Duran's Farm Fresh Products

Hello all!
We had a great time with our January contest--"STONE SOUP SATURDAY"this past week. There were many delicious soups entered and everyone who stopped that day got to taste and cast their vote. The winner was Mrs. Janice Buhl and her Cheeseburger Soup. She won a new crockpot, cookbooks, blanket and many other items. This month we are dedicating to our FIRST TIME VISITORS & the FRIENDS who suggest they stop by and check us out. If you happen to be a 1st time visitor, simply leave your contact info, your friend's name and you are entered! We will pick 5 winners on March 1st to win gift certificates from our store. Regular customers are entered each and every time they have a new visitor drop by and enter. It would be possible for one of our long time customers to win ALL 5 times!

We had a pig butchered and put her in our freezer in the store 2 weeks ago. She was 335 pounds and we had her done in bacon, canadian bacon, and a few different sausages. The bacon sold out the first week but there is plenty of sausage left. There are hot, sweet italian, maple bulk and maple breakfast links.

We'll be adding another whole pig sometime in May when it is ready. In August or September we'll have beef available again as well. The steers and pigs we are raising for familes are doing very well. Pigs will be market ready  in April and another litter in May. The steers should be ready about July or August.

Since we are constantly adding new items from Troyer Cheese in Millersburg Ohio, and from Dutch Valley Foods in Lancaster, Pa, it is hard to have an up to date 'current products available' page for you to review. If you are wondering about a certain item we might carry, simply email me or call and I'll be happy to help!

The deli meats and cheeses are doing very well after a slow start. We have a basic variety, all from the Amish company, Troyer Cheese. We have : Roast Beef, Off the Bone Ham, Honey Roasted Turkey Breast, Hard Salami, Beef Bologna.  The cheeses we carry are all prepackaged in 8 ounces. They are: provolone, pepper jack, swiss, muenster,american,pepperoni cheese, salami cheese, blueberry cheddar cheese, marble,raw milk cheddar, raw milk smoked cheddar, baby swiss and limberger. We've been told that our prices are much better than the grocery store. The roast beef would be the most per pound and is $5.75.

I'm looking forward to getting into the greenhouse sometime this month and starting some seeds, forcing some bulbs and doing some spinach and herb gardens. Once my heater-guy comes through with a more reliable heat source, I'll be tinkering in there as much as possible.  I'm so tired of the snow and cold!

I'll try to touch back here in a month or so to update as needed. Until then, thanks for stopping by and feel free to contact us anytime. Our hours changed due to my work schedule changing so I am here 10am to 7pm everyday but Sunday. To keep up with any news, you can find us on FACE BOOK and check out our pictures there!

God Bless !
Blaine & Karen

We were approved from the Health Department so we are officially up and running as of October 1st !

Beef and Lamb in the freezer, bulk foods on the shelves, deli meats and cheeses ready to be sliced for you, grain grinder available to grind your fresh whole grains, and tons more !

Be sure to check with Laurie about the ongoing workshops and classes! We just finished our first weekend and did the 30 minute mozzarella class. That was GREAT! To contact laurie, email her at gertysburg@aolcom or laurieofgertysburg@yahoo.com or contact Karen at kmduran@earthlink.net and I'll give you her phone number!

Still filling the shelves with new items and taking your requests for other products. 

Hope you can stop out and see us !! We are here Monday through Saturday 9am to 7pm. We are closed on Sundays.

Okay, well we are ALMOST ready for you. We've moved in the coolers this past Wednesday and are selling from our new little store from here on out.  We will be receiving our very first order from Dutch Valley this Wednesday and will be receiving training on the how to's on packaging.

Once we receive our Food license from the Health Department (which should be within 1 week or so) we'll be able to offer you the lunch meats and cheeses from our deli.

Classes and workshops are being scheduled so if you are interested, please contact Laurie, our class coordinator at laurieofgertysburg@yahoo.com

Our hours are now:  Monday through Saturday 9am to 7pm and we will be closed on Sundays.

thanks !!

We are now up and on FaceBook. I am posting progress pictures as the construction continues.

Also, you'll find pictures updated of things around the farm and our current products we are offering.

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Waterford-PA/Durans-Farm-Fresh-Products/135637499802030?ref=mf

Thanks for stopping by !

The Contractor and his crew arrived today (7/12/10) and begun to build our little country store ! After almost a whole year, things are beginning to take shape.  Please bear with us as we journey on this project.  We hope to be able to schedule classes and workshops about Mid August.

We moved pigs around yesterday with some very plump bellies! They will be delivering in the coming months. We have  waiting list for feeder pigs, so if you are interested in adopting 1 for your freezer, contact us soon so you don't miss out on the next litters. We have 4 black angus calves born this past month so they will be adopted first come, first serve and be market ready in 2 years. 

Trying to keep up with the garden weeding in between driving, store stuff, house stuff and animals. Have picked some nice fresh lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini and yellow summer squash. A neighbor's blueberry crop is very good this year and he has asked me to offer some here for you. They look delicious!

Glad you stoped by and hope to see you here on the farm soon!

Thanks,
Blaine & Karen 

We FINALLY have approval from Waterford Township and we received our building permit last week!! Construction for our little Country Store will soon be starting !!

We'll have the same items we carry now, and will be adding Amish Bulk Food items, cuts of OUR beef and pork we raise here on the farm, and some deli meats and cheeses.  Classes and Workshops are being scheduled and if all goes well, our first classes will be taking place very soon !!

Next litters of pigs will be born later on this month or the first of July. They will be ready to adopt for your freezers in mid August. Currently we have a waiting list, so if you are interested, you should contact us.  These animals would be freezer ready about Nov/Dec/Jan.

The next available beef will be freezer ready in July/August 2011. There are a few left to adopt. We have Jersey, Hereford, Black Angus. They are 85% grass fed, in the pasture all spring/summer/fall and get hay during the winter months.

thanks for stopping by!!

Blaine & Karen

Summer is always busy on a farm, and we will be no different. If we are not in the garden or the barn, we could be doing hay or trying to keep up with other outside chores. We both hold jobs outside the farm so we try to keep up as best we can.

I have changed my work schedule so I have been available here to help you when you stop to browse what items we have available while preparing to build our little store in the next month or so. Our hours are now : Monday through Saturday 9am to 7pm; closed on Sunday.

We have added quite a few new items to our few shelves and they are listed on our 'current products' page on our site. Many local items and Amish products which you seem to enjoy as they are selling very well.

The greenhouse has been emptied and all the plants are displayed outdoors should you need any for your gardens, both vegtable and flowers. We feel we have priced them reasonably at $1.50 per multi pack for vegetables and $2 for flowers. Full flats are $12 for vegetables, and $15 for flowers.

Thanks for visiting and we hope to see you !!

Blaine & Karen

I really think someone made a mistake and turned BACK the calendar to March, rather then May, don't you think??!! Snow on Mother's Day? At least it should be the last of the cold weather, we hope.

The greenhouse is bursting at the seams with hanging baskets, bedding plants, vegetable plants and fresh herbs all ready for your porches, gardens and tables. Greenhouse hours will vary, depending on my work schedule, so unless it's a fairly good weather day and we can put plants outside for you, we will have to limit access to the greenhouse unless we are here. Call 490 2179 for questions. Usually, we are available FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS 9am to 7pm, just call for availble times on other days.

After 8 months, it finally looks like light at the end of the tunnel concerning our little country store we will be building. As of today (5/12/10) the township will be moving forward towards allowing us to build. We have to wait 45 days while they publish the intentions, then there will be a hearing at the township building and THEN we can begin building !! Like I said, FINALLY! Maybe by July 1st we'll be able to break ground and then be ready to open (hopefully) in August. This will be good timing, as the garden produce will be about ready to harvest.

We are seeing many, many new faces lately, mostly looking for Pot O Gold Dairy's milk we have. Seems watching "Food Inc" has people becoming more aware of the things they eat and where they come from and how they are processed.  Here on our farm, we produce what we can and add items from  other small local farmers in our area.  The only exception will be the Amish companies of Troyer Cheese in Millersburg,Ohio and Dutch Valley Foods from Meyerstown, Pa. They supply most bulk food and Amish stores here and in the tri-state area.

In the next few months we'll be getting ready to deliver more litters of baby pigs and we have 3 cows (black angus) yet to deliver as well. We'll be getting the garden ready to plant after Memorial Day and once the seeds and plants are in, then I suppose it will be time to do hay.  Never a dull moment around here and never enough hours in the day when you have full time jobs too. 

Have a Blessed Day !

Blaine & Karen

Loving this weather lately!  Not a whole bunch to update you on , but try to get here at least once a month to keep you informed.

Still waiting on Waterford Township for a formal approval so we can finally get going on building our little country store. It will have a variety of items you can purchase. We were hoping to be up and running in the Spring/Summer, but now it looks like it will be more like Fall. Everything else is in line and ready to go. Just need the approval for a small holding tank for our hand washing sink and we're good to go. I never thought that it would take this long (9 months so far !!) but government is a very slow moving machine, I've come to find out.

We have increased our cattle and hogs recently and we now have 14 sows and 1 very happy, busy boar. We have 17 cows--beef and dairy with 4 due to deliver this month. There are 3 hogs to be delivered to the local butcher shops for customers this month, and another 5 in May. The beef we are raising for our customers will be ready--1 this fall and then 5 next fall. Beef takes longer to raise to market weight.

The plants in the greenhouse are looking very well. I did not get very many tulips and daffodils like I planned, but will try again next year. Once we get past the possibility of frost, we'll be ready to get the plants in the garden and 'get things growing' !!!

A special note--- we have found an Amish family where we will be getting a few hanging baskets and more bedding plants to have available for you the first of May.

I have made a change in my work schedule, so that now I should be here and available to help you if you stop out on a Friday or Saturday during our hours of 9am to 7pm. Also, I will be available on Sundays, but after we get home from church.

We'll be adding 60 more hens to our flock on the 24th of April. They will be ready to start laying those great brown eggs probably the beginning of June.

We have placed and received our first order of items from Troyer Cheese in Millersburg, Oh, and now have ready for you: rolled butter, raw milk cheese, other cheeses, some snacks, some health care items and some fudge. I also have purchased local honey, local maple syrup, jams and some relish mixes along with local potatoes (red or white).

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via email or just call 814 490 2179

Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you soon!

Blaine & Karen

Did everyone enjoy the taste of spring we had? We sure did!  Nice to get outside and get things taken care of without the snow!!  Okay, so there's the mud issue, but this too shall pass. :-)

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES !

With all the activity going on here in the next few months, we are hoping to hear from you all, so that we may begin scheduling our classes and workshops in the store. Now, we realize that we haven't broke ground just yet, but when that happens, we'll be so busy that we want to be fully prepared and have these workshops scheduled and on our calendar. Our class Coordinator, Laurie, is waiting to hear from you, so that we can get a feel for how many to prepare for, what time of day/night fits into your busy schedules, and all that goes into the planning stages. PLEASE CONTACT HER AS SOON AS YOU CAN @ gertysburg@aol.com and she will be VERY GLAD to help  you!!

Blaine and I were able to buy 6 more pigs at the New Wilmington bred gilt sale this past Saturday. We picked up 2 gilts (girls) that will deliver the end of this month, 3 more girls who are in the process of 'dating' the new boar we bought. The boar (boy) is a Heritage breed--Hereford--like the cows. Boy is he nice looking!  Can't wait to see the pigs we will have from him and the girls. We could be the punch line of that old joke..."what's black and white and red all over?"...."our pigs!"
There are 2 Hampshire (they are black with white stripe) He is Brown/Red and white, and then of course we have the Yorkshire and Landrace pigs which are all white. The litters are being sold even before we get them weaned, so if you need one or two for 4H projects, you should probably contact Blaine soon, as people are showing up and putting a deposit on them to be sure they have what they want for fair time.  We've had a few more questions about adopting them for your freezers, and that is still available to you. When they are all spoken for, then it will be a few months until we have more born and available.

BEEF:
We have decided to try out a system to offer you 1/4 and 1/2 packages of beef rather than the whole animal. We'll see how this works, but it is always easier if you find someone to split or share the animal with.  I've made out a very rough estimate of your costs so you can compare and decide.  We have 5 dairy breed steers that are up for adoption. They will give you 59% of their live weight in beef for your freezer. They will not be ready to butcher until NEXT fall, 2011 at the earliest. You have the choice of how much beef you wish to purchase.  The figures below will give you the rough estimate:

1)small size        800# live weight---472# beef
2)medium          1200#     "        ---708# beef
3)large              1500#    "         ---885# beef

Blaine would get 90 cents per pound live weight, and the butcher (a new one, since Walter's and LeBoeuf's are out of business) charges 45 cents per pound. Same animals as above would cost you:

1) $720 to Blaine and $294.40 to butcher= $1014.40
2) $1080 to Blaine and $400.60- butcher = $1480.60
3) $1350 to Blaine and $480.25 -butcher  =$1830.25

When you divide those amounts by the pounds of beef, you will be paying aprx $2.15 per pound overall. Remember, this is a rough estimate and every animal is different.

To buy 1/4 or 1/2 packages, simply divide those amounts by 2 or 4.
example: small animal costs 1014.40. Half would be $507.20 for 236# of beef.

EGGS--
The new hens are laying nicely. We are getting 3-5 dozen eggs per day and finished our first week with no one getting shorted or having to wait to purchase eggs!  FINALLY!  They are usually stocked by noon every day. We'll be adding 60 more hens the end of April who will begin laying about June, so we'll have PLENTY of eggs for everyone!

MILK--
This past week, we did NOT tag all the ordered milk like we usually do. Due to the rising amount of bottles and the need for space, this is a change we will have to live with. So far , so good. No one has complained about not getting their milk and being shorted, so this will be our new routine. Of course, if you want your order tagged, I'll be happy to do it, just let me know. 

Randy Messinger (of Pot O Gold Dairy) is scheduled for surgery on April 5th. We're not sure how this will affect your milk orders, because he will not be allowed to do anything at all for 2 weeks. Once we know anything for sure, I'll post to the mailing list. If you're NOT on the mailing list, you might want to be added, so as to keep updated on everything here. I don't get to the website to post as much, so just click on our email addy and request to be on the mailing list. Worst case for milk will be possibly no milk for 2 weeks- they WILL do the RAW but not the others. Again, when I know more, I'll be sure to let you know via email.

NEW ITEMS AVAILABLE--
We have added a few new items to the stand while we move ahead with the store. We have Country Kettle Jams and Jellies, we have Byer's Relish House products, we have RAW Honey, We have potatoes--red or white-- and will be getting local maple syrup in the very near future.

We are making arrangements to travel down to DUTCH VALLEY FARMS who will be our bulk foods supplier and perhaps bringing back some items from there to put in the stand prior to getting the store built and up and running. Might bring back some rolled butter and items that will not have to be packaged, since we've not bought our packaging scale yet. We'll also be picking up our deli cooler on this trip and another boar to 'date' the girls in the barn.

I've started some daffodils and tulips in the greenhouse and some flower seeds as well.  As time allows, I'll be starting the tomato and pepper seeds, some herbs, lettuce gardens and spinach pots too.
With a little bit of sun and very little snow, we should be good and have plants ready about the first of June.

CONTESTS
We've side lined the contests for a bit due to not having alot of time to devote to it. If you have an idea for a contest you'd like us to run, just let us know! So busy with spring activities so something has to be side lined, and this is the one to go....temporarily.

Hope all is well in your little corners of the world!
Thanks for stopping by!
Blaine & Karen

I mean that literally!! I just got word today of another birth due this year to one our familes! That makes 4 so far, 3 sharing their Blessed news just within the past 2 weeks! CONGRATULATIONS!!

We have our own little growing going on as well. 6 of the 9 sows delivered their little families so we have 40+ little pigs all warm, cozy, and snuggled up to their mommas. It's hard to think of them as someone's 'freezer pet' in the future, when they're at this age.

I would guess that all the local 4H youth will be calling and coming out buying them for their fair projects soon after they are weaned from their mothers, later on this month.  We have 2 more mommas in the barn that will be due to deliver in April..I think. AND..3 Black Angus mommas who also will deliver in April as well.

I'm waiting on a gentleman to come out and add a venting system to the heater in the greenhouse, so that I can be sure of a constant temperature and will be starting the daffodils, tulips and flower seeds I have purchased.  It's so nice to get things growing in there and walk in and get a taste of spring, eventhough there may still be snow outside !

I have one detour from the farm coming up, but that's only a day or two. My brothers and I will be helping my parents with an auction they are having on May 29th in Summit Township. Doug Chesley will be taking care of that  and I guess I'll be providing the food tent.  We've been looking for a 1 level home in Summit or Waterford for Mom and Dad now that they are older and need something easier.

The new hens have begun laying--!!! What a long wait it seems to have been! We'll pick up 60 more hens in late April so come May/June we'll be able to gather 10 dozen eggs per day for your purchases! That should be more than enough....we hope!!

Headed off the township meeting this evening to hopefully push along a zoning variance for the store to be built, then it's time to wait on the snow to go!!

Many Blessings to you and yours!

Blaine & Karen

Busy seems to be the verb around here these days.  We have 9 sows due to deliver baby pigs before the end of next month, just in time for all you 4H youth out there, and also for anyone that would like to be a part of our "adopt a pig" program.  We have 3 litters, and 6 more to go.

We have ordered all our seeds and they should be arriving here shortly, then it's off to the greenhouse to get busy playing in the dirt! I have a HUGE box of daffodil and tulip bulbs I ordered (200 or so, if I remember right) and I hope to force them into blooms for Easter. If all goes well, they will be offered for sale at a much lower price than the stores. I'm anxious to get the flower seeds in early and not let myself plant the vegetables too early...it's hard...fresh tomatoes are TOO tempting ! yum!

We will also be picking up 60 more hens (17 weeks old) that will begin laying about the end of May or June to ADD to our flock we have now. They are just beginning to lay, so I am confident that we will not have a 'waiting list' for our fresh brown eggs very very soon. 

We are still gaining about 2-5 more milk customers every month...word of mouth is a powerful tool it seems. People are becoming very aware of the food they eat and buy and like the peace of mind that comes from knowing where your food comes from, how it was raised, and what went into producing it (or better yet, what did NOT go into it !) Pot O Gold Dairy is a family operated Christian farm where we purchase milk for our family and yours. We order every FRIDAY and pick up your milk the following week. They come in 1/2 gallon GLASS bottles and I usually try to purchase a few flavored milks in the 12 ounce 'pot bellie' containers as well.

We are making progress with the country store being built as soon as the weather breaks.  It's funny....it sure doesn't see like 10 years that we've been sharing the bounty with our community. Wow.  We love what we do and being able to share the Blessings of good food, properly raised, has not only brought us you as consumers, but as friends.  Once we get the formal 'go ahead' from Waterford Township, and the weather breaks, we expect to see the store go up within a month or so.  We will truly appreciate your patience, as we acclimate ourselves to our new environment and make changes in our inventory to best serve your needs.

We've have numerous repsonses to our survey and many great ideas for classes or workshops to be held here.  We're really looking forward to that unique aspect of the store and wait eagerly to see how it progresses.

I am currently shopping around for the meat slicer we'll need for our lunch meats and cheeses and for a grain grinder so that you can (or we will) grind your whole grains here in the store for you.  I'm anticipating the wonderful aromas from the oven with fresh baked whole grain breads...mmmm.  Add some freshly churned butter from the raw milk, some tomato slices from the garden, a leaf of two of lettuce, also from the garden and that lovely thick sliced, hickory smoked bacon from our own pigs....the perfect meal for me!! That's what I call heaven!

I guess the only thing I didn't mention was our cattle.  They are enjoying their time in the barn now, due to that white stuff out there in the pasture.  We just added 3 ANGUS heifers that are due to deliver in April to our herd.  We have Hereford, Herford-Angus cross, and Jersey steers that are ready to be part of our 'adopt a cow' program.  You can be sure of the quality of beef you'll receive with no growth hormones and raised the way the Lord intended them to be.  They are 80% grass fed, with grain supplement, depending on the quality of that year's hay crop we put in.

Here's looking to Spring and all the possibilities and Blessings it will hold !

Thanks for dropping by, and if you ever have questions or need to contact us, please feel free, either by email, website, or phone. We'll be happy to hear from you !

Blaine & Karen

Hi Folks!

Being February 1st, we drew the winning name from our mailing list this morning and it is:

                             GRETCHEN B.

Gretchen has won FIVE $5.00 gift certificates that she can use here anytime before December 31, 2010.

This month, we will be giving away $25.00 CASH to the winner drawn from names of you who complete a simple survey to help us with our new store being built this spring.

You may enter to win the $25.00 CASH by completing the survey via email, pick one up here at the farm, request one by mail and return the survey back to us before February 28th, 2010.

Ps: We delivered the first of 9 litters of baby pigs this past Friday the 29th. They look very good and will be ready to sell for 4H projects or adopt them for your freezer about March 10th.

Getting our seeds ordered this week and hope to be out in the greenhouse by end of this month starting the early ones.

Thanks for stopping by!

Blaine & Karen

Only a few days left to enter our $25 give away for January. To enter, you must be on our EMAIL mailing list.  If you are already on our list, you will get entered again for each person you refer to be on our mailing list.

We only have a few pigs left to adopt for January. CALL US FOR THE JANUARY SPECIAL DISCOUNT before they get adopted or sold.

We have several steers that are ready to be adopted as well.

Contact us anytime with questions, we'll be happy to help!

ALSO!! WE ARE ACCEPTING BIDS FOR OUR STORE TO BE BUILT THIS SPRING. CONTACT US IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE WORK.

Thanks!

Blaine & Karen

There are so many things here on the farm that will be growing and changing this year, it’s hard to hold back the eagerness for spring, the anticipation of the new store, and all that it holds. Right now we are full of questions and you, our loyal and supportive customers have the answers we seek.