The Artisanship of Food
A lot has changed in the Food World. People are watching movies, documentaries and talk shows. They are changing their habits. This winter, Tammy said, “Wow!” after a doctor on Oprah told people to look for beef from cattle raised on grass. She thought this was good for us. I am hesitant.
I have not been able to totally explain why. I am just hesitant. I talk to a lot of people about Food in General. I spent 10 years in Food Processing making French Fries, Dehydrated Onion and Garlic as well as Frozen Vegetables. I remember my Grandmother telling me she wouldn’t eat canned vegetables after working in a Cannery. I didn’t have the same experience. The Factories I worked in were very clean and I was pretty proud of what we made. So, sometimes I feel like there is a broad brush sentiment about commercial Agriculture that is not completely fair. I think that is part of my hesitation.
Our goal has always been to strive towards the Artisan end of the Food we grow. Artisan Foods should have better Flavor and Texture. We started out to make an elite Beef~ Elite in a very noticeable Flavor and Texture difference. Artisan foods are different in that the farmers take extra steps and no shortcuts to achieve this.
As I go through Markets, I am constantly amazed at how good many of the products are. We just did a Fathers Day Dinner for our church. We cooked a ton of Roasts. The fresh Thyme, Basil, Baby Reds, Garlic and Onions I bought at the Pasco Market were incredible. Not just a “Little Good”. Incredible!
One of my soapboxes is people don’t tend to do more than look at the superficial. It has allowed spin doctors to get a premium for something that isn’t what the customer is looking for.
This year, the question I get asked about is “Grassfed”. It is almost the only question people ask. I am sorry, but just throwing your cattle out on grass is not going to guarantee an edible steak. There is a lot more to it. However, you will start seeing all sorts of people raising “Grassfed Beef” because it is “in Vogue”. Quite frankly, many will lack the experience to know when and what to harvest, what to do will it at the butcher and many other things it takes to make a unique product. The Butchers I talk to validate this completely.
In a way, it affects us negatively. If someone has a bad experience with this, and they have labeled all grassfed as the same in their minds, odds are against them even giving us a try. And, the Beef Cook in me knows I can take Bargain counter meats or meat someone who had no idea on raising it, and come up with a dish that is good. But, I likely could do the same with Cardboard.
I do have to make a sidebar Caveat here. We are not perfect. Sometimes we do get humbled. But we stand behind our product in those instances.
Another reason I am hesitant is it seems like a lot of the movement is based on fear. What scares me is I know the author or Movie maker knows they can sell books or movies if it shocks or scares people. So, a lot of the “Facts” I wonder about because I am not certain how slanted it may be. So, as I make decisions on our operation, is it based on fact or a slanted fear that was needed to sell a book or movie? And, maybe the book was right on. But, I do hesitate.
Long-term, I know Flavor and Texture win out over fear. Look at Beverage sales. There are all sorts of good things to drink. But Beer, Pop and Wine lead the way. So, in some ways, as we develop our meat products, I always have an eye to the fun of Wine. Some of it is very good and people enjoy it. People enjoy the adventure of finding a good Wine. It may be the trip or it may be the friends they enjoyed finding it with. I want our products to be both good and fun.
A Facebook Page called, “I support Farmers Markets” asked about the Meat vendors at various peoples Markets. A common comment was, “We have it, but it is more expensive”. More Expensive than what????? The Bargain counter products?
We do get mixed feedback on price. Mostly very good. I have been told my prices are better than vendors in Portland and Seattle. I have been told that my prices are better than the local grocer. A lot of times it is a matter of comparing Apples to Apples. Do you find 21 day dry aged beef at your grocer???
Then, I get the guy who comes up and thinks my Rib-Eye should be $4.99/Lb. If I wasn’t almost always sold out, perhaps I would have to do that. Perhaps I would be selling everything and getting out of the business as well. That person doesn’t even hear or want to hear about Flavor and Texture. It used to bother me. Now, I just smile and let him move on so I can talk to someone who is looking for something better.
Things change. As they do, it is sometimes hard to keep up on it. And though it sometimes looks good for us, I am cautious
This Week’s Specials!
Specials are getting hard to run. It is because we often don’t have enough product to do all of the markets. We don’t like telling people we are out of a product they specifically came to a market to get. We are going to quit sending these out on the E-mail for awhile. We will resume them this winter.
New Products!!!
We have a few newer Steaks and other cuts to offer Cuts to offer. In addition, it appears we will be offering a European Sausage, and All Beef Franks! Some of the New Products we just added are
Hanging Tenders~
Shoulder Steaks
London Broil
Honeycomb Summer Sausage
Cervelot Summer Sausage (Russian Summer Sausage)
We will also have newer Seasoned Meats Offerings in the Coming Months.