Grass Roots Farm

Yesterday, we had an excursion north of the city to Grass Roots Farm. A.'s family have known the farmer who runs the place for many years, as he also operates a well-known dog kennel and obedience training programme there. In the past few years, however, they have branched out into a new venture - humanely-reared, free-range meat produced from heritage-breed animals.

They started with chickens and turkeys, and have done quite well with that. They have since expanded to ducks and geese, and more recently pigs. We've bought their chickens and eggs before, but yesterday we picked up a selection hamper from them which also included some of their pork (they raise Berkshire and Tamworth pigs). So we now have pork chops, ham steaks, bacon and sausages to try out, in addition to more nice chickens for roasting. Over the next year, they plan to rear beef cattle and sheep as well; we are seriously considering getting together with a couple of friends and family members, and buying half a cow for the freezer.

Of course, it costs more to buy your meat this way than to get it at the grocery store. But I have been wanting to eat more locally-produced meat. That way, you are not only supporting a local farmer, but you can be assured that the animals you consume are being humanely raised, outside the factory-farm system. The weather still being wintry at the moment, we didn't see too many animals out and about yesterday on the farm. There were a few cattle down in one of the far pastures, and a large flock of plump, tasty-looking ducks (sorry JT) in one of the nearby sheds. But next time we go back, later in the spring, there will definitely be more to see.