Dog Days

It's the dog days of summer around these parts, both literally and figuratively. The heat is making the grass grow and the tomatoes ripen and the butter is melting on the kitchen counter. August brings a lot of work, but at the same time it's the beginning of the respite that eventually comes with autumn.

But what I mean when I say "dog days", more than just long hard hours, is actually that there are like two dozen puppies around the farm right now.

Alright, not quite two dozen. But enough that it's a significant amount of chubby fluffiness to handle, and everywhere I go lately it seems there's a little wagging tail underfoot. I am constantly overwhelmed. Mini Australian Doodles and Great Pyranese pups, many of them still unclaimed and soon ready to move on to their new homes. Maybe that's you! Send us a message on our Facebook or Instagram page, or comment here for more details.

Meat chicken season is...over?? That's right. Our last birds went to the processor last week and the freezer is full of the summer's yield. A kindly neighbor and friend showed up all three evenings last week to aid in catching and loading the 2,000+ birds, and commented that it was "kind of like dodgeball, but with chickens." He is not wrong.

And speaking of autumn (thought it's not here just yet), meet the resident fowl who are taking over in the chickens' absence -- Thanksgiving turkeys! The Pyranese take their duty of guarding VERY seriously.

Heidi is still foraging for roadside flowers, and brings her voluminous bouquets to show me. This is what we do in our off-time, along with harvesting and drying large quantities of herbs from our gardens, which you can also buy fresh in the Farm Store. Did you know that Heidi, along with being a knowledgeable tour guide, chicken queen, and businesswoman extraordinaire, is also a master gardener? Still, we like the roadside flowers.

And me? I am enjoying the mornings like this one you see, where the sky surprises me with how much it has to give at 6:17 in the morning. It inspires me to keep putting in the effort. And so I pour some more raw milk in my coffee and march on.

I have been so grateful to meet many customers of ours in the Farm Store, at the Clintonville Farmer's Market, and in the community over these last few weeks. It's been a treat and a joy to meet some of those who make up the Sweet Grass farm family. Your part in this endeavor is really the most important. As always, THANK YOU for choosing local, authentic and nutritious food.

Till next time,

Emma