Winter is on the run!
Hello to all our brave friends who have survived the ups and downs, snowstorms and thaws of this year’s wild Ontario winter. In Bruce County where are farm is located, we get lots of “lake effect snow”, forming over Lake Huron and dumping on us 20 miles inland, driven by powerful West winds which make driving hazardous and produce a lot of drifting. This year’s onslaught has been interrupted by major thaws with rain that turns our lanes and yards to ice when the temperature drops again. Be careful! We are consoled by the knowledge that the days are getting longer, the sun is stronger day by day and spring is just around the corner – bringing with it new maple syrup, fresh pasture for the animals and babies of all kinds. Farming, with all its trials, progresses within the unstoppable cycle of seasons; the hardship of winter yielding eventually to the beauty and wonder of spring. The old farmers had sayings for everything, designed to reassure themselves that the cycle is reliable and to help youngsters persevere in hard times. The one that comes to mind, often spoken by my Dad during a prolonged snowstorm was “… if it don’t winter, it won’t summer!”
Joint Venture in Processing
Our farm business continues to change and grow as well. The latest big news is that Zettel Family Farms is partnering with the Batte family in operating a meat cutting and retail facility just North of Mildmay on Bruce county Road #3. This is allowing us to have direct control over the cutting and wrapping of beef and pork, providing better service for our customers. Wayne and Mary Lou Batte and family have been operating this tidy little business for quite a while. They were looking for partners and we were looking for a place to process and retail our own animals, so it was a nice fit. If you stop in, you will likely see Joe and Mark Zettel in the back. Joe, who has been my right hand man on the farm for the last 4 years, is also a very skilled, licensed meat cutter who honed his skills working in upscale operations like The Healthy Butcher (Toronto) and FieldGate Organics. He is the anchor of the custom processing business, and is teaching Mark, who will work there until the garden gears up.
Orders for 2017
We are very pleased that many of you order sides of pork and quarters of beef. If you have a freezer, this is the most economical way to purchase. Our mission is to offer you the best food that can be eaten by anyone, anywhere, at prices the average family can afford. For us that means using heritage breeding stock and raising the animals the way nature intended. Our farm is certified organic but we go beyond the organic standards with our focus on grazing for all the livestock. We cut according to your needs and deliver to your home. For those who want smaller quantities, our $100 boxes of beef or pork are quite popular. We can also customize boxes according to your preference. We are expanding chicken production this year, but as you already know, we only grow chickens in the summer when they can be out on pasture, so supply is always limited. If you can give us an estimate of your needs for the year, it helps with planning. We are pleased to be able to deliver throughout the year according to your needs. Call Ted (519) 881-8773 to order, or email ted.zettel@gmail.com
2017 Vegetable CSA
Time to sign up for the 2017 CSA!
It’s finally that time of year again – CSA signup time! We are expanding our vegetable CSA this season to 40 members and would love to have you join. Spaces are filling up so get yours while you can!
What is a CSA?
The Zettel Family Farms CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is the best way for consumers to buy our fresh, local, certified organic produce.
Members pay upfront for a share in the CSA to help us plan for the season and purchase the necessary seeds and items, and in return receive high quality, extremely fresh produce delivered to a convenient location.
The basket will vary in size and contents from week to week depending on what’s in season, but members can expect 9-12 items every week. This includes staples such as carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers, as well as some more unusual items like arugula, napa cabbage, or kohlrabi.
CSA Share Options
We offer two options to meet the needs of different households:
Weekly Share: $600 for 20 weekly baskets from Mid-June to late October (approximately a 25% savings compared to our regular farmer’s market prices)
Bi-Weekly Share: $350 for 10 baskets over the same 20 week period (approximately a 12% savings compared to our regular farmer’s market prices)
Bulk Orders
As an added bonus, this year we will be offering bulk amounts of various staple vegetables at a discounted rate exclusively to our CSA members. Since our CSA only operates during the summer, we wanted our members to have the opportunity to stock up on storage and canning vegetables to get them through the winter!
Pickup Locations
We will be offering four delivery options this season:
The Farm (Chepstow) – Friday mornings
Cargill – Wednesday evenings
Walkerton – Monday evenings
Hanover (Farmer’s Market) -Friday afternoons
How to Sign Up
If you’re ready to sign up, click the link below and fill out the form. We will contact you shortly after receiving your registration form
2017 CSA Registration Form
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact:
Emily Zettel
egzettel@gmail.com
519 694 8645
Or
Mark Zettel
markdanielzettel@gmail.com
519 901 2765
We look forward to hearing from you, and to another great season!