Hello and welcome to June! June is a lovely month, perfect for farming. The days are long, the sun is intense, and everything just seems to want to grow. There is so much going on right now, that it is easy to miss things! There are graduation parties, there are weddings, there are farmer’s markets and town festivals. There is also a brand new grandchild! Our second grandson entered the world in late May. He was a few weeks early, but apparently really needed to see the world.

With all of this going on, I sometimes miss things. Sometimes missing things can lead to big mistakes, which I almost made the other day. You see, we have been having some problems in the barn. Something, a racoon I believe, has been getting into the animal feed. Animal feed is expensive so this is a problem. A seemingly unrelated problem was that the puppy (the giant 93lb puppy that is protecting our cows right now) also kept escaping. It seemed that first thing every morning I would find him in the yard, sniffing under the deck. At first he was pushing a gate open just enough for him to squeeze through. I chained the gate shut putting an end to that. The next morning he had ripped through some wire on the gate, creating a hole big enough for him to slip through. Frustrated, I reinforced the gate with stronger wire. I also gave him a stern talking to. I don’t need the neighbors complaining to me about stray dogs. The neighbors think I’m weird enough already. The next morning, there was that puppy, sniffing around the deck again. I may have lost it a little. Frustrated, I locked the puppy in the barn. I went out to the gate and saw that he had dug a tunnel under, like some sort of old time movie about escaped felons. I was at a loss. I decided that I was probably going to have to find a new home for the puppy. He was clearly not a livestock dog if he was this passionate about being near people. I stomped around for a while, and then, after calming down a little, I started to actually see what was going on.

These escapes were preceded by insane barking on his part. The footprints lead me to see that he would escape his pasture, squeeze under the door into the feed area of the barn, then squeeze under the front door of that area, and run to the deck, which he would focus on intently. Do you know what else is frequently found under that exact same deck? RACOONS!

The poor thing was not an escape artist intent on being near the people. He actually seems to have little interest in people. He was protecting the pig feed from the racoons. Just like a good dog should. Had I let my frustration lead the way, we would have lost a very good boy and he would have been put into a situation that would have probably made him miserable. I had almost let all of June distract me.

I still have lessons to learn, apparently.

On the Farm

Everything is going full swing right now. The garden is being planted, the meat chickens are out on pasture, all of the grass eaters are loving the grass, and the baby animals… Oh my goodness the baby animals! There are chicks, baby pigs, baby goats, baby bunnies, and baby kittens. As chaotic as it all seems, a rhythm develops every year. It is also time to start preparing for next winter. We will be doing our first cutting of hay soon, and it looks like it will be a good harvest!

In the Store

New in the store right now is MCT oil. It is organic and great for bulletproof coffee (or tea) and salad dressings. It is said to have many health benefits including gut health, improved cognitive function (who wouldn’t want that!?) and increased energy levels. It also makes a nice massage oil as it won’t stain your clothes. I am very excited for this new product!

Bulk Food Order

Now for the part many of you have been scrolling for. This month’s bulk food order is due by 7pm on Saturday, June 7th and will be available for pick up after 4:30pm on Friday, June 13. Our address for the pickup is 2482 170th Ave. Emerald WI 54013.

To order, just scroll through the list below and decide which items you want. This might be intimidating for some new people, but take your time and think about things your family uses a lot of. Then email me a list to northhaus@gmail.com with the names, item numbers, and prices of your items. If you need help with this, I would be glad to assist you. Just contact me before that Saturday and I will help you find your items.

Then, on Friday June 13th, come out to the farm AFTER 4:30 to pick up your items. You can pay with cash or a check at this time and also do a little shopping in the store! Easy Peasy!

One item that I will recommend this month is the charcoal, item number 924171. If you grill with charcoal you will find it to be a very nice product. Also, the price of $18.23 for a 20 lb bag is very reasonable.

Recipe

This month’s recipe is for rhubarb coffee cake. It is rhubarb season and many of you have someone in your life that is drowning in rhubarb.

Every year Troy and I are blessed with a weekend in Spring Green WI where we get to take in some plays at American Player’s Theater. Seeing Shakespeare in the moonlight at an outdoor theater is absolutely magical, even if you are not a theater buff or a big Shakespeare fan. For many years we stayed at the Bettinger House bed and Breakfast. Unfortunately, it is no longer run by the fabulous couple that we adored. She would make us food with ingredients that she grew herself, or sourced from others she knew, while he would do a trivia quiz with all of the guests. It was great fun. Once she served a rhubarb coffee cake that I loved so much I made her give me the recipe, and now I’m giving it to you!

You will need:

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar (I use sucanat)

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk with 1 tsp baking soda stirred in

1/2 tsp Evaporated Sea Water (ESW)

2 1/2 cups flour (gluten free works fine)

3 Cups chopped rhubarb

Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and buttermilk and beat well. Next add the salt and flour and mix until combined and fold in rhubarb. Put in a greased 9×13 pan. in a fresh bowl mix together

1/2 cup brown sugar (again, I use sucanat)

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup any nutmeats, chopped (I have also used sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds)

Sprinkle on top of the batter and bake it all at 350 for 45 minutes. This is plenty sweet enough for me, but if you want it even sweeter, you can glaze with 3/4 cup of powdered sugar mixed with a little water and drizzle it on top.

Okay, folks, that is it for this month. I pray that June brings you health and joy and that you stay present and don’t miss the important things!

Blessings to you all,

Kathy