We would like to invite you to our Mountain Run Farm Field Day on Saturday, August 2nd! It is from 9 am to 1 pm. Ben will be giving walking tours at 9 am and 11:30 am, stopping at various “stations” throughout the yard to give a brief description. This includes our pastured pork, grassfed beef, weedless gardening, Primrose and her calf Brazo, the milking parlor, Biodynamics, Bees, catfish, Windmill Aearation, and chicks of all ages. We will have Beef BBQ or ribs with homemade slaw available for lunch, and sirloin samples at our Cowboy Cooking fire pit. Our Saloon Store will also be open and fully stocked with our beef and pork, as well as various dry good items.
We suggest dressing appropriately, and since it is planning to be a hot one - water is probably necessary. We will have plenty of water for refilling as you go. Families are encouraged, and we ask that parents keep track of their kids - there will be a lot going on!! So, grad your kids, friends, coolers and come on out!! And remember, pets should stay at home.
Hello everyone!! Gilliam Hill Coleman was born at home on Monday, June 30th! She came in weighing 9 pounds and 2 ounces and 21 1/2 inches, and sure is beautiful.
Our Jersey milk cow, Primrose, calved on May 15th. And, as usual, we are going against the grain… Primrose gets to raise her own bull calf, Brazo, as well as provide our family with delicious, nutritious, grassfed raw milk. Ben is separating the calf from Primrose at noon each day and hand-milking close to two gallons out each night, then rejoining the pair till the next day. This method gives us flexibility in our schedule, all the milk we need, and a healthy, maintenance-free calf. This leads us to our advertisement… We hope to sell Brazo to someone who is looking for a pure-blood Jersey bull with New Zealand genetics for their herd. Ben has reared thousands of calves, and has yet to have one this healthy! The reason is the high butter fat content of the Jersey milk. High butter fat = Healthy calf… High butter fat=healthy humans!
We just want to thank you for your patience with our meat supply this year. The drought of last year and the lack of “finish-quality grasses” is just now catching up to us, affecting the turnaround of the animals for processing. We want to continue to offer the highest quality products to our customers, please continue to be patient while we raise our cows and hogs to a complete finish.
March 31st started with a 6:30 am wake up call from our local US Post Office telling us that our chicks arrived!! This is our first batch of the season, so we were anxiously awaiting their arrival - and so excited to pick them up and bring ‘em to the farm! They were greeted by a nice clean brooder (thanks to Ben and Noah) with fresh cedar chips, fresh well water, some healthy grain, and a little bit of grit to help with digestion. Here is a video of Ben, Noah, and Hannah introducing them to their new home! Enjoy!
“Dr. Tilak Dhiman, a nutritionist at Utah State University, isn’t one to shy away from the big issues in life when sharing his opinions on milk and meat production.
Check out this article about current trends regarding meats you buy at the grocery store. Warning: after reading this you may never buy ’store bought’ meat again. (Not for the faint of heart). Here’s an excerpt from the article over at MotherEarthNews:
“…Two of the biggest trends reshaping America’s meat supply are gas packaging and brine injection systems. Manufacturers save millions of dollars in lost meat turnover with these technologies, which make meat appear fresh longer and pump “flavor” into factory-farmed meat, in the form of salt water and broth. Companies also save on labor costs, since these “case-ready” meats can go straight from the cold truck to the retail shelf. Consumers are left paying for meat pumped up with saltwater solutions that may be spoiled by its expiration date. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of these new practices. Here’s what you need to know to be a smart shopper…” [read more]
Happy Spring! For those of you not signed up for our newsletter, first of all…sign up! But only if you want to. Just sign up here. If you missed our Spring Newsletter now you can view the ‘paper-free’ version! Check it out here: Spring 08 Newsletter.
We met an amazing fellow biodynamic farmer recently. His name is Daron Joffe, also known as ‘Farmer D’. Farmer D stopped by Mountain Run and gave us such encouragement that we want you to check out this international firebrand for organic/community farming.
Based out of Georgia, Farmer D Organics:
designs and creates organic farms and gardens, which provide healthy fresh food to local residents, visitors, businesses and charitable organizations in any given community.
In addition to creating farms and gardens, Farmer D Organics provides expert consulting services to assist developments, public and private institutions, not-for-profit organizations, farms, restaurants, spas and residential communities on how to implement organic and environmentally friendly land management practices for green spaces, farms, landscapes, golf courses and more. Farmer D Organics also provides technical assistance for start-up farms, composting operations and community gardens.
We were very honored, recently, to be named the Bedford Chamber of Commerce AgriBusiness of the Year for 2007. What a surprise! We don’t believe in ‘tootin’ your own horn’ but we wanted to say thank you to everyone for making this possible and thank you to the Bedford Chamber for the honor. Check out an excerpt from the article by John Barnhart of the Bedford Bulletin:
“…Ben and Carly Coleman’s Mountain Run Farm was named the Agri-Business of the Year. The 1,000 acre farm is primarily a 215-head beef cattle operation that seeks to bring cattle to market that have been managed for optimum health and performance. This adds value and allows them to fetch a higher market price. The Colemans also believe in producing food for the local community and keeping more of the food dollars in the community and is working to bring more of its products directly to the consumer…”[read more]
Mountain Run Farm is nestled among the breathtaking mountain views of Sedalia, Virginia in Bedford County. Serving the local Bedford and Lynchburg community with all natural, "Real", meats and other products grown, raised and prepared with your whole health in mind. Eat Natural! Eat Local!
