We had a great Fourth of July weekend on the farm.  The turnout at Saturday’s South of the James Market was excellent and a lot of happy customers got delicious cuts of lamb to grill for the holiday.  We still have a great selection of sausage and steaks for grilling so be sure to  stop by on Saturday or visit the website. 

The lambs are growing really well and fattening up quickly.  The earlier lambs, born in January and February will be ready very soon.  We are taking pre-orders for whole and half lambs for the freezer.  The early lambs will be processed and delivered in August.  Our later lambs will be ready in October.  We are almost sold out of shares of lamb for August, so be sure to get your order in soon. 

The weather on Sunday really put a damper on things around the farm.  We hoped to use the day to work outside, but Mother Nature had other plans.  The rain and cool weather made it a better day for inside work.  Our pastures are always in need of a soft, steady rain though, so we are still thankful for the rain on Sunday. 

Manse, my main working Border Collie is presently napping in her favorite chair.  She has had a busy week.  Manse and I separated another group of lambs from their mothers on Monday and have been bringing the sheep up to the field by the house to graze at night.  Manse is surprisingly good at working in the dark.  This morning, she got to help sort, move, and catch lambs. 

One of our Border Leicester/Cheviot ram lambs “Spot” went to his new home today.  He is going to be a flock sire for a friend’s crossbred flock.  He should produce excellent lambs for her next year.  Most of our sheep don’t have names, but “Spot” has the cutest black spot under his chin.  Most of the lambs look alike, but “Spot” has been a stand-out in the group from the beginning.  Even though he hasn’t really been handled, “Spot” was a good sport and tolerated being caught and loaded.

We have an excellent selection of summer grilling choices available.  What a great way to celebrate the 4^th of July! The Sweet Italian Griller sausages are one of our most popular products.  We also have our highly popular lamb leg steaks and shoulder chops which are always summer favorites.  Try our Simply Abundant Lamb Steak Rub for an excellent treat.

Simply Abundant Lamb Steak Rub: 

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

•     2 Simply Abundant Lamb Leg Steaks       

•     1/8 c. olive oil

•     2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped

•     2 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
  

•     1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

•     1 clove garlic, minced

•    1/2 tsp. salt

•    1/8 tsp. black pepper

Preparation:

 Combine olive oil, thyme, basil, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Dip leg steaks into bowl and coat steaks evenly.  Cover chops and refrigerate for at least 30 mins. Preheat the grill. Grill lamb steaks over medium-high heat until medium rare, approximately 5 mins per side.

This week, look for updates on the baby turkeys who arrived last week, the newly constructed chicken coop and availability of our Simply Abundant Lamb and free range eggs at the upcoming farmers markets.  Because life on the farm is never ordinary or predictable, we're sure there will be other news to share as well.

Stay tuned for updated from the farm!

Mary and Emily