(Photo courtesy of Heritage Harvest Festival website)

The Heritage Festival celebrates one of Thomas Jefferson’s great passions – the garden. Mountain Run Farm will be joining many other vendors, educators, and demonstrators for a “celebration of gardening, sustainable agriculture and local food, held at Monticello, the mountaintop home of our third president.” Mountain Run Farm feels called to help educate and pass on the traditional wisdom that we are learning more and more about and practicing in our daily life here on the farm. There is a constant desire to look to Mother Earth for resources in food, shelter, and inspiration. We know she has it there for a reason, and we are going to use it to its full advantage!! It is events like this, and groups like Backyard Revolution that seek to provide education and knowledge about this traditional way of living, and we are proud to be involved and sought after to help promote and educate what we do on a daily basis on the farm.

So, check out the Heritage Harvest Festival website, buy your tickets, and make a day of it!! We visited Monticello for the first time last year in September, and it is such a beautiful time to visit and you can feel the history in the surroundings that is immaculately well-kept and true to its previous owner’s desires. Definitely worth the trip out, and especially with a festival going on, and even MORE special that we’ll be there!!

And…speaking of “harvests”…. What do you think about a $6 Rib-Eye? Sign up now for our Fall Custom Beef and Pork Harvest! And it’s perfect timing because the nutrients and meat quality are at their peak in the fall season of the year, especially coming off a summer of mob-grazing and knee-high grasses to eat. Our meats are your medicine. Join in the “Cowpool” at Mountain Run Farm where you can get 1/12 of beef that would fit perfectly in a freezer and your budget. We also have 1/4, 1/2, and whole custom beef, as well as 1/2 and whole custom hog available. We’re taking some soon, so sign on up!! Please email reachus@mountainrunfarm.com for more information or if you’d like to be on the list…

See you at Monticello! If not before on the farm….

“The adventure started last Wednesday when Ben, Carly, Noah, Gilliam, and Hannah loaded up their belongings, along with myself and even a few chickens, into the cattle trailer and we all headed to Floyd Fest. Every year they’ve talked about going, and then July rolls around and there’s NO way they could leave me and the farm and go. Well, this year they just decided to take me with ‘em. They sweet-talked me about it leading up to the day, so I was as prepared as I could be. So, two hours on the Crooked Road later, we arrive at our site in the Global Village as part of Backyard Revolution and Ben unloads me: Primrose. I drew attention immediately (why wouldn’t I?) – I mean it was like some people had never seen a cow before!! I made myself at home munching on grass and weeds…and even laid down in the shade before nightfall. Luckily, we had arrived in time to acclimate myself to the area and small doses of people before the general public was to arrive on Thursday/Friday, so they had time to set up and get situated before the real festivities began. They were still a little nervous about me during the night with people walking by and wanting to say hello, so Ben ended up sleeping beside me that first night. He’s so good to me….

Thursday started with an informal milking demonstration with an audience of around 5, a walk up the hill to stretch my legs, and a little cud chewing in the temporary fence. Because I was still being milked, and now milking twice a day because my calf, Dukes, was at home, they had a lot of milk (about 3-4 gallons a day)! So, they gave away some of my raw milk samples to anyone that asked for it in a cup, in their coffee, or even just a sample sip. They know that it is illegal to sell my milk in the state of Virginia, and they are very strict about that on the farm, but it was their understanding that giving it away was not against the law. So, that’s what we did. I actually don’t see the big deal, but a law is a law I guess. The milk was strained on site, put into clean jars, and kept on ice in a cooler. If someone asked for some, they didn’t hesitate to spread my gift.

My formal performance schedule didn’t start until Friday morning, so they had a little time to finish getting set up and prepared for the weekend. That sense of calm came to a halt at about 1 am with the first bass drop of DJ Excessive and Thunderdrums at the Global Village Stage right down the hill from us. I think it literally shot Hannah out of her tent because she immediately came out to check on me, and hung out with me until Ben came back from enjoying some music – his presence seems to immediately calm me. Thunderdrums continued and we all attempted to get some sleep, while Ben remained out with me sleeping on the hay-bales. I believe this was the night when we overheard 2 guys as they were walking by say, “Duuude! Is that a reeeaaal cow, or is that, like, a faaaake cow??” And so it began….

Ben came and got me for our first milking demonstration around 10am Friday morning, and folks started to gather a little before that to say hi to me, talk to Ben, get a milk sample, or just make sure they had a front row spot. They wanted to see what this whole milking business was all about. At least 1-2 people per group would tell us how they grew up on raw milk, had a milk cow as a child, or were currently a part of a cow share in their area. So, there was definitely some common bonds within the folks that came down for the demo. Ben was in the middle of milking and verbally going through each step of the process with an explanation, when Hannah heard over her shoulder, “Department of Health just pulled up.” Her first reaction was, “Nuh-uh,” but lo and behold, there sat the white truck and there stood the man with the silver clipboard asking to speak with who was “in charge.” Well, the man “in charge” had his head tucked under me in front of 50+ people pulling on my teats, so shetold him he would have to wait and was there something she could help him with. He replies, “Under no circumstances are you all allowed to pass out raw milk…it is against the law…unless it is pasteurized…shut it down…” Blah, blah, blah. He said that a festival go-er who worked for the North Carolina Dept. of Health saw what we were doing, called the Commissioner, who called the Virginia Dept. of Health, who then sent orders to this man to come tell us to shut it down…in the middle of a music festival. Then he asked for Ben’s name, and as he’s writing I heard someone in the crowd speak up to say, “What is this bullcrap!?” We all knew then that this couldn’t have been timed more perfectly – we had a public demonstration of a real cow milking, a public display of supplies needed to raise/milk a dairy cow like myself, resources on the table, and 50+ people who voluntarily took time out of their day to come down and show support, become educated on farm life and/or dairy cows, or maybe even recall a memory of their childhood that had been tucked away. The crowd was stirred and the energy was obvious. I even saw a couple of fists in the air when Ben finishing up the milking demonstration and being very honest about how his emotions had just been stirred. The man was very nice about it, said he was just following orders to come down there, but it was still a pretty serious matter and one that we are so thankful happened when it did so that these people could see how raw milk is treated in the “corporate world,” and the absurdity of it all. It is nature’s gift to mankind…tested to be one of the healthiest, most nutrient-dense foods of all time…and treated like it is poison. How in the heck do they think  that makes me feel? It’s what I do for a living!!

There are groups of government officials dressed in thousand-dollar suits sitting around tables in government buildings talking about the next farm they are going to bombard at 5am with FBI officials to shut down and ransack…all because they sell raw milk on a small scale to customers who seek to provide health to their families because they know the benefits. Ben is not one of these farmers, I provide raw milk for them to drink, they do not sell my milk, but none of us see any harm and understand that it is legal to “give away” to those wanting to try it. Why wouldn’t you want to try something so delicious?! I’ve even heard it referred to as similar to a Vanilla shake…melted a little of course. I sure hope some of those folks went back home and sought out some of my friends in a cow share in their area, so that they too could benefit from one of nature’s gifts.

So, we decided to beat the heat and postpone our August Field Day to OCTOBER 9th and kick it up a notch with local vendors and possibly a little live music. The schedule will run early in the morning with a milking demonstration, so if you missed it back in May, you’ll get another chance!! I’m sure Prim loved being the center of attention… I will be posting more information about the Field Day closer to the event, so check back for that -

In other news…

Yes, you read right!! We are joining forces with the Backyard Revolution and taking Primrose for milking demos throughout the weekend in the midst of like-minded people and great music. If you’re heading up to Floyd Fest 9 next week, we’ll be set up in the “Global Village” area, so come say hi!! We’re getting quite excited!! Prim is getting daily pep talks to get revved up for the big event – this will be her first time out of Sedalia since her arrival a few years ago. I’m even thinking about putting a bow in her hair…

Prim wants to know if you’d like to come watch her give a demonstration on milking. Or how about being entertained by dozens and dozens of chickens running around? Maybe sing to the pigs… with an oink, oink here… and an oink, oink there….? Perhaps you want to treat yourself to a hot bowl of soaked oatmeal and home-grown sausage? Or maybe just being outside breathing fresh mountain air for a few hours would suit your fancy….

COME OUT TO MOUNTAIN RUN FARM FOR OUR *SPRING WELCOMING* FROM 8-11!

Primrose, the Freedom Ranger meat chicks, the hogs, some grass-only beef cows, the laying hens, Mr. and Mrs. Peacock, our duck friends, and even the catfish have extended an invitation for you and your family and friends to spend the morning with them. Ben will be leading a Pasture Walk from 9-10:30 where you’ll be introduced to our brood as well as be educated on using traditional methods of farming to take us back to our roots of optimal health and well-being using what nature as provided.

We will have a breakfast of soaked oatmeal and sausage available to enjoy while your visiting, as well as fully stocked freezers – Coolers are always helpful if you are planning on purchasing some meat. We do ask that children be supervised at all times, and that you dress appropriately for walking in grass, gravel, and quite possibly a little poo.

On that note…we’ll see you bright and early on Saturday!

*ISSUE*: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the USDA is drafting new meat testing regulations for small food processors. It appears the new regulations will require before and after microbial testing and procedures that will be costly for state and federally inspected meat processors. The concern is these heavy-handed regulations may force small meat processors to reduce the number products they offer, increase prices for processing, discontinue processing under inspection, or worse, shut down altogether.

“As drafted, these new regulations I believe will drive small meat

processors out of business.  Many will not be able to manage the financial

or administrative burdens the new regulation will require.  As a result if

these rules are put in place farmers’ options will be further limited.”  —

Mike Lorentz, Lorentz Meats, Cannon Falls, MN.

“These new rules would require small meat processors to go through a costly testing and “validation” for each type of product they offer to farmers or consumers. USDA is advancing these new guidelines in the name “food safety” yet the agency hasn’t provided a clear and supportable case for the existence of a food safety problem which this validation initiative will resolve.“

“According to the American Association of Meat Processors, the initial cost could be as much as $12,000 per product line and then $3,600 a year to maintain.  Under these new rules, if a small meat processor offers 10 types of meat products (bacon, ham, jerky etc…) it could cost nearly $120,000 in testing and validation.”

“What we do believe is the new regulations could hurt family farmers who rely on local butchers and small meat processors.  Local and regional food systems are growing and the last thing we need is new USDA regulations that will place roadblocks or result in higher costs for all parties involved in selling butchered or processed livestock.”

- Kate Fitzgerald, Senior Policy Associate

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

We request your help, and time is running out. There are a couple of steps you can take to show your support for small farmers, meat processors, and yourself as the consumer:

1. Call USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack at 202-720-3631 *He needs to know how these proposed rules affect family farmers and could negatively impact local and regional food systems and family farmers  These new guidelines run *absolutely counter* to the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” campaign USDA had been trumpeting.

2. Submit comments: *USDA is accepting comments on the new rules through June 19, 2010.  Farmers are encouraged to submit comments on the draft validation compliance guide.  Below are two ways to send comments as well as an example comment farmers can make.*

a.      email to DraftValidationGuideComments@fsis.usda.gov or mail to,

b.     Docket Clerk USDA

FSIS, Room 2-2127

5601 Sunnyside Avenue

Beltsville, MD 20705.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Land Stewardship Project at 612-722-6377.

Ben has called and did get to talk to someone at Tom Vilsack’s office. Of course they were trying to rush him through, but he asked for patience and time to listen to what he had to say, and was able to speak his thoughts about the “regulations.” He also emailed his comments to the above email address. Here is a copy if his email:

My name is Ben Coleman. I am a fulltime farmer and food producer in central Virginia. I am 36 years old. I am building a successful Farm operation which sells Our home-raised meats directly to the consumer from the farm. Our farm has an “open gate” policy that allows ALL customers to inspect our farm ANY time. This relationship builds trust and safety. Our farm is a power house in the Local food system of Bedford County, VA. We have ten years of experience selling to about 300 families in VA. These families are dependent on us. They are passionate and ready to fight for their food rights. I am writing to WARN the politicians. If our community is pressured by any more regulation (regulation is already out of touch with reality and is keeping our business in “survival” mode) there WILL BE on onslaught of angry families who vote to protect their food and their farmer (ME!). Please heed the warnings that hard working American Farmers are expressing. I invite anyone interested to visit our farm on the web at mountainrunfarm.com OR in person. I believe we have some answers to creating FOOD SAFETY and security of the American Food Producers. The safest food in American history came from the backyards and family farms of the Founding Fathers. These were the days BEFORE any diseases or need for Government Regulation. We are reaching that same level of food safety on Mountain Run Farm in Sedalia, VA. Thank you for Supporting, not hindering, REAL family farms,

Ben Coleman

Ben is sticking his nose out for our supporters, and he urges you to all to do the same. This is serious business.

We thank you.

We just wanted to check-in with some seasonal information, and let you know what’s going on around these parts. Our first bit of big news is that our first batch of chicks arrived about 2 weeks ago! It never ceases to make us smile when we see those little chicks each year. We are continuing with the Freedom Ranger meat chickens this year, and we have 8 processing dates available for you to choose what works best for you this summer. Here is our 2010 Pastured Poultry Order Form for you if you are interested in reserving some delicious, fresh, whole chickens this season. Another exciting tidbit related to the chickens, is that at each pickup date, Carly will be teaching cooking classes at 5pm on those dates to those interested. Here are a few of her topics: Using Whole Chickens, Grilling/Cooking Grassfed Meats, Broths & Stocks, and Time-Saving Tips. We are excited to be offering these and hope that you will want to take advantage of the helpful information that will only aid in your family’s overall health and well-being. Our calendar for this season will show you the dates & times with their corresponding topic.

This upcoming Saturday, April 10th, we will be joining the 3rd Annual GreenSpring Healthy Living Festival at the Lynchburg City Armory from 9:30-5:00pm. This is quite an event with over 60 vendors who aim to promote environmentally-conscious living through health, home, community, etc. We will be there all day with plenty of information about our farm, nutrition, and of course, smiles. Come on down and see us!

Our first Field Day for the year will be Saturday, May 8th – so mark your calendars to bring your family and friends out! We will be posting more information about this event very soon. We also have free, guided Pasture Walks scheduled throughout the season, so check out our calendar for those dates & times.

And don’t forget, our freezers are stocked with our 100% grass-only beef & pastured pork. We are open throughout the week (you may call ahead if you’d like) and Saturdays from 9am-4pm. We are closed on Sundays and holidays. Check back here for more upcoming news/event information, join our fan page on Facebook, email us with any questions, or just come on out!  Our farm is OPEN to you and your family and friends.

P.S. Make a point to ask Ben about the schooling he got this winter. He spent 6 six days in Minnesota at the Acres USA Conference  listening and introducing himself to the most innovative, mindful farmers in the world. Most of which have been Ben’s mentors for several years, so he was quite honored to be in their presence. By following the lessons of these leaders, Ben is sure Mountain Run Farm can become an example of the healing effects of what natural farming can offer to our native ecosystem. Join Ben on this summer’s Pasture Walks to hear the details – there is a lot of them and he’d love to talk about it with ya.

“All beings, whether human or other-than-human, have an inherent right to a natural existence in the world, and each has a way to contribute to the welfare of the greater whole.  Inevitably, a time will come when every life must give way to sustain balance on the earth.  On the farm, there is an understanding that nothing we eat to sustain ourselves comes without the sacrifice from another living being, be it animal, plant or microorganism.  Thus, we take all food, whether it is a hamburger, a pork chop, a carrot, a spoonful of yogurt or a slice of apple, in moderation and gratitude.  Nothing is eaten without an understanding of the sacred life and spirit that created the nourishment, and the ecosystem that was required to sustain it.” - Shannon Hayes

The mornings begin with us donning our warmest layers – we’re talking long underwear, knee-high socks (‘Darn Tough’ socks as Noah so loves), thermal shirts under fleece under winter jackets, accessorized with neck warmers, hats, and waterproof gloves. Sometimes, I’m sure we could pass for marshmallow men and women. But, at least we’re warm and ready to face that brisk air on our cheeks. Primrose, our family milk cow, is now getting milked in the mornings which can be quite challenging when EVERYTHING is frozen. After milking and washing out supplies at the spigots because all of the hoses are frozen solid, a walk around the yard is necessary to break the ice for the ole girl to get some water. And she follows us around too, right at our tail to get some fresh water as it comes down to her water bowl. She drinks as the droplets are freezing on her whiskers. So cute….

Then after milking, breaking ice, feeding the goats and horses (who are so appreciative they seem like they’re going to burst through the gate), breaking ice for the laying hens, gathering eggs, and giving the yardbirds a little feed, it’s time to stock the freezer! As if being outside wasn’t cold enough! But, you know what? We’re ALIVE. Breathing cold, fresh, mountain air that we are so blessed to breathe.

We can’t help but know we are doing this for a reason – that reason being our loyal and new customers who search out local, healthy meats for their families and stumble upon us. We thank you. We look forward to seeing you on the farm this Spring and Summer, and look for our Spring mailing coming at ya in a couple of months. We do have fully stocked freezers of our beef, pork, and poultry (although we are out of ground beef at the moment), ready to be taken home to your families to fill bellies and warm hearts.

On that note, and with the season coming to a close, we’d like to thank all of our customers – stretching from days ago to years ago for their continuing and loyal support for us, our products, and our vision. We greatly value the effort you make to provide yourselves and your families with food raised with your health in mind, as well as respect for the animal that provided it.

We usually close the season with a Holiday Open House in December, but this year we are “rescheduling” this event for the early part of spring to kick the new 2010 season off. If you are on our mailing list, you will be receiving more information about this in our Spring newsletter coming out in a few months, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Our saloon farm store will continue to be open throughout the winter with a full inventory of our grass-only beef, pastured pork, and whole pasture-raised chickens. Please don’t hesitate to come on out – we have all you need for those deliciously hearty soups to keep souls and hearts warm during the upcoming season. We look forward to seeing you on the farm. Have a wonderful Holiday season full of peace, love, and joy.

The turkeys are thriving on multiple species of grasses, herbs, and legumes growing from balanced soil. They’ve been supplemented with special order Virginia-grown, nonGMO (look it up if you don’t know what that is) feed. Their water has been spiked with organic, raw apple cider vinegar every third day to balance the pH and ensure a healthy gut. We move them to new grass every third day as well.

We’re honored to have raised these turkeys for around one hundred families. We take our job very seriously and appreciate your trust and support. The turkeys will be hand-dressed and prepared to cook and share with the families who have reserved one for their holiday celebration(s) this year. All of the turkeys have been spoken for this year, but please check with us in the spring if you’d like to reserve one for next season.

Our freezers will remain stocked with grass-only beef, pastured pork, and whole chickens. Look for our Mobile Meat Market schedule coming soon. We will bring the meats to town this winter for those “too busy” to come to the farm…. Fresh air can do you a lot of good at times, and we’d love to see you on the farm breathing it in!