Howdy, Friends and Fans! Long time, huh!? We've been cracking along at the farm, busy in the greenhouses, and making all your favorite greens to grab at the markets and restaurants. It seems like the summer flew by, and fall is..."falling". Thankfully, we have been able to see you all buzzing around at the markets (y'all, I'm such a fan of little Howie the Bee, aren't you Falls Churchers, too?), and we know you're thankful that arugula is back - Am-I-Right!?
So now, Lettuce Chat, shall we? We're gonna talk some turkey. That's right, TURKEY. It's about time for high amounts of tryptophan consumption, surrounded by family and friends, Loudoun Lettuce, sweet potatoes, black olives on fingers, and pies...lots of pies. Thanksgiving and the most fabulous holiday season is approaching pretty quickly. Have you sat down to write up your menu for your gatherings? Do you have plans for procuring a turkey (or other tasty main course)? If you have been looking, and just cannot decide what to get or where to go, keep reading.
Y'all know we love to shamelessly plug small business and farms any chance we get (which you are well aware), because... Why Not? Cheers to supporting our fellow small farm producers! Farm to table is fantastic, because the reach of it goes so much farther than you might expect. Now, I know there are some wonderful local meat producers here in our local (Loudoun County) area, and we absolutely adore those folks. Please do shop with those producers, they have some amazing products. That being said, in the past couple of years, I recall hearing stories of friends who could not find any available local farm raised turkey, and they didn't really care to go to the big box store for a similarly named "margarin sphere" bird. The LoCo area producers were sold out, and there were few options left. I personally like to have a variety of local farms to choose from, for this, that, and the other, so I have yet another place to look for what I need. And when you find a new gem of a producer, you just can't keep it a secret. So I've got a new friend to share with y'all.
Please give a warm ESH greenhouse welcome to North Mountain Pastures. (Excitedly waving hello!!!) North Mountain Pastures is a small family-owned farm just north of us in Perry County, Pennsylvania (I know PA isn't "local", per se). They have been farming since 2006, and aim to provide pasture-raised meats, farmed in an ecologically sound manner, to families like yours and mine. I really love their mission and philosophy, and the fact that they ship to our local DC Metro area. I'd love for you to click the link above to read all about Brooks and Anna and their family. I know that you will appreciate their mission and love for their craft, and hope you might consider ordering some amazing turkey or pork products. I have my eye on a turkey, some sausage, AND bacon, oh yeah! Did I already mention that they ship to the DC Metro area? The whole East Coast, really.
I've also been perusing their blog posts, and discovered some good, mouth watering reading. Also, I want to reiterate that their turkeys are pastured turkeys. That means they have access to wide-open land, with plenty of fresh air, nature, and all the things turkeys like to nosh on. It really makes for a quality bird, and is totally worth the money.
I asked the fine folks at NMP for a word directly from the turkey's mouth, and they shared this: "Gobble gobble gobble". Ha Ha, spokes-turkey, HA HA! The spokes-turkey also sent some real-life turkey action shots for your viewing pleasure, so you can see what they mean by pastured and nature, etc. Then the human who types things up for NMP stepped in and shared the following statement, which sums it up nicely:
"Hey folks, Thanksgiving will be here before we know it - that means it’s time to place an order for your Thanksgiving pasture turkey. We over at North Mountain Pastures raise some of the highest-quality gobblers around. It’s where folks who want superior, top-notch poultry will be getting their turkey this year because they truly are pasture-raised birds with access to the best grubs in Perry County. North Mountain Pastures supplements their grazing with a non-GMO ration of corn, soy, oats and organic minerals. Turkeys are available for in-person delivery at five central PA locations, as well as Takoma Park, MD, during the week of Thanksgiving, or can be shipped directly to your door! Place your order and learn more here! Use discount code ENDLESS22 at checkout for 10% off your turkey! Tip for ordering: ***To select your in-person delivery site at checkout, please make sure your shipping address is filled in***"
So again, please click one of the the links, and consider giving our new small farm friend's business a try. I know you won't regret it. But remember, the clock is ticking on ordering for the holidays, no matter which producer's products you choose to purchase. They have deadlines, just like we have deadlines, tick tock tick tock. I know that the folks over at North Mountain Pastures would really appreciate your consideration, just like we appreciate your business. Please keep in mind that orders for NMP's pastured turkeys and pork products are ordered and shipped directly from NMP (not from ESH, we are not a middle man here, hence the links). Thanks for letting us feed your family this holiday season! Until next time Friends and Fans- GOBBLE GOBBLE!!