Some updates on what Irish Dexter cattle we have for sale right now.
1 four year old, 3 three year olds, 1 two year old, 5 yearlings left. They've been exposed to our Dexter bulls and should calve between January and May next year for any that are not in calf currently. This is a horned breed, we do not de-horn any and prefer them to keep their horns. Please take a look at our web site for more information on the breed and our farm along with pictures of the cattle. http://manitobadexterbeef.webs.com/
Prices: Cows/calf pairs - $550.00
Bred Cows/Heifers - $500.00
2 year old and yearling heifers - $450.00
2 to 4 year old Pure Bred bulls - $550.00
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We're not planning on having a table each week at the Farmers' Markets in Brandon and Ninette this year, what with the price of fuel, butchering costs and the excess rain and flooding this year.
Peas are just starting to come up, just started eating onion greens, still have 10 out of 34 tomato plants and 8 out of 12 pepper plants to plant in the garden or for more planters for the deck. The garden's so slow at starting this year, had to downsize and scrap the original plans.
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Getting ready to bring my new horse Fawn home this weekend. Made a trade with her owner and partner for 1 Dexter cow/calf pair and 3 other cows/heifers. Looking forward to heading to Grunthal this weekend to drop of a Dexter bull and stopping in Morris to pick up new cell phones for both me and Morley and a pair of new riding boots for me (mine are a little too tight to be comfortable).
We're going to miss you at the Farmers Market at Riverbank Discovery Centre!! Are you going to come occassionally?? Where will we get awesome Dexter beef now?
ReplyDeleteWe'll try to be at the odd one at the Riverbank Discovery Centre, but not with beef, just veggies, baking and taking order for Watkins products. Where can you get our Dexter beef? Have you ever heard the term `Cow Pooling`? It`s sort of like your CSA program where a group of consumers band together to purchase a calf from us and get it butchered. Here's more description. Think this is something that would appeal to Farmers' Market attendees?
ReplyDeleteWho?
Currently, the practice is gaining popularity with “locavores,” that is, those who choose to practice food sustainability by eating only food from local farms. However, essentially anyone with a few family members or friends (or the ability to find some!) can participate. Another criteria for participation in cow pooling? You really have to like – and more importantly, eat – a lot of meat and have the capacity to store it. Now, we’re not talking about having access to a full-scale meat locker, but if you’re living in a cramped city apartment with nothing more than a fridge-freezer combo, cow pooling probably isn’t going to work out for you, you might want to look at buying a Family Pack of beef cuts.
Why?
There are a few reasons you might want to consider cow pooling:
Buying Local: There certainly is something to be said for buying locally. Not only do you support your local farmer, but you also support your local butcher and your local meat packer. Not bad, eh?
Keeping Control: Want to avoid purchasing hormone-laden, corn-fed beef or make sure that the beef you’re buying comes from a happy cow? Cowpooling allows you to shop around for a local farmer that can accommodate your request.
Health Helper: You’ve heard the horror stories about people ingesting contaminated beef, but purchasing a side or quarter of beef – as opposed to the composites of meat sold in grocery stores – significantly reduces the risk of cross-contamination.
Wallet-friendly: Ok, we’ll be honest here – sometimes it is more expensive to cowpool than it is to purchase meat from your supermarket, especially if you’re a whiz at clipping coupons and shopping the sale section! However, in today’s economy, where the cost of food can fluctuate so drastically, it is nice to purchase enough meat to last you a few months at a flat rate.
How?
So, you have the storage space and you sure like meat, but how exactly do you get involved in a cow pool?
The first step is to ask around – ask friends and family if they know of any local cow pool groups (because recommendations from a friend are always the best!). If you’re hitting a dead end, however, there’s no harm in asking your local butcher or even a neighborhood grocery store if they have any recommendations. Still coming up empty handed? Head down to your local farmers’ market – they might know of a farm who might be interested in starting a cow pool up. Another great resource? Hit the Internet! You’d be surprised what a simple Google search will show up!
The next step is to consider how much meat you want to purchase. Cow pooling doesn’t have to necessarily mean that you buy the whole cow. Rather, your cow pool can choose to purchase a side (or half a cow in layman's terms!) or even a quarter and then split it up among your fellow poolers. Essentially, you’ve got to look at your storage capacity, examine your own meat eating needs and then work with your group to come up with a purchasing situation that will suit everyone.