BN 20: Apples, DIY & Homesteading

written by

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).

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. 😄

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

Burger Night Isn't Done Yet! 🍔 Fall Pop-Ups Oct 10 & 11

Well, apparently we aren't quite done yet!! 🎉 Our regular 2026 Burger Night season officially ended October 4th (THANK YOU for another GREAT year!), but Wisconsin has decided to give us a little more beautiful fall weather and who are we to argue?! So we're firing up the grills for TWO more days of burgers, drinks, bingo, live music and even HELICOPTER RIDES! And since we have absolutely no idea how many more nice weekends Wisconsin will give us, we suggest taking advantage of this one. 😁 Saturday, October 10th | 12-8pm We've got a pretty fun Saturday planned! 1pm: FREE Bingo! Come play a few rounds with us!2-6pm: HELICOPTER RIDES! 🚁 Yep, Ace Helicopters will be at the farm taking you up, up and away to see the gorgeous fall colors. 4-7pm: Open Mic with Caleb Horne! 🎶 Caleb will be hosting an afternoon of live music and open mic performances! Our first open mic ever! And of course, the kitchen and bar will be open from noon until 8pm, so come hungry and ready for an adventure! Come for lunch, stay for bingo, hop in a helicopter, sing a song, eat another burger....feels like this could be one of those Saturday's you remember forever. Sunday, October 11th | 12-7pm If you can't make Saturday, or you just want to come back again (we fully support this decision), Sunday is going to great too! 1pm: FREE Bingo! Another chance to play! $11k jackpot? That would make the winter season a little sunnier. 1/2 OFF select tap beers! 🍺 4-7pm: Live music with Corey Rae White! 🎶 A great way to spend a fall Sunday afternoon. Burgers, music, bingo and kegs that need your help....sounds like the makings for an epic Sunday Funday! Corey Rae White is an award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist known for energetic, interactive shows packed with classic country, rock, blues, folk and more. With 30 years of professional experience, he brings great music, humor and plenty of crowd interaction to every show. Sounds like the perfect musician to put the exclamation point on the last minute of the last (?) day of the 2026 Burger Night season. 🤘 FARM STORE UPDATES First things first: we have new winter Farm Store hours! Winter Farm Store Hours:Mon-Wed: ClosedThurs-Sat: 12-6pSun: 12-5p And yes, the Farm Store will be open during both Burger Night pop-ups, so make sure you wander in while you're here because we've got a few things happening in there too. For starters, there's a brand new ice cream product HERE now that we think you're going to LOVE. We also already had to reorder some of the new Together Farms swag we just launched, so if you stopped in and the size you wanted was gone, definitely check again. We're working on getting those holes filled back in! And then there's Christmas. 🎄 We're not going FULL Christmas quite yet. We'll be decorating the Farm Store at the end of October, so stop by starting November 1 to see the transformation. BUT...we have way too much fun Christmas stuff to keep all of it hidden until then, so you'll see a little Christmas preview table in front of the Farm Store in the meantime. Consider it your opportunity to get a head start on what can be one of the most stressful parts of the holidays: figuring out what in the world to buy people. If you've got someone who's hard to shop for, keep Together Farms in mind. We've got meat, food, farm goods, fun gifts, Together Farms swag and all kinds of things you won't find everywhere else. And if the person you're shopping for doesn't live nearby, we can ship their gift directly to them for you, too. One less thing for you to figure out in December. You're welcome. 😁 So, is Burger Night still open for the season? Not exactly. We're officially in POP-UP MODE! That means when the weather cooperates and we can pull everything together, we may decide to fire up the grills again. Our regular Thursday-Sunday Burger Night schedule is officially finished for 2026. Maybe we'll get another weekend. Maybe this is it. It's Wisconsin in October. Your guess is as good as ours. And now that we're officially in pop-up mode, there's one thing you should do: 📱 DON'T MISS THE NEXT POP-UP Text BURGER NIGHT to 715-200-8333 to sign up for Burger Night texts. From here on out, pop-ups will depend on the weather and may come together pretty quickly. Texting is the best way to make sure you hear about them and don't miss out. In the meantime, we'd LOVE to see you this weekend! Come eat a burger, enjoy the farm, support some live music, maybe take a helicopter ride and soak up what's left of this beautiful Wisconsin fall. Because we all know what's coming next, and I'm not ready to talk about it. ❄️ Hope to see you on the farm! Steph (& the rest of the TF family) ❤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Google review from Nick: "One of the best burgers around. You will not leave hungry. Large selection of drink. Staff, Wisconsin friendly, so top notch for the uninitiated. The backdrop of woods, pond and pasture of the northern driftless area is the icing in the cake. Can't wait to visit again."