Turkey Weekend Update

Thanksgiving weekend was a fun four day break from the day job, but work on the farm is really a seven days a week kind of gig.  We did take most of Thanksgiving day to enjoy making a nice turkey dinner and visiting with family.  Theresa also spent a couple of days helping fund-raise during Zach's four Nutcracker performances on Saturday and Sunday, selling raffle tickets, so basically we were all busy doing something.  I spent much of the weekend grading the driveway with the box scraper implement behind the tractor and laying down fresh gravel by shovel from the back of the farm truck.  It will be a big improvement to help keep the mud from getting tracked into the house.  I'll share all those "improvement" details in another post though, with pictures.  This is supposed to be about the turkey.

For the second year we deep fried our turkey, and it was a success.  Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of the operation, before or after.  I guess we were all busy doing stuff and forgot the most import part of capturing those memories in a photo op.  Anyway, we decided to deep fry again because last year's turkey was really tasty.   I guess for years we were using our big roaster to slow cook our 'big birb', but it really seemed like a lot of cooking time which kept the kitchen tied up.  A couple of years ago I tried something different and cut the turkey into pieces before roasting to cut down on the cook time, and it turned out pretty good.  We've noticed how deep frying has become more popular, and apparently starting fires trying to deep fry has also become a thing since there are so many PSAs about how to safely deep fry.  Last year we decided to risk starting our own fire and took on the dangerous cooking method of deep frying, and it turned out a good choice.  It was easily the tastiest 'birb' we've cooked and really not as scary or dangerous as the PSAs make it out to be.  We just used some common sense and care in operating the deep fryer.

It's amazing how quickly a 20 lb turkey will cook in a deep fryer.  I guess the only real disadvantage is that you don't get to stuff your turkey, but that wasn't a huge issue for us since stuffing has never been that popular in our house.  I love stuffing, but it can always be made on the side.  This year Theresa injected the bird with melted butter and seasonings before I lowered it into the boiling peanut oil.  It came out an hour later cooked to perfection, juicy delicious.  We paired our bird with a selection of sides, like: my traditional twice baked potatoes; our new comer India's spinach bake; Zach's famous mac-n-cheese; Tsa's green bean casserole; candied yams; and 300 bottles of Martenellis.  The only real cooking fail this year was my twice bakes were ruined when I forgot to add bacon!

Overall dinner turned out really well and it was a nice Thanksgiving.  The only thing I would have liked more was to see more of the family and maybe a few more pics, next year with any luck though.  I hope all of you enjoyed your Thanksgiving weekend!

First Thanksgiving Dinner on the Farm

Get Your Pork!

We have four hogs scheduled to go in for processing January 4th, with three to be sold.  It takes a few days at processor before meat can be picked up.  Please confirm with Theresa or myself if you'd like a half or whole hog.  Finished hanging weight will be ~150-180 lbs and looks like we'll be able to sell for $3.65/lb which includes cut and wrap.  Smoked and cured hams and bacon is an additional $1.00/lb (processor's charge) for those cuts.  We don't recommend the additional processing since it's healthier without, or better and tastier if you smoke and season to your own liking.

Updated Additional Info

Our hogs are Gloucestershire Old Spot, a heritage breed that's noted for producing some of the finest pork cuts.  They've been raised responsibly and fed locally sourced grains (and a very small amount of table scraps) purchased from a local family run feed store, and will be processed at a local family run, USDA certified,  processing facility.  The price per pound covers the shared cost for feed and processing, and while overall it might seem slightly more expensive than factory raised pork at the super stores, keep in mind you're supporting local businesses and families.

Availability

Note: I'll update as we get confirmation on orders.   Currently we have a few tentative orders for half or whole hog, but I'll keep them tbd until we get solid confirmation.   If you'd like a quarter hog then find a friend or family member that will go in on a half hog with you, the processor will only cut, wrap & sort in halves.

hog#1:  Bleisch Family
hog#2:  Kim W. 1/2 || Bernie O. 1/2
hog#3:  Lorena/Sharon 1/2 || Elijah & Ryanna 1/2
hog#4:  Blake Bleisch Fam || tbd

How to Handle a Bulk Meat Purchase

Most people prefer to freeze meat because it's more convenient, but keep in mind it's easy and safe to can meat in a pressure canner, and it keeps on the shelf for a longer period of time and not susceptible to spoilage from power outages like your freezer.  It's also pre-cooked and tender so when it comes to making a meal it can easily be added to stews, soups, pastas, or other quick dinners.   Obviously prime cuts like the hams, bacon, ribs and chops you'll likely want to freeze; but for other cuts that you're not going to make into sausage consider canning some for storage.  We prefer the raw pack method after smoking slightly in our Big Chief smoker, but you might prefer the hot pack.

Here's some info for canning pork:  Home Food Preservation - Canning Meat

Web Image of Sample Pork Cuts

Illustration of Pork Cuts

Doing Dad Stuff

It's been a long time since I've been on a school bus... but that's where I was.  Loaded up and on the road participating in a field trip adventure with Victoria's high school environmental science class, on our way to Whitaker Creek to see spawning Chinook salmon and learn about this threatened species.  How could I pass up a trip like this!   I guess the only downside was that we weren't out fishing, although, learning about how threatened Chinook are makes it tough to want to go out and fish. Anyway, here's a little overview of what we did...

The bus ride there was uneventful, we sat in the back of the bus like the cool kids and I stuck out like a sore thumb.  The teenagers socialized like teens, so I pretty much looked out the window and enjoyed the beautiful Oregon scenery.

On an Adventure

After the hour drive we shuffled off the bus and joined in a big circle for a quick introduction for our visit.  We were greeted by four volunteers that participate in this salmon education program: Dave the retired biologist; Bob, the retired English teacher; Jay, a water quality specialist; and a communications specialist for a local utility.  We broke into small groups to take turns meeting with each volunteer to learn about the various environmental issues affecting salmon populations and general knowledge about these fish as known.

At the Macro Invertebrate Station 

Sampling of Mayflies

The first station we visited was macro invertebrates, they're used as a bio-monitor because their presence or lack thereof is an indication of water quality/health.  Some species are more tolerable to higher pH levels so if moderate or less tolerable species aren't present you can be relatively confident the water pH is higher.  As an example we found only one Caddisfly in our sampling compared to numerous Mayflies which have a higher tolerance.

• Macroinvertebrates of the Pacific Northwest (a pdf field guide)
• USGS pH Water Properties  

Caddisfly

For our second station we visited with Bob, the retired English teacher, and he shared his knowledge of what a riparian zone is.  He explained the basic definition, it's importance to life, and the four important factors that make up a riparian zone -- words starting with S, S, F, & F was our clue.  The first S was for Shade, waterways need shade to keep water temperatures low to allow the water to hold more oxygen to support aquatic life.  The second S was for Structure, the riparian zone consists of structure that provides habitat for spawning salmon.  As an example, salmon are very particular about the gravel beds in which they create their redds (nests for laying their eggs).  The redds need to allow water flow through the eggs and protection.  The Fs were for Food and Filtration.  The riparian zone provides food and filters water through surrounding roots and structure.

Bob also shared a few stories and poems with us, here's one from a Shoshone Bannock tribal member writing about the loss of a legacy of salmon fishing when Celilo falls were covered from a dam on the Columbia River.

Celilo Fishermen

you made your nets

& tested the knots

seeing that they held.

little did you know

what was to hold you

after the sound of

water falling

over what

used to be.

 -- Ed Edmo, from "These Few Words of Mine."

Our third station was a visit with Dave, a retired biologist.  He discussed the life cycle of salmon and things we know about how they find their way back to the same spawning beds after a spending most of their lives at see.  He mentioned studies of both celestial and geomagnetic migration as possibilities of how the fish navigate and return.  He also discussed their sense of smell as another potential factor in their ability to return to the same stream as their birth.

Eggs to Fry

Stylish Polarized Lenses

Spawning Salmon

Dead Male Salmon

After lunch, our last station was the discussion of water quality lead by Jay.  It was a fun discussion which mainly focused on water temperature factors and pH levels.  Jay was a fun discussion leader that added a lot of humor to his presentation.  The kids got to participate in taking water samples to test for pH level, nitrate level, water temperature, and turbidity.  

Overall the learning experience was about the health of our streams and fisheries, and how biologists use science to help them understand the complex ecosystems to better understand human's interaction.  As Jay pointed out in his departing thoughts, if we consider 'it' nature then we're missing the point and thinking of 'it' as a system that we're not a part of and it's important that we understand what humans do is also a part of nature...

It was a fun educational trip. 

When the Weather Allows

When the weather allows you to get some work done outside in the fall, you take advantage of it.  I had finished mowing about half the pasture a couple weeks ago, and with a bit more than 10 acres left needing to get finished before the ground becomes too soggy this winter, I decided to get on it this past weekend.

I guess that's how exciting our life is, maintaining the pasture is like the main attraction.  We actually got a lot more done than mowing, we also hauled in four yards of bark mulch to take care of a few muddy areas and made a nice dry patch under the trees in the pasture for the cows to get cozy out of the weather.

I also cleared a couple of ditches to improve drainage in the small west pasture where the three cows are being kept currently.  The cows were happy with the work, they frolicked around running and kicking in the fresh cut grass.

The chickens are big enough to get let out of the coop now, they can fend for themselves if one of the cats gets any ideas of a chicken nugget meal.  Victoria finished up the run installing a gate and making sure there weren't any holes under the fencing we installed a few weeks ago.  The chickens were happy to get out and roam the run.  We'll need to get into the habit of letting them out daily now and making sure the coop is closed up at night to protect them from predators.

 In other news, one of the passing log trucks must have hit a skunk this morning because the fragrance was strong in the air this morning.  Skunks usually don't get frisky this time of year so not sure why they're out.  We'll need to be sure the dogs don't run too far because tangling with a skunk is not fun times.

We've got a busy week ahead.  Tomorrow I'll be traveling with Victoria's high school class to the Whitaker area to see spawning salmon, and then there's Thanksgiving, and then we've got a weekend of Zach performing in the Nutcracker as the Rat King.  Good times.

My daily driver

From pasture looking west at Farm House

Southwest view

Southeast view

Progress on Farm House Continues

The farm house was in pretty bad shape when we bought the place, and with work getting in the way we haven't had much time to get as many things done as we'd have liked.  I made Theresa a promise the dining room floor would be finished before Thanksgiving, so this past weekend was dedicated to keeping that promise.  Oh, we still got some of the other farm chores done with Kyle's help on the tractor and India and Theresa helping with the flooring.  We're still only about 40% finished with the flooring overall, but the dining room had the biggest impact on livability.  The only thing left in the dining room is baseboard trim and hanging a new door.  We're at least making steady progress rain or shine.  This week we'll be wrapping up the trim and getting ready for Thanksgiving.  Theresa's already thinking ahead to next year and has been contemplating raising our own turkeys...we'll likely have some more 'birds' on the farm soon.  Stay tuned.

Dining Room Flooring

Kyle Taking Over on Tractor

In Honor of Leonard

I've got six sticks smoked and hanging for you Len, I'm sure I didn't do them right which goes without saying.  Although, you probably would have told me I used the wrong casings and didn't smoke it long enough.  That I already know.  Fiber casings is all they had and I agree they're not the best, they don't take the smoke as well and won't dry up tight to the meat.   I did grind the meat only once and kept the seasoning on these simple the way you liked it.  Theresa and the kids and I will be thinking of you when we slice into this batch.

Summer Sausage

First Batch of Jerky and Sausage

Making summer/deer sausage has been a long standing tradition in my family.  My dad had a reputation for making the best deer sausage around and while I'm certainly biased, I have to agree with that reputation.  My dad's recipe was simple, using traditional cold smoking and curing practices we simply ground the meat once before mixing seasoning then stuffing to smoke.  It was a basic mix of venison to pork of either 50/50 or 40/60.  Seasoning was also basic with cure salt, pepper, and a little whole mustard seed.  The real trick was stuffing the casings to ensure there were no air pockets, smoking with hickory for the right amount of time, and hanging the sausage until firm.  In all it generally took 6-8 weeks before the sausage was ready.  Well worth the wait.

I have some fond memories of those annual sausage productions and with my dad's recent passing have a greater appreciation for his years of dedication making great sausage and for all the memories.  I'm also more inspired to carry on his tradition with my family.  This year I'm making a traditional batch in honor of his memory.

Times have changed though and traditional cold smoking and curing isn't recommended or considered safe these days.  It's understandable, botulism actually comes from the Latin word botulus which means "sausage."  Also, in today's food supply market if you're getting your pork or beef from a supplier you don't have any control over the production or sanitation so there's always that uncertainty.   Both listeria and e. coli are other potential pathogens to be worried about as well.  Pasteurization is the key to safe sausage so don't try that cold smoking stuff at home unless you understand the risks!  I've done quite a bit of research to make sure we're processing safely for the sake of my family.

Since we've acquired a new grinder, dehydrator, and other processing gear to begin making our own sausage at home we also thought it would be nice to make jerky and snack sticks as well.   We just recently finished our first batch of jerky and this evening I'll be pulling out the first batch of snack sticks from the dehydrator and we'll also be stuffing our first batch of my dad's traditional cold smoked sausage.  So far the jerky turned out excellent and I have high hopes for the snack sticks, the hickory smoke flavor is my favorite.