This summer has been one of the most challenging and rewarding seasons I’ve ever experienced here at Cortez Creamery. When we first leased those 100 acres to grow the farm, the ground felt lifeless—almost like it had given up. But with a lot of hard work, several thousand dollars in irrigation repairs, new sprinklers to save water, and carefully chosen cover crop seeds, I’m beginning to see the land come back to life. It’s a reminder that even when things seem bleak, with enough care and patience, we can turn things around.
I’m also excited (and maybe a little nervous) about Pixie, one of our most cherished cows, is due to have her calf soon. The sire, Change Up, is an exceptional bull, and I can’t help but hope for a heifer. It feels like a small beacon of hope in a year filled with so much hard work and uncertainty.
Balancing our milk supply with the shares we need to fill has been especially difficult lately. First, our cream separator broke down at the worst possible time, and just when we thought we had things under control, we discovered that our spring calf had been drinking milk from two other cows, including her mother. I was wondering why she was growing so fast! We had to wean her quickly and at the same time take Pixie off the milk line so her body could prepare for her new calf. These challenges led to some shortages in cream and butter, and I can’t thank you enough for your understanding and patience as we navigated through it all.
Taking a leap of faith, I decided to start raising meat animals again this year. Honestly, my timing could have been better, with everyone focused on their fall harvests while our pigs and lambs won’t be ready until spring. But with butcher dates booked out 12 months in advance, it was the best we could do. My goal is to find a family for each of our lambs and pigs to feed, so we can raise them here and ensure they live a happy life living free on grass and only have one bad day. The thought of sending them to auction breaks my heart, and I’m doing everything I can to avoid that. If you would like one to feed your family please visit www.rockyridgefarm.org to place a deposit!
I’m thrilled to share that we’re now offering weekly meat deliveries to our milk customers. If you order from our store, I’ll make sure it’s delivered right alongside your milk—because I want to make things as easy as possible for you. you will also find this on the Rocky Ridge Website.
Lastly, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for sticking with me, for supporting Cortez Creamery during these uncertain times. Your loyalty and kindness mean more to me than I can express.
I also want to know more about you! If you have a side hustle or small business, please tell me about it. I would love to support you in return and share your endeavors with our community.
Thank you for being part of this journey with me. Here’s to brighter days ahead.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Your Farmer
Hannah
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