Cheese Days 2012

Back in 1914, the concept of Cheese Days originated from the notion that if some little town in Illinois could have a festival commemorating sauerkraut, then a celebration based on cheese would be an even better idea.

Visit the Cheese Days website at http://www.cheesedays.com
We even have a Cheese Days mascot named Wedgie...no I'm not kidding!

Every small community in Wisconsin has their festival.  This is one of the things that this Illinois girl loves about WI...(not to mention the Packers, sorry Bears fans). If Byron can have the Turkey Testicle Festival then we can celebrate cheese and all things swiss.  

I think the lyrics to "The Cheese Days" song sum it up best!

Come to Cheese Days in Monroe.
That’s the place for you to go.
Music, dancing, yodeling, too.
And a big parade for you.
And we know you will be pleased.
When you taste Green County Cheese.
Come to Cheese Days, come to Cheese Days,Come to Cheese Days in Monroe!I think the lyrics to "The Cheese Days" song sum it up best!

Join us this weekend in Monroe, September 14-16 for the Green County fun!

Photos of our cattle

Cattle hanging out by the watering hole

"Handsome Irwin" the nice bull and one of his cow "friends"

Cow with a muddy face!  Awesome, that means there are puddles!

Riemer Family Farm is a multi-generational sustainable beef farm in south central Wisconsin.

Free Range Goats

Q: What do children, chickens, cats, dogs and goats have in common?

Misty and Princess wandering around the yard during morning chores

A: They all love to wander around our yard and play!  

We have come to love our summer...now fall evenings in the yard when the weather cools down everyone comes together to hang out in the yard.  Even the goats.  We spent many hours fixing tiny escape routes in their fencing, but finally realized that when they did get out they were really not bother.  So the goats range around as they please.  I'm convinced that they believe they are cattle and will not stray to far from their herd.  They enjoy getting out and finding some new patches of grass to eat in the yard, but always saunter back to there Hereford buddies.  

So I say...Goats be free & enjoy life!

Rib-Eyes from the Grill

In the Riemer house Rib-eye steaks are a favorite! They are so full of flavor and so versatile.  Here are a couple of my favorite summer Rib-eye recipe's from the grill.

Rib-Eye Steak with Tomato-Basil Relish

Ingredients

• 
  
• 4 boned beef rib-eye steaks (1 1/2 in. thick, 12 to 16 oz. each; see notes)
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound firm-ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• Salt and fresh-cracked pepper

1. Preparation 
2. 1. Trim excess surface fat from steaks. Rinse steaks and pat dry; set in a single layer on a plate. In a small bowl, mix half the vinegar and half the olive oil. Rub mixture all over steaks to coat. Let stand for at least 15 minutes, or cover and chill up to 4 hours.
3. 2. Meanwhile, rinse, core, and coarsely chop tomatoes. In a bowl, mix tomatoes, basil, garlic, and remaining balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add salt to taste.
4. 3. Lay steaks on an oiled barbecue grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook steaks, turning once, until browned on both sides and done to your liking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 10 to 13 minutes for medium-rare.
5. 4. Transfer steaks to plates. Let rest in a warm place for 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with tomato-basil relish.

Sunset 
SEPTEMBER 2004

Grilled Steak with Avocado and Red Onion Salad

Ingredients

• 2 Rib-eye steaks (1 1/2 lbs. total)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet smoked Spanish paprika
• 2 ripe avocados, sliced*
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/2 cup cilantro sprigs
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 small jalapeno chile, seeded and very thinly sliced
• Warm flour tortillas

1. Preparation 
2. 1. Heat grill to medium (350° to 450°). Brush steaks with 2 tbsp. oil and season with 1 tsp. each salt and pepper and the paprika. Grill steaks until done the way you like, turning once, 10 to 12 minutes total for medium-rare; transfer to a cutting board and let rest a few minutes.
3. 2. Toss avocados in a large bowl with onion, cilantro, remaining 2 tbsp. oil, the lime juice, jalapeño, and remaining 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Slice steaks across the grain and serve with salad and tortillas.

Adeena Sussman, Sunset 
MAY 2012

*I realize that Avocados are definitely not local to WI, but this is one super-food I make an exception for in my commitment to buy my food locally.

Riemer Family Farm is a Multi-Generational, Sustainable beef farm in South Central WI

Women Farmers-Soil Sisters

One thing that I (Jen) have come to appreciate about our community here in South Central Wisconsin are the passionate, creative and motivated women who are making this area better in so many ways!  I am attaching a two links for events that I am going to take part in.  These are organized by and focused on women farmers.

http://soilsisterswi.org/

Many of the "soil sisters" are friends of mine and I am proud to be a part of this community of women through the "Green County Women in Sustainable Agriculture" group. I will be helping out at the Sugar River Emu Farm.  I was not ready to be on the tour this year due to having a newborn.


Please join in and celebrate local agriculture on August 5 by visiting small family farms as part of a tour led by Wisconsin women committed to a healthy, fresh future for our children.


One more organization doing great things for women in agriculture is the Women, Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN). There are hosting events through their Women Caring for the Land program.


http://womencaringfortheland.org/wisconsin/

Join in, learn and celebrate women farmers.

Riemer Family Farm is a multi-generational sustainable farm in South Centeral Wisconsin

More Water Please! Drought & Cattle

Our main job on the farm over the last two months has been to keep the animals watered and shaded.  Everything else is just details!  The drought has been very hard on our pasture land and the heat has not helped either.  Hereford cattle are thankfully very hardy and have fared okay in the heat and drought.  We run about 1/4 mile of hoses to their tank to keep them well watered and they receive shade from some large trees in the pasture.

Many pastures and crops around us have been completely killed by the conditions.  Some recent rain has saved our crops from total loss.  The rain also has revived our pasture just enough to not need to feed them valuable hay quite yet.  We need our hay for winter feed!  All in all it's been quite stressful.  My father-in-law whom we farm with has said "who needs gambling when you can farm?"

Riemer Family Farm is a sustainable multi-generational family farm in south central Wisconsin

Poultry on Pasture

Here are a couple pictures of our meat birds on pasture.  We have them in a 164 foot electric netting with a portable shelter that we moved every day last year.  The way we are raising them now is called a "day range" model of pastured poultry.  They come out during the day and spend the night in their shelter to stay protected from predators.  I like this model a lot better because it makes chore time easier and gives the chickens space to roam and keeps them cleaner!  They can nibble on the grass, but prefer their feed. Last year when we kept them in the portable shelter all the time, we had to move them 3 times a day the last two weeks of their lives.

The worst predator we have seen this summer has been the 100 plus heat for days on end.  We lost a few birds to heat exhaustion, but have been doing everything we can to keep them alive.  We have even had a sprinkler in their pen.  They are not fond of water, but it does keep things cooler when we run the sprinkler on mist setting. We also need to make sure they always have fresh water and shade.

We will butcher these chickens in about a week.  Nothing compares to the taste of pastured poultry!

Riemer Family Farm is a sustainable multi-generational family farm in south central Wisconsin