Hope Springs Eternal

Hope springs eternal in the human breast;

Man never Is, but always To be blest:

The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home,

Rests and expatiates in a life to come.

 

 In the midst of blizzards and ice, wind and frigid temperatures, barren land and dark skies, what is it that keeps us going? How is it that we sit down at night and say to our tired bodies and minds, "It gets better." "We have something to look forward to." "The glass is half-full."

Hope springs eternal. 

We've heard this many times and as we look around us during this lovely spring, we see our mid-winter thoughts of hopefulness and optimism blossoming in the fields. We hear the peeps and chirps of the newly hatched chicks. And we see the light in the eyes of our animal friends; the pasture is ready and it is time to roam and play and breathe in the clean, crisp air of spring in Southwest Michigan.

Our chickens are out to pasture. Our lambs, born during the cold winter, are happily frolicking in alfalfa and tall grass. Our hogs and cattle are most pleased to see that we are no longer bringing them the same-old, boring, day-after-day-after-day bales of hay and feed that they have grown tiresome of in the winter months. Instead, the pastures are open. Everyone can breathe. 

Well, almost everyone. 

For us, though we aren't complaining about the warmer days, spring is the beginning to our year. Spring is filled with days of long hours and busy schedules. It's our time to prepare the beginnings of what will become a harvest for you. It is no secret that if you look out into the pastures and see all the happy animals, it is truly a sign of a dedicated, hard-working, and loving farmer. 

We hope that you support those farmers. We hope that you support us.

We also want you to remember this spring, that the beauty you see surrounding you comes at a price. Respect the beauty and respect the earth. She will thank you in the end.

Livin' In Michigan



Our hens are all pastured. So, on beautiful, sunny days (especially during this mild winter), our ladies like to venture out of their "pen" and visit us. You know, to catch up on all the good farm gossip. There's lots to talk about on the farm these days - all our new projects, the new members of the family (besides Ellyaire Sue - Blake and Jenny's daughter), and of course, what would "farm talk" be if you didn't chat about the weather.

We have certainly had some lovely lake-effect snow. The powdery, soft-lookin' kind. But after only a few of these snows, we started to feel some of what this spring may have to offer. Now, we suggest you 'knock on wood' if you are thinking about how nice it would be for no more bitter cold nights, because although we would like to be sippin' on tropical drinks and enjoying warmer days too, let's be realistic:

We. Live. In. Michigan.



Wishing you happy and healthy days! Come visit us soon and take a look at all our new projects! Perhaps you could catch up on all the gossip with the girls, too.

Happy Holidays - From Our Farm to Your Fork

With Christmas and New Year's just around the corner, let us help you plan your holiday meals! The holidays can certainly be busy and chaotic, but we would like to encourage you to plan a thoughtful meal this year and not be fooled by advertisements for chicken, pork, and eggs in grocery stores. Most, if not all, of the typical grocery stores' supply is packed full of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). And don't forget about the environment where the animals are raised.

This holiday, don't just make something delicious from our farm to your fork, make a difference by supporting a local farm with impeccable standards set for what we feed our animals and how we raise them.

• NON-GMO, Organic Grain
• Free-Range (Outdoors), Pastured
• Cage-Free

In other words, at Naturally Norm's on Carlson Farms, we respect our animals and treat them like family, raising them the right way and putting a product on your plate you can feel good about.

Try our cornish hens for an exciting and beautiful holiday dish! We also have large broilers (whole chickens) that roast to perfection and would make an impressive centerpiece on your table this Christmas. Feeling ambitious? Then use our eggs to make some delicious egg nog for your holiday guests.

Click on these links to try some recipes (with our pork, chicken, and eggs, of course!):

Cornish Hen Recipes

Egg Nog? Yes, please!

Bacon and Egg Christmas Casserole!

From Our Farm To Your Fork -

We Wish You

Happy Holidays!

Visit Us @ The Market!

Come Visit Us!

Bronson Athletic Club

6789 Elm Valley Drive, Kalamazoo, MI 49009-7476

(269) 544-3200

Click HERE For Directions! 

Heart and Soul

Autumn is a season full of colors, bountiful harvest, and gatherings with friends and family. Nothing celebrates this exciting season more than a kitchen bursting with laughter, joy, and all the aromas of a meal prepared with heart and soul.

Naturally Norm’s at Carlson Farms starts your home-cooked meal with just that…

Heart and Soul.

You may see other advertisements for “all natural” and “organic,” but don’t be fooled by these loosely defined terms. We always like to ask ourselves, “Do you REALLY know what you’re making for dinner?” Be sure to check if what you are preparing has met the following benchmarks:

• Free-Range and Pastured
• Fed NON-GMO, Organic Grain
• Antibiotic and Hormone Free
• Raised Locally by Farmers Who Care

Naturally Norm’s at Carlson Farms meets these benchmarks and continues to excel beyond the typical market.

“Why?”, you ask.

If you want to prepare something for your loved ones that is healthy, safe, delicious, and honest, then we ask, “Why not?”

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Try Our:

• Whole Broilers (3-5 lb. avg.) - Great for your main dish!

• Cornish Hens (NOW IN SEASON)- Try something different this year, and personalize each plate with a Cornish Hen!
• Boneless Smoked Netted Ham - Slow roast in the morning and by dinner, you’ll have a fabulous, juicy centerpiece. Nothing says “Holidays!” like our smoked ham!

October's Palette

Hellur, Octoburr.

September has come and gone, just as summer, but the warm sun has been lingering a bit longer, and we are not complaining. This warm weather sure does make the animals happy. Not too hot. Not too cold. There aren't many nagging flies left to bother them in the fields (not that the chickens would mind, anyway) and the crispness of autumn has seemed to give off a bit of extra "kick" in their spirits. It always is a joy to see the cows playing in the fields and the hogs twirl their tails in excitement. We sometimes joke that the hogs are little "gremlins" when they 'woof' and 'oink' running around the pasture. 

We hope that you are able to get outside and enjoy the October's spectacular palette. It sure is a beautiful painting out there. And the beauty translates into what we mean when we say "natural." This, the crimson, gold, and yellow, the scent of summer's departure in falling leaves, the softness in the clear night sky, and the crisp edge in the morning sun's wake. This is "natural." This is not only what we experience, but it is what our farm experiences. Together, we share in them and contribute to the multidimensional painting that is October.  



The Way It Should Be

Dirty, happy hogs. The way it should be.

Injecting hogs with growth horomones and chemicals. Raising them on metal crates, never allowing them to see the light of day or the earth they so love to roll around in. Shocking them. Crippling them in tight, overpopulated confinement barns.

Is this the way to raise a hog? The humane, healthy way?

We think you already know the answer to that.

Then why buy that drive-thru bacon sandwich? Why buy packaged bacon and sausage packed with chemicals and GMO's? Why support an industry that does not support your health or your views on "the way it should be"?

Naturally Norms on Carlson Farms raises its animals with care and integrity. We care about what we put into our bodies and want to raise happy animals at the same time. We get rid of GMO's in the corn we feed to our hogs and hens. We allow them to pasture and be natural in their environment.

No crates. No cages. No GMO's. No growth horomones. No inhumanely treated animals.

That is the way it should be. We encourage you to participate in the following this harvest season:

1. Harvest from your own garden.
2. Support local, "beyond-organic" farmers.
3. Cut down/cut out trips through the drive-thru. Don't support inhumane farmers!
4. When preparing your Harvest Family Dinners, think about what you are going to prepare and how it was raised.

If you don't have your own garden to harvest from, or local, humane farmers near you, then give us a call! We'd be glad to give you some more information and fill an order for you!

Enjoy this last partial-week of summer! Take care and we hope to see you soon!