A Short Off-season

One of the many things we found attractive about farm life was getting in tune with the seasons. As the markets wound down, the grass went dormant, and the days got short, we were ready to slow down a bit. We expected to have plenty of time during the winter months to sip eggnog, kick back, and recover from the busy year. It has not quite worked out that way.

The success we experienced in 2023 has driven us to create far more ambitious goals for 2024. We now spend much more time planning and preparing than expected. Instead of harassing the wife to play board games with me, we held farm meetings. You’re welcome for my sacrifice. Here are some of the big updates for 2024.

Lamb

We are selling lamb meat for the first time! We are currently taking orders for whole lamb. If we don’t sell out of whole lamb before the first market on March 24th, we will sell individual cuts. We are only processing 5 lambs this spring and one is for us and one is already claimed. So, if you want some high-quality, naturally raised lamb, get it while you can! Next year we will have much more available.

Duck

We will continue to offer whole duck this year and, due to popular demand, we will be offering cuts of duck meat including breasts, legs, and dehydrated wings (dog treats). The first batch of ducks should be ready by March 20th. The more ducks you buy, the more ducks I can raise. I like raising ducks.

Market Garden

We have sold small amounts of herbs, spices, and produce in the past but this year, we are going hard. Farmer Amy has spent most of this off-season researching, building, and planning for a serious market garden. Expect to see scallions, cilantro, dill, basil, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, carrots, kale, beats, lettuce, spinach, and more! Amy keeps promising big things from the garden this year so if the high tunnel looks anything short of the Garden of Eden, I’ll be disappointed.

Education

Last year, for the first time, Farmer Amy taught a young class about honeybees. We received positive feedback and she had fun doing it. We hope to expand on our educational offerings so be sure to check out our new Education tab for more information. If you have any questions about opportunities or our expertise, please reach out to us at contact@apolloacres.com.

More Markets

I hope you like seeing my face because we will be doing twice as many markets this year as last. Expect to see us at the Market at MidCity every other week starting March 24th. Be sure to check out our market schedule for exact dates. We can’t wait to see you there!