Ayrshire Farm

Yesterday I drove to Ayrshire to pick up our provisions for the next week. It was a great day for the 63 mile drive from Panorama to the Farm.
Passing apple orchards and all the fields, I imagine this will be the last I see of the earth's winter rest...Spring is coming soon!

Ayrshire was beautiful, as always, even in these last days of winter.
As I pull in, the Highland cattle, Ancient White Park and some Angus were lounging in the sun on the front field, behind stone walls. The Highlands were spectacular in their full winter coats. The Highland babies were the most charming. Their coats are a lighter brown, but their fur just as long as the mature cattle.

Driving through the front gate, at 10 miles an hour, I see the signs I've come to love along the drive "Caution Dogs at Play". There are dog houses intermittently along both sides of the drive. The dogs that live there are all living the good life. Yesterday they were playing. It was fun to have them greet me and escort the car back towards 'the big house'. They stop following once I get toward the beautiful carriage house where 2 of the Shire horses seems to be at the end of their day's work.

There's so much I love about being here - so much I'm grateful to the Ayrshire folks for...all they do to provide us and our Guests with Certified Humane & Organic, Heritage beef and poultry...and all they do to respect the Earth, the animals and ultimately, our human health. I'm grateful to each one of them for the sustainable world they create - for the benefit of all of us.
I feel very blessed for our association with all Panorama's farmers. I'm eager to tell you a little about A Rare Breed and Border Springs - both are 'lambing' right now. There are babies being born in totally natural/beuatiful caring surroundings. If I knew how to load a picture, I'd post some here for you to see. You can check out their links at our website.
We'd also like to tell you about the produce farmers getting ready to plant, and the New Producers workshop, Garden Buddies, the Farm to Chef Roundtable and the WV Farm Conference.
It was nice to be free of the day to day restaurant obligations this last month and get much more invovled with each of these wonderful people that raise our food.
My mind moves on..We're excited thinking about all our fabulous friends, Panorama's Guests - and how we've missed you all while we were away.