Meadowlark Farm

I drove the tractor for the first time EVER! This is what I accomplished! 🤪🤣🥴 I’ll attempt the rest tomorrow!

RESTOCK ALERT!

We are fully restocked with brats and summer sausage, and you know what that means!!

We have put together a special package just for YOU! It's time to pick up some nutritionally dense, yummy pasture raised Kunekune pork.

Drop off in Adair, Stuart, or Des Moines can be arranged or pick your package up at the Des Moines' Downtown Farmers' Market on Saturday, June 22 or 29th. Text 641-740-1189 to order and make arrangements.

When ordering brats for either package, choose between cheddar or jalapeno/cheddar; summer sausage: original (while they last) or jalapeno/cheddar.

Either package can have ribs added on for $12/pound (while they last).

Soooo… I’ve been posting about extra help around the farm, and I’ve received a few questions, so here goes:

On May 25th, Steve came down with a flu-like type virus. He felt like it was different than any other flu he’d had in how cold he was and how he felt pain “bone deep”. We waited it out a couple of days, but things just seemed “off,” so we went to acute care. They did some tests and said he had some type of infection and prescribed him amoxicillin.

Fast forward to June 2nd, Steve complained of tingly fingers (of course I asked if he drank enough water… you know, the usual questions). We decided to wait until the next morning to see if it improved. The next morning, he had tingling in his feet. He described both as that numb/tingling feeling you have when your foot falls asleep, and you can’t walk on it.

He had a routine doctor’s appointment (to check his one kidney), and I encouraged him to go get checked out while he was there. Our daughter had errands to run, and she went with him; we all thought whatever Steve was experiencing was “no big deal.” The acute care ran no tests or labs but decided it was either a pinched nerve or stress induced.

Not feeling like that was the answer, we were forced to turn to “Dr. Google.” A possible reaction to amoxicillin is tingling fingers and toes, so we decided that MUST be it and figured he just needed time to get it out of his system (after all, the doctors had insinuated this was no big deal).

The next morning, Steve couldn’t leave his chair because his hands/feet were so numb. By late afternoon, he needed help getting to the bathroom and getting to the sauna. He was using his walker (from a previous surgery) AND needing help from 3 adults in the house to get even 5 feet.

He didn’t want to go to the hospital but with much coaxing, and being told I won’t be enough to be able to help him in the night if he needed help, he finally went. This time we went to Mercy in downtown Des Moines.

Hospital was backed up but took him straight back - said they heard he was a farmer, and they just don’t get those often and figured it must be serious (but it could have also been the stroke-like symptoms).

After about 12 hours, they diagnosed him with Guillain Barre, an autoimmune disease that acts very similar to polio (but attacks different nerves). It doesn’t seem to have any specific population it attacks (young and old), but in the people we’ve spoken to or heard s as bout, it comes on after the flu shot or the actual flu.

Guillain Barre has a very fast onset and very long recovery, but most people return to almost 100% eventually.

While we wrap our heads around our new reality, we do see God’s work around us (but I’ll share that in another post); meanwhile, bear with us as we figure things out.

Cherish each moment, and those around you because you never know when things will change, as life throws its curveballs. Please pray for Steve as he works hard in rehab to regain feeling and strength, pray for me and our kids to juggle everything. We appreciate all of you. ❤️

PS… this was the first picture of Steve’s first outing that we sent the kids. 🤪🥴🤣 (At least he still has a sense of humor).

I didn’t get many photos, but I wanted to give a shout out to this guy for coming and helping me tweak a few things to be able to manage for life a little easier for the next few months.

What a blessing amidst a crappy situation to have some help and one on one time with my son. Spending times with my adult kids are the highlights of my year!

He helped me with some computer glitches, helped me put in fence a little deeper to keep the boars/barrows separated, helped me separate boars, prep for market, etc.

Zach has really grown into a terrific human. I’m so thankful God blessed me as His mama.

We’re cooking up farmhouse bagels again this morning!

I am so proud of this product. It truly is amazing to revive old tattoos and great for healing new ones. Snag it at the Des Moines' Downtown Farmers' Market this Saturday, June 15th between the hours of 7am and 12pm! $12/2 oz.

Thank you for supporting local!

I need your vote for our bagel sandwich wrapping. I’m going for a “classy” vibe. Thoughts? Which one is your favorite?

We had some great farm help over the weekend! We just might turn him into a farm boy yet! Spencer Scar

Come join us at the market! Des Moines' Downtown Farmers' Market

When we started raising Kunekunes, we were fully “hands-on” when our pigs farrowed. We even set up cameras in our barn, so we could watch them 24/7 to be present for all births. I even was on watch once while teaching (just in the corner of my TV screen) while Steve worked in the windbreak.

Then we went to fully “hands-off”mentality. We decided these were livestock, and we would embrace the “survival of the fittest” mentality, but then we realized by making just a few changes, we could improve our survival rates. Our pigs are worth it.

Our little additional precautions all pretty much came with hard lessons learned through experience.

While a light isn’t necessary in June, it works to draw piglets toward it and away from mama, who tends to be restless the first 24-48 hours…. and we’ve had some chilly evenings and mornings lately. New piglets have trouble regulating heat (which is why they gather close to mama, putting them in danger).

Guard rails give that extra space fir pigkets to escape when our large Kunekunes lay down (although most mamas in our herd now are very careful).

New this year is the extra, small enclosure in front of the port a hut. It stays there for about 48 hours. Why? Because it takes about that long for piglets to “figure it out.” We don’t want a piglet wandering off into the “jungle” we call grass (yes, we’ve lost 2 piglets from them doing this).

Little extra precautions can make all the difference! Every little life on our farm is sweet and of value, and we want them to have the best life possible!

Sha-thead once again proving her namesake is a keeper..

She farrowed…
Outside
In the early morning chill
When she had a nice snug port-a-hut
AND it looks like it’s going to rain. 😳😂🤪

These pigs keep us on our toes!
She’s a keeper though! 8 babies (1 stillborn) - beautiful and all very hearty!

I’ll move her in if it starts to rain, but for now, we’re just keeping an eye out and letting them do their thing. None are chilled, and all are nursing heartily.

Today was a great day at the market.

Look at this girl go! Melanie has nbeen with us for two seasons now. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate her. VERSATILE is the word I would use to describe her. She literally can do anything she puts her mind to! She can run the grill and she knows how to speak “Kunekune,” AND she knows how to pack and unpack the trailer just right. AMAZING might be another word I’d use!

Make sure you stop by some Saturday and tell her hello!

Meet us at the market!! Des Moines' Downtown Farmers' Market

7 AM - 12 PM tomorrow (Saturday, June 1)

We’ll be serving our market famous Farmhouse sandwiches, bringing our Kunekune pork, and a FEW of our apothecary products: pork tallow soap and pork tallow lip balm. Check out our website at meadowlarkfarmkunekunes.com to see all of our products; I’m happy to bring additional products as needed. It’s going to be a great day!

Did you know that we now serve our farmhouse breakfast sandwiches on everything bagels from 5 Borough Bagels - Urbandale at the Des Moines' Downtown Farmers' Market? It truly is the perfect combination! Farm fresh eggs, our Kunekune pork (ham, sausage, or bacon - different each week), aged cheddar cheese, and cream cheese… SO GOOD! When you buy our Farmhouse bagels, you support TWO LOCAL businesses!

We regularly have customers stop back to tell us how much they love our sandwiches, but customers doubled down on compliments last Saturday, AND WE SOLD OUT BY 11:00!

We are planning for a few more but will never mass produce our products, so when our ingredients are gone, they’re gone, so if you’re planning to get a Farmhouse bagel, stop by early! We are on the west side of S. 4th St. in front of the HyVee parking lot.

See you soon!

Wonky is in her wallow while a couple of her piglets hang out (the others are staying cool in the barn). Our pigs all get to enjoy the ”spoils” of ”pig hood”: fresh, cool mud; nice, fresh pastures; and plenty of sunshine!