Five Acre Farms

Egg Matters – Part 3

Dan Horan — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 23:19:39 +0000

At this point, most Americans have noticed that there is something going on with eggs. Prices have soared and shelves are bare. Many are still blaming Bidenomics, others blame Bill Gates. Some blame questionable chicken feed. The anti-misinformation website Snopes even took the time to refute a story that anti-theft locks have been put on egg cartons. Things feel topsy-turvy with eggs, but what’s actually going on? The real story is that it’s been another challenging stretch for birds in the United States. The Avian Flu continues to spread throughout the country. It has now raced out of California and is heading east. Most notably, Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio have confirmed cases and euthanized laying hens. Counties throughout Pennsylvania are reporting flu in the wild populations and farmers are doubling down on biosecurity measures. Some basics: The typical laying hen population in the United States is usually between 300 and 340 million birds. 340 is pretty high and 300 is pretty low. Before this wave of flu hit the chicken populations, there were 305 million birds, so the bird populations were very low before this started. Since October, 30 million birds have been euthanized, putting today’s egg-laying population at about 275 million: super low. Within the US, eggs can then be divided into two: conventional and specialty (considered higher quality). Conventional eggs are from birds kept in small cages and specialty are chickens raised by organic standards, cage-free, and free range. Conventional eggs are almost always less expensive and are […]

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Milk Matters | Part 2 of a Series: Milk and Avian Flu

Adam Friedman — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 19:14:51 +0000

Raw milk is in the news these days for a few reasons. RFK Jr. Avian Flu Romanticization of raw milk by legacy media, holistic medicine influencers, and French food lovers (Okay, this is snarky, but kind of true). First and foremost, is raw milk safe? This question is at the center of the debate. In my mind, it raises a basic question about public health policy. This asks, should the government have laws that protect the overwhelming majority of the population against potential problems with milk? If you say yes, the case for greatly reducing access to raw milk is overwhelming. Some claim that raw milk, when continually tested, is safe, and because it hasn’t been cooked (pasteurized), it has additional health qualities. Addressing the first point that raw milk is safe sounds good in a classroom but much like an old table saw with no safety features, one would never let the inexperienced near it. Some would let no one near it. Raw milk proponents extol its healthful virtues, yet as of today, there is no peer-reviewed evidence that raw milk carries greater health benefits than pasteurized milk. This is frustrating to the nontraditional medical community, but it is true. There is a growing voice in American society that doesn’t want rules dictated to them, and raw milk has fit neatly into this movement. Sadly, misinformation, conspiracy theories, and general distrust of the intentions of the research community underplays the perils in raw milk. The recent findings that avian […]

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Milk Matters | Part 1 of a Series: Milk and Avian Flu

Adam Friedman — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 17:31:31 +0000

The public health story here should be that the heavily regulated milk industry and all its attending milk processing laws are working incredibly effectively. There are no known cases of a person getting sick from the avian flu from drinking pasteurized milk. Testing began six months ago and since then, no pasteurized milk has been found to have the flu variant. Recently, the avian flu H5N1 has been found in cows in California, and the governor has declared a state of emergency. The avian flu has also been found in birds and some mammals in many parts of the country. The variant’s destruction of the bird population has been immense, but not widely reported, in my view. The variant’s appearance in milk is a valid concern to NIH researchers and food safety groups because when milk is left raw – unpasteurized – H5N1 remains alive. Dairy is one of the essential foods of the US and in fact the world. However, how concerning is this for American consumers of milk? Three questions: How safe is milk and can we monitor for contamination? What happens to farm workers who come into contact with the strain? What happens to the cows? Quick answers: Pasteurization works. Pasteurized milk is safe The number of workers infected is low and thus far treatable Cows can be treated and unlike birds, not euthanized Thankfully, because of pasteurization, despite the presence of H5N1 in some dairy cows in California, our milk supply to date has been proven […]

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Buttermilk Brined Chicken Recipe

Dan Horan — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 18:32:20 +0000

From the NYT Recipe: This recipe, adapted from Samin Nosrat’s “Salt Fat Acid Heat,” is inspired by the Southern grandma method of marinating chicken overnight in buttermilk before frying it. You’re roasting here, but the buttermilk and salt still work like a brine, tenderizing the meat on multiple levels to yield an unbelievably juicy chicken. As an added bonus, the sugars in the buttermilk will caramelize, contributing to an exquisitely browned skin. Be sure to leave 24 hours for marinating the chicken. While the beauty of roast chicken is that you can serve it anytime, anywhere, try serving it alongside panzanella, which plays the role of starch, salad and sauce. Recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018731-buttermilk-brined-roast-chicken Click here to download a .pdf of the recipe

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What does local food mean?

Adam Friedman — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 17:52:17 +0000

The way we look at it, local is about more than just distance. Local means knowing where our food comes from and what practices and processes were used along the way. It means paying farmers fairly to support their responsible farming and business practices. Local means growing the region’s economy and actively participating in the community. It means restoring the connection between farmer and consumer. We call this being Positively Local. Want to participate in the local food movement? See which groceries carry Five Acre Foods products near you.

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Five Acre Farms Landscapes

Dan Horan — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 19:30:15 +0000

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Everything you wanted to know about Buttermilk but were afraid to ask

Adam Friedman — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 18:00:11 +0000

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Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Dan Horan — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 21:15:45 +0000

Now that’ you’ve perfected your Sourdough, it’s time to bake some Irish Soda Bread. This classic recipe we found at dinneratthezoo features of course: flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. Why we love this recipe: Click Here To View Recipe 1 hour from start to finish Enjoyable read and clear instructions for great results The recipe widget lets you adjust servings needed and calculates ingredient amounts (photo by dinneratthezoo)

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Farms to Families Update

Adam Friedman — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 06:17:17 +0000

What started out as a call from a friend who wanted to make an immediate difference in the growing food crisis has turned into a truly holistic approach to helping feed those in need with dignity and nutritious local food. Since last June, Five Acre Farms and the Fair Food Network have leveraged our existing logistics infrastructure to move food directly off of local farms and into the mouths and bodies of our neighbors. The model is to pay the farmer, trucking, and logistics communities fairly so they can continue to remain in our economy. With food insecurity skyrocketing, Five Acre Farms saw an opportunity to provide nutritious fresh food to those in need using this very model – the results have been gratifying. We have delivered fresh milk and eggs directly to food pantries as we would our existing customers. Our deliveries have been to a range of communities: Upstate Eastern New York, Albany, The South Bronx, Queens, all the boroughs. Sometimes we have been mask to mask, handing out to those in need and sometimes we have been intermediaries. In Queens, we have directly stocked the Jackson Heights Community Fridge, a local non-profit that has a novel approach – outdoor refrigerators up and down the boulevard that is accessible to all that want. Sometimes we park the Big Rig and unload into waiting cars, sometimes it’s milk crates and egg cartons in front of a housing complex in tandem with a local pantry. Thanks to all of your […]

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How buttermilk makes this Nashville Hot Chicken sing

Adam Friedman — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 20:48:06 +0000

If you didn’t know already, buttermilk is a crucial ingredient in southern fried chicken. It’s the acids in buttermilk which tenderize the chicken by breaking down the proteins in the meat prior to cooking. We were reminded of this delicious fact when we tried this Nashville Hot Chicken recipe on Southern Kitchen. The recipe is simple to follow and the results are Deeeeeelicious! Nashville Hot Chicken Serves: 4 Hands On Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 7 hours and 0 minutes Ingredients Seasoned Flour 8 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup garlic powder 3 tablespoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning 1 tablespoon sweet paprika 1 teaspoon onion powder Hot Chicken 4 cups buttermilk (Five Acre Farms Buttermilk) 1/2 cup hot sauce 1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces Vegetable shortening or peanut oil, for frying 5 tablespoons cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed 1 tablespoon sweet paprika 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder Instructions To make the flour: In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until well combined. Pour the flour mixture into a heavy duty brown paper bag and reserve for frying. To make the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce. Add the chicken and submerge in the buttermilk mixture. Transfer to the refrigerator and marinate for 4 hours. When ready to fry, remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture, allowing any excess to drain off. Place the chicken in […]

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