NEW WEBSITE

We Have Moved!

For updated information and to purchase our naturally raised meats please visit our new website.

We are now able to sell our beef, pork, chicken and turkey online.  You can pay online and then receive delivery on the published delivery dates.

We will keep this blog active for archived information, but we are working on transitioning all of our current content to our new site.

Thanks and have a great day!

Bryce & Jen

Fall/Winter Meat CSA Shares now available for Crystal Lake, IL families

For the first time, Riemer Family Farm is offering a meat CSA! CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, which is a fairly common structure used by vegetable farmers.  Our CSA is a subscription for 6 months of delectable, naturally raised, farm fresh meat directly from our farm to your table. 

Each month, you will receive a large or small share, depending on your preference.  It will contain a variety of familiar and easy-to-prepare cuts.  Beef, chicken and pork make up the majority of each share, but we will occasionally include lamb chorizo or gyro spiced lamb brats from our friends at Sandhill Family Farms.  To ensure the best possible meat share, we may include meat from partner farms with equally high standards of animal care.

You have the option of a large share which is 20-22#, or a small share, consisting of 10-11# of meat. Your meat share will be delivered to Crystal Lake United Methodist Church on the 3^rd Thursday of the month 4 - 6 pm from Sept.-Feb.

The price for a large share is $700 and a small share is $370. Payments are due by September 1^st or two equal payments due September 1^st & December 1^st. 

Benefits to CSA Members: No need to pay high prices for lower quality meat at the supermarket. Know that each month you will receive local, wholesome & tasty meats that are safe for your family. Get to know your farmers, ask questions, receive newsletters, recipes, serving suggestions and be the first to know about specialty products and farm activities.

Benefits to Us: We get to know you and hear your valuable suggestions! We share the bounty of our farm with those who care about locally and sustainably raised food. We receive up-front cash flow to help us continue producing excellent meat for you. We are able to have a consistent market and delivery schedule.

All of our animals are raised free of antibiotics, steroids, hormones, and animal byproducts! Our animals are on grass when possible, are always treated humanely, have constant access to the outdoors and are fed rations of our naturally raised grains.  Happy animals = tasty meat. We process our meat at local family-owned butcher shops.

The content and weight of your shares will vary depending on the total value of the included meats.  A large share would feed a family of 4-6 people and a small share is a good option for couples or families that do not eat as much meat. A small share would contain approx. half the contents of a large.

Sample Large Share: 20-22#

5# whole chicken

2-Rib-eye beef steaks

1-Sirloin beef steak

3# Beef Chuck Roast

3-1# packages of Ground Beef

1# Fajita or Stew Meat

3# Pork Shoulder Roast or Ham

1# Bacon

1# Pork Brats

2# Pork Chops

Please click here to go to our website.  You can check your order out from our new website via PayPal online or mail a check.

Beef available this month

We have four quarters of beef available right now! They went to the butcher today and are awaiting your custom cutting order.  You can get your beef cut into the size and thickness or steak you would like, size or roast, amount of ground beef, patties, wieners, fajita meat (see below) and many specialty items.

Contact us via phone, text or email if you are interested in snagging up one of these quarters or if you would like a smaller box or bundle order this month.  

Have an excellent 4th of July Holiday!

Baby Chicks Have Arrived

The Riemers now have 200 little meat chickens living in our garage!  

These chickens are not only cute, but by August they will also be available for your grill! Our chickens are raise in the brooder (garage) for 3-4 weeks under heat lamps until their feathers come in and then are moved to a fenced pasture for the remainder of their time.  They are rotated through several paddocks so that they always have access to fresh grass. We are using the day range model this year so that we don't have to "herd" 200 chickens every night!  They are out during the day in their large paddock surrounded by electric netting and have a bedded shelter available 24/7 for shade and sleeping. They will eat grass, but the bulk of their diet will come from natural non-medicated, non-GM chicken feed from our local feed supplier. 

See our "Pastured Chicken" page for details on pricing and availability.

Spring Photos from the farm

Here are a few fun photos of kids and animals from Riemer Family Farm

Kids + friends = some sort of harmless farm gang!

Two girls feeding Spring the "Baby Cow" and the other hanging out in a tree.  These pictures are a bit like a "Where's Waldo" page.

Our Berkshire piggies playing with one of their favorite toys. LOG!

Mama caring for her calf

First harvest!

Lock in 2013 Prices by April 1...NO JOKE

In order to stay financially sustainable into the future we need to raise our prices this year.  Please see our "Price List" page for details.  We also have information about our products on the "Beef Availability" page. Want to know how we raise our animals? Click on our "About our Beef" page above.

We work hard, love our farm and do our best to bring you sustainable, natural beef at a reasonable price. Please contact us by phone, email or our Facebook page.  We love hearing from our customers!

Enjoy the spring warm up!  We sure are! 

Bryce, Jen, Elli, Kalena and Caroline

Riemer Family Farm Takes to the Sky!

These wonderful shots of our farm were taken by a Chicago area customer back in early December.  They came and picked up their meat right in their little cessna. Who says cattle can't fly?

The Biggest Hill On Our Farm Is Our Septic Mound

We call it Mt. Poop.  It's really just a long bump in the side yard, but it's the highest grade of a hill on the whole property.  We use it to sled on sometimes, but when the conditions are right and daddy has time...who needs a hill?

Bryce pulling the two big girls behind the Yamaha Grizzley (Thanks to uncle John at Gieson Motorsports in Rock Falls, IL for a killer deal)!

Oliver even got in on the action.

You still back there?!

Finish it all off with some hot cocoa!

We love the 4-wheeler!  We even tried to get it stuck!  Who needs a snowmobile?

Enjoy the snow!

Caring for Livestock in the EXTREME Cold

When the temperature drops below zero you suit up, do chores and don't complain.  When the real feel temp is around -50 you take notice!

We have to take extra measures to care for the cattle and chickens when extreme cold spells hit, and it's all about More! One reason we love our Hereford cattle is that they are very cold hardy and seem to have enough sense to take shelter when it's extreme outside.

Pedro with "The Girls" eating lots of extra hay

Cattle: More warm dry fodder (stalks from corn or soybeans) bedding, more hay and more trips to the water trough.  Bryce and Loren recently placed an extra hay wagon in with the cows.  Cattle eat approximately 20% more when the temperatures drop below 20 degrees. I imagine they are eating a much higher volume of feed today. We also spend a lot of time taking stock pots full of hot water out to thaw frozen water troughs.

We have three paddocks near the barns and each paddock of animals has plenty of access to the barns where they can go in and hunker down in the fodder.  On days like this I pray that their instinct to stay close and share body heat is strong. We also pray that it warms up so that we have enough hay to make it all the way to spring.

Chickens with two heat lamps and extra bedding

 Chickens stay in their coop when the weather is insane like this.  I used to open their trap door and wait for them to come out, but they just laughed at me! They currently have two heat lamps and we use the "deep bedding method" to keep it clean and create a bit of heat.  Deep bedding works much like a compost pile.  I thoroughly clean the coop each spring (not a fun job), we then lay out new wood chip bedding.  As the bedding gets dirty we lay down more new wood chips on top of the old ones and continue putting new chips on top of old until in mid winter we have a nice deep pile about 18" -2 feet deep.  The chips and manure on the bottom decomposes slowly and releases some heat which keeps the coop surprisingly comfortable on cold days.

Chickens roost close together in the rafters at night to take advantage of the rising heat the the chicken to chicken warmth. As you can see I have a heat lamp right next to the water to keep it partially thawed.  It has been working fairly well since our heated water tank broke. Chickens also eat a lot more feed in the extreme cold.

We even have one smart cat who lives under a heat lamp in the coop right now. I still need to figure out a trick to keep the eggs from freezing and cracking!

What is in a quarter?

For anyone new to ordering meat in bulk it can be intimidating and confusing!  I am going to lay out for you what you can expect to find in your quarter of beef.

When ordering a quarter or side you have the power to choose! You are limited by the cuts and quantities that exist on the animal, but you can choose what cuts you want as steaks, roasts, ground beef or other cuts and how large you would like those cuts.  For example you can get your round as roasts, steaks, stew meat or ground into 1, 1 1/2, or 2# packages.  You can have your T-bone and Porterhouse steaks cut to your desired thickness (but you cant have the whole quarter in T-bones...sorry)!

For a list of the questions you can expect from the butcher when placing your cutting order click here. We also have a chart to show you where the different cuts come from on the animal.

Here are some beef cuts you might find in your quarter or sampler box

We recently ordered a quarter that had a 215# hanging weight the contents of the quarter were:

• 40# of Hamburger
• 3# of Ground Beef Patties
• 4 Sirloin Steaks
• 6 Chuck Roasts
• 4 Porterhouse Steaks
• 6 T-bone Steaks
• 9 Ribeye Steaks
• 4 Sirloin Tip Steaks
• 1 Round Roast
• 1 Arm Roast
• 1 Rolled Rump Roast
• 1 package of Beef Short Ribs
• 2 packages of Stew Meat
• 2 packages of All Beef Skinless Wieners
• soup bones & liver

The size of your quarter will vary based on the size of the animal.  This is a relatively large quarter. 

I hope this helps take the mystery out of ordering beef for your family!  

Have a great day! 

Jen

November Newsletter

All Around the Farm:

As I mulched strawberries with one of the girls yesterday I realized just how blessed and thankful I am.  Yes, it's Thanksgiving, and this is the time where we share what we are grateful for.  I am grateful for many things, but none of our farming dreams would be a reality right now if it were not for customers like you that buy the sustainable products that we raise and thereby sustaining our family.  What a win-win! Thank you for your business and we are grateful to call many of you friends. Harvest time is always a very exciting time!  It is so satisfying to reap the fruits of not only our spring & summer labor, but also our winter planning, budgeting, learning and dreaming. As much as I love seeing the new life emerge in the spring, it is fulfilling to see the crops and many of the animals finish the season.  We are looking forward to the slightly slower pace of winter planning, although along with the cold comes frozen fingers at chore time!

Kissing a goat through the front door window.

Pedro our new donkey! He protects the calves in the pasture from predators.

Bryce putting the turkeys "to bed" in their pasture pen. They are now in the freezer;)

Beef Availability:

We have sampler boxes and custom orders available for early December deliveries/pick up. If you need meat for your holiday parties, now is the time! Please let me know ASAP if you would like to claim one of these quarters.  If you are looking for a box or custom order please let me know by December 7th, but depending on demand our inventories may get low again, so the sooner you can order your Christmas party beef the better. 

Place your order now for early January pick up or delivery.  At this time we have sides, quarters, samplers and custom orders available for January.  Based on the size of our steers right now it looks like we will have limited availability until early spring. If you will need some quality beef before March/April think about placing an order for our December or January deliveries. 

Enjoy a Couple of our Favorite Holiday Recipes:

Swedish Meatballs (Kottbullar):

OK, so this family has strong Norwegian ties not Swedish...sorry!...but, we are gluten free these days and have found some recipes to be even better than the original gluten filled versions.  This is a great party appetizer (I double this recipe and make the meatballs fairly small) just put some cute party toothpick next to the dish and everyone is happy!

Christmas Prime Rib Roast:

I'm not classy enough (nor am I French) to have known what Herbes De Provence was, so here's the recipe for that as well!

• Your cooking times will vary depending on the size of your prime rib roast. To calculate your cooking time, multiply the exact weight of the roast by 5. Round the resulting number to the nearest whole number. The rib is cooked at 500 degrees F for exactly that many minutes. For example, for a 6 pound roast: 6x5=30, so cooking time is 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and wait 2 hours before opening the oven door. Remove the prime rib and slice into the most perfectly medium-rare meat you've ever seen. ~tip taken from Chef John at the Food Wishes Blog

Rib Eye Steak with Sun-Dried Tomato:

Make a marinade of:

1 Cup Olive Oil

Juice from 1 lemon

1 T dried basil

1 T dried oregano

ground pepper and salt to taste

Marinade 4 large rib eye steaks and refrigerate for at least an hour. 

Cook steaks:

Pre-heat skillet (I love to use an iron skillet) with a generous bit of olive oil

Cook steaks for 5-9 minutes each side depending on size of steaks and your preference.  I always have a meat thermometer available to make sure meat is at least 140 f.

Top steaks:

Mix a topping of 1 jar sun dried tomato in olive oil, 1 cup canned artichoke hearts, add 1/2 cup green olives if you enjoy them. 

Don't stop enjoying steak just because grilling season is over...get out a skillet and treat your family to a great steak dinner!

Thanksgiving wishes from our family to yours!

Jen & Bryce and kids

Kissing Goats

Someone once said "If you throw a bucket of water at a fence and the water gets through so will a goat."  I believe it! We have had Misty and Princess pretty well contained with the cattle...after all, they think they are cows now.  When the guys sort cattle though our little goat friends turn into opportunists and sneak out to their favorite spot on the farm...our porch!  I just thought this picture was to cute not to share!

50th Anniversary of the 1963 Corn Picking Contest!

Without a doubt the largest event to ever take place on our farm was the 1963 National Corn Picking Contest.  

Tent City in what is now the hay field across from our house.  I wonder if this shot was taken from the rooftop of the house. Agriculture vendors came from all over the Nation to show off their new farm technologies!

Farmers, vendors and the general public descended on this very plot of land on October 23-24th.  The state champion corn pickers from around the U.S. fired up their pickers and tried to become the National Champ by picking their corn more efficiently than the other competitors.  It was serious competition, trust me, I've seen the grainy video!  The winner....Arlyn Zee...Bryces dad's good friend who happens to live and farm only about 5 miles away! Arlyn still has his championship picker displayed in his farmyard.

The North Field where the competition took place.  This is just behind our house and farm buildings where our current corn field is.  The shed in the forground was built for the building company to show off their sheds.  Willis only had to pay for materials.

Bryces Grandparents, Willis and Lenora Riemer and their dog, Boots.  We live in their farm house in Decatur Township on Riemer Road.

We are so proud to be continuing the deep family tradition of farming on this land.  This land and home are such a blessing to our family.  We are so grateful for the legacy that has been laid out before us! We hope to live up to the Riemer family tradition of raising high quality and sustainable farm products!

Thank you to the Brodhead Historical Society for posting these pictures on their site.  Thanks also to our friend Peg from Sandhill Family Farms for turning us on to these archives on the web!

It's Fajita Night!

Our families favorite default meals tend to be Mexican foods...rather Americanized Mexican foods.  After about a year of marriage Bryce asked me if I could make anything that did not go in a tortilla?  To which I answered yes...you can put most of these dishes on tortilla chips too :)

It's tomato, pepper and onion season!  To me it's fajita and pico de gallo season!

Jens Fajitas

1 # Fajita beef
Fajita seasoning or cumin and chilli powder to taste
1 green peper
1 red or orange pepper
1 red onion
lots of firm tomatoes.  I used grape tomatoes in this dish
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
tortillas (we use corn)

1. Brown the fajita beef in a heavy skillet.  I add some fajita seasoning or cumin & chilli powder right to the meat as it browns.
2. Chop up all the veggies to desired size and add to meat when it is browned..
3. When veggies are just about cooked through add chopped cilantro.
4. Serve on warm tortillas.
5. Eat too many and rub your belly when done!

Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin!

When Making food choices we can support very large multinational food companies whom are more concerned with their bottom line than food safety, nutrition, worker safety and quality, or support local producers who put their pride and skill into their products.  

Riemer Family Farm is a proud member of SSfW!

Yes I am bias to local and naturally raised foods! There are many reasons buying locally makes a difference: building the local economy, knowing what is in our food and how it was raised and supporting sustainable practices with our dollar.  Another advantage is that much less energy is used in transporting food that is nearby! We are committed to only selling our beef within 100 miles of the farm and try to cut down on our trips with the beef trailer by organizing orders by area.  

For much more on local food systems check out this article: Local and Regional Food Systems

or for more on local foods with a lot of gardening inspiration thrown in check out Barbara Kingsolvers: Animal,Vegetable, Miracle

Beef Kabobs and Marinades Made Easy

Marinades are usually used for two purposes: to flavor and/or tenderize meat. 

Tenderizing marinades are designed to add flavor and improve tenderness. In general, tenderizing marinades are used on chewier cuts like top sirloin or round steak. More tenderizing is achieved with longer marinade times. If you want to marinate for tenderness, keep meat in the marinade for 4-24 hours.

Sirloin, Chicken and Veggie Kabobs (photo from Allrecipes.com)

The following ingredients act as a meat tenderizer:

     Citrus Fruit Juice - lime, lemon, or orange

     Wine - red, white, or rice

     Vinegar - basalmic or red wine vinegar, or rice wine vinegar

It is easy to create your own marinade recipe, using one or more of the above tenderizing ingredients, plus some coordinating flavor ingredients such as minced garlic, minced fresh ginger, freshly ground black pepper, thyme, or rosemary.

Refrigerate beef cuts while marinating, and use stainless steel or glass bowls to contain meat and marinade. 

If you are busy like me and like to have marinades on hand make a large batch and store your marinade in a well marked jar.  I also really like Newmans Own Marinades which use natural ingredients.  Mesquite with Lime is my favorite!

Below is a basic Kabob recipe: For more great recipes visit my favorite recipe site Allrecipes.com

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine your marinade with veggies (onion, mushrooms, bell peppers) and beef cut into about 1 1/2" cubes.  Seal, and refrigerate 4 to 24 hours.
2. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
3. Discard marinade, and thread the meat and vegetables onto skewers, leaving a small space between each item. You could add other fruits/veggies at this time as well, like pineapple or tomato.
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 10 minutes, turning as needed, or until meat is cooked through and vegetables are tender.

Wild Things-Nettle Soup and more...

Today I have confirmed my in-laws suspicions that their son married a crazy lady!  I think it's totally normal to hunt and gather, but the thought of eating stinging nettles is difficult for some.  I originally learned of the near mythical powers of nettles when I was pregnant last spring and I drank Nettle Tea like it was going out of style.  I was inspired to not only make tea today, but also "Simple Greens Soup" using Nettles also.  My family loves this stuff! I even going to sneak dandelion greens into our next salad!

Simple Greens Soup-"From Asparagus to Zucchini~MACSAC cookbook" Matt Overdevest, Harmony Valley Farm-slightly modified by me

2 T butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 pound potato
4 cups water or chicken broth
1 bunch nettles (a big bunch)
Salt, pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (I use whole milk) optional

Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions; cook slowly, stirring occasionally until translucent. Add potato and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft. Add the greens and cook until they wilt.  Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or in batches in a food processor)until smooth.  Season to taste.  For a creamy version, add cream or milk at the end and heat through. 4 servings.

What are your favorite wild edibles?

Sandhill Family Farms Partnership

We are so pleased to be partnering with our good friends and fellow farmers Matt & Peg Sheaffer (photo below) of Sandhill Family Farms.  They have been growing certified organic vegetables for CSA's and markets for a dozen years.  They recently moved to Brodhead and now run their second farm here while their business partners the Millers manage the original farm in Grayslake, IL.



The Sheaffers will be featuring our beef in their meat shares that they offer to their veggie CSA customers.  They also offer dairy, egg and fruit shares throughout the growing season.  They recently highlighted us in their newsletter/blog.  See it here.

We are so pleased to be partnering with such great friends and wonderful farmers.  Please visit their website to see all the wonderful things they are doing.  Including pictures of their amazingly adorable lambs!

On to other news...we have 5 calves on the ground so far this spring.  About 20 more to go! We are having fun and so glad the rain has slowed down!!! Calf pictures to come!

Our freezers are full of great beef again.  I updated our Beef Availability page, so check it out and order your spring/summer grilling beef while it lasts.  We will have quarters and sides available again in the fall.

Have a wonderful day!

Jen

Betty Crocker's no fail Beef Stew

OK people, it's almost grilling time! Use up those roasts and stew meat packages while it's still chilly outside! This is also a great recipe for using up any stored winter veggies you may still be lucky enough to have on hand.

Whenever I need a no fail recipe and am not sure what to do I turn to the tried and true "Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook circa 1956" that has been passed down several generations.  With the exception of her love of Crisco and white flour you really can't go wrong with Betty and I often wonder why I own any other cookbooks.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew (recommended by Mrs. Edward Kruger)
edited by Mrs. Bryce Riemer (ugh, I'm glad some traditions have changed)

Brown:
     2 lb of chuck or round roast cut into pieces or use 2 packages of stew meat
Cover with:
     1 qt. hot water
Simmer 2 hrs., adding water if necessary.
Add:
     2 cups diced potatoes (3 medium)
     1 Cup diced turnips
     1 Cup carrots
     1/2 cup diced parsnips
     1 cup celery
     1 green pepper, diced
     1/2 cup diced onion
     1 T salt (I omit or use much less)
     2 beef bouillon cubes or I use "Better Than Bouillon Organic Vegetable base" because it's not full of junk
Cook until vegetable are tender, about 30 min. If desired, thicken liquid for gravy (see 3/7/13 roast post). The flavor of this stew gets better each time it is reheated!
12 servings.

Thanks Betty & Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bryce Riemer :)

Stromboli Sandwich Recipe

Here is a great recipe shared by one of our wonderful customers/friends.  Thanks so much Deanette!

Thank you so much for delivering my beef order to school! You are the very best! So wonderful seeing not only both of you but your beautiful girls also! As I promised here is another family recipe that is extra special with Riemer Family Farm ground beef!

My Dad’s Stomboli Sandwiches

1 lb ground beef
1 T finely chopped onion
½ cup tomato sauce
½ cup catsup
2 T grated parmesan cheese
½ t garlic powder
¼ t fennel seed
1/8 t ground oregano
6 hamburger buns
Garlic spread
6 slices mozzarella cheese

Brown ground beef & onion – drain. Add tomato sauce, catsup, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, fennel seed & oregano. Cook for 20 minutes.
Split rolls & spread with garlic spread on top half of each roll. Divide meat mixture evenly on bottom halves of rolls. Top each with slice of mozzarella cheese and close sandwich with bun top.
Wrap each in foil and heat in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

T= Tablespoon
t= teaspoons

Enjoy!