Year: 2021

02 Sep 2021
Featured, Idea, Learn, Local Food Peter Wheeler 0 comment

Raising Turkeys at Greenacres

Raising Turkeys at Greenacres

Commercially produced turkeys are usually raised in huge indoor warehouses, a completely different life than turkeys raised at Greenacres. From August to November, our livestock crew cares for hundreds of turkeys that arrive as day-old poults. They spend their first few weeks in a brooder, a heated housing unit, until they’re old enough to regulate their own body temperature and live outside.

Turkeys Belong Outside

After 4-5 weeks, the young turkeys are big enough to move outdoors, but still too small to leave unprotected. They spend the next 3 weeks on pasture while housed in our poultry tractors, protected from predators while being moved to fresh grass daily. Their nitrogen- rich manure is a key component in building our soil fertility.

Once they are large enough to no longer be attractive to a hawk or owl, they are released from the tractors to large fenced paddocks where they are frequently rotated through the pasture. We keep our bulls nearby to discourage coyotes. Turkeys instinctively roost up off the ground to protect themselves from predators, so we provide roosting houses that were custom designed by our livestock manager and fabricated by our estate crew.

A Healthy Lifestyle

What do our turkeys eat? Birds are omnivores, needing a variety of plant and animal foods to stay healthy. In addition to the insects, grasses, clover, etc. they forage, we also provide a locally produced, non-GMO turkey feed. This well-rounded diet, in addition to all the exercise they get from roaming the pasture, results in a much more delicious turkey.

All livestock handling and housing arrangements on our farm meet or exceed Certified Humane guidelines. Our turkeys are carefully loaded into our trailer before Thanksgiving and driven by our staff to our poultry butcher; a small, family owned, USDA inspected facility only 80 miles from our farm. Here they are humanely processed and packaged for your Thanksgiving dinner.

The Greenacres Difference

So what’s the difference? Why go through all this trouble to raise our turkeys? Because all these choices make a difference. Our efforts result in healthier birds who live happier lives, healthier conditions for our staff, healthier soils, and a healthier, more delicious turkey to grace your holiday table. A note about feathers… The turkey you typically buy at the grocery store has been bred to have white feathers, a genetic trait selected so feathers aren’t as visible, at the expense of overall turkey health and flavor. Our turkeys have bronze feathers, which may occasionally be visible on the turkey you bring home – simply remove before cooking.

23 Jul 2021
Recipe Jen Langdon 0 comment

Quick Pork Chorizo Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

Quick Pork Chorizo Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

Try something new this Taco Tuesday! Our cook-and-serve chorizo pork sausage is the perfect taco filling (or quesadilla filling, or nacho topper…) Paired with a quick cabbage and carrot slaw, you can have a fun and filling supper on the table in about 30 minutes!

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

For the slaw

  • 1 head cabbage
  • 2 carrots
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • 3/4 tsp celery seed
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the tacos

  • 1 lb pork chorizo
  • 10 small corn tortillas
  • Other topping ideas: sour cream, pickled onion, lime, hot sauce, etc. to your taste

Instructions
 

  • In a skillet over medium heat, thoroughly cook the sausage.
  • While the sausage is cooking, shred the cabbage. Toss cabbage and salt in the basket of your salad spinner or in a colander set over a bowl or in your sink. The salt will draw out some of the moisture from the cabbage and keep your slaw from getting too watery. Allow cabbage to sit with the salt for at least 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, shred the carrot. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mayonnaise, celery seed and pepper to create the slaw dressing.
  • When the sausage is thoroughly cooked, drain the cabbage by using your salad spinner or squeezing it with your hands in the colander, allowing the water to drain. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrot, and slaw dressing, tossing to combine.
  • Heat the tortillas in a skillet or over the open flame on a gas stovetop. Stuff tortillas with the sausage, slaw, and any other toppings of your choice!
14 Jul 2021
Featured, News Peter Wheeler 0 comment

Greenacres Acquires Michaela Farm in Oldenburg

Greenacres Acquires Michaela Farm in Oldenburg

Greenacres has officially acquired Michaela Farm from the Sisters of St. Francis of Oldenburg. Conversations and visits between the Sisters and Greenacres began in 2019 and it quickly became apparent that the missions of both parties were very much aligned, eventually leading to formal contract negotiations beginning in 2020 and the closing being finalized this past week.

“We’re excited for what’s next,” says Carter Randolph, Greenacres president. “When working on a project with so much history in the community you want to make sure things are done the right way. For us, that meant taking our time working with the Sisters, learning the values of the organization, and the things that make it so special. As we work to incorporate our mission in Oldenburg, we want to make sure that we preserve those ideals too.” says Randolph.

Now that the sale is official, Greenacres will begin the process of evaluating the property and what it will need in order to begin field trips for local school children potentially as early as spring of 2022. This means looking at things like improved school bus access and accessible trails for all visiting children. Currently, Greenacres serves about 30,000 students in Cincinnati and hopes this acquisition will help expand their ability to educate surrounding communities.

In addition to the education enhancements, Greenacres will maintain the traditions of the farm using generative practices to produce healthy, sustainable products to offer in the Farm Store. “Knowing that the farm will continue to thrive with an agriculture system that we believe in is everything we could have asked for,” says Daniel Wilds, Greenacres Michaela Farm Manager. “We hope our customers stick with us through the transition, as we will still have the products they have come to love and we are thrilled to be able to expand those offerings in coming years,” says Wilds.

Being good neighbors is a key component of the Greenacres mission, so community engagement will also be a top priority. As part of this process, Greenacres will continue to work with the Sisters of St. Francis to learn about the relationships that built Oldenburg and Batesville. “We feel blessed to pass on these sacred acres to a non-profit organization that will honor our farm’s 167-year history and enhances our vision and hopes for its use. The influence of Michaela Farm will expand as its treasures will be shared by a growing number of people, both students and adults, who visit there.” says Sister Delouise Menges, OSF.

Greenacres Foundation was founded in 1988 and was Louis and Louise Nippert’s gift to the community. Combining their love of the land and farming with their appreciation of Cincinnati’s classical arts, Greenacres provides educational programming to over 30,000 local students annually while preserving and generatively farming over 1,200 acres in the Greater Cincinnati area.

The Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, Indiana are the modern legacies of the 800-year-old Franciscan traditions. They are part of a worldwide community of over one million vowed and secular Franciscan men and women who live and pray with us and around us. In 1851, they began an educational endeavor—the foundational seed of the Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception, and later Marian College—as a way to fulfill the mission and requirement to provide education to the community.

For more information please send inquiries to: mail@green-acres.org.

27 May 2021
Recipe Jen Langdon 0 comment

Sous Vide Sirloin Steak with Herb Butter

Sous Vide Sirloin Steak with Herb Butter

You’ve probably heard some hubbub about sous vide, and how perfectly it cooks steaks. If you haven’t tried it yet…it’s definitely worth exploring! It’s our preferred method of cooking grassfed steaks, ensuring perfectly cooked results every time. The meat is gently heated in a water bath at precisely the temperature you choose, which makes it impossible to overcook. We prefer our steak cooked to an internal temperature of 135º (medium-rare). The sous vide circulator itself can be an investment – ask around and see if your neighbor/coworker/friend has one you can borrow for your first try, and see for yourself why it’s widely been touted as the greatest way to cook any steak!

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Sirloin Steak
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil or any other high-heat compatible oil
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh oregano
  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme

Instructions
 

To Sous Vide and Sear Steak:

  • Fill a large, deep container with water. Set up your sous vide circulator and heat the water to 135º.
  • Season thawed steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Seal steak in a heavyweight, watertight plastic bag, removing all air with a vacuum sealer or by the water displacement method: submerge all but one corner of an almost sealed zip-top bag in the water, and finish sealing the last corner after all the air escapes. You can also sous vide your steak without seasoning in its original, unopened vacuum sealed packaging, and add seasoning before searing.
  • Completely submerge the sealed bag in the water bath, weighting if necessary. Allow to cook in the water bath at least 1 hour, but you can leave it in the water for up to 3 hours to work with the timing of the rest of your meal.
  • Once steak is cooked, remove it from the water bath and discard the plastic bag. Pat dry with paper towels. The steak will look quite unappetizing and gray at this stage, but is perfectly cooked inside.
  • To Sear: rub steak on all sides with 1Tbsp of oil, and heat remaining oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until just smoking. Sear steak for about 1 minute on each side, until a deep brown crust forms. Remove steak from the pan and allow to rest. Remove pan from the heat.
  • Make the herb butter: Add butter and herbs to the empty skillet off-heat. The residual heat in the pan will be enough to brown the butter and activate the aromatics. Use a spoon or spatula to scrape any tasty browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Serve steak drizzled with the herb butter.
  • For the most thorough instructions on sous vide steaks, check out the Anova Sous Vide Steak Guide: https://anovaculinary.com/sous-vide-steak/

To Grill Steak:

  • Allow steak to come to room temperature before grilling for maximum tenderness. Pat steak dry with paper towels, and rub on all sides with 1Tbsp vegetable oil. Season steak generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
  • Preheat grill to high heat. Place steak on the grill and cook 4-5 minutes before turning and continuing to cook 3-4 minutes on the second side for medium rare (internal temperature of 135º).
  • Remove steak from the grill and allow to rest. In a small skillet, heat butter over medium heat until beginning to brown. Add herbs and stir until butter is well browned and very aromatic. Serve steak drizzled with the herb butter.
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