Can you guess what our biggest expense is?
It turns out it’s not the monthly mortgage payments or some big fancy piece of equipment…
Nope, the biggest expense we have year after year is grains – think little shards of barley, wheat, and triticale that are ground up and mixed together in just the right combination for the animals to enjoy each and every day.
The recipes for grain mixtures are like trade secrets amongst farmers – no one seems to share their exact formulas very readily.
But if you get to peek behind the curtain, how a farmer sources their grain, and then the combinations of grains they provide for their animals, will tell you so much!
Some farmers focus predominantly on yield and order a mix that’s intended to fatten the animal up in the quickest amount of time at the lowest price.
While farmers like us focus on quality and aim for the combination that’s going to yield the best-tasting product while meeting the animals’ nutritional needs.
It’s taken us years to figure out our recipes, and yes, to keep things interesting, the formulas differ from species to species, meaning the pigs, chickens, and turkeys each get different types of grain mixes!
And, as you may already know by now, we also pay close attention to where the grain is coming from, ensuring that every grain our animals ingest is certified organic (meaning no GMOs, pesticides, herbicides, or the like) and is sourced from high-quality farmers, most of whom live right here in NYS!
So, yes, it’s absolutely true! Grain is a seriously hefty expense for us, on the order of $65,000 every year! But at the end of the day, buying in all this amazing, clean, local NYS grain is a total win.
We’re investing in the animals’ health, which, in turn, serves as an investment in our community’s collective health. And in my book, there couldn’t be a more worthwhile investment than that.
Your Farmers,
Jenney & Greg
PS – We just brought some FRESH pork back from our butcher for the Farm Store this week. Supplies are very limited, so order ahead through our online store to reserve your pork, or drop in to see what’s available on Sunday 9am-12pm or Thursday 430-6pm.
PS – After this weekend, there are only a few more opportunities to stock up on your favorite cuts this fall. Check out our fresh pork schedule so you don’t miss them. Please note that quantities on each date will be VERY limited.