Farm News
Our world is presently small, and the pathways of our daily routines are well-worn. Yet, we still manage to find joy close to home: the delicious pasture-raised turkey from our farmer friend Stan, brined in apple cider from an orchard in nearby Arthur; the cornbread stuffing, made with cornmeal from another farmer friend; the roasted winter veggies from our organic veggie farmer friends just up the road. This thanksgiving, we put in a full-day’s work of milking and cheese making, squeezing in holiday cooking and even some meal exchanges with farmer friends. The goats are mostly bred, the daylight fleeting, the wood chopped for the wood stove. Now comes the tug between the need to keep producing and selling and the desire to slow down and nest.
Our cheeses and gift boxes make the perfect gifts for the holidays
Holiday season is in full swing, and we’re offering 10% off all online farm store orders this weekend in celebration of “Small Business Saturday.” We have several NEW curated collections of cheese, charcuterie and accompaniments for holiday gift giving. We’re especially excited about two new boxes: “Victory Cheese for the Holidays” and “The Farm’s Kitchen Sink.” We’re also stocking up on PFFC merch: t-shirts, goat masks, tea towels, aprons and goat milk soap.
Not only can you order for shipping or farm pick up, but we can also accommodate larger business orders. If you would like to discuss a gift box for your favorite customers or clients, please email us at prairiefruits@gmail.com We offer several price options too!
The Land Connection’s WINTER FARMERS’ MARKET-We will be there tomorrow!
Every Saturday morning, from now through December 19th, we are selling our products (safely with masks and social distancing enforced) from 8-11 am. We are located just inside the south entrance to Lincoln Square Mall (next to Stango Restaurant). This is a farmers and food only market (no crafts). PLEASE come out and support your farmers! We all have so much great food to share with you.
Here’s the cheese line up for this weekend:
NEW ITEM: Mixed milk (cow-goat) plain yogurt (Quart size only) $7
Add on: Girl & the Goat-ceries blueberry refrigerator jam ($4/ 4-oz. jar)
Fresh Chevre $8/each
--plain
--herbs de Provence
--cracked peppercorn
Special Holiday Flavor: spiced dried cranberries (cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg and clove) $9
We are transitioning from goat milk only to mix-milk bloomies.
NEW: Snowy Woodland: our mixed milk “crottin” style bloomy (similar to angel food); it’s a tall cylinder with a delicate mushroomy rind; young this week, but super buttery and fudgy in texture. $9/each
Midnight Eclipse: mixed milk bloomy with ash rind (similar to black goat with buttery notes from the cow milk) $10/round
Cow-Goat Eclipse: mixed milk version of Fleur du la Prairie (lovely yeasty flavor with hints of herbs) $10/round
Goat Milk Feta—aged in whey brine, tangy with a creamy-crumbly texture-PERFECT for fall salads or crumble over roasted beets or a hot bowl of stew! LAST BATCH OF THE SEASON, SO GRAB A TUB WHILE THEY LAST $7/each
Pelota Roja—raw milk “Manchego style” hard cheese with a guajillo chile-olive oil rub on the rind $7/wedge-consider shaving this cheese over grilled zucchini or eggplant! Shave it on a wilted salad of fall greens in place of parmesan cheese; grate it over roasted beets or cauliflower. Try using in a local corn-meal polenta! GOOD FOOD AWARDS CHEESE FINALIST!
We’ll be bringing some special house-made treats to the market too:
--pecan brittle made with pecans from Voss Orchard
-spiced and cinnamon sugar pecans from Voss Orchard
HOLIDAY SPECIALS: Nut butter-chevre-dark chocolate bars AND Pumpkin Chevre Cheesecake Bars
ORDERING FROM OUR ON-LINE STORE
If you’re not able to buy our cheeses in person at the farmers’ market or during our farm open hours, you can always order online for on-farm pick up or shipping. If you order for pick up by 10 AM Saturday, you can pick up from 1-4 pm either Saturday or Sunday.
We ship on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week, 1-2-day ground ($20 shipping/handling) for most of the Midwest and 2nd-Day Air for other areas of the country ($35/shipping & handling). The last shipping day for orders to arrive by Christmas is December 15th.
There are also lots of retail establishments throughout central IL and the Chicagoland area that carry our cheeses. If you don’t find our cheeses in your favorite store, ask them to contact us, so we can get our cheeses to you!
Gelato pints are available for farm pick up ONLY- flavors this weekend include: NEW Seasonal Flavors: Pumpkin Spice AND Local Grape-Champagne Sorbetto, PLUS Vanilla, Chocolate, Salted Caramel Swirl, Pure Pistachio, Anise Hyssop, and Nectarine Sorbetto. Mexican Coffee and Masala Chai added to the list for in-store pick up.
Farm Open Hours and Offerings
The farm will continue to be open through December 20th BOTH Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4 pm each day.
During our weekend open hours from 1-4 pm, you can peruse our farm store, enjoy a cup of gelato, or order a cheese board with wine/beer/other beverages to enjoy outside if the weather permits. We can also put together a cheese board to go if the weather is not suitable for outdoor enjoyment.
We’re also offering custom-made holiday cheese boards that you can pick out yourself in the farm shop, and we’ll put it together for you.
You can visit with the goats and or take a walk around the farm. All visitors must wear masks and practice social distancing while visiting the farm.
We feature ALL OF OUR CHEESES as well as some from fellow farmstead creameries, an assortment of accompaniments (jams, pickles, fruit leathers, honey, nuts, crackers, baguette bread), as well as lots of great PFFC “merch” for sale during open hours. Ask about our Holiday Gift Box options too! We’d be happy to put one together for you during open hours.