20210126 Post 1
The original goal of Sterling Family Farms was to provide ourselves and our grandchildren with the best food available from our own livestock, garden, orchard, and fields. We began in 2009, and have built the farm to the point that we are able to share this type of food with our local customers.
The next expansion of Sterling Family Farms is an entirely new adventure - website management and sales. This adventure is the brainchild of Granny, who will guarantee a steep learning curve for herself. After all, who learns to build and manage a website at her age??? The hope is that and the site users will be able to easily access our products and information.
Where shall we begin? Let’s begin with customers and information seekers. Right now we have two main products available - farm-fresh eggs, and meat rabbits. This inventory will expand quickly as soon as the weather warms. Our brown eggs are guaranteed fresh, pastured, grass-fed, and hormone and antibiotic free. They are available in extra-large, large, medium, and pullet sizes, and are USDA Grade AA. Our Illinois Department of Agriculture license number is: 18179.
Meat rabbits may be picked up from the farm or at House of Meats in Decatur, Illinois. Our rabbits are New Zealands or Californians and may be purchased as fryers (2 - 3 lbs.) or roasters (3 - 6 lbs.). Rabbit meat is one of the healthiest available anywhere. Rabbits store their fat under the skin, so when the animal is processed, the fat is discarded with the hide. Voila! Super lean, tasty, juicy, and healthful meat. We provide our rabbits the Oren Reynolds alfalfa feed pellets and our own field alfalfa/clover/grass hay. The Oren Reynolds feed formula was developed locally, and is known nationally as the best that can be purchased. We grow and bale our own hay; we use sustainable agriculture practices to insure the best possible nutrition for our livestock. Rabbits may be purchased frozen or fresh, but fresh rabbit must be picked up at the farm by appointment only.
What is in the future? We hope to become commercial with our goat milk, meat, and cheeses. That will require a new barn, dairy, and creamery which are on the drawing board for this spring. We will see how that project goes as we sometimes cannot get projects completed as soon as we would like.
We hope you will enter this adventure with us. Poke around on the website and send feedback through the Contact Us form on this site. I would appreciate positive suggestions on the usability of the site and its visual presentation.
We are not shipping products at this time. Products can be picked up at the farm or occasionally in Decatur by appointment.
