Cross Creek Farm Family

Sun, Dirt and Fresh Air

2012-03-09T05:35:00.001-08:00

I love this time of year. It is a time when all the spring time birds come back around, when the sun starts shining all around and when we can get the kids out of the house for longer periods of time!

Our house is very small and as Eric Jr gets bigger he is outgrowing our house. His energy is amazing, but being cooped up inside for winter tends to get him a little agitated, frustrated and just pure mad. He tries so hard to keep himself occupied and play (running from couch to kitchen, kitchen to couch) and he does a pretty good job. Now that Julianna is old enough to play they tend to chase each other a little and play together.

But this past week the sun was shining and that was our chance. Eric Jr was so excited to go outside he couldn't sit still enough for us to get pants on him or put his shoes on. We finally got everyone dressed and out to the greenhouse we went!

We started planting the flowers that we will be growing this season. The kids played in the dirt and mud and played hide and seek in between and around the tables. Laughing hysterically at times. They decided it would be fun to throw dirt all over each other and then Eric Jr shook his head and dirt was flying everywhere as Julianna was laughing so hard she fell over. It's moments like these that I love the most about Eric and I working from home and being able to enjoy the moments that are so great with our children.

"Mom, I found a Woolie Bear."

Playing hide and go seek

Searching for T-Rex

We also finished cleaning out the old shed/barn/garage thing that was on our property that we will be turning into our Kitchen and store! We are working on measurements, estimates and drawings to see how it will all come together! This is very exciting for us.

We got our first batch of chicks last week and are expecting our ducks to come within the next couple weeks! We are getting ducks not only to raise for meat but we are getting them for duck eggs. Another new adventure we are trying this year.

Now off to get ready for market tomorrow at the Metrocenter. I hope you are enjoying the sunshine and nice weather just as much as we are.

The Rabbit Poop Scoop

2012-02-22T17:06:00.000-08:00

Got your attention didn't it!

Being that we have at least 40 does, 5 bucks and about 150 teeny babies right now, we have lots of poop! So it gave me some inspiration to write about it.

That may seem funny, but to some people rabbit manure is considered "Gold."

Whether you are a hobby farmer, commercial grower, or just have flower beds and/or fruit trees rabbit manure could be your best source of fertilizer.

Rabbit manure is considered a "cold" manure. By this I mean that most manures you have to let compost before you can use them on your plants. Rabbit manure on the other hand can be placed directly on the plant.

Some people make "Bunny Brew" out of it, meaning a tea of sorts. We place a shovel full of rabbit manure in a 5 gallon bucket and fill with water. Sometimes we just let it fill with rain water. We then let it sit and steep, stir it a little bit every so often and then when we want to use some we dip some out of the bucket and use a watering can and water our plants with it.


wormcompostingblog.com

Other times we just lay it on like a mulch of sorts. Laying it on this way it sort of resembles the time release fertilizer pellets that you spend an outrageous amount of money on at the store. Rabbit droppings don't break down right away so the nutrients get slowly released into the soil. Providing some what of a constant nutrient feed. Making for a stronger, healthier plant. There have been some studies that have show where a photo of a plant was taken and you can see exactly when the rabbit manure was added. The stem goes from thin and gangly to thick and luscious green. The photo added to the right is an image of that sort. You can see where the stem becomes thick. Interesting isn't it.

You can toss it into your compost pile as well. This makes the best home for worms. They absolutely love rabbit manure. There has been proven studies done through Cornell University that have sited that earthworms reproduce faster in rabbit manure and are plumper, healthier and stronger.

Rabbit manure has been nicknamed a natural "steroid" for plants. It contains 3.7% nitrogen, 1.3% phosphorus, 3.5% potassium and contains trace elements of calcium, magnesium, boron, zinc, manganese, sulfur, cooper and cobalt. Making for a highly nutritious fertilizer.

So if you know of anyone who has some rabbit poop they would like to get rid of....make sure you "take it off their hands" for them. It will benefit them as to get rid of it and benefit you in growing your plants. The only thing with that is....you may not want to tell them exactly why you want it...they may start charging or keep it all to themselves! ; )

A New Trend

2012-02-21T05:21:00.000-08:00

There is a "movement" happening that people are calling "Modern homesteading." But is it really a movement?

When some people think of homesteading, "Little house on the Prairie" comes to mind. Big fields, lots of animals, no running water..... But that is not all that it is. Everyone has a different way of homesteading.

Eric and I have been trying to change to being more self sufficient and green. The past few years we really haven't done too much to get to that point. I always made the excuse of not having time to can, not having time to bake bread, not having time to do much of anything besides business stuff. Which is farm related but 90% of the stuff we were producing was being sold.

This year however, things have changed. And funny as it is, the real drive finally came when the article about Mcdonald's "Pink sludge" came out. Eric Sr just could not handle it. He started researching more and we are now trying to cut out any products that might contain any GMO's and any processed foods.

Our long term goals are to get some solar or wind energy going on up here. I hope to can enough fruits and vegetables during the season to not have to buy them from the store during the winter. We have rabbits and chickens that we raise, we plan on raising some sheep and pigs this year as well as turkeys and ducks. So our meat will be covered.

I have been reading lots of books getting ideas, inspiration and good advice. There are 2 books in particular that I think everyone who is thinking of trying to change in some form to a greener lifestyle should read.

The very first one is....""Your Custom Homesteading" By Jill Winger. This book to me was very inspirational. She states that,

"Modern homesteading does NOT have to be an all or nothing lifestyle. Even if you can implement one or two aspects of this way of life into your current situation, that is progress, and you should be proud of it."

This was inspirational to me. This made me think that no matter what people thought of the way we were living, what we are trying to accomplish, be proud of what we have accomplished and not to let their perception stop us from creating a healthier, sustainable life for my children and family.

In the book she talks about how no matter where you live (apartment, farm, 1 acre property) you can still change and manage ways to become self sufficient. She talks about growing your own stuff in pots, doing sprouts, or just buying from your local farmer's market. No matter the way it is all about living healthier and greener.

She includes a 21 step process that she took a long the way to get her to a more self sufficient lifestyle. She includes lessons she learned, advice she had been given and lots of inspiration.

I highly recommend if you are trying to change in any way even if it is just to learn how to can or to plant your own garden to have fresh vegetables during the growing season to save some money.

The other book I read was "Homesteading Journey," by Kathleen Lupole. Kathleen lives in Oxford, NY. Close to home which for some reason makes it more real I guess. Knowing that someone in our area can do this then we can.

There is also a paragraph in her book that was inspirational to me as well.

"It's so much different than the days of the pioneers. Look at all the conveniences we have, even as homesteaders. For me I do not think of it as we are living in the past, or old fashioned, as people will imply, when they learn of our lifestyle. My husband is always quick to correct them, that we are the ones living in the future. For we have combined the best of both worlds. The energy system use is modern tech, so is the computers, the truck the chainsaw, etc. But we also have the manual tools."

Kathleen lives in an off the grid house. She has no refrigeration and gets her water from a hand dug well. She has a wood cook stove as well as a gas stove. They have solar energy to power all of their electronics. Which is not much at all. No TV. But a loving relationship and the love of the way they are living.

No I don't know that I want to do all those things. I would love a wood cook stove though. Eric jokes that he wants us to be Amish, but I don't think I want to go as far as having a horse and buggy. I do love my car. But something I took from both books is we are all different in our own ways and it is our dreams and our way of life to make it what we want. Whether that be going full fledged "Off the grid," or just to help cut costs and save money. It all is based in the same virtues of living off the land in a round about way and saving money.

I do want to state that neither one of these authors paid me to write this article. I have had writers block and have been reading to get inspiration. And after reading these 2 books I knew I had to write about them. They bring everything back to buying local, supporting community and helping to sustain OUR economy.

It took some convincing but.....

2012-02-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

We have tapped some maple trees!

When I was younger I remember going to visit my great grandfather and he would be sitting in the sugar shack boiling the maple syrup. The smell was heavenly. I remember sitting next to him in his old rocking chairs by the heat of the boiler and listening to his stories about when he was younger. I remember being excited to visit him, being excited to "help" grandpa make maple syrup.

A little while later my great grandfather passed away and my father bought great grandpa's house. I remember thinking how exciting it was going to be to carry on the tradition and make our own maple syrup. Then that first year came. We all bundled up and hiked out throughout the acres of woods that our family owned to collect sap. My cousins, brother and sister and I all gathered in a wagon with a big "tank" in the middle. My uncle or my dad would drive the tractor and we would drive all over the hillside collecting from the many trees. Freezing sometimes and tired we would come back to the sugar shack where it was warm and smelled of sweet maple syrup. It was interesting to learn how to do it.

Mind you, we did not produce this on a large scale. We did not sell it anywhere but the house and that was only to a few of our friends and neighbors. But we made a "TON" of it.

So then came the subsequent years....and year after year the fun dwindle. It became more of a chore than it did a fun interesting project. The nights of staying up and taking turns trying to keep my dad or my brother and sister awake to make sure we had an eye on the boiler. The times we were sitting in there by ourselves listening to the radio and watching sap boiling. Kind of the same as watching a pot of water boil except for it smells better!

Don't get me wrong I loved the end result even though I didn't/don't eat pancakes or anything of the nature that often. The taste of fresh made maple syrup is so much more flavorful than that of the store. It is as my grandfather would say, "As sweet as love."

So as I grew older I swore to myself that I would cherish those memories of the times I loved it and forget about the times I hated it. I would make sure I never did it when I got older so that I would still be able to cherish those moments.

But as Eric has been begging me for a few years now for us to do it, I could not refuse this year. We have slowly been trying to convert ourselves to more of a "homesteading" family. So I guess this is just one more step in that direction.

I will have to say deep down in side I am excited about it. Even though we don't have a "sugar shack" and will only be doing small batches on the stove in our home. It will hopefully be a little more enjoyable doing it in small batches. And of course now that I am older I will appreciate the outcome much more. It is amazing what changes when we grow older. Our outlook on life and things that were so "annoying" turn into something that is a necessity or a way of saving money. Then we understand when it is too late. I can't go back and enjoy it then but I can change and enjoy it now!

I am excited to have Eric Jr playing a roll in it. He went with daddy to tap the trees. He tasted the sap. And was very excited to tell me when I got home from an appointment..."Mommy, we makin' seer-up!"

We will only be making enough to support our families with it. Not to sell it. So here we go!

Thank you for attending the Local Meat Fair.

2012-02-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

I am glad to see that many of you made it to the local meat fair that we had at the Metrocenter in Binghamton last night. If you didn't make it here is a little review of what went on.

The event was organized by Laura Biasillo who works for Cornell Cooperative Extension and is part of Senator Libous' "Buy from the Backyard" campaign. This month the focus of the "Buy from the Backyard" monthly newsletter was CSA's. So this event was created to help get the CSA's out there as well as let people taste the different meats.

There was rabbit (ours), Chicken (ours), Beef, Goat (Boer Bakery), Turkey (King Hill Farm) and Pork.

Matt from Down to Earth Whole Foods was the chef who created all of the dishes and let me tell you they were AMAZING!!!! My favorite of course was the Southwest Black Bean Chicken because it was Spicy! The rabbit stew was delicious as well with a creamy type broth flavor! Eric like the Beef brisket and Julianna enjoyed the quiche he made!

A lot of people that tried the Rabbit stew had made the comment that it tasted a little fatty. I just want to clarify....the fatty-ness did not come from the rabbit. Any homemade broth has a certain amount of creamy fat to it. It tends to be more fatty than salty. Whereas the broth that you buy in the store is more salt, less fat. His broth was different also in the way that he used the carcasses from all of the animals (turkey, chicken, rabbit, beef, pork...) to make it. It had a unique flavor and to me was absolutely creamy delicious. It was better than the broth I remember my grandmother making when I was younger.

Rabbit is an extremely LEAN meat! there is not a lot of fat to it therefore it should not have a fatty taste. It was the broth that made it seem that way!

Either way it was a great market, a great event and it was great to educate a lot of people on rabbit meat. Obviously rabbit meat is not something that is a staple in everyone's home or mind as something to eat. In other countries it is one of the main meats but here it is "exotic!"

Not only did we sell a lot of meat but we sold a lot of the teas that I just finished! I hope you enjoy them!

I figured I would share some recipes with you from the event. Of course they are the Chicken and Rabbit recipes!

Southwest Black Bean Chicken

2 lbs free range chicken breast
1 yellow onion (chopped)
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
1 cup black beans
1 tomato (chopped)
1/4 cup olive (chopped)

Less than a 1/2 tbsp of each of the following:
sea salt, black pepper, paprika, parlsey, cayenne, cilantro, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder.

Cook the chicken. Shred it. Mix all of the ingredients together and simmer together.

SPICY!!!!

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Rabbit Stew

3 cups vegetable or beef stock
1 cup water
1 lb fresh rabbit meat (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
1 carrot (chopped)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 tbsp arrowroot flour
1 celery stalk (chopped)
2 red potatoes (chopped)
1 sweet potato (chopped)

A 1/2 tbsp each of the following:
sea salt, black pepper, paprika, parsley, thyme, sage, onion powder, caraway seed

Put all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Cook until the meat and the potatoes are cooked through.

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I hope you give them a try! They were absolutely delicious!

New Herbal teas

2012-01-31T18:07:00.000-08:00

I have talked before about us making more herbal teas and selling those as well. Something more to add to our herbal products.

With everything that has been going on, I will admit I have kind of neglected the herbs a little. The teas...neglected quite a bit.

Today I spent the whole day working on teas. I have been doing a lot of research and things prior but have also asked a few people what their favorite teas are. Of course I do not have a huge variety of some herbs because I did not plan on things selling as well as they did. We also planted fresh plants last spring, so they did not produce a lot.

I changed the packaging. They are now available in a 2 pack, giving you the opportunity to try them and not have to buy a bunch to try 1! 2 packs will be available for $1.50 each.

So here are some that will be available at our next indoor market at the Metrocenter in Downtown Binghamton on Friday from 5pm-8pm.

Bee Balm Tea

            I will admit this is one that I had never tried. But when I tasted it, I believe this is my new favorite go to tea. There are so many benefits as well.

            A little background on the herb itself:
            The plant is native to Oswego, NY. Therefore giving the plant the nickname "Oswego Tea." Of course history suggests that both the town and the tea got their name from the indians inhabiting area.
   It is medicinal as well as flavorful and edible.
           Uses: colds, sore throats, headaches, gastric disorders, reduce low fevers, relieve flatulence, nausea, menstrual pain and insomnia.
            It is classified as a stimulant, antiseptic, diuretic, diaphoretic, carminative

Bee Balm tea needs to be steeped for 10 minutes. You can add sweetener, but Eric who is the "sweet" king didn't even need to add sugar. I thought it was great just the way it was. If you do add a sweetener, I would recommend honey or stevia. Remember....natural!
Another interesting tid bit of information. Bee Balm is a good companion to plant with Tomatoes, giving the tomatoes better growth and flavor. However, Bee Balm is evasive, so I would be careful planting them too close.

Chamomile Tea

         Apple like fragrance and flavor.
         Has a tonic effect as well as antispasmodic properties.
         Uses: Calm nerves, remedy delirium tremens, and prevent nightmares

I will say that we personally used this to treat both Eric Jr and Julianna's colic when they were younger and I still give them some if I think they have an upset stomach.

Chamomile needs to be steeped for 10 minutes.

Goldenrod Tea

We all know what Goldenrod is. Most of us believe it is just a weed that grows all over the area and turns the fields a golden yellow.

But Goldenrod is actually a very delightful and healthy choice for tea.

It has a mild anise scent.
Goldenrod is a stimulant, carminative and diuretic.
Uses: fevers, chest pain, spasms, sore throat, urinary tract inflammation, exhaustion and fatigue, and chronic diarrhea.

Now I do want to make note - GOLDENROD SHOULD NOT BE USED DURING PREGNANCY!

I did a Chamomile/Lavender tea today, but that was for a special order and I used all of my lavender that I harvested this summer. I plan on having more next year. We planted 50 lavender plants and will probably plant more this year!

We will also have Peppermint tea, Spearmint tea, Lemongrass tea, and Calendula Tea available on Friday as well!

* I would like to make sure you understand this is information I have obtained through reading books. "The Rodale Herb Book," The Herbal Drugstore" by Linda white and Steven Foster and "The Complete Guide to Herbal Medicines" by Charles W. Fetrow and Juan R. Avila.
I am not a doctor and am not diagnosing or trying to cure anything. Please make sure you discuss all herbal treatments with your physician. There are many herbs that interfere with drugs.*

Newark Valley Farmer's Market- update

2012-01-29T13:45:00.000-08:00

We have had a huge response from potential customers and vendors for the Newark Valley Farmer's Market. All in all a lot of local people are excited to be able to go to a farmer's market that is close to home and has fresh products.

I have talked to a few local groups and organizations and told them that we would encourage them to have some fund raising events to co-inside with the markets. Anything from baked sales, performances, registrations....and more.

There will be no charge to your group or organization.

We have full use of the pavilion and electric is provided if needed.

If you or your organization is interested in hosting some sort of fundraiser, please make sure you contact us. We will have to schedule these events so we don't have conflicts and not enough room. Either call 607-657-8251 or email us.

We are also still looking for demonstrations. We want to have some "How-to" demonstrations and events. This was thought of to help provide knowledge to the community on specific topics. Canning, spinning, weaving, quilting, .....and more.

There will be no charge to you.

If you are interested in this as well please make sure to contact us. This will also have to be scheduled.

We are scheduling all of this also so that we can advertise it as well.

We are still looking for some vendors....mainly artisan and craft vendors.

We are still searching for another produce vendor. If anyone is interested please contact us ASAP!

Please make sure if you are interested to contact us ASAP. There is going to be a vendor meeting on February 24th from 5-6 pm at Cardinal Cafe in Newark Valley.

I will tell you we have already filled some spots.

Produce- West Creek Family Farm- (We have another farm interested but have not received confirmation)
Fruit- Cross Creek Farm
Goat Milk Soap- West Creek Family Farm
Fiber Products-West Creek Family Farm
Baked goods- Boer Bakery (Endicott NY)
Goat Meat- Boer Bakery (Endicott NY)
Chicken Meat- Cross Creek Farm
Turkey- Cross Creek Farm
Rabbit Meat- Cross Creek Farm
Fruit Butters- Cross Creek Farm
Herbs (Plants and dried)- Cross Creek Farm
Food/Beverage- Cardinal Cafe

We have some potential vendors that have not yet fully committed. If they all commit there will be some great variety of products there!

Please spread the word! Can't wait to start the season!

"CA" Apples from Cornell Orchards

2012-01-24T17:23:00.000-08:00

This is the very first year that we have been allowed to have the "CA" apples. We have always wanted to try them but have not had the opportunity until now!

What is a "CA" Apple?

"CA" stands for Controlled Atmosphere. Controlled Atmosphere is a technology developed at Cornell Orchards.

They take choice fruit selected at harvest, in a sealed room for a period of 90 days.Nitrogen is used to bring the oxygen level down from the 21% that we breathe to around 2.5% with carbon dioxide from fruit respiration allowed to accumulate to around 2%.

This slows fruit aging and preserves fruit firmness, acidity, sugars and Vitamin C.

The fruit with the "CA" label has higher nutritional and sensory quality than the regular cold-stored fruit of the same age.

*This information was taken from Cornell Orchards pamphlet on CA Fruit.

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When we read that, we thought it was extremely interesting.

Now most of you know that I cannot stand soft apples or soft any type of fruit for all that matters. So when Eric took a bite and I heard the nice crisp noise I was immediately excited to taste it.

My first bite was astonishing. Now we all know that the longer a fruit is stored the softer it tends to get and the taste tends to disintegrate.

This apple was extremely juicy, crisp, and the taste was unbelievable!!! It was a Jona gold.

I am extremely excited to announce that we will have them at market for the rest of the season. They have numerous different varieties of apples that they put through the "CA" process.

Make sure you come down this Saturday to the Metrocenter in Binghamton from 9am-noon and pick some up. They tend to go fast so get there early.

Hope to see you there!

West Creek Family Farm - Lotion bar review

2012-01-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

I was asked by one of our farmer friends if I would be willing to do a review of their lotion bars. Being that my son tends to have really dry skin during the winter months and my hands are always dry I figured why not.

So a little information about the bars and then my review!

* The review is purely my own thoughts and opinions. I am not being paid for what I say.

West Creek Family Farm is owned by Ken and Peggy Vanvorce. They have been farming all their lives.They now raise dairy and beef cows, merino, cormo and romney sheep, alpacas, llamas, nubian goats, angora goats, cashmere goats, english angora rabbits, satin angora rabbits and jersey woolie rabbits. They make goat milk soaps (all with their goats milk). Spring they make Maple Syrup and Summer they grow vegetables.

And now my review:

The lotion bars are made from shea butter, beeswax, olive oil and essential oils.

They are available in Lavender, vanilla, patchouli, apple cinnamon, mayan gold, arabian spice, peppermint and no joba joba.

When I first got it I immediately smelled the scent. Not overpowering but enough to take notice. I immediately pulled it out of the plastic and rubbed it on my hands.

I think the bar idea is great. Personally myself I hate having the creme to rub on my hands...this definitely makes it easier and not so messy. It is also something that I can give my 2 year old son to rub on his hands and not have to worry whether he is getting gooey lotion all over the place.

I used it a few times a day for a couple weeks both on myself and my 2 year old son and 1 year old daughter. I will have to say that my son loved it! One of those "Mommy me do" moments.

I felt that it was a great product. It definitely made my hands feel more nourished. No longer dry. And of course they smelled amazing.

The one thing I will have to say is that I did not like the little bit of oily feeling it left on my skin. However, most lotions and body products do the same so it is not necessarily a flaw of this product.

I left my father-in-law "test" the product as well. He has psoriasis on his hands and will try anything to see if it helps. He said that it felt more to him almost like a soap than a lotion. He said he liked it and even though it had the scent in it it did not "sting" his hands like most lotions or creams. It is not something that he would continually use for his hands because it did not improve or change his psoriasis and he has a cream that does help him.

That being said,
I would recommend this product for anyone who loves lotions, creams and body products. It is great quality, and of course LOCAL!!!!! Great for gifts or just a treat for yourself.

You can find her products and more on their farm on her facebook page for sale.

A Blast from the past!

2012-01-18T05:13:00.000-08:00

Oakdale Mall Farmer's Market a LONG time ago! Or so it seems!

Before kids, Before Marriage.

I am having trouble with writing inspirations so here is Wordless Wednesday, a blast from the past!

BBQ Ribs

2012-01-10T05:02:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted for Tasty Tuesday lately, things have been a little busy. But on Sunday I made a delicious BBQ ribs with our Beef and made my own BBQ sauce.

My BBQ sauce recipe:

2 Cups Ketchup
1 Cup Honey (Sunny Hill Farm)
1tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp A1 Steak Sauce
2 Tbsp Grill Mates Smokehouse Maple Seasoning

I mixed all the ingredients together and simmered on low for 1 hour.

The ribs were ours from our cows that we had processed this year.

I rub the ribs with salt, pepper, and some Old Bay seasoning. I then wrapped them in Tinfoil with a little bit of water and cooked them in the oven 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. I took them out put the BBQ sauce on them and Broiled them for 15 minutes to crisp things up a little.

This is the first time that I have ever made ribs or my own BBQ sauce for that matter. I got the original BBQ sauce recipe online and then added some different items too it. I will have to say it was absolutely delicious and great to eat for Sunday Night Football!

What the heck, Why not kind of year!

2012-01-07T06:11:00.000-08:00

For 5 years now we have been trying to find a niche. Every time we think we have it, it doesn't necessarily work out the way we had planned. We have been planning and organizing everything through out the seasons and have just been making it. We have not had that, "Wow" item.

So this past year (2011) we did a lot of things flying by the seat of our pants. For example we decided to throw a Fall Festival with only 2 weeks to plan it and get everything together. Well, that went ok. Not great but ok. However, it did start a ball rolling that we never really thought would be something we would do.

As I said before when I first originally told you about the Fruit butters it was one that was asked of us by Cornell Orchards (Ithaca) and then we just said ...hmmm "What the heck, Why not?" That then led into.... Englebert Farms (Nichols), Hollenbeck's Shurfine (Newark Valley), Cardinal Cafe (Newark Valley) and Greenstar (Ithaca).

After getting those accounts the winter was here and with winter comes a lower income for us because we don't have markets every weekend. So I was searching for more accounts to get a hold of. I had a few different wholesale distributors that we had met at a meeting in Caroline, I think. So I picked one that I had heard about through another vendor at Ithaca Market and had heard that they were easy to work with, they loved to work with you and were very easy going. They distribute through out all of NY state, Rochester, Albany, NYC and more! I said "What the heck, Why not?" I then emailed then. Of course I was thinking that I wouldn't get a response wouldn't get nothing.

Well not even 10 minutes later I had a response of huge excitement that they wanted to meet and they were very interested in carrying our fruit butters. He said they wanted them for the fact that they are made with local fruit and produced locally.

!!!!!! speechless !!!!!!!

This was before the holidays and he had stated in his email that he wanted to meet after the holidays just because it was a very busy time. So through the holidays we were thinking about it in the back of our minds!

We then set the meeting and the uneasy, nervous feeling set in! Can we do this? What are we thinking! Then this feeling came over of....We deserve this, we CAN do this..."What the heck, why not"

Headed to the meeting we knew that if it didn't turn out it wouldn't matter. There are others interested and other ways to do it.

As we met them we felt an extreme relief with the first few sentences. We had brought samples and they sampled a little and then continued through the whole meeting. They were enjoying them. They continuously said how good they were and that they definitely had a different taste compared to a normal Apple Butter. The chunks gave it texture and a different feel. Adult food, instead of baby mush.

So here we are meeting over and excited to no end.....We are working out some cosmetic issues but 1st order has already been placed!!!!!

What does this mean?

This means, I am freaking out!!!!! I am so excited I really don't know what to do with myself! Is this possibly the thing that is going to start to help our dream of living the farming life be a great thing and not a constant struggle? Is this going to bring us to that next level that we have seen so many times and been so close...just not quite?

The thing that makes it even better is that the original Apple butter recipe is one I found in my Grandmother's cookbook. So it makes it that much better to know it started in a previoust generation and we are continuing through to this generation.

Cross Creek Farm Poultry and Rabbit CSA!

2012-01-06T01:51:00.000-08:00

We originally said we were going to wait until February to launch our very first CSA. But as we finished getting details and things organized, we decided that we were ready now and would launch it now.

I will make a separate page on this blog that will give you all the information to refer to so you don't have to continually search for this post. I am also going to post it on our Facebook page as a "note" and on our Website.

So here are the details......

Cross Creek Farm Meat CSA 2012

What is a CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture. CSA’s were originally started to help farmer’s have the funding that they needed while also providing the consumers with great product. It is a balance of trust. The consumer needs to trust that the farm will produce what they have paid for. The farmer in turn does not have to focus as much on the financial aspect of it, therefore giving more time for the farmer to concentrate on growing top quality products. This is one way for the community to be more connected and for consumers to get to “know” their local farmers. Knowing and trusting in your farmer creates a greater aspect and quality of life for farming and food being produced for the community. It helps the shareholders know what is going into their mouths as well as their family’s mouths.

Overview:

This is our first year offering a CSA. We have been trying to figure out how to better start off our season. Due to financial strains, the beginning of the season is tough with seed orders, animal purchases and needs for any farm. We have asked for any input from our customers and you have expressed a lot of interest so here it is:

Our meat CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for 2012 includes:

The advantage to purchasing our CSA is a 10% discount on purchased products.

Chicken (Frozen)- We free-range our chickens. They are White Cornish Rock Crosses. They tend to weigh between 3-4 lbs. They are raised humanely in pastures that are continuously changing. Giving them fresh grass to scratch. Leading to a cleaner and more flavorful bird. We use no medications or hormones.

Rabbit (Frozen)- Our rabbits are a New Zealand, Californian, Flemish cross. They generally weigh between 2-3 lbs. They are mainly grass-fed with pellet supplements during the winter to maintain their health. No hormones or medications.

Turkey (FRESH)-(November only)- Free range Turkey between 15-16 lbs. They are raised on a rotating pasture. Giving them fresh grass to graze and better taste quality. We use no medications, no hormones, no chemicals.

Dried Herb Shakers- Our herbs are grown pesticide free. We do not add any additives to our herbs, no salt, just OUR herbs grown on OUR farm.

Brown Eggs- Our eggs come from a set of 100 Free-range chickens. We have some Black Giants, Buff Orphingtons, Black Australope and Barred Rocks.

How it works:

The CSA will run from June-November.

You will get a monthly package that will have to be picked up at the 1^st Wednesday (Vestal Farmer’s Market), 1^st Saturday (Otsiningo Farmer’s Market), or 1^st Sunday of the month (Newark Valley Farmer’s Market). You may pick up at the farm (Berkshire) on the 1^st Monday or Tuesday of the month. If you are picking up at the farm you must notify us 48 hours in advance.

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PICK UP YOUR CSA.

Full Share: $382.50

Option 1:

-4 whole chickens, 2 dozen eggs, 2 dried herb shaker each month.

Option 2:

-3 whole chickens, 1 Rabbit, 2 dozen eggs, and 2 dried herb shaker each month.

-Each month, you will have a surprise item added to your basket.

-All meat will be frozen.

Half Share- $171.25

Option 1:

- 2 Chickens, 1 dozen eggs, and 1 dried herb shaker per month.

Option 2:

- 1 Chicken, 1 Rabbit, 1 dozen eggs, 1 dried herb shaker per month.

- Each month you will receive an added surprise item in your basket.

- All meat will be frozen.

Fresh Free Range Turkey- $45.00

- Fresh Turkey in November

- You may get the turkey ONLY- Must be paid by April 30, 2012.

- You can add this to your CSA and the total amount must be paid by April 30, 2012.

All Shares must be paid in full by April 30, 2012. Payments are welcome but must be paid in full by April 30, 2012. NO REFUNDS.

Please Sign this Rules and Regulations page as well as fill out the application and return to us with a $100.00 deposit by March 1, 2012.

We only have a limited number of shares available on first come first serve basis. Get your application and deposit in ASAP to guarantee a share.

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You may either get an application either by emailing us or picking one up at the Otsiningo Winter Farmer's Market. We will be there this Friday (Tomorrow) from 5pm-8pm.

Remember there are only so many available....please make sure to get your spot!

We are very excited to do this and hope that you are excited to do this with us!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T03:39:00.000-08:00

It's tradition for the new year to make a New Year's Resolution. The normal resolutions tend to be loose weight, save money, finish some task that you have been meaning to finish for 2 years now. These all tend to result in it not happening. You have your few that actually can stick to their resolution and do what they are going to say.

I am one who tends to not do what I set my goal for. It is definitely a weakness of mine.

I cannot believe it is 2012 already!

So here is our new year resolutions for 2012:
- Eat healthier
-Finish the addition
-Expand our growing business with Butters
- Expand our Rabbitry- meaning getting more customers and accounts.

So here's to hoping that we can stick to them.

And here is to wishing you the best in the New Year!

I would say that I would type this later and watch the ball drop, but ever since I have had the kids, I don't think I have made it to seeing the ball drop. We always try and usually Eric is waking me up at 10 saying "why don't we just go to bed we are both sleeping?"

Newark Valley Farmer's Market

2011-12-27T17:54:00.000-08:00

We have been talking about it for a long time now. We have been going over details, location and numerous other market ideas and hurdles. We had our very first meeting tonight and have set the ball in motion. We have made decisions and our now looking for vendors.

The market will be located on the Village Green right in Newark Valley. It will be Sunday's from 10am-3pm. It will start the 3rd Sunday in May and end the last Sunday of October. It will be a locally produced or handcrafted market only.

We are looking for vendors:

Produce Baked goods Soaps
Dairy Honey Candles
Jams/Jellies Meat woodworking
Jewelry Concessions Quilters
Painters Photographers Artists
Musicians

and more.......

If you are interested. Please contact us through our email address.

We are hoping to bring our community closer with their local farmer's and producers. We have lots of ideas in store, such as music, demonstrations, activities and special events.

Specific details have yet to be finalized, but we are very excited about this. There are so many local producers in our area that no one knows about. It would help bring the community to some peoples attention and hopefully join us all together and get us more involved.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T16:32:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

From our family to yours!

Santa Here?

2011-12-23T05:19:00.000-08:00

So with this busy time of year, every child that's family celebrates Christmas becomes to learn about Santa. This year Eric Jr finally started to kind of understand what/who Santa was. It started off with some cartoons, but he really didn't get it then. Then our very first indoor market at the Metrocenter he saw Santa. He told him that he wanted "Buzz and Woody" (Toy Story).

The next market we had, there was another Santa. On our way to market we were telling him that Santa was going to be there. He just kept repeating "Baby Reindeer?" We told him that we didn't think so but maybe. When he saw Santa we asked if he wanted to go over to say hi and he said, "No, Baby Reindeer." Santa was great and told him that they were on the roof! He was finally ok with it and let it go. Or so we thought.

I guess we need to start raising Baby Reindeer?!

The Flight Before Christmas movie.
This is where Eric Jr gets the"Baby Reindeer" from.

Since then we have ad many conversations about Santa. Anytime he gets tired and doesn't want to go to sleep he starts crying for Santa. We proceed to tell him that it is only a few days away but he has to be a good boy! He still doesn't quite get it.

My brother talked to him on the phone the other day and he asked him what he asked Santa for for Christmas. he proceeded, "Pirates (?), Raaahhhh Dinosaurs (?), and a few others. None of which included Buzz and Woody. It was cute. My brother said, "Santa must think you are special," Eric Jr replied with "YUP." Too Cute.

Now, everytime he hears a car go by, a noise outside or he wakes up from a nap, or sleeping he starts off "Santa here?"

This is our first child so we are experiencing the joy of Santa through our children for the first time. It is very delightful, sometimes a little rough trying to keep coming up with ways to tell him that he was not here yet. One that has seemed to be working is that Santa is still making the toys. Eric Jr then replies with "Buzz and Woody!"

I will have to say that I am very excited to see his face on Christmas morning.

We have baked cookies together, read books and watched movies about Christmas. He is super excited as are we. I hope to start some great family traditions related to the holiday.

As far as the farm goes, we have no snow. Which is good and bad. I want snow so Eric Jr can play in it. But we don't want snow because the warmer weather is a little more enjoyable. Eric worked outside all day yesterday cleaning the barn. Cleaning around the field and farm to get stuff put away that we normally don't get a chance to put away.

Butters are still going full force. I am getting 2 bushels of pears in the crocks to make pear butter and I have 2 bushels of Apples waiting for me to peel and core them. The pears are starting to wind down so I am trying to get enough stockpiled and made that we will still have the pear butter for awhile. But with the holiday buying of butters for Christmas gifts has made it hard to keep up!

I have always loved the giving homemade or specialty gifts for Christmas instead of your store bought items. Especially for adults that really have everything that they need.

I have to get back to peeling pears (ugghh), but I want to wish you all a happy Holiday and hope you enjoy your time with family and friends.

Christmas Dinner

2011-12-19T07:38:00.000-08:00

There is so many different holiday traditions this time of year.

We celebrate Christmas and have 3 separate Christmas dinners. We generally have ham at my mom's and my grandparents. At Mom and Dad K Christmas we are having Chicken. I don't really know about the sides. I think they change from time to time.

One that we always had when my grandmother was alive is Scalloped Potatoes! It was delicious. I will be making it again this year for Christmas at my mom's.

What do you normally make for Holiday dinner? What are some of your favorite foods for the holiday?

Some of my favorites would have to be the cookies. I am not normally a baked good eater. But I cannot resist cookies on Christmas.

Eric's family favorite is "Peanut Butter Balls" (Buckeyes). Mom makes them a little different than a traditional Buckeye which makes it even more delightful.

We have people that ordered Rabbit for their Christmas dinner! Some people picked up Chicken.

Either way, I hope you got at least your main meat local! We have plenty of vendors at the Otsiningo Winter Farmer's Market that sell meat. You can probably still contact them and get a hold of a local product!

Poultry, Rabbit and Turkey CSA

2011-12-18T11:56:00.000-08:00

We have worked a lot on this. Weighing the pros and cons. We are thinking this through over and over again. We are hoping to debut our CSA and have sign-ups at the Feburary First Friday event. We will only have a limited number of openings available.

What exactly is a CSA?

"A CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production." Wikipedia.

Our CSA would consist of you picking up once a month. We will be finalizing details and items the closer we get to debut.

We are definitely including chicken and rabbit. We also are hoping to include a Thanksgiving Turkey in November. Once again these details are not final. But if you have some input on what you might like then we would be all ears. Please let us know.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T03:06:00.000-08:00

Dark Days Challenge- 12/11-12/17

2011-12-13T17:01:00.000-08:00

Last week I did not do a very good post for the Dark Days Challenge. I was not happy because I was so excited to start this. So forgive me for last week and hopefully this week will kick off what I am hoping to be a great Dark Days Challenge posting spree!

This week I decided that I would do something with our rabbit meat. We sell rabbit meat at market and the common question is...."How do you cook it?" I have been meaning to try numerous different recipes so I can have more than just "my favorite" recipe.

I never had rabbit until I met my husband. I never knew how good it was for you until I researched it. When we were getting ready to raise it to start selling, I had to make sure that I knew what I was talking about.

I had planned on doing a rabbit of the month recipe on our website and have not yet done one every month. I don't like to recommend recipes unless I try them first. So this is giving me a great reason to test out the recipes I plan on recommending and handing out to potential customers.

This week I made:

Roasted Rabbit with Garlic, Rosemary and Hungarian Hot pepper and for a side I made Fried Corn with onions and Peppers

Roasted Rabbit with Garlic, Rosemary and Hungarian Hot pepper

1- 2 1/4 lb rabbit (Cross Creek Farm, Berkshire NY)
salt
pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped (Cross Creek Farm Berkshire NY- Italian Red Garlic)
Rosemary (Cross Creek Farm Berkshire NY)
Hungarian Hot pepper (Cross Creek Farm Berkshire NY)

Season both sides of the rabbit with salt and pepper.
Combine garlic, rosemary and Hungarian hot pepper in a small bowl.
Rub mixture over both sides of rabbit
Cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours
Preheat oven 475 degrees
Uncover and roast until tender and cooked through, 30-35 minutes.

Fried Corn with Onions and Peppers

Corn (Iron Kettle Farm, Candor NY)
Onion (Cross Creek Farm, Berkshire NY)
Red peppers (Cross Creek Farm, Berkshire NY)
Green Peppers (Cross Creek Farm, Berkshire NY)
Butter

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
Saute until onion is just beginning to turn crispy.

The corn, peppers and onions I used were ones that I had frozen. I believe that the corn would have been so much better if it was made with all fresh ingredients.

The rabbit was AMAZING! And as you can probably tell I love Garlic and rosemary. I promise next week I will try to make something that isn't rosemary garlic! : )

I will also have to say that challenge is making realize that there is a lot I can make with what we grow on our farm. Very excited to continue and looking for new recipes!

Roberson Museum- Home for the Holidays!

2011-12-11T17:21:00.000-08:00

When I was in grade school, I remember going to Roberson Museum for their Christmas display. I remember being in awe of the many different trees, the country trees, and the whimsical trees that I would never think of. I have wanted to take the kids there so they can enjoy it just as I did.

When we were approached to do a local event at Roberson, I jumped on it. I knew that Roberson was a very busy place and in knowing that was hoping and thinking it would be a great event.

It wasn't as great as I had hoped, but it was nice to see the people that did come to support us and even if they didn't come specifically for us they enjoyed the fact that they could buy some local gifts for their loved ones.

I will have to say that my display was GORGEOUS!

This was one of our last events before Christmas. We will be at the Metrocenter in Binghamton on Saturday December17th from 9am-Noon. Make sure if you want to get some last minute gifts, you stop by.

I have made some gift baskets and we will be bringing the last of the Christmas wreaths and poinsettias for those of you that have not yet decorated for Christmas.

Dark Days Challenge- Week 1- Dec.4-Dec11.

2011-12-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

Going into this week trying to plan out what I was going to have was very exciting. I kept thinking of different things that I could make.

As it got closer however, I seemed to have had to rush things together. We have been very busy lately making holiday wreaths, butters and jams to sell at our big event this weekend that I had almost forgot.

This week I decided that I would make

"Garlic Rosemary chicken with Maple baked Butternut squash."

I did not get to take a picture which made me a little upset because I really wanted this post to be perfect.

But this is what I did and the ingredients.

Whole range Cornish Cross Chicken (Cross Creek Farm - ours)

Chopped Garlic cloves (Cross Creek Farm- ours)

Rosemary Garlic powder seasoning (Cross Creek Farm - ours)

Butternut Squash (Stoughton's Farm- Newark Valley)

Maple Syrup (Sugarbush Run - Newark Valley)

I first chopped the garlic and put it inside the Chicken. I then rubbed the Rosemary Garlic seasoning all over the outside of the chicken. I added a little water to the roasting pan just to add a little extra moisture. Covered it tightly with tin foil and cooked it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours at 375 degrees. I then took the foil off and let the skin crisp up for 15 minutes more.

With the butternut squash, I cut it in half, dug out the seeds, laid it in a baking pan and filled the part where the seeds were with Sugarbush Run maple syrup. I then rubbed the maple syrup over the rest of the squash. Added a little water to the pan and covered tightly with Tin foil. I baked it the same amount of time and temperature as the Chicken.

I then scooped all the squash out of it and mashed it with a potato masher.Add a little extra Maple syrup and dished it up.

Eric Jr loved it!

I will have to say that this task was a little harder than I thought it would be. I caught myself a few times grabbing the salt and some other things. I did however find a place where I can get salt from and it will be within the same state. Not as local as I preferred but it may work.

I plan on doing something better next week. Stay tuned to find out!

Make sure you check out the other blogs and see what they did this week for the Dark Days Challenge.

TRIVIA THURSDAY

2011-12-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

For this Trivia Thursday we are going to be giving away 1FREE FRUIT BUTTER (any variety).

Make sure you answer the trivia question by 8 pm on Friday December 9th.

You may submit your answer on the Facebook page and/or email if you would like. Just make sure you post your email address with your Facebook comment.

HOW MANY VARIETIES OF HERBS DID WE GROW THIS YEAR?

If you win, I will notify you via email. You will have to pick up your product at the Otsiningo Winter Farmer's Market at the Metrocenter.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2011-12-07T03:41:00.000-08:00