Valentine Dinner at the Farm
Celebrating Love at the Greer Farm Table: A Special Served Dinner
February 16, 2013
$93/person
6:30 pm at the farm
Our farm house has been the scene of many culinary celebrations since 1850. You can imagine what some may have been like. We invite you to join us for a gathering of those who want to express their love for each other, or just enjoy interesting food that is uncommon locally. We will be sharing this special meal together and come away with new friends, ideas and an appreciation of great food.
Seating is limited, please reserve early. You have a choice of beef or salmon. Please indicate which of these you desire when you make your reservation
Smoked tomato soup with crème fraiche
Spring mix salad with smoked salmon and crab timbales
served with champagne vinaigrette
Mini Beef Wellingtons with mushroom duxelles and gorgonzola
or roasted salmon served with pink peppercorn sauce
Mini Pommes Anna
Caramelized honey glazed beets and carrots
Red chili spiked chocolate mousse with a dark chocolate dipped orange
and almond lace cookie
Homemade bread with chipotle butter
Coffee and Iced Tea
Complementary wine parings
Reservations 903-645-3232
For the Love of Chocolate: Cooking Class
Farm to Fork Cooking Class
February 9, 2013
For The Love of Chocolate
$80
11:00 am at the farm
For those of you who are like me, very fond of chocolate, this class is sure to satisfy those cravings. If you prefer to prepare a special dinner for your sweetheart or even prepare it together, after this class you will be able to create a romantic evening. We will suggest wine parings to go with each course.
Champurrado thick Mexican hot chocolate
Savory chocolate bruschetta with salt
Spinach pear and walnut salad with cocoa nib dressing
Seared pork tenderloin with cocoa spice
Calabaza squash with chocolate mole
White chocolate pot de crème with raspberry chocolate brittle
Reservations 903-645-3232
Hobbit Feast: Cooking Class
The Hobbit is not so far away. He is coming to Daingerfield
Farm to Fork Cooking Class
February 23, 2013
Food from the Middle Earth: A Hobbit Feast
$85
This class starts at 10:00 am
If you have seen Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, you may have overlooked what they were eating. We are not suggesting you go back to see a three hour movie or a series that last days like the Lord of the Rings. You can trust us that Hobbit food is interesting, savory and fun to learn to make. If you want to come to this class in costume there just may be a prize for the best dressed.
Breakfast
Poached fresh Greer farm eggs and our pastured bacon, fried mushrooms
Second Breakfast
Scones and jam
Elevensies
Lemba bread
English pork sausage
Luncheon
Fish and chips
Afternoon Tea
Honey cakes
Dinner
Pork pies and Apple Tart
Supper
Seed cake with lemon cream
English hot tea and coffee
Complimentary Ale tasting
Reservations 903-645-3232
Misty Days and Vegetable Farming
The fingerling and other unique potatoes arrived yesterday. Onions will be here next week.
Eva sat on the veranda last Sunday afternoon having tea and reading seed catalogues. I am sure we have over 50. She has now finished her list and most are heritage varieties (all non gmo, many organic). The catalogs we like best are Bakers, High Mowing, Seed Savers and for things we can not find anyplace else, Johnny's and Seeds of Change. I have not looked at here list, but I will guess it will be four times more seeds than we can plant. cutting it back is a hard decision.
We will be planting oriental peppers and some other unusual varieties of vegetable for the Dallas chef's market.
Overall, not as much will be planted but we have enough for ourselves, to can or freeze, to give away to friends and family, to sell during berry season at the farm and to take to Dallas to sell in the summer occasionally. We may go to the Longview Farmer's Market and that will take some too.
After our terrible experience with the McKinney Chestnut Square Farmer's Market, we will be very selective on any market in the Dallas area. Maybe the old downtown market or Green Spot. McKinney was raft with sellers of vegetables they did not grow and were not grown even in Texas. It looked like many, and the most popular, had all gone to the night produce market in Dallas and then just unloaded the same commercial boxes and sold as farmer's produce. I watched a boy take perfect tomatoes out of a box and peel off the label on each tomato and then stack them up by a sign that said home grown. What a shame for a market so geared to being helpful to consumers and sellers. The venue is great and it has a huge following. I felt sorry for the farmers that were playing by the rules. They all had long sad stories of their experiences there, but kept coming as they hand no other access to consumers. Most told me that since we had to drive so far we should not try and compete there against the "big" guys. I mean, a vendor selling asparagus and strawberries on a really hot June day and saying it was from south of Dallas is as big a lie as you can say.
The Green Spot is said to police that type of behavior better and in Longview you are audited so they know what you grow and that is what you can sell. The trick for success at a farmer's market is to be there form the first day with something and build a relationship with the customers. for us last year, the CSA sapped all our energy and time and we could not do that and just showed up at market with blueberries. Not a good strategy.
We are also going to put a label on our blueberry pint clam shells this year. Last year an unnamed distributor in a Dallas that bought a huge order from us once and then advertised they were distributing our berries for months, but in fact were buying wholesale machine picked berried at the night market in Dallas and saying they were ours.
In any case, we are back in the vegetable gardening business as soon as we have a sunny day.
How Do You Fatten Grass-Fed Steers in Winter
We try to get our loads from the first or second cutting and after harvested they are stored in covered barns until shipped to us. We contract with a local trucker that is coming back from the north empty (dead haul). The hay is coverd in a tarp on the truck.
Once we receive it ,we put it inside our covered barn and there it stays until the fall when our native grasses loose their nutrition. We feed in special feeders we got in Tulsa that limit the waste of hay in the manner the steer eats in the ring.
In addition to hay, we have free choice minerals and salt available to the steers. They only eat what they need. There is also fresh water in a tank for them.
Bottom line is that you can raise steers and faten them in the off season, but it takes planning and effort. In a few months, they will have access to fresh rye grass we planted in October.
We have steers available for purchase in March by the split quarter and half.
Cleaning the Corral
When I was finished I had a pile of waste hay and manure that would fill at least two dump trucks. It will compost and be great in the garden in a few years.
As for the corral, it looks great.
Illustrator to Feature Our Cattle
February: Dinner and Cooking Class
| There are two opportunities to visit the farm in February. Cef Eva has a great Farm to fork cooking class planned and the Valentine's dinner will be a unique experience and a romantic evening. |
For The Love of Chocolate
$80
For those of you who are like me, very fond of chocolate, this class is sure to satisfy those cravings. If you prefer to prepare a special dinner for your sweetheart or even prepare it together, after this class you will be able to create a romantic evening. We will suggest wine parings to go with each course.
Champurrado thick Mexican hot chocolate
Savory chocolate bruschetta with salt
Spinach pear and walnut salad with cocoa nib dressing
Seared pork tenderloin with cocoa spice
Calabaza squash with chocolate mole
White chocolate pot de crème with raspberry chocolate brittle
~~~~
February 16, 2013
Celebrating Love at the Greer Farm Table: A Special Served Dinner
$93/person
6:30 pm
Our farm house has been the scene of many culinary celebrations since 1850. You can imagine what some may have been like. We invite you to join us for a gathering of those who want to express their love for each other, or just enjoy interesting food that is uncommon locally. We will be sharing this special meal together and come away with new friends, ideas and an appreciation of great food.
Seating is limited, please reserve early. You have a choice of beef or salmon. Please indicate which of these you desire when you make your reservation.
Smoked tomato soup with crème fraiche
Spring mix salad with smoked salmon and crab timbales served with champagne vinaigrette
Mini Beef Wellingtons with mushroom duxelles and gorgonzola or roasted salmon served with pink peppercorn sauce
Mini Pommes Anna
Caramelized honey glazed beets and carrots
Red chili spiked chocolate mousse with a dark chocolate dipped orange and almond lace cookie
Homemade bread with chipotle butter
Coffee and Iced Tea
Complementary wine paring
We offer in combination with this dinner, accommodation (extra cost) in a lakeside cabin or the loft apartment. Complementary wine, welcome snack basket and flowers make this a special weekend.
Greer Farm Newsletter: Cooking/Dining
Ducklings Arrive on Cold Morning
The Daingerfield post office clerk called at 6:30 am and said they were here. It was 29 degrees outside so I guess they have had a cold trip since they left the hatchery yesterday
Eva kept the box warm and I warmed up our brooder (actually a big water tub) and all was ready. Fresh warm water and crumble feed. Their first taste of the real world.
Hopefully all 18 will live and thrive during the first days of their life. Six did not make it and were dead in the box. Winter is a hard time to ship them i suppose, but the ones that all died seemed to be of the same type. Maybe it was another problem.
In any case, we will keep you posted on their progress.
Quack - Quack
Corn Bread Recipe
Corn Bread Recipe
Can be doubled for normal cast iron skillet
1 cup corn meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1 cutp butter milk
1 tsp salt
1 egg
Heavily coat iron skillet in oil and heat at 400 F for 15 minutes. Pour in mixture and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes or until a fork is clean when pushed into the center of the pan.
2013 Cooking Class Schedule
Farm to Fork Cooking with Chef Eva
2013 Class Schedule
Unique Opportunities to Expand Your Culinary Horizons
Scheduled classes and NEW in 2013 served meals
Private classes for a special occasion, a gathering of friends or team building
Gift Certificates Available
www.greerfarm.com 903-645-3232 eva@greerfarm.com
Farm to Fork Cooking Classes at the Greer Farm are becoming a tradition for many. It’s an activity that enables you to get away for a few hours or a weekend if you choose to stay in one of our lakeside log cabins or the loft apartment while learning about different kinds of food and how to prepare it.
The 2013 class schedule has been designed to bring to you recipes and menus that will inspire and widen your culinary horizon. It consists of 18 unique classes, some of which explore the cusine of different countries. Others utilize the meats, fresh fruits and vegetables available at the farm.
New this year is an opportunity to join us at The Greer Farm table for two different occasions. The first is a special Valentine's Day dinner, Saturday February 16, where you will share a table with your loved one and other guests while enjoying a gourmet meal with wine paring. The second is a luncheon served in our garden on the eve of Mother's Day, Saturday May 11, where you can enjoy spring flowers and share a fabulous meal with your special mother.
We look forward to your attending one of our classes and/or joining us for the dinner or luncheon.
February 9, 2013
For The Love of Chocolate
$80
For those of you who are like me, very fond of chocolate, this class is sure to satisfy those cravings. If you prefer to prepare a special dinner for your sweetheart or even prepare it together, after this class you will be able to create a romantic evening. We will suggest wine parings to go with each course.
Champurrado thick Mexican hot chocolate
Savory chocolate bruschetta with salt
Spinach pear and walnut salad with cocoa nib dressing
Seared pork tenderloin with cocoa spice
Calabaza squash with chocolate mole
White chocolate pot de crème with raspberry chocolate brittle
~~~~
February 16, 2013
Celebrating Love at the Greer Farm Table: A Special Served Dinner
$93/person
6:30 pm
Our farm house has been the scene of many culinary celebrations since 1850. You can imagine what some may have been like. We invite you to join us for a gathering of those who want to express their love for each other, or just enjoy interesting food that is uncommon locally. We will be sharing this special meal together and come away with new friends, ideas and an appreciation of great food.
Seating is limited, please reserve early. You have a choice of beef or salmon. Please indicate which of these you desire when you make your reservation.
Smoked tomato soup with crème fraiche
Spring mix salad with smoked salmon and crab timbales served with champagne vinaigrette
Mini Beef Wellingtons with mushroom duxelles and gorgonzola or roasted salmon served with pink peppercorn sauce
Mini Pommes Anna
Caramelized honey glazed beets and carrots
Red chili spiked chocolate mousse with a dark chocolate dipped orange and almond lace cookie
Homemade bread with chipotle butter
Coffee and Iced Tea
Complementary wine paring
We offer in combination with this dinner, accommodation in a lakeside cabin or the loft apartment. Complementary wine, welcome snack basket and flowers make this a special weekend.
~~~~
February 23, 2013
Food from the Middle Earth: A Hobbit Feast
$85
This class starts at 10:00 am
If you have seen Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, you may have overlooked what they were eating. We are not suggesting you go back to see a three hour movie or a series that last days like the Lord of the Rings. You can trust us that Hobbit food is interesting, savory and fun to learn to make. If you want to come to this class in costume there just may be a prize for the best dressed.
Breakfast
Poached fresh Greer farm eggs and our pastured bacon, fried mushrooms
Second breakfast
Scones and jam
Elevensies
Lemba bread
English pork sausage
Luncheon
Fish and chips
Afternoon Tea
Honey cakes
Dinner
Pork pies and Apple Tart
Supper
Seed cake with lemon cream
English hot tea and coffee
Complimentary Ale tasting
~~~~
March 2, 2013
Mexican Brunch
$80
Mexican cuisine is more than spicy. It’s a combination of flavors that meld together to create a unique culinary sensation. This ambitious class will teach you how to create some very different yet succulent creations from south of our border
.
Coffee with cinnamon and cloves
Cactus smoothie
Huevos divorciados with homemade tortillas
Enchiladas tapatias with chicken and anejo cheese
Jalisco style crab and shrimp salad
Poblano stuffed with picadillo
Freda Kahlo’s sugared fritters served with piloncillo syrup
~~~~
March 9, 2013
St. Patrick's Day Feast
$80
There have been so many books, movies, plays, poems and stories that try to capture what is Ireland and the Irish. Perhaps their food is the most indicative way that Ireland expresses itself. The Irish are not dull folk and neither is their robust hardy food. They are a people impacted by life on an island buffeted by the North Sea with limited local crops available year round to prepare their meals. For this class, imagine yourself in an Irish pub on a cold, windy and wet night near a roaring fire as you learn to make these traditional Irish fare.
Irish sausage rolls with Guinness mustard
Gaelic steak
Irish soda bread with Irish gold butter
Colcannon
Mushroom frigacy
Chocolate whiskey cake
Complementary Irish beer and stout sampling
~~~~
April 6, 2013
Singapore Street Food (Hawker Style)
$85
Singapore is perhaps the most elegant and interesting of cosmopolitan cities in the world. There is no limit to the culinary feasts served in its famous restaurants, but to really know Singapore, you need to get out on the street and enjoy the unique food available hawker style. Chef Eva was there in 2012 and took cooking classes and roamed the city with her grandsons. This class is inspired by those outings.
Chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce
Po Piah Vegetable spring rolls with Tom Cheong sauce
Bak Kuhn pork spareribs soup with pappadam
Char Kway Teow with shrimp
Hai Nan Ji Fan Hainanese chicken rice
Fresh coconut candy
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May 11, 2013
Mother's Day Luncheon: A Served Meal
$80
Noon
For mother’s day most of you gather the family with mom for lunch. It’s a family time. We are offering a special served luncheon on Saturday the day before Mother’s Day. This is for daughters, sons, and couples to bring mom (and dad) to our farm for a special event.
Celebrate Mother’s Day at the Greer farm in the garden.
Please reserve no later than Friday, May 4th.
Lunch will be served in the farm house in the event of inclement weather.
Mixed greens Salad with strawberries, candied pecans and balsamic vinaigrette
Parmesan crusted chicken with tomato basil coulis
Gingered sugar snap peas
Aged goat cheese and potato timbales
Frozen lemon soufflé with raspberries and almond crust
Homemade bread with savory butter
Coffee and iced tea
Complementary wine
~~~~
May 25, 2013
A Bacon Tasting: Special event at the Greer Farm
$80
We raised our own pasture pigs this year and the pork is so delicious. There is no comparison to the pork you buy at the store that is raised in factory farms. We have set aside a portion of the bacon from the pigs we raised for this class. It is all natural and has not been treated with nitrates or artificial “natural” flavorings. The highlight of the class is “building” the bacon explosion.
Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with Gouda cheese
Broccoli cherry salad with warm bacon vinaigrette-and Mango glazed bacon
Bacon explosion: A unique combination of bacon and homemade pork sausage
Spinach and kale sautéed with bacon and onions
Bacon and pecan brittle ice cream served in
Bacon and chocolate tuille
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June 8, 2013
Harvesting the Garden
$80
Special start time for this class is 10:00 am
There is nothing like fresh vegetables. This is especially true if they are being prepared for a meal only minutes after being harvested. Sid and the chef have done all the hard work growing our vegetables and it’s up to you to select and harvest what we will use in this class. Bring your hat, gloves, work shoes and field clothes and be prepared to harvest what you cook. Menu is based on what we think will be available in our gardens. If not, we will cook what we do have.
Southwestern corn pudding
Citrus pea sprout salad
Summer squash caprese noodle salad
Buffalo chicken lettuce wraps
Braised short ribs with fork mashed purple majesty potatoes
Framboise Sabayon with blueberries and blackberries
~~~~
June 22, 2013
In the Heart of the Blueberry and Blackberry Field
$80
Late June is the middle of the berry harvest. The bushes and vines should be loaded with sweet blackberries and blueberries. Each year we focus on cooking with our field berries fresh picked the day of the class. This year’s menu is more savory than in the past and should prove intriguing to prepare.
Caramelized onion tartlets with black berry and blueberry glazed bacon
Pickled blueberries and fresh corn salad
Blackberry prosciutto crostini
Mushroom and blueberry balsamic pot roast
Balsamic roasted fingerling potatoes
Mixed berry coleslaw
Blackberry Pinot Noir sorbet
~~~~
June 29, 2013
Independence Day Celebration
$85
Imagine yourself being a delegate to the convention writing the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, July 1776. It was a hot, humid summer. The meetings were so secret the windows in the meeting hall were closed and covered, making the heat inside almost unbearable. Many of the delegates had their meals at the nearby City Tavern, which still operates in its original location. Some of this class menu items were served at the City Tavern during that summer. Others were ones that Washington, Franklin and Jefferson came to favor. Celebrate our nation’s independence by learning to prepare these special selections.
Cornmeal Fried oysters with herb Remoulade
George Washington's West Indies Pepperpot Soup
(Served to the soldiers at Valley Forge)
Anadama Bread with French butter (a Jefferson favorite)
Benjamin Franklin’s Romaine lettuce with burgundy wine -Dijon vinaigrette
Beef & Pork pie with quick puff pastry
Thomas Jefferson’s favorite floating islands
Complementary ale
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July13, 2013
Cooking with an Array of Salads
$80
A salad goes with almost any meal and in many cases a salad is the meal itself. Your will find that some of these are quiet hardy. It’s mid-summer and the heat is starting to takes its toll on fresh greens from the garden, but there is still a great variety available to make some interesting salads for this class.
Tomato and okra cornmeal cakes with BLT salad
Fingerling potato salad
Grilled steak salad with tomato vinaigrette
Buffalo chicken salad
Watermelon and blueberry salad
Chamomile honey sorbet
~~~~
July 20, 2013
Cooking with Spirits
$85
Much has been said and written about the evils of rum and prohibition, but when it comes to using sprits in cooking it’s another matter. Can you imagine how American cuisine suffered when we were forced to use bootleg Canadian whiskey or Arkansas moonshine in our kitchen. The spirits we will use in this class bring out flavors you will be amazed by. Don’t worry if you have qualms about consuming spirits. These spirits will be cooked out and only their savory flavor will remain.
Grilled goat cheese and gin crostini with orange salsa
Ice tomato and vodka soup
Portabella crabs Rockefeller with Pernod
Drunken mushrooms with brandy
Pepper steak with chive butter and cognac
Peach cassis parfait with champagne
~~~~
August 3, 2013
Enchiladas, Moles and Tamales
$80
Once again Chef Eva goes back to her Central American roots. These are some of her favorites. This class will be a great hands-on experience. Everything is included for this class but your sweat towel!
Pork Medallions with red mole served with dumplings
Mole Amarillo, yellow mole with chicken
Grilled vegetable tamales
Spicy Shrimp tamales with roasted tomatillo sauce and Cotija cheese
Roasted Butternut squash enchiladas with Poblano sauce
Flan Napolitan
~~~~
August 24, 2013
Belizean Cooking
$80
"yu kyaahn travl pahn emti stomak"
(Literally, this means you cannot travel on an empty stomach in Belizean creole)
Not everyone knows that Chef Eva was born and raised in Belize until she left for university. Her earliest recollections are being in the kitchen when meals were prepared or eating Belizean street food when shopping or after school walking home. The food of Belize has more character than Latin cuisine and has been influenced by the cuisine of the Caribbean islands and Africa. What is prepared for this class are some of the most popular foods of Belize. We did not include the cow foot soup or salted pig tails
Fish panades with Belizean hot onion
Rice and beans with fried plantains
Belizean meatballs
Johnny cakes with coconut milk
Individual Meat pies
Coconut tart
~~~~
September 7, 2013
Vietnamese Cooking
$80
Chef Eva enjoyed a trip to Vietnam last year and found that the food was much more interesting than she suspected it might be. There is much variety in what is available to cook with. This class will focus on items whose ingredients can easily be obtained here in the states. This will be fun! Imagine an avocado smoothie. Who would have thought of that?
Avocado smoothie
Crispy spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce
Pho Hanoi beef soup and noodles
Torn chicken and cabbage salad
Shaking beef with garlic sauce
Coconut caramel flan
~~~~
October 5, 2013
Octoberfest: Rich Food & Beer
$80
In a lot of American families there is a German relative in the family tree someplace. Sid’s grandfather immigrated to the states from Germany passing Ellis Island before a ship brought his family to Galveston. Folks in central Texas still carry on the Oktoberfest tradition. This class will do the same on the farm as we will use beer as a staple with a Texas fusion. Perhaps some polka music to move us along. Bavarian local dress optional, but dare to if you want. Some complementary beer will just make this menu.
Cheddar ale spread
Beer bread
Pork chops with mushrooms and dark beer
Beer braised red cabbage and apples
Guinness stout brownies
Beer ice cream
Complimentary beer
~~~~
October19, 2013
Making Ordinary Pot Pies Extra Ordinary
$80
October is the first cool month and what better time to practice making something you can either make fresh in the winter or make and freeze for those cold January and February nights. There is something about a pot pie that brings instant satisfaction. These pot pies are nothing like those you can buy in the store. These are sure to be a fine comfort food.
Seafood Pot Pie
Wild Mushroom Pot Pie
Supreme Chicken Pot pie
Grilled Romaine and Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad
Blackberry Pot Pie
~~~~
November 9, 2013
Christmas Appetizers
$80
Starting out with homemade eggnog, this appetizer class has some very unusual and savory snacks for every occasion. You will be hard pressed to decide which to prepare if you can only bring one appetizer to the party.
Homemade eggnog with brandy
Wrapped soy ginger scallops
Roasted chickpeas and pistachios
Crispy salami with garlic and black pepper Boursin
Onion soufflé with white and black sesame and poppy seeds crisp
Polenta rounds with goat cheese and salmon
Salmon rillettes with black pepper toasts
~~~~
November 23, 2013
Cookies for the Holidays
$80
Santa is on his way. You had better be prepared to have some cookies to leave out with Egg Nog for his arrival. But in the days leading up to Christmas, there are lots of opportunities to make the house smell so good by baking homemade cookies. These may be gifts to your special friends or family or just left in a cookie jar to be enjoyed by whoever roams into the kitchen late at night. Hmmmm cookies and milk… what a treat! You will take home a sample of all the cookies we prepare. The challenge will be not to eat them before you get there.
Ginger cookies with white chocolate glaze
Chile chocolate cookies
Best sugar cookies
Oatmeal cherry cookies
Chocolate chip and English toffee
Almond pistachio macaroons
Rosemary and pine nut cookies
~~~~
Terms & Conditions
Cabin Special
We offer in combination with our Farm to Fork Cooking Classes accommodation in a lakeside cabin or the loft apartment.
Reservations
Please read our cancellation policy before making a reservation.
Classes are by reservation only and must be paid for in advance at the time the reservation is made. Call 903-645-3232 for availability and to make a reservation using a credit card. Space is filled on a first come, first served basis. Participants should be 14 or older. If your preferred class is full, we will place you on a waiting list.
Cancellation Policy
Due to the financial impact of cancellations at the last minute, our cancellation policy is strictly followed. There are no exceptions regardless of the circumstances or nature of an emergency situation. If you cancel a reservation 21 days prior to a class your class fee will be refunded less a 50% of fee cancellation charge. So you lose no value, you may transfer your class reservation to another person. If cancellation is within 21 days of the class date, forfeiture of the fee will result unless we can re-book your reservation. If we are able to re-book your reservation we will issue a refund of the class fee less a 50% of fee cancellation charge. All refunds are by check.
We reserve the right to cancel any class at any time. Classes may be cancelled due to insufficient participation, illness of the instructor or inclement weather. In such instances you can receive a full refund or you may choose to use the fee paid as a credit toward another class. Recipes may be changed due to unavailability of ingredients.
All classes are at the Farm House and start at 11:00 AM unless noted different
903-645-3232 www.greerfarm.com eva@greerfarm.com
All classes are at the Farm House and start at 11:00 AM except as noted Gift certificates available Reservations or Additional Information 903-645-3232
Our Blog: 8 years and Counting
Jefferson Speak
Thomas Jefferson
Cows Die
Today, in the sleet and snow, I found her dead. Then came the sad task or taking her out of the pasture to a permanent resting place. This is never a pleasant task as each cow is known to me.
I believe that the death of a farm animal affects all around it. After I moved her, a cow that had been with her for many years went and stood over the spot she died. Sniffed the ground and then raised her head and let out a low cow call. Equally affected was Simone our guard donkey. She did not go to the death spot, but stayed across the meadow with her head down low. Clearly being emotional.
We know so little about animals and death other than it happens. People for certain grieve when someone thyey know and like or love dies. Why should it not be the same for animals. They are together every day never being separated. I feel for them I this loss too.
Life will go on in this paddock. More calves will be born in the coming weeks and life will be renewed through them. May there be more plesant and happy days rather than those we just experienced.
Tough Day On The Farm
Stopping, we discovered she had a dead calf hanging out of her rear end, was alive and had suffered lots of blood loss. Buzzards had attacked her and the calf. We went back to the house and got into muck boots and checked out a disgusting scene. The cow, which I had checked a few hours before, had laid down to have the calf and her hind quarter was in a dirt depression. This caused difficulty with the birth, but she expelled the calf. Apparently buzzards attacked her at the same time and that stressed her out. She expelled her uterus and prolapsed. So, there she was alive, lying on her side unable to move, a dead calf 95% out of her with its eyes pecked out by birds and a hole the size of my fist eaten into her uterus.
On top of this it was cold and very windy. We waited 30 minutes for the vet to arrive. Working as a team we all had tasks assigned to us. The cow got a pain killer. Doc and I pulled away the calf. We haltered the cow and tied it to the truck grill guard and also put ropes on her back legs. Pulling the truck away we forced the cow up some and then pulled her tail and legs until she was lying on her belly.
There was no use in pushing this uterus back as it would rot and kill the cow. If the buzzards had not eaten it she would have been fine. The only choice was to cut it off. We are talking about something much larger than a basketball. Strips of rubber and cotton string were used to tie off the blood supply and the cutting began. Eva and I got the dead calf into a cart and she got a bucket and we cleaned up the after birth and picked up the uterus. The cow got a shot of antiobitics and more pain killer.
After all this trauma she would not move, so we man handled her trying to get her up. No chance. It was now clear her left leg was numb and parlyzed. We could not stay and the buzzards were still around. I disposed of the calf and other bloody parts and pieces, then got fresh water and hay for the cow, and a tarp to cover (hide) her from the buzzards. We left the farm at 2:00 pm. to deliver the steers.
On our return, about 6:00 pm, it was dark but we could see the cow. She was being guarded by our donky Simone and another cow. As we stopped she suddenly reared up and staggered some finally walking away. I can only assume by morning she will be in better shape.
Her days of calving are over on the farm.
Not the day we planned and certainly no the outcome we expected. We lost a lovely heifer embryo calf and the usefulness of one of our good cows.
The circle of life continues...
Meat Harvest on the Farm
We sent 45 French breed Red Ranger chickens to our USDA inspected processor January 2 and this week we picked them up and have them in the freezer ready for our customers to pick up. These chickens are raised on a combination of pasture and feed. Chickens in the grocery store are finished in about six weeks from birth to harvest. Most in the farmer's market are finished in about the same time frame. Our French heritage breed take almost twice that time. this make the meat more flavorful and the chicken is not stressed. They are also not a genetically modified breed. Price is $4.25/lb. and they weight 3-5 pounds.
Today six steers go for harvest. They are about 27 months old and have been fed grass only. Being all natural and slowly grown the meat is complete different than store bought grain finished beef that is probably no more than 9-12 months old and has been filled with all sorts of artificial substances. Our beef is sold differently. One customer bought a whole steer, others a half and some split quarter. Some are sharing their part with others so they do not have so much beef at one time. We have two more steers to harvest March 1 and these are available to purchase by the split quarter, half or whole. We will also have more of our delicious ground beef in late March. Our price for March remains unchanged from 2012, $3.50/lb hanging weight for the beef and the processor charges 66 cents/lb. for processing and $9/qyuarter for harvest.
We are also harvesting a number of pasture raised pigs this week. These pigs arrived after weaning in August and have been on pasture eating grass, grubbing for worms and bugs, eating oaks and tree nuts and an all natural grain mix. There is no comparison to their meat versus commercial factor raised pork. We still have 1/2 of a pig available to sell. This is not too much meat, but easily split with others. In late February, we will have different cuts of prok availabel by the package at the farm. Price is $6/lb including processing for 1/2 pig.
When you buy your meat products from our farm you know how they were raised, how they were cared for, what they ate and how they were harvested.
Orders being taken now for pork, beef and chickens in 2013.