2010 order forms

2010 order forms are now available for the Hiday Farm pasture raised meat products. If you are not on our mailing list and would like to receive an order form, give us a call at 517-765-2268. Getting your order in to us early will help us determine demand and help insure that you get product.

2010 vegetable sign-up forms will be going out in the mail soon to last years share holders. If you were not a share holder last year and would like a sign-up form, give us a call.

Our family watched the movie FOOD INC. and it is very well done. We have also screened a movie called KING CORN. If you want to be educated on your food sources, watch these movies.

The Grass-Fed Revolution

The Grass-Fed Revolution

Detroit News Article features Hiday Farms!

Local, pasture-raised turkey makes statement at Thanksgiving

Dan Hiday, left, sells a turkey to June Rivers at Eastern Market as his son Aaron looks on. Hiday Farms' business has increased this year. (Darrel Ellis / The Detroit News)

Christina Rogers / The Detroit News

In planning a Thanksgiving feast, Detroiter Sharon Dolente could have plucked a 20-pound turkey from almost any grocery store.

But what kind of statement would that make?

"I'd rather know I'm getting it straight from the farm," said Dolente, a 35-year-old attorney, touting the environmental and economic benefits of buying local. "I like my food to have the least amount of chemicals."

For Dolente and many others this year, Thanksgiving will be more than a time to serve traditional fare. Dinner will come with a heaping side of social commentary as more home chefs turn to locally raised, free-range fowl to give their menus an eco-friendly flair.

And with more people flocking to buy locally grown products, many turkey growers are latching onto the trend by marketing free-roaming fowl as a more sustainable alternative to industrial-farm raised turkeys. Local food advocates say turkeys raised on the range nearby are less damaging to the environment because they don't produce as much concentrated waste and cut down on transportation costs.

"It's kind of like putting a mission or cause behind your Thanksgiving meal," said Randall Fogelman, vice president of business development at Detroit's Eastern Market Corp., which helps mobilize resources for the farmers market.

This year, his organization has received a lot more calls from shoppers looking for local, pasture-raised turkeys, something Fogelman attributed to diners wanting to know where and how their food is grown.

Customers are willing to pay a premium for free-roaming gobblers, even though they're not always easy to find and must be ordered weeks ahead of time. Many farms are sold out of the birds for Thanksgiving, but some growers will have them available for Christmas.

Dan Hiday, owner of The Hiday Farm in Burlington, near Battle Creek, is among the local farmers who have watched the popularity of these birds grow.

Hiday sold all his 46 pasture-raised turkeys weeks before Thanksgiving, despite the steep price tag. His whole turkeys go for about $3.50 a pound, compared to those at Wal-Mart, which ring up for about 40 cents a pound.

"We were pleasantly surprised," said Hiday, standing in front of a sign at Eastern Market that advertised his pasture-raised, antibiotic- and hormone-free turkeys.

Small turkey farms grow

Larry Doll, co-owner of Back Forty Acres in Chelsea, said his farm isn't able to keep up with demand. Last year, he raised and sold 72 free-range turkeys; this year, he raised the number to 120.

"Here we are a week before Thanksgiving and we're all sold out," Doll said.

While there are no good figures tracking locally grown turkeys sales, Michigan has seen an increase in farms raising small numbers of turkeys, an indicator more of them may be doing it organically, said Susan Smalley, director of the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University.

In 2007, about 430 Michigan farms reported producing up to 2,000 turkeys each, she said, citing federal agriculture statistics. That's up from 342 farms in 2002, about a 25 percent increase, she said.

Smalley warned, however, that locally grown doesn't always mean more sustainable. Some turkeys may not be pasture raised, organic, treated humanely or antibiotic free, she said.

"Many locally raised turkeys do have some or even all of these attributes, but we can't assume that they are automatically part of the package," she said.

Planning weeks ahead

Dolente and her husband, Steve Tobocman, 39, went through the trouble of ordering their turkey weeks in advance to reinforce their eat-local stance at Thursday's dinner table.

On Saturday, they were at Eastern Market picking up the main ingredient -- an armful of a dead bird raised on pastures not more than 130 miles away at The Hiday Farm. "We spend a lot of time talking with our friends about these issues," Dolente said.

After all, it's only appropriate the turkey serve as the centerpiece of discussion.

Congratulations Aaron!

Give a shout out to Aaron Hiday who received an Albion Presidential Scholarship worth $14, 500.00. This award recognizes students who graduate from high school with a GPA above 3.7 and an ACT score above 27 or an SAT score above 1220. Aaron is planning on majoring in geology. He is a graduate of Lumen Christi High School. Parents Dan and Holly of Burlington, MI are very proud!

WHERE'S THE BEEF?

It's here! Ready and waiting for pick up. With no antibiotics or hormones to worry about, rest assured you are getting a top quality meat product that will keep you coming back for more!

The PORK is SOLD OUT. If you had ordered some in advance, it is ready for pick up.

We have just a few pasture raised chickens left and some hefty turkeys that are ready for your holiday meals.

Hiday Smiles.

While life on a farm is a lot of work, we always make time for family and friends, cherishing these special moments together!

With the holidays fast approaching, don't forget to order your pasture raised turkey. And a big Congratulations to the Claar family, winners of this year's turkey drawing!

Shareholders with Pumpkins!

We were wondering if these pumpkins made it past Halloween? Did anyone take any pictures of their Jack-O-Lanterns? If so, forward them to us at hidayfarm@gmail.com and we'll get them posted!

Turkeys Are Ready!

Got a GOBBLER?

Wow, did they grow! Running an average of 20 pounds, these pastured raised and hormone/antibiotic free turkeys are the perfect bird to be featured at any meal. Call to place your order at (517) 765-2268. Prices for turkeys are $3.50 per pound.

Everyone was all smiles as they enjoyed cider and donuts and brought in their pumpkins.

Fall Festival!

The shareholders enjoyed a hayride out to the pumpkin patch on Sunday, snagging the orb that appealed to them the most. Over the next several days I will continue to post pictures of everyone that came out and enjoyed a beautiful Sunday afternoon with us. Thank you to our shareholders for another great year!

If you carve your pumpkin or dress it up, email a picture to us at hidayfarm@gmail.com and we'll post it on line!

Can You Believe Fall is Here?

Neither can the turkeys. They are putting up posters as we speak that read, "EAT PORK". But pay no attention, they are growing nicely and will be fat, juicy and tender just in time for your Thanksgiving dinner. Reserve yours today by calling the farm at (517) 765-2268.

Pasture Raised, All Natural, All the Time.

Fall Open House & Pumpkin Pick

Sunday, October 11th from 2 to 4 PM will be this year's Fall Open House & Pumpkin Pick. Cider and donuts will be on hand as well as refreshments. If you can, call (517) 765-2268 and let us know how many children to expect; that would be great! Thank you for supporting the Hiday Farm!

Week 14

We can hardly believe it is week 14 with only one week to go. We truly enjoy seeing you all week to week and appreciate your support of the Hiday Farm.

For those of you wanting chickens, they are ready @ $12.00 each. Call or let us know if you want to purchase some and we can have them ready at pick ups. Turkeys will be ready by Thanksgiving. The pork shares are nearly gone but beef shares will be ready in November. Call to order.

Meet my dad!

My dad was at the farm for pick up on Thursday and he spent time with my son Alex while the shareholders that come to the farm drove in for pick up. I was off to the Battle Creek pick up site with boxes of vegetable shares for shareholders and frozen chickens to sell as well. The chickens are going fast and we look forward to tasting the turkeys soon!

Here Piggy, Piggy!

Pasture raised pigs are sure a happy bunch. With lots of room to roam, they spend their days rooting and kicking up their heels in the warm sunshine. With nice green grass to tickle their bellies and their noses, these pigs live a stress free, carefree life. This translates into meat that tastes great!

Pasture raised in this manner, you can be confident you are getting a quality meat product. Questions? Call me at (517) 765-2268.

We hope you are enjoying your shares of farm fresh produce! It is a pleasure for us to grow pure and healthy food for our shareholders. The pasture raised chickens are now available for purchase, right here at the farm. Cooking up juicy and tasty, call the farm today to place your order at (517) 765-2268.

Bantam Beauties.

The Bantam babies are growing and maturing . I love their colors and markings. They were wary of my camera and I didn't want to scare them, so perhaps next time I can have one of the boys hold one outside the cage and get a better picture. They will stay very sweet and small, making them a delightful addition to the farm.

Chickens Available Starting August 15th,

The meat chickens will be processed early next week and available for purchase starting Saturday, August 15. Call the farm for more information at (517) 765-2268. Chickens will be frozen unless you call ahead. This poultry is looking good and we are excited to be able to offer such a quality product from our farm!

The season is at it's peak and the vegetables abundant. It is always enjoyable to visit with the shareholders on pick up days. We appreciate your business and welcome suggestions on how to serve you best! Remember to bring back your empty boxes to be entered in a drawing for a turkey at season's end.

Chicken Processing Update.

Meat chickens will be processed on August 12th. Price will be $3.00 per pound with chickens averaging 4 to 5 pounds per chicken. If you would like a fresh, non-frozen bird, please call and reserve your chicken(s) prior to August 12th. Birds will be frozen immediately after processing. Call to reserve your birds today! Hiday Farm (517) 765-2268

Remember, our birds have been grown without hormones or antibiotics, and have been raised on pasture. A happy and healthy chicken makes for happy and healthy people!

Tiller Time.

In the dark t-shirt is Aaron's friend Stephen Doerr. (Aaron is in white) Stephen is the city boy that came for a day at the farm. And a long day it was, as they worked into the late night hour. Aaron went easy on his friend as he gave him the self propelled tiller! However easy it wasn't because they tilled for hours! Along with weeding cucumbers, they also castrated bulls, treated a heifer for pink eye, and did numerous other farm chores. Aaron also moved 103 chunky chickens to new pasture. They wanted an accurate count, so he went eye to eye with each one individually.
These chickens will be ready to butcher very soon!

Oinkers at Large.

When we say "naturally raised", we mean our animals are on actual pasture to roam and root as nature intended. Growing by leaps and bounds, the pigs root and romp away their summer days.

The Hiday Boys.

Adam, Aaron and Alex Hiday. Handsome and hard working, these boys are always on hand to help their dad with picking, weeding, turkey trotting, and did we say weeding? The pigs are running around kicking up their heels in the pasture now. The chickens are a few weeks away from processing. Tomorrow Aaron has a friend coming over to spend the day experiencing the farm life. City vs. Country... to be continued...

Banty Beauty.

Adam brought home a few Bantam chicks because he liked how they looked. They are just for fun, although they will lay some eggs eventually. Check out this little one's feet!
All three of the Hiday boys work hard on the family farm. Warm, good looking, and charming, the Hidays are a blessed family, indeed.

Pick Up Night for the Farm.

Aaron is ready and waiting under a canopy as we arrive to pick up our weekly share. He is all smiles and ready to serve. Buck the dog is never far behind. He really enjoys a good romp with a Frisbe, being very skilled at catching it mid-air!

Pasture Raised!

When we say our beef is grass fed and naturally raised, we mean our cows actually live on pasture. They roam the pastures here on the farm, grazing specially planted fields to ensure the best nutrition they can get. They nap under the tree lines, sleep under the stars, graze whenever they feel the need and take plenty of time to chew their cud in contentment.

Label News!

You will notice a new label on the side of your produce box with your name and pick up site. Please take the time to check the vegetables you are interested in receiving, right on the sticker on the box. This makes for easy loading, ensuring you are getting the farm fresh produce you desire. And again, remember to exchange your box at pick up, getting your name in the drawing for a turkey at season end!

Turkey Toddlers.

These turkey babes are literally rolling in the clover, having the time of their lives eating grass, bugs and slugs and whatever else is yummy that crosses their path. Well, yummy if you are a turkey! With conditions such as this, they will grow into healthy, stress-free birds that will make a tasty meal right in time for Thanksgiving.

There you are!
These are the little fellers seen hiding in the grass on our Facebook page. They are taking a nice stretch after lounging in the tall grass in the heat of the mid-day. Mom hides them hither and there while she ventures off calf free to munch the tall grass. Now that the babes are up, they will search out mom for a snack of their own.

Baby Red.

This cow is one from our original herd and her name is Red. She is the matron of the herd and pretty much runs the show. We are thinking that back in the day, when farmers watched their lead females pushing even the bulls around that this is where the pet name "Bossy" came into play. We were overjoyed to see her calf this spring, who looks just like her, and we named her Baby Red. It is our best hope that she grows to fill her mother's "hooves!"

Meet Horrace Jr.

Here is the calf who is the spitting image of his father. He weighed in at approximately 85 pounds when he was born on June 19th. He will probably top out at around 1000 to 1100 pounds before he becomes chop sirloin. And that is hormone free, antibiotic free, chop sirloin! Horrace Jr. is an Angus/Hereford cross. Mom is pretty beautiful too!

Hot! Hot! Hot! The 17 acres got baled yesterday. What a relief to have that done. Next week we will work on getting the hay up on a rental farm. Today the nephews plan on going and picking berries for today's pick-up, if they still have berries to pick. We need to pick vegetables early to avoid the heat, but have concerns the broccoli and lettuce will wilt in the heat if picked too early.
Chickens and turkeys are outside in the new movable pen. They are growing like weeds.

Three young nephews came to visit and work the farm today. Their dad thought they could use a taste of farm life. We will be weeding the garden, planting, and working on getting chickens into the movable pens outside. Seventeen acres of hay lay cut and will hopefully be baled today. We also have two more new calves! I will work on getting pictures of the calves posted...hopefully on Thursday.

Hide and Seek.

Today was the first pick up of the season for Coldwater shareholders. It has been a busy day. We had a newborn calf go missing and it took a couple hours to find him. We had noticed his mom's bag was too full, meaning the calf had not been nursing. We found him snuggled under a briar patch canopy, and with his white face and black body, he closely matched the white flowering briar, making it difficult to see him! I had to have walked within 10' of him a few times before discovering the little guy.

We also picked vegetables today and hauled two cows to Farmer's Livestock.

Tomorrow will be very busy with two pick ups, one in Battle Creek and one here at the farm. If it clears, we will plant. I will try and get a picture of the disappearing calf and post it soon!