Isn't it nice to see the grass greening again! Spring is always so exciting here on the farm, seedling starting to grow, baby animals being born... and getting all of my office supplies for the year (or at least for a couple of month, wish I was THAT organized lol!). Getting them from the locally owned office store was a no brainer for me.

Being a local business, I know what it takes to be an entrepreneur. You've probably been faced with trying to find employment, and you know it's not that easy to get around here. Now that we are able to offer employment opportunities, it feels like we have a bigger mission that ''just'' producing nutritious food. We are also helping our employee make a living and staying in Cape Breton. It makes me happy to know that our money stays in Cape Breton. So whenever I can, I try to buy from local businesses because it means that the money you just spent is actually staying in your community, helping it grow and flourish and creating jobs.

Besides simply buying local there's a also different ways you can help local businesses:

- Give Them Stars. Good online reviews can impact other customers decisions to shop or visit. It can also help the business show up better in search engines. Didn't your husband checked that consumer report before buying that new lawnmower?

- Pay Cash. Credit cards are nice but there is that 3% of each transaction that just goes directly to the credit card processing companies, right out of the small business profit.

- Connect Socially. Liking them on Facebook is a great start. If you also take time to like or share their posts, you can help them reach more potential customers. Maybe even Check in when you’re there or tag them in a post.

- Try Something New. Take time to explore unique local shops, restaurants or markets to see how these businesses impact our community. Make it a monthly event to try something new, something local, and make it a fun day or evening out with friends and family.

- Give Thanks. Small business owners face a lot of challenges, from staffing, regulations, long hours, the stress keep piling sometimes. Show them your appreciation for what they bring to the area by shopping there, and thank them for being there. It will remind them it is certainly worth it and they will thank you for it, too!

So whether it's ink for your printer, a gift for your sister's birthday or food to feed your family, choose local first! You won't believe how good it feels to know you are making a difference in your community.

And this week is fresh pork week! We are getting our piggies back from the butcher so if you want your share of delicious local meat, come to the Farmers Market on Saturday to get your fresh pork. Please send us an email to order some! We will have 9lb boxes of a mix of chops, steaks, ribs and your choice of sausage for a discount price of $50.

Hope to see you there!

Warmly

Estelle

Did you know that the second leading cause of greenhouse gas emission on the planet after oil is animal raising? If you're like me, you don’t want to leave your children and grandchildren in a world that is worse than the one we live in.

Environmental cost of factory animal farming is way beyond the cost of our free range/pastured meat, and is paid by the general public in the form of taxpayer money, environmental disasters like the ‘’dead zone’’ in the Gulf of Mexico, and natural disasters caused by global warming, which clearly nobody is protected against even in our beautiful Cape Breton Island.

Let’s take a burger at MacDonalds. You’re only paying $5 for it, but when you actually count all of the costs associated with the production of that burger, including resources like water and feed, energy and pollution, that burger is closer to $13 worth. So who’s paying for it? We all are, through taxpayers money, environmental clean ups and degradation of our planet.

But don't beat yourself up, it isn't too late to make a change!

One of the best ways you can help the planet right here and right now, doesn’t involve buying an expensive hybrid car or installing photovoltaic panels on your roof, but simply by eating less meat and make a conscious effort to seek out sustainably produced meat. By making this simple conscious choice, you can greatly improve our future and the one of your children and their children. So feel good about what you're eating! And to top it off, our pastured meat is rich in so many nutrients that your body is probably lacking.

By finding us and purchasing from us, you already made a big step forward, and we thank you for that.

But what am I going to eat, you might say? If meat is taking the spotlight on your dinner plate, it won’t be easy to make the change, but you can do it progressively. You can start by adding more vegetables, the stronger the color the better (it will look really nice on your plate too!). Studies show that the more colorful the vegetable, the richer in vitamins and nutrients it is. Think about beets, broccoli and leafy greens. Some vegetables are also rich in protein if you feel like you need the extra protein. Things like avocado, beans and lentils are good alternatives to replace meat proteins. I wouldn’t advise tofu or soy since it is not at all produced in a sustainable way, and is more likely to contain GMOs.

Can't make it to the Farmers Market on Saturday? We are organizing deliveries with drop sites for our meat. We would love to know if you are interested and where you are located. Your driveway could be selected as a drop site (nothing else required, just that we can park there). 

Warmly,

Estelle

Our farmer in training Victor checks his cows to make sure they have lots of grass to eat

Isn't the snow disappearing fast! Doesn't it feel good to have your yard back? The kids are enjoying being outside, especially if there is mud, and I bet yours do too. 

With Easter just around the corner, I thought it would be nice to share with you some of my favorite recipes for Easter dinner. Most hams come cured and smoked, but they are usually way too salty and contain nitrates which gives it that pink color. So if you're up for a change, try one of these fresh ham recipes! And if you prefer poultry, one of our free range chicken is a great alternative to the regular turkey dinner and it won't take you as long to prepare.

ROASTED FRESH HAM WITH A MAPLE-SPICE GLAZE

For this one you will need a fresh ham from the upper hind leg of the pig. Fresh ham tastes like a really moist pork tenderloin. Also the more bones and fat the better it will taste!

• 8- to 10-pound bone-in fresh ham, preferably from the shank end, any rind removed
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

Put the ham in a large roasting pan. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Mix sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl. Smooth the spice mixture all over the ham's external surface.

Cover with aluminum foil and put in the oven for 3 1/2 hours.

Peel off the aluminum foil. Baste the ham with about half the maple syrup, preferably using a basting brush. Take it easy so you don't knock off the spice coating. 

Continue roasting the ham, uncovered this time, basting every 15 minutes or so with more maple syrup as well as any pan drippings, until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest park of the meat without touching bone registers 170 degrees, about 11/4 hours. 

Transfer the ham to a cutting board and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before carving.

Serves about 12 or more.

SIMPLE HOME-CURED HAM STEACK RECIPE

If you're not having the whole family for dinner, try the smaller version : the ham steak. The easiest way to cure it at home is with a wet cure, aka brine.

First prepare the basic brine:

• 1 quart water
• ¼ cup non-iodized salt
• ¼ cup brown sugar (note – You may cut the sugar in half, or omit it altogether. You may also substitute a few tablespoons of honey or maple syrup.)

Mix up the brine until all sugar and salt is dissolved.

Next, place the ham steak in a flat non-reactive baking dish (glass or ceramic, no plastic or metal!!) that can hold the whole steak but will fit in the fridge. Pour the brine over the steak, and make sure it is entirely submerged. Depending on the size of your container and the size of your steak, you may need to double the recipe and mix up a second brine. Weight the ham down with a plate to keep it submerged, and cover with plastic wrap.

Keep it in the fridge until it is “cured”, meaning the brine has thoroughly absorbed into the meat. This will happen at about the rate of 2 pounds per day. So for most of our ham steaks, 24 hours is sufficient. You can leave it longer, up to one week, in the fridge.

Finally rinse the ham off to remove excess salt and cook it any way you like. We recommend roasting it (bake at 350 degrees till done) or grilling it (for a nice smokey touch) rather than pan frying it. Because of the sugar, pan frying the ham may caramelize and burn the sugar before the ham is fully cooked.

ROASTED EASTER CHICKEN

If you are not into pork, try one of our free range chicken for a treat this Easter.

If you like the skin extra crispy, pat the chicken dry and rub the skin with oil, salt, and pepper.

You can add a few aromatics, like lemon and rosemary or thyme, inside the bird.

• Roast for around 15 minutes at 425°F, then reduce to 375°F until the juices run clear – just under 20 minutes per pound of chicken.

• Let the chicken cool for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

You won't believe how juicy our chicken is, even after running around in the grass like an Easter bunny!