, even for many who are Gluten Intolerant. The gluten is predigested in the fermentation process plus grains such as Spelt and Rye already have naturally lower levels of gluten than more modern hybridized grains.
Nutrient dense…packed with complex nutrients…a meal in a slice! Sourdough improves the mineral and vitamin bio-availability, making it substantially more nutritious. A super food of breads compared to anything you can buy in the market.
Our much slower fermentation process increases beneficial bacteria both in our bread and then in turn in your stomach by way of probiotics, as our breads are also a great source of fuel for your healthy gut flora.
Helpful for maintaining good blood sugar balance, as the long fermentation results in a lower glycemic index, without the usual spike in blood sugar levels, found in processed flours and breads. Diabetics are able to eat our sourdough bread as well.
Impressively long shelf life...the flavors and taste peak in two to three days after coming out of the oven, and then retain that for almost a week at room temp in a Ziploc bag. After that, putting them in the fridge can extend their life even longer. Our breads don’t really go stale or lose their flavor, but may dry out and then can be easily re-hydrated by adding water, milk, yogurt, juice, gravy, etc or by toasting to revive the full sourdough flavor.
All hand crafted.
Sourdough whole grain breads have a much better balance of protein to carbohydrates and have been used as a source of protein for thousands of years throughout history.
During our stone ground milling process, the grain is milled at a low speed which minimizes heat and helps keep the flour from losing fragile & valuable nutrients. As soon as grains are milled into flour, if not used immediately, they rapidly lose their nutritional value and start to go rancid. Some believe that within a few days there is little left of the original nutrients, which is why we use the flour as soon as we mill it.
Our philosophy is simple… if we feed our sourdough cultures with the highest quality & freshest foods possible, they will provide us with the richest tasting and nutritionally dense breads available. In summary, this bread is food that supports life from the moment it is created and enters the process of fermenting, to richly nourish your body and helps to support your overall well being.........which is why we call them 'Living Breads’.
Please visit our facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/Living-Breads-697014237068330/

Here are the goats playing in one of our sink holes. We have plenty of 100% grass fed goat's milk and kefir for sale. Tis the season!

Pork highlights...

With Brian and Angela gone we do not have much to report in this areas except that Ben, our apprentice, turned partner/employee has taken over the pigs. He is doing a great job and was trained by Brian on all the ins and outs of buying piglets, to caring for them as they grow and to finally being processed. We will miss Brian and Angela but we are also excited to keep the pig business going even if it is not at quite the level of production that Brian was doing.
We will not be taking any pigs to the butcher until July so we will be running out of pork but it will not stay that way for too long.

Thanks for being conscious consumers who vote with your pocket book by supporting our growing family of farms and budding entrepreneurs,
Dennis and Alicia and the FCF Team

 

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