Yes, this will be brief; simply bringing things up to date quickly but soon?

A full newsletter to come.
We do still have a few chickens of various sizes remaining in our
freezers. We also have wings, leg quarters, breasts, backs, necks and
feet.

Backs, necks and feet, especially are great for soup making and with
some cooler weather still to come a chicken soup or chicken stock to
put away in the freezer might be just the ticket: real good pricing on
the soup and stock items.

We've got just a bit of hamburger (ground beef) and steaks left until
we get another supply.

Pork is pretty well stocked right now except, as usual, ground pork
and sausage is in fairly short supply. In fact, I believe there is no
ground pork at all but I could be mistaken.
This particular batch of pork is from our fall pigs and since we fed
them a lot of whey we're sure you'll find it expecially tasty!

Eggs? We nearly always have eggs, and they sell fast enough that
you're sure of fresh eggs whenever you buy ours. We have recently had
to raise prices on the eggs to $3.75 per dozen; sorry about that, our
grain prices are competing for your dollars -- we're not making any
more money when grain eats up the price increase.

Hope to see you soon at the Farm or at Rockport Market.

Oh yes, check our new web site if you like, we've finally taken the plunge.
http://www.emmasfamilyfarm.com

As always, thanks so much for your business and stand by for a full
fledged newsletter with recipes, articles and maybe a bit of banter
about what's up at Emma's Family Farm.

We'd love to meat you soon!

posting from Emma's Family Farm,
Windsor Maine;
Steve Hoad
Find us at http://www.emmasfamilyfarm.com

Heritage Turkeys: What’s the Difference Between These Birds and the
Broad Breasted Whites?

Enjoy a pasture raised heritage turkey from our Farm; We’d be pleased
if you would experience the difference for yourself, order at
207-445-2141.

Since 2004, at Emma’s Family Farm we have raised heritage or rare
breed turkeys. Every year, at Thanksgiving time, we’re asked about
the differences between these birds and the broad breasted white
turkeys that we also raise. Hundreds of articles have been written
about this subject; some of them are excellent but some make claims
that aren’t really credible. I’ll start by saying that your
experience may vary from ours; everybody’s taste buds and cooking
methods create variables.

Our broad breasted and heritage turkeys are raised here without
antibiotics feeding on quality grain and pasture. All of our meats are
premium quality, state inspected and raised with care.
We guarantee you a better price than any mail order service. If you
would like to see heritage turkeys, call and ask about a visit.

The first difference noticeable is the shape of the bird. Heritage
turkeys have longer legs so they are taller; their breastbones are
also longer so their body shape is more like a wild turkey that many
of us here in Maine have seen. The ratio of dark meat to white meat is
more equal than it is in the broad breasted whites.
If you would like to see video that shows the heritage body in detail,
Frank Reese, a long time breeder and raiser in the midwest has created
one. It is 8 minutes and 35 seconds long and eventually promotes a
specific “brand” of turkey available around Kansas. It includes
history, and much more information from a true expert:

Of course, cooking the bird can be different and will vary according
to your taste and pleasure. Many people have created specific recipes
for cooking the heritage turkey, we often tell folks to think about
cooking these birds at a lower temperature; this does not necessarily
extend the cooking time as pastured birds, especially heritage
turkeys, cook more quickly. Most recipes encourage the use of a meat
thermometer, we do too. Overcooking any turkey will cause a dry, less
tasty meal.
If you search on the internet you can find many recipes, even the New
York Times has gotten in on the act. Here’s a link to one from Local
Harvest, a farm listing service and information clearinghouse for farm
raised products:

http://www.localharvest.org/features/heritage-turkey-recipes.jsp

Texture and Taste: Oh yes, very different! The taste is more intense
and if you like turkey you will really enjoy the flavor. All of the
good qualities of turkey taste are more pronounced and, since these
birds are raised on pasture, the sunshine, grasses and other forage
plus high quality grain we feed allow for no off or bland tasting
birds. Our birds are usually eaten very soon after slaughter and have
not been frozen. If they do get frozen, they should be held at a
constant temperature, preferrably about 10 below zero Fahrenheit to
preserve the flavor and texture.

The texture is hard to describe; it is certainly different from the
broad breasted turkey because these heritage birds have excercised in
different ways; they can fly, they often run, and this builds muscle
which is what meat really is. They are also more mature at slaughter
time which creates more taste and a more compact texture for the meat
and finally, the meat is less “soft” but not tough. Industrialization
has created quick growing birds by breeding and the broad breasted
bird is a product of industrialization. Heritage birds grow more
slowly; their bone structure and internal organs are well developed
before their meat really begins to add weight. And, though that fact
doesn’t describe texture, it is actually a big factor in the texture
differences; the turkey’s healthy conditioning makes a high quality,
compact meat.

“Well,” you say, “that wasn’t much of a description,” and I’ll tell
you that although we’ve eaten heritage birds for at least nine years,
we still haven’t been able to explain the differences well. I can also
tell you that many people, after trying a heritage turkey, tell us
they don’t want anything else for their special meals.

Here are a few more resources for you to view:
At Local Harvest, where we list our products (search for Emmas Family
Farm) an article with links to cooking information and a recipe:
http://www.localharvest.org/features/heritage-turkeys.jsp

At the Sustainable Table website:
http://www.sustainabletable.org/features/articles/thanksgiving/

This well written article from “FriendsEat.com” has much information
but makes a claim that heritage birds are “safer” to eat. That claim
isn’t necessarily true, its the grower and processor that insure your
safety.
http://blog.friendseat.com/where-to-buy-heritage-turkey-for-thanksgiving

“Don’t Get Duped on Heritage Turkey” food News Media
http://www.chow.com/food-news/66738/dont-get-duped-on-heritage-turkey/

posting from Emma's Family Farm,
Windsor Maine;
Steve Hoad
See what we're doing, and thinking, on the Farm at
http://twitter.com/TheHoads

November? How did it get to be November all ready?

An Autumn Hello:

It has been some time since we’ve put a newsletter out; the time flies
by and, when we realized that August, September and October
disappeared so quickly we thought it was about time to let you know
that we’re still here with products, animals and our Farm family. We
have product updates, and links to recipes and articles for you to
view in this very large November newsletter, hope you enjoy.

We haven’t been idle, Our cattle have gone to “freezer camp” at
customer’s houses. Many hundreds of chickens have been processed and
delivered to wholesale and retail customers. In fact, the last of the
chickens went off the Farm to slaughter just yesterday (November 2).
If you want fresh chicken to eat right now, or to cut up for yourself,
we’ll have it here at the Farm, at market in Rockport and at some of
our retailers for another week or thereabouts. Just a reminder, our
retail outlets include Good Tern in Rockland, Emery’s in Augusta,
Barrels Community Market in Waterville, Megunticook Market in Camden,
and we attend farmers market from 9 until noon on Saturdays at State
of Maine Cheese in Rockport. At each of these outlets, if fresh
chicken isn’t available, it will be available frozen. We have whole
chickens, breasts, leg quarters, and wings for great meals plus necks,
backs and feet for soups or stock.

Of course, in November, we still have our turkeys to be processed and
delivered, just before Thanksgiving. If you would like a turkey, we
still have heritage turkeys and broad breasted white birds available.
You should probably order very soon, right now some sizes are
restricted because of earlier orders. Good Tern and Emery’s are
offering the turkeys, or you can call us here to order. We are
requiring a ten dollar deposit for each turkey this year. Please note,
CSA share holders wishing to have a turkey should be in touch right
away. We will be delivering turkeys in the Rockland/Rockport area,
tentatively scheduled for the Saturday before Thanksgiving or, as
usual, you can pick them up at the Farm.

Steve recently wrote a blog post about the turkey countdown to
Thanksgiving, you can find it here:

http://emmasfamilyfarm.posterous.com/day-one-of-the-thanksgiving-countdown

And maybe you’d like to know also, that all of our newsletters so
far are archived at the blog site so if you’d like to look back and
reread a recipe or article:

http://emmasfamilyfarm.posterous.com/

We’ll try to post some turkey materials to the blog soon; articles,
recipes and more.

Our pigs will leave the Farm for slaughter just after Thanksgiving.
There are still halves left to custom order for your freezer or, after
slaughter and cutting, we’ll have chops, sausage, roasts and more for
you at market and here at the Farm. Currently we do have chops,
country style spare ribs and spare ribs available.

As mentioned earlier, all of our cattle were sold to individual
customers this year. For market, we will continue to have beef from
another supplier; it is grass fed and there are many cuts of steak,
roasts, stew meat, bones for soup and also hamburger.

The eggs just keep on being laid by our great flocks of hens, but they
don’t stay here long. Of course, this guarantees freshness and lets us
know folks enjoy them but, if you want to get some at market or at the
Farm, be sure and ask us to set some aside for you. Barrels and
Emery’s are carrying our fresh eggs, too.

Bringing you up-to-date on products has taken up a lot of space this
time but we’ll end that and give you some outside reading material
too!

Let’s start with a recipe: Chinese Steamed Chicken Recipe | Anne Mendelson
: Cooking chicken with steam results in tender, juicy meat and a
flavorful broth – with little effort http://ow.ly/4Aeqx

Here are some articles by and about a Maine author who has recently
published a new cookbook; there are recipes included here, too. Kathy
Gunst is also a radio host for the Public Radio Cooking show "Here and
Now”; she offers an article in Zester Daily about the sounds of the
kitchen. Did you ever wonder how blind folks cook for their families?
There are hints about that here; hints you can use yourself for a
better outcome...
“Do I Hear Your Steak Burning?”
“Sound is an essential, but often overlooked, kitchen tool. Add it to
your arsenal.”
By Kathy Gunst

http://www.zesterdaily.com/zester-soapbox-articles/1041-author-kathy-gunst-us...

Here is a conversation with Kathy Gunst and food writer for the
Portland Press Herald Meredith Goad:

http://t.co/zTaly9K

Emily Birnham writes up the cookbook in the Bangor Daily News
(Includes recipes):
http://bangordailynews.com/2011/09/13/living/to-every-dish-there-is-a-season/

And, since sharing is so much fun, there are recipes and reflections
by Kathy regularly added at her blog site on the Downeast web site:
http://www.downeast.com/blogs/notesfromamainekitchen

Nancy Harmon Jenkins, food writer and Maine resident, talks about a
live delivery that Rose made at the Saturday Rockport Market this
spring. Picture Rose and her chicken body language:
http://nancyharmonjenkins.com/topics/maine/backyard-chickens-locavore-greens-...

And here’s Rose in a Kenebec journal article about Open Farm Day in
July. Rose’s picture and this article created a great group of
visitors for Open Farm day and everyone seemed to have fun on a
perfect Maine summer day.

http://www.kjonline.com/news/down-on-the-farm-its-lots-of-hard-work_2011-07-2...

One last thing before we go: Meredith Goad, food writer for the
Portland Press Herald, has told us for almost a year that she wanted
to write something about poultry processing for the paper. Processing
has been a challenge for many farmers in Maine and Meredith takes the
subject on with a well researched piece here:

http://www.pressherald.com/life/something-to-squawk-about_2011-10-12.html

Please excuse Steve’s picture, it wasn’t really supposed to be in the
article. His material and quotes were enough :)

We hope you’ll understand how much we apreciate your support and your
business. 2011 isn’t over yet (thank heavens) so we hope to see you at
Saturday market or at the Farm before the year’s end for some great
food experiences! Thank you very much for all that you do for us here
at Emma’s Family Farm, and just in case we don’t get a chance, we’ll
wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.

Rose, Steve, and Helen Hoad
Emmas Family Farm
135 Windsor Neck Road
Windsor, Maine 04363
207-445-2141
emmas.family.farm@hotmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/emmasfamilyfarm

Between November 1 and Thanksgiving 2011, we'll post serious and fun
information about turkeys. This first Post? How we think while
approaching "Turkey Day."
*****
Maine turkeys: Heritage and Broad Breasted Whites

November 1 and the countdown to Thanksgiving begins. We have raised
heritage and broad breasted white turkeys for sale commercially since
2004. Each year we gather ourselves to deal with each facet of
completing the "turkey process" and the stresses that go with each
segment of completion.

1. Prices will have been determined all ready and the factors of
pricing include many variables. The least controllable variables are
potential wildlife damage, weather events and diseases. As November
arrives we worry about each one and do everything we can to prevent
damage and mortality; these are issues that determine what our season
looks like in the profit or loss column.

2. Our personal health and physical fitness are important factors as
well. Various fall maladies are always around now and we must take
care to keep ourselves healthy so that our flocks can be well
maintained, watched, picked up at the appropriate time, loaded and
processed, and finally, distributed to our customers. Poor health of
any farm member makes more work for the others.

3. Processing on Time. It is a certainty that our customers want their
turkeys on a specific date, usually Thanksgiving. If there is some
hitch in the system and things don't get done on time, we stand a
chance of not having turkeys ready.

4. The customers want their needs met. Although we work to get our
customers to order early (as mentioned here previously) there is
always a crush of calls and e-mails, needing the "perfect" turkey for
Thanksgiving. It seems hard to make potential customers understand
that there are only so many turkeys available, that others have
ordered earlier and planned ahead, and that we can't manufacture a
turkey to their exact required weight.

In years past, we have worked to smooth out the wrinkles in our
operation so that things can go more smoothly but the stresses still
remain, the factors listed above will always make this a stressful
month for us as long as we raise turkeys. Some time between the
Wednesday night before Thanksgiving and dinner on Thursday, we must
unwind enough so we can enjoy our own Thanksgiving dinner --- yes, of
course we eat turkey!

Each year, we look forward to Thanksgiving day with the hope that we
can give thanks for making it through another turkey season and
knowing that our customers have enjoyed a premium quality bird for
their dinner. Later, as we evaluate profit and loss, measure effects
of the stress and think about what we enjoy as farmers, we plan for
the year to come and decide whether there are more turkeys in our
future. Our decision is often based on what happens during November,
the month when Thanksgiving occurs

posting from Emma's Family Farm,
Windsor Maine;
Steve Hoad
See what we're doing on the Farm at
http://twitter.com/TheHoads

Rich Brooks, a Maine media consultant, has presented an interesting
blog entry here:

http://www.flyteblog.com/flyte/2011/10/can-your-company-find-true-love-in-tod...
we've tried to do our best with the proposed exercise; How Would You
write an ad to your Best prospective customer? Our answer is in the
comments on the Flight New Media blog linked above and we offer it
below, too. If you are reading this entry before October 15, 2011
here's an extra bonus: Try our chicken for the special price of $2.99
per pound when you visit the Farm. Our regular price at the Farm is
$3.25 but we want to know if this ad resonates with you.
****

At Emma’s Family Farm We have learned that you are seeking a premium
quality food experience. You love to cook using the best ingredients
and you expect their delivery to include humane treatment, personal
service and product packaging to conserve freshness.

Other customers have told us that our meats meet your desires so we’re
letting you know that we’d love to serve you. We apreciate customers
who know the best and understand the care and hard work that is
required to produce high quality. Our chickens, turkeys, pork and
beef go beyond the expectations of “nornmal” consumers so we’re
positive you will apreciate and bask in the experience of real taste
and comfort they provide. As Our customer you will be comfortable
with all purchases because your questions are answered with honesty
and sincerity; when you contact us to order you should expect great
customer service because we strive for nothing less.

We hope you’ll call on us to serve your desires for high quality Maine
pasture raised meats and thanks, in advance, for apreciating our Farm.

To take advantage of our special offer You should call
207-445-2141 before October 15 and arrange a time to visit us for
Your purchase.

posting from Emma's Family Farm,
Windsor Maine:
Steve Hoad
See what we're doing on the Farm at
http://twitter.com/TheHoads

4th of July Grilling Weekend MarketSpecials
(available at the Farm or at
Rockport Market Saturday 9 until 12)

Pasture Raised Chicken
We have cuts of chicken available: boneless breasts, wings, leg quarters, etc.
Leg quarters: $2.75lb (regularly) $2.99lb
Whole Chickens: $3.10lb (regular market price $3.25lb)

Pasture Raised Pork and Beef
Country Style Spare Ribs $6.49 (regularly $6.99lb)
Grass Fed Angus Ground Beef: $6.25lb (regularly $6.50lb)

All specials available thru Mon. July 4th while supplies last!
Support an independent Farm!

Hello from Rose, Steve and Helen:
June 15, midmonth has passed and it seems as though a busy, kind of
topsy turvy spring of 2011 has nearly gone byhere in Maine.

We’re happy to tell you that thus far, major weather events have
slipped by us but the cold weather has effected our products,
especially chicken production. More on that below plus a link to our
Spring survey of customers, other farm news, some links to articles
and recipes for you plus a ground beef special, $5.25 a pound while it
lasts.

First? Our Spring survey; we launched it on Twitter and FaceBook, some
of you may have all ready participated. If not, here’s a link to it
and we hope to receive feedback and information that will help us be
aware of what you want. Thanks, in advance, to all those who respond.

http://bit.ly/iVYAwS

The cold weather this spring has had its casualties –
Limiting the growth of our chickens: in colder weather the energy
from their grain goes to heat, rather than meat;
And mortality within the flocks: some of the activity that
happens during colder weather includes “piling”, that’s when the
chicks try to warm by crowding into a pile. This “piling”
unfortunately causes deaths. The especially windy cold we had was the
cause of a significant loss.

We have also been forced by our processor to process chickens at a
reduced rate but, hurrah! There’s great news on that front with
another processor opening gaining a state of Maine grant of
inspection. We’re happy about this since it is within our region of
travel and should have a larger daily processing capacity than our
previous vendor and the facilities seem like they will be very
efficient.

Other news from our Farm includes a new Augusta outlet for some of our
products. We currently have chickens and eggs at Emery’s Meat and
Produce, a new store on Eastern Avenue, or Route 17, heading East out
of the city. Leon has opened a store featuring many local products
from Maine. He is a longtime butcher with experience marketing meats
and local farm offerings.

And, Barrels Community Market in downtown Waterville is using our
chicken in their ready to eat product selections plus, as always,
Barrels carries our chickens and eggs in their regular market’s
inventory. Look forward to a recipe from Barrels in an upcoming
newsletter, its for their “roasted chicken salad”; they say customer
demand keeps it flying out the door. Did you know? The award winning
Barrels is now two years old. It is a grand community effort creating
a store in downtown Waterville with community space, a licensed
kitchen serving food, and a store selling lots of Maine products.
There’s spirit in the store with more than one hundred volunteers on
their roles and a real interest to serve farmers, food producers and
their Maine community. We encourage you to visit if you travel through
Waterville.

We continue to offer our products at the Farmers Market in Rockport
but, alas, the current shortage of processed chickens hasn’t left us
much chicken to bring! This will be remedied soon; our new option for
processing should make availability more regular. We are still
encouraging early ordering as we approach the summer season. The July
4 holiday time is coming and if You plan to have fresh, pasture raised
chicken for your family or an event, let us know in advance and we’ll
hold an order for you. A customer called last weekend asking about
chickens and, in an honest response, Steve had to tell them he didn’t
know right then when any would be available. We know now that Friday
June 25 is our next processing date and there is some available for
you to order.

Animal News: Mothers are hatching eggs! We have some ducklings and
baby turkeys following their hen moms around. The ducklings grow
quickly and they are some new blood for our laying flock of Khaki
Campbells. Sure hope they’re not all drakes (males).

The piglets are little right now, “cute” and hungry. They’ll grow and
be ready for “freezer camp” in late October.

the cattle just love this June high protein grass; their pasture grows
almost as quickly as they do in this weather.

A quick calendar note: We’ll be participating in Maine’s “Open Farm
Day” on July 24. Make plans to come and visit, on that day we’ll have
something special for all.

Whether you want 6 chickens, a turkey, freezer pork or beef, we can’t
encourage you to order early enough times. People get disappointed,
especially around Thanksgiving time because they didn’t realize that
we aren’t like the endless supply they’re used to at the supermarket.
If you think about what your needs are in advance, we can plan for
them --- animals don’t grow overnight! On that same note, a very
special thank you to our CSA members and to all who have placed
significant deposits on animals. It makes our cash flow much easier.

Rose has been able to “kick the habit” and quit smoking! She has done
a great job with it, Steve hopes to follow her lead; tobacco is such
an addicting substance that it is unpleasant and hard to quit so
here’s hoping...

Here’s an important note for all drivers. In the country, it takes a
certain awareness that farm equipment and animals may share the road
with you. If you’re driving, remember that the top speed of a tractor
might seem slow and their load might be wide. Take care when passing
and take special care if you see horses being ridden or other animals
in the road. This is where we work and we apreciate your consideration
of our workspace.

Summer Special: Just in time for grilling, we have ground beef at
$5.25 per pound while it lasts. This is the last of our 2010 angus and
prices will unfortunately increase markedly as our next beef arrives.
Putting 2 or 3 packages in the freezer for a quick meal will help your
budget, and you can be assured that this grass fed angus has been
handled and stored with the greatest care.

Many of our meats, especially our pork and beef, come to you frozen.
Company shows up, or you just forgot to take meat out of the freezer?
For chops, steaks, even ground beef (or hamburg as some call it) this
article from the New York Times might be handy when company surprises
you or if You Just Plain Forgot:
The Curious Cook
A Hot-Water Bath for Thawing Meats
By HAROLD McGEE

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/dining/a-hot-water-bath-for-thawing-meats-t...

Here’s an article discussing the purchase of quality olive oil by
Nancy Harmon Jenkins (whom we proudly count as One of our customers).
It recently appeared in “Zester Daily” an informative food and wine
magazine.
Which Olive Oil to Buy?
“What extra virgin olive oil should I buy? That's a question I'm
constantly asked, by readers, by Facebook followers, by people who
come to my talks and olive oil tastings.”

http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/940-best-olive-oil-to-buy

Around our grill and kitchen, the idea of cooking with beer seems to
be discussed regularly. Here are some tips; When using beer as a
cooking ingredient, it pays to understand a bit of the science behind
brew-making since hops and taste vary depending on how the beer is
made. Porters, with their milder hops, work well in stews, for
example, while amber ales can be used in a brine to tenderize meat.
(Article” Chicago Sun-Times March 9, 2011
BY AMELIA LEVIN

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food/3872846-423/brew-n-stew-how-to-cook-w...

And, one last article, discussing our food system and how we might
organize toward more local food. Western Massachusetts has been in the
forefront of creating a community system and this article talks about
ideas, goals and strategies.
Thoughts on changing our food system toward a better model:

http://world.edu/content/future-food-dealing-collapse/

Oh yes, and a recipe or two?? Here we go:
This first one from a CBS Interactive site Chow.com. There are lots of
ideas for many kinds of food on the Chow site and you can sign up for
an Email newsletter there if you are so inclined.
We’ve got stir fry pork all ready for you and this recipe:
"Five-Spice Pork Stir-Fry with Sweet Potatoes and Snap Peas
By Aida Mollenkamp

This simple, flavorful pork and veggie stir-fry is ideal for a weeknight meal.

Game plan: Freeze the pork for about 30 minutes prior to slicing-this
makes it easier to cut into very thin, even pieces.

Snow peas can be substituted for the snap peas; just reduce their
cooking time to 1 minute.

TIME/SERVINGS
Total Time: 25 mins
Makes: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup dry sherry or rice wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 pound boneless pork chops or pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 medium sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled, halved lengthwise, and
sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick pieces
1/2 cup water
4 ounces baby spinach (about 4 cups), thoroughly washed
2 cups snap peas, stem ends trimmed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
4 medium scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
Steamed white rice, for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the sherry or rice wine, 3 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the
brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch in a small bowl and
whisk to combine; set aside.
Slice the pork against the grain into even, paper-thin pieces and
place in a large bowl. (It doesn’t matter how wide the slices are as
long as they are even in thickness.) Add the remaining 1 tablespoon
soy sauce, the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch, the five-spice
powder, and 1 tablespoon of the oil and toss to evenly coat the pork.
Set aside to marinate for 5 to 10 minutes.
In a large nonstick frying pan with a tightfitting lid, heat the
remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. When the oil just
begins to smoke, add the pork and cook, stirring rarely, until browned
and almost completely cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove to a
plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the sweet potato and water to the
pan. Cover and cook until the sweet potato is knife tender, about 3 to
5 minutes. Add the spinach, cover, and cook until it just begins to
wilt, about 30 seconds.
Remove the cover, increase the heat to high, add the snap peas,
garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the snap
peas are bright green, about 2 minutes. Whisk the reserved soy sauce
mixture again until evenly combined and add it to the pan along with
the reserved pork and any accumulated juices. Cook, stirring
continuously, until the sauce has thickened and the pork is cooked
through, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle with the scallions, stir, and
serve immediately, with rice if desired."

Since we mentioned cooking with beer in an article reference above we
thought we’d offer a recipe with some; here’s another one from
Chow.com using pork butt. They recommend boneless, we recommend
bone-in, it simply has more flavor.
“Beer-Braised Pulled Pork
By Kate Ramos

Nicely spiced, and deeply flavored from slow cooking, this
beer-braised pork is versatile enough to feel at home on nachos, in
sliders, or simply spooned atop some mashers for an unparalleled
comfort meal.

What to buy: Use a brown ale such as Newcastle, bitter or hoppy.
Bbeers such as IPAs should be avoided, because they will make the pork
taste bitter.

TIME/SERVINGS
Total Time: 4 hrs 20 mins
Active Time: 35 mins
Makes: 8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4- to 4-1/2-pound boneless pork butt, butcher?s twine or netting removed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 medium garlic cloves, smashed
2 medium habanero chiles, sliced into rounds
2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
24 ounces brown ale
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 300°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Place salt,
chili powder, and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir to combine. Coat
pork butt with 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, then coat all sides
with all of the spice mixture. Let sit at room temperature for 30
minutes.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven
or a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid until just
starting to smoke, about 5 minutes. Add pork and brown on all sides,
about 15 minutes total. Remove pork to a plate and discard all but 1
tablespoon of the fat in the pot.
Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, chiles, and onions. Cook,
scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until
softened, about 15 minutes. Increase heat to medium high, add reserved
pork and beer, and bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and
cook until pork is tender and falls apart when shredded with a fork,
about 3 hours.
Place a large strainer in a large bowl and pour the contents of the
pot into the strainer, reserving the liquid. Place pork and strained
solids back in the pot and shred pork with two forks, removing any
large pieces of fat. Measure 3 cups of the reserved braising liquid .
Use a fat separator to remove the fat from the liquid until you have 1
cup. Add liquid to the pot and stir to combine. Add cider vinegar and
stir to combine.”

You can See recipes, commentary, and more at:
http://www.chow.com

We hope you’ll forward our newsletter to a Maine friend or family. If
you got this as a forward and would like to subscribe find a link
below and, of course, you can find us on FaceBook with lots of photos:
http://www.facebook.com/emmasfamilyfarm

And Twitter with quick updates on farm, family and other thoughts:
@thehoads
http://www.twitter.com/thehoads

Hello To All:
Its the middle of Spring, in less than 1 month it will be high summer.

At Emma’s Family Farm, we’re quite busy with the season; see some
details below; and also check below for a recipe and an opportunity to
save a bit of money.

First though, let’s discuss marketing happenings. Unfortunately, the
price of gasoline has cramped us and we have had to eliminate our
regular travels to Portland. This means that we will travel for
specific orders and also that we could begin again once our spring
cash flow has settled down. We still go to Rockport, at the State of
Maine Cheese Rockport Marketplace, On nice days you’ll find us out
front; if it rains, we’ll probably be inside; on Saturdays from 9
until noon.

Cash flow? Oh yes, we’ve spent more than $3000 on grain alone, not to
mention buying our stock for the pastures: cattle, chickens, turkeys
and pigs. So, of course, we’re anxious for a good season and
concerned about pricing. We have seen significant increases in grain
and fuel; smaller increases in stock, equipment and supplies.

As you may guess, we’ve had to raise prices in order to survive. You
might not realize it but, bigger corporations often do not raise
prices when their inputs are more costly. They create efficiencies
in-house; lay people off, hire contract workers as needed, and hedge
their bets by purchasing futures on the grain and fuel markets. We are
not large enough to do any of those things so our prices must
fluctuate as our input costs change. We hope you will understand that
we try to set our prices so we can keep our Farm operating and maybe,
now and then, capitalize some new necessary purchase or pay ourselves
a bit of a wage.

At the Farm, we currently have chickens and cattle on the pastures.
The season has started off cool and rainy but we’re hoping for some
warm stretches that will help the chickens to grow. In cool weather,
they turn what they eat into heat so right now, our chickens are small
for their ages.

In the brooder we have more chickens and 150 heritage turkeys arrived
today. And, in the pipeline, coming soon, we have pigs! There’s also
the newly tilled garden in which planting has started and we’re
looking forward to our fresh produce.

Let us mention ordering now. At this point in the year, it is not too
early to reserve your Thanksgiving turkey. Each year we sell out of
turkeys and some people get disappointed. The best way to avoid this
is to order what you want now and leave a deposit with us. Even if you
aren’t exactly sure what size bird you need, an order with deposit
will assure you of a reservation come Thanksgiving time, and as the
date draws closer we can work with you on your size preference.

Some of our beef, available this Fall, has all ready been ordered. If
you want some beef and have a freezer, you might think about ordering
that, too!

Pork is also available to order. We’ll have pigs available in August
and October so you can let us know what your preference is and we’ll
confirm an order when we get your deposit.

If you don’t have a big freezer, maybe a share in our CSA is the
answer for you. A small share is available for $125 and a larger one
is $297. Each share gains value when you purchase it and we’d be glad
to discuss how the program works with you individually. Basicly, its
an account you can draw against as you pick out your meat and eggs
from Emma’s Family Farm either at the market or right at the Farm.

We’re offering a spring special on our eggs at the Farm and at market.
Our free range eggs, priced at $3.50 a dozen will be available for
$2.50 to readers of our newsletter through Sunday, June 5. Just tell
us you want the “egg special”.

Just 3 more items of chicken talk to complete this edition of our newsletter.

1. Currently, there is a bottleneck in getting our chickens to your
table. Limited processing options are causing us to have limited
quantities of chicken available for you. If you know what you want,
whether its 1 or 10, it is best to order in advance. We apologize for
this but it isn’t something we can easily control so we’ll do what we
can to have fresh chickens available for you and early orders will
help with the effort.

2. Part of our Farm income comes from the sales of live animals.
We buy large quantities of day old chicks and resell them to
individuals. In this way buyers can take advantage of our quantity
discounts and buy chicks for a great price. We will have Rhode Island
Red pullets available day old on June 2. They are available 2 weeks
later, from our brooder, ready to go outside. If you, or someone you
know, wants a flock of chickens, these brown egg layers are a great
strain. They are friendly, cold hardy, great layers and very healthy
birds. They are the traditional New England barnyard fowl, full sized
and great rangers in the yard. Day old pullets are $2.75 each, started
at 2 weeks they’re $5.75 each. Tell your friends or get some for
yourself.

3. Low Mileage Kitchen: Choose chicken with care - Chicago Sun-Times
By Judith Dunbar Hines Apr 6, 2011
Here’s a story written by a market director in Chicago; hope you’ll
excuse her as she talks up the benefits of her market; and the free
range chickens available there. There’s a bonus in the “Related
Article”
• Chicken and Mushroom Casserole

“There are many reasons chicken is so popular and appears in nearly
every culture’s cuisine: it’s universally enjoyed by every age, simple
and quick to prepare and neutral enough to pick up flavors from a
variety of spices.
Where I grew up, baby chicks arrived in a box delivered by the
postman. They warmed under light bulbs or sometimes under the dining
room stove and grew... six weeks later, it was butchering day. Dozens
of packages of fresh chicken were wrapped for the freezer so we could
enjoy chicken and dumplings or baked chicken dishes for the next
year.”
Enjoy this article and remember, at Emma’s Family Farm we raise the
chickens and prepare them for your table right here in Maine. Order
early so you’ll have them when you want them.

http://m1e.net/c?126268522-0Mla0KBhm6Rwo%406490719-WRRgZTC3QBaA6

Thanks for reading this MidSpring newsletter, call us any time to order at
(207) 445-2141 and visit us at the Farm or in Rockport for farm fresh
beef, pork, chicken and eggs.

Hello From Emma’s Family Farm:
We know its been a while since we sent one of these but it seems as
though time just slips on by us here on the Farm, and, well I guess
we’ve been busy.

There are a few recent entries here on our weblog talking about things that
happen written by Rose. These will give you some insight. Start at the
home page:

http://emmasfamilyfarm.posterous.com/

We always post our newsletters on the blog so you can find older
issues if you want to.

UpComing Market Dates:
Friday April 1, 28 Monument Square Portland 11 AM until 4 PM
Sat. April 2, and
Saturday April 9 State of Maine Cheese Rt1 Rockport 9 AM until noon
Friday April 15, 28 Monument Square Portland 11 AM until 4 PM
Saturday April 16, State of Maine Cheese, Rockport 9 AM until 1
PM (Special Event).
It is important to note that icy or snowy weather will cancel our market visits.

Spring planning continues and we’ve had meetings and strategy sessions
about our poultry processing options plus a presentation at “Slow
Money Maine,” a group that gets together every other month to discuss
what the needs are in Maine’s food system and how those needs might be
fulfilled. Slow Money is a growing movement around the USA.

Ordering in advance has become an important option for many of our
customers. They find they can exchange Emails or phone calls with us
about what products we have available and settle on things they’re
pleased to eat. At both Rockport and Portland markets, we’re finding
that the ordering option suits; those who order know what we’ll have
for them so they don’t have to hurry to get to the market early. You
can Email by replying to this newsletter or send an Email to
Emmas.family.farm@hotmail.com or call 207.445.2141 to talk about ordering.

We’ve been busy getting pigs and eggs to market and speaking with
prospective customers. The local food “buzz” or “movement” is
spreading into business opportunities; new restaurants and stores are
opening and existing ones are flourishing. There’s a new store opening
in Augusta at the corner of Rt17 and the Cony Road that will feature
an in-store butcher, Maine meats, dairy, eggs and other products; and
Barrels Community Market in Waterville has expanded with a new kitchen
where they are preparing meals to go and more! We hope to be serving
these outlets for a long time to come. Recently, we have also sold a
couple of beautiful hogs to Rosemont Market in Portland so, currently,
you’ll find our pork there too.

Another pig has gone to “freezer camp” and is cut, processed and
wrapped for sale. Sausage and ground pork are back in stock, and we
have a special on 1 large pork loin roast. Regularly $7.99 a pound,
we’ll sell this 1 5 pound roast for $6.99, a savings of $5. There’s
only 1 of these great roasts at this price; its a great meal for
company or larger family meals.

The grill is out of the snow bank and we’ve been cooking burgers and
steaks! Remember that we have grass fed angus hamburger for $5.50 a
pound and its perfect for grilling!
We raise our beef on mostly grass. Some calves may have small amounts
of grain as protein drops in winter’s stored hay, but they get mostly
hay in winter, and all grass in summer. In The grass-fed vs.
grain-fed beef debate - CNN.com
Article below there are claims we disagree with and information we
find useful. Enjoy; join the debate. They say:
“However the politics of beef resolve themselves, the move from
industrial production toward more emphasis on breeds, feed, care, and
provenance will present the American cook with more choice, more
variety -- and more pleasures in the kitchen and on the plate.”
And we can agree with that, for sure.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/03/29/grass.grain.beef.cookinglight/index.html#

There’s always a lot of cleanup around the Farm while mud season is
happening. Maybe this is your best time for spring cleaning (dare We
mention it?)
Here are a couple of articles that contain important reminders:
Keep Your Kitchen Safe and Clean (from Farm and Dairy)
http://www.farmanddairy.com/news/keep-your-kitchen-safe-and-clean/22319.html
And:
“6 kitchen myths that could give you food poisoning | MNN - Mother
Nature Network”
http://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/stories/6-kitchen-myths-that-could-give-...

Although we may not totally agree with everything presented we hope
the articles linked above will remind you of some hazardous food
preparation practices to avoid. So many times, food poisoning happens
directly because of home kitchen mistakes – and nobody likes to be
poisoned, do they?

Looks like we may have an April Fool’s Day storm coming our way. If
the weather is bad, we will not be at our scheduled market in Portland
on April 1. Don’t be fooled, if there’s snow we’re Not in Portland;
driving is too treacherous.

Early in March one of Steve’s personal heroes received a medal from
President Obama. Wendell Berry, farmer, professor, poet, novelist and
essayist has been a favorite for relaxing and fulfilling reading for a
long time. Here is a link that will bring you to the first of three
segments of an interview with Wendell Berry. Both the transcripts and
audios are available.
Part 1: Wendell Berry: Consciousness And The Creaturely Life
In part one of a three-part conversation, Berry begins by talking
about the farm he maintains in Port Royal, Kentucky.
He describes how machines have changed the country and why it's
important to be conscious of your place.

http://indianapublicmedia.org/eartheats/wendell-berry-consciousness-creaturel...

Don’t hesitate to comment on things in our newsletters. Agree or
disagree, conversation is stimulating and we’d love to include some of
your commentary in our newsletter.

Thanks for reading and we hope to see you and/or hear from you soon.
If you have questions, comments, orders or feedback we’d be glad for
it.