A Story From Our Second Day of Farming

We just “harvested” our first group of six red wattle hogs, and as we were hauling them up to the processor, I was able to reminisce on the five months we’d had them. I thought I’d share a funny story that really set the tone for how our farming experience has been and probably how it will carry on…

Back in March, we bought six piglets from a neighbor down the street, who had a healthy and lively breeding stock.

They were raised on electric wire fencing, like in the photo above, so we had their first “paddock” set up the same way on our leased property. They got moved in without a hitch…except for when Trev was loading them into the trailer. That day, we learned that pigs have blood-curdling screams. 😃 (Trev even had the thought run through his head of if we should just be vegans.) Everything else fell into place, just as planned, and as the following day was Sunday, we had the chance to go spend time marveling at our first real farming enterprise. Our dog, Berk, a big Irish Springer, had frequented the farm land with us, as we were preparing it for the piglets, and had proven himself to be a good farm dog. We decided that day to introduce him to his new neighbors.

From the following freeze-framed shots, you can probably tell how that went…

All six of our piglets (paid for with our hard-earned cash, mind you) scattered into five acres of densely wooded forest with Berk hot in pursuit. We scrambled after them, and after catching Berk and throwing him in the car, we went in search of our lost pigs. Two were in the pasture, and we were able to guide them back into their paddock. With four pigs still missing, we stumbled through the thick brush in hopes of finding them.

Forty-five minutes later with no sign of the pigs, Trev asked me to grab the car and start searching off the property. I wheeled out of the driveway and onto our dirt road and on the way to the other end of the property, a woman waved me down. She said that she was a neighbor and asked if I was missing ”three little pigs.” I nearly cried. She had seen three little red pigs a mile down the road and had been knocking on doors to figure out whose they were. They were long gone by the time we got back to the spot, so I started knocking on neighbors’ doors to see if anyone had seen them…

Four hours later, after meeting ALL the neighbors and searching through their properties, we gave up… We were surrounded by thousands of acres of farm land and woods with no idea what direction they had gone. We headed back to check on our two piglets back in the paddock, and as we were driving up to it, three little pigs were walking up to the perimeter fence…

We could not believe it. We herded the three little pigs back into their home, quite easily, and decided that 5/6 pigs wasn’t too bad. Homeward-bound at last, to enjoy the last bit of our Sunday. We hadn’t gotten a mile down the road, when the property owner, Cliff, called and said that a neighbor had a little pig in his front pasture. Trev turned around immediately, and headed over. Lo & behold, there was the last, lonesome little pig…

We chased him all over the, luckily, fenced-in pasture for thirty minutes (we also learned that pigs are phenomenal track athletes), until yet another neighbor came to help by bringing her four wheeler to corner him. When we did, I grabbed his hind legs and dragged him out. Again, a lot of screaming ensued… Our neighbor had Trev, who was cradling the exhausted piglet, sit on the back of her four wheeler and drove them both back up to the paddock. All of his litter-mates were excited to see him, and we were excited to celebrate over some well-deserved Mexican food, because neither of us felt like cooking…

A couple morals to this pig tale… 1. The best way to meet all your neighbors is to lose all your pigs. 😀 2. Sometimes, to find things, you’ve got to stop looking for them.

Love,

Viv

Shipped From Our Farm to Your Porch

We’re ecstatic to announce that this winter we’ll start shipping to the lower 48 states! Yes, you heard that right… From sea to shining sea (except you Alaska and Hawaii, sorry)

The best thing about Home Delivery is you can get our farm's pasture raised goodness anywhere in the country! We have a special box that keeps everything super cold and we even have a super special box for delivering eggs! Free delivery on orders of $150 or more!

Join the wait list here

How in the heck can you ship frozen meats across the country?!

Check out this video from our friend and farming compatriot, David. He’ll explain how your order shows up on your porch still cold.

How will ordering work?

It’s easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Check out our “What’s in Stock” section of the newsletter below for what we’re currently offering and pricing.

2. Until our website is up and running order by calling or texting Trevor at (816) 310-9631 or by emailing him at [email protected]. During this step Trevor will coordinate payment with you.

3. Your order is on the way! As long as you’ve placed your order by Sunday night, your order will ship on Monday. Check out the map below to see how quick you’ll get your order!

Farm Events & Important Dates

• Farm Tour - Saturday, September 28th from 11am-12pm - Rayville - Free

  • Join us for an afternoon of fun for the whole family! We’ll meet at the Van Till Family Farm Winery (13986 Highway C Rayville, MO 64084) at 11 am, take a hay wagon over to the farm (about a mile away), meet the pigs and chickens, and teach on a couple of our favorite stewardship practices. Around 11:30 we’ll take the hay wagon back to the winery and anyone who wants to stay for lunch is welcome. They have to-die-for pizza cooked in a wood fired oven! - Please RSVP by replying to this email or texting Trevor @ (816) 310-9631

• From our farm, shipped fresh to your doorstep - shipping pork, chicken, and eggs to the lower 48 states, coming this winter!

What’s in Stock

• Eggs - Our hens are pasture raised, rotationally grazed, and non-gmo - $5/dozen

• Chicken - Like our hens, our chicken is pasture raised, rotationally grazed, and non-gmo - click here for price sheet 

• Pork - Pigs were butchered on 7/18 - Our pigs are forest raised, rotationally grazed, non-gmo, and heritage breed (Red Wattle)

  • Whole hogs (120 lbs of meat), half hogs (60 lbs of meat), and custom cuts (bacon, pork chops, ribs, sausage) available.

How It Works

• How do I order? Text Trevor @ (816) 310-9631 your order by Tuesday night

• When do I get it? Delivery day is every Wednesday - home delivery available or pickup in parking lot at 8:15 pm @ Zion KC (1800 W 69 Hwy Excelsior Springs, MO 64024)

• How do I pay? Payment is collected upon delivery. Usually folks pay with cash, Venmo, CashApp, Zelle, check, Grateful Dead vinyl record, or spicy ranch dressi.

-Blessings

Your Farmer,

Trevor

Thank you for supporting regenerative agriculture and transforming the land future generations will inherit - one bite at a time!

How You Can Help In The World of Tech - Please Don't Skip This

#1 Add [email protected] to your email contacts. - This prevents our emails from going to spam and makes sure you get important information.

#2 Open Every Email - Even If You Don't Read Them :)
So this may seem small but it really really matters. Why?

Basically Google and other email providers track how often an email is opened to guess if it is important or not. If you don't open an email often enough than your inbox may stop showing it altogether. But it has a cumulative effect so if enough other people don't open theirs you might not see it too. 

We are trying to walk back this trend and we could really use your help. Even if you don't have time to read the email ( I totally get it - no hurt feelings) would you please open it first and then delete it?  Thank you for keeping our small farm from being erased by big tech email filters!

#3 Share about our farm with your friends!
It really really makes a huge difference when you share with others about where you get your pasture raised bounty from! Plus it can make a huge difference in their life as well.

#4 Like us on Facebook + Instagram and share kitchen creations, unboxing pics, and all things Simple Living Farms
When you share about our farm we try to repost if too our page. It's really pretty cool to see!

Thank you for going the extra mile to support our family farm and regenerative agriculture! It is an honor to be your farmers!