January on the Farm

January is the "slow month" on the farm. We have a few layers that need cared for and no meat chickens. All the goats are growing their babies and resting up for the busy milking season that is only one month away. Cheese is aging and becoming better with every day. I am pouring over gardening catalogs and websites for chickens and other birds that we are adding in the Spring. I am really excited to add a couple of Chinese geese this Spring that we are adding to help with aerial protection of the meat birds.  We are also adding some new layer breeds, Delawares, Cuckoo Marans, they lay a very dark brown egg, Araucaunas, green to blue eggs and keeping with an old favorite the Barred Rock.  We are still debating on bringing ducks back to the farm for eggs and meat late Fall.

Sixteen does are bred this year and that means lots of babies and lots of milk. Kidding watch starts February 9th so come back to see all the cuteness of the baby goat.  Nothing is more entertaining than watching them play and wag those little tails.

Today we are having an ice storm and I am exhausted just thinking about all the excitement that Spring is bringing.Goats are fed with fresh straw so back to my blanket with my favorite new book: The Marvelous Pigness of Pigs by Joel Salatin. Pigs too maybe?

http://www.polyfacefarms.com/2016/04/18/the-marvelous-pigness-of-pigs/
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/tinted_egg_layers.html

Our Farmstead Raw Milk Cheddar

Simple Life Farms produces a high quality goat’s milk cheddar with many unique qualities that give it a distinct flavor.  We have a farmstead cheddar; this means that our cheese is produced only from milk from our animals on our farm, unlike Artisan cheeses which have the milk transported into the cheese facility. Since we have a farmstead cheddar we are able to manage the quality from the beginning to the end.  Our cheese starts with spoiled goats that are fed high quality alfalfa and grain to produce the best, creamiest milk possible. This milk is then taken into our processing facility to be handcrafted in small batches to provide the best product possible.

Unlike most cheeses our cheddar is made with raw milk.  Rather than pasteurizing our milk we use the milk as is without heat treatment to provide a unique taste. Our cheese is also aged for at least 60 days. This aging process creates a natural rind that also lends our cheeses exceptional flavor. To ensure the safety of our cheese, our facility and cheese is regularly inspected and tested by the USDA.