Thanksgiving is upon us! Thank you to everyone who bought a turkey.
- Thank you to all of our Members who bought a turkey this season. Pick yours up today from 4-7 PM, Saturday from 9 AM – Noon or Monday from 4-7 PM
- Egg shortage: Our egg-laying hens are experiencing their annual molt and as a result our egg production has dipped. Read below for instructions on a refund or credit for future eggs if you don’t see eggs in the refrigerator.
- Winter 2024 Meat Club Sign-Up: Read a note below about some minor changes coming up for 2024.
- Lard and Leaf Lard! If you are a hunter or know any, let us know if you’re interested in lard to mix with venison sausage. We also have a small amount of leaf lard for anyone interested in holiday baking.
Your meat cuts for Friday, November 17:
Lamb: Lamb subscribers have shank and stew meat this week. Our 50+ pound lamb subscribers will also see a package of ground lamb.
Pork: Pork roasts and sweet Italian sausage this week. We’re going to split ours open and use this sausage inside the casing in our stuffing recipe for an Italian twist on a staple Thanksgiving dish. A few 25 pound members received a larger pork roast and a few received a pork steak only. Our 50+ pound pork subscribers received a pork steak and sweet Italian sausages this week.
Beef: We sent our smaller-cut sirloin steaks a few weeks ago. This week we’re sending out larger-cut sirloin steaks and beef breakfast sausage, which also could be used in your Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. Our 50+ pound subscribers will also see larger portions of beef breakfast sausage, a sirloin tip steak and possibly a package of ground beef.
Cheese: Boss Mouse shared her favorite creation this week special for Thanksgiving: smoked butter! Use this on your Thanksgiving table or in any recipes this week where you want to add a hint of smoke.
News from the Pasture:
If you purchased a turkey, we’ll have someone stationed in the grey barn to help with finalizing your turkey order. Stop by today, tomorrow or Monday during these times:
- Friday, November 17: 4-7 PM
- Saturday, November 18: 9 AM – Noon
- Monday, November 20: 4-7 PM
Most of our whole birds weighed in at between 27-31 pounds. We’ll give you a bird as close to the size you requested upon pickup and have the final weight and final payment ready for you when you arrive. You can pay the difference by cash, check, Venmo or credit card when you arrive. We also have half turkeys available.
Egg Shortage:
Our hens recently moved to their winter quarters in our new movable egg laying hoop house. This design allows the walls to furl up for pasture-grazing in the spring, fall and summer months and allows for the birds to stay warm and dry in the winter. Because they moved this week from their old laying houses to this new house and because it coincides with their annual molt, our egg production is down dramatically. Our egg production will bounce back but please let us know if you do not see any eggs in our fridge over the coming week. We have a sheet on the wall. Please record your name and the number of dozen eggs you did not receive and if you would like a refund or a credit for future eggs. We’ll keep track of everything to ensure everyone is compensated appropriately for our shortage. Please refrain from buying additional eggs beyond your subscription until the hens acclimatize to winter.
Meat Club Signups: Winter 2024
Subscriptions are open for Winter 2024 Meat Club! Sign up soon to secure your spot for January-April. Most things will look the same, although we have two exciting changes to announce:
- Chickens will be available as halves or wholes. For those who want it, we will start mixing in two halves to your chicken subscription, probably every other week.
- Al a carte sales of staple products. We will begin offering ground beef, pork sausages, whole and half chickens and ground lamb to existing and former Meat Club members! Supplement your subscription bundles with as-you-need-it purchases of staples. Look for more details in the coming weeks, but we expect to offer a combination of self-service and by-appointment availability of selected products. Please note that eggs and dairy will still only be by subscription, and that al carte products will be a slightly higher price than the bundles.
Bones, Organs Lard:
Organs and some bones are now price-labeled in our freezer in the customer pickup room. Please email us or seek out a farmer when you stop by if you are interested in soup bones or organs and we can set up a special purchase.
- Rendered lard is in the fridge in half gallon jars – $20 for 3.5 pounds.
- Lamb, beef and pork bones: $2/lb.
- Lamb, beef and pork organs: $4/lb.
If you are organ or bone-curious we can provide you with a full list of what we have and some great hints on how to enjoy these incredible cuts, which are so healthful and important to consume.
Thank You: A time for Anavery to be thankful
Many of our Members have been with us from the beginning but so many more have joined our farm community along the way. We appreciate all of you. We absolutely could not do what we do without families to feed in our community. You believe in our goals and values us and we cannot thank you enough. You’ve been a part of a close-knit community food system, which provides jobs for members of the community, supports small businesses who support us and creates amazing food from a 78-acre parcel of land that could have been another housing development.
Our team is the hardest-working group of farmers who understand our mission and who understand why raising animals in a healthy and sustainable way is important. Our team is the vital engine that keeps our farm operational every day and who is closely connected to the day-to-day care, feeding and husbandry of all our animals. They swing hammers, they build fences, they shovel compost and they never quit, even when the wind is howling, snow is blowing or rain is pouring. We do everything we can to maintain a fun and positive work environment where we focus on growing and learning and we cannot thank our team enough for what they do.
Thank you for choosing to support Anavery Fine Foods. Thank you all for being a part of our community and for supporting local agriculture.
