By now, you've probably had your turkey and are enjoying a moment of relaxation and hopefully got a nap in at some point today.
Thanksgiving on the farm is a lot like any other day - the animals still need fed and taken care of - this time of year we're starting to put dry hay in front of the cattle because the pastures have gone dormant for the winter. That means, everything stops growing and there's not enough forage growing on the ground to hold the cattle through the winter. We've also heard the "S" word mentioned in the forecast. That's right, old man winter is on his way.
Once all the work is done, we get to come in and fill our bellies with all the goodness of Thanksgiving - although that happened a bit differently this year for some of us.
For me and my family, like many others across the country, I'm cooking a turkey for the first time ... ever. Pinterest helped a lot, but I still had to call mom this morning about whether the bird goes in breast side-up or side-down. I know, I should've paid more attention growing up, but if I had my choice, I went outside to the barn instead of staying in the kitchen with my mom. That's come back to bite me a few times over the years. Anyways, my neighbor (who raised our turkey) said it's just like cooking a big chicken. That gave me some confidence and helped me get the job done. I think I surprised my husband, the kids, and myself :) It was delicious and I recommend the Pioneer Woman's recipe for turkey brine.
This day is always about taking the time to count your blessings and appreciate what (and who) you have to be thankful for. I feel like this entire year has been one of Thanksgiving - as we navigated through uncharted territory and many unknowns, it brought us to prayer and closer to our Faith, because at times, that's all you really felt like you had to lean on.
The co-op has much to be thankful for in 2020. As we've talked before, this year has been the year of the local farmer, as many new folks found their way to us as a their source for locally-raised beef. It's been a real joy meeting so many new people and building new relationships. We THANK YOU for choosing us, and we look forward to many more years of seeing you and your families grow with ours. THANK YOU for your orders and your patience as we worked through processing woes and push-backs. It's been a crazy ride and we couldn't or wouldn't have been able to do it without you. Also, we've been blessed with new farm families selling their best beef through our cooperative to you, and we appreciate their efforts to give you the best farm-to-table experience that can be had.
As we look forward to celebrating the holiday season and welcoming 2021, keep an eye out on our blog and social media sites as we've got some projects on the to-do list. It's an exciting time for us as we grow together and make plans for years to come, and we know that it's a dream turned reality because of the folks like you that support us.
Stay in touch as we work to revamp our online store, 2021 inventory, and make plans for some exciting events for our customers next summer!
God bless and Happy Thanksgiving!