High End BBQ Continued with A New Question

Former Member

I do some "high end" type food events patterned after Outstanding In The Field. These events are all about the "farm to fork" movement, and part of our entertainment is the narrative offered by the farmers and vintners and brewers that come out and speak about their process and product.

In any case, what I want to ask about are your thoughts on what I'll call the cottage food industry, or what frequently gets thrown in with sustainability or local-vore, or organic, etc.

I listen to the farmers talk about raising 4 cows per acre and the evil industrialists that raise 24 per acre. I listen to them promote their clean, natural, grass fed system that they say is naturally hostile to e-coli and other food borne illnesses, and then I look at their tiny 6lb briskets that are about 98% lean and cost ~$13 per pound, and I contrast that with the 17lb CAB brisket I bought at Walmart the week before for $2.17 per pound, and I just don't get it. Is this whole local movement based on fantasy? How can we supply meat to everyone that wants it at 4 cows per acre? Aren't all cows grass fed at some point? Isn't the grain finishing the step that adds marbling and thus quality to the meat? If you charge more for grass fed, aren't you just adding a premium for a lower cost product that is likely of inferior quality since it missed the grain feeding?

We hear the same basic story from the pig farmers about the desirability of their durock or berkshire hogs that vary widely from hog to hog and farmer to farmer in size and texture vs the Smithfield butts we buy that are so consistent they almost seem machine produced. Oh, and the heritage breeds currently cost about 3x what their mass produced competition cost. Honestly, I'll take the Smithfield product everyday over the local stuff.

I don't know the answers myself, but I find myself at odds with a lot of the narrative that these farmers share, and I tend to think that a lot of the people that are buying into this storyline are being duped. I'm just curious what other people think.

7/22/139:37 AM

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pagsMember

Take the grain away from the beef and take away the tenderness and flavor. I see nothing wrong with paying less for that. Maybe the grass feeders can sell a healthier product, but my grass fed steaks always seem tougher to me.

7/22/1310:00 AM

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astronorickMember

I understand exactly what your saying Todd. I've looked at the same thing, and the only local farm to fork offerings we're able to do is some of the local produce, like cabbage for our coleslaw and honey for our cornbread butter. The meats are off the hook expensive, and unless my 'public' that frequents my restaruant started demanding it, and want to pay such high costs, then I simply can't afford it. I'm all for supporting whatever I can locally, but part of that 'support' is my customer base.

I remember a number of years ago, a person did a reporting on 'free range chickens'. I don't know what the USDA rules are now, but what this person discovered at that time was 'free range' wasn't what people thought. At that time, people had the illusion of the chickens being raised out on the prarie, and chickens had open reign. I believe this was in California, and folks jump onto this politically correct organic stuff pretty quick. Well, what he discovered (at that time) was the description for 'free range' was simply that the chicken coops had, basically, a 'back door' that the chickens could freely move in and out of into a yard area if they wanted to. During his investigation, he found that the chickens didn't really go out much, and seemed content just living out their existence in their coop. Go figure.

Hey, I wonder if Okie' offers 'free range Brisket' ? :-)

quote:
Originally posted by Todd G.:
I do some "high end" type food events patterned after Outstanding In The Field. These events are all about the "farm to fork" movement, and part of our entertainment is the narrative offered by the farmers and vintners and brewers that come out and speak about their process and product.

In any case, what I want to ask about are your thoughts on what I'll call the cottage food industry, or what frequently gets thrown in with sustainability or local-vore, or organic, etc.

I listen to the farmers talk about raising 4 cows per acre and the evil industrialists that raise 24 per acre. I listen to them promote their clean, natural, grass fed system that they say is naturally hostile to e-coli and other food borne illnesses, and then I look at their tiny 6lb briskets that are about 98% lean and cost ~$13 per pound, and I contrast that with the 17lb CAB brisket I bought at Walmart the week before for $2.17 per pound, and I just don't get it. Is this whole local movement based on fantasy? How can we supply meat to everyone that wants it at 4 cows per acre? Aren't all cows grass fed at some point? Isn't the grain finishing the step that adds marbling and thus quality to the meat? If you charge more for grass fed, aren't you just adding a premium for a lower cost product that is likely of inferior quality since it missed the grain feeding?

We hear the same basic story from the pig farmers about the desirability of their durock or berkshire hogs that vary widely from hog to hog and farmer to farmer in size and texture vs the Smithfield butts we buy that are so consistent they almost seem machine produced. Oh, and the heritage breeds currently cost about 3x what their mass produced competition cost. Honestly, I'll take the Smithfield product everyday over the local stuff.

I don't know the answers myself, but I find myself at odds with a lot of the narrative that these farmers share, and I tend to think that a lot of the people that are buying into this storyline are being duped. I'm just curious what other people think.

7/22/1310:04 AM

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