Fortress Farms Iowa

06/01/2026

Ruth & Rubies Market is doing something new for the month of June! Stop in and play Business Bingo. When you support 5 businesses in a row on your card (vendors at Ruth and Rubies), you will be entered to win a gift card 😊

IT’S TIME!!!!!! YAY!!!!
Come on in and grab your business bingo cards!
Shop your favorite vendors at Ruth & Rubies Market! Purchase items from each vendor in-store to get 5-in-a-row any which way you choose. Whoever can bring their card back to Ruth & Rubies Market with a fully verified and completed 5-in-a row will be put in a drawing for a $75 gift card to Ruth & Rubies Market to be used in-store or online at www.ruthandrubiesmarket.com.
Business Bingo cards can be picked up on June 1st. Drawing will take place on July 1st. Event will be active from June 1, 2026-June 30, 2026.

05/28/2026

Our oldest son Jacob has been honing his skills for awhile now. He's a sharp kid and is ready to offer his knife sharpening services at the Kossuth County Farmers Market. Stop by and see him this Saturday 9-11am.

Prices:
Up to 4 inch blade $5
4-6 inch blade $7
6-10 inch blade $9

*no serrated knives

05/28/2026

We are so pumped up about the Kossuth County Farmers Market starting up this Saturday 9-11am in Algona! Come by and see all the vendors. We'll be there with our goat's milk soaps, goat's milk lotions, lip balms, *new* solid dish soap, pasture-raised eggs, woodcraft items, and one of our junior farmers is launching a new service. We'll share details soon.

05/27/2026

LCR Mercantile really does have a bit of everything! Go in and check them out when you're in the Ft. Dodge area. We have a lovely selection of goat's milk soaps there.

Open 11-6 Wednesday! The store that says…I came for one thing, but I lied! We have lots of cute things you need in your life! Antiques, thrift, crafty, sweets, new gifts, unique, clothing, hard to find! We have it all in our little mini mall!

05/24/2026

Memorial Day is to honor all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. As you gather for BBQs, keep in mind the reason for the day off 🇺🇸 😎

🇺🇸 Memorial Day is not “Happy.” It is sacred.

It is the day we pause to remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation.

It is the folded flag. The quiet cemetery. The name etched in stone.
The empty chair at the family table. The final salute that still echoes through generations.

Memorial Day is not about celebration — it is about remembrance.

At Taps for Veterans, we believe every fallen hero deserves to be honored with dignity, respect, and a live sounding of Taps. Those 24 notes are more than music. They are a nation’s promise that sacrifice will not be forgotten.

This Memorial Day, may we pause before we picnic. May we remember before we celebrate. May we honor before we enjoy the freedoms they secured. Because freedom is never free.

Taps for Veterans
24 Notes. One Final Promise.
www.tapsforveterans.org

05/23/2026

All set up and ready for a 9am start at Clear Lake Farmers Market! 😎 We have goat's milk soaps and shampoo bars, goat's milk lotions, lip balms, dish soaps, gift sets wooden swings, whirligigs, and farm fresh pastured eggs.

05/21/2026

We are excited to be at the Clear Lake Farmers Market again this Saturday 9am-12pm! We'll have our usual all natural products available: Goat's Milk Soaps*, Goat's Milk Lotions*, Lip Balms, Gift Sets, Handcrafted Wooden Swings and Whirligigs, Pastured Eggs. Can't wait to see you!

*Goat's milk sourced from our herd

05/20/2026

Bottom line up front: We have layers for sale!

Longer (more fun) story: Something happened in September 2025 and I didn't talk about it at the time because things were a bit chaotic. I (Jill) was chatting with a friend and mentioned needing to go to Bomgaars for some chicks to replace our layer flock that had turned into a bunch of expensive freeloaders. She enthusiastically came along. As is the way with "chicken math," I went in for 40 birds and walked out with around 130 (give or take some birds). It turns out my friend is an expert negotiator and the local farm store is ready to be done with chicks when fall sets in. Thankfully, another farming family needed some chicks as well, but I still came home with around 70 birds. We raised them out and they are laying well. However, we don't need this many. Each layer is $30 or you can get 6 for $150. They are a mix of Americanas and Barred Rock.

05/18/2026

05/18/2026

It's a big day for chickens here at Fortress Farms. We retrieved our first batch of broiler chicks three weeks ago and those beautiful birds head to pasture today to make room for the second batch. This is our fourth season and we have learned so much along the way. Here is how it works:
The chicks are lovingly retrieved at the local hatchery (30 minutes away). They enjoy a fun van ride (buckled in, of course!) all the way back to the farm. In the last few minutes of the ride, when we hit gravel, they start chirping excitedly (and loudly!). Jacob, one of our junior farmers, places them delicately in the brooder where they spend three weeks. They are inspected multiple times a day for any maladies or “pasty butt” which could cause a quick demise to the little ones. Depending on the weather, they get supplemental heat for two weeks. At three weeks, the birds move to pasture. They are in moveable chicken tractors directly on grass. Each day, they are moved to new pasture ground. By week five, they excitedly rush to see what treats we brought them and they take on the name “meat birds” because they become eating machines that bulk up to be delicious, nutrient dense food for our family (and yours!). They enjoy eating grass, bugs, veggies from our unsprayed garden, leftover milk from our dairy animals, and are supplemented with locally sourced feed. All butchering and packaging is done by us on our farm. Reach out to reserve yours today!
2026 broiler chickens are $5/pound or stock up & save 10% if you buy 10 or more birds this year.