I never thought I would render lard, let alone cook with it. After learning that it’s high in vitamin D, highly digestible, and shelf-stable (meaning it doesn’t go rancid like vegetable oils) I was all in. Now that I have done it several times, I have found it to be very easy to accomplish. Rendering lard simply means heating the fat until most of the moisture is boiled off. You can cut the meat into small pieces or run it through a grinder to start. We have tried both and like the convenience of ground fat. Our lard that we sell in freezer safe, clear packages has been ground by the processor.

Continue reading “Rendering Lard on the Farm” →

I received my Christmas and birthday presents for at least five years this winter. It may sound strange, but I got a used wood chipper and a new saw mill. Whenever we are driving down the road, I feel really sad when I see a pile of trees ready to burn. I know how generous farmers are in our area and I’m hoping that once people hear that we have this, maybe they will let us take some of that wood and turn it into something useful. We also plan to do some milling for other people. We are still working out the details, but so far we are thinking  that we will have a share or paid option. The share option will be where we mill for free and take a percentage of the wood. The paid option will be where we mill and charge an hourly rate. We still have some practicing to do before we do it for others, but my husband and son seem pretty excited about it so far. We plan to use the wood to build moveable shelters and other farm projects that we can’t afford to do at this time because of the price of wood.

Continue reading “Cutting Down on Waste” →

At a Crossroads

By Angie Mentink

While the year 2020 has been one of the best years of my life, it has had its share of challenges. My husband and I are standing at a crossroads, because our business is in jeopardy. In the spring of 2020 our local meat processors were flooded with new customers, after some of the huge packing plants shut down, due to the huge number of Covid cases in the plant. Without a place to take their animals, farmers started making appointments at the local abattoirs. We, along with other faithful farmers, that have used these processors for years, are struggling to get all of our animals butchered that we direct market and are wondering what to do.

Continue reading “Changes Since Covid Part 2” →

Dear friends and family (and those who are both),

Need I even mention that this year has been crazy? It’s been crazy for everyone – perhaps crazy-busy, crazy-lonely, crazy-as-always, with a few exceptions of crazy-fun (?). But it certainly has been a unique year. If anyone had told me that this year we would have to wear masks to the bank, stay six feet away from people for fear they give you a deadly virus, that . . . anyway, I would have thought they were crazy.

But such glum talk has wasted enough of this precious small space I have to fill with all sorts of stuff about our family – a paper of only 8.5 x 11 inches, double sides, with 3/4 inch margins . . . I guess I’d better get going before I’m out! As usual, I want to go through all the individuals in our family (10 in all!), but I think it would be helpful (more humorous than helpful) to add in a few lessons we’ve learned this year, as well as some highlights.

Continue reading “Merry Christmas From the Mentinks” →

Ever wonder why soap is so cheap in the store? Besides having several cheap, toxic ingredients, most of the glycerin (a natural skin softener) has been removed. The glycerin can be used to make lotions or other products which one will need to purchase after using this cheap soap. Here at Mentink Family Farms we wouldn’t even know how to remove the glycerin (nor would we want to!). Our ingredients are simple, natural oils like olive oil, palm oil, and coconut oil. These are saponified with lye (which all soap contains). If anyone says different they are lying. In the past women would soak their wood ashes in rain water to make their own lye, and then add this to whatever fat they were producing on their farm to make soap. Maybe some day I will give homemade lye a try, but for now we buy it. http://www.mentinkfamilyfarms.com/…/bulk-soap-order-10…/

            Several years ago my husband came home from a dentist appointment and announced that the cavities he had gone in to have filled healed up themselves. I was . . . angry! Honestly, I didn’t believe him, and I remember insisting that he seek a second opinion because, “Cavities just don’t heal themselves!” If they did dentists would be shouting this news from the rooftops! After some time passed and the Lord chipped away more of that pride in my heart, I asked my husband, “Did the dentist ask you how you healed your teeth?” The answer, “No,” shocked me at the time, but it doesn’t anymore.

This was just the beginning of my journey into seeking truth and trying to make careful observations of what heals, what damages, and what the research is really telling me. At about the same time (almost 14 years ago) a lot of things changed for the better. We were introduced to Nourishing Traditions and most importantly we got saved. Praise the Lord! We have healed a lot of issues with food and better lifestyle choices, and my hope in writing this blog post is to encourage others to make their own observations and seek truth even when it feels unnecessary.

I planned to write this blog post in the future, but with the current state of our country, I honestly don’t know if I will have the freedom to do it in my timing. When I look to my government as a Savior, I get tyranny and their best interest in my life, but when I seek my Savior Jesus Christ, that is where true freedom lies.

Continue reading “Seeking Truth” →

Kik and Boppy’s Farm Happenings Video

In this video, it’s Kik who is giving her thoughts concerning the Mentink family and our farm. Of course, you’ll see a lot of Boppy as well. What does Kik have to say about hedgehogs? What is going on in the Mentink household? What were the outcomes of the study concerning Mrs. Berkshire P. Lawrence? It’s all here.

Changes on the Farm Since Covid-19 Part 1

A Summer of Joy and Sacrificial Love

When considering the title of this story, what comes to mind? Several years ago I might have thought of an extravagant vacation with loved ones, candle light dinners at a fancy restaurant, or a new vehicle to drive, but to be honest, none of those things happened, and most people might find our summer rather boring.

The spring started out with the birth of our eighth child at home. I learned a lot from this pregnancy and birth about nutrition and the importance of keeping stress levels down. The pregnancy was more of a roller coaster with one month my baby measuring bigger than normal and the next month hearing, “This is a really small baby.” I didn’t think too much about it. I kept going on like normal, adding as much work as I could manage in a day during my pregnancy. I have always been one to make a list of too many things that I want to accomplish before the baby comes. I piled up my list as usual and set to work. With most of my list complete, our child arrived 3 weeks early and weighed in at 5 pounds 7 ounces. I had never had such a small baby, and I was very worried about her size. We had also just learned about the Covid-19 pandemic and that had me concerned as well.

Continue reading “Farm Happenings October 2020” →

Growing Up in a Big Family – the Challenges and the Joys

                 “Mom, I can’t find my shoes!”

                “Has anybody seen my Bible anywhere?”

                “Why is Asher still in his pajamas? Does anyone even have his clothes picked out for the day?”

                “We’re running behind, and if we don’t leave for church now, we’re going to be late!”

                The scene was a typical Sunday morning at our house, and while it might sound like chaos, all the last minute scrambling around and hair slicking and shoe finding was nothing unusual. One by one, children raced out to the van, the girls trying to protect their hair from the wind and the boys tugging at their collars and grimacing. Little ones were fastened into their car seats, diaper bags and water jars arranged on the floor, and the doors slammed shut on the twelve-passenger van. Dad started the van and began to drive forward.

                “Wait!” came a sudden yell from the back. “We don’t have everyone!”

Continue reading “Farm Happenings August 2020” →

Aiden is demonstrating how we move the cows and sheep daily in our pasture. He usually volunteers for this chore and does a great job. We are so thankful for his diligence and keen observation skills. You can watch the video here.

Putting the Pigs to Work Video

The pigs are being put to work clearing weeds and green cover crops. After they are done we will throw out some more cover crop for them to stomp in and move them to another paddock. Warning this is not a Kik and Boppy show! Watch here

Kailey and Caleb’s Latest Farm Video

Wow! This year sure is going fast. We are half-way through the year of 2020! In this issue, Kik and Boppy will show you some footage that just didn’t turn out and . . . enter Mr. Hampshire! Also, you’ll see Boppy’s childhood crash footage, a competitive calf, and catch up on those Mentinks! You can watch it here.