A Dozen Reasons to Eat More Eggs

A Dozen Reasons to Eat More Eggs

1. PROTEIN On average, eggs have 6 grams of high-quality protein! The protein found in eggs is one of the highest-quality proteins of any food. Not all of the protein is found in the egg white—some of it is in the yolk! A protein-packed breakfast helps sustain mental and physical energy throughout the day. 

2. GLUTEN-FREE Eggs are naturally gluten-free. Always have been, always will be. 

3. CHOLINE Eggs are rich in choline, which promotes normal cell activity, liver function and the transportation of nutrients throughout the body. Choline is also essential to healthy fetal development. Choline may be a key factor in the development of an infant’s memory functions. It has also been linked with increasing memory retention and recall as well as improving alertness.

4. AMINO ACIDS Eggs have all 9 essential amino acids. Our cells, muscles and tissue are partly made up of amino acids. They also play a key role in transporting and the storing nutrients. Amino acids are essential for healing wounds and repairing tissue, especially in the muscles, bones, skin and hair.

5. CERTIFIED HUMANE South Mountain Creamery meets The Humane Farm Animal Care program standards. These standards include a nutritious diet without antibiotics or hormones, animals raised with shelter, resting areas, sufficient space, and the ability to engage in natural behaviors!

6. PACKAGED AT SMC All of our eggs are laid and packaged on the farm. Watch a video on the egg packaging process here.

7. VITAMINS Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. A single large boiled egg contains:

• Vitamin A: 6% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances.
• Folate: 5% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances.
• Vitamin B5: 7% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances.
• Vitamin B12: 9% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances.
• Vitamin B2: 15% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances.
• Phosphorus: 9% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances. 
• Selenium: 22% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances.

8. MINERALS Eggs are packed with phosphorus, iron and zinc, which are vital for your body. Iron helps to prevent you from feeling grumpy, tired and run down. Zinc keeps your immune system in top form and helps your body convert food into energy. Phosphorus is important for healthy teeth and bones. 

9. OMEGA-3S Our eggs are high in Omega-3s! Our hens are fed Omega-3 enriched feeds, made of grains and seeds that are grown and harvested at SMC!

10. HEALTHY EYES Two antioxidants, leutin and zeaxanthin, are present in eggs and have been linked to protecting eyes from damage related to UV exposure. They have also been associated with reducing the likelihood of developing cataracts in old age.

11. ZERO CARBS Eggs contain zero carbs and no sugar. 

12. FEEL FULL Eggs keep you feeling full much longer than cereal or toast. The protein and fat in eggs helps sustain your energy levels, keeping you satisfied for longer and reducing the need for a mid-morning snack.

Have South Mountain Creamery Certified Humane Eggs delivered straight to your door! www.southmountaincreamery.com

SMC Fresh Veggies

Meet Larry Gude, from Gude Brothers Greenhouses! 

Gude Brothers is a controlled environment farming venture, They are experts at growing greenhouse produce. With state-of-the-art growing facilities covering 1.5 acres, Gude Brothers combine constant sunshine, optimal temperatures, greenhouse protection and controls to create natural, wholesome produce season after season. They produce local, healthy food using sustainable, biological growing methods. Gude Brothers provide South Mountain Creamery with fresh Field Lettuce Mix, Asian Mix Lettuce, Arugula, and Kale daily!

Subscribe to South Mountain Creamery's YouTube page: www.youtube.com/user/SouthMtnCreamery

How SMC Milk is Made

At South Mountain Creamery, we do dairy differently! Our animals are raised from birth and cared for on the farm 24/7. SMC is a one-of-a-kind operation, allowing us to work from field to fork! 

Step 1 - Cows Grazing

One of our ladies enjoying a sunny afternoon in the fields!

In order for cows to produce milk – Cows have to eat…. And sleep.  Cows usually spend about 8 hours grazing, 12-14 hours sleeping and ruminating or chewing their cud, and 2 hours milking. Our cows get to graze in their pasture on our family farm.  They graze in the morning after milking and in the evening after milking, They get to relax and graze on grass. SMC cows eat a nutrient balanced ration of grains and grass that are grown and harvested right here at SMC. We raise our animals and grow and harvest our crops on six farms totaling over 2,000 acres.

Step 2 – Harvesting Milk

Karen explains the milking process in the Milking Parlor.

SMC cows are milked by hand two times each day at 1:30 am and 1:30 pm– rain or shine, 365 days a year. We also have an operational robotic farm, where our high producing cows can be milked up to six times per day! Milking time takes about 5 minutes per cow. We have a double ten herringbone milking machine, which allows us to milk 20 cows at one time.  This reduces the amount of time the cows wait to be milked. Nobody likes standing in line.  Milking machines mimic the action of a young calf by creating a pulsating vacuum around the teat, which causes the milk to be released from the udder.  Join us in the afternoon and watch the cows being milked in the milking parlor.

Step 3 – Storing Milk

The milk goes from the cow, through a pipe to our storage tank next door.  Milk is stored on farm at between 35 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit until it is pumped to our on-farm production facility. The milk in our storage vats is stirred constantly so it does not separate. 

Step 4 – Transporting Milk

Milk is pumped to our on-farm processing facility daily through stainless steel pipes.  We eliminate temperature changes and transporting time because everything is done right here on the farm.

SMC uses glass milk bottles instead of plastic.

Step 5 – Processing Milk

Whole milk, once approved for use, is pumped into storage silos where it undergoes pasteurization, homogenization and bottling.

Pasteurization:

Every particle of milk is heated to a specific temperature for a short period of time to ensure all of our milk and ice cream are safe for human consumption. We use a High Temperature/Short Time pasteurization process – or HTST. This eliminates all bacteria that may be harmful to your health and ensures the highest quality, best tasting milk.  HTST is more expensive than regular pasteurizing processes but this guarantees the freshest and best tasting milk.

Homogenization:

The fat in milk naturally separates from the water and collects at the top. Homogenization shrinks the cream globules and uses a screen to push and shrink these cream globules. This process breaks the fat into tiny particles so it no longer separates.  The cream is then suspended throughout the milk. 

Bottling:

The milk is then put into our glass bottles.  Glass bottles ensure that SMC milk is the best tasting milk on the market.  It’s just one more way that you can taste the SMC difference.

Fresh milk. Delivered straight to your door!

Step 6 – Delivering Milk

Then milk is sent off in our delivery trucks to be delivered to your door! Our glass bottled milk is also available at our farm store. We also sell milk to restaurants and specialty stores.  SMC milk is the only milk that comes to you straight from the cow to your door because we do everything right here on the farm!


Learn more about the SMC Difference at www.southmountaincreamery.com!

Take a Look into Your Glass Bottle

Take a Look into your Glass Bottle...it's what's inside that counts!

Farming Since 1981
South Mountain Creamery is owned and operated by the Sowers Family: Randy, Karen, Ben, and Kate, in cooperation with more than 70 employees.

Farms & Fields
We use over 2,000 acres to raise animals, grow, and harvest crops.

Cows Raised from Birth
Our dairy cows are raised from birth at SMC! Watch a cow give birth in our maternity ward. See all of our calves in the calf barn and meet the Animal Planet calves & chicks. 

Free Choice Feeding
Cows graze in the fields after each milking. Our animals are fed with food harvested from our fields. Animals also have access to a Total Mixed Ration, a balanced diet including grass, hay, grains, and silage.

Twice Daily Milkings
Watch the cows being milked daily! Over 250 dairy cows are milked at 1:30am and 1:30pm.

On-Site Processing
SMC is Maryland's first on-farm dairy processing plant. Our fluid dairy products are packaged in glass bottles to be sustainable. We use HTST (High Temperature Short Time) Pasteurization to retain nutrients and flavor in a full dairy line.

Delivered to Your Door
...Or farm store! Milk is bottled and available the next day. Order through home deliery, at Karen's Kountry Store, two Baltimore Farmer's Markets, Local Restaurants, and specialty stores.

Come See for Yourself! 
South Mountain Creamery is open 24/7. Join us to watch the cows being milked and to bottle feed your own calf. See our production facility with a free tour during our Spring and Fall Festivals!

Learn more about the SMC Difference at www.southmountaincreamery.com

DC Restaurant Week 2015

DC Restaurant Week is January 19-25, 2015! 

Over 200 of Washington, DC restaurants are participating in the 2015 DC Restaurant Week! Restaurant Week is a great opportunity to experience Washington, DC’s best restaurants at affordable prices. 

South Mountain Creamery is proud to supply some of DC's restaurants, bakeries and stores with all natural dairy products. Visit them and support local businesses!

Fresh off the Roast: A Washington, DC-based small batch roastery providing a selection of recently roasted beans in the city. All beans are sold within three days of roast and all in-house coffee is brewed with beans that roasted within a week. 

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace: Pearl Dive Oyster Palace welcomes you with a rustic décor that showcases a variety of repurposed items from around the United States.  A touch of southern hospitality is found in DC’s vibrant Logan Circle Neighborhood.  

Oyamel: Oyamel combines Mexico’s rich regional diversity with the modern urban atmosphere of Mexico City. The liveliness of the dining room is matched by the creativity of the menu and cocktail list, featuring antojitos—Mexican small plates—ceviches and tacos, plus unique margaritas, and an impressive array of wines and tequilas. 

Ice Cream Jubilee Union Kitchen: Made by friends in Washington, D.C. in small batches with all-natural local cream and the best ingredients they can find.

Read Apron Butchery:  Redefining the American butcher shop with a healthy dose of subversive attitude, fearless innovation and the best meats and meat products from Chef Nate Anda.

Bread Furst: A neighborhood bakery where Washingtonians can buy food for daily life or for celebration. At Bread Furst, you will find beautiful loaves of bread, bread with real character, pies, cakes and other pastries, breakfast foods of all sorts, and seasonally based savory foods for taking home.

Seasonal Pantry:  Seasonal Pantry’s Supper Club is a small 12 seat communal table restaurant. Serving one set multi-course menu four nights a week. Three days a week Seasonal Pantry is open to sell hand made products along with other pantry items.

Destination DC and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) produce Washington, DC Restaurant Week twice a year, in the summer and the winter. A complete list of participating restaurants is posted at www.ramw.org/restaurantweek.

Winter on a Dairy Farm

SMC Maternity Ward, December 2012

Life on a dairy/chicken/crop farm is very difficult in perfect conditions, but add cold, wet, windy or snowy conditions and it takes almost a superhuman to do it. 

Sowers Dairy provides almost all of the raw materials to make the products that South Mountain Creamery delivers to your door. SMC is a one-of-a-kind operation. Along with Sowers Dairy and Sowers Poultry, we do all the work from start to finish. We prepare the fields, fertilize through manure management, plant, nurture, and harvest the crops to feed our animals. Our animals are born and raised here and cared for on the farm 24/7. 

The forecast calls for 12 in. of snow, so what do we do? Same thing we do every day, get the job done, failure is not an option. Fortunately, it’s not something I have to do alone; we have a great team to support our efforts.  We don’t have the luxury of calling sick—the animals must be fed, milked, cared for and loved. 

Snow and Ice on Marker Road, heading toward SMC, February 2014

Plow the snow, dig out the feed, startup cold equipment, put gloves on and take them off. Stop what you’re doing to  assist a cow giving birth. Make sure the little life is good and care for the mother. Back to the feeding—oops power is out! Fire up the generators and make sure everything has power, before I return to feeding. 

Did I mention it is 5 degrees Fahrenheit and the snow is blowing sideways? Now the water is frozen, better find a heater, put a cardboard box around it, and start warming it up. 

Snow is blowing in the barn, better dig out the straw and get to bedding before the animals get cold. Back to the feeding, put in all the ingredients: hay, corn, silage, alfalfa, corn, soymeal, and mineral. Mix them together and wah-lah the feed is made.

Finally done, right? WRONG! That is the first farm, three more to go. Add milking, gathering the eggs, and scraping manure. It is just now sunrise. Do it again, over and over until you’re satisfied the animals have it better than you. Time to go home, it’s been an 18 hour day. Try not to worry about that first calf heifer that looked like she was going into labor and get some sleep. Six hours later, do it again. 

It’s the life we live, and we love to bring you farm fresh products. We are proud to provide you with products that we grow and care for, right here on our family farm.

-Ben Sowers

Kale: Quite the Super Food

SMC is working with Gude Brothers Greenhouses to bring you fresh kale! Gude Brothers is located in Middletown, right next to South Mountain Creamery. Learn about the history of kale, health benefits, and cooking tips!

Did you know…

Kale has been on dinner plates since Roman times and has long been common across much of Europe. It comes from the cabbage family, which also includes broccoli, cauliflower, and collards.

The Benefits of Kale

Kale is known for having health benefiting anti-oxidant properties with low fat and no cholesterol. Kale is packed with vitamins and minerals: At 33 calories, one cup of raw kale has almost 3 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of fiber, Vitamin A, C, and K, Folate, Alpha-linolenic acid, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

• Vitamin A: helps maintain healthy mucus membranes and skin and is  also essential for vision. 
• Vitamin K: helps maintain bone health by promoting bone formation and strengthening. 
• Vitamin C: a powerful antioxidant, which helps the body develop resistance against infections
• Fiber: helps manage blood sugar and makes you feel full  
• Folate: B vitamin that is key for brain development
• Alpha-linolenic acid: an omega-3 fatty acid 
• Lutein and Zeaxanthin: Gives kale its dark green color. Protects against macular degeneration and cataracts
• Minerals including copper, calcium, sodium, potassium (helps control heart rate and blood pressure), iron (aids in red blood cell formation), manganese, and phosphorus.

How to Cook Kale

Add kale to pasta sauce, smoothies, or soup. Or try one of these methods:

• Saute it: A splash of olive oil and a little onion or garlic. It cooks up in minutes—the leaf is tougher than spinach leaves, so it won’t wilt as quickly in the pan.
• Make a kale Caesar salad: You can eat kale raw in a salad. Try making a homemade mustard-based dressing that has all the thickness of Caesar but with fewer calories.
• Bake kale chips: Bake kale in the oven with just a little olive oil drizzled over lightly salted leaves.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/kale-nutrition-and-cooking