Yesterday was another one of those days that could be added to a list of “Strange Farm Happenings”. I was in the house frying up some burger for dinner, because Florence was working at the Creamery until six. My cell phone rang. It was John (our herd manager) frantically calling…
As calving season draws to a close, it is time for the newborn calves to start weaning off their mothers and start to eat our luscious green grass. Many dairies will take the newborn calves away from their mothers very soon after birth, but not at Cedar Summit Farm.
For those who haven’t heard, we are thrilled to announce that the Minnesota legislature passed the clarified Buy the Farm language that we so tirelessly worked for. Thanks to Sen. Dahle (D-Northfield), Rep. Bly (D-Northfield), and Land Stewardship Project for helping to continue the fight forward. In another blow to the CapX project…
On Monday night, May 20, 2013, the MInnesota legislature passed the strengthened Buy the Farm bill by a wide margin. Thank you to everyone who made phone calls, sent emails, or simply wished us luck. Your efforts and support have given all farmers and landowners in Minnesota options when faced with living under a high voltage power line. Read more…
Great news to you from Cedar Summit Farm. The Minnesota Senate overwhelmingly passed HF854 yesterday, with the Buy the Farm language included. We have until midnight tonight to get the House to hear and approve their own bill, which we already know has great support. The finish line is near, and we are so close to victory. If you can take a few minutes to make a call or send an email, we can make this a reality. Learn how to help here.
Hopefully the folks coming to Milkapalooza 2013 will see a smile on this old farmer’s face. It’s easy to smile in June with all the grass lush and green. Read more
It was a frigid May morning last weekend, but the St. Paul Farmers’ Market kicked off with a bang. After nearly 7 years away, we made the decision this winter to return to market. There is no where better than where it all began. We had a very warm reception, and more than a few double takes from customers surprised to see us back. There really is no comparison to being able to meet and talk with our customers, face to face. We are looking forward to a busy and prosperous summer. We will have our entire line of products, cream top milk, drinkable yogurts, cream, half and half, and new this year, 100% grass-fed ground beef.
You can find us at the St. Paul Farmers’ Market, downtown St. Paul on the corner of 5th and Wall, Saturdays from May 4th through November 23, 6am-1pm. Bring your bottles for your deposit return – the same as at your favorite store. We can’t wait to see you!
At Cedar Summit Farm, we raise all of of our cows on pasture, using rotational grazing techniques on our 180 acres.
One of the questions that we constantly get is, “What breed of cows do you raise?”
If you ask John Lambert, or farm manager, his answer will probably be “they are true mongrels, a bit of this and that.” We have been known to raise the Heinz cow (57 variety). But what does that mean? Read more
Was it a sign of an early spring? I hoped that the cardinal’s spring song I heard at daybreak outside our window was just that. The thermometer registered 1 degree below zero on that morning this past week and it was still February. One can only hope!
One of the first signs of spring at Cedar Summit Farm is the birth of new calves. A walk through the dry cow and heifer group showed many 2 year old heifers in bloom. There are many eminent birth signs to look for, one of them is that their udders are beginning to fill. Read more
There are many rewards to running a 100% grass-fed, organic dairy. Occasionally, there are challenges. We find ourselves facing one of the biggest challenges in our 87 years of operation.
The CapX2020 power line project might force Cedar Summit Farm to move. The electrical companies are fighting a measure that would pay us and other farmers fair market value for our land and relocation expenses. Please sign our petition to the members of the Minnesota House Energy Committee urging them to support changes to the Buy the Farm law. Your support will save farms today and in the future, and ensure that small family farms like Cedar Summit can continue as organic and grass-fed for many genrations.
Click here to sign the petition.
We suffered a small setback in our attempt to pass a bill in the Minnesota legislature which brings clarification to the original Buy the Farm bill. While working its way through different committees, the bill stalled at Sen. Ron Latz, who did not hear the amendment before his Senate Judiciary Committee in the appropriate time. This means that we will have to take a different approach to things. The next step is to “piggyback” our proposal onto a bill that is already on the floor of the MN house and MN senate. This is a way that many things are moved through both floors. We believe that this could happen as quickly as the beginning to the middle of April. We will continue, along with our friends at the Land Stewardship Project, to work on different committees hearing the bills, as this will strengthen our position should it come up for a vote on the floor.
If you haven’t already, please sign our petition and we will keep you up to date on the progression. For another look at the issue, visit the LSP website.