Hello and welcome to the march newsletter for Laughing Duck Farm. Spring is just around the corner and we hope you have been warm and healthy all winter. Things were pretty cold there for a bit, but we made it through. Hopefully warm sunny days are on the horizon!
On the Farm
I’m not going to lie, those cold temperatures took a toll on the farm. Whenever it gets below zero for a long stretch, I lock our egg chickens in the coop with food and lots of warm straw and hope for the best. Even with everything we do, we will usually lose a couple of birds. This year we lost two roosters and a hen. Now some people may wonder why we are not heating our chicken coop. We do not do this because it can actually be even more dangerous than leaving the coop unheated. First of all, straw and heaters can make a very dangerous combination. Fire is a very real and devastating risk when farming. If our chicken coop were to catch on fire, our whole barn would likely go up in flames too. This would kill many animals as well as destroy all of their food, our store, and some very expensive equipment. I try to be very conscious of fire hazards and don’t mess around with heat lamps.
Supplemental heating can also pose health risks to outdoor animals. Bodies adjust to temperatures and going back and forth between warm and cold can actually make animals, and people, sick. We have found that our animals are much healthier if we skip supplemental heat and just make sure they have plenty of food, water, and clean bedding.
You may have seen that Dani the cow had her calf. She had a red bull calf on a very cold morning. She hadn’t been showing any signs of labor so she unfortunately had the calf out in the pasture. Luckily I happened to be out there checking on her at the exact moment she had him, so I was able to get them both in the barn right away. He seemed a little sluggish so we brought him in the house and let him warm up by the fire until he was completely dry and able to stand. Then he went right out back to mom so he could nurse and bond. We bought a second calf to help him drink all of the milk, and while she did prioritize her own calf, she did allow the other calf to nurse as well. Both calves seemed a little touch and go for a moment, but after a week or so, both were thriving.
Or so we thought.
About a week ago Dani developed an infection in her jaw. We had the vet come out and he did a number of things. The next morning I went out and her biological calf had passed away. This could be from any number of things. It may just be that he got too cold. It may have been a result of the medication she had been given or just due to failure to thrive. Because the other calf seems do be doing pretty well, I’m guessing it’s the last one.
The unplanned death of an animal on the farm is a very upsetting thing for me. It may seem weird that I care so much for animals that will eventually go into our freezer, but I do love and try to connect with all of the animals. I want them to live a good life, no matter how long or short. I want that life to be filled with good days, fresh air, sunshine, and health. I feel a responsibility to care for this earth and those creatures with no voices to be heard. I want to set an example of a better, more humane way to farm. Death on a farm, however, is unavoidable. There are hawks, there is weather, and sometimes there is just a lack of a will to live. Also, I think it is a good thing that unexpected death is so upsetting for me. It is proof that I still care deeply about what I am doing and it motivates me to explore better alternatives every day.
In the Store
I love it when people stop in the store! It’s so fun to meet new people and catch up with people we already know. We are trying to set up some permanent store hours. Times when you can stop in and not have to worry about setting up a time or checking to see if I’m available. I am thinking this time will be 9am to 6pm on Thursdays through Saturdays. I think this will give people a chance to stop in on their way up to their cabins as well as a couple of days for people who may work on the weekends. Please know that it is in no way an inconvenience for me to help people on other days. I am usually here, and I don’t mind stopping what I am doing to go out and help someone. I just know that not everyone is comfortable reaching out and setting up a time.
As for new products, there isn’t much this month. I am pretty much at maximum capacity for the size store we have right now. The only newer thing is a multigrain pancake mix. This mix is organic, whole grain, and made with sucanat instead of sugar. I personally love pancakes, and this mix is pretty good. We also have things to go with it such as maple syrup, breakfast sausage, and smoked ham steaks. If you are not a pancake lover, we also carry oatmeal and granola.
Bulk Food Ordering
Ordering food in bulk is a great idea. Not just for very large families, but also for those looking to save money or be prepared for a financial or natural disaster. If you are overwhelmed at where to start, I would suggest to start very simply. Just take a look at what your family buys most frequently, and start there. Maybe it is frozen fruit or vegetables. Maybe it is oatmeal or sugar. It might even be snacks. Start there and you will see that you save a lot of money, not just on that item, but also in trips to the store and especially on those impulse items you pick up at the store.
This moth’s bulk food order is due on Saturday, March 1st by 7pm. Your order will be ready for pick up after 4:30pm and before 8pm on Friday, March 7th. Hopefully there won’t be a snow storm to contend with this month! Please note that your next available time to order would be for a delivery on April 4th.
Ordering is pretty easy once you do it a few times but I understand that it can be overwhelming at first. Here is a quick guideline. You can look through the pricelist attached. It is in alphabetical order by item type, but everything might not be typed the way you would do it. For example if you want coconut oil, you will find it under O for oil, not C for coconut. You may have to think outside the box a bit. Then send me a list that includes the item number, a brief description and the price you expect to pay. I will get back to you as soon as I order it with a conformation. If I haven’t gotten back to you by Saturday night March 1st, feel free to check in again. I do occasionally miss emails and I do have a day or so to adjust my order. Make sure you send this list to me at northhaus@gmail.com
Next, on March 7th between 4:30pm and 8pm, come to the farm. Our address is 2482 170th ave, Emerald WI 54013. There will be tables set out in front of the store. Your items will be stacked on a table with your name on it. This is also a good time to shop in the store. If someone else is picking up your order, you can send payment with them or mail me a check to the address above. Please send this check right away when you order if you need to send it. Vet bills were very high this month and I may not be able to cover your payment for a long time while I wait for you check to arrive in the mail.
Some items to look for this month. Many of the herbal extracts (medicinal) are on sale this month. Please not that the price on these may appear weird on the price sheet. It is not hundreds of dollars. Contact me if you are ordering these and I can give you the correct price, which is usually under $20. Walnut creek brand cheese cubes are on sale. Cheese freezes quite well. Also Walnut creek brand jams and jellies are on sale. If you want to add a little kick to your lunch, Walnut Creek prepared horseradish is on sale as well as all of the Wober’s Sandwich Pal products. We love the horseradish sandwich pal. We put it on a lot of Asian dishes we make, as well as using it to dip steak in, or to top hamburgers. If you are stocking up for emergencies, powdered milk is on sale. If you like to can, clear jell in bulk 50lb bags is also on sale along with many other starches and citric acid. If you have any questions about ingredients, you can go to the website at http://www.walnutcreekfoods.com. This can be a nice way for visual thinkers to see what is offered, just please don’t contact the company directly. They don’t like it. If you have any questions, please go through me.
Recipe
Okay. I am going to share a recipe for the best chocolate chip cookies ever. While I don’t condone eating an entire batch of cookies in one sitting, I’m going to warn you that it will be tempting. I am going to remind you that eating raw cookie dough is considered dangerous because of certain raw ingredients, but I will also remind you that there isn’t a government agency in charge of making sure you don’t eat raw cookie dough so I will trust you to make the decision that fits you best.
First, in a sturdy bowl, cream together 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter. The real stuff. I prefer Alcam brand, but any real butter is fine. Cream that butter with 1 1/2 cups Sucanat. Once the butter and sucanat are mixed together, add 2 eggs. I know, expensive. Also add a teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon of butter extract. Mix these together until the mixture is nice and liquidy. In a separate bowl, mix together 2 1/2 cups of oat flour, one teaspoon of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of evaporated sea water. I’ll be honest, I don’t use a separate bowl. I mix the dry ingredients on top of the wet ones and then fold them together. Because you are using oat flour, over mixing is not as much of an issue. You will not activate the gluten because there is none. Once your wet and dry ingredients are mixed, add chocolate chips of your choice. I only add a cup because I like the cookie part more than the chips, but you can add up to 2 cups. Once everything is mixed together, chill the dough for at least an hour. Then plop by the heaping tablespoon onto a cookie sheet (I like to use a baking stone) and cook for about 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. You’ll want your cookies to be slightly browned and make sure they don’t look wet on the top. These cookies will be a little delicate, so be sure to let them cool for a bit before taking them off the cookie sheet.
There you go. The best chocolate chip cookies ever. You’re welcome. Or I’m sorry, depending on how strong your willpower is.
So as we look forward to warmer temperatures, longer days, and perhaps the return of some robins, I hope this newsletter finds you well. I hope that your family experiences health and joy this month and that you find some time to stop by the farm and say hello!
Kathy
bagged items
Laughing Duck Farm 