Rancho Alegre Farm (Dacula, GA – Gwinnett County) is looking for an experienced farming couple or farmer to manage all farm operations while living on-site. Currently, our 21 acre farm has a 1 acre garden (raised beds and fields) of fruits and vegetables, laying hens, meat chickens, cows and goats (for raw milk), donkeys, ponies and horses. We also have plans to sell grass fed beef for other farms in our area. Opportunity exists for production of value-added products in our certified kitchen. Applicants should have interest and some experience in sustainable, natural and permaculture farming practices. Experience with rotational grazing, pasture management for livestock and agricultural production a plus. Must have an outgoing personality and willing to sell goods through local farmer’s markets. Social media networking is a plus. We are a busy AgriTourism destination, so the farmer must be clean and organized and keep the farm and farm goods very presentable to the public.

Compensation includes on-site living accommodations, food from the farm, a weekly stipend (dependent on experience) and a percentage of sales of agricultural products (garden produce, eggs, raw milk, and meat). Daily responsibilities will include pasture maintenance, rotation of livestock, feeding all livestock in the mornings and afternoons, milking, and garden management. To make chores easier, the farm has tractor equipment, zero turn, a golf cart, and drip irrigation in the garden.

Please submit your resume and a short paragraph describing why you are interested in this position to contact@ranchoalegrefarm.com. We will accept applications for a week or two, then schedule interviews.

At our Gwinnett County farm, we have recently delved into the rewarding business of small scale dairy production! Jersey cows and Alpine goats provide us and our customers with raw milk.

Naturally, the recent release of “Farmageddon, The Unseen War on American Family Farms” has caught our attention. The film’s director, Kristin Canty, was inspired by her success with healing her son’s asthma and allergies by feeding him unpasteurized milk at a young age. She later discovered that small scale farms, with no record of complaint or illness, were being raided by the government, and felt compelled to tell this story. Freedom of food choice is an important issue, and I hope that many of us get to attend a viewing of this film soon.

Did you know? Goat’s milk is easy to digest and contains health promoting probiotics and enzymes, much the same as glucosamine and chondroitin supplements available for pets. Also, the moisture-rich enzymes in goat’s milk benefit the skin’s hydration and are easily absorbed by dogs and cats  (the state of Georgia permits licensing to sell raw milk for pet consumption only).

For further information on the benefits of raw milk, visit A Campaign for Real Milk, a project of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

Here at Rancho Alegre Farm, our two Jersey cows and Alpine goats enjoy plenty of room to graze on fresh pasture during the day. We raise our cows and goats sustainably, without antibiotics or hormones.

Can you believe that summer has only just started? With temperatures rarely dropping below 90 here, it feels like it’s been summer already for weeks! The hot weather hasn’t slowed us down a bit, though – we’ve actually been very busy since the last newsletter…

We welcomed our newest residents, Jersey cows Dina and Beulah, to the farm. I look forward to introducing our real live dairy cows to the children during the upcoming field trips here.

There’s been another delivery of chicks, so we will have fresh, pastured chickens for sale next month.

We’ve also been looking to increase our herd of Alpine goats – now that we have the automatic milking equipment to handle the cows and goats, milking goes a lot faster.

It was fun seeing several members of the Beekeepers Club of Gwinnett County during their recent visit to the farm for the club’s picnic. Guests enjoyed the usual picnic fare of hotdogs, hamburgers, bratwurst and desserts, and were treated to an inspection of the beehives which the club leaders keep here at the farm. Everyone seemed to have a great time, and it was a pleasure to host this group.

Now, if we can just get it to rain regularly …

Fresh Wishes,

Pilar Quintero

Greetings!

I know this is what you’ve been waiting for – Spring Babies!

Say hello to our two newest residents! The brothers were born to one of our two milking goats on March 15th. The little guy in the second photo was very weak that first day, so he slept inside the house that night. Both boys are doing well and look adorable bouncing around in the grass as they explore their new surroundings. Like most babies, they spend most of the day eating or sleeping.

Speaking of animals, I hope you will join us for our Animal Husbandry classes later this year (see details on our Events page). These are the first in a series of classes we are planning to offer in conjunction with the historic Oakhurst Community Garden Project in Decatur. Sign up early, and bring a friend on a learning adventure. You’ll pick up skills that can be put to use on your own homestead.  Let us know what other types of workshops you would like to see here at the farm.

Planning is underway for the expanded garden and fruit orchard, irrigation system … and the laying hens just keep a layin’! Be sure to stop by on Saturday mornings during the Dacula Farmers Market to check out our progress.

Fresh Wishes,

Pilar

We have a new way for you to get to know us – and each other. Introducing our new Meetup.com group, Good Food Gwinnett.

If you have a Meetup account, then you already know that it is the world’s largest network of local groups. The site makes it easy to find like-minded people by searching local groups who share your interests. It’s a fun and easy way to get out of the house and participate in community events which interest you. Instead of only interacting with each other on the computer, it’s nice to actually meet face to face every so often!

As our Meetup group grows, we will be offering all types of farm and food related activities: potluck parties, cooking demos, healthy living discussions, garden and composting classes, food preservation, farm animal care … and anything else the group is interested in.

If you haven’t already signed up, take a moment to create your Meetup account (it’s free), then join our group at Good Food Gwinnett to join in the fun.

Looking forward to seeing you on the farm very soon!

Fresh Wishes,

Pilar Quintero

First off, I would like to thank Doug from Doug’s Wild Alaska Salmon for his delicious salmon cooking demo at the Dacula Farmers Market on Feb. 19th. Remember, Doug’s Wild Alaska Salmon is a vendor of Gwinnett Locally Grown, and now has salmon available to us on a regular basis.

Next – an exciting announcement! We are very pleased to welcome Jennifer and Joe Lee of Paradise Found Farms! These Certified Naturally Grown farmers, with over 60 years combined experience, are bringing their growing expertise to our farm this Spring. Not only can they boast success in growing and propagating a wide variety of vegetable, herb, flower and fruit crops (using natural farming methods), they also produce amazing basil and arugula pesto! This year’s crop plan is being done as we speak, so be sure to check in at our Facebook page and future newsletters for updates. We are all looking forward to bringing more farm-fresh produce directly to you good food fans in the local area.

Lastly, a teaser – we are hoping to partner with an organization which would bring some beautiful and majestic animals to the farm, but you’ll have to wait until the details are finalized! Care to guess which animals? Post guesses on our Facebook page!

Fresh Wishes,

Pilar

Don’t you love those warm February afternoons when the sunshine beckons you to go outside and work in the garden? I certainly know I do – especially after the winter we have had! Yes, it feels like Spring is finally in the air, and that means something exciting is about to happen at Rancho Alegre Farm: our flock of nearly one hundred laying hens will soon be producing more eggs than my family can eat! That’s good news for our customers, since we will be selling the surplus at the Dacula Farmers Market here at the Farm on Saturday mornings.

I am looking forward to attending an egg candling class held by the Department of Agriculture this month. Egg candling is a method for judging the soundness, cleanliness, shape and texture of a shell. Although there may well be an exemption for on-premises sales of farm-raised eggs, the egg candling class and license will insure that customers who choose Rancho Alegre Farm eggs will receive properly graded, quality fresh eggs.

So, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates on eggs and other last-minute additions for Saturday’s market (like the Atlanta Fresh yogurt we brought in last week – yummy!), and we’ll see you on the Farm!

Fresh Wishes,

Pilar

Near the end of January, I headed up to Chattanooga for the 20th Annual Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (Southern SAWG) Conference, and I am so excited for this upcoming season! I had the opportunity to attend several workshops and lectures on a wide range of topics – pastured beef and poultry, intensive urban farming, on-farm education, gourmet mushrooms, fruit production – along with  inspiring talks by farmers from all over the southeast who are growing good, sustainable food. It was encouraging to see such diversity among the 1,200 attendees – quite a range of age groups, from many different races.

It is my goal to continue to increase the diversity at Rancho Alegre Farm to make it an enjoyable and educational destination for people of all ages. The resident donkeys, horses, goats and chickens may soon be joined by cattle or a milking cow. The indoor Dacula Farmer’s Market continues to grow with interesting vendors and delightful customers. Our raised bed garden is in the planning stage and should be full of beautiful veggies, herbs and flowers as the weather warms up. I hope you will take the opportunity to pay us a visit soon!

Don’t forget – another fun, inspiring and informative conference coming up next month – the Georgia Organics Conference on March 11 and 12 in Savannah. Like the SSAWG Conference, the Georgia Organics Conference promises to feature awesome speakers, fantastic trade show and silent auction, and amazing food.

See you on the Farm!

Fresh Wishes,

Pilar Quintero

Greetings!

I hope you, your family and your buildings came through our recent blizzard unscathed! As you have probably noticed, each time a winter storm is predicted, thousands of panicked shoppers descend on the supermarkets and clear the shelves. With a little planning, you can avoid most of the crush at the store – maybe just picking up a few perishables and zipping through the express lane. Be prepared for school closings and hungry kids by keeping plenty of wholesome, non-perishables items on hand.

Our online farmer’s market, Gwinnett Locally Grown, can help you with stocking your pantry and freezer with quality, locally produced food. We have an extensive selection of all natural pastas from Costa’s Pasta, basil pesto from Paradise Found Farm and pasture-raised beef and pork from BPH for your freezer. For the pantry, there are beans, rice and sweeteners from Grains and More, plus granola for snacking from Goodness Gracious Granola. These are just a few of the delicious food items which could be purchased ahead of time and stored for when you need them. (Also, the fragrant candles from D-Candle Shop would come in handy if the power should go out)!

A well stocked pantry is always a great idea, and can help you stay on track with your healthy eating goals – any time of the year, in good weather or bad!

Looking forward to Spring and warmer weather! In the meantime, stay warm and safe out there.

Fresh Wishes,

Pilar Quintero

PS> Don’t forget the special this month:

January Special – First 10 Customers Get Free Local Milk with their Large Produce Box Order! Johnston Family Farm premium milk is produced and bottled right on their farm. You can try some for FREE by ordering your large Organic Produce Box before 9 am this Thursday morning. Be one of the first 10 customers to place your order, and get a free gallon of whole milk when you pick up your produce at the Dacula Farmer’s Market on Saturday. To order, or for more information, call Rancho Alegre at 770-339-3065.

The below average temperatures in many parts of the country are effecting food crops all over. Prices have already risen and will probably continue to go up, especially if some crops have been totally destroyed.

At times like these, it can be challenging to maintain a healthy diet. You want to eat seasonal, organic produce but the cost can be prohibitive. If you don’t want to resort to eating cheap junk food (please, don’t do that!), there’s a solution.

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes and cooperative buying clubs are gaining in popularity as people realize they can get more for their money by pooling their resources and buying together.

Here at Rancho Alegre Farm, we provide a bi-weekly Organic Produce Box service which operates very much like a CSA. The boxes, which come in two sizes – small ($30) and large ($50) – are filled with a variety of certified organic produce. Typically, you will get 10 different varieties of vegetables and 5 fruit varieties.

January Special – First 10 Customers Get Free Local Milk with their Large Produce Box Order! Johnston Family Farm premium milk is produced and bottled right on their farm. You can try some for FREE by ordering your large Organic Produce Box before 9 am this Thursday morning. Be one of the first 10 customers to place your order, and get a free gallon of whole milk when you pick up your produce at the Dacula Farmer’s Market on Saturday. To order, or for more information, call Rancho Alegre at 770-339-3065.