Acorn Acres Farm (Chesterton, IN)

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Winter favorite ingredient: hard squash

As fall transforms into winter, don’t be too quick to toss out your decorative pumpkins and squash. Aside from being great table settings, hard squashes are a helpful tool to prepare our bodies to endure the colder winter months ahead, rich in vitamins A, B6, and C as well as folate, magnesium, fiber, riboflavin, phosphorus, and potassium.

With many varieties and flavors, these fall superstars are great for roasting and puréeing into soup or to be used in baking. Don't miss out on tasty natural multivitamins and prevent household food waste at the same time! And don't forget, if your pumpkins are too small to eat they can be added to the compost! 

PS: Joe's Bread Bakery & Cafe Weekly Sneak Peak: the bakers are whipping up more of that amazing pumpkin purée into some delicious baked items for Acorn Acres Farm.👩‍🍳👨‍🍳 We're anxiously awaiting the outcomes . . . will it be a parfait? More pumpkin pies? Pumpkin muffins? Whatever happens in that kitchen, we know it will be special. 

Produce

This week’s fresh harvest includes more from our hoop gardens and our partner gardens, yes, even with the chill in the air: 

  • Arugula

  • Beets

  • Blueberries (frozen)

  • Cabbage—nice and large! Some of these heads this week are 6 lbs, imagine how that can feed you and your family!!

  • Carrots—sweet, crisp, and scrumptious! Straight from our nutrient dense soil!

  • Garlic

  • Herbs—Fresh dill, lavender, mint, oregano, parsley, sage, thyme, and some surprises!! Many dried options! 

  • Lettuce (whole heads and some mixed)

  • Mixed Greens—a fascinating and exotic salad mix for the adventure in you! We've been adding fresh herbs to the concoction for a little excitement!

  • Onions —Candy onions!

  • Potatoes—Fingerlings, Kennebecs, Purple, and Red Nolans!! Fresh dug . . . amazing flavor! 

  • Pumpkins and other Winter Squash (and gourde) varieties including winter luxury pumpkins, autumn frost, buttercups, honey boat delicata, full-size butternut, green and cream—Thelma Sanders—acorn, Musqee de Provance (Fairytale Pumpkins), spaghetti squash and many more! Enjoy the season of squash and get your potassium punch of the day!

  • Red Cherry Belle Radish & Watermelon Radish! -- these delicious delicacies are all the rave this season, try them out!!

  • Spinach 

  • Sweet Potatoes

  • Turnips—Purple Top White Globe with magenta

    As always, our produce is GMO-free and grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides — and we make sure it stays that way, even for crops that are tricky to grow naturally! 

Dairy & Eggs

This week’s options include:

  • Grass-fed, organic, non-homogenized, low heat pasteurized cow's milk (Small Acres Farms A2/A2 this week!), butter (lightly salted only this week), buttermilk, cheese (Caciocavallo, cottage, GGC sharp cheddar, semi-soft, washed rind cheese, traditional tomme, semi-firm, smear-ripened, Alpine style premium reserves and a variety of others), French Dip, Kefir (plain), sour cream, and yogurt (vanilla)! We are out of our amazing whipping cream as there is a cream shortage . . . sorry!!!

  • Chicken, Duck & Quail eggs!

    Learn more about our eggs and why the creamy, delicious dairy we carry tastes so good!

Meat Availability

This week’s options (while supplies last) include:

  • Beef Prime Steaks: Denver, Filet, NY Strip, Ribeye, and Sirloin Steaks!

  • Beef Savory Roasts, Steaks & Ribs: Chuck, Chuck Arm, Prime Rib (bone-in), Rump / Round, Sirloin Tip Roasts and Cubed, Flank, Flat Iron, Mock Tenderloin, and Skirt steaks as well as our favorite Short Ribs (get the box with 2 pkgs for 15% off)!

  • Beef Grill Options: Ground Beef, Beef Patties (3 or 4 pk), Suet (for getting your skillet hot, with flavor), and more! We're also carrying The Brooklyn Hot Dog Company dogs: All Beef or Beef & Pork! Buy two and get 15% off, while supplies last (see our box specials including a 15% break on condiments and brioche buns)!

  • Beef Stew & Organ Meat Options: Soup Bones, Stew and Organ Meats, including liver, heart, kidney, and more! Respect the whole animal and enjoy the health benefits! Ask our team what makes the organ meats so special!

  • Chicken (frozen): Whole and Cut-ups (breasts—currently boneless/skinless only, thighs—boneless/skinless or bone-in options, drumsticks, leg quarters, and wings—a 15% discount if you buy 2 pkgs wings!!), Ground Chicken, Soup Bones, and Organ Meats. Also, if you haven't tried our yummy, Mild Chicken Italian Sausage, you're missing out!! Our popular chicken feet and liver are back!

  • Lamb: 

    • Lamb Rib and Shoulder Chops

    • Lamb Spareribs, Soup Bones, and organ meats—Note: have you tried the spareribs?? Amazing . . . a luxury at a great price! Impress your guests and surprise them with something they haven't tried before!

  • Pork: Hot and Sweet Italian, Ethiopian Berbere, Fresh Kielbasa, Mild Breakfast, Oaxacan Adobo, and Real Vermonter's Maple Sausage!  All from our pannage raised pork and organically sourced spice blends (featuring the Teeny Tiny Spice Co).

    • Pork Chops & Steaks, Baby Back Ribs, Spareribs and more! Other cuts: Back Fat (Great for making your own lard, sausage, or using just like it is to grease your skillet!) and Pork Neck Bones for that favorite Pasta Sauce flavor. 

    • Smoked Jowl and pork belly bacon, hams and ham hocks for your special meals!! 

    • We're also carrying a variety of hardwood smoked bacon sausage options from Big Fork (from Berkshire Hogs raised on pasture): Currently we only have a limited amount so please note preference when ordering! Request a letter from Chef Lance, for details about his practices when placing your order

  • Turkey: Frozen Whole (a few extra) and Cut-ups! Breasts (bone in / skin on and boneless / skin on), thighs, drums, and wings available. 

    Read more about how we raise our grass-fed beefpastured poultrypastured pork, and grass-fed lamb.

Fresh Features

Exciting things in store this week, while supplies last!!

  • Joe's Bread: Fresh Sourdough Bread Daily. This week, bagels, brioche sausage / hotdog buns are available frozen! We may have some pumpkin pies, muffins, or parfaits available too . . . we're still waiting to hear what the bakers came up with this week!! Never fail, it will be special, delicious, and made with organically / locally sourced products (the pumpkin pie pumpkins come directly from our farm for the silkiest smooth purée, thanks to Joanna)!

  • Teeny Tiny Spices (entire organic tin collection with recipes and featured in our pork sausage)! Enjoy the spice of life in each amazing variety and a different recipe with every tin!