tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75231285664133272892023-11-16T05:45:55.930-05:00St. Brigid's Farmmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18055709809609349968noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-60724509119447264982015-11-17T07:05:00.001-05:002015-11-17T07:51:27.228-05:002015 Field to Fork Dinner<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The terrific photographs taken by <a href="http://lindafarwellphotography.com/" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #444444;">Linda Farwell</span></a> of our 8<sup style="background-color: transparent;">th</sup> Field to Fork Dinner depict the wonderful evening far better than any words can describe. She captured the weeks of preparation and the magic that pulls it all together in the amazing shot of the long table with the overhead lights and the cloudy night sky.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">The
pictures of the absolutely delicious veal ragout and decadent chocolate dessert
are so clear, you can practically taste them.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">Linda also captured the joy and sense of community that results from
good conversation and sharing a meal.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPNSaAs2VA9WkpcysC_Szer_qAsRrz7jPN7UrFx15up_FEAL5fpiqJKKA4oJno4vEj5i1wsXKmKvkKi2QYYWx7IHaeV3ja1NgoSI9kMNbVktsr9c7g5Vit2ivtd_mbWvrzr_uG77FsZBE/s1600/2015-09-26_Field_to_Fork-499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPNSaAs2VA9WkpcysC_Szer_qAsRrz7jPN7UrFx15up_FEAL5fpiqJKKA4oJno4vEj5i1wsXKmKvkKi2QYYWx7IHaeV3ja1NgoSI9kMNbVktsr9c7g5Vit2ivtd_mbWvrzr_uG77FsZBE/s400/2015-09-26_Field_to_Fork-499.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We are pleased to announce that
the dinner raised $4770 for the Kennedyville Volunteer Fire Company and
appreciate the efforts of Bunk, Sue and Michelle Miller to have the fire truck
at the dinner for all to see up close.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thanks to all of our guests who
made the dinner a success by relaxing, touring the farm and meeting someone
new. Thanks to Chef Amy Daniels and the
staff of Palate Pleasers for creating such a fabulous menu and to Dovetail
(Pres Harding and Jodie Littleton) for once again providing the perfect
background music. And thanks to all the
farmers and local businesses who provided the produce, bread, cheese, wine and
craft beers that make our Field to Fork Dinner so special.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12317773037542462335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-55994717610852776492015-02-03T13:31:00.000-05:002015-02-03T13:49:17.522-05:00Wedding Bells at St. Brigid's Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_prwq2-mBObexyDsGqIIaWCyKo5Tw4xjTt7ss3WGCoQk-iEDX7x2YUn1gY1z7yUXnyQ_kHZAh6qc40APeauQsYSDIAw6b_K7lDWgL1MxN3Sdd1BcqS9QL5k5tZGUy9CaID9V4VNqJEwB/s1600/Wedding+Day+Dec+24th+2014+-+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_prwq2-mBObexyDsGqIIaWCyKo5Tw4xjTt7ss3WGCoQk-iEDX7x2YUn1gY1z7yUXnyQ_kHZAh6qc40APeauQsYSDIAw6b_K7lDWgL1MxN3Sdd1BcqS9QL5k5tZGUy9CaID9V4VNqJEwB/s1600/Wedding+Day+Dec+24th+2014+-+5.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We met in 1991 at the National Jersey Cattle Association’s
annual tour that was held at the Jersey Farm where Judy was a part-time milker and
Bob was the veterinarian. We'd have to
say it was love at first sight and we have been together since. In 1996, after some great adventures around
the world and in Washington, D.C., we bought what would become St. Brigid’s
Farm. Time passed as we worked to
establish our business and the next thing we knew we had been together for 23
years. In October, Bob proposed the idea
of getting married. How could I say no? So on Christmas Eve, we surprised Nate, Paula
and Erin, Rich and the boys and eloped in front of the Christmas tree. After the ceremony, we toasted with a lovely
bottle of champagne and had crab cakes and the first jar of my canned peaches
for lunch. Cheers!!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-53204460076656975152014-10-11T14:13:00.000-04:002014-10-11T14:13:45.116-04:002014 Field to Fork Dinner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBiCDbRYeNz84q-lZ2OB3iKfd_K9ny2peK3XrGUS-sXFkl3gRKD3oCohALWMEgWI8Cb6U2rm7tmklbf6Ea2Bvn2V_WUF1D0mmG56tGks2I2IB4-RfUW0awdjrymXnjUPLhV0PEebh92-l/s1600/close+up+table+pre+dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBiCDbRYeNz84q-lZ2OB3iKfd_K9ny2peK3XrGUS-sXFkl3gRKD3oCohALWMEgWI8Cb6U2rm7tmklbf6Ea2Bvn2V_WUF1D0mmG56tGks2I2IB4-RfUW0awdjrymXnjUPLhV0PEebh92-l/s1600/close+up+table+pre+dinner.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans","sans-serif";">The
weather was picture perfect for this year’s Field to Fork Dinner. Our guests
thoroughly enjoyed the open space, green grass, brown cows, delicious food and
a sense of community. We can take
our farm for granted now and then so we love having a chance to share what we
have and to gain a new perspective.</span><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans', sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">When
we open registration, we immediately save places for the apprentices at
Colchester Farm CSA.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">This year all three
apprentices, Taylor, Emily and Keifer, joined us.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">I asked them to write about their impressions
of the dinner and how they felt knowing they grew and harvested much of the
food served.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">Taylor shared the following
and Emily took many of the photos.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DQz-jJ2-7ouAc4onEt-K1JJIGMVel6bS5mH6Aj8MxwEjw34Q6-Ye8mG_Ve6YconFJrbhGhfY0jtcdahqVZdDCe-TzV6_q6uYyzz8z2s8C9wgzPtpzlPz37clG6B-OvLnRyxDJLYO9BOg/s1600/No+Farms+no+Food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DQz-jJ2-7ouAc4onEt-K1JJIGMVel6bS5mH6Aj8MxwEjw34Q6-Ye8mG_Ve6YconFJrbhGhfY0jtcdahqVZdDCe-TzV6_q6uYyzz8z2s8C9wgzPtpzlPz37clG6B-OvLnRyxDJLYO9BOg/s1600/No+Farms+no+Food.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i></i><br />
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<i><i><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans","sans-serif";"></span></i></i></div>
<i>
</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans","sans-serif";">Our days are spent out in the
fields of our small-scale, local farm operation, where we use organic practices
(our hands mostly) to tend a great diversity of crops that change throughout
the year with the seasons. We all came to work at Colchester out of a
desire to better learn where our food comes from and to better understand the
benefits and challenges that locally based farmers experience. One very
important benefit we see from small-scale, local agricultural productions is
the opportunity for an actual relationship between the farmer and the consumer,
between the person growing the food and the one eating it. </span></i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmPNI2irxhyphenhyphenEjLYFxXtSxOR1TfvlTfNC565dkGyh43nDC4u3zS-JJMpy6FxD5bYU0Af3oR_7cbAHa46_9LWnkh9jjyBQIa6THPbJXeJZ8OZp7r34nrahwm4KKJJvq-x6Hcide36NT7Rbo/s1600/chatting+before+dinner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmPNI2irxhyphenhyphenEjLYFxXtSxOR1TfvlTfNC565dkGyh43nDC4u3zS-JJMpy6FxD5bYU0Af3oR_7cbAHa46_9LWnkh9jjyBQIa6THPbJXeJZ8OZp7r34nrahwm4KKJJvq-x6Hcide36NT7Rbo/s1600/chatting+before+dinner.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a><i></i><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><i><span style="font-family: "Lucida Sans","sans-serif";">There are so many people in a
great diversity of professions that contribute to the food system today, and
the Field to Fork dinner was a great place to see that diversity.
Farmers, politicians, restaurant owners, educators and more all came together
to celebrate the food we all have made a profession out of creating and
supporting. For us specifically, it was exciting to see people enjoying
the vegetables we've grown this year, with tender love and care, like the
arugula and sweet potatoes. Only through local connections within our
food economy do we have the opportunity to see the full journey of our produce,
from the planting of seeds to the eating of delicious crops. For us this
was truly a field to fork dinner. We’re grateful for the opportunity to
be a part of the dinner and to enjoy our food in a setting that brought so many
people together in a sense of celebration and comradery that only happens best
when people share good food.</span></i></i></div>
<i>
</i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Thanks to everyone for their support in making this year's dinner a huge success!</span><br />
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<br />St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12317773037542462335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-11484130422899596402013-11-19T18:57:00.000-05:002013-11-19T18:57:10.249-05:00Action! Cut! Take Two! at St. Brigid's Farm<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
<a href="http://dairyspot.com/"><span style="color: red;">Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association</span></a> wanted to give the food bloggers who attended
our <a href="http://www.stbrigidsfarm.com/save_the_date.htm"><span style="color: red;">Field to Fork Dinner</span></a> a video of St. Brigid’s Farm. So they hired producer David Pickel of Aardvark
Video Works to shoot the film. David,
his grip and several MDA staff spent four hours on Sunday afternoon with
us. David actually said "Action" and "Cut". Bob and I had a great time trying to tell our
story in sound clips while looking at the camera and acting natural! Bob did his spot at the tractors in one
take. When I finally viewed the video I
was relieved and surprised at how good it is.
David did a terrific job. Check
it out!</span></div>
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St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-47295262914511284332013-10-06T19:53:00.002-04:002013-10-07T15:57:15.098-04:00Food for the Soul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">As
I looked down the long table at our 6<sup>th</sup> Field to Fork Dinner, I have
to say I was pretty impressed. Here we are, a small, work</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">ing, </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Mom and Pop dairy
farm, and we had 150 people at dinner on a beautiful evening with amazing food! </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbqKLOvdmOZbU907oZn-AGqX0nBk9jZxlV64hef2DKVdrZWb7PaZuLppt6neev6Up_RlbFj4LoQ9QoAyfkwGhRtvUvQUgCSZLYE-0neBIP0EAsgVWxmTCgk_mlVlfezWDeS3ZxkhTFlds/s1600/DSC_0079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbqKLOvdmOZbU907oZn-AGqX0nBk9jZxlV64hef2DKVdrZWb7PaZuLppt6neev6Up_RlbFj4LoQ9QoAyfkwGhRtvUvQUgCSZLYE-0neBIP0EAsgVWxmTCgk_mlVlfezWDeS3ZxkhTFlds/s400/DSC_0079.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">We start
planning the event in April when we pick a date, select a beneficiary and line
up the caterer.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">This year we partnered
with the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association to support the Maryland and Capital
Area Food Banks.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Upon a friend’s
recommendation, we chose Palate Pleasers from Annapolis to cater the event and
were delighted with the result.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The weather
was perfect – 60 degrees and lots of clouds for great photos. The catering crew was incredible. In less than two hours they had transformed
our pasture into an elegant dining setting. Staff dressed the tables with linen
and burlap, tucked menus into napkins and set out the fine china.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The evening
started with beverages including Lockbriar apple cider, Troegs beer and Crow
Farm Chardonnay. Chapel’s Country
Creamery’s outstanding cheeses were served with figs, apple chutney and
crackers. Crab cakes set on slices of
lemon and decorated with African Violet blossoms from my kitchen were passed to
the great delight of guests </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Evening
Stroll, featuring Rebecca Petri, provided the music for the cocktail hour. She and her fellow band members were
outstanding. They had a great selection
of songs and a wealth of talent.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Chef Amy Daniels created a spectacular menu with local produce.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Dinner started with Arnold Farms’ butternut squash soup poured from a silver coffee pot and sweet potato ciabatti from Magnolia Bread Company.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Salad of Colchester Farm CSA arugula and beets with blue cheese followed.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The star of the meal had to be the St. Brigid’s Farm osso bucco with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Guests were amazed by the tenderness and flavor.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Homemade pumpkin pie and apple crustada with Lockbriar vanilla and cinnamon ice cream made a perfect ending for a perfect evening.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-68759931801348295222013-08-10T15:43:00.003-04:002013-08-10T17:51:47.235-04:00Summer Intern, Jessica Hill<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jessica Hill will be heading back to the University of Delaware for her senior year in one week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has spent the summer milking four evenings every week since the end of May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I “found” Jessica when Bob and I were at her parents’ home looking at antique pedal tractors and celebrating the refurbishing of my Farmall H.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jessica’s dad, John, had been working on the H since late spring and had just delivered her to the farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jessica was home for the semester break and made the mistake of mentioning that she was an Animal and Food Science major.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Want to milk cows this summer?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poor girl had never met me nor given much thought to dairy cows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She politely smiled but did not say no!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took that as a good sign.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Shortly before her spring break, Jessica called and we
scheduled a date for her to visit the farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was inquisitive during the tour and genuinely interested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we agreed that she would start after
school ended. I have been thanking my lucky stars ever since.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On several occasions
while in Chestertown (at the shoe store, at our friend’s home, at Brooks
Tavern), people have said that they knew I had hired Jessica and that she was a
good worker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jessica’s mom, Sherrie, is
a cardiac rehabilitation nurse at the local hospital and knows everyone!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Small town, USA.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Jessica is indeed a good worker, a good sport and a tough
cookie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is a supervisor at the
University of Delaware Creamery during the semester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This summer she exercised four horses before
breakfast and trained another after milking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In addition, she found time to place second in a run/bike/canoe race
last weekend with no training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, to be
21 again!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">We wish Jessica all the best back at school and will see her
September 28 when she returns to milk the night of the Field to Fork dinner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-88594188844347443132013-01-23T15:08:00.000-05:002013-02-13T21:17:38.073-05:00C.O.W.S.<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">We think our cows are pretty comfortable, especially when they are outside on pasture, but our opinion is somewhat subjective. This fall we had the opportunity to have an independent group assess our facility as well as cow behavior to determine cow comfort on the farm.C.O.W.S. stands for Comfort, Oxidative Balance, Well-Being and Sustainability and is a program developed by a graduate student at the University of British Columbia and managed by NOVUS to measure cow comfort.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">C.O.W.S. Project Manager Lindsey Collings and Katie Hanehan, Jr. Project Manager arrived before morning milking to take measurements of the stalls, water troughs, feed bunk and to apply the electronic data loggers that measure total lying time on 40 cows 3 years and older. After milking, they visually evaluated gait scores and hock health and conducted a survey of management practices such as frequency of hoof trimming and bedding.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The bright orange monitors remained on the cows for 5 days. They were removed and mailed to NOVUS along with the transmitter. Staff analyzed the data and found that...Our COWS are indeed comfortable. While they were being monitored, the cows were in during the day and outside at night so we combined both housing options.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The level of lameness was very low as was the degree of hock and knee injury. Our cows spend an appropriate amount of time lying down and have adequate space for eating and drinking in the barn. Cows spend about 5 hours per day eating, 12-14 hours resting, 3 hours standing, walking, grooming and hanging out, a half hour per day drinking and 3.5 hours milking. Thus, about 70% of the cow's day is spent eating and or resting.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tMZBnzMY6rdCclsLA_nAz6xUrYgwPI715bc6qOr3AKPDETBSsnvdUEweaco1ikpgb70p3VadjtzfKvjw1i4yv3u7j7phsJ92tX73t_vu0AtozjTeqFK0Rui9yZ1g0XkhyphenhyphentbGnPPs7SVY/s1600/2010-10-21+13.48.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tMZBnzMY6rdCclsLA_nAz6xUrYgwPI715bc6qOr3AKPDETBSsnvdUEweaco1ikpgb70p3VadjtzfKvjw1i4yv3u7j7phsJ92tX73t_vu0AtozjTeqFK0Rui9yZ1g0XkhyphenhyphentbGnPPs7SVY/s200/2010-10-21+13.48.06.jpg" width="132" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Studies and general observation show that cows like to feed together, to feed early in the morning and early in the evening and will push other cows out of the way with more than 500 pounds of force to get to feed if there limited bunk space available. We will feed in waves or batches if we have too many cows to eat in one feeding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While this evaluation showed that we do have comfortable cows, it also reinforces our philosophy of observing, measuring and monitoring to be sure we minimize situations that could negatively impact cow comfort and well-being.</span>St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-83026202089525422512012-12-20T16:56:00.001-05:002012-12-21T14:56:09.936-05:00Judy's Farmall H Story<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I was a teenager I spent summers on the farm tedding, raking and pulling wagons of hay with the <strong>Farmall H</strong>. My dad bought “the H”, as she was called, new in 1950 for $1900. When dad retired from making hay, he sold most of his equipment but not the H. She was my dad’s favorite and my inheritance!</span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The <strong>Farmall H</strong>, built by International Harvester and produced from 1939 to 1952, is the number two-selling tractor model of all time in North America with over 390,000 sold. Only the Ford 8N, due to its exclusive Ferguson Three Point Hitch system, was a better seller.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> W</span>e use a Ford 8N and a 9N on St. Brigid’s Farm everyday.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The <strong>Farmall H</strong> was popular because it is an ideal, all-purpose tractor for diversified farms up to 160 acres and for specialized farms raising such row crops as potatoes or sugar beets. It pulled two 14-inch bottom plows, cultivated up to 35 acres of row crops a day and sped up other farm jobs in proportion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dad used the H to run the blower during silage harvest as well as to pull the manure spreader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought him a “cab” for the tractor but I don’t think he ever used it!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The H, along with and two Case tractors that my dad purchased a few years back, stayed in the barn in Connecticut for several years after Dad died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This summer<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bob’s nephew, Chuck Fry, arranged to have them back hauled to Maryland on an empty nursery truck. We unloaded them at Angelica Nursery and drove them two miles to their new home.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Shortly after they arrived, Alan Hill told us about John Hill, the person who had restored his old tractors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We contacted John and he agreed to give the H a makeover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He took her apart, sand blasted everything, ordered authentic replacement parts including a new identification plate, meticulously painted her and the put her back together with the help of Billy Clendaniel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We visited John’s shop several times during the process and learned more about antique tractors than we could have imagined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John has a cadre of fans who visit the shop and swap facts and stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We brought Ken Overton and his young son Tilden on one visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tilden was quiet while he was in the shop but talked nonstop on the way home!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">John was most impressed with the condition of my dad’s H.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He couldn’t believe how well preserved she was! My dad took pride and joy in his tractors and in making high quality hay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are sad that dad is not around to see the H as she must have looked when he bought her but we trust somehow he knows his pride and joy is now ours and looks great!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-58479889090662767132012-10-03T20:10:00.000-04:002012-10-05T19:43:32.060-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The weather for the 5th Field to Fork Dinner was warm and breezy and while the forecast called for scattered showers, we never considered moving the event inside. By the time guests began to arrive, chance of rain was less than 10% and everything looked lovely. The local Crow Vineyard Chardonnay and the Mark Cascia Vineyard red wines were very popular and paired well with a sampling of Chapel’s Creamery Cheeses. Bill Schindler served up his Teté de Veau (calf head soup) and all the trimmings to those adventurous diners who wanted to taste the rich tasting broth steeped in French cuisine. Jim Stephanson and his band rocked from their perch on the deck. Judy and Roy Crow, Holly and Eric Foster and Trey Hill told those gathered about their farming enterprises and described the Bucket List Auction item they were donating.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">At the very long table for 140, Bob welcomed all and took the now traditional show of hands of those who were farmers, who had attended previous dinners, who was from the area and who came from out of town. Jane Shey of Minneapolis, MN was recognized for traveling the furthest to be at the dinner. As guests dined on butternut squash soup, arugula salad and fresh baked bread from Evergrain Bread Company, baker Doug Rae educated us about the difference between Wonder Bread and his wonderful artisan breads. Theresa Mycek from Colchester Farms CSA explained that with Community Supported Agriculture consumers are invested and involved in the farming operation. While the beef stew and grilled vegetables were being served, Laura Phelps, representing Phillips Mushroom Farms, described the new facility in Warwick and how it benefits the local economy.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Just before dessert, Bob’s brother Ken, returned from his car with his umbrella and raincoat. When I asked what was up, he pointed to the very black sky rolling our way. Luckily, everyone had time to enjoy the delicious apple cobbler topped with Lockbriar Farms’ fabulous premium ice cream and listen to Sabine Harvey describe her trials, tribulations and finally success with the Kent County Middle School’s Victory Garden before the skies opened and our dinner abruptly ended. Too bad guests could not enjoy the Cafetin coffee and continue chatting but we were fortunate that the rain did not arrive any earlier.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We are pleased to announce that we will be donating <b>$5,000</b> to the Victory Garden Project and look forward to watching the garden and students grow. Thanks to all who attended, donated and bid on the Bucket List auction items. Terri Burke, who attended her first Field to Fork Dinner, wrote us that “we weren’t quite sure what to expect at the Field to Fork dinner, but our group was game. What a wonderful cause, fabulous food and people. It was an incredible evening – way beyond our expectations“. That pretty well sums it up!</span></div>
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St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-42873945913318493272012-09-21T14:54:00.001-04:002012-09-21T14:54:30.044-04:00
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Field to Fork Preparations</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Things are coming together for tomorrow’s Field to Fork
Dinner. While the basics for the dinner remain constant – fresh, local
ingredients and a fun atmosphere, we tweak the details every year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year we have improved on the lighting
and PA system. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bob and Mike put the
lights up today for a trial run tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of my favorite parts of the event is seeing the lights in the field
on Friday night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They look so serene yet
are very exciting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Sunday, Judy Crow from </span><a href="http://www.crowfarmmd.com/vineyard-winery"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Crow Vineyard and Winery</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
dropped off their just released Chardonnay and Cascia Winery’s 2007 Vino Cascia
and Zinfandel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We bought the six cases
of Flying Dog Beer at Pip’s Liquor in Chestertown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, they all know me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Tuesday, I picked up the squash and apples from </span><a href="http://lockbriarfarms.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Lockbriar Farms</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> and the potatoes, onions,
arugula and other vegetables from </span><a href="http://colchesterfarm.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Colchester
Farm</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My car was jam packed and
smelled delicious! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday, I went to a new contributor to the dinner, </span><a href="http://www.phillipsmushroomfarms.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Phillip’s Mushroom Farms</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> in
Warwick. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was amazed that such an
impressive facility was located 10 miles from the farm and I had never seen
it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The staff couldn’t have been nicer
and they donated the most beautiful boxes of portabellas, shitake and button
mushroom caps I have ever seen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bob is on his way to </span><a href="http://roosfoods.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Roos
Foods</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> to pick up the sour cream made from our Jersey milk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been shipping milk to Roos Foods for
two years and are grateful for their donation and pleased to include their
quality product in our menu.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tomorrow I will pick up 40 loaves of fresh baked bread and </span><a href="http://cafetincoffee.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Cafetin coffee </span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from </span><a href="http://www.evergrainbreadco.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Evergrain
Bread Company</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>, eight gallons of
homemade vanilla ice cream and four gallons for freshly pressed apple cider
from Lockbriar Farms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the meantime,
Chef Dave and his staff have been busy prepping the food, hauling tables and
chairs and planning the decorations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
weather is looking good and we can’t wait to great our guest, drink wonderful
wine and beer, enjoy fantastic local food and listen </span><a href="http://www.jimstephanson.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Jim Stephanson’s </span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and his really fun band.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-20669277059471229292012-07-11T05:48:00.002-04:002012-07-11T05:48:43.033-04:00Ten Things I Have Learned From Working at St.Brigid's<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hi all, my name is Katie Jones and I am St.Brigid's newest employee. I'm not the first Jones to work here though; my older brother Ethan used to work for Ms.Judy as well. St.Brigid's has been a wonderful place to work and I have learned many things. So here is a list of ten things that I have learned so far:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1. Jerseys are the best breed of cow- I already knew this but I just wanted to emphasize this fact. See, when I used to show cows Jerseys were always my cow of choice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2. Always hold the cow's tail when you are milking them- The cows are constantly being bit by flies and they use their tails to ward them off. However, their tails sometimes miss their target and end up hitting you instead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3. The heat is much worse for cows than it is for you- If you think it is hot then it is a whole lot hotter for the cows. Think of it this way, they always have a leather coat on basically. Not very appropriate for warmer temperatures. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">4. Dogs are not always helpful when it comes to herding- Ms.Judy has an adorable dog named Maggie who means well but she sometimes gets a tad too excited and likes to nip at the cow's feet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">5. Everyone should know how to drive stick shift- St.Brigid's has a old tractor to scrape the barns with and it just so happens to be a stick shift. It took me a while to get used to it but I have gotten better with practice. If anything knowing how to drive stick helps you appreciate your automatic car that much more. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">6. Be prepared to get dirty when taking a cows temperature- The other day the heat seemed to be affecting one cow more than the others. So Ms.Judy took her temperature and once she saw it was around 106 degrees we hosed her down to cool her off (the normal temperature of a healthy cow is around 101). Then I took her temperature afterwards to see if it helped. To take a cow's temperature you insert the thermometer into the cow's rectum and hold it there for about a minute. The end product: the temperature of the cow and a very dirty hand. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">7. The cows do not walk in a single file line on their own- If you have ever driven by St.Brigid's in the evening then you have probably seen her cows walking in a single file line out to their pasture. It is a truly beautiful sight. I always assumed that they chose to walk one behind the other, but really they have a confined path to walk in. Still beautiful though. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">8. The actual skin of a cow is not the color I expected- One poor calf has lost patches of hair all over her body due to a strange reaction to something. Her hair is already growing back but not before I saw her bare skin which was a deep gray color. I'm not sure what color I was expecting but definitely not that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">9. Cows have their own personalities unique to themselves- I learned this very quickly. There are the cows who are spunky and might give you a little bit of trouble when you try to milk them and then there are the cows who are as sweet and as calm as can be. Those are my favorite ones. Easier to milk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">10. Milking cows is an effective workout- All of that squating down and getting back up definitely gives you a burn in your thighs and your glutes the next day.</span></div>St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-30219055900669310052012-06-06T14:26:00.001-04:002012-06-06T14:26:29.786-04:00In Memory of Edwin C. Fry<h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">He loved cows, farming, and <u>all</u> people especially Lorraine.</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCZUHe0xQ-qDuyv3R7qxq9TZ8-7Xh-RhP-OHPAKE0nsI3MGpx_HIaSAAKCZUYSKDfcqRVvqjJgYokJWc4smY4D0EEEm_mlbfcbm6vKd51214aAk7pHO0J679y06BpfADkh2omefhETnE1/s1600/Ed+Fry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCZUHe0xQ-qDuyv3R7qxq9TZ8-7Xh-RhP-OHPAKE0nsI3MGpx_HIaSAAKCZUYSKDfcqRVvqjJgYokJWc4smY4D0EEEm_mlbfcbm6vKd51214aAk7pHO0J679y06BpfADkh2omefhETnE1/s640/Ed+Fry.jpg" width="476" /></a><br />
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February 8, 1924- June 1, 2012</div>
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A Celebration of Life memorial will be held on June 30 at 11AM at the Presbyterian Church of Chestertown. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to The Presbyterian Church of Chestertown, 905 Gateway Drive, Chestertown, MD 21620, or the Maryland 4-H Foundation Edwin C. Fry Memorial, 8020 Greenmead Drive, College Park, MD 20740.</div>
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<br /></div>St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12317773037542462335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-14937327968265672592012-05-30T07:00:00.000-04:002012-05-30T07:15:48.339-04:00The Sweet Smell of Hay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeS0c73ESJc-JPn6gT_4FqeSmtrOuqmXZVScE_mgBgQP2f31SWKa14SvJ9c5ez5SJfAEQsab_RqIj5A4kd5uchuvLyZ4wjBKeWNTPVFlAPt6cz6DoxuxZwncdZUVqpub7xGeBifuL9Wc5t/s1600/The+Sweet+Smell+of+Hay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeS0c73ESJc-JPn6gT_4FqeSmtrOuqmXZVScE_mgBgQP2f31SWKa14SvJ9c5ez5SJfAEQsab_RqIj5A4kd5uchuvLyZ4wjBKeWNTPVFlAPt6cz6DoxuxZwncdZUVqpub7xGeBifuL9Wc5t/s640/The+Sweet+Smell+of+Hay.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The
sweet smell of hay</span></b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> reminds us of Judy’s late father. For six decades, Bob
Gifford took immense pride in “putting up” high quality hay. Good hay has a unique and wonderful
aroma. We checked out why and found that
the distinct smell of newly mown hay is the trademark scent of <b>coumarin</b>; sweet, herbaceous, with a
spicy fresh top note. Sounds like the description of a fine bottle of wine!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Coumarin</span></b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> is a chemical
compound which is found naturally in some plants, although it can be
synthetically produced as well. It has a distinctive odor which has led people
to use it as a food additive and ingredient in perfume since 1882. It is among
the most popular ingredients in perfumes and is included in almost 90% of them!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“The pliability and versatility of this fragrance note is
legendary, accounting for a sweet and fresh facet that rises up from the bottom
onto the heart of the fragrance, lingering on the skin for hours and enriching
a perfume composition via its scent magic.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thanks to the four perfect haymaking days (sunny, breezy and
low humidity) last week and the help of the Gary Miller who mowed, tedded and
raked the hay as well as Chuck Hocking who baled the hay into the 75 big (755
lbs each!) square bales, we have a barn full of high quality orchard grass hay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12317773037542462335noreply@blogger.com012246 Locust Grove Rd, Kennedyville, MD 21645, USA39.309635 -75.93706339.3080995 -75.939530499999989 39.3111705 -75.9345955tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-89325801240398720132012-05-14T14:33:00.000-04:002012-05-14T14:42:21.128-04:00Kid's Day at St. Brigid's Farm<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We practice relationship
marketing which simply means we know the people who buy our meat – the chefs,
the regulars at the farmers’ market, the locals who stop by the farm, the subscribers
of our Medley of Meats and the members of the Annapolis Buyers Club. Last weekend, our customers had a chance to
get to know us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On Saturday, about a dozen
families came to the farm to see where some of their food is raised. Kids Day on the Farm was a huge success. The
weather was perfect for a picnic lunch on the lawn with singing Purple Martins
and cows grazing in the background.
After lunch, the kids climbed under and over Mr. Farmer Bob’s straw fort
and had a chance to pet calves Janet and Rosalita. At the next stop, which was a favorite of many
of the dads, we fired up Judy’s antique Case tractor. Once all the kids had a chance to sit on the
tractor and pose for pictures, everyone took a hike though the field where the
calves were grazing and saw the muskrat houses and learned how to identify
poison ivy. Then it was off to the barn to watch Frolic being milked. Finally, all the kids helped bottle feed the
two calves with the fresh milk. As you
can see from the photos below, a good time was had by all.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">picnic on the lawn </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Wylee having fun with Rosalita</span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">straw fort and secret tunnel</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">kids and calves</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12317773037542462335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-6860970256002337732012-03-01T18:00:00.002-05:002012-03-01T18:40:03.842-05:00So, How is Calving Season Going?<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> W</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">e are often asked this question by many people this time of year. February is our busiest month for calving. How busy? </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> 34 calves were born during the previous 10 days! For some very large farms that is no big deal but for a Mom & Pop sized dairy we can tell you it was busy!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> So how is it going this year? Remarkably well for many reasons…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Weather - </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The weather has been wonderful. No snow, not cold and relatively dry weather leads to minimal stress on the babies. No risk of frost bite to the cow’s teats, and an easier work load for the caretakers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Male:Female ratio - While we are happy to get a healthy, live calf at St. Brigid’s Farm </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">the girls (heifers) are preferred because they are the future producers of milk that is the mainstay of our operation. Last year we had 59% bulls</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">L</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">. This year the heifers are out numbering the bulls 31 to 20!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Nutrition - Last harvest season we stored some very high quality forage. This coupled with a new feed delivery system enables us to more accurately deliver the prescribed diet to the pre calving cows as well as the milking cows which leads to healthier cows at a very critical time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Labor – In January we hired a full time worker to replace numerous dedicated part time employees who moved on last year. Mike Vanhorn has been a welcome addition to our staff and has done a fine job raising over 50 baby calves born so far this season. </span><br />
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5. Nurse cows - Three cows were designated as nurse cows to each raise 3-4 veal calves. They are wonderful mothers and have taken to their foster calves quite well.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We are thankful it has been a great calving season but we are not done yet. Thirty more cows are due in the next three weeks.</span><br />
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<br />St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-42359068112821312632012-02-02T10:46:00.000-05:002012-02-02T10:48:21.431-05:00St. Brigid's Day - February 1st<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Today as we celebrate the feast of St. Brigid, we reflect on
her compassion and love for dairy cows.
In a world full of sound bites and superficial arguments, the thought of
St. Brigid, her kindness and dedication
to the dignity of manual work among animals in the dairy and respect for the
rural land gives us pause and a chance
to ponder what is truly important. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To learn more about St. Brigid's Day read below.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold', sans-serif;">February
1<sup>st</sup><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Bold', sans-serif;">St.
Brigid’s Day<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Light', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />St. Brigid</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Light', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
- was born in A.D. 451 or 452 to a pagan father and a Christian slave
mother. Her impoverished, enslaved
mother did her best to raise her well, and a white red-eared cow is said to
have provided all the food St. Brigid needed to grow, indicating that she was
special indeed as white red-eared cows are rare in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>. </span><span style="font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Light', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">While still a child she
was put in charge of the dairy by her mother. One day she had given away so
much milk and butter to poor people that none remained for the family. She
feared her mother's displeasure and so resorted to prayer. When her mother
visited the dairy she found such an abundance of milk and butter that she
praised the dairy maids for their industry.</span><span style="font-family: 'Copperplate Gothic Light', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Today she remains the patron saint of dairy
maids and is the patroness of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-47344384084655854472011-12-05T19:42:00.001-05:002011-12-05T19:57:21.168-05:00St. Brigid's Happy Cows<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When our friend Pam calls, her first question is how are the happy cows? While there are days when our cows are less happy – snow storms, torrential rains, high winds, excessive heat, we are usually more impacted by the nasty conditions than the cows. In the winter, the freestall barn with the curtains closed provides a cozy space for the milking cows. In the summer the same freestall barn with curtains opened and fans full tilt provides some reprieve. However, the engineers who design barns can only imitate the environment where cows are happiest – outside on pasture. Here is a capture of our happy cows on video before our grazing days ended last month. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-28157457645782434762011-10-10T06:05:00.000-04:002011-10-10T06:05:51.508-04:004th Annual Field to Fork Dinner<div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">The morning of October 1 was chilly and windy. The weather forecast called for a 50% chance of rain. By 8 am, chef Dave Perry, Bob and I decided dinner would have to be inside. Time for Plan B! As much as we like to dine under the stars, we didn't want our guests to be</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKFYh5azc4LST-lea4fUkCRspsmdHGn56gaFuKQZZ7Ak2DySylC5J_2vYOjvPcbYp2ftU1lqP8LAfxUWGqfC59Tbo9MF6ckUQ1yi-TRPuDlWrQfNhGbTuwbgw3XgOv815hmhYIoujBWjf/s1600/Heidi+%2526+Gibson+Anthony+2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661672876142457442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKFYh5azc4LST-lea4fUkCRspsmdHGn56gaFuKQZZ7Ak2DySylC5J_2vYOjvPcbYp2ftU1lqP8LAfxUWGqfC59Tbo9MF6ckUQ1yi-TRPuDlWrQfNhGbTuwbgw3XgOv815hmhYIoujBWjf/s400/Heidi+%2526+Gibson+Anthony+2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 202px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 300px;" /></a> miserable so Bob converted our hay storage area/maternity pen into a dining room. Tuscan lights from <a href="http://www.estentsandevents.com/">Eastern Shore Tents and Events</a>, straw bales and some giant mums added a festive ambience to the normally drab space. Bob made a door in the plywood wall for easy access by the catering team. We were ready by the time our 126 patrons arrived at 5 pm.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadEovG77SYnYcHNzeYQWk8ubenJW9NS-cCp2wEcE0nhIpwuh0fhGP-JFXqXrMR1f37dtkRaRrsoq5L3q_nPsII11tDH-LYisN-hUwOF_UgbxgJRtDa8czgXf8v6xMBTr5y1LwaAO11VQy/s1600/Chapels+Creamery+Cheeses.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661675112876611442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadEovG77SYnYcHNzeYQWk8ubenJW9NS-cCp2wEcE0nhIpwuh0fhGP-JFXqXrMR1f37dtkRaRrsoq5L3q_nPsII11tDH-LYisN-hUwOF_UgbxgJRtDa8czgXf8v6xMBTr5y1LwaAO11VQy/s320/Chapels+Creamery+Cheeses.jpg" style="float: left; height: 222px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; width: 320px;" /></a>Guests enjoyed beer, wine, <a href="http://www.chapelscountrycreamery.com/">Chapel’s Creamery</a> outstanding cheddar and blue cheeses on the lawn as Jim Stephanson and his band played a delightful mix of jazz and blues. The cows romped in the nearby pasture and<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrltV5CEKOqqd6bpeqlwVi_MH0nUw3Ezt1o8zLCxQfdT7OqRyOEP0PXhk3iBAVLujhaByJptK4uRoLnpvePLYc3YMoehc50_Y7vgZRrWnvEeBIAx6LbUJD0hExIZ11PZo5r3J6doZp9Sc/s1600/Jim+Stephanson.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661786870605775266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrltV5CEKOqqd6bpeqlwVi_MH0nUw3Ezt1o8zLCxQfdT7OqRyOEP0PXhk3iBAVLujhaByJptK4uRoLnpvePLYc3YMoehc50_Y7vgZRrWnvEeBIAx6LbUJD0hExIZ11PZo5r3J6doZp9Sc/s320/Jim+Stephanson.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 298px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 192px;" /></a> eyed the party. At 6 o’clock, after the band’s customized version of “milk cow blues”, people began to claim their seats in the make shift ball room. Sweet cream of tomato soup with leeks and a dollop of cream and Against the Grain’s amazing artisan breads started the feast. Next, we showcased <a href="http://www.colchesterfarm.org/">Colchester Farm’s</a> beautiful arugula and radishes in a simple, yet delicious salad. The main entree, country meatloaf made with <a href="http://www.stbrigidsfarm.com/">St. Brigid’s Farm</a> ground beef, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans exceeded expectations with many diners exclaiming the meatloaf was better than their own! For those who had room for dessert, Dave made pumpkin and apple pies which he topped with fresh whipped cream. The long neck pumpkins for the pies weighed 25 pounds each. The pumpkins, tomatoes, apples and fresh pressed cider came from <a href="http://lockbriarfarms.com/">Lockbriar Farms</a>. The toasted pumpkin seeds made a perfect garnish.</span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbn3rtfxsGWp3F3n_xtDoMoBg4PcrzApGUZy0g1lz9uPZ5PjClAu6GiAuB5Ib1eTqAWw9wzpPfWH9I-xWgwYOjNB7FEb-aPqaHygJxfVLyRNeTve7bc-Aq-L194Aiq0EMKAzhxkFK8Ywq5/s1600/Alex+%2526+Chef+Kellar+3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661670830553125842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbn3rtfxsGWp3F3n_xtDoMoBg4PcrzApGUZy0g1lz9uPZ5PjClAu6GiAuB5Ib1eTqAWw9wzpPfWH9I-xWgwYOjNB7FEb-aPqaHygJxfVLyRNeTve7bc-Aq-L194Aiq0EMKAzhxkFK8Ywq5/s400/Alex+%2526+Chef+Kellar+3.jpg" style="float: left; height: 316px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0px; width: 279px;" /></a>In between courses, our farmers, cheese maker and bread baker shared the trials, tribulations and successes they have experienced growing their produce and making their products. Next, Chef John Keller from the Kent County High School Culinary Arts program and his student, Alexander Maas talked about the wonderful program that was the beneficiary of last year’s dinner. Alexander stole the show with his honest and inspiring impression of working with the caterer. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVl3YCF_9ntiPD-2-5IQz4BTxii32pZ5gf9ergS8kbyCf-esBvV3NE6ftBnS9ohKlG5Uo_A65DKNfU1p6GtRWzmGm28E7fiN4pW0jixeF7919nmA-_aTZfeIil9C37lrfyo3YrfxMZwwj/s1600/McCown%252C+Pfeiffer%252C+Brian+Schatzinger.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661787799143456754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVl3YCF_9ntiPD-2-5IQz4BTxii32pZ5gf9ergS8kbyCf-esBvV3NE6ftBnS9ohKlG5Uo_A65DKNfU1p6GtRWzmGm28E7fiN4pW0jixeF7919nmA-_aTZfeIil9C37lrfyo3YrfxMZwwj/s320/McCown%252C+Pfeiffer%252C+Brian+Schatzinger.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 207px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 254px;" /></a>Finally, Captain Andrew McCown described the life changing experience Kent County kids have during a camping/sailing trip on the Chester River as part of the <a href="http://www.ehos.org/">Echo Hill Outdoor School</a> Explore Program. Thanks to the tremendous turnout for the dinner and donations by friends who could not attend, we will donate $3,000 for scholarships to this remarkable program.</span></div>
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St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-55903747512028477102011-07-25T06:47:00.028-04:002011-07-26T20:41:03.411-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkddfr6Y54erb7fDGWipO6erHAg1O2Tzi4YJL87-j1rwz0OcoOMBGfJDIRofZxaCtSYxU5fR81J6HuCLsOVf_jZU2J2J_FcCEaMZfhxBbOVB-kVTQm9QfRYQAKV2SeoXJ3Lk8dQqmOnYgX/s1600/SBF_2011F2F_PlansHeaderLG.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 167px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633825502033150162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkddfr6Y54erb7fDGWipO6erHAg1O2Tzi4YJL87-j1rwz0OcoOMBGfJDIRofZxaCtSYxU5fR81J6HuCLsOVf_jZU2J2J_FcCEaMZfhxBbOVB-kVTQm9QfRYQAKV2SeoXJ3Lk8dQqmOnYgX/s400/SBF_2011F2F_PlansHeaderLG.jpg" /></a> <br /><div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.stbrigidsfarm.com/fieldtofork.htm"></a></span></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Seats are filling fast for the <a href="http://www.stbrigidsfarm.com/fieldtofork.htm"><span style="color:#ff0000;">2011 Field to Fork dinner</span> </a>in part from the response to the NPR story by food commentator Bonny Wolf. You can find her story and listen to the audio about farm dinners around the country by clicking <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/07/24/137853034/farm-dinners-serve-up-local-food-ambiance"><span style="color:#ff0000;">here</span></a>. It was a hoot to hear her mention our dinner on Weekend Edition Sunday.</span><br /></span><a href="mailto:rcfry@stbrigidsfarm.com"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 82px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 85px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633732150039136146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIhGv-aXHXHqayf5TMo60T8komZrjlOOh8lnuWK9JhLUPDHr88bihZgeIPnyUGfvPqB7VjcTzDsHgm_cENOlQLgJdmEofP4H1RtS9DVdlS3eYoDbe25liE0Y9rVeVtO2XPGZys5lbWvEJ/s200/SBF_2011F2F_RSVP-Button.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;">To reserve your seats for our dinner on October 1 from 5-9 PM, rain or shine, click on the RSVP link to the right.</span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">For out of town guests, we recommend the <a href="http://www.crowfarmmd.com/farmstay.html"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Crow Farm B&B</span></a> just 1/2 mile away or the Holiday Inn Express and Comfort Suites in nearby Chestertown.</span> </span></div><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"></div></span><a href="http://www.stbrigidsfarm.com/fieldtofork.htm"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 177px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633240388800822690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZxMNJ8xVmfngXGUnaG12CJCicwow-evmgxF0YZgrgBA1avllHeBmQR1JKDAbsqkn65IcONwqTkbR3vFcWgm4b3yfh_Um9KlaTZxzjcU_gYK7MRGxSKISqPqqtu_MRJWFXybzrfpNcwEo/s400/IMG_2045.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.stbrigidsfarm.com/ftfmenus.htm"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 340px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 236px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633452438204112386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSfY6h5ILYuq4ICnZe9fqbg3ypz_eU8UQ5XsoaTnNMoAwj0LmZdP1aYYZVD_twESu0c2pcK-TZPNQ9-vnIlA7-9pwHdViqBahInNy73Gs3Lp6c4SBqVuzchLHsyZ9NHRYOCywXAS1xCaQ/s400/Field+to+Fork+%252708+064.jpg" /></a> </div>St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-60694457474239609772011-07-21T14:12:00.003-04:002011-07-21T14:28:30.634-04:004th Grade Outdoor Education Farm Tour<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMOkKNi088PI5Y-QhYZLBivWAghQiLI0MMHDMauKKbIA9r4WcjaJcTOII9_Rc6bqpMGaAFqlrH0MyBLw3vaapFil17OiUqwJyxcaeHhB2nCvRBnKZ6w327CH8zrKoprBleBmxgtnX6pT2/s1600/1.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631872571168886338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMOkKNi088PI5Y-QhYZLBivWAghQiLI0MMHDMauKKbIA9r4WcjaJcTOII9_Rc6bqpMGaAFqlrH0MyBLw3vaapFil17OiUqwJyxcaeHhB2nCvRBnKZ6w327CH8zrKoprBleBmxgtnX6pT2/s200/1.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify">We were pleased once again to be part of the Spring 4th Grade Outdoor Education Farm tour organized by Beth Hill with the University of Maryland Extension. Over two days, about 150 fourth graders from the five elementary schools in the county toured the farm and learned about the importance of dairy products in their diet.<br /><br />Each child in the class of Tiffany Kennedy, the teacher at the Galena Middle School, wrote us a thank you note accompanied by a hand drawn picture. What a great way to integrate the tour with the class room. Below excerpts from some of our favorites.<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#009900;">Dear St. Brigid’s Dairy Farm,<br /><br />When I saw the dairy farm I saw lost of cows grazing away. Also, I saw machined that milk cows also I saw a calf named Nowell. First we learned all the breeds of dairy cows Miss Judy has on her farm. Then we went to the milking parlor. We got to smell and feel the cows food. I also got to hold and feel there teeth and see how big there pills are. They were huge.<br /><br />The best part was petting little Nowell and looking at the milking parlor. But petting Nowell was the best part because she was so calm and soft. I loved this trip and someday I want to be a dairy farmer you inspired me so much.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Brenna<br /></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#cc6600;">Dear St. Brigid’s Dairy Farm,<br /><br />I enjoyed being at the farm. I enjoyed the little baby calf. She was cute. I had a blast.<br /><br />Your friend,<br /><br />Dylan<br /></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#3366ff;">Dear St. Brigid’s Dairy Farm,<br /><br />I was so happy that I went to St. Brigid’s Dairy Farm because when I saw the dairy farm, I saw cows in the field grazing away...We learned that cows only produce when they have a baby. I also know that a bull is a boy. A heifer is a girl. I also know that the dairy farm was named after a saint of knowledge...Well, thank you for inviting us to the farm. THANK YOU. I like your farm Miss Judy also you are the best in taking really good care.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Liz</span></em></div>St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-48892846979657644602011-04-17T13:11:00.003-04:002011-04-17T14:03:34.160-04:00My First Jersey<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In 1969, I was a 12 year old 4-H member who was tired of losing to the fancy Holsteins I was showing my home grown calves against. I decided I wanted a Jersey and bought one at the sealed bid auction at the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Litchfield</span> County (CT) 4-H Fair for $157. I borrowed $10 from my younger sister who claimed the tail until I paid her back. My new calf was named <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Peet</span> Farm <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Julhous</span> Rita but we called her Jersey. Briggs and Beth Cunningham, who had a farm in Kent, Connecticut, were the generous donors of Rita. I adored Beth Cunningham!! She had strawberry <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">blond</span> hair, loads of freckles and was always smiling. Thus began my life long love of the Jersey cow.</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6S91rAVaZ5KTPLfrsX7wvcoQGd7pu1hpnRzNhCDOG8P7F19JYy5Yk4jriSVjQ3jLoLDroX04Wepm5qwYB-y8T4VG8C-SMfeBWr6jlIY0r6jGCSQwyphB5YuwbB9pcSKPvPQxgMyDgwCG5/s1600/New+Image.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596602310401066386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6S91rAVaZ5KTPLfrsX7wvcoQGd7pu1hpnRzNhCDOG8P7F19JYy5Yk4jriSVjQ3jLoLDroX04Wepm5qwYB-y8T4VG8C-SMfeBWr6jlIY0r6jGCSQwyphB5YuwbB9pcSKPvPQxgMyDgwCG5/s200/New+Image.JPG" /></a> <br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This week, the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Worton</span> Elementary School’s kindergarten class visited the farm . Lo and behold, one of the delightful students on the field trip was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Braydon</span> Michael Wallace, the Cunningham's great grandson! Small world!!</span></div>St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-47387522091169394252011-04-01T10:11:00.005-04:002011-04-01T15:30:10.836-04:00Chestertown Literary Festival<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Last weekend, Chestertown bookstores and other local food supporters sponsored the first Locavore” Literary Festival. The two day event provided locals the chance to hear and meet local bloggers and several renowned authors. The Lit Fest opened on Friday at Washington College with Chef Kent Tilton serving St. Brigid's Farm grass-fed beef in the dining hall to compliment the philosophy of the first speaker </span><a href="http://www.lierrekeith.com/vegmyth.htm"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Lierre Keith</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, a former vegan and the author of <strong>The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice and Sustainability</strong>.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">On Saturday, author Nancy Taylor Robson and bloggers </span><a href="http://chestertownfitforlife.com/"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Aundra Weissert </span></a><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">and </span><a href="http://www.fishinthewater.net/"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Tara Holste</span></a><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"> shared their experiences and insight as food writers. Robson has written freelance articles for 35 years and authored two books: a memoir of her six years on a coastal tug titled Woman in the Wheelhouse, and the award-winning novel Course of the Waterman. A Master Gardener, she writes and edits sections on gardening and food for the </span><a href="http://www.chestertownspy.com/"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Chestertown Spy</span></a><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Bob and I split our work day so we could each attend a presentation. I was among the crowd of thirty or so at the </span><a href="http://www.compleatbookseller.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Complete Bookseller</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> who heard </span><a href="http://bonnywolf.com/"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Bonny Wolf</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, author of <strong>Talking with My Mouth Full</strong>, discuss her adventures in eating locally in Talbot County. Her tales of cooking muskrat, searching for wild asparagus and foraging for mushrooms and dandelions were delightful.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">A truly special part of the day was our invitation to lunch sponsored by Washington College's Center for the Environment and Society featuring local foods with the authors and other guests at </span><a href="http://www.brookstavern.com/"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Brooks Tavern</span></a><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">. The menu included the St. Brigid’s Farm burger, a three egg omelet with Kennedyville eggs, shad roe and a Bibb lettuce salad with bacon. It was my lucky day as I sat next to </span><a href="http://freshfiction.com/blog/2010/03/interview-with-lucie-snodgrass.html"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Lucie Snodgrass</span></a><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">, author of <strong>Dishing Up Maryland</strong>, 150 Recipes from the Alleghenies to the Chesapeake Bay. Drew Debnam, who works for us after school, gave us the book for Christmas so I was already a big fan of Lucie. She is very down to earth and fascinating to talk to.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">Bob sat next to Paul Greenberg at lunch and then went to his session. Paul wrote </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/books/review/Sifton-t.html"><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Four Fishes, The Future of the Last Wild Food</strong>.</span></a><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"> In his session and book, he examined the history of the fish that dominate our menu – salmon, sea bass, cod and tuna- and investigated where each stands at this critical moment in time. Bob found the session a bit depressing but has hope that with the help of Paul’s book, educated consumers can start to heal the oceans and fight for a world where sustainable seafood is the rule rather than the exception.</span></div>St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-83373618798832967712011-02-19T18:34:00.012-05:002011-02-20T10:45:36.129-05:00February 19th 2011<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkak7egSRw3hJChpu-_GbszkdR48pwttoFy372wH9OH1QPLNMBOQ8iS_Q8onFzsz9njEk-1zFH3vb-1w8o1D5SzA1KKJyIIO7xLQHSuOyQj282j8agTdd5qRLKEkcFcumrUSrANC0S6vi/s1600/Kojala+Photos+009.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575550562573107938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkak7egSRw3hJChpu-_GbszkdR48pwttoFy372wH9OH1QPLNMBOQ8iS_Q8onFzsz9njEk-1zFH3vb-1w8o1D5SzA1KKJyIIO7xLQHSuOyQj282j8agTdd5qRLKEkcFcumrUSrANC0S6vi/s400/Kojala+Photos+009.jpg" /></a><br />What a day. Lots of stuff happening and for starters it was Judy's Birthday! We won't tell the count but if her Mother's card means anything she is still in her 30's. I'd suggest that today's weather was appropriate for her B-day. Sunny and 50 degrees but with a VERY blustery wind at 40-60 mph! Here's Judy having a good day on the farm...<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">Next in the same day was the memorial service for our dear friend Susan Comfort. Susan moved on to new territory last week after a premature illness with Alzheimer's Disease. We had many connections with Susan starting with her teaching both Nathan and Erin at Kent School, then our neighbor with an 'always welcome mat' when we lived on Birch Run Road, the wife of my biking buddy Rob Comfort, and the person always ready to join Judy and me for dinner and great conversation. Most notable was about 10 years ago just after Susan had the great idea to name our farm, St. Brigid's Farm she hosted a dinner at her house. Everyone had a placecard at their seat. Here is Judy's placecard by Susan Adams Comfort, 2 November 1946 - 11 February 2011.</div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 170px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575553507013338130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1vJr-IlR9c99TuOIuJvybHQlCYTbvUM0l7DVkn0cCfqlvhXsoG1ltsCwJLzPv8al6HvOnNNRApS075tHpTsmdoo4CV9tRJUcdqrhxER2IA3-iz0DGTE2Usp-JpDUNNyYKfThkh6tVAqB/s400/St.+Brigid+002.jpg" />St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-21425083991698436162011-02-06T10:08:00.008-05:002011-02-06T11:27:43.050-05:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxuvTJpERzWE-iA-s4l9540sGDJ3kMiDdex_05WLdX4inbKvNFWClrCdj749vufc6YidhorUNmV61dIMzLqUC03gST50nXpuQNucJma55iNK634WSlFzzIusgyik8r8_G7K9Jk_DP7QX_/s1600/Burger.png"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 298px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570597273248450194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrxuvTJpERzWE-iA-s4l9540sGDJ3kMiDdex_05WLdX4inbKvNFWClrCdj749vufc6YidhorUNmV61dIMzLqUC03gST50nXpuQNucJma55iNK634WSlFzzIusgyik8r8_G7K9Jk_DP7QX_/s400/Burger.png" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify">On the last Sunday in January, about 100 foodies gathered at <a href="http://www.unitylandscape.com/index.html">Unity Landscape</a>’s new digs to sample burgers from four local farms. Bill Schindler grilled sliders and sweet potatoes while Tara Holste and Andy Goddard, the organizers, served spinach and sweet potato salads, cheese, and bread. 16 Mile Beer and Casinelli wine were on hand to add to the festivities. While there were no winners in the tasting, our sliders were distinctly different. Jersey beef is known for its juiciness, tenderness and marbling and the SBF sliders glistened on the platter. Dr. Schindler noted that our burger, which is grass finished, was the reddest in color. The event was sold out. Good to see that the local food movement is alive and well and being helped along with enthusiasm by Tara and Andy.</div>St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523128566413327289.post-63462250778263416262011-01-29T13:12:00.011-05:002011-01-29T21:12:30.597-05:00Old Man Winter<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uWyb8Zar3yEo8EO3IbIZJF8nK7kXVXkb4yVuw1LHrEQLSAkhLrDHontVfl7b2Psw4MRa0_VI3OtUriWYTW5GIw6wgI1uHGHJolMMfgwwhDBXIslaPqN5J_bBQtxEvxDz2694JqJL4qAI/s1600/Winter+Grazing+008.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567674170215595314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uWyb8Zar3yEo8EO3IbIZJF8nK7kXVXkb4yVuw1LHrEQLSAkhLrDHontVfl7b2Psw4MRa0_VI3OtUriWYTW5GIw6wgI1uHGHJolMMfgwwhDBXIslaPqN5J_bBQtxEvxDz2694JqJL4qAI/s400/Winter+Grazing+008.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">For most people, snow and cold weather are minor inconveniences – delayed openings, longer commutes, finding the hats and gloves. But for farmers, especially those of us with livestock, snow and cold mean more work and worry.<br /><br />This past week we had about 8 inches of wet, heavy snow which covered the barnyard, farm drive and pastures. It took three hours to scrape and pile the barnyard snow so it wouldn’t refreeze into craters the size of cow hooves and make walking difficult for the cows. Then we spent another 45 minutes pulling snow off the roof over the feed bunk. This roof does not have perfect pitch so we worry the weight of the snow could cause the headers to crack and crash. Several years ago, the roof over the nursery pen crashed and we were within four minutes of losing 13 calves and Bob who was moving them to safety. We don’t want to hear that sound again. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When the thermometer hovers around 10 degrees and there is wind, manure will freeze in place. That means any bit of manure in the scrap pit or on the spreader will cause jams. Ears on new born calves as well as teats of the new moms are at risk of frost bite. We have had first calf heifers get frost bite in a matter of minutes when the conditions are right. It takes three long months for the teats to heal. Any water (and dairy farmers use a lot of water) will turn to ice so barnyards must be sanded by hand, hoses unhooked and thawed, doors barricaded with straw to keep the pressure pump in the dairy from freezing. Two inch thick ice forms on cow waterers that aren't heated. </span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But once the lanes are cleared for service trucks and a path is made to the calf hutches, we do take a moment to appreciate the winter wonderland and take some small satisfaction in the work it took to make those big piles of snow.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">And after all our consideration for cold weather we know it is quite balmy compared to that of our dairy farmer friends, John & Johanna Laggis, in the North Country of Vermont, where temperatures plummeted to <strong>minus</strong> 35 degrees last week. Can you imagine, they had two calves born that night!<br /></span><div align="justify"></div>St. Brigid's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14782319298977753326noreply@blogger.com0