Our farm was mentioned in the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s eNews August 2013
Many thanks to all members who submitted photos to our 2013 member photo contest. We were blown away by the talent! Winners listed below have photos hanging in CFSA’s new office! You can view all photos submitted here.
Congratulations to our winners:
Robin Blakley (Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery)
Victoria Bouloubasis
Cheri Bowers
Rachelle Bridges
Sarah Epting
Inter-faith Food Shuttle
Cary Kanoy
Grace Kanoy
Pat Momich
Traci Nachtrab
Parson Produce
Abby Van Buren
Piper Warlick
Our farm was featured in the July 12, 2013 edition of The Weekly Independent
Life at Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery
Johnny and Robin Blakley of Buffalo Creek Farm, Guest Writers
Sunday is our day off on the farm. It is normally an easier work day for us. Milking began this morning at 7AM. While I hand milked the girls, Johnny worked in the cheese cave. He had to rotate and turn every wheel of cheese and fill up the humidifiers, which keep the cave at a constant humidity of 90 percent. Some of the wheels needed waxing, so he plugged in the crock pot to heat the wax so it will be ready to use this afternoon. Our Farm Store opens at 1PM on Sunday, so Johnny cut fresh samples of our raw milk aged cheeses for sampling. After I completed the milking, the milking parlor and milk processing room were cleaned and the buckets washed. Normally, we treat ourselves to breakfast out at a local restaurant on Sundays; but, today our son, Andy, arrived with his family soon after the cleaning was finished. Johnny joined them for a two and a half hour one way road trip to an Open Farm Day at North Carolina’s only Grade A dairy. I stayed behind to run the Farm Store and fed the goats, sheep, chickens and our guardian animals – – the llamas and two Great Pyrenees dogs, Scout and Spook, before the store opened. Johnny will feed the rabbits that we raise for hunt training and meat when he returns. I made a quick trip to Walnut Cove and picked up a late breakfast before heading back to the farm in time to open the Farm Store at 1PM. Usually we have another local Germanton farm set up and sell their produce on Sunday afternoons at our Farm Store but they were unable to come this week. The afternoon was spent helping customers in the store, sampling cheese and talking about the farm. After closing the store at 6PM and before dark, I went out again to check the goats, gather and wash eggs and feed the milking does grain and alfalfa hay. A little later, the crew returned from their trip telling me everything they had seen and done on their excursion to the mountains. They brought back two surprises for me – – a T-shirt for the ADGA Convention that will be held in Asheville in October and a bottle of goat milk from the dairy! A few hours before bedtime were spent on breeding plans for the does. It will not be long until it is time to breed the girls so they will kid in January and February. This year, I’ll have lots of new mamas and I’m anxious to see those new udders and the new kids too. The babies are cute but they bring more work to the farm with bottle feeding, vaccinations, disbudding, etc. We always hope that we will get that one special kid who will develop into a great milker in years to come.
On Monday, milking began again at 7AM and the routine of working in the cheese cave and cleaning the dairy is a daily job. Monday proved to be a damp, overcast day and the conditions were just right for us to burn a large brush pile that had accumulated over the winter months in our cow pasture. We had lots of brush from cutting wood for our woodstove and tree limbs from the summer storm just a few weeks ago. Burning continued until dark. We were in a hurry to get this done today since Jury Duty awaited Johnny on Tuesday. Thankfully, we found out at 5PM that he did not have to serve and was able to plan some cheesemaking time tomorrow as the bulk tank is almost full. Our Farm Store was open today from 9AM until 6PM, where we met some new and returning customers who purchased our farmstead goat cheeses and meats along with some of my goat’s milk soap that I make. We also sold lots of local food from farmers in the Germanton and King areas too. This afternoon I made a few calls to meat processors and made several appointments to have a cow and two lambs butchered and to have half of our meat chickens harvested too. Before dark, I went out again to check the goats, gather and wash eggs and feed the milking does grain and alfalfa hay. More time tonight was spent on updating our website. We’ll be unveiling a new, updated site in a few days with lots of new pictures and information. Our daughter, Erin, is our Web Nanny. She keeps our website current, monitors our farm’s e-mail and Facebook business page so that any questions or comments can be answered in a timely manner, writes the farm’s blog and she keeps our video in the Farm Store up-to-date. Erin is also constantly searching for marketing ideas for the farm. Even after all of that, she maintains an on-line business, www.DinnerTimeChimes.net through which she makes lots of handmade farm items that we also sell in our Farm Store and works a full time job too.
On Tuesday, milking began again at 7AM and the bulk tank chiller was full of milk – – 30 gallons worth. Time to make cheese! Today Johnny made Rock House. It is one of our raw milk aged cheeses with a parmesan taste. This cheese will go into our cave and it will be ready to cut and sell in 60 days. We named the cheese Rock House after a Stokes County landmark built in the 1700’s. Making cheese is an all day event. Today was also the day that I have to pull our monthly milk samples from our bulk tank chiller to send to Raleigh to be tested. The lab tests for milk quality and ensures that there are no antibiotics in our milk along with other checks. The samples were pulled, packed in a cooler and shipped overnight for testing on Wednesday. While Johnny was down in the dairy, I ran the Farm Store, fed all the animals and mowed the grass in between the rain showers. I closed the store at 6PM and before dark, I went out again and checked the goats and chickens. Since we didn’t make fresh chevre today, we don’t have to spend additional hours this week flavoring and packaging. It is a light week for cheesemaking here.
After milking on Wednesday, we started with the normal cheesemaking room checks and cleaning. Johnny opened up the Farm Store at 9AM for the first customers and our youngest helper, Ellie, arrived for the day. She’s our 3 year old granddaughter who spends several days a week with us while her parents work. After breakfast, Ellie and I fed the goats, sheep, chickens and cows while Johnny began loading the car with our cheese, soap and recycled tote bags which I make out of livestock feed bags to go to the King Farmers Market at the Stokes Family YMCA. There we are part of a producer-only market where farmers grow what they sell. While Johnny was away, Ellie and I ran the Farm Store. After Johnny returned from the Market, we helped unload the car and put all the unsold items away. We had a good day at the market! Johnny cleaned the dairy and the remainder of the afternoon was spent running errands for the farm – – bank, Post Office, feed store, etc. I closed the store at 6PM and after supper, the goats were checked, the eggs were gathered and washed, the milking does were fed their dinner and I spend some time doing computer work – – social media, updating our website, sending and answering e-mails, etc. Tonight I spent some time searching for more round bales of hay for the winter. We didn’t get enough bales from our first hay cutting and we’ll be needing more for the animals during the winter months.
July 4 is a holiday for some, but not for us. Our routine is the same and our Farm Store will be open for shoppers as usual. We see lots of visitors on holidays and weekends from people going through Stokes County to Hanging Rock and other local attractions. Ten thousand cars go by our farm a day, and we hope that many of them will stop, visit and shop. Normally, Ellie is here on Thursday; but, since it is a holiday, she is with her family. We met with a gentleman from Siler City this morning who came to purchase several of my hunt training rabbits. We helped him select his rabbits and load them for their trip back to Siler City before the midday heat arrived. Johnny and I both spent the day sampling cheese and talking about the farm with lots of new visitors. After the store closed at 6PM, the goats and chickens were checked and now it is our time to eat. This evening we enjoyed some of our grass fed beef short ribs on the grill along with some fresh corn and a salad. Of course, the salad was topped with our feta! A cheesemaker friend in eastern North Carolina shared her favorite cheesecake recipe with us to try using goat cheese. Perhaps later tonight will be a good time to try it out and to be able to let the family pass judgment on it too. Our dairy has an inspected kitchen and this might be a good value added item for us to add to our product line. Since we don’t have a market on Thursday, today was our day to do all our grass mowing. With all the rain we’ve been having, it is hard to get the mowing done!
Friday was Farmers Market day at Reynolda Village in Winston-Salem! I was up early to get milking started at 6AM while Johnny loaded the car with our coolers of cheese, soap and recycled tote bags. The girls have a routine and they don’t like their 6AM wakeup call – – and neither do I. This is an early market for us that begins at 8AM with the majority of the sales happening between 8 and 10AM. Normally our son, Andy, works the market for us. However, today he had to work so I had to milk earlier in order to be finished in time to open up the Farm Store at 9AM and for Ellie’s arrival. After the store is opened, Ellie and I fed the goats, sheep, chickens and cows and then we got a chance to eat breakfast ourselves. Johnny returned from the market around 12:30. We unloaded what was left of the cheese, soap and recycled tote bags along with all the tables, coolers, chairs, tablecloths, information boards, etc. making sure that everything is clean and ready for tomorrow’s market. He bought some nice bread for us at the market today along with corn. After a quick lunch, Johnny headed down to the dairy to do his daily cleanup and then he fed the rabbits. After the store closed at 6PM, I gathered and washed the eggs and did the nightly feeding. Tonight we went out to eat at Olympic Restaurant in Walnut Cove and discussed Saturday’s farm plans over dinner.
Saturday was Farmers Market day at Cobblestone Farmers Market in Old Salem! It was an early morning again for me to get milking started at 6AM while Johnny and our son, Andy, loaded the coolers with our cheese and packed the car. This producers-only market begins at 9AM. This market requires two people from the farm at our table because of the volume of shoppers. Last week more than 2,000 people strolled through the market and this week it seemed as though there were just as many. Lots of sampling and questions are asked about our farm’s practices by people who want to know more about where their food comes from. We explain that we are a local farmstead micro dairy and how we are different from many other dairies. Farmstead means that we milk our own goats and the cheesemaking is done by us on the farm. We do not purchase outside milk. This is why it is so important for us to take good care of our girls and to keep them disease free. Without their milk, we cannot make cheese. They are a valuable part of our farm! We invite everyone to visit our Farm Store where they can visit the farm where the cheese comes from and to view our Farm Store’s video showing the milking and cheesemaking process. While Johnny and Andy were at the market, Ellie and I ran the Farm Store and fed all the animals. After Johnny returned from the market and cleaned up the dairy, Saturday afternoon was spent making cheese deliveries to several restaurants. The store closed at 6PM, and I checked the goats, gathered and washed the eggs and fed the milking does grain and alfalfa hay. Another week of markets is done. After supper, we sat down and planned next week’s activities which include a visit by a local 4-H group and children from Horizons Residential Care Center. Another busy week is in store for us next week!
This wraps up a typical week on our farm and we look forward to a leisurely Sunday morning before it all begins again but we wouldn’t have it any other way. If you are in the area, stop by or visit with us at any of the three farmers markets we attend weekly. You can find us at www.BuffaloCreekFarmandCreamery.com , on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BuffaloCreekFarmAndCreameryLLC or reach us at 336.969.5698.
Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC is a licensed Grade B goat dairy located just off of Germanton Road on Buffalo Creek Farm Road. They are a farmstead dairy selling raw milk aged goat cheese, fresh chevre, brined and marinated feta along with plain and flavored Farmers Cheese. Buffalo Creek Farm received their dairy license in October 2012 for their aged cheese and in March 2013 for their fresh cheese. They also sell grass fed beef, pasture raised lamb, pastured chicken, pastured eggs and goat’s milk soap along with other local products in their Farm Store which is open Monday – Saturday 9 – 6 and Sunday from 1 – 6.
Our farm was mentioned in the July 11, 2013 edition of The Stokes News
Local girl wins farmers market drawing
The winner of the June drawing at the King Farmers Market at the Stokes Family YMCA was Ana Jennings of King.
Ana, daughter of Don and Paula Jennings, has been a loyal customer of the market for several years and her parents have been avid local food supporters.
The monthly drawing is a new promotion for the market. For every purchase, the customer receives an entry for the monthly drawing. The more purchases a customer makes, the more chances he or she has to win. The farmers of the King Farmers Market all donate an item to contribute to the basket. This month’s basket included berries, greens, carrots, garlic, potatoes and more. The next drawing will be held on July 31.
The King Farmers Market is in its 15th year and is a producer-only market. All items sold must be grown or made by the farmer. The weekly market is on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Stokes Family YMCA.
Participating farms include Moser Manor, Enon Meadows Farm, In Season Garden, Felsbeck Farm, Alf Simmons Farm, Plum Granny Farm, Salty Dog Farm, Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, and Greenberries Farm. The market specializes in fresh locally grown vegetables, herbs, fruits, garlic, plants and fresh cut flowers plus eggs, jams, goats cheese, handmade soaps and crafts.
For more information about weekly items and events, visit the market’s Facebook page.
Our farm was featured in the June 26, 2013 edition of The Winston-Salem Journal
A feast for the fourth: Readers offer up their recipes for a tasty celebration
By: Michael Hastings/Winston-Salem Journal
In asking readers for favorite Fourth of July recipes, I received a nice mix of traditional and alternative choices.
Lee Morgan sent in several recipes. If you’re looking for a different, starchy side dish, try her sweet corn and basmati rice salad, which is tossed with pecans and a Dijon mustard vinaigrette.
“This corn and rice salad is just different from anything else, and the flavors and textures work very well together,” Morgan said.
“You get a nice crunch from both the corn and the nuts, but a different crunch from each, which is fun,” she said. “I sometimes can’t find watercress, so I just leave it out, and it’s fine without it, although it does bring a nice flavor to the dish.”
Arugula or baby spinach would make a good substitute for the watercress.
Speaking of spinach, Laura Buxenbaum, a registered dietitian with the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association, sent in a healthy “red, white and bleu” spinach salad, using off-white chickpeas that are toasted for optimal texture and flavor, along with Red Delicious apples and bleu cheese. And , like Morgan, she likes the salad with a mustardy dressing.
“Perhaps only a registered dietitian would think of spinach salad for a 4th of July meal, but I promise that guests will ask for seconds,” Buxenbaum said.
This salad is a “powerhouse of nutrition,” she said, and a good source of fiber and protein.
“Spinach is a super food : low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. It can help promote cardiovascular health, defend against cancer and improve brain function,” Buxenbaum said. The roasted chickpeas, which contain fiber and protein, “offer a unique substitute to the crunch of croutons, with less fat and more nutrition,” she said.
Finally, Jean Bailey of Advance sent in a traditional recipe for baked beans. And as much as I love making baked beans from scratch, on a busy day when I am cooking a big feast, it’s nice to be able to take a shortcut.
Bailey’s easy dish doctors canned pork and beans. Aside from cooking the bacon, the dish can be assembled in minutes.
“I do ribs a lot, and every time I do ribs, my family wants these baked beans,” she said.
Morgan just happened to submit a recipe for bourbon-flavored spareribs from the book “Smoke & Spice” by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison. This book won a James Beard award after its release in 1995, and if you make these ribs, you’ll see why.
Morgan likes to smoke the ribs, but said they can be cooked over indirect heat on a regular grill. Heck, they will even taste good cooked slowly in the oven.
“I’ve made it with both the barbecue sauce in the recipe and bottled barbecue sauce,” Morgan said. “As with most smoked recipes, it’s a great excuse to sit out on the deck with a good book and a tasty beverage for a good portion of the day while still doing something productive.”
For dessert, Robin Blakley sent in an easy recipe for blueberry tarts.
This keeps the preparation simple by using store-bought puff pastry. And because Blakley makes goat cheese at Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery in Germanton, she uses a base of sweetened goat cheese, though cream cheese could be substituted in a pinch.
Blakley said that the recipe comes from Marsha Torres, the pastry chef at Rhett’s Restaurant in Southern Pines.
“Of course, I like it because it uses goat cheese,” she said, “and during the July 4th holidays, we always have an abundance of fresh blueberries.”
Sweet Corn and Basmati Rice Salad
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 large ears yellow corn, husked
1 cup chopped green onions
2¼ cups water
1½ cups basmati rice (or long-grain white rice)
½ teaspoon salt , plus more to taste
1¼ cups coarsely chopped, toasted pecans
3 bunches watercress (about 12 ounces total), stems discarded
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Whisk red wine vinegar and mustard in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in ½ cup oil. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Using large sharp knife, cut corn kernels from cobs. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add green onions; sauté 30 seconds. Add corn; sauté until corn is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Vinaigrette and corn mixture can be prepared one day ahead. Cover separately, chill. Rewarm corn mixture over medium heat and rewhisk vinaigrette before using.)
Bring 2¼ cups of water to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Rinse rice in strainer. Add rice and ½ teaspoon salt to boiling water. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender (do not stir), about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.
Mix rice, corn mixture and pecans in large bowl. Mix in vinaigrette and watercress. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 8 servings.
Recipe submitted by Lee Morgan.
Baked Beans
2 cans (about 1 pound each) pork and beans
12 slices bacon, cooked until almost crisp
½ onion, finely chopped
1 cup ketchup
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon mustard
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a baking dish and bake uncovered 45 to 50 minutes.
Recipe submitted by Jean Bailey of Advance.
Red, White & Bleu Spinach Salad
Makes 4 servings
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained well
¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 10-ounce package fresh baby spinach, thoroughly washed
1 Red Delicious apple, thinly sliced
1 cup freshly slice white button mushrooms
3 ounces crumbled bleu cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toss chickpeas with 2 teaspoons of the oil; spread in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment or sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned and toasted. Cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes.
3. Whisk together remaining ¼ cup olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and black pepper until well blended. Layer spinach, apple, mushroom and cheese in a bowl; top with roasted chickpeas. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat.
Recipe submitted by Laura Buxenbaum, from the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association.
Bourbon Glazed Ribs
Barbecued rib rub:
1/3 cup ground black pepper
¼ cup paprika
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
3 full slabs of pork spareribs, preferably 3 pounds each or less (or baby-back ribs)
Bourbon mop (Optional):
¾ cup bourbon
¾ cup cider vinegar
½ cup water
Bour-B-Q sauce:
¼ cup butter
¼ cup oil, preferably canola or corn
2 medium onions, minced
¾ cup bourbon
2/3 cup ketchup
½ cup cider vinegar
½ cup fresh orange juice
½ cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1. The night before, combine rub ingredients in a bowl. Apply about half of the rub evenly to the ribs, reserving the other half. Place the ribs in a plastic bag and refrigerate them overnight.
2. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator 30 to 40 minutes before cooking them. Pat them down with the remaining rub.
3. Prepare the smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to 200 to 220 degrees. (The ribs can be cooked on a grill. Put the coals on one side of the grill and the ribs on the other, so they cook over indirect heat. Try to keep the temperature low.) If you plan to baste the meat, mix together the bourbon, vinegar and water. Warm the mop liquid over low heat.
4. Cook the ribs for about 4 hours, until tender, turning and mopping them after 1½ and 3 hours, or as needed. If using a grill rather than a smoker, cooking time may need to be adjusted. (Note that baby-back ribs will cook more quickly than spareribs; if cooking baby-back ribs, start checking them for doneness after 2 hours.)
5. While the meat is cooking, prepare the sauce so that it is ready to apply to the ribs about 45 minutes before the meat is done. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to turn golden. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens, about 40 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Brush the ribs with sauce once or twice in the last 45 minutes of cooking. Return the remaining sauce to the stove and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until reduced by one-third.
7. When the ribs are ready, the meat will bend easily between the ribs, and the sauce will be gooey and sticky. Allow the slabs to sit for 10 minutes before slicing them into individual ribs. Serve with the reduced sauce on the side.
Recipe submitted by Lee Morgan.
Blueberry Goat Cheese Tarts
Makes 8 to 12 tarts
2 to 3 sheets of puff pastry
1 cup goat cheese (or cream cheese, or a combination)
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 pint fresh blueberries, rinsed
Powdered sugar for sprinkling
Sliced strawberries (optional)
1. Mix goat cheese, honey, thyme, lemon juice and vanilla, and then fold in the fresh blueberries.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet (or two) with cooking spray. Cut a sheet of puff pastry into quarters, each about 4-by-4 inches. Fold each side of each quarter of puff pastry in to make a ledge all the way around and place on a sprayed baking sheet. Add some of the filling to each piece of puff pastry. Repeat until all filling is used.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with a few sliced strawberries, if desired.
Recipe adapted from Robin Blakley of Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery in Germanton.