Debbie Snapp, ECB Publishing, Inc.
Clear Lake Farm in Lamont is family owned and operated, concentrating its efforts on growing healthy and nutritious foods. Future plans for the farm include the planting and growing of fruit and citrus trees. They've planted the fruit trees and are awaiting the harvest. They plant non-genetically-modified organic gardens.
The farm is also home to several animals including chickens, goats, geese, pigs, rabbits, guineas and livestock guardian dogs that watch over the property to protect from and announce predators.
The Maremma and Great Pyrenees dogs at the farm specifically protect the goats from the bears and coyotes that roam the area. They are all big, white, fluffy dogs; called polar bear dogs by owner Christine Smith's young nephew!
The farm actually started in 2010 with Christine and her three children attempting to feed the family clean, organic food. They began with a few chickens for eggs. Then eventually added pork, turkey and rabbit to their diet. “We have not purchased meat from a grocery store in seven years,” she proudly states. They also hunt deer, choosing venison over beef.
About three years ago they added a micro-dairy with three nannies. So now they have raw milk for drinking and the making of cheese, yogurt and ice cream.
These days the family works together; each member of family runs a different aspect of the farm. Her husband, Buddy Smith, takes care of the hogs, her son takes care of all the poultry, her daughter maintains the rabbits and Christine cares for the goats and farm correspondences.
Leftover products, from the farm vegetable fields to the animal waste, is recycled or composed and used for fertilizer and such. Not much is wasted on this environmentally friendly farm.
Products are prepared on the farm for resale including free-range eggs; broiler chickens; ground turkey breasts; chicken and turkey broth; rabbit meat; pork Boston butts, chops, picnic, bacon, ribs, sausage and cutlets; goat milk, cheese, yogurt and even handmade soaps.
Clear Lake Farm is open to visitors upon request by calling (850) 251-5492 or christinefair4@gmail.com.
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