Greetings and welcome to the May 2026 newsletter for Laughing Duck Farm. May is here! May is such a lovely month. The flowers are starting to come up, things are turning green, and it is go time here on the farm. It is such a good time of year because although, as one of you receintly said to me, I am as “busy as a centipede tying shoes”, I am still well rested from the winter and filled with energy from the longer days. In about four months I will be ready for a nap! This is a time of much work for us as everything here will be moving and growing and Troy will be busy building things for other people. We both are restless people who love being busy so it is a very good time. It is also a time of farmer’s markets and celebrations so we are on the go. I am hoping for you that your May is filled with all of the things you love too, as well as all of the peace and joy.

On the Farm

This is it! This is what we have been getting ready for! We already have a batch of baby turkeys and two batches of fifty meat chicks. We will be getting two more batches of chicks this month and a couple more in June. This month we will be putting everyone out on pasture. It will be so nice to see all of the goats and chickens running around on the green grass. The little pigs will probably be here at the end of May or beginning of June. There is nothing I love more than piggie release day. Little pigs who have never seen green grass suddenly being released onto a pasture is very heartwarming. The level of frolicking is high. You will also notice a new garden fence. Troy built it out of all of the pallets we have gotten from our bulk deliveries. I’ll be honest, I am a terrible gardener. I’m fantastic with animals, not so much with plants. This is why we sell the meat we raise but rarely have vegetables. I have a huge garden, now with a lovely new fence, but typically by late July the weeds have declared victory. We will get some nice raddishes, lettuce and spinach, though, and most years I also manage to pull a few really tasty tomatoes out of the jungle. And with the cottage bacon I raise and some nice fresh homemade bread, I’m in for at least one fantastic BLT this year!

In the Store

The store traffic has picked up a bit now that the weather is nicer. We are stocked with so many good things. I have been focusing on food preservation items over the last few weeks. You can now find pickling lime (essential for preserving raw eggs long term) pickling spices, and now fruit pectin too! If you’re not into preserving your own, you might want to buy one of our no sugar added jams and jellies, or some pickled asparagus! I am amazed at how crispy that asparagus is. It’s really good. We are getting low on some meats, as should be expectied this time of year. We do have plenty of brats for your grill, and if you are feeling really adventurous, I would encourage you to try a burger made from a mixture of our ground goat and ground pork. You might also want to try our cottage bacon (labled “butt Bacon” this year). It is bacon that is made from a leaner cut of pork. They are wider and more square shaped making them perfect for sandwiches!

Whichever items you choose, or if you are choosing to just swing by for a chat, I look forward to seeing you. Just a reminder that our hours are 10-6 on Thursdays through Saturdays or by appointment.

Bulk Order

The ability to order food in bulk and store it has saved my family a lot of money over the years. It is also what has gotten us through some tough financial years when Troy was seriously injured and we were raising five small children. I am so happy to be able to offer this opportunity to you now!

This month’s bulk order will be delivered on Friday, May 15 and will be available for pickup any time after 4:30. Your order will be due by 7pm on Saturday, May 9. Your next opportunity to order will be for the delivery on June 12.

To order, take some time and brouse the attachment below. Just look at it on your computer. DO NOT PRINT IT OUT! There are thousands and thousands of items available and I promise you do not have enough paper or printer ink. Brouse through the list and when you see something your family uses a lot of, write it down. The list is in something of an alphabetic order to keep it organized for you. Once your have your list ready, email it to me at northhaus@gmail.com In your list, please include the item number, what you are ordering, and the price. That will really help me to make sure I am ordering the right thing for you. Then sit back and wait.

On May 15th, after 4:30, you can come out to the farm at 2482 170th ave, Emerald WI to pick up your items. It’s kind of like Christmas except you picked all of your own gifts. You can pay with cash or check at this time. Just a note, if you’re going to be arriving after 8pm, just let me know so I don’t panic when you pull into the driveway!

Well, that is all of the information for this month. I hope you have time to go outside and smell the flowers and enjoy the gift of springtime!

Kathy