Well, our original butcher, Conrath Quality Meats, has been bought out and is now Farm Country Butchery. (If you’re unfamiliar with our long search for a butcher we could trust, check out the story on the blog.)
And while I've talked a lot about buyouts and mergers in the food industry being a terrible thing, this is different.
I talked with Sean Graese, the new co-owner and plant manager, to make sure Farm Country will continue to be a family-owned, Animal Welfare Institute Certified operation that focuses on integrity, transparency, and respect for both the animals and customers.
And I'm happy to report that after about 3 hours of discussion they are! But not only that, they have plans to be even better.
Whew! This is actually a GOOD change, for a change.
Here are a few highlights of our "new" butcher:
They’re satisfied with being mid-sized. “We want to be better, not bigger,” Sean said.
They process about 20-25,000 pounds per week, which is tiny compared to the giant corporations but makes them one of the largest mid-sized operations in Wisconsin.
Capacity is small, only one line, so only one farm’s animals come through at a time. Everything is tagged and kept separate, with cut sheets that follow the animals from breaking down to packaging into the box. This is how we can know we are getting our animals back.
But the thing that makes them very different and the reason we chose them and drive past dozens of other butchers many hours closer is because:
They do NOT use any preservatives, MSG, nitrates, or nitrites in their products.
Avoiding nitrates and nitrites is essential because these chemicals have been linked to cancer, among other things. And did you know, when nitrates/its are added from celery the levels tend to be HIGHER than if they just added the pure stuff?! Yeah, so don't let "celery" fool you, think of it as a trojan horse.
And of course, many of us are sensitive to flavor enhancers like the excitotoxin MSG, and if we want natural and health-promoting products, then we gotta keep all that stuff out.
Our animals eat exceptionally clean and truly diverse diets. We chose breeds that grow slower so the are develop more flavor! We do NOT need to artificially make it taste like something.
We also bring the meat straight to our freezer and then hopefully right to yours. We don't need a crazy long shelf life to ensure safe transport over 1,000's of miles in semis and warehouses.
And a vacuum-sealed and frozen product stays fresh indefinitely (as long as the seal remains unbroken).
Almost no butchers do what Farm Country doesbecause it takes a lot of time and costs more (since they can't do as much). But we drive way out of our way to do business with them because: There's NO way we're going to work this hard at raising animals that are good for you and full of flavor, just to cover it up with artificial crap.
We also spent a great deal of time talking about all the ways they hope to improve this incredibly unique operation, which we'll talk about later! (How do my emails always get so long?!)
So, even though our butcher changed hands, we are thrilled with the way Sean and his family practice the art and science of butchering and processing.
Hello from Together Farms!
Thank God it's week 12! Week 11 tried to kill us! 💀 It literally did kill our power...a lot! but I think all our equipment has finally been fixed and everything is working as it should!
We even went on an employee outing Monday night to recover and cool our cores back down and we were successful in our mission (except no one beat Andy at bowling, so he's still the reigning champ 🏆).
So now we're rolling into week 12 grateful for all the incredibly patient customers that showed up, for all the emergency repairmen both on and off-farm, all the helpful neighbors who ran to our aid, and for the weather that has calmed tf down. (see what I did there? 😄)
In fact, the weather almost seems like it's apologizing this week for all it's bad behavior this year! It's not even humid!
[quick checks forecast to make sure nothing's changed.]
Yep. The weather forecast still looks amazing for this weekend!!
I sure hope that's true wherever you are too and that you're able to get out and enjoy it!
If you are open to suggestions on what to do, then might I suggest some fun & food on the farm??
Burger of the Week: We Brie Jammin'
100% grassfed beef pattyuncured applewood smoked baconlemon-infused brieAVEnue Orchard's blueberry-habanero JAMtoasted, buttery brioche bun
This burger was the jam last year so we are bringing it back! Along with AVEnue Orchard who will be here sampling jams and serving up apple cider slushies all Saturday night (3ish until you stop talking to them)!
Farm Store Sales
All of AVEnue Orchards products are 20% off! Both in-store and online! In the farm store we will be running a buy 3 meats/breads get 1 FREE AVEnue jam! Perfect time to stock up!
Thursday, July 18
Save 20% on the Burger of the Week
Trivia at 7pm: Family Feud style
If you want to play trivia with us (what else can you do on a Thursday that's free AND you might win things?!) but don't want to feel like an idiot when it's all said and done (some of the people at last week's T Swift trivia can attest to this) then Family Feud night is when you want to be here!
Friday, July 19
LIVE MUSIC from Kaleb Woods, 6-9pm
Kaleb Woods is a Sauk County Wisconsin singer, guitarist, and songwriter. With multiple performances around the Midwest including The Rave, Crystal Grand Theatre, Pabst Theatre, Majestic Theatre, and Summerfest. Ryan specializes in bringing a fun, upbeat vibe for all to enjoy. 2022 Best of Madison finalist, Southeastern Wisconsin’s top streamed musician via Reverbnation, and March 2022’s featured new artist for 99.9 WJVL.You can expect to hear a few originals and covers by artists like: Florida Georgia Line, Luke Combs, Sublime, Bob Marley, AC/DC, Hootie and the Blowfish, CCR, Eric Church, Ed Sheeran, and so much more
This will be Kaleb's first time at the farm! Help us give him a warm welcome!!
Saturday, July 20
Meet the Maker with AVEnue Orchard, 3-9ishpmAVEnue Orchard will be here Saturday to sample all their jams! We don't have space to keep all their fabulous creations year-round so this is your opportunity to stock-up on any of their products - they'll all be 20% off. Plus they'll have their cider slushy machine on-farm for you to enjoy! So be sure to swing by the farm store and say hi! LIVE MUSIC from Dwayne Thomas, 5:30-8:30pm
Dwayne Thomas is a singer/songwriter based out of the Midwest. Performing classic bar covers from the 1970’s-90’s. Along with upbeat and heartfelt original music. Genres include: Classic Rock, Alternative, Country, & Pop. You can expect to hear artist like “Tom Petty, Gin Blossoms, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Goo Goo Dolls, Bob Seger & Much More!
Sunday, July 21
Family Day! Buy one get one FREE kids meals all day!
Reminders & What's Coming
This nice weather and surviving a ridiculous amount of chaos thus far has reinvigorated my on-farm event planning optimism (is this some kind of weird coping mechanism? 😂) but I don't want to distract you from making your plans for Burger Night so I'll just say this:
The Mushroom Foray early bird pricing ends Saturday so grab tickets now, unless you hate saving money.Cancel your plans on Wed, August 21st, 6-8pm and watch for an announcement email!! While waiting, see if you can find your old walkman.
So while CountryJam sounds great on paper, rumor has it, they STILL do not have ANY JAM! No Jam! You know who has jam? That's right. We do. Both kinds. Plus free parking & no tickets needed. In case this last week also brought chaos into your life and you could use some guidance on how to cope (answer: getting outside for some fun on the farm at Burger Night).
Hope to see you on the farm!
Your farmer & friend,
Steph
Burger Night is open, rain or shineThursday & Friday 4pm-9pmSaturday noon-9pmSunday noon-7pmThe Farm Store is open the same hours AND Monday & Tuesday 10am-2pm
It's week 11 which means we are halfway through the 2024 Burger Night season! Crazy! So if you haven't gotten here enough (or at all!? 🤨) this is your official notification that it's time to start worrying and making arrangements. You know who finds a way EVERY WEEK? Jordan and Nikki! Every. Single. Week. They are here - from 30+ minutes away too! And often with friends. Last year, they missed one week so then they had our staff deliver burgers to their fridge for when they got back home. That's dedication. How do you honor supporters like that?! A plaque? A t-shirt? A free drink? I know! Let them decide the Burger of the Week! So this winter I asked them what their favorite burger would be and told them no matter what they came up with, we'd do it.[Then I nervously awaited their response and hoped that they had not seen my April Fools menu from a few years ago....which still cracks me up btw.]Behold.....
Burger of the Week: Get Jikki Wid It
They decided on a cubano-style burger! (Phew....where would I even get ground bald eagle from?!)
100% grassfed, hand-pattied beef pattySlices of no-weird-stuff-hamSwiss cheeseDijonnaise PicklesOn a brioche bun and then all pressed together
We made a cubano-style BOTW way back in 2019 and now we're going to try it again all because Jordan & Nikki asked us to! [Hi Miley! 👋]
Feeling a little jealous because you'd like to decide the Burger of the Week? You know what you've gotta do!Pick a day, any day:
Thursday, July 11
Save 20% on the Burger of the WeekTrivia from 7 to 8pm: Taylor Swift 🤩To be clear, Taylor herself will not be here (I had a few people ask....I do appreciate that you think so highly of us though!). Even without her here, I have a feeling this trivia is a going to a dang good time. There is even an audio round and you've still got plenty of time to refresh yourself on lyrics and find those Swiftie friends of yours! But then Taylor can just move her little self on over because Ryan and Tom are coming!!
Friday, July 12
LIVE MUSIC from Ryan Howe, 6-9pmRyan is a multi-instrumental performer; he will be on keys AND guitar and is going to play/sing you some tunes! You are going to love this! Expect to hear songs by Jackson Browne, Eagles, Elton John, Bruce Hornsby, John Mayer, Ed Sheehan, Hunter Hayes, Journey, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bible, Jacob Collier, and a ton more! Ryan also performed the music in an Award-Winning Environmental Documentary called "Decoding the Driftless," and this film WON many big awards, including Best Picture and Best Cinematography at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival.
Pretty rare we have a musician that tickles the ivories!
Saturday, July 13
LIVE MUSIC from Tom Hipps, 5:30-8:30pmAre you ready for some covers and original folk/rock songs, 60's-70's-80's blues to classic country and everything in between? Then Tom Hipps is the guy! Tom has released 3 solo albums: 2002's Everybody & Their Brother; 2006's Then Went the Demons, and 2015's Christmas Peace, as well as several singles. His music has hit radio stations for airplay all over the world and is available through most major online music retailers such as CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon, Best Buy and more!
Tom knows how to make you forget about your problems for an hour or two so if you could use a little of that in your life - don't miss him!
Sunday, July 14
Family Day! Buy one get one FREE kids meals all day! (12 & under, dine-in only)
REMINDERS
Pottery sale in the farm store all weekend! Plates (exactly like the ones our family has been using for nearly 20 years from Rowe Pottery) are buy 3 get 1 free!!If you've had your eye on a piece, NOW is the time to make it yours! Could also be a great time to grab a gift for someone you know that loves pottery and could use a little elevation to their everyday. (Me. I'm that person.)Sale includes the Grate Plate which is fun, pretty, health-promoting AND saves your fingertips from traditional graters. (And is also a grate gift idea. 😉
Hope to see you on the farm soon!!
Your farmer & friend,
Stephp.s. Finally! Ground beef, ground beef organ blend and burger patties are back IN STOCK!!! 🥳🥳🥳
