Fall is fast approaching

The cooler weather these days has me thinking about fall. The crisp, cooler, more humid air makes me want to start baking and spend more time outside watching the leaves turn. Fall is definitely my favorite time of year! Since it's not officially fall, however, we still have a little bit of our summer left yet to enjoy! Watermelon, cantaloupe and other late summer garden goodies are ripe right now, which means some seriously good eats! Take advantage of the growing season we have left to fill up on fresh garden veggies at their peak. Fall will be upon us soon enough, and winter is never far behind, but for now, embrace summer by eating fresh, ripe cantaloupe and watermelon that are sweeter than any you can find anywhere else!

Sweet corn update!

Things have gotten considerably busier around here lately, with our farm stand, restaurant and gift shop now open- we are definitely hopping these days! The restaurant has been a great success, and we've had a few really great events lately, too.
Our sweet corn is finally ready, and by the looks of things, we will continue to pick for at least a few more weeks yet. Watermelons and cantaloupe are so near ready, we can barely stand it. We've tried a couple already (you know, all in the name of quality control, of course!) and they are so sweet it will make your toes curl! Any day now we will be up to our eyeballs in fresh, field-ripened watermelon and cantaloupe and we won't know what to do with them all. Soon our conundrum will be your windfall, as those wonderfully sweet fruits will be just waiting for someone to pick them up and eat them! We will keep you posted as to when to expect them! Meanwhile, we've got lots of other veggies just ready and waiting for you too! We also can do bushels or half bushels of certain items, so give us a call or stop by for prices and availability!

Graze at Mays this weekend!

Howdy folks! Here's the menu for this weekend at May Farms! Hope to see you all there for a great down home country meal!

Friday, August 19th
Soup of the day: Mom’s bean soup

Lunch and Dinner 11:30am to 1:30pm and 5 to 7pm
All lunch and dinner selections come with
biscuits and basil butter

May Farms Famous Reuben on rye
Soup of the day
Vegetable of the day

OR

Grilled Pork Chops
May Farms Potatoes
Vegetable of the day
Soup or Salad

Saturday, August 20th
Soup of the day: Chicken with Vegetables

Breakfast 7 to 9am

Pumpkin pancakes
Choice of Bacon or Sausage

OR


Cheesy breakfast bake
with biscuits

Lunch and Dinner 11:30am to 1:30pm
All lunch and dinner selections come with
biscuits and basil butter

Patty Melt
Bowl of soup
Vegetable of the day

OR

Mexican hamburger
with black beans and rice
and smothered with
green chili


Sunday, August 21st
Soup of the day: French Onion

Lunch and Dinner 11:30am– 6pm
All lunch and dinner selections come with
biscuits and basil butter

Stuffed summer squash
Soup of the day Vegetable of the day

OR


Roast beef
Mashed Potatoes
Vegetable of the day
Soup or Salad

How Sweet It Is!

Our farm stand is NOW open Tuesday through Sunday from 7-10am and 3-6pm. Sweet corn is ready straight from our own field and picked fresh daily. 6 ears for $1.00. We've also got beets, cucumbers, squash and much more ready now! Call for pricing information on half and whole bushels.

**COME GRAZE AT MAYS***

If you like delicious home cooking without the pots and pans, then May Farms is your place to be on the weekends. We serve yummy, homestyle food, without the fuss and trouble of cooking it yourself, at affordable prices! This weeks menu includes grilled pork chops, roast beef and a close cousin to the green chili smothered burrito. The full menu will be posted here by Thursday of each week, so check back to see what’s cookin’. May Farms is a great place to bring the family- visit the animals in our barnyard, feed the ducks and geese, walk through our garden and lavender fields and stop by the farmstand on your way out! Come spend some time down on the farm!

Come Graze at Mays this weekend!

Our weekend menu has been finalized for Graze at Mays! We've got some really delicious, down home comfort food that will blow your socks off! We hope to see you this weekend for fresh food, and fun! So here is our menu! Come see us and spend some time strolling through the garden, too!

Graze at May’s Menu August 12– 14
*All lunch and dinner selections come with garden fresh salad, grilled squash, biscuits and basil butter*

Friday, August 12th

Lunch or Dinner Served 11:30am to 1:30pm and 5 to 7pm

Soup of the day
Grilled ham, cheese and tomato on wheat
Vegetable of the day

-OR-

Grilled Chicken with honey mustard glaze
May Farms Potatoes
Vegetable of the day

Saturday, August 13th

Breakfast– Served from 7 to 9am

Pumpkin pancakes with applesauce
Bacon or Sausage
Fried potatoes

-OR-

Biscuits and sausage gravy
Fried potatoes

Lunch or Dinner Served 11:30am to 1:30pm and 5 to 7pm

Soup of the day
Chicken or tuna salad on whole wheat
Vegetable of the day

-OR-

Roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy
Vegetable of the day

Sunday, August 14th

Lunch or Dinner Served 11:30am to 6 pm

Soup of the day
Roast beef sandwich
Vegetable of the day

-OR-

Oven Fried Chicken
May Farms Potatoes
Vegetable of the day

**Menu subject to change without notice**

Growing, growing.....

We are mere days away from our sweet corn being ready! We are hoping that by the time Graze at May's opens on Friday for lunch that we will be able to serve up some of that glorious, fresh from the field, sweet as honey corn! We're just a little excited about the corn, in case you hadn't noticed! This is such an amazing time around the farm as everything is really growing and changing daily! This time of year brings goodies from the fields- goodies like spinach, chard, beets, okra, purple beans, potatoes, zucchini and yellow squash. Our chef is putting his cooking talents to the test to bring out the very best in each of these delicious, nutritious vegetables just for you! Don't miss out, the season won't last as long as we'd like it to!

Graze at May's during these hours:
Fridays: Lunch 11:30a- 1:30p
Dinner 5p-7p
Saturdays: Breakfast 7am – 9am
Lunch: 11:30a – 1:30p
Dinner: 5p – 7p
Sunday: 11:30a – 6:00p

More exciting news:
Our farmstand opened on Saturday morning along with the May Farms Country Store gift shop. Check back often to see what is available this week in the farm stand! We promise to post the latest vegetable availability right here and on our Facebook page.

Graze at Mays!

Beginning today, Friday, August 5th, there is a dining alternative along the I-70 corridor on the weekends. May Farms opens today and lunch will be served from 11am until 1:30 pm and dinner will be served from 5 until 7pm beginning on Friday. Saturdays we will serve breakfast from 7 to 9 am, too. All of our menu items will be freshly made right here in May Farms' own kitchen by our talented chef and each selection will include vegetables fresh from our own garden. The menu will vary from week to week, so check back frequently to get the latest news from the garden and to find out what amazing food our chef has created each week.

This week, you can look forward to homemade pumpkin pancakes or garden scrambled eggs along with bacon or sausage, homemade biscuits, orange juice and coffee for breakfast. Some of the lunch and dinner options this week are homemade soup and sandwich, our famous meatloaf, lavender rosemary chicken or smoked pork loin for lunch or dinner. Lunch and dinner will feature our signature homemade biscuits with freshly made herb butter, fresh garden salad and the vegetable pick of the day!

Hours:
Fridays: Lunch 11:30a- 1:30p
Dinner 5p-7p
Saturdays: Breakfast 7am – 9am
Lunch: 11:30a – 1:30p
Dinner: 5p – 7p
Sunday: 11:30a – 6:00p
We pride ourselves on providing the best service, food and atmosphere around! Come check out our yummy garden fresh selections, farm-stand, and new gift shop. Spend an hour, spend a day, but spend it enjoying the country at May Farms!

While the summer progresses, so does our garden. It’s now late July and we’ve been harvesting a few different items from our wonderful garden. Things have really taken off in the last week, and soon we will, most likely, be overwhelmed with fresh produce. Not that anyone will be complaining around here! This is our favorite time of year at May Farms.

We harvested our first potatoes of the season this week, and have begun picking squash and lettuce as well. We should be ready to open our full-scale farmstand in the next couple of weeks at this rate. Naturally, we will keep you posted as to when that will happen.

Have you ever had fresh potatoes, right out of the ground? If you haven’t ever had any potatoes that you didn’t buy at the grocery store, you simply do not know what you’re missing. Fresh, farm raised potatoes that haven’t been sitting in a warehouse somewhere are tender, creamy and so full of flavor- they are way beyond your ordinary potato! They even cook much faster than their store bought cousins. This year, the only way you will get any of those fresh May Farms potatoes, though, is by coming in for a meal. They are reserved for our signature dishes here when you come to the farm on the weekends. We might be selfish this way, hoarding them all for ourselves- but we guarantee you will think that you’d died and gone to heaven when you taste what our chef can do with these tasty morsels! So it’s really not selfish at all, we want you, our guest, to get the most extraordinary experience and tastes possible at your next visit to the farm.

Come enjoy a May Farms signature lunch or dinner experience- it’s like nowhere else on the planet! Great food, great fun and impeccable world-class service. That’s the May Farms difference!

Produce and progress!

Garden progress continues as we are now beginning to pick lettuce and squash! The watermelon and cantaloupe, as well as the pumpkins have all developed good sized fruit on them, which can only mean that soon we will be enjoying the sweet, glorious goodness of the watermelon and cantaloupe and making funny faces with those pumpkins! We will continue to keep you updated on the garden and farmstand details.

We are nearing completion of our gift shop, which will be opening very soon! Keep an eye out for that announcement, too! So many new and exciting changes are going on around the farm, intended to make your visit the best it can be! We hope to see you this summer or during our annual harvest festival. Whether it is your first visit, or your 100th, we strive to make you feel at home here at May Farms. We pride ourselves on making every event special for you, our guest, and we want to ensure that your time with us is enjoyable!


Have you heard about Enjoy The Country? Check out the website at:
www.enjoythecountry.com

*

Exciting News!

We are so excited to share with you that we will be opening our doors on Saturdays and Sundays for fresh, fabulous, down home yummy food!

Starting August 6th May Farms will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturdays, and brunch and light afternoon fare on Sundays! We will be offering a varied menu of signature May Farms dishes that specializes in garden fresh vegetables, fresh from our own fields, and seriously good homemade main dishes. Not to mention our signature lavender shortbread- a tasty treat!

This is so exciting for us to be able to serve the best, hearty fresh meals offering a new choice in fine dining along the I-70 corridor! Give us a try, you will NOT be disappointed! Here at May Farms we pride ourselves on serving the best food and providing the best service and hospitality you can find anywhere. We look forward to having a great meal with you soon! Come graze at May's!

Fridays: Lunch 11:30a- 1:30p
Dinner 5p-7p
Saturdays: Breakfast 7am – 9am
Lunch: 11:30a – 1:30p
Dinner: 5p – 7p
Sunday: 11:30a – 6:00p

Feel free to give us a call for more information.

Wheat harvest is well underway and things are looking pretty good! The countryside is filled with large equipment and Byers is a hub of activity. Summer is in full swing, indeed. I love this time of year, watching the crops that were planted in spring filling the fields with row after row of rich green plants, while knowing that the wheat planted in the winter is being harvested at this moment. I can nearly smell the bread baking from here! There are so many good things that come from this time of year. Right now we've got spinach, radishes, swiss chard and some okra (more to come very soon) for sale.

The weather has been cooperative lately, which is a nice change from June when it was too cold or wet to do much planting. We're a little behind with the garden for that reason, but it's catching up fast! Our new underground water system helps immensely, as we can control how much water everything gets. It makes caring for that big garden of ours pretty simple, we can water with the simple push of a button. We typically have had to flood irrigate the pumpkins and corn maze, but out new water system makes that practice obsolete. Despite heavy rains earlier this month, we haven't had much rain this last week, which means we can get back out in the fields for weeding and other daily tasks. We've been lucky to not have hail or terribly damaging winds this season, either. We're hoping this trend continues!

Great news! We are adding a gift shop to the farm, and it is really taking shape, we will have to post some pictures when it's done. There are going to be some really great items in there, and we will keep you posted with Grand Opening details. There's lots of other changes going on around here, too. This is such an exciting time around here! More details to follow soon, stay tuned!

How does your garden grow?

The garden continues to make progress, growing and changing nearly every day. Weeds are an ongoing challenge in any garden, but a garden that is around 6 acres is a day to day battle for control! We are getting a grip on them now that the fields have dried up after a very wet couple of weeks. It's all hands on deck right now for weed control and the many other jobs that a farm requires, but we are loving every minute of it. Seeing the progress when it comes to the garden makes all that hard work worth it!

Next time you're looking for something fun to do, visit our website at www.mayfarms.com to see our calendar of events! Hope to see you soon... down on the farm.

Wheat Harvest has begun!

Wheat harvest has finally begun in our area, albeit two weeks later than normal. Heavy rains over the last couple of weeks have kept equipment out of the fields due to mud. The garden plants are loving this natural water source, and have accelerated their growing rates, too. It's always such an exciting time when the wheat harvest begins around here, because we realize that our garden will be soon following suit with a bountiful harvest of it's own.
The cantaloupe and watermelon have new fist sized fruit on them, and are vining like crazy! Tiny baby yellow and zucchini squash are beginning to make an appearance as well. Even though the okra plants are still pretty tiny, they have okra pods on them as we speak, although we have had to harvest a few of these in order to let the plants grow some more (darn, that just breaks my heart!) Fried okra, now that's some seriously good food.
Speaking of good food....if you're looking for something to do this weekend, join us at May Farms for the Beer, Brat and Sweet Corn Festival from noon to 6pm on Saturday, July 23rd. Be prepared to eat hearty and have a great time! You can take a firsthand look at the lavender and the vegetable garden, too! The more the merrier! Hope to see you there!

From the garden...

Herbs, Radishes, Swiss Chard and Lettuce are ready! Cantaloupe, Watermelom and Pumpkins are starting to vine, when they do that they really start to grow super fast. All the plants are doing really well. Join us on facebook and get daily updates from the farm!

Sugar Cookies

Baking always seems to put me in the Christmas Spirit. When I was a kid you knew Christmas was near when the decorative tins showed up at your house filled with an amazing amount of sugary treats from hard candy to homemade fudge. Something that always goes quickly in our house (usually before we can get them frosted) are sugar cookies! If you have the cookie cut outs shaped like Christmas Trees, Angels or Santa it makes it even more fun but if you have a hard time justifying all that work for such quick consumption a simple cookie shape does the same job.

For frosting I always cheat and get it at the store but you can make an easy frosting by mixing confectioners sugar and milk to the thickness you want. (Thicker: add more sugar. Thinner: more milk!) Of course you must decorate them with sprinkles and add food coloring to make them extra festive! (You can skip frosting all together and just do sprinkles and sugar!)


Try this recipe below!

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
* 2 cups white sugar
* 4 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 5 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Hot Cocoa Mix

At May Farms we're always looking for ways to make people feel at home. What feels more like "home" than a hot cup of cocoa while sitting by a warm fire?

This recipe is not only simple but it makes an excellent Christmas gift for teachers, a party host or just to keep in your cupboard for a snowy day!

You can package the ingredients however you'd like but we like putting it in a jar and using some Christmas themed fabric to decorate the lid and secure it with a rubber band and ribbon. Use cinnamon sticks or candy canes to add additional decoration.

It's really easy... Here's the recipe!

Ingredients
2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup powdered nondairy creamer
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions
Measure all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk them until they are evenly blended. Store the mix in a tightly covered container at room temperature until you're ready to package it. Makes about 4 cups of mix.

How to make a homemade pumpkin pie!

Grandma's Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:
1 pastry crust
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cups fresh pumpkin puree (instructions below)
2 Tablespoons melted butter, unsalted
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon dark molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch salt

Directions:

How to make pumpkin pie puree from a pumpkin (not a can!)

1. Split a medium pumpkin crosswise, remove and discard seeds and fibers.

2. Place pumpkin, cut side down, on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 325F until tender, about 1 hour.

3. Scrape pulp away from skin, discard skin.

4. Place pulp in blender or food processor fitted with metal blade, process in batches, until smooth.

5. Push puree through a coarse sieve. Measure 1 1/4 cups puree for recipe, store remaining puree up to 6 months in the freezer (tightly covered).


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Heat milk in saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat.

3. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl until frothy. Add scalded milk, stirring constantly.

4. Stir in pumpkin, butter, sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Whisk until thoroughly blended.

5. Pour filling into prepared crust, bake until center is firm, about 45 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

Jack-O-Lantern Carving Tips!

CARVING TIPS

Plan on carving no earlier than a day or two before Halloween--jack-o'-lanterns have short "step" lives. And remember to bring your porch pumpkin indoors on nights when the temperature is expected to drop below freezing.

• Draw your design on the pumpkin with a water-based marker beforehand. Mistakes are erased easily with a damp sponge.

• Cut the top and any large areas with a sharp, straight-edged knife. A dull blade is not a safer alternative.

• Serrated metal saws, now widely available in carving kits, are a safer alternative to knives and allow younger children to get in on the action.

• Carve away from yourself; kids should carve only under adult supervision.

• Never hold the knife in a stabbing position.

• When carving, keep a portion of the knife blade in the pumpkin and use slow, steady saw strokes.

• Cut the lid at an angle so the outside diameter is larger than the inside.This prevents the top from falling into the pumpkin when it shrinks.

• Scoop out seeds and stringy flesh with a large spoon or ice cream scooper.

• Carve the facial features closest to the center first and work outward. Cut out the larger features in sections.

• Use an X-Acto knife for details and the tip of a potato peeler to make small circles and curves.

• Remove carved portions by gently pushing them into or out of the pumpkin.

• Reattach a section that is accidentally removed by using a toothpick to pin it back in place.

• Make design holes large enough to provide adequate ventilation for the candle.

• Flatten a spot in the base of the pumpkin for the candle but avoid digging too deep because the pumpkin becomes prone to rot.

• Make sure the flame is not too close to the top of the pumpkin.

• To prolong the life of the jack-o'-lantern, seal in moisture by coating all cut surfaces with petroleum jelly or vegetable oil, or cover it with a damp towel when not on display.

• Consider giving smaller children stickers, tempera paint, or markers to decorate their own pumpkins.

Fall decor!

Over the years we've seen many different creative ideas to ring in fall using pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks and more. Here are a few of our favorite!

Use a pie pumpkin (about a 10 inch pumpkin) and scoop out the insides like you are getting ready to carve it. Try not to scrape too closely to the bottom as you don't want the bottom to be thin. Fill the pumpkin about 1/2 full with water and use it as a vase for flowers! This will often last a couple weeks but keep an eye on the skin for bulges or cracks as after time, it may leak. Always put a plate or dish underneath the pumpkin just in case your vase eventually springs a leak!

Another beautiful fall centerpiece includes a variety of gourds of all shapes, textures and sizes, placed in a fall basket or platter. This looks nice in the center of your kitchen table or coffee table. Be sure to scrub your gourds to remove any dirt or bugs that may have come home with them from the farm!

As an alternative to traditional pumpkin carving try sketching a "dotted" design on the outside of your pumpkin. After scooping out the insides, use a drill to poke holes in the design you have sketched on the outside of your pumpkin. After your design is "drilled" out, use outdoor Christmas lights to fill your pumpkin. Plug them in and your design will shine through!

Have fun!

Spuds

At May Farms, we’ve got a thing for potatoes and it sounds like a lot of you do too! We learned that more than 41 billion pounds of potatoes are enjoyed each year by U.S consumers. That's a lot of spuds! Packed with essential vitamins and minerals, one medium potato (5.3 ounces) with the skin boasts more potassium than a banana, provides 45 percent of the recommended Daily Value of vitamin C, has just 110 calories and is fat-, sodium- and cholesterol-free.

Often when people think potatoes they think of Idaho however, Colorado is the 5th largest producer. Potatoes are the largest vegetable crop in the sate and at May Farms we grow a variety of potatoes including Yukon, Russet, Red, Purple Majesty (yes they are purple!) and a variety of fingerlings.

A potato plant is a vine that grows above ground with tubers that grow from the roots under ground. When you visit May Farms you are able to take home these potatoes dug fresh from the Colorado dirt. In fact, one of our favorite activities on a fall field trip is watching children dive after a freshly dug potato as the spud peeks through the soil.

Not only do we enjoy watching kids connect with nature but we are promoting a healthy snack! Potatoes are a low calorie, fat and cholesterol free vegetable high in Vitamin C, potassium and a good source of the vitamin B6 and dietary fiber. The skin of the potato contains the majority of the potato’s fiber and many of the nutrients are located close to the skin.

Here is one of our easiest and favorite potato snacks that we often serve fresh during our fall festival. We like to use a variety of potatoes, like red and purple, to make a more colorful dish. Try that at home with any meal to add a little color to your plate!

Ingredients:

4 potatoes

Vegetable oil

Seasonings of your choice.

Chop potatoes in to bite size pieces. Toss with vegetable oil, use enough to ensure that they will not stick while baking but not too much that then end up greasy. Add seasonings. We like to use something with a little zip like Cajun or Cayenne but salt and pepper is just fine too.

Spread out on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 25 minutes flipping half way.

Smother with chili or sprinkle with chives.