Monmouth Grows

Monmouth Grows meets on third Monday's of the month. For more on our regular meetings, email us at info@monmouthgrows.com.

Thanks to all who participated in our events this year, or just stopped to see our displays!

Our community events are over for the season, but check back for other dates and events we'll be posting over the winter. And don't forget to check out the farm products you can get year-round from many of our Monmouth Grows farms!

Notes from the Farm

(An occasional posting - writings from Monmouth Grows farmers)

Hello all,

Spring is slowly making an appearance at Snafu Acres Dairy Farm. The first of the
anticipated calves was born yesterday while the herd was out in the back pasture
enjoying the afternoon sun. The Holstein bull calf has joined the two that were born
back in January, in a small pen by the front of the barn. It was an uneventful calving,
with the cow delivering on her own. That is the best case scenario. Of the twenty five
milk cows, there are twenty more we anticipate calving out in the next month or so.
Then the milk truck will come by every other day and haul our milk, along with that of
several other Maine organic dairy farmers, to the Hood plant in New York for processing.

Yes, we have been impacted by the milk price drop you’ve probably read in the news
lately. One of the advantages of producing organic milk is having a two-year contract,
which conventional farmers typicallly do not. However, seems fewer people are buying
organic milk since the economy hit difficulties last fall, so Hood has dropped our price
about 5%, and requested that all its farmers reduce production by 15%. It’s bound to be
an interesting summer.

Ivan has ordered the first batch of 200 day-old chicks, to arrive here mid-April, so
this year’s first fresh chicken will be available in June. We plan to raise 700
chickens this year, an increase from the 600 last year, since demand continues to grow.
We have recently turned down a request from an area caterer to provide 20 whole birds
for an event has planned. We want to be sure we can continue to provide chicken to you,
our home delivery folks, as well as the customers at the winter Gardiner Farmers’
Market. This will be in addition to the 300 Thanksgiving turkeys again this year.

With all the life sprouting up, we have also had a loss. My beloved 19-year old
HoneyDog died one afternoon last week. Ivan and I had been talking about the fact that
it was time to consider putting her down, as her quality of life simply wasn’t what it
has been. While we were struggling with that, she simply didn’t wake up from her
afternoon nap.
We still have a full house, with DasherDog and cats Thing1 and Thing 2 , so there’s no
thought of getting a new dog. Plenty to do with the chicks coming and soon we’ll have
the new pigs on the farm as well.

Below is the product and price list for Friday’s delivery. Let us know as soon as you
can, and we’ll have things lined up.

NATURAL MEATS AND POULTRY, FROM ANIMALS RAISED NATURALLY
AND FED GRAINS WITHOUT ANTIBIOTICS, GROWTH HORMONES, OR
ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS

PORK PER POUND

BACON we are out of sausage :-( $7.00

HAM STEAK $6.00 HAM $5.00

SPARE RIBS $4.50
COUNTRY STYLE RIBS $6.00

PORK CHOPS $7.00

CHICKEN PER POUND

we are out of boneless breasts and thighs until this year's birds are ready, probably in
June.

WHOLE BIRDS $2.50

DRUMSTICKS (pkgs of four) $2.00
WINGS (several pounds/pkg) $2.00

We also have packages of backs, for making soup stock.

Let us know if you’re interested.

BEEF AND VEAL PER POUND

GROUND $6.00

MEATY SOUP BONES $5.00

BOTTOM ROUND ROAST $7.00

NY SIRLOIN $7.00

TENDERLOIN/RIBEYE/T-BONE/PORTERHOUSE STEAKS $15.00

EGGS $3.75 per dozen

Uncle Mike’s maple syrup $18 quart $10 pint

Nancy and Ivan Smith
Snafu Acres Dairy Farm

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