Are You familiar with your meat’s history?

I followed up on a phone message on our answering machine this morning.  At first, it sounded like an interesting offer, but no sooner than one question into the callback was I firmly decided that we could not participate in the “too good to be true” offer.

The matter involved compost. Or rather, pre-compost vegetative matter. And, unfortunately, meat and other things mixed in with the vegetables.

The offer was to accept that for feed for our animals.  My response was that we feed vegetarian animals here on our farm, and feed them as organically as we can, and meat simply does not fit into that paradigm. It has been a few minutes after the phone call, and I am now wondering who will accept this “offer” of “free” compost feed?  Are  our standards too high? Am I trying to farm out of my league and should I have just accepted the gift?

Do you know your meat’s history?

I do.  Let’s see…

I can tell you exactly what went into the mouths of the animals that become the  meat that we offer for sale, I think. Let’s go:  It is a short list, and we can even tell you, in most cases, which farmer’s hay we fed (which town it came from — sometimes which field!), and definitely provide the ingredients of the grain (if any!) and we offer drive-by look-see’s on our pasture — which has never ever experienced pesticides,  herbicides, treated seed or anything that wasn’t completely natural.  We know the healthy and happy life that the animal had, and the expert and compassionate handling that preceded it’s slaughter at our preferred butcher in Vermont.  We use the best slaughter facility, and the best smoking facility, each with impeccable records. Then the meat is back to our freezer, awaiting eventual consumption.

I know my meat’s history.

No antibiotics were used. No chemicals.  No animal meats were fed. No animal by-products (like bone meal, etc.). No extra hormones.

You should trust your meat farmer and “meat” with them regularly.  We’ll be at two farmer’s markets today, both from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.: In Northfield, and in Conway. Come see Wells Tavern Farm for your poultry or meat today!