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Farm to Table should not be farm to frustration.
The realization that our food supply can be so quickly disrupted by unforeseen circumstances has led to a surge in local beef sales. We commend the farmers and abattoirs that stepped in to fill the void left by the big packing houses. This flexibility has translated into Farm to table gaining market share. With the change in butcher on farm regulations in Alberta we expect to see even more growth in the Farm to table industry. The regulations allow for 6 Beef, 6 pigs, 6 sheep and 150 poultry per year to be purchased live from the farmer and butchered on farm, either by a 3rd party or the farmer/purchaser. These limits are expected to increase as the model proves successful. With the new entrance of many small scale beef sales we have seen many convoluted offers that gain little to no traction. This confusion quickly leads to frustration as buyers wade through a mess of variables like "shrink and rail weight". With these variables the purchase price is floating and impossible to accurately predict. What a disservice this is to the consumer! At Friend of the Farm we take all of the guess work out. Our prices are dollar per finished pound with all of our offers in stock. We provide a finished product on sale day.
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Have you noticed how the steaks in the supermarkets are unnaturally red? That is achieved by sealing the beef in carbon monoxide gas. Just below that thin plastic layer is a toxic gas keeping your food "Fresh". Carbon monoxide is not known to have negative health effects in small amounts, However it masks the naturally occurring discoloration of ageing meat. In an article by the New York Times, they explains how retail ground beef can be sold 28 days after slaughter, while solid cuts can be sold for up to 35 days after leaving the plant. Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University Georgia, says that in one study, meat treated with carbon monoxide that was stored in a refrigerator 10 degrees above the recommended temperature grew salmonella more easily. All our beef is processed to the highest standard frozen on the day of packing to ensure fresh healthy beef every time.
If that wasn't compelling enough to make the switch to grass fed, fresh frozen farm raised meat, Ill share this gem "meat glue". Most would assume the slab of meat on your plate is one whole piece, but in reality, it is often made up of meat scraps held together with a product known as "transglutaminase" , it’s as disgusting as it sounds. Meat glue is a product which is produced through the fermentation of bacteria. While it’s recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Association, it’s not exactly appetizing, is it? Our beef will always be true cuts, it shows in the product! The more we learn about retail burger or sausage the worse it gets. Consumer Reports tested 300 packages of ground beef from grocery stores across the country and do you know what they found in every single package of beef? Fecal contamination. If the meat is not cooked properly, it could pose many dangers including E. Coli poisoning and blood infections. Even handling raw ground beef to make burger patties can contaminate everything you touch, unless you thoroughly wash your hands after handling. At Feedlots feeder cattle live in small over crowded pens void of any living vegetation. These animals come to the packing house with feces caked on their hide. In major packing houses the quality control does not have the capability or motivation to prevent the contamination from ending up on the carcass. Our Beef is Packaged by a small government inspected facility in Onaway, Alberta The small size of the facility allows a far stronger Quality Control program. We insure your beef is contamination free! Up to 32% of feedlot cattle have abscessed livers. Cows on industrial feed lot farms live on very unnatural diets which puts a massive strain on their digestive system and effects the flavor of your beef. The sad fact is their digestive systems can only tolerate this diet for six months before it will burn them out and kill them. After six months on the feedlot diet, they’ve reached slaughter weight so it doesn’t matter to the feedlot whether they live or die. For the industry it’s all about the profit, not the welfare of animals. This is one of the most compelling reasons to source your beef from us, We provide grass feed beef that is ethically and pasture raised. |
CuratorsTony is a third generation farmer with a passion for great food! ArchivesCategories |
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