Cannibalism in the Barn
Remember the tragedy of all the chickens dying? Well apparently we are living in an Alfred Hitchcock movie, because now they are all eating each other. There are times when animals become so stressed or so bored that they begin to consume their fellow barn companions. But we live on planet sunshine and walk through… Continue reading Cannibalism in the Barn
When to Process Cattle – Grass Fed Beef vs Grain Fed
How can you tell if a beef calf is ready to be processed? I explain how with some key basics of animal growth.
Small Farm Business Plan
In times of a pandemic, everyone is realizing that food insecurity is actually part of a first world problem, if managed incorrectly. How did you feel in 2020? Can I assume you were food insecure? Or at least close to it? Most people were… There are so many problems with our current food system. Just… Continue reading Small Farm Business Plan
The Ultimate Holiday Ham
I had never made a ham before. But I think I have found a new Christmas tradition. Holiday Ham every Christmas Eve!! Check out the recipe below! Ingredients 1 Schoentrup Farms Smoked Ham 1/4 cup Brown Sugar 1 tsp Nutmeg 1 tsp Cinnamon 2 tsp Walden’s Wonder Spice 1/2 cup Orange Juice (I use high… Continue reading The Ultimate Holiday Ham
We Drink Raw Milk
Raw Milk. The most common reaction I receive after telling people we drink raw milk is, “Ew, I couldn’t do the texture”. But the reality is, most of these people have never tried it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I was a little nervous about trying at first also. But after that first swallow, it… Continue reading We Drink Raw Milk
Homemade Chicken Broth
Schoentrup Farms chicken frames, pack of 3 1 onion 3 whole large carrots A few dashes of salt and pepper 2 tbsp crushed garlic Water Fill a large pot, 3 gallons or so, half full of water. Place on the stove on medium / high heat Add chopped onion, cut up carrots, salt, pepper, garlic,… Continue reading Homemade Chicken Broth
Chicken and Dumplings
It’s starting to get cold out and there is nothing better than a warm bowl of thick, satisfying chicken and dumplings! This is Paul’s favorite meal that I make, and let’s be honest, its mine too!! I had scoured the internet; Google, Facebook, and Pinterest, trying to find an easy but delicious recipe for chicken… Continue reading Chicken and Dumplings
Paul’s Secret Seasoning
It may not be a secret if you tell everyone, but then how can you all enjoy it?! We like to use it with chicken but you can really use it for an recipe you have!! Ingredients 1 tsp Chili Powder 1 1/2 tsp Paprika 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder 1 1/2 tsp Pepper 1… Continue reading Paul’s Secret Seasoning
Chicken Tractors – The Beginning
We are fast approaching the day our first set of meat birds come in. It’s kind of funny really… you order chicks and they are mailed to you. Literally mailed, in a box, ha. Anyway, we are receiving 75 meat chickens on Friday! Wow, it took a while but we are prepped and ready to… Continue reading Chicken Tractors – The Beginning
Raising Chickens for Meat
You have probably heard about the benefits of raising chickens on pasture, good for the soil, good for the forage, good for the chicken, and good for the humans who eat them. And if you’re reading this, I’m assuming you want to raise them yourself or maybe I’m wrong, and you’re reading this just for… Continue reading Raising Chickens for Meat
When to Cull an Animal
Raising livestock can be an emotional journey. You work their whole life to make sure they are taken care of, fed, watered, on fresh pasture, and happy. You know that they have an end date. So, to make up for the sadness you feel when it’s their peak time, you work extra hard at giving… Continue reading When to Cull an Animal
Raising Cattle for Meat
With the current market, everyone wants to know how to make sure their food is secure. You cant count on the supermarkets just in time supply model and consumers are realizing it’s easier, more economical, and actually kind of cool to go straight to the source, the farmer. So you’ve decided you want to be… Continue reading Raising Cattle for Meat
Penelope – The Guard Goose
Hello! My name is Lady Penelope. My job is to look intimidating and protect my chickens. I like to think at the humans, eat bugs in the grass, and flap my wings really big! People think this is the funniest part of our farm. Some laugh because she is cute, some because they are terrified… Continue reading Penelope – The Guard Goose
Backyard Chickens vs Store Bought Eggs
I see a lot of questions out there from people wondering if they should get backyard chickens or just keep buying eggs at the store. The answer… get the chickens!! You don’t need more than like 3, a chicken coop can consist of a dog kennel with roosting bars, they don’t eat that much feed… Continue reading Backyard Chickens vs Store Bought Eggs
What, Exactly, Do We Feed Our Beef?
I wrote a post earlier about what the difference between grass finished and grain finished beef and how Schoentrup Farms fits into that, you can read about it here. But, what exactly do we feed our beef cattle? Well, the answer depends on which age group you are looking at. We have cows (the mamas),… Continue reading What, Exactly, Do We Feed Our Beef?
2 Ingredient Buffalo Wings
Who doesn’t love wings?? In my house, anytime we can get wing, we do!! But we were out of actual wings, so we grabbed some drumsticks and went to town! I am all for making things in the kitchen simple. We don’t need to spend 3 hours using 15 different ingredients to make a delicious… Continue reading 2 Ingredient Buffalo Wings
Grass vs Grain Finished
In the fun world we live in today, there are so many terms, slogans, descriptions, etc out there that seem to impose fear over the products you are buying. For example, what emotions do you feel when you hear GMO, organic, grass fed, antibiotic free, hormone free? It kind of makes it sound like we,… Continue reading Grass vs Grain Finished
Sirloin Tip Stir Fry
*Disclaimer: I wish I would have taken more pictures of me making this recipe, but the reality is my husband was starving and I was trying to get him fed. Maybe I’ll make it again soon and add more pictures, it was quite delicious!! Who doesn’t love a solid stir fry?! Exactly, everyone does! If… Continue reading Sirloin Tip Stir Fry
Cast Iron Pork Chops
Simple, easy, and cast iron!! I made this recipe up on the fly.. We had set out pork chops to use for dinner but got busy, as sometimes happens, and ended up not making them that night. So Sunday afternoon, my belly is growling and the husband is working on something around the farm and… Continue reading Cast Iron Pork Chops
Accountability & Traceability
Accountability. Traceability. Those can be big words… so what do they mean for Schoentrup Farms exactly?? First, if you haven’t read our post about our processor, you should check it out here. I talk about who we use to process (or harvest) our animals and why. We raise the animals from babies to maturity and… Continue reading Accountability & Traceability
Meet The Mangalitsa!
Meet the Mangalitsa! What?! A pig covered in hair?! But why?! FAT! The flavor-packed, juicy fat is unbeatable! It’s the Kobe beef of pork. If you’re familiar with pigs, you’ll understand that pigs over the last few decades have been bred with the intent of no fat, but just lean meat. But, it turns out… Continue reading Meet The Mangalitsa!
Beer Can Chicken
Do you need an easy way to cook a whole chicken? Are you tired of using chicken seasoning for your chicken?! Look no further! This is soooooo easy! Even Paul can do it ;)….. 4 primary ingredients, 15 min prep, 90 to 120 min cook time, DELICIOUS! Ingredients Schoentrup Farms Chicken * Salt Pepper 16oz… Continue reading Beer Can Chicken
Let’s Talk About Processing!
This may be something people find hard to talk about, but we know it is a part of life and it is our responsibility to make sure our animals are respected from start to finish! If you are new here, I am Olivia Schoentrup, with Schoentrup Farms. We raise beef, pork, and chicken on pasture… Continue reading Let’s Talk About Processing!
One Large Family Operation
One family farm, two farms, two different names. Olivia’s family has been selling meat product to the community for years now. As a hardworking farm girl, Olivia wanted to take that passion and put it into her marriage. Thus, a close partnership for Golliher Meats and Schoentrup Farms has formed. Although the farms are miles… Continue reading One Large Family Operation
This Isn’t a Part-Time Job
Hello!!! If you’re new here, Schoentrup Farms is a small farm outside Shelbyville, IN. The employees consist of a husband, a wife, and a great farm dog named Hunter. We are full of many wonderful animals. Currently we have 7 laying hens, and 3 cows and 4 calves. Not only are we just starting… Continue reading This Isn’t a Part-Time Job
How We Raise Our Chickens
We raise cornish cross on our farm, they typically take 8 weeks to full mature weight, they are a primary meat chicken in the industry. For the first 3-4 weeks, the chickens spend time in the brooder, an indoor living area where they have plenty of heat and no predator pressure. Depending on weather conditions… Continue reading How We Raise Our Chickens
The Hardest Thing We’ve Ever Done
Wow. This past week was rough! If you are new to my page, I am Olivia Schoentrup. I grew up on a small cattle farm in Indiana. I showed cattle in 4-H, I helped raise show cattle with my dad. I helped many laboring mothers have calves they would have given up on. I had… Continue reading The Hardest Thing We’ve Ever Done
About Me
I am Olivia and this is the Chickabiddy Chatter for Schoentrup Farms. Schoentrup Farms sells meat products directly to consumers straight from the farm! After our third year of raising animals on pasture and successfully selling the meat products to consumers, people started reaching out to us asking how we do things.
I am a firm believer of buying local, knowing your farmer, and farming sustainably. But, these practices will not feed the world. So, we need more and more people like me and you to do just that… FEED THE WORLD!
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