Dear Friends,

 

Who else feels exhausted and overwhelmed during the holidays? Sounds like we need some rest! .

 

The leaves change color, crops slow down or stop. Chickens take a winter break so they can regrow feathers and stock up nutrients in their bodies. Trees go dormant. Seeds undergo a “cold stratification,” when they must endure wintertime before they can germinate. Mammals gestate, growing calves and goats over the winter, so they can deliver healthy springtime babies.

 

The days get shorter as Mother Nature says, “Heat up a pot of soup, relax, and enjoy the company of those you love.”

 

If Mother Nature insists on rest for those under her care, who are we to argue? Enjoy winter comfort foods that also support our seasonal needs: The onions and garlic in your chicken soup help support your immune system against seasonal infections. Pumpkin provides sugars for energy, antioxidants to prevent cancer, and plenty of vitamin A to help you see in dim light and fight off illness. Collards offer vitamin C during a time when fruit is scarce. And pasture-raised meat animals boost levels of vitamin D, a nutrient that strengthens bones and may combat seasonal affective disorder. We naturally create vitamin D when enjoying sunshine — which can be scant during December.

 

During the bustling holidays, isn't it a nice reminder that we're not just “allowed to” rest. We're supposed to! The shortest day of the year will soon pass, and springtime welcomes us with new vigor.

 

May your holidays be bright, warm, and full of love and rest.

 

Warm regards,

 

Marissa Ames

General Manager, The Farm at Okefenokee

 

 

 

We've hosted other events on The Farm at Okefenokee, but none compared to the excitement created when we partnered with podcaster Robert Breedlove. This three-day event invited couples to step away from busy life and enjoy five-star food, a unique setting, and classes they couldn't find anywhere else. Guest instructors traveled from across the country to lead hog hunts, demonstrate flint knapping, and teach foraging and herbalism. The attendees shot atlatls (predecessors of the bow and arrow) and longbows, learned hog skinning, and canoed on the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge in an invitation-only tour that took them far onto the swamp prairies.

 

And the food! Many compliments to the chefs from our culinary partner Congaree and Penn, a farm and restaurant in Jacksonville. They traveled to our little corner of Georgia to cook exquisite cuisine on our newly constructed outdoor kitchen. The chefs baked pizzas and vegetables in our pizza oven. They roasted meats on the Asado grill with its Santa Maria attachment. Classes included mozzarella cheese and sourdough pizza crust. All the cuisine incorporated food from The Farm: pork, turkey, 

 

On Sunday evening, as the attendees dined beside lot owners, compliments rang out, “This is incredible. Wait…there's more?” By the end of the night, everyone declared that the food was a highlight 

 

 

 

In September, three team members traveled to Pennsylvania for Rodale Institute's Regenerative Health Conference. We hoped to gain knowledge on increasing crop nutrient content, improving yield through organic methods, and facilitating healthy change within communities. We came back armed with the leads, information, and skills to move our own community forward with its focus on health. But we found more than we sought.

 

While at the conference, we learned about RIFT: Rodale Institute Farmer Training. A pamphlet proclaimed, “Hire a Rodale-trained farmer or gardener!” That led us to Sydney Foreman, who graduated in November and immediately relocated to Folkston.

 

Sydney Foreman was born and raised in Indiana. It is here where she fell in love with regenerative agriculture and graduated Indiana University with a degree in Geography with a focus on food and agriculture systems. After an apprenticeship at Living Roots Farm and Organic Farm School, she knew that farming was the most fulfilling work she could ever find. Sydney then attended the Rodale Institute Farmer Training Program (RIFT) to further her education in regenerative agriculture and learn the skills of running a small business. Following her graduation from the RIFT program, Sydney joined the team here at The Farm as our new Garden and Greenhouse Manager. 

Is meat considered a crop? No, but it does undergo a “harvest,” the point where livestock becomes food for human consumption.

 

Meishan pigs, likely one of the oldest domestic pig breeds in the world, thrives on pasture. They farrow (have babies) without assistance and without the farrowing crates used by modern pig farmers. Piglets grow in blended families of multiple ages, and you may find them nursing beside older pigs. We feed our pigs a little “mash” in the mornings, a blended pig feed that meets their nutritional needs, and the rest of the time they graze on the organic plants growing in their pastures. At weaning, the pigs leave their mothers and continue to grow with the others in a different field, where they can dig, wallow, eat, and rest together.

 

This November, 10 Meishan hogs were processed, smoked, and vacuum-sealed in meal-sized portions. The Farm team waited in excitement to hear how the meat looked and tasted. And we were all delighted to see the dark red meat and excellent marbling. Check out this social media video to see how Meishan meat compares to commodity pork. Our cabin owners enjoyed the first few bites at the November dinner with Robert Breedlove's fans. And now, we can offer this delicious heritage pork to our cabin owners.

 

Did you know: Meat from pasture-raised animals contains more vitamin D than meat from animals raised in barns. While many bloggers and regenerative farmers argue about how much more vitamin D the pork has, the scientific findings are that it is elevated. This is because, just as humans do, livestock create vitamin D when exposed to the sun. They store this vitamin in their fat. A well-marbled cut of meat, from a pasture-raised animal, allows us to use this vitamin D to build stronger bones, fight off seasonal effective disorder, and to help our bodies absorb other nutrients.

 

Meishan Pork for Cabin Owners: We don't currently have our pork on the market, but it is available for the co-owners of The Farm at Okefenokee. Those who have purchased cabin lots may purchase a whole or a half pig at $450 for half. The meat comes cut and sealed in portions small enough for a couple of servings. Each half-pig includes smoked hams and bacons, sliced Boston butt, sliced loin, fresh and smoked sausage. Some of the butt and loin have also been smoked. If you don't want all of the cuts, we will donate what's left to Trinity Rescue Mission on your behalf. Email us to purchase the pork, and we will arrange delivery.

 

 

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