Dear Lads Farm LLC

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Machesney Park, IL
Dear Lads Farm LLC

We are a small family run farm business in N.

Illinois, offering holistically raised animals & produce, as well as homemade products inspired by our homestead ❤️

Visit our Farmstand opening spring 2025:
www.dearladsfarm.com

11/05/2025

✨ Idaho pasture pigs vs kune kunes ✨

I was never a fan of pigs until we bought our first kune kunes in 2020. They were sweet, full of personality, got fat on forage, and were loaded with lard ... And that lard was loaded with vitamin D from the sunshine they had soaked up for the past year and a half

Earlier this year, we decided to switch things up and brought home two Idaho pasture pigs (IPPs). IPPs are a blend of kune kune, duroc and Berkshire ... All the personality and pasture benefits of a kune kune, but with much faster growth. It seemed like the perfect fit for us! We planned to buy piglets in late winter, harvest them in late fall, and then have a few months each winter pig-free

We loved our IPPs, Squire Hamley and Lord Bacon. They were very sweet, grew fast, but compared to the kune kunes, no lard. Beautiful meat, but no lard. And lard is why we raise pigs

With farming, you don't know unless you try. What works for one person may not be the best fit for you

So we're back to kune kunes! We welcomed two little barrows (boys) last week, and they'll hang out this winter waiting for the pastures to grow again, where they'll have a beautiful sun filled summer next year ❤️

"Life is a learning experience, only if you learn." - Yogi Berra

10/17/2025

Just a friendly reminder, if you haven't planted your garlic yet, there's still time! Here's to hoping mine gets in the ground today 😉

What are your favorite ways to use garlic? 🧄❤️

09/09/2025

✨ Pickled Pepperoncini ✨

Do you have loads of peppers coming on but no stove to can them on? This is a great recipe whether you plan to just stick it in the fridge or you want to can it for long term storage

• 1 1/2 pounds of fresh pepperoncini (or banana) peppers, slicing a slit down the side of each pepper
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbs sea salt
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves

1/2 gallon jar (or can be divided between two quart jars)

Layer the garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves on the bottom of the jar (or stick them in at the end if you forget this step, like I did 😉)

Pack the peppers in the jar tightly

Create a brine by bringing the vinegar, water, salt and sugar to a boil and pouring it hot over the peppers. Screw the lid on tight and let sit until cool, then stick it in the fridge. Let it sit for at least 3 days (1-2 weeks is better!) before eating. It keeps several months in the fridge unopened

Original recipe can be found at daringgourmet.com (instructions for canning can be found here too)

Enjoy! ❤️

06/26/2025

I rushed for so many years. Endless to-do lists, feelings of failure when I didn't accomplish as much as I felt I should be able to

Lately, even as I work, I'm taking time to be more present. As I mowed the lawn this week, I stopped as I went around a corner to grab a few handfuls of mulberries. And as I passed the milkweed, I looked for monarch caterpillars

And in those small pauses, something shifts. The work still gets done, but my heart feels quieter, more grounded. I'm remembering that life isn’t just about the finish line — it’s noticing the sweetness along the way

06/25/2025

If I could go back in time, I would pick a huge bouquet of elderflowers for my bridal bouquet ❤️ Aren't they lovely?

Besides their sweet gentle scent & the gorgeous tiny flowers that bunch together to create a lace that rivals anything we could design, elderflowers have many health benefits

We commonly talk about the elderberry and its immune boosting properties, but the flowers have special properties too! (And you don't have to beat the birds to the fall harvest 😉) My favorite way to use elderflower is drinking it as a tea, but you can also make a tincture, salve, syrup, or use it in recipes

• elderflower is rich in flavonoids and vitamin C, which support the immune system; it also has antiviral properties, making it the perfect warm drink when you're feeling under the weather

• as an expectorant, it can help clear mucus from the respiratory tract

• it is antiinflammatory, easing seasonal allergies as well as general inflammation

• it is soothing for the digestive system and can help with bloating, reflux, and constipation
.. And soooo many other benefits, including supporting your skin, hair, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, acting as a mild diuretic, and is calming (note: only the flower should be used, *not* the stem or leaves)

Elderberry bushes are blooming like crazy right now in the Midwest so it's the perfect time to create a bouquet of your own ❤️

06/12/2025

Garden tip: grow what you can grow

This might sound simple, and I don't know why it's taken me so long, but this year for some reason all of the cylinders are finally firing!

I usually grow several varieties of radishes ... Every year, the French breakfast and white hailstone radishes do the best here. So why do I grow the rest? 🤔

For several years, I grew spring peas and they did well. The last few years, I've had awful germination. I figured it was because I was a bad gardener, and I just kept trying with the same variety. Funny, this year I added in a new variety (some sugar snap peas) along with my old standby pea brand ... The sugar snap peas germinated just fine! Turns out, it's not me after all, it's those peas I stubbornly kept ordering 🫣 (anyone have a green pea seed variety/brand that they like?)

I'm not sure why I haven't put two and two together before this, but this year all sorts of things are becoming clear for me ... Next year, my radishes and green peas are going to be 🔥😂

What do you grow well? ❤️

04/21/2025

✨ Local "Plants & Prims" Sale ✨
Saturday May 10th from 9am - 3pm in Machesney Park
Hosted by and .lads.farm

We will be offering antiques, unique collectibles and primitives, plants (tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, black raspberries, some flowers, and houseplants), farm products & more! Stay tuned for some sneak peeks soon 😉

{Location available upon request. Thank you!}

04/18/2025

There are hundreds of plant starts in our house and greenhouse right now, and I find myself dreaming of the colors that will be in the garden this year ❤️ Many of the flower varieties are new to me, to find out what I enjoy growing, what grows well here in our area, and also, what friends visiting our farmstand will like!

So I would love to know, what is your favorite flower? ❤️ I might just have to tuck it into the garden this year 😉

04/16/2025

Silver Appleyard ducklings available ✨

Silver Appleyard ducks are known for their rapid growth, excellent egg production, and good meat quality, making them a versatile dual-purpose breed. They are also known for their beautiful appearance, calm, friendly temperament, and ability to forage

Straight run, hatched within the last 24-36 hours

Location: Boone County, IL

Address

Machesney Park, IL
61103, 61111, 61115

Website

https://www.dearladsfarm.com/

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