CSA starting up

So, Golden Guernsey of Illinois is also starting up a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture.)

They are planning on a weekly delivery starting late spring. $600 for a full share, $300 for a 1/2 share. We would totally be in on this, but we're gone a good part of the summer (between sailing and visiting family, etc... etc...) If you do not have room for a garden or want to support real agriculture, join a CSA.

They will have (from their flier,)

Green beans
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Carrots
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Onions
Green onions
Spinach
Kale
Squash
Sugar snap peas
Peppers
Tomatoes
Beets
Corn, sweet and popcorn

Potatoes

Eggplant

Zucchini

Grass fed beef

Oh my!

So the family (Rick and Kelly Boge of Golden Guernsey of Illinois) that we get our raw milk from had a run of bull calves, which is great, unless you are a dairy, in which case they won't be able to help much (try as much as you want, they just will not give you milk.)

On the other hand, you can eat them.

So, in keeping with their philosophy on all grass fed after weaning, the little bulls were let grow up to a good weight (a year for one, 13 months for the other,) and then taken down and made into steaks. We got some NY Strips, a roast, about 5 lbs of ground beef, some stew meat, and some liver. The fun/cheap parts were all sold out within a few hours! We were hoping for some 'ox'-tails, and of course bones to make broth with. Maybe next year.

At any rate, we had our first NY Strip from the Guernseys, and wow, were they yummy! Here is a shot of them before I did a last trim before cooking. I was tempted to grill, since the weather was nice, but I didn't want to overcook them on my first time grilling this year. I'll do that with hot dogs or burgers.

The amazing thing, is the yellow fat. When you see that white fat on ruminant meat, that tells you that it lived on grains, or anything other than grass. Grass for grass eaters turns the fat yellow, or yellow streaked. This is the sign of a very healthy animal. They have not had to call a vet out in years, because the animals eat what they were designed by nature to eat after weaning. Grass. Period.

Cannot wait to try more, and I am seriously bummed they ran out of the cheap and fun cuts so early.

Oh, I forgot, they are holding a tongue for us (how many jokes are contained there?)

More to come, I am sure....

Limitations

A boy was born to an unwed mother he would never know-- he was adopted at 6 weeks. His adoptive mother died when he was five years old, and his father went in search of work around the country. From his family, he learned hard work and perseverance.

He dropped out of High School when his father moved again; he was working at a decent family restaurant, he was 15, and he wanted to stay working at the restaurant.

He enlisted in the Army, rose to Staff Sergeant, and when he was honorably discharged, he want back to the restaurant.

He eventually became head chef at the restaurant, and an opportunity presented itself. A restaurant owner had an interest in a number of restaurants, but he needed someone to turn them around... So our boy, now a man, took a chance with the encouragement of the family he worked for, and took them over. He helped the restauranteur come up with new images, campaigns, and he turned the 4 restaurants he was responsible for around. He turned them around so much, his share of the restaurants was worth $1.5 million.

He used that as seed money to start his own restaurant... and then, chain of restaurants, that he named after his daughter, Melinda Lou (also adopted, like he was... but she could not say her own name correctly, so she went by her nickname... Wendy.)

Dave Thomas finally went back to high school, and got his GED in 1993 (at 61.) He received the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame induction in 1999.

Nearly all of our limitation are mental... they are self imposed.

You are the person in charge. You have to find it within yourself to do better, when you need to do better. To rise above what is merely expected of you, and to excel. There are always some limits about which we can do nothing... (NO amount of practice will ever get me to where I can slam dunk a basketball. It is just not ever going to happen,) so you need to learn how to find what you are good at.

Simply, we need to learn to play to our strengths, and play away from our weaknesses. So you are not terribly capable physically? You do not have raw strength? Find ways to use leverage. Find ways to use little angles to your advantage.

While you do that, get stronger. Get mentally stronger, too. Find a way. If you cannot find a way, then find a way to accept who you are, and be the best YOU that you can be. Opportunities will present themselves.

But mostly, believe in yourself. Then, suit actions to thoughts. Don't settle. Forgive yourself. We are only human. Success has failure written all over it in very large letters. "Overnight sensations" sometimes take years of work to get that one night when it all comes together.

Sometimes... it never comes together. Even then... forgive yourself, and move on. Live your life, and enjoy the life you live.

Cheers! (and be of good cheer!)

Scott