Greetings from Hammerstead Farms!
Well, it's been awhile since our last newsletter and things have changed indeed.
We have gotten out of the cattle business - we no longer sell beef. Our flock has been reorganized, too - for fleece production. So we're no longer selling lamb. The regulations and hassles of making meat available for sale are simple too much to be dealt with on the scale we're operating.
The Sunflower Market in Indianapolis, to whom we'd been supplying eggs went out of business last February - we're down to 25 hens, and and will be adding 25 more in July, so we have some eggs for sale off the back porch. If you're in the neighborhood and need some farm fresh eggs by all means give us a call or drop by.
No meat chickens this year, either, I'm afraid. However, a friend, Pam Toft of Mechanicsburg, has some birds available for delivery right now - she's asked that I pass on her number in here so give her a call directly if you're interested. These are whole premium broiler birds, USDA inspected and ready to go. Her number is 765-325-9102 - be sure to tell her you heard about them here!
The farm itself has also had a "management change" - I remarried the love of my life (and the mother of my children) last November, and as part of the divorce settlement the corporation that owned the farm was dissolved. We'll be changing the name shortly, as soon as we can figure out a good one! Feel free to pass on suggestions!
We're getting ready to shear in a couple of weeks and should have some nice fleeces available. The website is going to be revamped as soon as I can find the time to show some of our crossed Dorset/Blackface sheep and their wool - we think you'll be as impressed as we have been with them. Lorraine is also a spinner herself, and we may start selling more finished products (washed fleeces, batts and even yarn) later this year. We'll keep you posted, but in the meantime, if you're interested in raw fleece, let us know and we'll get you a list of what we have available.
Thanks again for your interest in (and patronage of) Hammerstead - we're really excited about our farm, and hope to continue serving you in the future.
Be well,
Dave & Lorraine Haxton