Gift CSA Shares and Gift Meat Samplers

Consider a 12 month or 6 month CSA share as a unique Christmas gift. We have pasted our CSA pricing further below. CSAs can be drop-offs are Prairie du Chien, LaCrosse, Platteville, Fitchburg, Madison, Lake Mills and Johnson Creek. For 12 or 6 month gift CSA orders we will send an attractive certificate announcing the gift CSA. If the order is place prior to our CSA delivery date, we can also include the first month CSA share packaged in a wrapped gift box that you can present during gift exchanges.

Another option is to purchase a special holiday sampler. This will be attractively packaged in a wrapped package. I should be kept frozen until gifts are exchanged. We are offering this in three sizes; the Super Holiday Sampler is 20 to 25 lbs of mixed meats, the Premium Holiday Sampler is 10 to 12 lbs of mixed meats, the Special Holiday Sampler is 5 to 6 lbs of mixed meats. The costs are $100 for the Super Holiday Sampler, $60 for the Premium Holiday Sampler and $35 for the Special Holiday Sampler. The Holiday Samplers need to be ordered prior to our CSA delivery date to be delivered or they can be picked up at the farm at a later date.


CSA Pricing (Click on the image to open a clearer version)

2009 Christmas Trees!!!

Holiday greetings from Coulee View Family Farm. Thanksgiving has past and it's time to get ready for Christmas. We again have good number of u-cut (we can help if you want) White Spruce Christmas trees available! These are un-trimmed, naturally grown, local trees. Come on up and cut your own tree so you know it's fresh. We will be open weekends (Saturday from 9 to 5 and Sunday from 11 to 5) until Christmas and weekdays by appointment. We'll have a couple of handsaws available but if you have one you like, feel free to bring it. We can't loan out our chainsaws for liability reasons so bring your own if you want to use a chainsaw. If you call ahead, Dean can also be available to cut your tree for you. We've attached a couple of pictures of our trees. The cost is $20 for any Christmas tree in our planting and $10 for trees in rows that we want thinned.

Figuring the Cost of a Whole, Half or Quarter Hog

Here is how to figure the cost of a whole, half or quarter hog:

There are the hog cost and the processing costs.

Processing Costs. Here are some of processing costs from our hogs from 2009:

Click on the image to open a clear version.


To summarize the data, there is a $24 kill fee plus $0.34 per pound is charged to cut and package the meat. Additionally, there is a cost of $0.75 per pound to smoke bacon and a cost of $0.55 per pound to smoke ham.

So assuming a 220 lb* hanging weight** hog. the processing cost*** would be about a $135 for a whole hog, $67.50 for a half hog, and $33.75 for a quarter hog.

* This is a target weight, because the weights of these hogs vary at slaughter time, actual hanging weights (and costs) will vary.
** Hanging Weight is the animal less the insides prior to cutting.
*** Processing costs are based on last season's cost. I'll check to see if these costs have increased.

Hog Cost. The hog cost would be figured as follows (hog prices updated 3/21/11):

Whole: $2.45/lb * 220 lb = $539 plus $135 processing brings the total to $674
You can figure about 155 to 165 lbs of meat from a whole hog.
If we had this cut up the same we we have in the past, you would get approximately 15
lbs of bacon, 19 lbs of smoked ham roast, 19 lbs of smoked ham steak (I like to have this cut thick so it is like another smoked ham - makes great hot ham and cheese), 2 - 1/4 lb tenderloin, 41 lbs of pork chops, 3 lbs of liver, 24 lbs of shoulder steak, 9 - 1/2 lbs of shoulder roast, 6 lbs of spare ribs, 8 - 3/4 lbs of hocks (we get ours fresh, but this can be smoked), 12 lbs of seasoned pork sausage,

Half: $2.45/lb * 110 lb = $269.50 plus $67.50 processing brings the total to $337
Qrtr: $2.55/lb * 55 lb = $140.25 plus $33.75 processing brings the total to $174


Also, note that our butcher double wraps; plastic first, then paper. This means that the final product keeps very well in the freezer - well over a year.

These Little Piggies are Going to Market

The pigs got out today. And yesterday. And the day before. I can't figure it out.

1. The fencer is on.
2. The fencer is working
3. The fence is not grounded out.
4. There are not openings.

When the pigs start out-smarting us, then it is time for them to go. Actually we scheduled their end prior to this spate of pork escapes. Maybe they know what's coming.

Next week Monday and Wednesday, we will be taking this batch of pastured pigs to our processors. If you are interested in pasture pork form Coulee View Family Farm, please contact us quickly so that we can talk about processing options.

Our pricing is pasted below by the cut or by the whole, half or quarter pig.

Click on the Image to Open a Larger Readable Version

Happy as a Pig in Mud

Ever hear the term "Happy as a Pig in Mud"? These pictures should help explain the saying.


Here are some rather happy pigs.


Why are pigs so happy in mud? Because pigs lack the ability to sweat, they need to get wet some other way to cool down. A puddle works. A mud hole works. And, as you can see, a hose works quite well.


Spray me. No, spray me! More please.

New Products for 2009

Hello from Coulee View Family Farm!

We have begun to use a new source to process our inspected chicken. The new processor has the ability to turn the chicken into some different offerings for us. So, in addition to whole chicken, we now have quartered chicken (great for the grill), boneless chicken breast, wing packages and leg/thigh packages. We are also growing two different types of meat chicken (Red Broiler and Rosambro) and the previously mentioned cuts are available from each type of chicken.

Also new are ground chicken, chicken breakfast links, ground bratwurst (for making brat patties), BBQ croquettes and regular croquettes. A croquette is a small fried roll that tastes like a breading roll. These are pre-cooked by our processor and frozen. To prepare, just thaw and place in a 350F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

I've pasted our price list at the end of this email

Our chicken is available form the farm by appointment. When we can make it, we will also be at the Thursday night farmer's market in Gays Mills and the Saturday morning Prairie du Chien farmer's market at Blackhawk Junction. We will be set up at the PdC market this Saturday morning. Since we just had a batch of Red Broilers processed, we do have a selection of fresh Red Broiler chicken that has been kept refrigerated but never frozen. We will also have the other chicken products that are listed as "in stock" in our price list below.

If there is local interest, we could also start a weeknight drop-off somewhere in Prairie du Chien. Contact us if this is of interest to you.

Here is a good description of the Red Broiler and Rosambro chicken:
Red Broilers (slow growth). Our Red Broilers are grown to an age between ten and thirteen weeks old. This longer growing period results in a deeper, superior tasting chicken that our grandparents would actually recognize as chicken. Because they grow slower, the Red Broilers do not suffer from the Cornish Cross's myriad of health problems. They also forage better which makes them better suited to being raised in a day range system. Day ranging means that they will be surrounded by a large electric fence netting to keep out the predators that like our chickens as much as we do, but they will be free to roam the open area inside the netting. The netting is easily movable and will be moved occasionally to make sure that the chickens have access to new greens and bugs. The slower growing nature of these chickens will mean more labor and feed are required which will result in a slightly higher price, but we think that the vastly superior flavor is worth it.

Rosambro Broilers (medium-growth). Our Rosambro broilers are grown to an age between eight and ten weeks old. The Rosambro is a new breed also offered by MT-DI Hatchery. This bird has many of the same benefits as the Red Broiler with somewhat faster growth than the Red Broiler (but slower that the Cornish Cross). Like the Red Broiler, we raise our Rosambro in a day range system. The flavor of the Rosambro falls between the Red Broiler and the Cornish Cross.

This begs the question: by our definitions, What would a "fast-growth" chicken be?
Cornish Cross Broilers (fast growth). Cornish Cross (also called Cornish Rock) is an extremely fast growing chicken that is processed between six and eight weeks. This is the large breasted chicken commonly found in our food system. The extreme growth rate of this bird causes some health problems such as weak legs, heart attacks, congestive heart failure (ascites), poor foraging ability and poor heat tolerance. The fast growth rate also makes the Cornish Cross ineligible for the Animal Welfare Approved program which we aspire to join, so we will discontinue raising the Cornish Cross.

2009 Poultry Pricing

Click on the Image Below to Open a Legible Copy

Dean & Kim Zimmerman
Coulee View Family Farm
Pastured Chicken, Eggs, Pigs and Heritage Turkey

www.couleeviewfarm.com
drzimmerman1@yahoo.com
Phone: 608-874-4144