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BN 20: Apples, DIY & Homesteading

posted on

September 14, 2024

Hello from TF!!

[sorry, a bit long, since this is Tuesday & today's emails in one. 😬]

We originally purchased this property because we wanted to grow some of our own food and become self-sufficient.

As we tried finding ways to leave the day jobs and generate some income, we started selling some of the excess, like meats and soaps and then decided we much preferred bringing folks to the farm instead of the farm to the city and that's when Burger Night was born!

So while we may not exactly be homesteaders right now like we originally envisioned, we strongly encourage others that are interested in learning anything about anything and to do whatever they can!

Live in a tiny city apartment? Make sourdough!

Anyone can go to the farmers market and get to fermenting!

Make your own apple cider vinegar (seriously, nothing could be easier and Bragg's is no longer good, another food lost to corporate control). 

We were crazy overwhelmed trying to learn every single skill (we even had a milk cow) so the more you can learn now, before you have the land or the farm, the better and easier it'll be!

Currently on your property and already doing it? Keep adding more and more skills to your repertoire! Maybe it's time to see if there are things you don't know....have you fermented your own hot sauce to enjoy on all those eggs yet?? Or, have you made your own mead from all your honey?? What do you know about knots?

And, no matter what, you can start compiling or growing your library of resources now.

Remember, the Internet is dead. AI has killed it - you can trust nothing your eyes show you on there now and forget googling for answers, the answers are all bought and paid for, it's a "good ol' boys club" now and finding answers will require some work.

Good ol' books. Knowledge and experience written down for you to learn from. By folks actually doing it (not an algorithm). 

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What do you want to learn? 

(also, we're thinking about winter workshops so hit reply and tell me what you would prefer to learn in-person!)

The problem is that these authors are not you, we all have different resources, abilities, etc, but you don't know what you don't know, so you just gotta start. Kinda like how our steep hills throw most of the pastured pig stuff right out the window but we didn't really realize that until we started doing the things. 

Just do it. (ugh, corporate even took "just do it".)

If you lose your house, the stock market crashes, your car is repossessed, you WILL sill HAVE your knowledge and your skills. 

You can't lose what you know. Even if the wifi is off. 

I mean, not that any of those things are going to happen but learning new skills is very empowering.


Even if you don't become a homesteading hero and never own a square foot of ground, it will help you appreciate the folks doing it even more!

Suddenly $10 for a loaf of sourdough is worth every penny, driving to get a gallon of A2/A2 milk in the afternoon? wow. how easy life is. $20 for a quart of health-creating sauerkraut? why so cheap? $10 for happy beyond organic eggs? I was paying more for artificial multivitamins I peed out! $20 for a lb of organically raised 100% gf/gf beef delivered to my door with a few clicks....I'm not sure life can get any better. 😄

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Food making kits!
Not pictured: drink making kits: beer, mead, wine and more!
(Also, make an awesome gift!!)

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Think you can't make your own loaf of bread? Wrong. Andy makes amazing bread with almost zero effort! (He got his recipe from Laos at Lazy Monk Brewing, so see? It's all about spreading knowledge and encouragment!)
You can definitely do it too. 
🥖🤩

Farm Store Sales

For the readers or library-builders we've got books for sale on: 

  • fermenting
  • chickens
  • canning
  • sourdough
  • raising bees
  • raising chickens
  • general self-sufficiency
  • homesteading how-to
  • and more!

For the doers, we've got the following kits and supplies on sale

  • Sourdough
  • Seed kits: flowers, herbs, salsa, pizza, veggies
  • Quick pickles
  • Fermented pickles
  • Kombucha starter kit (will make enough for the rest of your life!)
  • Fermented hot sauce
  • Cheese making: Italian or Mexican
  • Wine making: pinot grigio or cabernet sauvignon
  • Beer making: IPA, Ale or Oak-aged ale
  • Hard cider
  • Hard seltzer
  • and more!

And finally, for the person who is a little bit of both and also wants to TRY what others have done, we have this week's Bundle of the Week! (Also great if you like saving as much as possible.

  • 8 products homesteaders produce (pork sausage, sauerkraut, tallow skin cream, sourdough crackers, honey, beeswax candles, apple pie jelly, maple syrup
  • 2 DIY kits (seeds & pickles)

Over 20% off at just $74! 

Shop the Sale

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Homesteaders Sampling Kit is the Bundle of the Week!
We would be able to ship or deliver this, just hit reply that you'd like to order one since it's not listed in the online store.

AVEnue Orchard is back on our farm Friday AND Saturday, slingin' their amazing homemade products and this week's BOTW will feature their Apple-Jalapeno jelly, along with fresh apple, pepperjack and more. 🍎🍏🍎🍏 

Burger of the Week: Applejacks Burger

  • Avenue Orchards Apple-Jalapeno jelly
  • Apple slaw
  • Pepperjack cheese
  • Smoky bacon
  • 100% grassfed beef patty
  • A toasted ciabatta bun
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The Applejacks Burger is a another new one, so no picture yet, but check out how productive one of our little apple trees was this year! Not too bad for literally doing nothing except cutting off a branch every couple years. Well, we did plant that comfrey around it a long time ago, but that's it.
Don't know why there's comfrey everywhere? Ask me! (or grab one of those aforementioned books. 😉 Also, feel free to take some!)

Thursday, September 12

Save 20% on the Burger of the Week

Trivia is over for the year. :( :( :(

Andy still has that gosh darn day job and there is SO MUCH we want to get done this fall so I'll be bartending so he can work.

I'm always happy to ask you some questions whilst pouring beer though so maybe I should say "organized trivia" is over, the questions can go on.

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Friday, September 13

Meet the Makers! 5ish-8ish

Bring your questions and get ready to try some unique products you didn't know you loved & needed! 💚
 
AVEnue Orchard

Try their infused syrups before committing to a bottle, be sure to try the savory ones too, like the black umami garlic and they have drink mixes!! (Reminder about upcoming holidays!)

LIVE MUSIC from "Q" aka Quenten Brown, 5-8pm

Singer, songwriter, art teacher, artist, and landscaper, ”Q”, aka Quenten Brown, has spent the last 20 years running the ridges, playing every bar, front porch, beer garden, private event that he can, and enjoying the experiences that each unique venue brings along the way.
The result is an engaging uplifting experience for both performer and audience. Songs are delivered with a wink and a nod, ensuring that all are ‘in’ on the curious experiment that is a live performance.

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This is our first time having Q at the farm!
You can expect to hear music by the Black Crowes, Mellencamp, Stevie Ray, Tom Petty, and Springsteen and a few originals too!

Saturday, September 14

LIVE MUSIC from TravAce, 5-8pm

TravAce is a seasoned singer-musician with a voice that will warm your soul. He has kept the party alive across the Tri-State Area for 25+ years. He plays everything from Classic Country to Classic Rock and sprinkles Party Anthems in between. His voice and guitar will bring the energy wherever he plays solo or with his band. 

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Another first-timer! TravAce is a seasoned singer-musician with a voice that will warm your soul. Let's warm his with a warm welcome!

Sunday, September 15

Family Day! Buy one get one FREE kids meals all day! 

Speaking of kids....

Save the Date 

Family Fun Day, Sat, Sept 28

Every day is a family fun day, but the 28th will be a little extra special with some help from our friends. Hope you can join us!

UPDATES & REMINDERS

The "ish"s are back on Friday and Saturday night closing times since it gets dark early and can get very cold early. We may close at 8:30 if the weather and darkness lead us to believe no one else is coming, so if you are coming after 8pm, call or text to make sure the kitchen will be ready for you!

The bar and fire keep going until everyone's had enough though. So no hurry there. Just one more. :)

End of the season is coming ❄

Sunday, October 6th is our official last Burger Night of 2024.

We may do pop-ups on the weekends if the weather is nice, depends on how the pre-winter projects are moving along. Let us know if you want to help! 

Now get out there and make something!! (and we'd love if you came to enjoy the music, food and beer others are making on our farm soon too.) 

Your farmer & project-loving friend, 

Stephanie Schneider

p.s. Only 3 more weeks after this one! 

More from the blog

Burger Night Week 12 (of 23)

Burger Night is open, rain or shineThursday & Friday 4pm-9pmSaturday noon-9pmSunday noon-7pm We are halfway through Week 12 of the Burger Night season!  And we are now also past the halfway point of the 2025 season. The weather appears to be relenting for this weekend! Looks like we're going to have no rain and 70s today and Sunday!  How marvelous. (Next weekend is looking rainy again.)  We've got another fantastic Burger of the Week. We haven't done this one since 2020 and we've revamped it significantly....most notably, we've added a little hat. :)  And, our oldest daughter Mady has been working at Chipotle for a few years now so if the crema and pico remind you of anything from there, that's probably why.  Cow in a Sombrero 2.0 🐄🌵 ✅ 100% grassfed beef patty ✅ Melty pepperjack cheese ✅ Cool, zesty cilantro-lime crema ✅ A scoop of our farm-made pico de gallo ✅ A generous slather of refried bean spread ✅ Crispy deep-fried corn tostada ✅ Topped with that golden toasted bun sombrero-style It’s crunchy, creamy, juicy, cheesy, and a little bit ridiculous (in the best way).  It's hard to get a picture with that big brim in the way.------------------------------------------------ Saturday, July 19th LIVE MUSIC from Jack Willems 5:30-8:30pm Meet Jack Willems: a young, high-energy country artist who's turning heads across Northern Wisconsin. With a love for hunting, fishing, and country tunes, Jack brings an outdoorsy, Midwest vibe to every show. His viral TikTok performance of “Wagon Wheel” (3.5M+ views!) launched him into the spotlight, and now he's hitting the live music circuit with a mission to entertain. Jack’s shows are full of fun, heart, and crowd sing-alongs, don’t miss your chance to catch this rising star live and help support his journey! Jack Willems: young, high-energy, and recently viral on TikTok. Think acoustic classics, country vibes, and tons of fun.------------------------------------------------ Sunday, July 20th 1/2 off kids meals all day (note that this deal will be ending soon because we're replacing it with something even better!).3 - 5:30pm: Free Xtreme Bingo for the folks over 21 (deluxe prizes pictured below) and free Kids Bingo for the folks under 21! ✨ Remember, you can't win if you don't play! ✨ FARM FUN! Saturday, July 26th Farm tour: Real Farming, Real Food, Real Talk Take a peek behind the Burger Night tables and see what really goes into raising honest, regenerative food. From pigs to pastures, you’ll get unfiltered access to the farm, the farmers and the animals, with a few opinions on our current food and “health” systems thrown in for good measure. Must be 18+ to ride.  Tickets here.   Sold out? More spots may open up as we get closer, stay tuned!  Sunday, July 27th Fungi Foray 🍄 As you've probably noticed, we're having another WET year and this is about PEAK season, so LOTS of shrooms are going to be found!  During our last wet year they found nearly 100 varieties in 2 hours, so this year will be another great one!  Tickets here. Don't wait to grab your tickets! We need time to arrange for additional instructors if the class gets too full for just Tavis to manage.  Wednesday, August 20th Wine dinner! 6 plates + 4 wines. Tickets will be posted soon! For now, save the date!  We have a group coming in for a farm tour and there are a few spots open on the wagon so we thought we'd open this up to the public - likely our only tour of 2025. Tickets. NEW: 18+ only please. Farm Store Updates New t-shirts are finally starting to roll in! You can grab your favorite one online too and we can ship these anywhere for a flat $9 (free for orders over $179)! Lots of our $99 Bundles of Month are packed and ready to go home with you and make cooking & eating even easier than pie (much easier, in fact).  Speaking of dessert, before you leave the farm be sure to grab yourself a sweet treat for the walk to parking lot. Here’s what we’re currently scooping up: 🍨 Vanilla 🍨 Raspberry Cheesecake 🍨 Cookies & Cream 🍨 Mocha Mud Pie 🍨 Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough 🍨 Cherry Garden 🍨 Mackinac Island Fudge 🍧 Mango Sorbet (dairy-free!) Come grab a scoop (or a flight!) and make your summer just a little sweeter. 💛 Two new TF shirts printed locally in Mondovi!! Grab yours today! Sold out? We'll be doing re-prints often so check back!------------------------------------------------ Sorry for the delay in getting this one out - there were lots of new things to add (with more on the way!).  Love you lots! 💚 Steph ------------------------------------------------ No dogs, carry-ins or reservations (please let us know about groups though). $10 min on cards, ATM on-site. 📍 w93 Norden Rd, Mondovi, WI 54755 See the menus and learn more: togetherfarms.com/burger-night Don't take my word for it, check out the google reviews to see what others think, here's an example from Cindy: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great first time experience at the Farm. Friendly, organized bingo day of fun.

Rainy Cow Chaos, Beer Can Chicken, and a Local FFA Superstar

From calf chaos during Burger Night to pasture-raised poultry raised by a local FFA student, this week’s farm update is full of real-life stories, good food, and summer magic. Don’t miss the featured Beer Can Chicken recipe made with Sami Risen’s Rise’n Shine chicken -available now in our July Bundle of the Month!

with customization by Grapevine Local Food Marketing