Wow, already into March! What happened to January, and February? :) We have not had too much winter yet here in Lancaster County PA, but I am sure some of you in other areas have? Would be awesome to have a big "snow day" once again! :) OK, now for my actual message which has 2 parts...

Wow, already the end of year 2022... Wonders me where it all went so fast! But it's been a great year and I hope you were blessed with a prosperous one as well! :) This email has two parts to it so here goes...

Wow, this is the coldest Christmas that I can ever recall having in my days! But it sure feels just right as it is that time of year. Let us remember the true reason for Christmas today and always...

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, now is a great time for us to count our blessings (or always for that matter), and be grateful, right? Let us give thanks unto the Lord for the blessings that he has bestowed upon us, and for the bountiful harvests from our land and farm...

Today we will be featuring our all new line of CORN & SOY free pork! This has been in the making for quite awhile already and we finally have our inventory of pastured pork at 100% for Corn and Soy free.

So today we will recap our "2022 Fun Day On The Farm" with everyone. This was our on farm event we held Saturday 9/10, here at Dutch Meadows. It was a beautiful day to have the event and we hope for those of you that were able to be here, enjoyed your day as much as we did!

For many years now, Dutch Meadows farm and our family have been involved in trying to update our raw milk laws so that more of you can exercise your basic human right to access the foods of your choice, especially raw dairy.

So today I will be recapping on an email we sent out over a month ago regarding Organic certification. But we also wanted to clarify a few things as well beings a few of you asked some really great questions. So here goes...

Today we have a very loaded subject that we will discuss with you. Organic Certification. This is strictly referring to our RAW milk and Regular yogurt as it is the only products we certify here at the farm.

In September of 2018 at the Churchtown Dairy in Hudson, NY Mark McAfee, Founder and Chairman of Raw Milk Institute, started a presentation by reminding his audience about the important connection between the soil and the gut. The entire presentation is rich with valuable information but that initial sentiment cannot be overlooked especially by those preparing to shift their lifestyle in a healthier direction.

Are you a slow cooker fan? Then we suggest you try the recipes below this fall. If you’re not yet a fan, there’s no better time to get acquainted with this classic kitchen device. We of course recommend opting for REAL and fresh ingredients as much as you can - natural, organic, grass fed, raw, in season, and whole. Dutch Meadows’ beef, chicken, turkey and pork are all nutritious options when exploring the recipes below. Don’t forget to check the dairy, produce, and pantry aisles for additional ingredients you can feel good about, too. Enjoy!

The New York strip has intense flavor. The beef notes are bold in each bite thanks to its rich marbling. It is a thinner cut, which many believe lends itself to not being as tender. While this is true based on the physics alone, most people making this claim are also not enjoying grass fed beef steak, which makes a difference.

It’s as simple as this, people - eat real food with intention. This means be present and take time to pay attention to what you consume, how you react to that consumption, and how everyone and everything around you is impacted by that consumption.

So relevant data is there in FAVOR of raw milk. Yet you’d be hard pressed to find one news report elevating the case for raw milk in a positive light. This is nothing new of course. It’s ongoing in fact, despite more and more data supporting the health benefits, not harm, of consuming raw milk. The latest research is no different. In fact, as the Raw Milk Institute shared in one of their regular raw milk updates, a recent government-funded study found ZERO pathogens in 594 raw milk samples.

One thing we really loved about this video was the reminder that 0 deaths have occurred from raw milk consumption. If you do a little more digging you will find the raw milk industry is so transparent they’re not even hiding behind the fact that “The CDC data reports only two deaths from raw dairy products since 1972, and both of these deaths were associated with queso fresco.” Queso fresco refers to a type of cheese that is made illegally at home, so there are truly ZERO RECORDED DEATHS relating to raw dairy consumed from a regulated producer/farmer.

We found this piece particularly interesting because it reminded us that it is not known, or at least not acknowledged, by the average consumer just how far we’ve drifted from what “natural” really is. Furthermore, most can’t comprehend what that long, distant drift from natural means for the world and our bodies. We know most of our customers are the exception and not average consumers but we still feel it’s our duty to prompt and have these conversations, continue to share, as well as continue to learn ourselves.

With the state of our country in a bit of a seesaw, it can be nice to focus on those things you can control. When news first began to erupt about Coronavirus back in March, it was frightening that many who are typically food secure suddenly found themselves wondering “am I really not in control of our food supply?”. This is a thought nobody should ever have to consider. Yes, we understand there are some deep-rooted issues with the nation and world’s food supply chains that branch in every which way on any given day (pandemic aside), and we wish as much as the next guy that those issues could be resolved some day. They won’t be fixed overnight but they will be fixed in a collection of tiny moments and decisions, such voting with your dollar for just and fair food systems that are not driven entirely by profit.

If you’re not familiar with raw milk, you should definitely start there - meaning you need to read up on why raw milk is the best and then place an order for some. The raw milk factor is important because our organic 100% grass-fed raw milk is a superior product and it’s the main ingredient in our cheeses. As with all things in life, if you’re using superior ingredients, you’re destined to churn out superior products.

Zucchini season peaks in the summer and, let me tell you, farmers are in for it once it does. This is a rapidly growing vegetable that needs to be picked daily. The prickly parts of the plant make it bothersome to harvest in large quantities and will leave most people’s skin somewhat rashed if not covered properly. Still, it is a delicious and well-growing crop in our home state of Pennsylvania so it’s very common to see it in abundance from the area growers as early as mid-June.

It can be easy to skip good meals in the summer when life seems to be forever on the go. Even in the age of a global pandemic, for those that are remaining at home, it’s likely you’re finding plenty to work on around the house or apartment, especially if you have a property to care for. Big or small, they just always seem to take up more time than we expect, and it’s not uncommon to resort to quick, unhealthy on-the-go snacks or takeout when you’re in DIY project mode, or another version of summer chaos.