Wildlife Restoration and Grazing
Grazing large ruminants and wildlife restoration go hand in hand. Learn about what Riemer Family Farm is doing to restore frogs, birds, and small mammals to the prairie.
Where to Find Riemer Family Farm Eggs!
Just look for the PINK carton at a grocery store near you! The egg business has been crazy lately to say the least! It seems like every third news story is about the price of eggs and shortages and even thievery of eggs! Who knew there could be so much drama around the humble chicken egg? We partner with a young farm family to produce our seasonally pastured eggs. These hens have a pretty posh life, non-GMO feed, plenty of space, never any cages and are out and about during the growing season. The bird flu outbreak is just another bit of evidence that the industrial food system is very broken! One of the solutions is MORE farmers on the land raising livestock at a family scale and not more concentrated factory agriculture in the U.S. Barns of tens and even hundreds of thousands of chickens are the ones primarily affected by the bird flu for all the obvious reasons! When 150,000 or more birds are together in a barn when one or a few get infected it's a matter of hours before the whole flock is infected and all must be destroyed. Family farms came through for customers during Covid and are proving to be resilient during this current egg problem too! While we are still learning and don't claim to be perfect, we are more sustainable and adaptable than the factory model of farming. Thank you for standing by our farm and other regenerative farms in your area! If you would like to purchase (or dine on) our eggs you can find them at many stores and restaurants! Including: South Central WI: Brodhead Piggly Wiggly Gempeler's Market-Monticello Roy's Market-New Glarus Evansville Piggly Wiggly Oregon Hy-Vee Fitchburg Hy-Vee Cadre restaurant (and others through a distributor) Sunrise Cafe-Monroe N. Illinois: Bull Valley General Store Daily Project Cafe-Algonquin Duck A Diet, Ready to Eat Meals-Huntly Forest Green's Juice Bar-Lake Bluff Just look for the PINK carton. With all the egg shortages from the industrial farms and spiking prices from a fragile industry, our eggs are quite affordable. We will never price gouge. We seek to provide a fair price for both our customers and us. As always you can pick up your eggs on the farm. Please place an order on our website and we will have them ready for you within a day. Make sure that you have Riemer Family Farm as your pickup location.
11 Ideas for Cozy Winter Dinners
These winter days have me craving all sorts of comfort foods. If you're looking for a little inspiration of what to make for dinner these days, try some of these simple, but tasty classics.
Madison Locally Sourced Article
Madison Locally Sourced is a publication highlighting good food and sustainability in and around the Madison area. We are delighted that they choose our farm to highlight in their current issue. Please let us know what you think!
DIY Chicken Bone Broth
It's the time of year where our bodies crave warm nourishing foods and this broth has it all! Vitamins, collagen, minerals and most importantly it tastes amazing!
Preventing Soil Erosion with Grass-fed Beef
Better food starts with better soil. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, "The nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself." He couldn't be more right. That's why we choose to manage our pastures in a way that protects, enhances, and builds soil. Because if we lose the soil, we lose our ability to grow food.
Which Ground Beef is Best for Me?
Ground beef is always a go-to-favorite for busy midweek meals. Spaghetti, tacos, burgers, sloppy joe, casserole....there are so many things you can make with a good ground beef! But which ground beef should you use? We offer 4 different varieties of ground beef with the addition of our NEW Ground Chuck/Sirloin! So what's the difference between them all? 1. Ground Beef (85% lean) - Traditional ground trim. Flavorful. Classic. Less lean, more moist. 2. Ground Round (90% lean) - Ground from the round portion of the beef. Lean and well rounded flavor. 3. Power Grind Ground Beef (10% liver/90% ground beef) - Traditional 85% lean ground beef ground into a 90/10 ratio with liver for an added nutrition boost with the same fantastic flavor! 4. Ground Chuck/Sirloin (50/50 ratio) - A 50/50 ratio of ground chuck and sirloin; both tender, flavorful cuts, and simply delicious! The most flavorful. All of them are perfect for your family's favorite ground beef dishes. Because the ground round is a little leaner, you may need to add some extra water or fat to it when cooking, but otherwise, they cook similarly. We wanted to see if there was any major taste difference between them, so Anastasia cooked up all 4 separately (unseasoned) and subjected us all to a blind taste test. The results were an overwhelming - "It's all delicious!", but 7/8 voted that our ground chuck/sirloin was their favorite. It was ever so slightly more tender and more flavorful than the other grinds, indicative of its higher quality. The one other vote was for our Power Grind Ground Beef. The person who preferred the power grind ground beef in the blind taste test ALSO happens to have anemia (iron deficiency) and since liver is one of the best sources of iron, it's no surprise that their body knew exactly what it needed - more iron! It was pretty cool to see the results, and it's worth noting that nobody could tell which ground beef was the Power Grind because it really does taste like ground beef...just with an extra nutritional boost to it. Take note - your body will thank you! So which ground beef do you prefer? Try our Ground Chuck/Sirloin for yourself.
How to Cook a Whole Chicken
Your whole chickens sound amazing, but I’m just not quite sure how to cook one. I’ve never done something like that before! Listen, you’re not alone. I had never cooked a whole chicken before moving to the farm, either, but it turns out to be much easier than you think!
Top 12 Grilling Tips for a Successful Weekend Cookout
Review these quick tips for a successful summer grill out!
What's the latest news from your farmers?
Enjoy the latest from the farm in Jen and Bryce's most recent video update.
Are dandelions good for the soil?
Are dandelions really as treacherous for the landscape as they are made out to be? Have you ever noticed where they tend to thrive most? Ditches, fields, lawns, parks....why is that?
DIY Midwest Brat Board
Charcuterie boards, snack boards, butter boards, and now....brat boards! How to DIY your very own Brat Board For maximum variety, you can include: A variety of brat flavorsA few different pickles and sauerkrauts (or whatever you like)Some different mustardsA few different buns (pretzel, brioche, hard roll, etc.)Some grilled veggies to serve on the side (zucchini, peppers, corn...yum!)Of course, cheese....because this is a Midwest board, remember.Anything else you like to serve with your brats! Steps to assemble: 1. Grill up the brats as you normally would (and veggies, too, if you like).2. After the brats are cooked, slice a few of each flavor into appetizer sized discs or diagonals so people can enjoy a simple taste without necessarily taking an entire brat. Feel free to leave some brats whole on the side or as part of your display.3. Arrange the different brat flavors onto a large serving board, sorted by flavor to keep things organized. Use a toothpick and paper to distinguish between, if needed.4. Surround the brats with small dishes containing the mustards, krauts, and pickles.5. Fill in other gaps with your bite size bits of bun, grilled veggies, cheese, and anything else you plan to include! Fresh sliced radishes, carrots, and other relishes make a great addition, as well.6. Take a picture of your masterpiece, then serve and enjoy! :) >> Shop our variety of brat flavors to get started with building your own board! Find a few boards available in the shop, prepared by a local friend who has salvaged some of the wood from our own farm to create these beautiful wooden serving boards. These brats are ready to be sliced and served on a board with pickles, mustards, and all the rest!
How Bobolinks Benefit from Grass-fed Beef
Spring is marked by the songs of returning birds. Grandma always keeps a keen eye out for the robins in March.While she watches for robins, we keep an eye out for bobolinks.Bobolinks are charismatic looking birds with a black breast and white back, capped with a yellow head; almost like a backwards tuxedo.The signature song of the bobolink is a long, bubbling, whimsical tune that lets us know that grazing season is here.Bobolinks are a special concern species in Wisconsin and have had declining populations over the last few decades as monocrop fields replace their native habitat.According to the Audubon Society, less than 40% of historic grasslands remain today. "Fewer than 40 percent of the 550 million acres of historical grasslands that once stretched from Alberta to Mexico remain today." That's where regenerative farming and the "Real Burger of Earth Day" comes into play.By planting perennial pastures, we can begin to replicate the natural grasslands that these birds (and so many other species) depend on.Cattle are an important part of replicating grasslands. They, like bison, are ruminants and thrive on a 100% grass-fed diet. When they graze, they fertilize the ground and stimulate the plants to regrow (sequestering carbon from the atmosphere in the process).But it's not just the grass they eat that's important...it's the way they move across the grassland, too.Wild bison would never stay in one spot and eat everything down to nothing, letting their manure build up, and our cattle don't either.Instead, we use "rotational grazing" to move the cattle in small sections across the pasture every day so they are always moving, and always giving the pasture a chance to rest and replenish.This creates the perfect nesting habitat for bobolinks, which have thrived in our pastures over the last few years since we began rotationally grazing.As the weather continues to warm up, we'll keep looking out for the bobolinks....you look for the incredible grass-fed beef burgers that help make their critical habitat here possible!Find savings on a variety of our 100% grass-fed beef favorites (including 20% off 4 pack mini bundles of burgers and select individual steaks) during our Spring Beef Sale, going on NOW!
The Price of Pork
Have you seen the price of pork in the grocery store lately? It’s unbeatable! Literally. We can’t beat it. And frankly, we don’t want to. Because in order to meet those prices, we’d have to sacrifice all of the things that makes our pork the high quality that it is. So what makes Riemer Family Farm's pork different from that on the store shelf? Delve a little deeper into the truth behind it all, here.
How to Cook Your Seafood From Frozen (or thawed)
Check out these easy to follow, no fail, no prep needed, cooking instruction from Bering Bounty LLC on how to best cook their wild caught Alaskan fish.
Crowd Pleasing {ethically raised} Party Foods for Game Day
#1 America's favorite food for the Big Game is chicken wings, by far. They're easy to make and so, so tasty. Our pasture raised chicken wings are meaty, tender, and so flavorful, even before you add the dipping sauce! Our friend Matt recommends cutting off the wing tips, drizzling them with oil and your favorite seasoning, then baking them at 425 degrees F for 40 minutes until crispy brown (flip halfway through cooking time). Recipe here.#2 Another classic for the football game is buffalo chicken dip. Cook up and shred some boneless, skinless chicken breasts or a whole chicken, then mix with cream cheese and your favorite buffalo dipping sauce for a tasty chip dipping masterpiece!#3 What would a Sunday night football game be without pizza?? Make up your family's favorite crust (or pull a ready made one from the freezer) then top with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, peppers, onions, olives, mushrooms, etc., and lots of pepperoni and cooked Italian sausage. Or skip the marinara and make a chicken alfredo pizza instead. Everyone will be glad they came to your house to watch the game. ;)#4 Everyone like something different? You can't go wrong with a taco or nacho bar. Make some easy pulled pork in the slow cooker ahead of time for some carnitas nachos, as well as, pulled chicken, and classic taco seasoned ground beef. Assemble a DIY nacho bar starting with a bed of nacho chips with options of meats, cheese, salsa, sour cream, onions, jalapenos, peppers, olives, tomatoes, cilantro, lime and you're set!#5 You could do something similar with chili, too, for another easy, feed a crowd, option.#6 Keep things simple with a classic charcuterie grazing board spread. Our ready assembled Big Party and Medium Gathering Boxes are great to bring along to a party or to put out at your own! They come with cheese, salami, relishes, crackers, and more. All you need is a board, knife, and friends to enjoy it with you.What will you be serving for the big game?? Comment below.
Chili Considerations: What makes your family's chili recipe perfect?
It is full on chili season! It seems like everyone has a different take on chili, so we've compiled a few things to consider here. If you're looking to change up your recipe or try something different, take a look at some of the inspiring ideas below. Enjoy!How to cook chili.The first thing I consider when making chili is when do we want to eat it? Chili tends to taste better when "aged" (by a few hours or a day, not years). When you give the chili time to slowly cook or sit overnight, the flavors really meld together and you wind having a richer dish to enjoy as opposed to eating it fresh off of the stove. Of course, there's no problem with enjoying it fresh off of the stove for dinner, but you may find the leftovers to have a richer profile than the fresh batch.For this reason, I like to make my chili in a slow cooker on low to cook throughout the entire day so that it's ready to eat for dinner that night. If you prefer to make it on the stove top, that works, too!The classic questions.Beans or no beans? We have a divided household, so we heat the beans up on the side and let people add them in on their own. If everyone in your family loves them, dump them on in! Light and dark kidney beans are classic, but you could take a tex-mex twist on your chili and use black beans instead.Noodles or no?We tend to eat gluten free, so we skip the noodles, but we know plenty of people that throw them in. Just note that if you want to age your chili, the noodles may become mushy over time, so this method may be better enjoyed fresh from the stovetop or out of the slow cooker.Which meat? Ground round is a great candidate for chili because it's lean and flavorful, though ground beef works just as well, and ours doesn't need to be drained, because it's already pretty lean and the fat that does come off just helps saute the onions and peppers.If you're looking for places to sneak liver into your diet, using our Power Grind Ground Beef to make your chili is the perfect place! The spices and flavors will hide any "liver" taste you might sense otherwise (though most customers report they don't experience any overpowering taste of liver in the ground beef).Ground pork is another great option to pair with ground beef and make a double batch of chili.Different versions of chiliGround turkeyLean up your chili supper with ground turkey instead of classic ground beef. Still just as flavorful, but a little more lean.White chicken chili Another way to lean up your chili, but instead of using a tomato base, this soup is made with chicken, chicken (or turkey) broth, cannellini beans, green chiles, lime, cream cheese, corn, and warming spices like garlic, cumin, etc., for nourishing, creamy, warming midwinter meal.VegetarianSimple enough; leave out the meat. Be sure to add in some protein via black beans, kidney beans, etc., though.Top secret chili seasoningsCinnamon - I've never done it myself, but I know of others who claim a dash of cinnamon adds just a hint of warmth to your dish, without adding more spicy heat.Cocoa Powder - A dash of unsweetened cocoa powder can help deepen the flavors of your chili and make it even more savory.Hot Sauce - To really bring the heat, don't settle for just chili powder. Add your favorite hot sauce, too, for a next level smoky heat.Brown Sugar - Tame down the heat with a balanced touch of sweet. A sprinkle or two of brown sugar can level out the heat and round out a bit of sweetness in your chili.Popular Chili ToppingsSour cream - the perfect cool and creamy to an acidic, spicy, tomato based chili dish.Cheddar Cheese - We wouldn't be from Wisconsin if we didn't recommend topping your chili with lots of freshly shredded cheddar cheese!Onion - Diced finely and fresh, can either be green, red, or white onion, to add a bit of freshness and bite to your chili.Avocado - The natural creaminess and neutral flavor of avocado can mellow out the chili.Lime - A touch of fresh lime juice can add some zing to your chili, if you like. May work best with a tex mex style or white chicken chili.Hot sauce - For those who can't get enough of the heat....hot sauce away!Jalapenos - Again, for those who can't get enough of the heat, top your bowl with bites of jalapeno and enjoy.Tortilla Chips - What pairs better with hot and spicy than a crunchy, salty tortilla chip? Crush and serve on top, or use them to dip into your chili and enjoy each savory bite.What about you? How do you and your family enjoy your chili? Let us know in the comments below!
DIY Charcuterie (aka Grazing) Boards
Charcuterie Boards (aka Grazing Boards) are all the rage right now, and for good reason. They're fun, beautiful, and easy to do! They're a great way to entertain and share food with guests at the holidays, dinner, or any similar event. Take a look as we walk through the basics of assembling your own board.
How do I cook a pasture raised turkey?
Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! We hope you have a wonderful holiday, filled with good food and good friends. Here are a few tips for cooking your turkey to perfection!
Favorite Fall Pork Recipes
Autumn is the perfect time to enjoy pork, which pairs wonderfully with cozy fall flavors and fruits like warming sage and thyme, tart apples and sweet squash.
