Last Post?

Those of you who have followed www.animistbridgesforchrist.blogspot.com will have some awareness that my life took an unexpected turn last February.  I was down in Colombia South America doing language consulting for Global Recordings Network--  An occupation that I did for over ten years after graduating from college and specialized linguistic training in 1965.  It is a mission that I love "telling the story of Jesus in every language". (Actually 6,586 right now.)

Anyway, I got a call to go back to headquarters in Temecula, California to help look for a director.  The long and the short of it is that I became that Executive Director and am now fully engaged in national and international administration.  I told the board on taking that position that I had commitments to my beef customers which I would have to fulfill in October.  They agreed to that.

It is very clear that I will not be able to stay in the cattle business.  This will almost certainly be the last year I can process beef.  There is a possibility that family members can keep up that tradition but that is by no means a sure thing.  You will certainly be informed if that is the case.

So, on October 5 our plan is to begin the butchering process.  Having been out of State most of the year I do not have a crew yet nor have I stocked up banana boxes for the processed orders so we will be asking folks to bring your own boxes when you get the call to pick up your meat.

Also on October 12 I am putting my equipment and trucks into an auction that is going to liquidate my late brother's estate.  If you are interested in a no minimum bid on some good running trucks or a bobcat and diesel truck shop equipment you can see the ad on Jennifer DeVilbiss' Facebook page or call her at 354 6739.

If you don't get an e mail from me confirming an order soon it means that you did not get your name on this year's meat list.  You should e mail me soon if you want a side of beef- perhaps the last grass fed and grass finished beef you can get from Wolverine Farm.  E mail at carrots@mtaonline.net.  Telephone 907 355 0733.

2018 Recap

2018 was marked with many firsts.

It was the first summer in over 30 years that there were no newborn calves on the farm.  Last year's calves overwintered in Delta Junction and came back for the summer but participating in the joy of new life was something I missed.  All of our breed stock are now dispersed to other producers who are maintaining our practices of natural, grass fed beef.  We did learn that containing the yearling feeders that came down for the summer was very different from  our traditional fencing used for our breed stock.  We ended up with calves out roaming the country for very too much of the summer!

Another first that turned out to not be such a hot idea was getting into raw ("green") organ production for dogs.  We actually tried it on ten of our first animals but concluded that dealing with stomaches and other organ meat and the incident rumen involved was not compatible with our human food production with our current infrastructure so we aborted that effort.  I did develop a genuine appreciation for the complexity of cow stomaches.

This was the first year we exclusively used film and butcher paper to wrap all cuts with sharp bones.  We may be able to move back more to vacuum bags next year because we have found a new source for heavier 5 mil plastic which might be able to handle the bones without leaking.

This year we were asked for "kalbi" ribs by three of our customers so we learned how to cut short ribs in the Korean tradition.  I haven't heard back yet on whether we got passing grades for that effort.

Our marketing incentive to reward customers that brought new orders for a second side of beef with a 10% discount (and even up to 20% for some) was very successful.  I plan to continue that practice for next year.  It was so successful that we were short a few sides of beef.  That is a reminder to get as high as possible on the order list so you aren't down on the bottom and get left out.  To place an order all that is necessary is an e mail with a verification of a phone number, an estimate of the size you will want, and any exclusion windows when you might not be available for pick up next fall.  E mail address is carrots@mtaonline.net

We ended the season with a good supply of hamburger and summer sausage so if you need more please feel free to let me know.

Our plan next year is to be set up with freezer capacity such that we won't need to be so pressured to get the meat from the processing room to your freezer.  It will mean that you will need to bring coolers or boxes to transfer the meat from freezer baskets into your car.

It is my plan to spend as much time as possible this winter down in South America doing Bible Translation work with tribes that we worked with over 50 years ago.  That was such a joy last winter and if you want to follow those ventures you can follow www.animistbridgesforchrist.blogspot.com

Larry DeVilbiss
907 355 0733

2018 Harvest season is underway

This is what a hanging side of beef looks like.  This cooler will be full for most of the next month.

Thanks to a custom adaptor we can now "loaf" our hamburger into chubs.  Most of you will get two 1 pound chubs vacuum packaged into a single bag- each on its own wax paper backing.

About Our Beef

Ten guarantees:

1. Grass fed and finished.
2. Alaska born and raised.
3. Age of your beef will be 18 months or less (except by special arrangement).
4. Antibiotic, steroid, and hormone supplement free.
5. Fully integrated farm to freezer process right on the farm customized to your orders.
6. Customer visitation rights.
7. Customer money back satisfaction.
8. Wholesale prices on minimum order of 1/2 a beef- $4.50 lb hanging, $1 lb processed.
9. Discount for bringing a new customer- 10%.
10. Direct contact with the farmer- Larry DeVilbiss
       907 355 0733, email- carrots@mtaonline.net

Wolverine Farm beef comes with these guarantees that make it unique and because of which we have loyal customers that have been with us since we switched from milk to meat in the '80s.
 We specialize in "grass fed and finished" meat.  That means that the chemicals and stresses of barley, soy, corn and wheat fattened animals are absent.  You can learn a lot about the advantages of grass fed cattle on the web.  A classic that is informative is "The Omnivore's Delight".

You can confirm your name on the order list for a side of beef by contacting me.

Larry DeVilbiss

Present Pleasure- Future Hamburger

First Calves of 2018- Delta Junction

The first calves of the season.  Remember, this year all the babies will be born in Delta Junction.

Beef Byproducts

In an effort to extract the maximum value from our cattle we are doing things like rendering the fat to produce tallow.  We sell tallow raw in reclaimed ice cream buckets.  I have come to exclusively use tallow for cooking in my kitchen.  We sell gallon buckets for $20.  For our personal use we put the tallow in cup cake holders for use on the stovetop for greasing the skillet.

We also produce a pemmican which is a high energy food that the native americans used for trail food.  It has a lot of tallow in it with dehydrated, lean meat.  That goes for $10 a pound.  Just so you know I came by the pemmican honestly I am including a photo of my great grandmother Rosetta who I am told is a plains Indian.  She's the lady on the right.

We also have dehydrated meat- my favorite snack food right now.  That is $15 a pound- mostly because it takes so long to dehydrate and also because the weight drops by over 50% after drying.  It is so dry that it doesn't need refrigeration.  I have been snacking out of a ziplock bag that has been sitting in the room for a couple of weeks.

We also produce a lunch meat out of our tongues which I like in sandwiches.  It is similar to spam and has some mild spices but no preservatives so should be refrigerated.  It is $10 a pound.

All of our sausages are mixed and smoked and prepared by Linden Meats.  We have a good supply of summer sausage which I like to use for Christmas presents.  It has the usual spices but no MSG, cures or preservatives.  It is $10 a pound.

Someday I hope to be able to sell the tanned hides also.  So far all we can do is salt them down and preserve them.  They are free if anyone wants to tan them themselves!

Farm Trees Go to Town

The casual observer to the landscaping going on at the new off ramp to the New Seward Hiway (between Diamond and O'Mally) would not guess that the birch trees actually came from Wolverine Farm!  The same is true for trees at Cuddy Park and other places around town.

First Hay Crop

This corner used to be a swamp.  In 2004 we roughed in a serious raspberry planting that froze out the first winter.  Since then it has been untouched.  The grass was higher than the hood of the tractor when we mowed a couple of days ago.  This one plus acre yielded 23 high density round bales.  Its a good thing we had plastic because this was not a drying day and the raindrops started as soon as we got done.

This also represents the end of the 2017 hay season.

Varmint Haven-Uncut Field Centers

The sound of a mower/conditioner is a call to the feast to ravens, seagulls, and even foxes. As the mower moves from the outside toward the center the voles scamper for cover. The birds follow and pounce on anything they see moving. They are mouth sized morsels that go down in one gulp. Cutting this field I saw a large bald eagle swoop down and grab a victim without even touching the ground.

In case you are worried about the survival of the voles- see what Wikipedia says, "Voles are small rodents that grow to 3–9 in (7.6–22.9 cm), depending on the species. They can have five to 10 litters per year. Gestation lasts for three weeks and the young voles reach sexual maturity in a month. As a result of this biological exponential growth, vole populations can grow very large within a very short time. Since litters average five to 10 young, a mating pair can birth a hundred more voles in a year".

6/26/17- End of an Era-#63 Delivers last Calf of 17

#63 finally delivered her first but the last calf of the season and the last on the farm if things go as planned.  The calf #92 (a heifer) was born along side the pile of bones from the first delivery this year (see post for #62- 4/17/17).

Next year if things go as planned- all the calves will be birthed up in Delta.  All the breedstock will be moved North this fall. Thus we enter a new era- that of finishing feeders.  Next spring we will take in yearlings that will be finished on pasture.  Many of them will be coming back where they were born!

While we Worked Today- #61 Labored- 5/9/17

This morning I noticed #61 heifer was starting to labor so this evening I checked and sure enough a little white bull- #91 was dried off and ready for the world.  Both of them agreed that they would be better disposed to pose for a picture tomorrow.

Tomorrow

Gate of Eternal Consequences- 6/1/17

Some gates are more important that others.  This is the gate that separates the bull from about 25 unbred cows and heifers.  Today that gate opened and the consequences will be far reaching.  The bull had been put into his paddock of green grass a couple of days ago and he successfully checked out the electric fence.  When I opened the gate the bull never found it but the cows were in there almost instantly.  When one of them hit the electric fence they started a stampede that vacated the paddock almost instantly.  A few short hours later some of them were cautiously moving back into the abundant grass!

#37 has Large White Bull- #90- 5/31/17

Very near where #37 dropped a still born calf last year (her first) she was proudly licking off a large very docile bull #90.  He let me put my arms around him and put in that tag.  Tomorrow we will see if he has forgiven me! 5/31/17

#27 has her second calf - a red pointed bull- #89 5/26/17

#27 has her second calf- another red pointed bull.  He will be #89- 5/26/17

#55 has white heifer #88- 5/20/17

It's been almost a month since the last calf.  #55 has her first calf- a nice little black pointed heifer.  #55 has the distinction of being the only cow with the ear tag in backwards.  You can't read it of course but since she is the only one it doesn't matter.  She is a good mommy.

#66 has White/Red bull- #87- 4/28/17

Another heifer #66 had a white/red tipped bull- #87.  I noticed them while I was tagging Cinderella's calf.  I'm not having a clue this year about who is next to calf.  The body profile is so different when they are on hay instead of carrots.  It's hard to tell that some of them are even pregnant and then they show up with a calf!  #66 looks so bedraggled.  I can't imagine how she got so filthy.  It had rained that morning so perhaps she had been rubbing a dirt bank and then the rain spread it around.

Cinderella #23 Snuck in #86- a Black Bull-4/28/17

I noticed Cinderella had emptied something in the morning check but couldn't find a calf.  That evening she came out with a large black bull- #86.  She used a spot on the edge of the cliff where I've not seen anyone calve before.  I was concerned that maybe it had fallen over the cliff. They are running with the herd now and the calves (now 7) are racing around each other.

#60 Has Black Bull #85- 4/25/17

Our red heifer #60 had a black bull #85, and is being a great mother.  Whimpered a little while I tagged him but is keeping him from the herd for now.

Mystery Orphan- #84

On Thursday or Friday of last week I find this emaciated guy standing knee deep in runoff water drinking his fill.  No one shows interest in him so he is either a twin that was rejected or the survivor of #62 who didn't survive calving which would mean this guy- now named Swamp Water (or Swampy according to Heather and Remedy)- survived 4 days with no colostrum and only swamp water.  We got some milk replacer in him and found a mother at FaceBook Friend Melissa Cherry Reimer's herd that needed a baby.