Week Two - June 10, 2013 - Good Natured Family Farms

ItemGood Natured Family Farms is proud to workwith local employers and our alliance of over150 local family farms to provide your2013 Community SupportedAgriculture ProgramWhat’s In Your CSA Bag For June 20th?GrowerLocationQuantitySunflower oilBainter Sunflower OilHoxie, KS34 ozGNFF All Natural Ground BeefSteve Buerge FarmFort Scott, KS1 lbGNFF Pullet eggsJohn Miller FarmLamar, MO1 dozenGrains GaloreFarm to Market Bread Co.Kansas City, MO16 ozGNFF Honey BearHawley HoneyIola, KS12 ozMini CucumbersGarden Fresh FarmO’Neil, NE1 lbSummer SquashTwin County Family FarmsRich Hill, MO2Due to growing conditions, availability, and Mother Nature, items are subject to change without prior notificationRecipe of the weekEasy Dinner Frittata7 pullet eggs1/4 cup milk1/2 cup cheese (feta, goat,shredded cheddar, or acombination)¼ tsp salt¼ tsp black pepper1 cup chopped veggies:any combination ofspinach, swiss chard, kale,tomatoes, sautéedzucchini or yellow squash,fresh herbsPhoto: placeofmytaste.blogspot.comPreheat oven to 375 F. Lightly coat a 9 inch pie plate with butter or olive oil and set aside.In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper. Stir in chopped veggiesand pour into prepared plate. Bake about 25 minutes (until top browns) and let stand 5 minutesbefore serving.

Benefits of grass-fed beefKnow your Farmer, Know your FoodGrass is the natural diet of cows.When cows are fed a diet of cornand other grains, it changes thephysiology of the animal, makinginfections more likely leading tomore antibiotic use and alsochanges the composition of thebeef we eat.According to Mayo Cliniccardiologist, Martha Grogan,M.D., grass fed beefcontains:Less total fatMore heart-healthy omega-3fatty acidsMore conjugated linoleicacid,a type of fat that's thought toreduce heart disease andcancer risksMore antioxidant vitamins,such as vitamin EHay and green grass on Steve’s farmWhy alter the diet that natureintended? Grass fed beef ishealthier for the cows and for us.Steve Buerge | Fort Scott, KSThe beef in this week’s CSAcomes from GNFF cattlerancher, Steve Buerge, in FortScott, Kansas. Steve wasborn into the cattle businessas the son of a cattle rancher.Steve raises about 1500 headof cattle on his farm in FortScott. The cows are thenprocessed at the GNFFownedmeat processing plantin nearby Uniontown, KS.Steve has never usedimplants, growth stimulants orsub-therapeutic antibiotics inraising his livestock, and hehas adopted many organicprocedures in order toproduce the highest qualitybeef possible. “I am proud ofthe way we raise our cattle.Our family has been eatingour own beef for years andwe like the way it tastes andwe know what is in it. I feelgood about providing ourcustomers the highest quality,healthiest beef possible.”Steve asked us to sharesome updates from his farmwith you:“We have been super busymaking hay which has been amajor challenge with all therain. Sure beats a year agowhen it seldom rained. Weare also spreading manure onpastures and farmland.Getting ready to plant sudangrass so we can green chopfor finishing cattle which goto Hen House. We have beengreen chopping fescue grassand wheat for feed. We aregoing the direction of grassfed cattle for healthier meat,which is much lower incalories and high in Omega 3.It takes a tremendous amountof grass to feed our finishingcattle, 28,000 pounds per dayof green freshly cut grass.

Farm UpdateWe’re beginning to see more crops from Twin CountyFamily Farms in Rich Hill, MO. In a couple of weeks,they will be in full swing!Reduce Seasonal allergieswith local honey?We thought it would ‘bee’ nice if you invited afriend to participate in the CSA.Tell them what a ‘sweet’ deal itis to get 18 weeks of local, farmfresh product s delivered right toThis week we are again trying produce from newfarmers in southern Missouri. work We’ll for have j ust produce $27.25/ week!from Chateauvert Farm in Mountain Grove, MO.I f they sign- up, YOURThere$25ismembershipa belief that eatingfeeawillspoonful of localbe waived. Un’bee’lievable! honey each day may relieve seasonal allergies.The idea is that bees will carry bits of pollen withCont act Cr istina.Raybourn@hallmark.com them into the hive or 816- and 274- this pollen 5559 ends up in thehoney. Getting a daily small dose of pollen fromplants that grow near you (and are likely causingyour allergies) will prevent the immune systemfrom overreacting (similar to vaccination).Although research is conflicting as to the validityof this plan, many people swear by it.Give it a try and let us know!- Pullet Eggs -Pullet eggs are from chickens just learning to lay eggs. The chickens are always under 1-year oldand the small eggs they produce are about 60-70% the size of a large egg from a more mature bird.Pullet eggs are known for their big and rich yolks. The yolk is commonly 75% of the total egg andbold orange in color. Many people consider pullet eggs the richest and best-tasting eggs. It’s a treatto be able to get pullet eggs directly from a farmer, as they are not commonly sold to grocery stores.Pullet eggs can be used for cooking, but most recipes call for large eggs, so just adjust up about 30-40% when deciding how many eggs to add.The photos below are of the happy, free-range chickens on John Miller’s farm and a pullet egg nextto a large egg.

What’s In Your CSA Bag Next Week? *• GNFF Jam• Pistachios• GNFF NY Cheddar Nuggets• Beefsteak Tomatoes• More produce to come* Produce may change based on Mother NatureWe would love to hear from you. If you would like to contributean article or recipe to the weekly newsletter, or if you havegeneral comments or questions for GNFF, please contact Kristinaat Kristina@gnff.orgSpecific questions or comments about delivery, pick-up, or items in your share can bedirected to your company’s CSA coordinator.Thank you and we hope you enjoy the bounty this week.Good Natured Family Farm’s CSA, Farm-to-School, and Farm-to-Faith Based ventures are partiallyfunded by the W.K. Kellogg FoundationGood Natured Family Farms wishing you a Good Earth, Good Food, Good Life