March Newsletter

March
Newsletter
 

March is mud month in northern New York. The snow has all melted but, with the ground still frozen, there is no place for the melt water and rain to go. It is temporary, thank goodness. The first shoots of green grass are poking up here and there getting us excited about the coming grazing season.
Our pork/beef bundle give away is down to the final week. If you have friends or family that have not signed up, encourage them to do so. Yes, it may lower your odds but I'm sure they will share if they win! We will be announcing the winner this Friday evening!   
Stay tuned!

Lambing Season
Sheep have a five month pregnancy. We use this when planning our breeding season. Our rams join the flock in late October so our first lambs are born in late March. This is the ideal time to have lambs born on our farm, the weather has started to warm up and most of the cold nights are behind us. By the time there is fresh grass for the ewes to graze in April , the lambs are strong and able to keep up with the flock as they move through the pastures.
Most of our ewes will have twins. Some of the younger first time mothers will only have one. Last year our average birthing rate was 1.7 lambs per ewe which we are very happy with. When the lambs are born, we put the ewe and her new babies in a claiming pen called a jug. This separation gives them time to bond to each other and learn each other's sound and smell. After about three days we can let them out into a group with other mothers and their lambs. The lambs will spend the rest of the spring and summer nursing and grazing with the flock. In the fall we sort the flock to decide which sheep will stay and which will go to market.
 

Northrop Farms

Maple Syrup Season
March is maple syrup season in New York. As you travel around the state this time of year you will see all manner of tree tapping going on. Some smaller producers still use the very traditional metal buckets and lids. Larger producers with many thousands of taps use tubing systems to direct the sap to a central collection point. No matter how the sap is collected, it will still yield the delicious syrup that we love. The NYS Maple Association organizes maple weekends every year. On these two weekends local maple producers open their doors to the public with tours, samples and other activities. It's a great way to get out, learn about one of New Yorks great maple resources and stock up for the coming year with the freshest syrup you can get. We don't produce syrup on our farm but we love to support the local farms that do. We will be at Maplewood Sweets this coming weekend where they will be serving our bacon and sausage with their pancake breakfast. We would love to see you there. 

Maplewood Sweets

Limited Availability
While they last, you can add one of our Corn/Soy free Smoked Hams to any order. These delisious hams average 5-6 pounds and make a wonderful choice for Easter dinner with the family.  
*Note*
Ham order must be accompanied by a bundle order to make shipping feasible.
 

Add Smoked Ham