This weekend is a long weekend and Kim and I are actually going to have a weekend away! I'm so excited to be having a few days camping R&R at the beach.......and there is no internet service!!! So if anyone wants to order for next weekends markets, sorry, but it's too late! I won't be back in service until Monday, so you can still send an order through, it just won't be guaranteed to be filled until I get the meat on the weekend.
The markets are on NEXT weekend, which is the 30th April and the 1st May at Yeppoon and Rockhampton respectively. This is also a long weekend, so hopefully everyone is going away this weekend and will be around for the next to come and stock up on meat. We'll have Pork, Beef and Goat this time.
We will be making some changes to the prices and the ordering process after this market. We have been forewarned by our butcher that he will be increasing the price of meat processing considerably. As yet I don't know how much it will be, or if we will even be remaining with this butcher. However, even if we change butchers, it will be costing us considerably more to process the meat. The last price increase I did was due to a change in processing cost, so I actually haven't had a price increase for some time to cover our cost of production increases. It costs a lot more to raise free range pigs as it is more labour intensive per pig than the conventional sheds and we don't have the economies of scale to enable us to run big numbers and spread the overhead costs out. We also don't have an endless supply of cheap backpacker labour any more.
To be blunt, we need to be charging more for our pork or else we won't be in business. We are just about to undertake an expansion in pig numbers, which will involve putting in more fencing and we will need to be able to employ someone to help us. If we can run more pigs we should be able to improve our bottom line, which will hopefully help us to keep producing our tasty pork.
If you are also travelling this weekend or next, please stay safe and enjoy your time away.
Dawson Valley Free Range
Friday, April 22, 2016
Monday, April 11, 2016
Ordering Time Again!
First of all, I must remind people that we are going to be missing a market this month. We won't be in Yeppoon or Rockhampton until the 30th April and the 1st May respectively. Gladstone delivery will be on the 30th April - 2-3pm at Puma Service Station, Calliope.
We will have Beef, Goat and Pork available for sale this time. The pork is still a little short in supply, so if you would like to order, it may make it easier for me to work out how many pigs to take over. Please do this as soon as possible.
The demand for our product has increased over the last 6 - 12 months and we are still trying to breed enough pigs. We sell pigs regularly to butcher shops in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast and because this is every week, it's a constant job to make sure we have the pigs we need for them. As well as butchers, we supply packaged meat to Organic and Quality Foods and occasionally to Spar in Emerald. And of course the Blue Truffle in Rockhampton is supporting us by using our ham!
Unfortunately our market customers seem to be the ones that sometimes miss out while we keep the business customers supplied. For this I do apologise, and the only thing we can do is try and make our pigs reproduce quicker! That is not always so easy in a Free Range System, especially when it's hot. I think the pigs would rather be lying around in a wallow than getting lovey dovey!
We will have Beef, Goat and Pork available for sale this time. The pork is still a little short in supply, so if you would like to order, it may make it easier for me to work out how many pigs to take over. Please do this as soon as possible.
The demand for our product has increased over the last 6 - 12 months and we are still trying to breed enough pigs. We sell pigs regularly to butcher shops in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast and because this is every week, it's a constant job to make sure we have the pigs we need for them. As well as butchers, we supply packaged meat to Organic and Quality Foods and occasionally to Spar in Emerald. And of course the Blue Truffle in Rockhampton is supporting us by using our ham!
Unfortunately our market customers seem to be the ones that sometimes miss out while we keep the business customers supplied. For this I do apologise, and the only thing we can do is try and make our pigs reproduce quicker! That is not always so easy in a Free Range System, especially when it's hot. I think the pigs would rather be lying around in a wallow than getting lovey dovey!
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Locavore Living
Over on my other blog healthyfarminghealthyfood.blogspot.com.au I've been writing about being a locavore. Head over there and read more about my locavore living experiences there. We had a locavore party at our farm last weekend and all the main ingredients were local, including a pig on the spit.
We want people to support us, and even though I've always been interested in a local food industry, I've become even more passionate about supporting, not only local farmers, but local businesses as well. I love the fact that I go to the markets every two weeks (approximately)and can pick up all my vegetables there at the same time. I do buy some non-local produce, but that is mostly onions and potatoes and other "treat" type fruits and veg that I can't get locally.
I will be at the Yeppoon and Rockhampton markets this weekend coming - 2nd and 3rd of April, so come along and support us, as well as some of the other great local farmers and those other stalls that make local "things" - soaps, candles, food, relishes and jams etc etc.......
We will have pork, bacon and ham available - plenty of it this weekend! There will be a little bit of beef that will be discounted, and unfortunately no goats! With Easter being in the middle of the two markets, there wasn't an opportunity to get beef or goats processed for this market. We will have everything next market. Next market will also be the Gladstone delivery weekend, so Gladstone customers, please get your orders in as soon as possible to make my planning easier.
Cheers for now,
Lucy
We want people to support us, and even though I've always been interested in a local food industry, I've become even more passionate about supporting, not only local farmers, but local businesses as well. I love the fact that I go to the markets every two weeks (approximately)and can pick up all my vegetables there at the same time. I do buy some non-local produce, but that is mostly onions and potatoes and other "treat" type fruits and veg that I can't get locally.
I will be at the Yeppoon and Rockhampton markets this weekend coming - 2nd and 3rd of April, so come along and support us, as well as some of the other great local farmers and those other stalls that make local "things" - soaps, candles, food, relishes and jams etc etc.......
We will have pork, bacon and ham available - plenty of it this weekend! There will be a little bit of beef that will be discounted, and unfortunately no goats! With Easter being in the middle of the two markets, there wasn't an opportunity to get beef or goats processed for this market. We will have everything next market. Next market will also be the Gladstone delivery weekend, so Gladstone customers, please get your orders in as soon as possible to make my planning easier.
Cheers for now,
Lucy
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Reminder of Markets
Just a reminder that I'll be delivering to Gladstone next weekend - 19th March. Meeting place will be Puma Service Station, between 2 and 3pm. If this time doesn't suit, please contact me and see if we can arrange something else.
Yeppoon Community Markets will be Saturday the 19th March and Rockhampton Kern Arcade Carpark markets on Sunday the 20th.
PLEASE get pre-orders in by this Sunday night.
Just a note, if you have subscribed to receive emails from this webpage, please do not hit reply to make your order, please order by clicking this link: dawsonvalleyfr@bigpond.com And if you have subscribed and you also receive an email from me direct, please reply to that one and tell me to take you off my email list.
We are having a few supply issues again with pigs, as some of you will have noticed last week. This weekend we should have plenty of bacon again and hopefully more roasts, loin chops and belly roasts! We will also have some more delicious "organically" farmed beef and goat - all grass fed and grass finished! Please remember that we are not certified organic with our meat, but we farm the animals without the use of chemicals etc. The pigs are fed non-organic grain, however because we mix it ourselves, we ensure there is no GMO's and other nasties.
Dawson Valley Free Range is the only local farmer with locally produced meat, that attends these markets in CQ. We are very grateful for the support we receive at these markets and if you are ever dis-satisfied, please don't hesitate to let us know........
Yeppoon Community Markets will be Saturday the 19th March and Rockhampton Kern Arcade Carpark markets on Sunday the 20th.
PLEASE get pre-orders in by this Sunday night.
Just a note, if you have subscribed to receive emails from this webpage, please do not hit reply to make your order, please order by clicking this link: dawsonvalleyfr@bigpond.com And if you have subscribed and you also receive an email from me direct, please reply to that one and tell me to take you off my email list.
We are having a few supply issues again with pigs, as some of you will have noticed last week. This weekend we should have plenty of bacon again and hopefully more roasts, loin chops and belly roasts! We will also have some more delicious "organically" farmed beef and goat - all grass fed and grass finished! Please remember that we are not certified organic with our meat, but we farm the animals without the use of chemicals etc. The pigs are fed non-organic grain, however because we mix it ourselves, we ensure there is no GMO's and other nasties.
Dawson Valley Free Range is the only local farmer with locally produced meat, that attends these markets in CQ. We are very grateful for the support we receive at these markets and if you are ever dis-satisfied, please don't hesitate to let us know........
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Markets in March
The year is just flying past.....I have so much I need to do and so little time to do it! It's market time again this weekend, so if you are in Yeppoon or Rockhampton, come along on Saturday or Sunday respectively and get some of our meat.
We will have the usual Beef and Goat, but limited cuts of pork. Our pig numbers were down a little bit so for this market we will have plenty of bacon, but no loin chops, belly roasts, butterfly steaks or spare ribs. We will only have a little bit of ham, roasts, usa ribs (plenty), shanks (who's tried these?), mince and diced.
Next market, which is scheduled for the 19th and 20th of March, we will have plenty of pork available again (they've grown a little bit more!) Also, a reminder for GLADSTONE customers - please get your orders in as soon as possible, as your delivery is on that same weekend. I only have one order so far, and so I will need a lot more if I'm to go down there. I would love it by Sunday if possible, as that will make it easier for me to work out how many pigs I will need to take to the butcher next week.
Good News!!! Blue Truffle is now using our ham, so please go along and support them (and us). I think it's really exciting to see a local establishment using local meat - even more so because it's our local meat! They are also one of the best places to eat in Rockhampton, so even more reason to go along and support them!
Remember by supporting us, you are helping to support a local food economy as well as supporting ethically raised and sustainably farmed meat. I'll finish this post off with some pictures taken recently - the pigs are loving the green grass!
We will have the usual Beef and Goat, but limited cuts of pork. Our pig numbers were down a little bit so for this market we will have plenty of bacon, but no loin chops, belly roasts, butterfly steaks or spare ribs. We will only have a little bit of ham, roasts, usa ribs (plenty), shanks (who's tried these?), mince and diced.
Next market, which is scheduled for the 19th and 20th of March, we will have plenty of pork available again (they've grown a little bit more!) Also, a reminder for GLADSTONE customers - please get your orders in as soon as possible, as your delivery is on that same weekend. I only have one order so far, and so I will need a lot more if I'm to go down there. I would love it by Sunday if possible, as that will make it easier for me to work out how many pigs I will need to take to the butcher next week.
Good News!!! Blue Truffle is now using our ham, so please go along and support them (and us). I think it's really exciting to see a local establishment using local meat - even more so because it's our local meat! They are also one of the best places to eat in Rockhampton, so even more reason to go along and support them!
Remember by supporting us, you are helping to support a local food economy as well as supporting ethically raised and sustainably farmed meat. I'll finish this post off with some pictures taken recently - the pigs are loving the green grass!
Weaners out in the paddock
a fairly new mum sitting up to have a chat with me
the Dry sows at feed time.
Monday, February 15, 2016
February update
We have had some absolutely lovely rain! It did mean a mix up with the markets - Rocky one week and then Yeppoon the following week (last weekend). The travelling for two weekends in a row, makes me realise that I don't think I could do weekly markets - I just don't get enough work done at home!
We've got heaps of grass, which the pigs are really enjoying! It's amazing how much grass they eat - they are like cows when they get into a new paddock - head down and munching. Lovely to see.....
We ended up with 250mm of rain over about 10 days and when it comes like that, a lot of it soaks in. Our dams did fill too and the Dawson River is running, so there is no shortage of water, which is lucky because it's coming in hot again and we need to keep the wallows up to the pigs.
I will be in Rocky and Yeppoon again this weekend. If you would like to put an order in, there is time if you do it by 7pm. I will then finalise the list and send it to the butcher. I'm really sorry, but there won't be any belly's or spare ribs, they've all been ordered. We should have plenty of other meat, although no goat this week either.
I also must regretfully let Gladstone people know that I couldn't get down there this weekend. I'm really sorry, but we will work towards the third weekend in March, so if you are from Gladstone and would like to put an order in, please do so immediately.
Oh, and good news.......the Blue Truffle will be using our ham after this weekend!!! So please support them, they have been trying to get me to supply them with meat for ages and we've finally managed to get them some. It's difficult for small producers to supply restaurants, but both the Blue Truffle and Us have been trying to work together for a while....Restaurants that support local producers need to be supported too.
Just a reminder if you are going to order, there is no longer an order form, please email me with your requests. There's a link here.
We've got heaps of grass, which the pigs are really enjoying! It's amazing how much grass they eat - they are like cows when they get into a new paddock - head down and munching. Lovely to see.....
We ended up with 250mm of rain over about 10 days and when it comes like that, a lot of it soaks in. Our dams did fill too and the Dawson River is running, so there is no shortage of water, which is lucky because it's coming in hot again and we need to keep the wallows up to the pigs.
I will be in Rocky and Yeppoon again this weekend. If you would like to put an order in, there is time if you do it by 7pm. I will then finalise the list and send it to the butcher. I'm really sorry, but there won't be any belly's or spare ribs, they've all been ordered. We should have plenty of other meat, although no goat this week either.
I also must regretfully let Gladstone people know that I couldn't get down there this weekend. I'm really sorry, but we will work towards the third weekend in March, so if you are from Gladstone and would like to put an order in, please do so immediately.
Oh, and good news.......the Blue Truffle will be using our ham after this weekend!!! So please support them, they have been trying to get me to supply them with meat for ages and we've finally managed to get them some. It's difficult for small producers to supply restaurants, but both the Blue Truffle and Us have been trying to work together for a while....Restaurants that support local producers need to be supported too.
Just a reminder if you are going to order, there is no longer an order form, please email me with your requests. There's a link here.
Friday, February 5, 2016
It's raining, it's pouring, all the pigs are snoring!
We are currently getting some absolutely beautiful rain......well, it was beautiful. I don't like to sound like I'm not appreciative, but we've probably had enough now thanks! It has been lovely though and I must say that the temperature has finally dropped and it's even quite pleasant. So far we are up to about 250mm.
One of the drawbacks to all this rain however, is that I will not be going to the Yeppoon markets tomorrow (Saturday 6th February). At this stage I still hope to come into Rocky for the Kern Arcade Carpark Markets on Sunday. This will be good for Rocky customers, as it means that you will have first choice of all the meat for a change. We will have beef, goat, pork, bacon and ham, so Rocky customers will get the prime cuts that usually get taken by all the Yeppoon people.
If....the rain continues and the roads become or are likely to become unpassable, I will postpone the trip for a week. Which means I will come in next weekend - Saturday and Sunday 13/14th February.
Please "Like" our facebook page to be kept up to date - as I will post on there what I am up to tomorrow. Hopefully this link will take you there, if not just search for us. Dawson-Valley-Free-Range
One of the drawbacks to all this rain however, is that I will not be going to the Yeppoon markets tomorrow (Saturday 6th February). At this stage I still hope to come into Rocky for the Kern Arcade Carpark Markets on Sunday. This will be good for Rocky customers, as it means that you will have first choice of all the meat for a change. We will have beef, goat, pork, bacon and ham, so Rocky customers will get the prime cuts that usually get taken by all the Yeppoon people.
If....the rain continues and the roads become or are likely to become unpassable, I will postpone the trip for a week. Which means I will come in next weekend - Saturday and Sunday 13/14th February.
Please "Like" our facebook page to be kept up to date - as I will post on there what I am up to tomorrow. Hopefully this link will take you there, if not just search for us. Dawson-Valley-Free-Range
Two of the sows enjoying the rain and green grass.
The finisher pigs trying to get out of the rain.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)