Hey Farm-ily,
It's been a great, sunny week, hasn't it? We call this tomato weather! We're harvesting more of these little red and orange gems every day, and the tomato trellis systems in the hoop houses put Jack and his Beanstalk to shame. The Grange Farm is bursting with such activity that the Peach Orchard livestock farm seems like quiet by comparison.
The 600 young hens laying our mouth-watering farm eggs are fully mature now, and their eggs are larger than they were a week ago. The girls routinely move in mobile coops over fresh pasture, and enjoy scraps of leftover veggies from the Farm Stand to supplement their own foraging and our non-GMO feed. Our flock of broiler chickens will reach market weight in the next two weeks, and shortly after, those of you with weekly shares of Whole Broiler Chickens will see the first Willowsford poultry of the 2019 season.
In past years, we would likely have our first group of young hogs as well; this year, however, we're doing something a little different. Willowsford Farm has raised many different breeds and hybrids of hogs in the course of our livestock program, from Durocs to Berkshires and everything in between. We look for animals that will fare well outdoors on pasture, that enjoy the sun, that forage well, and have been born on farms that share our humane ethics. Our methods have always produced happy, healthy animals and high quality pork, so now we're taking our program to a new level with a signature breed that we plan to continue working with in the future.
In July, we'll be bringing home 20 piglets from Andrea and Brian at Hidden Creek Farm in Delaplane, VA. Not just any piglets, however! These little guys are certified organic and humane, and even farrowed in the forest. They are Hidden Creek's proprietary cross between Tamworths and Mangalitsas. Tamworths are a red-colored British breed of pig recognized by the Rare Breed Survival Trust. They are hardy foragers, and generally thought of as a "bacon breed" because of their large size and lean muscle mass. Mangalitsa hogs are even more unique, having a woolly coats similar to sheep. Mangalitsas were developed in Hungary and are closely related to wild boars. They generally produce more marbled, and therefore more flavorful, meat. Some chefs refer to them as the Kobe beef of pork! Together, these two types make an amazing hybrid with the best qualities of both. Plenty of photos of our woolly "Willowitsas" to come on social media soon.
Eat well today and be well always,
Ashley, Collin, John, Lex, Rory, Nate, James, Alexandra, Julia, Michelle, the busy hens, the black dogs currently masquerading as pollinators (and, of course, the little pigs in Delaplane)
