Early May on the Farm
Time for use the spring bounty that is rhubarb!
Hello Friends of Leyden Glen Lamb,
I hope you have had a good week. The weather has been lovely, hasn’t it? The sheep are enjoying the green grass. Even had a couple more lambs born. Here’s a very short video. Sound on for wind, birds and bees.
It’s almost time to wean the bigger lambs. To do that we move their mamas out onto fenced pastures and the lambs stay in the barn. The ewes are more than ready to have a break from nursing their babies and getting back into condition.
It’s rhubarb season! My little patch is really producing. Every year I make this Persian Lamb and Rhubarb Stew. The flavors are so wonderful and it’s good to find a way to use my generous rhubarb. We’ve just picked up a new batch of leg chunks that are perfect to use in this recipe.
One of my other favorite uses for rhubarb is Rhubarb Ginger Syrup. Here’s an easy recipe. Nice to add to seltzer or enjoy with a spot of gin. And here is a fascinating article about how they grow rhubarb in the dark in the UK. Who knew?
Did you know we have a very small self-serve lamb store here at our farm? It’s amazing the people who venture into the unknown following Google to discover our farm. The other day, this multi-generational family drove here from Quincy. I happened to be outside so helped them out. The grandparents and mom didn’t speak any English so the grandson translated. It was so much fun to share the cuts of meat with them and explain what parts of the animal they came from. They chose some shoulder chops and racks of lamb. One of the most interesting parts of having a sheep farm is all the folks you meet here at the farm and at the Farmers Market. I wish I could have tasted what they made.
We’ll be at the Amherst Farmers Market tomorrow from 8 to 1:30. Stop by and say hi. There are plenty of new vendors to discover. I’ll have my handmade tea towels and ceramics too. It’s a great way to spend a day. The self-serve lamb store is open daylight hours. Cash or checks only unless I am around.
See you soon.
Your shepherds,
Kristin and Mark