Open Minds, Please

Maybe it's because I have kids, and the fact that their generation will lead statistically shorter lives than mine, as a result of their diet, is absolutely harrowing to me.

Maybe it's my ongoing frustration with the current commodity based food system, and it's governmental enablers, that automatically makes me cheer for someone who tries to change it.

Maybe it's because I think it's a big step forward to have someone criticizing "Big Food" in primetime on a major network, even though "Big Food" was happily featured on the commercials during the shows.

Maybe it's because I've heard about health care ad nauseum in the past year, and the largest contributor to the future costs of said healthcare will be obesity. (Aside: In light of that little factoid, wouldn't it have been wise to address the food system as part of health care reform? Not according to our fearless leaders...or their puppetmasters)

Whatever the reason, I think Jamie Oliver deserves some appreciation, some attention, and maybe just an ounce of respect, for tackling America's obesity epidemic.

Yeah, I'm talking to you, lunch ladies of Huntington, WV. He's not going to put you out of a job, or cut your pay. If anything, his way might give you all opportunities to show your real culinary skills, beyond opening boxes and adding water. Quit being so damn stubborn and self concious.

And you too, DJ Whatever-your-name-is. The whole "I have a God given right to eat crap if I want to" tough guy routine looks fake--if anybody is pandering to their audience for ratings here, it's you. Oliver isn't making you look dumb--you're doing it to yourself.

So, thanks J.O. You wouldn't have been my pick to deliver this message, but I sure am glad you're delivering it.

Extreme Makeover, Rettland Edition

"We're a-movin' on up! (Movin' on up!)
To the top! (Movin' on up!)
Of a De-Luxe apaht-ment, in the sky-hy-hy!"

Yup, that's what my broilers are singing this week. Yes, I know it's hard to believe that my chickens are singing the theme songs of sitcoms from thirty years ago, but when they caught a glimpse of their new digs, they just couldn't help but channel old George and Weezy...

For two years now, I've been raising pastured broilers in what has become the "standard" housing model for pastured poultry, most commonly known as a "Salatin Style" pen, named after the Godfather of pastured poultry, Joel Salatin. And as much as I admire the beautiful simplicity of Joel's portable pens, I saw room for some improvements. So I redesigned it a little. Ok, I redesigned it a lot. But you're still the man, Joel!

Raisin' the Roof...


I needed to add height to the Salatin pen (which are only about 2 feet high), for a few reasons. Most important was air circulation. During the summer heat, especially when the birds were fully grown, the air inside seemed stale and stagnant. Since the goal here is to provide a better environment than a typical confinement house, I needed to improve air flow.
Another issue with the low height occurred when it was time to catch the birds on slaughter day. Picture me, army crawling inside the pen, among 100 freaked out chickens, at 6 am, on dew covered grass, trying to catch birds. Yeah, not a day at the beach for me, but even worse--it was VERY stressful on the birds. It seemed really dumb to spend 8 weeks trying to keep stress to negligible levels in these birds, and then blowing it by having them go completely nuts during the last hour of their lives.



So, I went with the hoop house idea that I saw on the web, and outfitted it for broilers. The almost-6 foot ceiling allows me to walk in almost upright (which the chickens are used to by slaughter day since I walk in every day before that to feed them) and calmly corral the birds in a corner. To solve the ventilation issue, the high ceiling, coupled with the open end and sides, draws fresh air into the house by a sort of natural chimney effect.





Unsafe at any Speed...

The other big issue was moving the old pen. The problem was that occasionally a chicken wouldn't move along fast enough, and would get pinched between the pen and the ground. I couldn't always see to be sure that the birds were out of the way, again as a result of the low height.

Well, the "Rettland Pen" is high enough off the ground that a slowpoke chicken won't get mushed by the pen--it will just pass over him. Rubber skirts keep the chickens in and the predators out while the pen is stationary, but floats over the lazy chicken while the pen's in motion. Even though the chicken is now out, and needs to be caught, at least he's not hurt.


Wet Weather Equipped

Lastly, I needed to be able to deal with wet weather, since Pennsylvania's new climate seems to include at least 2 monsoon seasons per year. When we have so much rain that the ground is saturated, the results are disastrous for the chickens. In the Salatin pen, they have nowhere to go. My choices at that point are to either let them wallow in the mud, or catch all of them and move them indoors somewhere. I usually opt for the latter. You can imagine how that goes...and the language involved.

So I added a perch that can fold down in wet weather, so the birds have somewhere to get out of the mud. When the ground is dry, it folds up out of the way, so the birds can graze as usual.


Time will tell if the "Rettland Pen" is a vast improvement over the Salatin Pen. I'm sure there will be bugs that need to be worked out, but this guy seems to be satisfied. For now.

Making a Break from GMOs

Over the winter, I reached the conclusion that it's time for me to change the way I feed animals on my farm. Since I started raising critters for direct sale, I've maintained diets for pigs and chickens that were free from antibiotics and other growth stimulants. I've even replaced commercial worming medicines with all natural, organic clays that, as far as I can tell, do as good or better at keeping pigs worm-free than the toxic commercial stuff.

However, since I've depended on purchased grains for at least some of my animals' feed rations, I haven't been able to say with certainty that my products are raised without the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). And over the past year or so, that has really started to bug me...

What are GMOs?

In agriculture, GMOs are plants that have had their DNA modified by adding genes from other plants (or animals) into the plant's DNA to give it a trait that makes it resistant to herbicides or insect pests.

These transgenic crops have been in commercial use since the early 90s, and they have taken over the market so swiftly and completely that it is hard to find seed for things like corn, soybeans, cotton, even sugar beets, that aren't transgenic seed. So even if the farmer is uncomfortable with the idea of GMOs, he doesn't have a whole lot of alternatives to using them, if he wants to grow those affected crops.

What's my problem with GMOs?

I have lots of problems with GMOs. The one that worries me most, and the reason for my decision to go GMO free, is the safety issue. The manufacturers of transgenic seeds have gone through the motions and received approval to market them from the federal government, but that's absolutely no consolation to me. (An interesting aside--Europe and many countries in Asia ban the use and sale of GMO crops. Why not the US?) Even if their approval wasn't a result of more corporate-government hand holding, the amount of time spent researching the effects of GMOs was far too short to be conclusive.

The true effects of GMOs on the environment and ecosystem, on the health of livestock, and most importantly, on the health of humans, won't become known for decades. Like so very many things going on today, the truth will only become obvious when viewed through the lens of history. And I'm no longer willing to sit around and wait for that revelation.

So, as of yesterday, I began phasing out the use of GMOs in the diets of my animals. I started by planting oats, which I will use to replace some of the corn in my current ration. It will take me almost a year to become GMO free, since I will have to grow literally all of the feed my animals consume myself. I will need to formulate new diets that use things like oats, and also wheat, rye, barley, and GMO free soybeans for the pigs and chickens. This may mean that it takes longer to grow the animals to their usual slaughter weights, and it will definitely cost more to do so.

But it's the right thing to do, for them and those of us who eat them.

Rettland Farm Original Kielbasa

Time for the big debut!

I'm thrilled to announce that the first Rettland Farm Original sausage is on the market.

What is It?:

The first sausage developed exclusively by Rettland Farm to showcase our Berkshire pork is a Fresh Kielbasa.

Kielbasa typically features garlic and marjoram, and ours is no exception. What is different, though, is that I spent a lot of time trying to get the garlic right. I hate garlic that overpowers everything, and I want the meat to stand out in the sausage, not the seasoning. I used Organic garlic, and prepared it in a such a way to take the bite out of it, so the garlic flavor is there without having it waft through your sinuses and ooze through your pores all day long.

The marjoram was purchased from a small herb farm about 3 miles from here, Alloway Creek Gardens and Herb Farm.

Other ingredients? Water, Kosher Salt, Onion, and Black Pepper. That's it.

How to Cook It:

I think that most sausage really benefits from being fried in a pan or grilled, to put a nice, caramel color on the outside, and to give a nice "crunch" to the casing. Since we are a long way from grilling season, let's focus on the pan fry.

I'd strongly recommend adding a fat to the pan before adding the sausage , to keep the sausage from scorching. My fat of choice to cook sausages is butter . It browns nicer, and more importantly, tastes better than vegetable oils on the sausage.

Once the pan and butter are hot over medium high heat, I add the sausage and immediately cut the heat to medium. After getting a good sear on the casing after a minute or two, I flip it and cut the heat again, to medium low. After the second side is seared, I reduce the heat to low, and leave it there for the duration. Usually one last flip is all that is necessary to finish the job.

I cook the sausages to an internal temperature of at least 175 degrees. Don't worry--it won't be all dried out at this temperature, like a commercial sausage would be. It will still be moist, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Trust me.

How to Eat It:

I think these sausages are great on a bun, with a slice of good cheese (not the individually wrapped oil-infused garbage, but REAL cheese) and some good old French's mustard. Fancy? No. Incredibly tasty? Yeah, pretty much.

For a larger meal, I think the sausage sauteed with onions and served with pierogies would be really great. And really Polish.

Once you have a chance to try the kielbasa, please share your serving suggestions in the comment section. I think it would be great to hear how other people are enjoying their sausage.

How to Get It:

Until the Farmers' Markets open in May, the best way to get this sausage is to get in through the Member's Club, our monthly home delivery service. If you're not receiving our monthly email newsletter, send me an email at farmer@rettlandfarm.com to be put on the list.

So there you have it--the first installment in the line of Rettland Farm Original Sausages. Once you get your hands on some, I'd love to hear your feedback, either here in the comment section, or privately at farmer@rettlandfarm.com. Your honest opinions will help me put the absolute best product out there, for the eating pleasure of all.

Enjoy!

Rettland Farm Sausage--The Beginning

This post signals the beginning of something new and exciting at Rettland Farm.

Those who have been regular readers may remember my interest in terroir--the concept of food or drink tasting a certain way as a result of the environment in which it was raised. Historically, terroir has been associated with wine, but recently it has been applied to broader categories of food by "food people".

In past posts, I've wondered about what influence pasture has on the taste of meats that we produce. While we're still developing and defining the effect on pork, I think it's safe to say that there is a noticeable influence of green grass (and all the other associated goodies) on our eggs and pastured broiler chickens.

But I wanted to take the concept of terroir further. I wanted a product that could, through terroir, sort of define the "Taste of Rettland Farm." This product would be firmly based on our meat products, but would also include other food ingredients besides meat.

So, the result of all this brainstorming, mulling and wishing is this:

Sausage.

In the very near future, I will be rolling out the first (of hopefully many) original sausages that will include our pork (and maybe chicken) and also other simple, all-natural ingredients. These sausages will serve as a kind of taste compilation of all things "Rettland", stuffed into a casing. There will be breakfast sausages, dinner sausages, grilling sausages--you name it. We'll have a sausage for every occasion. And since pork can now be considered a health food, you'll be able to eat a sausage daily...

The sausages will be hugely influenced by seasonality and the origin of the ingredients. In other words, the sausages containing springtime ingredients won't be available in November, and you can bet that there won't be many ingredients grown outside of Pennsylvania. There will also be some influence by holidays or other local events or celebrations.

The Rettland Farm Sausages will all have several things in common though:

1. The meat that we use in the sausages will be of the highest quality, and will include some of the best cuts of meat from the animal. Unlike commercial sausage, Rettland Farm sausage is a premium product, not just something to do with the leftovers.

2. All of the ingredients in our sausages will be used in a state as close to their natural state as possible. Aside from some grinding and perhaps some occasional heating, I don't expect or want a whole lot of processing.

3. There won't be many ingredients in the sausage. Some meat (usually pork), some salt, and maybe some herbs or other seasoning ingredients. Most importantly, none of the ingredients will sound like something you worked with in your college chemistry lab--that's a promise.

4. On a related note, my ultimate objective is to showcase the meat. This means that the seasoning ingredients will only be used to that end. I hope to have the supporting ingredients be just that--complementing and not overpowering the meat. Subtlety will always be the goal.

5. All of the manufacturing of the sausages will be done in a USDA and Pa Department of Agriculture inspected facility. Our good friends at Charles Nell Meats in Littlestown are going to be key partners in this venture by manufacturing the sausage for me to their own strict quality and safety specifications.

So that's the basics on the sausage. In the coming weeks, I'll feature each new addition to the sausage line right here on the blog, and I'll include some discussion on the ingredients and their origin, and the thought process behind the theme.

Check back often! This is going to be great!

A Fascinating Report on Dietary Fat

I stumbled upon this incredibly interesting report on the myths of a low saturated fat (what you find in animal products) diet, and the scarier facts about diets high in polyunsaturated fats (the stuff you are SUPPOSED to eat.)

The moral of the story? Eat more Rettland Farm pork. It's good for you! And the second moral of the story? Don't believe anything that is supposed to be taken as gospel.

Seriously, though. Check it out. It's a little lengthy, but it is truly worth the read.

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/cardiovascular-disease/saturated-fat-and-heart-disease-studies-old-and-new/

We Need a New Word

I took a road trip today to pay a visit to a prospective client. We had a great discussion about our respective businesses, and I came away really charged about the "food" movement, especially in the mid-Atlantic region.

On my way home, I recounted to myself parts of our conversation, particularly the part about our shared frustration over the overuse and corruption of "buzzwords" in the "local food" movement.

The new client (hey, I'm optimistic) related to me that it was especially hard for her to sort out the real deal of sustainable, local, humanely produced food--from those opportunists who put the right words and a pastoral logo on a box of shit so they can charge a few extra bucks for it.

I gave her my somewhat standard answer, that the best way to keep out the posers is to do what she and I were doing at that very moment: sitting down, face to face, and talking. We build trust, we build relationships, and we (well, me, as the farmer) start to display our integrity by sharing our philosphies and practices. You can't bullshit people when they ask you directly what your pigs eat, or what the procedure for slaughtering the animal is--you either know it or you don't.

We can take it one step further, and the client can come visit the farm, and see with their own eyes whether the farm is really genuine, or just a slick marketing campaign.

But every industry has buzzwords, so what's the new buzzword for this kind of business? How do we sum up what we do in a word or two, and yet keep the wannabes from usurping it for their own nefarious causes?

I've used the phrase "Real Food" in the past, but I'm not sure about that. I also came up with "Verifiable Food," but that sounds way too stuffy and sterile.

As I cruised up the road this afternoon, though, I came up with a few that had a nice ring to them...

How about "Authentic Food?" "Give-a-damn Food?" Or maybe "Food Done Right?"

Are any of these winners? Any other suggestions?