First market booth, 2014Current market booth set up.
We set up at our local farmers’ market for the first time in 2014. It was one table, a cool door sign with our prices, and a dream. We transported everything in our Ford Explorer. Eleven years later, we have a double booth, tables, shelves, a POS system, a truck, a trailer, lots of equipment, and two employees. The fun doesn’t end there! Our goal is to transition to a food truck when it becomes financially feasible.
In the meantime, we’ll be setting up every Saturday and The Owensboro Regional Farmers’ Market through November 1, 2025. We still sell our lamb meat, jams, jellies, honey, handmade items, fresh cut herbs, and (when available) produce. However, our primary focus is THE FOOD! Lamb sliders made with our Jake’s Run lamb, scratch made biscuits and gravy, breakfast bowls cooked to order, and a weekly special that’s always delicious!
Lamb slider
Biscuit and gravy
Asian braised pulled pork
Our amazing lasagna!
We love local! We strive to use as much locally grown ingredients as possible. We grow the lamb and the herbs used in the sliders and tzatziki. Our lettuce comes from Fischer’s Family Farms. The tomatoes and cucumbers are grown by Dakota Edge Farms. We use produce from other vendors at the market, depending on what we’re cooking and availability.
If you love local, scratch made food, give us a try! We’d love to see you at the market!
I love the flavor of vanilla. Here at the farm, we make most things from scratch. A good vanilla is a MUST for baking or for batters such as waffle or pancake. Two years ago, I was shocked when the price of my regular vanilla extract skyrocketed. It has tripled in cost! :O
As of today the cost for 4 oz. of vanilla extract at Wal-Mart is $6.72! I can make better tasting vanilla extract myself for less and I’m going to tell you how you can do it, too.
First, let’s break down the cost for me to produce 4 oz. of vanilla extract…
COST TO MAKE VANILLA EXTRACT: Vanilla beans (Madagascar, Grade A)            Amazon – $18.95 per 15 beans            Cost per bean: $1.26
Rum (Silver)            Sam’s Club – $13.98 / 1.75 L            Cost per ounce: 27¢
Ratio of beans to alcohol: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3 beans per 4 oz. alcohol Cost to produce 4 oz. vanilla extract: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Vanilla beans:Â $1.26 x 3 = $Â .78 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Rum:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $Â .27 x 4 = $1.08 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â GRAND TOTAL:Â $4.86 / 4 oz.
Now, let’s get to the actual HOW:
HOW TO MAKE VANILLA EXTRACT:
Things you’ll need: Alcohol (80+ proof – I prefer rum, but some people use vodka) Vanilla beans (your choice – I get mine from Amazon and I use Grade A Madagascar beans. Clean container with a top – usually a glass jar or bottle of some type. No need to get fancy here. Any glass jar or container with a good sealing top will be fine.
Yes, I’m aware that’s a huge bottle of rum. Sam’s Club only had one size and it was only $14!
HOW TO MAKE VANILLA EXTRACT
Cut beans in half or whatever size works to fit them into your container.
2. Add beans to container.
3. Add appropriate amount of alcohol (3 beans to every 4 oz. alcohol)
4. Cap tightly. Be sure to write the date on the container or the lid.
5. Place container out of direct sunlight. Shake weekly. A gentle little shake will do it. Don’t go all crazy here. It will be clear when you first start it, but will darken over the next few weeks.
6. Your vanilla will be ready to use in as little as 8 weeks, but optimal flavor is reached at 6 months. I have some I’ve had for over a year. I just leave the beans in there.
I did this one on Christmas last year. Look at that beautiful color. No need to get fancy with the container, I just used the rum bottle. It worked.
THE CONTAINER Don’t worry much about the container. As long as it seals, it will be fine. This morning, we used the last of our maple syrup, so I decided it would make a perfect container:
It begins as clear, but in a few short weeks it will be a lovely amber.
With a few supplies, a little effort, and some time, you can have your own delicious vanilla extract!
My lemon balm was overtaking the herb garden. I had no idea what to do with the stuff, other than walking by and pinching a leaf to smell. I turned to Pinterest for ideas and decided I would use my lemon balm to make infused oil and infused vinegar. The oil will be used later in products such as lip balm, salve and soap. The vinegar can be used in cooking, salad dressings or (most likely) as a conditioner for my hair (fragrance allergy, if you haven’t read past blog entries).
The process is super simple:
Harvest the lemon balm and wash. Our wash station is made of two halves of a 55-gallon food grade barrel.
That’s a LOT of lemon balm!
2. Strip the leaves from the stems. Rinse leaves again. Dry leaves. I use my handy dandy salad spinner.
3. Stuff a clean glass jar 3/4 full with dry leaves. Really pack them in there. The more leaves, the better the infusion.
4. Pour liquid over leaves, making sure to get rid of air bubbles. I added grapeseed oil to some jars, apple cider vinegar to the rest.
5. Using plastic lids (I bought mine at Walmart), close jars.
6. Gently shake and roll jar to cover all leaves.
When I was finished, I had 3 quarts of vinegar and 2 quarts + 1 pint of oil.
Here’s the difference between oil process and vinegar process:
OIL: Place jars in a sunny windowsill. Occasionally shake the jars and place back on windowsill. 8 weeks later, your oil will be ready.
VINEGAR: Place jars in a cool, dark location (mine are in my bathroom). Every few days, shake the jars gently and return to their dark place. 6 weeks later, your vinegar will be ready.
After the infusions are finished, strain the leaves from the liquid and store liquid, to be used for whatever you need. I’ll be making soap, lip balm and salve with my oil.
Hello friends! Â It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to post. We spent the winter working on off season projects, then in February we started plants.
This year, we started cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs in the greenhouse – all of which have now been planted in the main gardens and are growing happily 🙂
Our chickens seem to be working overtime and we’re getting 5 dozen eggs each day. If you know of anyone who needs any, please call or text me at 270.302.9468.
We’ve also planted corn, radishes, beets, spinach, lettuce, kale, chard, peas, green beans and probably a few other things I can’t recall at the moment.
We decided not to offer a CSA this year, focusing more on the farmers market. Delivery times were just too much and was keeping us out of the fields. Â It’s just us. No employees, so we have to make the best use of our time.
Anyways, we’re still around. Still having fun and making the most of each day. We’ll be seeing everyone soon at the farmers market!
After so much rain this summer, we finally got rained out two weeks ago. However, since then Mother Nature has been kind to us and we’ve finally dried out. The Fall crops have been planted and are looking great! Broccoli, cabbage, yellow squash, zucchini, scalloped squash, kale and beets are all in our future. Winter squash (butternut, acorn and spaghetti) are ready to be harvested. That will happen within the week.
The chickens began their late summer molt a couple of weeks ago. This reduces egg production because they’re using most of their protein stores to make new winter feathers. This should end in the next few weeks and egg production will go back up.
We replaced the second back tire of the summer on the tractor. It’s expensive and not something we financially needed, but it is what it is. The new tires should last a long time. It sure beats doing everything by hand!
It’s been a long, hot, humid and downright moist summer. I’m ready for cooler nights with the windows open and cheaper electric bills.
There’s a new kid in town. Meet George. He’s a full-blooded Boer goat we picked up yesterday in Munfordville, KY. He was born on Feb. 1st, which makes him 3.5 months old.
He has a very sweet disposition. He loves to walk around with us and be petted.
Because Anikon (Goat) was the only goat we had for a year, I forget that he’s a dwarf until I see him next to a regular-sized goat. George is already bigger than Anikon!For the record, don’t let the pics fool you. It’s VERY hard to get good shots of animals that refuse to pose, no matter how nicely we ask them. 😉
This weekend, the potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers were all planted. 10 rows of potatoes. 108 tomato plants. 3 varieties of eggplant. 3 varieties of bell pepper. Banana, poblano, jalapeño and Thai peppers.
It has been a rough night and day here on the farm! Clarence died last night from enterotoxemia.
Some might say he was just a farm animal. No, he was a family friend who taught us much more. He brought us closer to friends and helped us make new ones.
I would have never know that a goat could have so much personality if it wasn’t for Clarence. We have plans of having a small goat herd to help manage the farm and Clarence was the first. It will still happen just have to wait a bit now.
He brought us a lot of joy, and from the comments we received many others too. He is missed.
Please welcome Zuzu to the farm! She’s a Boar mix goat who recently turned one. In a few short months, she’ll be bred with our Clarence to make beautiful little kids!
when Clarence met Zuzu 🙂
Additionally, yesterday was Ferdinand (AKA Cow)’s 1st birthday. Of course, Farm Girl had to bake him a cake. Or two. One was for us, the other for him. She said she wrote “MEEHR” on the cake because that’s how he calls to us when we’re outside – as in “come MEEHR and feed me animal crackers!!”
Clarence came to us at 6 days old, after his mama rejected him. We’ve been bottle feeding him for the past few weeks and he’s settled in quite nicely.
He likes to eat, run, jump, bounce, and play. He’s very sweet and soft. To keep him from getting cold, he sometimes wears a sweater (my husband thinks I’m crazy, but it keeps him warm and gosh darn it, it’s adorable!).
I started posting pics and videos of Clarence on our Jake’s Run Facebook page. People seem to like him a lot. We’re spoiled by him because we get to experience him all the time. He’s truly been a blessing to the farm and has brought us so much joy!
Welcome to Homegrown Bites by Jake's Run! 