<![CDATA[Quarles Farm, Quality Begins at Birth

<![CDATA[Quarles Farm, Quality Begins at Birth - Quarles Farm Daily]]>Sat, 03 Jun 2023 18:08:38 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Kidding Season 2023 part 1]]>Tue, 23 May 2023 21:50:11 GMThttp://quarlesfarm.com/quarles-farm-daily/kidding-season-2023-part-1Kidding season is finished here at the farm with its highs and really low lows this year as well. The saying is if you have livestock, you have dead stock. This will be more than likely a two-part blog as we have a lot to unpack from this year. This year that saying has stung just a little bit harder than normal. We kidded out on a different homestead this year due to issues out of our control and to say we did the best with what we had and made things work once again proves the grit and determination of my immediate family and family friends makes us some of the best in the business.
                I will admit I didn’t have the funds or the time to get the correct infrastructure under my mother to make kidding and lambing season work correctly. I flat ran out of money, it happens in farming, you look at everything that needs to be done and without fail you will have an emergency. We had several, I put out the call to my siblings and they dropped what they could and helped. We circled the wagons from several states and the week that we were to start kidding my youngest sister and her husband came into the farm and built the Nanny Sheds. This saved our season; they got the first shed up just in time to welcome the first kid to the farm. Now these two live 6 hours away and farm their own farm. The only question they ever asked was where we put the lumber and is this where you want the shed. The very next weekend they could find someone to cover their farm they were back to help mom get the second shed constructed.
                Goats can be very fickle creatures, they like to be warm, with winter was any but warm, these sheds sheltered the kids from the wind, rain, snow and bitterly cold temperatures. Now why do I say that our family and friends are the best… well the only barn on this homestead was filled with I would safely say 50 plus years of junk from the former owners. My parents, siblings, and certain friends tackled the old barn cleaning and clearing out all sorts of things to make it safe to shelter animals. I came home from Texas the week of Christmas to finish cleaning out the sheds and repairing the driveways of the barn right before the snowstorm. We put sheep and goats in the barn just mere hours before the wind started blowing. While we were doing this, we were also creating outside shelters for the animals we couldn’t fit in the barn. If you think you prepared for a winter storm, I want you to take your hardest day and multiply it by 100. While all this was going on, we were also positioning hay, bringing in extra feed, moving cattle to shelter, creating wind blocks, moving trucks, and equipment so we could get out to take care of livestock as soon as possible.
                While one group was cleaning and preparing the barn another group of us were creating a temporary shelter for the other animals. This was something new for us as we have always had the barns to move all livestock under shelter. We had to rethink what we knew about weather history on this farm and what we knew about how storms have historically blown into the area as we have never wintered animals in this area/side of the farm. We ended up creating the shelter out of gates and livestock panels that we put a tarp over and tied off multiple places with ropes and strings. We then created an additional wind break with multiple round bales. The reasoning for steps like this is if you can get any animal out of the wind the chances of them making it thru extreme cold, wind and snow goes up significantly. Depending on the condition of the animals they will generate the body heat they need if you keep them out of the wind. Getting them under cover you are doing even better, then you feed the heck out of them to ensure they can keep their core temp up.
                As I circle back around to the point, this Kidding season could have been an epic disaster, it damn near was, there were several heartbreaking moments that made us question why we attempted this kidding and lambing season. But there were great moments too; watching kids bounce across the sheds and barn makes you think yep, this is why we do what we do. I can’t express my gratitude to those that stood by our sides through the last year and gave us the courage to keep moving forward. Those that helped pick us up in some of our darker hours, those that held things for us when we couldn’t get there due to something else blowing up in our face. Those that moved their schedules to help us and those that picked up the phone and called to offer help and advice, Thank you. Customers that continued to come to markets and support us and offer support, listened, laughed and cried with us at times, I am forever grateful and know you are the ones that give a damn and you are the ones I want to know.

]]><![CDATA[One of my favorites]]>Thu, 02 Mar 2023 00:08:20 GMThttp://quarlesfarm.com/quarles-farm-daily/one-of-my-favorites Things that I ask for every time I make it home to the farm are 1. Chuck Roast, 2.Pork Chops with milk Gravy and biscuits and one of my most favorite thing in the world our Quarles Farm Beef Stroganoff. Now you can make it out of many things, Ground beef, round or chuck, Top Sirloin if you take the time to cut it up. But the go to for the week is using our pre cut Stew meat. It's simple wholesome and so good!! Swing into our Market locations at Douglass Loop or Lexington Downtown market. You can also order online for easy pick up or shipping!

]]><![CDATA[Everyone likes Ribs!]]>Thu, 23 Feb 2023 01:14:21 GMThttp://quarlesfarm.com/quarles-farm-daily/everyone-likes-ribs

Short ribs! You either love them or hate them, and we love them! Don’t always have the time to cook them correctly and give them the time to give them the proper love and care. Short Ribs come from the needless to say Ribs!

So you will see us sell them in packages 4 per package, yes we don’t carry many of them b/c they need to be treated with love and care and we know y’all are on the go people. When we don’t cut the Ribs for your next culinary delight that are used as trim for our ground beef.
This week we are presenting you our Quarles Farm Korean Beef Short Ribs.

]]><![CDATA[Game? What Game I am here for the Food!]]>Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:23:04 GMThttp://quarlesfarm.com/quarles-farm-daily/game-what-game-i-am-here-for-the-foodIngredients
1 lb Quarles Farm ground beef
1½ tablespoon taco seasoning (or 1 packet)
4 oz diced jalapenos, drained
10 oz diced tomatoes, drained
4 oz cream cheese (½ block)
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 packages frozen phyllo dough cups
Optional: salsa for dipping

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Start by browning the Quarles Farm ground beef in a deep skillet. Once completely browned, remove from the heat and drain the excess fat.
2. Add the taco seasoning, jalapenos, tomatoes, cream cheese, and ½ cup shredded cheese to the beef. Stir to combine. Make sure the cream cheese is well incorporated into the mixture.
3. Add the phyllo cups to a lined baking sheet. Gently spoon the beef mixture into each of the phyllo wells. Once all the wells are full, sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar over the cups.
4. Place the cups in the oven and let warm until the cheese is melted and the phyllo has started to brown (approx. 5 minutes).
5. Remove from the oven, serve with salsa, and enjoy!

You might want to double the batch because oh they are good!!!!! Check out the how to below

]]><![CDATA[Lamb history and Recipe]]>Tue, 07 Feb 2023 08:00:00 GMThttp://quarlesfarm.com/quarles-farm-daily/lamb-history-and-recipeYou may have heard about it by now but here in Kentucky it is “Lamb Month” which means it’s Agriculture chance to promote all things, Lamb! For us here at Quarles Farm that means we are going to let you have the chance to learn a little bit about the type of sheep we raise, types of meat cuts we carry, herd practices and other tidbits that relate to all things Lamb. So Without further Ado here we go!
I have mentioned before that the family raised sheep on the home farm back in the 50’s before selling out and concentrating mainly on our cattle herd and row crops. Those were strictly wool sheep meaning they were raised for their wool (didn’t bring much) and meat (mutton, and cuts), market demands change, things happen and the flock was dispersed long ago. Returning from college in 2009, I started helping out more in the marketing of our farm products and we decided to expand our operation in to retail cuts of beef; after a couple of years we decided to expand the business with the addition of Sheep in 2012. When coming back into the business we decide to take a different route and came back in with Hair Sheep breeds. Basically these sheep were bred for one reason only, meat. They shed their coats each spring which makes them heat tolerant and genetically focused on meat production. We started with Katahins which were great mothers and were a gentle breed to ease back into the business. After our first couple of years marketing we grew to know our product and started to look into breeding that would improve our final product for our Customers. We wanted a hearty Chop and a thick rack combined with a easy finishing animal that also kept the mothering ability as we have several predator issues in and around the farm. Basically, I needed a sheep that was great on the table and still able to momma bear enough to take on dogs and coyotes that cross over and thru the farm. After several conversations with some of the best sheep producers in the state I landed on the Black headed Dorper.
Our Black headed Dorpers are the all-around package. Short stout and packed with muscle, our females have some of the best instincts when it comes to predator control, having seen them take on our stock dog from time to time, they will also take a weaned calf just for the giggles. We started noticing a difference on our lamb racks and chops as they increased in size, they were full of meat and lord do they taste divine. The great thing about meat breed (hair sheep) is they don’t develop a rank taste after year 1. We utilize lambs that are a little older for our lamb brats and ground products. We have brats in our Original and Sweet Italian, we also carry a hot chorizo lamb brat as well.
This week we are sharing with you our Roast leg of lamb. You don’t have to wait till the holiday to try this exquisite dish. We carry Legs of Lamb in both Bone in and Boneless cuts. There isn’t a major difference between the two but depending on your cooking experience you can use the boneless version to allow you in play with injecting different flavors. For those that want the Leg of Lamb but know you will never finish the whole leg we also offer our leg of Lamb Steaks which are bone in leg steaks that are cut an inch and a half thick.

I present Quarles Farm Roasted Leg of Lamb

INGREDIENTS:
1 QUARLES FARM LEG OF LAMB
6 CLOVES GARLIC, GRATED
1 TABLESPOON FRESH ROSEMARY. CHOPPED
1 TABLESPOON FRESH THYME CHOPPED
1 TABLESPOON DIJON MUSTARD
2 TEASPOONS OLIVE OIL SALT PEPPER

DIRECTIONS
1. PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350F. START BY ADDING THE GRATED GARLIC, ROSEMARY, THYME, DIJON, OLIVE OIL AND A PINCH OF SALT AND PEPPER TO A BOWL. MIX UNTIL COMBINED. 2. PAT THE LEC OF LAMB WITH PAPER TOWELS TO REMOVE EXCESS WATER. ADD IT TO A TIN FOIL LINED BAKING SHEET FAT SIDE UP. USING A SHARP KNIFE SCORE THE FAT WITH SHALLOW CUTS. 3. RUB THE HERB & MUSTARD MIXTURE INTO THE FAT AND SHALLOW CUTS. MAKE SURE THE WHOLE LEG IS COATED. INSERT A MEAT THERMOMETER AND PLACE IN THE OVEN TO ROAST. FOR MEDIUM DONENESS, LET THE LAMB ROAST UNTIL THE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE IS 135F-MOF (DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE CUT, THIS CAN TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 1 HOUR TO 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTES). 4. ONCE THE LAMB IS TO TEMPERATURE. REMOVE FROM THE OVEN AND LET REST FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES. SLICE SERVE AND ENJOY!

]]><![CDATA[Quarles Farm Cowboy Shepard's Pie]]>Sun, 05 Feb 2023 08:00:00 GMThttp://quarlesfarm.com/quarles-farm-daily/quarles-farm-cowboy-shepards-pieWorking all week and not wanting to make meals is something everyone struggles with us included! About a year ago I started thinking we have the meat you need but am burnt out on what I want to make and how long it takes to make a simple meal. So many times I have customers come in to markets and tell me I just don’t know what to make with a particular cut. Never fear I have that answer! As you know we are active on social media and I know for many of you it’s your go to for finding recipes, I have a genius individual that takes a cut of meat and finds a quick unique way to fix this cut, with their mad Video skill they show you step by step how to prep cook and enjoy many of our wonderful cuts of meat. The best part is I have finally figured out how to create a youtube account so you can go back and watch them in detail and helps you pick just the right ingredients.
So everyone has Ground product tucked away in the freezer, its quick, its easy and then you loose your imagination. Trust me been there done that, several times I come back from the farm or the feed mill with the intention of creating a dish that is fun and wholesome. Raise your hand if you end up making hamburgers because you are like yup I have lost my inspiration. Don’t worry our Quarles Farm Cowboy Shepard’s pie is a twist and can be adapted to all our Ground products, Beef, Lamb and Goat! We used Ground Chuck this time as honestly it was at the top of the freezer when we were choosing cuts to feature. Now you’re thinking about having to go out and buy something for this recipe, trust me 90% of you won’t we use things from around the kitchen and what most of you might already have in the freezer or pantry.

Recipe is as Follows!

Ingredients
1 lb Quarles Farm ground chuck or any Quarles Farm Ground Product!
½ yellow onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 can corn (15.25 oz), drained
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (10.5 oz)
1 cup cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, shredded
⅓ cup whole milk
¼ cup sour cream
½ tsp onion powder
¼ cup pre-cooked bacon (optional)
32 oz frozen tater tots
Salt
Pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Start by browning the Quarles Farm ground chuck. Once mostly browned, add in the diced onions and peppers. Let the remaining chuck brown fully and the onions and peppers soften slightly, approximately 3-5 minutes. Carefully, drain the mixture so that no fat remains.
Add the corn, cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 cup cheddar, milk, sour cream, onion powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pot. Mix to combine.
Add the beef to a baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the dish with the bacon. Add the tater tots in rows to completely cover the mixture.
Place the baking dish in the oven and let cook for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to crisp.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream and enjoy!

]]><![CDATA[Summer Sausages and Beef Sticks]]>Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:41:51 GMThttp://quarlesfarm.com/quarles-farm-daily/summer-sausages-and-beef-sticksBeen a long time since one of us has had a second to sit down and type something up. Won’t lie it has been a struggle here thinking what to write. But I am committed to sitting down once a week and putting thoughts to the computer screen! Also please forgive the errors I never claimed to be a writer, or an editor. My 11th grade English teacher will roll her eyes and pull out that dreaded red pen more than likely but hey I am an adult now… I think..
So as you may have seen we have expanded our market offerings again and are always looking for new products to feature from our family farm. A couple of years ago my dad and I were full time cutting hay on different parts of the farm and always brought our lunches to the field in coolers and packed plenty of water. Our only problem is neither one of us would ever get off the tractors and sit down and eat. While I was making turn after turn in the hayfield, I thought this was stupid, I have the beef why don’t a start stocking our own shelf stable product that we can stash in the tractors for moments just like this. We can have something that boosts our energy level and we don’t just sit here getting hungry.
                In true farmer fashion I started researching and making phone calls while on the discbine and on fuel breaks. I am sure that our butcher and processor thought I was insane but honestly it’s not the oddest place I have called them. I am sure they are use to getting my phone calls and emails at weird hours. Long story short we met a processor that was USDA inspected and better yet were another local family here in Kentucky that looking around trying to make a living while keeping all their money spend in the local community (our case Kentucky).
                We started out small, I mean small batch of our summer sausage and beef sticks. Now here is where I tell you a secret. I had no clue how they were supposed to taste….. We don’t go shopping for field snacks in the gas store. I never buy slim jims or anything like that because “you have food in the truck” is our common saying. I was counting on our customers to tell us what they like and don’t like about the product. Side note our customers are the best they will always give us open and honest feedback. We bounce ideas off them all the time, they know fine food and what they want. So we started selling Quarles Farm Summer Sausages, hot and original and then salamis. We started with just 2 snack sticks as well. This winter we went back and made the second batch of product and expanded the selection and aren’t looking back this part of the marketing arm is going to continue to grow as our customers are doing the same thing we do, slip a couple of sticks in our backpacks, purse, consoles and diaper bags. There is never a need to get Hangery, we have you covered.
                Looking for a Graze plate for your next party… we have you covered there as well. Our summer sausages will be your signature protein on the plate. I have sweet Jams, I have spicy jams and I have some jams that very well could melt your mouth if ate straight. They will provide the balance to our veggies in the summer or your other local market finds. You can be Kentucky Proud really quick at your backyard party. In fact depending on the time if year you can make it a Kentucky proud day and source every bit of your party from a local farm or farmers market. Your money stays local, you get really great product and the best part is you know your farmer.
                Not local to Kentucky, or traveling for work or had to move away from your beloved Kentucky roots? Want that simple taste of home? Don’t worry I have you covered there as well. Quarles Farm ships all over the United States with our shelf stable products and our frozen meats. Beef, Lamb and Goat are always available from the farm, and we will box it up on ice and ship it right into your home so you have that sweet little reminder of everything great from Kentucky.

]]><![CDATA[Making Winter Feed]]>Wed, 08 Feb 2017 23:05:20 GMThttp://quarlesfarm.com/quarles-farm-daily/making-winter-feedAs most people sit in front of the fires in the winter staying warm livestock are foraging and battling the cold winds and tucking in barns out of the wind. As you well know grass doesn't grow in the winter but animals still have to eat! Farmers spend most of the summer preparing for the winter months. We are putting up hay, preparing feeding areas, and all around prepping for the colder winter months. Below is some of what happens when we start prepping for the winter. Enjoy!

]]><![CDATA[Sometimes better late than never.]]>Sun, 31 Jan 2016 00:25:25 GMThttp://quarlesfarm.com/quarles-farm-daily/sometimes-better-late-than-never This blog was actually ready in December but I never got around to posting. Therefore, better late than never.

It’s been a while since we’ve posted anything to our blog. I seem to be able to post a quick note to Facebook easier than sitting down to actually write something that makes sense.   Winter is fast approaching and we’re getting ready to welcome new lambs and kids sometime around Christmas. Calves will be arriving a little after that. Before the lambs and kids start arriving I plan to get a few things done in preparation.

Quite often kidding and lambing is done in the middle of winter. In the past, here in Kentucky, lambing was scheduled to happen after all the tobacco was stripped. There was more time on the farm to devote to the lambs but the main reason was that the tobacco barns were used to house the new mommas and their babies. Though we no longer raise tobacco, we still use the tobacco barns for the sheep and goats. When new lambs or kids are born, we like to pen them in a small pen, usually a four foot by four foot area, so that the lambs or kids are close to Mom. It gives mom and babies a chance to bond and get a good imprint of each other pending being let out with the rest of the herd. It lets the yearling ewes and does that have never had babies before get a chance to figure out what they need to be doing to be good mommas and keeps the babies close by so they don’t wander off.

We’ve fresh wood chips in the lambing pens, or jugs. Not sure why they call them jugs but they do. I’ve still got to get the feed pans attached to the walls of the pens. Heat lamps need to be inspected and repaired. Cords need to be inspected and places where goats and sheep chewed repaired. Light bulbs may need replacing and it’s just better to do all this up front instead of at one o’clock in the morning when we may need a heat lamp. We use them for newborns on really cold nights. Last year during the subzero weather I made the mistake of putting two lamps side by side for the kids. Then next morning I got to the barn and the kids were all in a pile under the lamps but unfortunately the one on the bottom was dead. Smothered by the rest jockeying to get the warmth. I hate it when my learning experience brought on by something dying. I know better this year.

The ewes and does are starting to bag up. That’s a farmers term for the udder starting to fill with milk. We’re starting to watch the field during the day and check the barn before we go to bed to make sure everyone’s ok. Their job is to have babies. Our job is to help them keep those babies alive. And we take that job very seriously.

]]><![CDATA[Quarles Farm Fall Beef Specials!]]>Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:16:00 GMThttp://quarlesfarm.com/quarles-farm-daily/quarles-farm-fall-beef-specialsFall brings on great autumn colors, group gatherings and fall festivals! Quarles Farm has bundles of our locally grown beef packages, which is USDA certified, for Churches, Youth Groups and larger families for all types of fall gatherings. With the weather getting cooler what better way to celebrate any event with Quarles Beef as the safe and local meat of choice.

                We offer the perfect solution to your chili or spaghetti supper where you are feeding a large number of people with our 20 pound ground beef package for 80 dollars. You can choose if you would like the packages in 2 pound packages or 1 pound packages or a combination of both. Orders should be place with Quarles Farm by September 25 for this special pricing.

                Looking for something a little more home style to grace your table? No fear, we have our stew meat that we can supply for your functions at the low price of $5.50 per pound. You can’t go wrong with our stew meat if you are making BBQ for a different twist on the pot luck or making Veggie Soup or surprising everyone at the table with a great tasting homemade stew!    Quarles Farm can package the stew meat in 1 or 3 pound packages depending on how many you are planning on feeding. Orders should be placed to take advantage of this pricing by September 25.

                For more formal settings try our chuck roasts cut to Crockpot size in order for your congregation to split up the cooking chores and have a uniform presentation of one meat all ready at once. You can’t beat coming together for fellowship with great people and great food. Roast will be cut in to two pound packages and run $6.50 per pound. Orders should be place by September 25 to receive this special pricing.

                You can place orders with Quarles farm at anytime at quarlesfarm@live.com we will confirm your order and set up a delivery date at this time. Depending on the quantity order we might ask for a small deposit on the order. We will also take orders by phone until 9pm every night at 1-502-803-7292 if no answer please leave a message and we will get back with you as soon as possible.

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