Golden Acres Ranch

Wish I lived in Florida for this event!

Organic Edible Landscapes/Let’s Grow Fruit Trees/

March 20-21, 2010

Farmers, urban and community gardeners interested in growing fruit

trees?  During these two-day workshops you will learn how to grow your

own fruit using organic methods. Includes demonstrations,  handouts,

and discussions. Come, learn and enjoy.

This workshop will demonstrate all you need to know to grow fruit

trees including plums, peaches, muscadines, blackberries, raspberries,

strawberries,  apples, and much more. Learn organic methods, pest

management, pruning, grafting,  ground preparation, etc.  

Organic specialist, Jerry Larson of Fort Valley State University will facilitate this two-daylearning session.  

Registration $20.00/person, includes lunch.

Please register at FAMU.Register@gmail.com by March 18, 2010.

Location:   Crescent Moon Organic Farm, 145 Crescent Moon Trail,  Sopchoppy, FL 

We'll be a Lake Ella today with some tasty samples. Goat sausage and something with lamb but I haven't decided what just yet.

This Saturday, March 6, will be our first time at the Farmers Downtown Market Place in Tallahassee. Look for it at Ponce de'Leon Park between Monroe and Adams.

It's supposed to be getting warmer by then.

We are planning our schedule for Lake Ella over the next few months    The next visit we will have a dish of Curried Goat and Rice for sale.  I'll have the recipe available and we can discuss the type of goat or even lamb meat that makes it so delicious.

We worked really hard yesterday at the Blountstown Goat Festival. I woke up at five AM and Mom and I drove an hour and a half to Blountstown. That was my first experience with a talking GPS system. We would have been lost without it, but I can sure understand why people have started making jokes about how persistent they are. Mom and Dad call it "Millie" and she kept interrupting our conversation. The first photo is of my brother Charles and Dad taking inventory of frozen cuts which we brought with us in the freezer they keep on a trailer.

The Goat Day Festival has been going on for decades, although there hasn't been goats there for many years! It was Dr. Madden who got them back on the agenda. Dr. Madden is a veterinarian on the staff of FAMU and coordinated two booths at the festival, ours and another which sold goat cheese and soap. Dr. Madden is Jamaican and he made curried goat and rice for the festival.

We served about 145 people dinner and sandwiches. We had BBQ goat, a pulled meat sandwich, a seasoned ground goat sandwich, which we have named "BillyBob." The name comes from the idea of a goat as a billy goat which is made by Bobbie - billybob! The seasoning is Mom's 'secret' recipe which she gives out to everyone. I'll post it sometime soon. It was all good food and people seemed to really like it.

  We just rested today, puttered around and napped. Charles built a big fire; he's been gathering up fallen wood from all over the ranch since he's been here the last few months. He went and rescued a goat that had got it's head caught in the fence this evening. That is not an uncommon occurrence around here.

Tomorrow, Mom will take a few goats to the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, GA, about an hour away. She is sharing a booth with EZ Hutch. I will join them on Tuesday for the luncheon. Info is in our calendar.

I am here at the ranch visiting from California for a week and a half. I'll be helping with the Goat Festival in Blountsville tomorrow (Saturday). I expect to help at least one day at the Sunbelt Ag Expo and then wrap up the week helping with the Farm Tour. You can find all these events listed in the calendar.

I woke up this morning to the smell of goat cooking. Bobbie was preparing some seasoned ground goat for today's lunch. She and Fred went to get things set up and plugged in. We will all drive out about five in the morning from the sounds of things.Today, I've just been resting, walking a couple of the small dogs we are boarding and catching up on some computer things.

Sunday, August 30, 2009 from noon to ???? there is a luncheon for Magnolia Farms CSA members and guests.  Magnolia Farms is in Live Oak, Florida.  It is a taste testing so the participating farmer and ranchers can show off their delectable dishes.  Considered being a CSA member?  This might be one to try.  I will be there with lamb and goat. 

We'll be adding our roasted goat dish to this evenings special event at Johnston's Meat Market in Monticello, Florida. 

Open this site

http://www.halsfrontporch.com/

 to get the details about the Steel Guitar & Swinging Country Music special event with a buffet dinner.

Wow has it been hot! In Florida and California. We haven't felt like doing much of anything more than necessary while we wait out this heat.

My name is Christine and I am one of Bobbie and Fred's daughters. Click on the little, tiny photo to see my profile. I live in California and help with the website. Mom tells me she recieves lots of compliments on it. Thanks to all of you who like it.

If you don't like it, I want to hear that too. Let me know at the email address below in the footer.

Bobbie won an Innovative Farmers award recently. She will be one of the opening speakers at the Florida Small & Alternative Enterprises Conference in Kissimmee on August 1st. Bobbie is the only USDA Certified, Fresh from Florida goat and lamb meat producer in Florida. Maybe the region since most lamb and goat is shipped in from New Zealand!

We are starting to get ready for the 2009 Annual Farm Tour put on by New Leaf Markets. We'll keep you up to date on the progress. I will be visiting for the event in October.

Okay. That's all for now. Stay cool!

Christine

May 9 2009 will be our annual Mayhaw Farm Day.  The Mayhaws will be in full berry and we will be gathering them ourselves this year to package in gallon bags (3 pounds).  We will freeze them as we gather to maintain the quality. 

These are native trees and nature handles all their needs.  There is nothing artificial added to them.

I am contacting some other folks to come as Vendors on that day.  I'll be working on a whole list of things and will keep you all posted.

Every other Wednesday we go to the Growers Market near the Black Dog Cafe at Lake Ella in Tallahassee. This market is conducted by FAMU. It's small; for very local growers and well-attended.