Hampshire Farms

06/22/2026

As I may have mentioned-the cows are on full living pasture and are milking LOTS. There is no wait list right now for herdshares...and there is a fair amount of rich yellow cream to be had.
Tonight, we pulled out the 2 1/2 gallon freezer and made a batch of vanilla ice cream. Yum!!!
Today we are planting sorghum-sudangrass, which will grow fast for late summer grazing.

06/21/2026

06/19/2026

We have completed our trial period at one of our markets with a card reader to see if it increased sales or not. The answer is maybe some, but mostly we just saw our sales become more card-less cash. And those card sales cost us money. But, the world is changing...
We just purchased a second card reader for our other market where the ATM is not dependable and will also accept cards there. This could potentially double the card usage and fees for us.
It's time for us to start passing on the 3% fee for credit we have been hit with up to now. It will automatically be added. We will still be charged 2% for debit transactions. Please consider using cash or check instead of debit.
Thanks.

06/19/2026

This Saturday from 9:00–11:00am, the production team for Detroit the City of Chefs III will be on location at the Royal Oak Farmers Market.

The film crew will be capturing Michigan’s local farming community in action, highlighting the essential relationship between chefs and farmers and how that connection continues to shape the region’s food culture.

This segment will focus on the people behind the produce—farmers, growers, and culinary leaders—working together to strengthen a sustainable and community-driven food system across Michigan.

Learn more about Detroit: The City of Chefs
https://www.bendingriverfilms.com/chefs3

06/19/2026

Taking a break from our local farmers market in Kingston today. Tiffany the cookie lady needed shoulder surgery this week. Randy is recovering from his two shoulder surgeries in the last month. So, we continue to be "short-handed". (too soon? 😉)
Our bakery is closed again this week, so no bread at all. Maybe next week. We'll see.
Otherwise, the grains look good and the corn is up and growing fast with the rains. The cows are filling the milker buckets on all the lush pastures.

06/18/2026

Crop tour tonight. Checking out our rye field, and our Rose wheat. Looking good-we've had plenty of rain as it has headed out. Yay!

06/17/2026

Road Trip! Met with other grain growers and end users today.

06/16/2026

06/14/2026

As if....showing up at Eastern Market every single Saturday morning, unloading our wares and heading up to the Royal Oak Farmers Market were not a major achievement in itself-
at 2 p.m. our truck and trailer return to pick up what's left.
This involves our son backing up from the street between double and triple (haphazardly) parked cars and distracted pedestrians who surely assume he can see them. (He can't.)
It is amazing. Thinking of selling tickets and popcorn.
How does he do it? Just like Tow Mater does it. Mirrors.

06/12/2026

Yes! Even with a skeleton crew we are finishing up for the night. 💀💀💀Morning comes early-and we will be at both markets with nearly all of our products. Tiffany is headed out to the Kingston market tonight as we speak.
The corn we planted is up. It's been hot and we've had two moderate rains. We have been working up ground to plant sorghum sudangrass soon for fresh new pasture later in the summer.
The 60 big round bales we already have stored out back are enough to feed the cows for about a month come winter. We will soon be making more hay and continue to do so going through summer.