Happy Friday

by Lisa Vivian

 

Art by Lore Pemberton

 

Happy Friday! There’s something about early spring in Pennsylvania that keeps you humble.

Just when you think winter has packed up and moved on, it sneaks back in the door like it forgot its coat. Last week felt like the promise of spring around here. The barn doors were open, the kids were outside for football practice and long walks to the park, and there was that soft shift in the air that makes you believe warmer days are finally settling in. And then—bam. Thirty-degree temperatures, brisk winds, and even the possibility of more snow in the forecast. Around here they jokingly call this stretch “the third winter,” and this weekend it certainly feels like it.

After those warm days last week, it’s a bit of a disappointment to pull the winter coats and hats back out again and drape the blankets across the couch. But if you’ve lived in Pennsylvania long enough, you know this is just the way spring arrives. It’s an ebb and flow of temperatures as the earth warms and the winds shift. A few steps forward, a little slide back. And when you think about it, that rhythm feels a lot like life itself. Very few things move in a perfectly straight line. Most of the time it’s a bumpy up-and-down ride until you get where you’re going.

Running a small farm is certainly like that.

Right now we’re in a bit of a dry spell here at Lane’s End Farm, and not the kind you solve with rain. As you know, every product we make comes from the milk produced by our herd. The milk in your glass, the yogurt and buttermilk we stock in the fridge, and of course the milk that becomes the gelato we churn for The Scoop Shoppe. But milk production has its own natural rhythm. Several of our cows are preparing to calve in the next couple of months, which means they’re now “dry.” During these final months before calving they stop producing milk so their bodies can put all their energy and nutrients toward growing healthy calves and preparing for the next season of milk.

It’s an important and necessary pause in the cycle of a dairy farm, but it does mean our milk supply is a little tighter than usual right now. So if you see us moving a bit slower on milk, yogurt, buttermilk, or gelato production, just know we’re doing our best to keep up while our girls prepare for their new calves. Just like spring, it’s all part of the ebb and flow of life on the farm.

And speaking of gelato, we’ve got something fun happening at The Scoop Shoppe this weekend to brighten these chilly days. Here’s what we’re scooping this week:

  • Mint Cookie – Our minty gelato filled with crushed Thin Mint cookies.

  • Peanut Butter Cookie – Creamy peanut butter gelato with chunks of Tagalong cookies folded throughout.

  • Lemon Cookie (Gluten-Free) – Bright lemon gelato with crushed gluten-free vanilla sandwich cookies.

  • Coconut Caramel Cookie – Our take on a Samoa with toasted coconut gelato, chocolate flakes, and a ribbon of caramel.

  • Coffee Toffee Cookie – Our locally famous coffee toffee gelato with a rich coffee base and Heath toffee pieces.

  • Rocky Road Cookie – Chocolate gelato with marshmallow swirl and chocolate-covered peanuts.

  • Vanilla Bean – Our classic vanilla bean, because sometimes simple is just right.

 

 

Links + finds from the week:

Have the best weekend,

xx,

Lisa

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