Akyla Farms

Newsletter March 2009

The World is a Changin'

Due to a loss of responsibility there has been numerous recalls hitting the news in the past several years. For many people this has shaken their confidence in the food system. We see the same loss of responsibility hitting the economy and on a personal note people's health. Responsibility needs to start somewhere and the place should be in our homes and communities. As the local food movement grows more and more people are taking on the responsibility for their health and communities by using their money to show their support in their backyards. By spending your money locally it turns over many times therefore helping others and improving everyones confidence that the community will survive. Another benefit of being a locavore is the ability of conversing with those who produce and create the goods for you. With this direct connection brings about a level of responsibility to do what is right. With the current economy we are trying hard to not raise prices but yet still be able to afford to raise the quality of product that we want to feed ourselves let alone you the customer. To this end egg and pork prices have gone up.

From the Pastures

Meat Chickens

We are one of the few farms that are WSDA inspected for Pastured Meat Chickens. We do this for the consumer and the legalities. It is an assurance for you that the chickens are processed in a clean environment. It also makes it legal for us to sell you a chicken as long as it is within 48 hours of processing. With the success of the Freedom Rangers last year we have chosen to not raise the Buff Orpingtons. The chickens will be raised on organic grain, raw goat milk and provided fresh pasture daily once they have fledged. Processing dates are scheduled for June 20th , 21st , and 27th . Additional processing dates in early August and mid September will be added if the demand is there. Please contact us or check the website to see if we have added the additional dates. We are also offering the organs, heads and feet for those that would like to make delicious stock for the same price per pound. Please place a check on the order form if you are interested in the Stock Starters.

Pricing: $4.50/pound.

Eggs

With the snow and cold of December/January just a memory we are still waiting for the ducks to start laying but the chickens are consistently providing a couple dozen eggs per week and should triple that as we get more into the spring. The laying flock is fed a mixture of organic grain, raw goat milk, locally grown oats, kelp, oyster shell and the occasional treats from the house. The ladies are allowed to free range during the day to find grass, weeds and bugs. We have increased this price as the ladies did not cover their feed costs. We are also working on finding other sources of grains for them as we would still like to get away from a soy based diet. Even at the current price the goose eggs are a better deal as 1 goose egg is equivalent to 3 chicken eggs, and they are Kevin's favorite for Pancakes. Please contact us for availability.

Pricing: Chicken $5/dozen, Duck $5/dozen, Goose $6/6 eggs.

Pork

The pigs from last year were all spoken for by mid-May when we actually picked up the pigs – so get your order in early. We were all set to leave the pork price the same as last year, but then the breeder upped their price by $25 per pig and with the increase in feed prices we have been forced to. We will again use Silvana Meats as the butcher and cover all of their costs. The pigs will be on organic grain and raw goat milk along with the pasture and vegetation they consume and root in.

Pricing: $5.33/lb

Cattle

The girls keep giving us girls and we want to keep growing the herd. Beef is like fine wine we are trying for good results but it does take some time. If you or a neighbor have a few acres of unused pastureland in Skagit County we could use it for our expanding cow herd. It will also help with the property tax classification, it could make your taxes cheaper.

Goats

For those of you who have been watching the website and have noticed that springtime brings a whole bunch of cute goat kid pictures, our new additions to the browsing herd will start arriving in April. Like any proud parents pictures will follow, so stay tuned to www.akylafarms.com

If you have too many blackberries or other weeds and want a solution better than chemicals or equipment and will put you back in touch with your neighbors please contact us for a free on site consultation.

Rolan

Due to predator pressure, in the fall we added a livestock guardian dog. He has a long ways to go but is already showing tendencies of protection and has bonded well with the herd. He will be featured on the website shortly.

Other News from the Barnyard

National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and other governmental invasives

We are waiting to see if we had an impact on the state level with SB5956 and HB2086 to keep NAIS voluntary in the State of Washington. Carol was down in Olympia for the hearings on these bills where she heard a lot of rhetoric and contradicting from the opposing side. Please don't let the government officials fool you, look at both sides with an open mind and see who benefits from NAIS and what will happen to your food supply and freedoms if NAIS is to become mandatory.

For more information on NAIS see www.nonais.org and www.nonaiswa.org. We will continue to fight NAIS on the local, state and federal level and could use any and all support. If you wish to continue to receive locally grown meats, eggs and dairy products please contact your legislators at all of these levels and let them know that you appose NAIS.

An organization that is devoted to protecting your rights to consuming locally grown, sustainable farm products is the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund. You as a consumer can join this group so if your access to products from your local farmer is cutoff due to government intervention you can directly get the affordable legal council that may be necessary to restore your rights. For more information see Farm to Consumer Legal Defence Fund www.ftcldf.org.

Weston A. Price Foundation

We continue to support this organization through Carol's time as chapter leader. Monthly meetings are held at the Skagit Regional Airport Hearing Room on the second Thursday of the month. Discussions in the past have included GMO's, fermented foods, cutting up a chicken, feeding your dog and cat a raw diet. If you would like to know more about the foundation please visit their website www.westonaprice.org or contact Carol.

Horses

The horses have been pasture pets for the last year with our busy schedules. Since we have started using round bales for the cattle we have begun devising ways of using real horsepower to maneuver the bales into place.


Milk Herd

We are now up to two milking does with the plan for the excess milk to supplement the chickens, both layer and meat flocks, and the pigs. There will probably not be enough milk to go around but it is one way that we can get more good protein into the diets of these animals and decrease our reliance on soy. Since we are not a Grade A Dairy all of the milk produced by these two does is for farm use. If you have any questions please ask.

Thank you for your support,
Carol and Kevin Osterman Akyla Farms
14199 Reservation Rd LaConner, WA 98257
(360) 466-2058
barnyard@akylafarms.com