Farm Dreams

I have a confession to make: I have been planning this moment for a long time. More than two years ago, Lovett and I went to visit Essex Farm to see their piglets. Lewis came along and was interested for a little while, but Lovett was enthralled: by the little babies running around, by the attentive moms, by the incredible size difference between baby and mama, and of course, by the utter cuteness of a piglet.As dinnertime came and went and I continued to check my watch, I tried to pull Lovett away, which proved to be about as difficult as pulling myself away. As hunger finally took over and we managed to extricate ourselves out of the barn, Lovett turned to me and said, "Papa, can we have piglets on our farm?"I can admit now that in that moment, I had a vision of piglets on our farm, Lovett helping me care for them, and a general feeling of me, Lovett, and our family growing together with a group of pigs. When I say "vision" I mean that literally, I am a visual person, and my memory and mind works in images. I saw Lovett and me kneeling in our barn with piglets all around us.I can see now, in hindsight, how that vision has shaped many choices over the years, all the questions I have asked different pig farmers and pig breeders, and the decision we made over a year ago to begin investing in and building our own breeding stock.This week, I felt as though I was able to live a piece of that vision.On Tuesday, after Lovett got home from school, she wanted to go down and see the pigs with me. So we went down and sat in the barn, and sat there long enough to really let the animals get used to us and come investigate. Many of the piglets were curious, nibbling our fingers and our pants, and a couple of the mamas came up to say hello as well. Once again, Lovett did not want to leave.The magic of being part of this gigantic blended family, over 50 piglets and 7 mamas, was real for both of us.Once again, hunger pushed us home. On our way back, Lovett told me, in her eight-year-old words that are so difficult to recreate: "I love this, Papa. I love being with the animals. I feel so at home here." Thank you Lovett for sharing these moments with me.​

Read more

Gift Forward Abundance

Support a neighbor, gift forward Reber Rock products. Get food credit, eat well.

Read more

What Does Cold Look Like on the Farm?

The outside thermometer read -10F this morning as the sun was rising. The wind was gusty last night and I was eager to check on the animals this morning. I stoked the wood stove in our living room and poured myself some nettle/mint tea and admired the sun's glow on the mountain tops to the west.

Read more

2025 a Year in Review

Thank you to all the many people who responded to my email last week with their own thoughts on what to bring into the new year. I am inspired by the the intentions, opportunities and kindness.

Read more

Your New Butcher's Cut

I love to teach and to learn. Since I was little, both have been a way of life for me. When we started our farm now more than 12 years ago, we sold a few beef and pigs by the "whole" or "half" and I learned to be the butcher.

Read more

How is broth made on our farm?

But what is Broth? How do we make it? What makes one broth different from another? There are so many ways to make broth, and the process has evolved over many years. Our broth is a rich, golden broth, which is ready to drink as a sipping broth, flavor your favorite dish or be the base for your next soup.

Read more

Rebuilding Lives after Hurricane Melissa

It was a big week for us, hurricane Melissa wreaked havoc in Jamaica where 4 of our staff are from (we've setup a GoFundMe donation page to support them and their families), we found solace in work and made chicken broth all week (back in stock) and we finished up a big batch of chicken sausage.

Read more

The Last Chicken

We celebrated "the last chicken" of the season this week. Like the seasons, our farm changes through out the year. In the spring and summer we are bursting with life, the brooder is full of tiny chicks and piglets arrive. By the fall we are like the leaves on the maple trees, preparing for winter.

Read more

Collaboration & Thanksgiving

We are so proud and grateful to be offering thanksgiving turkeys this year from our friends at Wrong Direction Farm, who raise excellent Pasture Raised Organic Turkeys. We have a wide variety of sizes for you to choose from so you know just how big a turkey you’re getting. I would also like to take this opportunity to share our journey as a farm from raising our own turkeys to our collaboration with Dave and Wrong Direction Farm.

Read more

Meat and Mortality Composting Workshop

Learn about animal mortality and butcher waste composting that doesn't require any turning!!

Read more

How to Pre-Order Holiday Turkeys

Good morning, Autumn announces her arrival in subtle ways, which register only in hindsight. It is not the noticing that is slow, it is the remembering that change is coming. The first cue is an empty brooder, where we raise the baby chicks, who arrive every week, shaping the rhythm of our week. Slowly in September the brooder begins to empty as new chicks no longer arrive. From one day to the next that area of the farm goes from bustling to quiet. Winter is coming, the cool morning stillness seems to whisper.

Read more

What is Subscribe + Save and how can I help?

You may have noticed a new option at checkout? Here's what we've been thinking: When we asked ourselves, “How can we create a true win/win for our customers and our farm?” the answer was clear: build long-term relationships with the families who trust us to put food on their tables. That’s where our new Subscribe & Save program comes in.

Read more