Spring!

2013 Availability

We have been getting a number of emails lately of people looking to pre-order, and regarding current availability.  Right now, we have GROUND BEEF at $5.90/lb and PORK CHOPS at $9.45/lb.  EGGS are available throughout the season.  CHICKEN will be processed this year June 15, 2013.  We process 100 chickens at a time, as that is the number we can comfortably raise and process to our standards.  At this time, we have about 35 left to pre-order.  Please, get your orders in!  Pork and beef will be available later this summer, we also recommend ordering early to ensure we have your favorite cuts!

Wallace in the Woods

It feels like it has been a LONG winter here at HFF....luckily, no major disasters to report (minus a few fences lost during Sandy), but we miss the GREEN!  While things have been on the slow side, we still have our animals helping us out.  The cows have spent the majority of the time in our woods, helping us to continue clearing out, and all that hay, manure, and "animal impact" will help us towards our silvopasture goal.  In a few short weeks, the piglets will be here, and we will have some great space ready for them!

Dangers of Supermarket Pork

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/whats-pork

HFF pork is raised 100% antibiotic free!  Plus, it tastes delicious!

A great way to prepare your HFF chicken!

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/bestof/toprecipes/bestchickenrecipes/recipes/food/views/My-Favorite-Simple-Roast-Chicken-231348

• One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)

• Unsalted butter
• Dijon mustard

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preparation

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.

Now, salt the chicken—I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone—I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip—until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook's rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be superelegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it's so good.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/bestof/toprecipes/bestchickenrecipes/recipes/food/views/My-Favorite-Simple-Roast-Chicken-231348#ixzz2BY51BIPz

My favorite tree....the shagbark hickory that inspired the farm name....just starting to change color.

Guinea Hens are Great!

Our four guinea hens continue to work hard at keeping the tick population down....I am very happy to report that between our horse, mule, 4 goats, 3 dogs, 1 cat, and 10 cows, we have probably removed less than a dozen ticks this year!