I'm not sure that I've ever seen anyone do this, but I'm not sure why. I'd like to review all the suggestions you awesome folks have slid into our inbox over the last couple of weeks. You took the time to make suggestions, just like I asked of you. So I think it is only right of me to respond to each suggestion. Some of these are great ideas that we will definitely look to implement. Some could be great ideas if the circumstances were different, and I want to provide the context for why those ideas may not work for us right now. Either way, I feel like you deserve the feedback. Thanks for the help as we try to move forward with intentionality.
(Housekeeping note: I will provide a summary of the suggestion/suggestions in blue and issue my response on the subsequent indented bullet.)
- Several of you wrote in, not with suggestions, but with kind words. Something to the effect of "We love what yall are doing, keep up the good work."
- Thank you for that. It's always nice to hear that people appreciate what you are doing and that it's still important to them. Thank you for those words of affirmation.
- Some of you are interested in us selling bulk beef. 1/4 cow, 1/2 cow etc...
- I do like this idea. I have had intentions of doing more of this, but right now the issue is that we are production constrained. We have offered 50 lb bulk packs of beef in the past and will do so again when we have enough beef available. Please note that we are trying to increase beef production, but beef is a slow-moving business. (when done properly) We'll continue to try to build that capacity and will make bulk products available as production increases.
- Surprisingly (to me at least) the linked sausages that we have offered in the past got several mentions in the suggestion box. It appears that there is a demand for bratwurst and other linked sausages.
- This is a fairly easy one. I should be able to bring those back without much problem. Some processors offer that option, and others do not. The red meat processor that we use currently, and really like, does not offer a linked product. However, there is another processor (that we also like) that does offer that service. We could easily shift some of our processing business and offer those linked sausage products. Chicken and Turkey sausage is a similar situation. we split our production between 2 processors. One offers linked products, the other does not. It should be pretty easy to get some linked and flavored chicken/turkey sausages when we have poultry ready to process this year.
- I have fielded this question several times in the past, and it came up again in the suggestion box. I committed to not avoiding the hard questions, so here it is. Why does the sausage have sugar listed as an ingredient?
- First, let me say it's high time we change this. I understand some of you are on whole 30, or otherwise just want to cut sugar from your diet. I completely understand. The reason this has been a challenge is that the sausage spices come pre-blended in 8oz. packages, so we will need to get a custom blend or find a new supplier for the spices. However, that is not an impossible task. I have already reached out to our current supplier to see if there is the ability to get a sugar-free version. If this doesn't work, we will start the process of finding a new supplier. In the meantime, and for some level of condolence, let me explain the current situation even further. An 8oz (227 gram) package of spices is enough to spice 25 lb of sausage. Divided evenly, that means each pound of sausage contains around 9 grams of the spice blend. Sugar is the last ingredient in the spice blend, so there is likely only around 1 gram of sugar in a whole pound of sausage.
- Another one we have heard a lot in the past: Can you bottle the milk in glass containers?
- It makes me cringe a little to imagine the logistics of bottling in glass, making deliveries with all that glass, and managing all those empty glass bottles that would inevitably need to be returned weekly. Additionally, the stress of making sure each bottle is washed and sterilized properly before bottling is just as cringe-worthy. Our standard plastic dairy gallon jugs are BPA-free and come in a sealed sterile package. Honestly, I don't see us changing to glass containers for all of the above-mentioned reasons. However, as I write this I am trying to come up with solutions. We could possibly introduce glass containers as an on-farm product only. I can't commit now, but I will talk to the family and see if I can get them on board.
- Can we get fresh meat instead of always frozen?
- This one is complex and needs lots of context, so let me try to organize my thoughts.
- Fresh meat would require a completely different level of inspection, basically like the meat counter at a grocery store. That's not a deal breaker, we have just never felt like we had the local demand for fresh meat that would make that investment work.
- The overwhelming majority of our meat is delivered through our delivery system, either home delivery or pop-up. Frozen meat makes the likelihood of contamination or leakage much less. This is of utmost importance since we deliver not only meat, but also other refrigerated products like vegetables and dairy.
- We feel like our process of "fresh-frozen" meat gets the best possible quality to the customer. Our meat is frozen at the processor immediately after it is cut, insuring the freshest possible product when you defrost. In a grocery store that sells fresh meat, the meat is left fresh in the meat counter for a specified period of time. If it doesn't sell, it is then frozen and offered as a frozen product. That frozen product will not be nearly as high quality as meat that is frozen immediately.
- With all of those things being said, we have begun the conversation of possibly expanding the farm store and broadening its offering. If we do this, a fresh meat counter could definitely be a possibility. Again, I can't commit to anything here, I just wanted to acknowledge that that conversation has
- I'd like to see a larger selection of veggies.
- We work with multiple vegetable farmers. All are situated local to us, and they all have their specialties and strengths. By using multiple veggie growers, we have more of a variety than any one of them would have individually. However, it is true that we will never have the selection of a traditional grocery store. We strive to offer everything that is "in season" locally. I truely believe that there is a benefit to eating seasonally, perhaps a more authentic connection to your region/environment.
- Could you offer Smoked hams?
- I like this one. We have offered smoke hams in the past, and we can and will do so again in the future. They were a hit, and I enjoy eating them myself. Logistics is a little bit of an issue because our processor that would cut the hams does not offer somking as a service. We do use a local butcher shop in atlanta that will smoke some products for us, so that is probably the best option. This will likely be a seasonal offering around the Christmas holiday season.
- Can you offer ground beef/organ meat blend?
- We actually pioneered this produce several years ago. Our processor agreed to do it, and many of our customers enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the inspector at the processor was not a fan of the idea. They stirred up so much of a issue that the state basically shut that product down. They didn't say he couldn't make it, but they did threaten to tripple the amount of required testing. I guess we could have fought it, but some hills just aren't worth dieing on.
- Im going to combine a few suggestions on this one. Can you offer Beef tallow, Pork Fat, Pork Cracklings?
- Beef Tallow - Our grass fed cattle usually just dont have any "extra" fat. Any fat that is available we usually have them put into the gtound beef for additional flavor. With that said, there is a chance that every now and then there may be an individual with some excess. I'll have them be on the lookout for that, and if available prepare some beef fat for tallow.
- Pork fat - Our pork, on the other hand, do usually have some extra fat. We often get pork fat and make that available online. Not every batch will carry extra fat. On the lean batches we have any available fat added to the sausage. Thats why pork fat isn't always available with every batch of pork.
- Cracklins - The Cracklins are hidden within the pork fat. As the fat is rendered, the fat is heated and becomes liquid. The hot fat cooks the small pieces of muscle inbedded in the fat, those are the cracklins. Add them to your next batch of cornbread and thank me later.
- Can I get beef marrow bones by themselves?
- Our processor saves and cuts up (3-4 inch lengths) our beef bones and we offer those in 5 lb packages. These bones are mostly marrow bones and joints, as I instructed them to stop adding any rib bones years ago. They are ideal for making beef bone broth. I am assuming the request for marrow bones is for another purpose. maybe to consume the marrow? If so I think most of the bones in our beef bone package would work for that. Or maybe yall could let me know more exactly what you are requesting. There is a fine line here, because the processor usually throws the bones away, which is easier for him. However, he saves ours and packages them as I decsribed above. Even cutting the to the length we requested. Sometimes we have to balance our desire to provide the specific cuts customers want with the relationship we've built with our processor. At any rate, let me know some specifics and ill see what I can do.
- Could you offer a senior citizens day at the farm?
- This is a fantastic idea. I would love to work on developing more on-farm experiences, and this is a good place to start. Admittedly, this falls more into my brother and sisters bucket of responsibility, but I will make sure the idea gets put into the hopper.
- Could we have farm experiences based around Chicken Processing and/or Cow milking?
- More fantastic farm experience ideas.
- The chicken processing would be difficult, as we must take our chickens to a USDA inspected processor. In the past I have had all the chicken processing equipment and this would have been easier to pull off then. I could get more equipment, but I do wonder how many takers we would have on this type of experience. It is definately a "Dirty Job".
- Cow milking experience - this is one we could definately do. I've had this idea floating around in my head for a while. Many people have asked for this over the years, and it is something we need to make happen. Probably could do this a few times per year.
