Changing of the Guard

Fall is here, and somehow the change seems abrupt. Was it just last week
that I was in shorts and sweating with highs in the 80s? Our family has put
covid behind us, for now. We are all feeling much better, all signs and
symptoms of covid have faded. While I’m not sure it is a direct symptom of the
covid virus, Racey and I both still feel the fatigue of two weeks of
slowed work and kids home from school.

The grass is still vibrant green, but the signs of change are here: the
brooder is empty for the season, cattle are finishing their final rotation on
pasture and we had our first light frost. I feel it in my fingers, the dew is
no longer a welcome refresher but a numbing cold during chores in the morning.
It seems like ages ago that I gladly shelved the winter gloves, and this
morning I wished for them.

In the summer, our bodies push blood to our extremities and to the surface
of our skin, our energy and heat is in an outward cycle. As fall settles in, we
pull our blood and warmth inward. I feel the same process for the farm. In the
Adirondacks, our winters are cold and harsh, the farm pulls inward in
preparation for the cold. Cattle come in and move to their winter home in VT;
chickens are a tender lot and we do not try to raise chickens during the
winter.

In my head I have a cartoon animation of the explosion of spring and green
grass, and the many cartoon animals exploding outward. Then as the sun sets
earlier and we leave trails in the frost-crimped grass, the cartoon animals
circle back to the barn and the freezer, ready for winter.

We sent the first of two batches of pigs to our processor, and the remaining
pigs are enjoying the cooler fall weather. Autumn rains bring a subtleness to
the soil and pastures, and the pigs gladly root through the softened ground. If
you’re looking to fill your freezers this fall, now is a great time to stock up
on all of our products. Check out the 1/4 Pork Box back in stock and the Best
of Pork Box or the Parted Chicken Box. I’ll be updating the beef boxes this coming week.

You can also order whole and half beef and pork, custom cut to your specifications. I have updated the website to reflect the upcoming processing dates. Check out Custom Cut Freezer Meat to learn more. Or see my blogs on ordering custom cut pork and custom cut beef.