The first heavy snowfall of the season is always a test of where we still need to work on our winter preparations for the farm. This most recent snowfall collapsed a number of our fences, and netting, including the netting above one of our chicken runs. This meant that three of the “teenage” chickens decided they wanted to check out the snow, rather than staying inside like the adults. They ended up exploring so much that they migrated in with the ducks, and our one chick/rooster that the hens rejected over the summer, named “Adventurer”. They seem to be enjoying their new space.
The snowfall and colder weather is also a test of our heated waterers and feeding setups. We learned that the waterer setups and food storage bins still need some work, since our farm has expanded in numbers of chickens, ducks, goats, and dogs since last year. And, a squirrel or chipmunk has decided to eat through the lids on two of our food storage bins! In the meantime, it just means more trips back and forth for Farmer Emily and Singo to haul water and food.
We were excited to participate in the winter Lincoln Park Farmers Markets this year, but, unfortunately they seem to have been cancelled with no information on when/if they will return. This is disappointing and challenging for the local community that relied on these markets and the vendors. You can read or listen to more information here and here.
This December you can shop local and get all of your favorite gluten-free baked goods from our online store or by visiting the Maple, WI REKO ring or Twin Ports REKO ring. REKO rings are a way for local producers and vendors to connect with customers through Facebook and meetup at set locations weekly or biweekly. You can learn more about the history of REKOs and also the new Maple REKO here.
From our gluten-free breads: MilSorg, BuckSorg, Sourdough, and Challah Rolls…to some fan favorites: White Chocolate, Raspberry Almond Scookie, Lemon Cookie, Dark Horse Kick Biscotti, Fiery Sweetheart Cookie, Pistache Cookie, and our Dark Chocolate, Chai, Walnut Scookie…
There’s something for everyone on your list, including you!
You can also message us for special requests and special orders, and shipping is available within WI!
We’ve also been busy with new recipe development! Did you know that all of our recipes are Shalomba Farm originals? From our own flour blends to unique flavor combinations and items, our goal is to bring delicious and unique products to you, made with love.
We’re perfecting new variations of our sourdough bread; new cookies- like our Vegan Spicy Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter or our take on a Snickerdoodle; to Crescent Rolls; Cinnamon Rolls; Banana bread; Sourdough Crackers, English Muffins, and more! We’re grateful to the many volunteer taste testers we have that provide us the feedback we need to continue to refine until we have the best texture and flavor possible. If you have any requests or suggestions, please let us know!
And, we’ve made a lot of progress on the walk-in cooler we received grant funding to support, thanks to Farmer Singo’s persistence. The outer shell is up, and now the inner insulation and finishing touches are all that’s left before we’ll be able to use this in the spring to help support our goals of addressing food insecurity in our community while safely storing the expanding volume of produce from our farm.
We are thankful for all the challenges, lessons learned, growth, people we met, and customers that found excitement in our products over the past year.
We’re grateful for the support we have received from people this year- from helping with tasks on the farm, to taste testing, to advocating and sharing about our business behind the scenes.
Thank you for welcoming us into the community and your continued support of our diversified farm and cottage food bakery.
May you have a peaceful start to the winter months, filled with moments of joy and time with those you love.