Spring has come to the Stillpoint Farm Mercantile!
Spring Produce
We say goodbye to April with the first of the spring greens including Kale, Rainbow Chard, and Romaine from Chestnut Creek Farm. Stillpoint Farm is offering spring onions and asparagus. More to come as spring progresses. We are working on a source for strawberries and will soon also have red romaine lettuce and radishes.
Want to grow your own? Look for Ashley’s tomato and pepper plants starting the first weekend in May.
Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival
Fiber folks – Be sure to come find us at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival May 6-7 at the Howard County Fair Grounds. Tom, Todd, and Mike will be in the farmers market area with beer and sheepskins and Angie will have all sorts of fiber products for sale in her booth in barn 3. We also have several washed Leicester Fleeces available in the mercantile, both white and colored for hand spinners or those looking to do fiber projects. The hand-woven lap robes and blankets made with wool from our sheep really are exceptional. They could be just the thing for a special gift for someone (or yourself!)
Daily Crisis Farm – A2 milk products now available.
We would also like to introduce you to our newest vendor – Daily Crisis Farm in Harford County. They are a small family-owned farm, growing all their own feed, and renowned for producing A2 milk products. Regular store milk has A1 and A2 milk proteins. A2 milk has only the A2 milk protein. Daily Crisis’ dairy herd consists primarily of heritage breed cows (Milking shorthorns, Linebacks, Guernseys, and Jerseys). These cows produce only the A2 protein – the same milk protein found in human milk as well as that of yaks, camels, goats, and sheep. Many people find that A2 milk is much easier on the digestive system and helps people who may have had issues with drinking milk to enjoy it without stomach discomfort. Research (2020) from Purdue University and the University of Auckland suggest that people w/ lactose intolerance may have significantly less symptoms when consuming A2 milk. (Although the A2 protein is not the same as lactose). All of the Daily Crisis dairy products are made with only A2 milk. In addition, while the milk is pasteurized it is not homogenized. This is considered ‘creamline milk’ and the cream will rise to the top. Daily Crisis believes that milk should be processed as little as possible and consumed in the most natural state possible. Homogenization, which is not necessary for any food safety reason, destroys the sweet, creamy taste of fresh milk and alters its molecular structure. Since most of us have been raised on homogenized milk, we may not know what to expect when we buy our first bottle of non-homogenized milk. After it sits for 12-24 hours, fresh non-homogenized milk separates into a layer of light, high-fat cream (sometimes called the “cream top”) and a much larger, denser layer of low-fat milk. Over time, the cream becomes thicker, and after a few days it may nearly solidify into a cream “plug.” This is a natural occurrence in non-homogenized milk. When you shake the bottle, the plug will loosen and break up into the milk, although many folks like to spoon it out for their coffee or to eat it on their cereal as a special treat.
Non- homogenized milk also has a naturally sweeter flavor than homogenized milk because whole cream has a silky texture that is lost when the fat globules are broken apart. Professional and amateur chefs recommend non-homogenized dairy products as ingredients to make the best cheese, yogurt, ice cream, whipped cream, or other dairy-based foods at home or in elegant restaurants.
Check out our milk, butter, yogurt smoothies, and cheeses from Daily Crisis Farm.