Introducing… Our absolute favorite cucumber of all time! The Suyo Long is an epic cucumber in so many ways–first of all, it’s epically long! Long and thin, with a ridged skin, it makes for a crunchy and super sweet pickle or for fresh eating. If left to grow on the vine too long, length and size can amaze–without the bitterness or toughness of many other cucumber varieties. 🌱

The plant is super hardy, and generally doesn’t have issues with pests. In fact, check out this testament to hardiness–last year we had a Suyo plant that was planted far from the usual garden space. It was trampled by cows and we forgot all about it. Later in the season it yielded a half-dozen huge and sweet cucumbers! Woo hoo! 🥒

As you can see, we cannot sing the praises of this cucumber enough! Grab your Southern Exposure seeds this Saturday at the Corner Farmers Market! 🛒

Here’s another pepper variety for you to check out–the Carolina Wonder. We’ve grown these peppers before and they grow well in our area of NC, and have a natural pest resistance. They’re crisp and sweet–even when still green! Pick up your packet any Saturday at the Corner Farmers Market!

Are you ready for some snow? Fingers crossed that we get at least a couple inches! 🤞🏼 As farmers, snow isn’t always the most convenient, BUT as a grown up child, we say bring it on! The more, the merrier. ❄️ 

This picture is from 4 years ago, when I was pregnant with Uhtred. Can we get a repeat on this day please, Mother Nature? Well, not the pregnant part! 😆

We’re already dreaming of the spring and of homegrown fruit! We’ll have loads of edible plants for you this spring, but did you know that winter is actually a really amazing time to plant? Transplanting or planting during a plant’s dormancy doesn’t shock the roots like planting during the growing season does! If you’re ready for plants (bare root or potted), reach out and let us know!

In the fall of 2020 we started offering organic greens in addition to the pastured poultry we’ve  been bringing to the Corner Farmers Market since fall of 2014. Considering that meat production is a larger time commitment than most vegetable crops, it’s a little funny that we started with poultry and added in the veggies 6 years later. 😆 Here’s to 2021… Hopefully our first full year bringing you organic vegetables from the nutrient dense soil our birds have helped us build over many years!

Happy 2021 to all! It’s never too early to start planning your spring garden or to get your seeds for the new year and for healthy eating 2021! This week we’ll start the new year off right with plenty of Southern Exposure seeds—perfect for creating a garden that’s filled with organic, heirloom varieties! Come by the Corner Farmers Market tomorrow from 8-11am to grab the seeds that tickle your fancy!

This week we’ve got an exciting sale coming! It’s a Freezer Cleanout sale! If you have a dog, a cat, or a pet you love who deserves high-quality meat and poultry products, this is the Saturday to come on by the Corner Farmers Market from 8-11am and dig through the many huge sale coolers we’ll have in tow! Most sale products are from years past, freezer burned, or de-sealed from multiple freezer moves, but the pickings are going to be glorious for your furry friends!

Plus, since Halloween is Saturday, it might just be fun for you to dig through our coolers filled with bones and other spooky goodies! 😉

This week, we’re sending you some summer planting tips and answering a few questions you may have about the summer growing season!

We also wish you a happy holiday weekend and hope you enjoy it by celebrating in your favorite way… We imagine time spent eating with family and time in the garden? If you’re cooking up a special meal for the family, we’ve got your covered: chicken thighs, wings, and even whole birds are great for throwing on the grill! Or, if you aren’t grilling out, why not try something new to your tastebuds, like duck breast or chicken skin chips?

As always, you can swing by the Corner Farmers Market this Saturday from 9am-12pm to grab any of our poultry products (of which all are currently back in stock) or to pickup any plants that our nursery offers! We hope to see you tomorrow on the Fun Fourth!

Is It Too Late to Plant?

This is the big question of the season, and the one that we get asked the most!  The answer is no, it is not too late to plant! But, here’s the key: You have to be on top of watering. Any transplant shock that the plant experiences is only magnified by the heat and the drought stress. If you don’t think you can commit to babysitting your newly planted plants by watering them often and really keeping an eye on them, then you should wait until the cooler weather of fall to plant. 🌿

Make Sure to Water!

It’s pretty easy to forget to water during the busy summer and after we have long periods of rain, but young plants need adequate moisture to establish and thrive. Especially in the heat, this is extra important. If you’d like to cut down on watering a little bit, mulch can help conserve water by trapping in moisture and it also feeds the soil around your plant! With this heat, if you think your plant is in need of water, it probably is! You can also talk to us at the Corner Farmers Market on Saturday about more specific tips for determining if your green buddy is ready for a refill! 💦

Watch Out for Pests!

This is a big one during summer since bugs are out in full force—both good and bad ones! Early action can keep an infestation at bay, and avoid the use of toxic chemical pesticides. 🐛

Here’s a big tip: Think ecologically and increase your pollinator habitat! This means you should consider the entire ecosystem of your plant when battling pests… So, don’t kill predatory wasps that are a long-term, green control for invasive pests like Japanese beetles. Also, consider gentle treatments before you move onto the harsher ones, like soapy-vinegar water, diatomaceous earth, or neem oil. But, do you be careful with neem oil, as it will kill bees. 🐞

Is It Truly Turkey Time?

We’ve also been asked more often recently about if it’s time to sign up for one of our Thanksgiving Heritage turkeys, and the answer is yes! You can sign up with us in person or via our website—birds can currently be reserved at $10.50/lb. and require a $30 deposit to lock in your rate. If you reserve online, please let us know if you would like a tom (14-17 lbs) or a hen (7-9 lbs) when you reserve. Simply click on the blue button below to reserve now.

That’s right, all things duck are back! This week we processed this year’s first batch of ducks and we now have all parts back in stock… Even items that we haven’t had available for over a year—like duck wings! You can grab scrumptious duck legs again, as well as a limited amount of whole birds, perfect for any special occasion.

Also, have you ever tried our chicken skin “chips?” They’re pretty amazing, and make a great treat when used as a chip or even bacon substitute! Our favorite way to cook them is to bake them in the oven at 400 degrees until they’re crispy brown or nearly burned on top—being sure to place them on a bacon dish or raised tray so the fat can drip off as they cook. Check out the blurb below for a review from one of our customers about our chicken skin “chips!”

As always, please come on by the Corner Farmers Market tomorrow from 9am-12pm to stock up on your favorite duck parts and to grab some chicken skin “chips” to try with your family! If you’d like to ensure that any of our products are saved just for you, email us today by 5pm to reserve. Can’t wait to see you all tomorrow!

Duck, Duck, Goose!

Here’s a few fun facts for you about our duck processing days (and a special update about a goose):

—Did you know that ducks have literally a million times more feathers than chickens? And this is a real statistic, folks! 😆 Because they have their downy feather underlayer, they’re significantly more difficult to defeather and pluck, even with the help of a mechanical plucker. Even on the best duck days, we can only process 1/3 the # of birds as on a regular chicken day!

—Having a good duck processing day depends wholly on their feather development, which varies week to week (and sometimes day to day) and also depends on their sex. It’s a complicated equation, and one never truly knows what processing days could be good until you try it out. You kind of have to pray to the feather gods for a good day, and we got lucky this week! Pin feathers (developing underfeathers) were long enough to easily pluck by hand and mature feathers were removed successfully by the mechanical plucker. This isn’t always the case, folks, and we’re so grateful!

—We allowed one of our Embden geese to sit on a nest (for a whole month) and she successfully hatched out a single gosling this week! The other eggs were a bust, with some unsuccessful hatches due to her first time mom status, but we’re so proud of her! 2 years ago, all 3 of our Embden females tried to share a nest, and that was unsuccessful, so we’re glad one goose got the chance again.

Did Someone Say “Chicken Skin?”

This photo and message brought to you by Mary of PaleoLove Company, who loves our chicken skin “chips!” Check out what she has to say…

“I picked up chicken skins from KW Homestead to make our own cracklins 🤤❤️ just like potato chips but better.”

We’ll have plenty of chicken skin packs available for purchase this Saturday at the Corner Farmers Market so come on down and see us!

This Week’s Homestead Sneak Peak

Coona, our unofficial chicken and duck herder, working hard to get this pile of Pekins and Red Rangers to fresh pasture!

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