Meat CSA – March 2022

In your share 

  • Chicken 
  • Short ribs (Kenton & Woodstock) OR Cross cut rib roast (Corbett) 
  • Ground beef 
  • French garlic sausage 
  • Bacon 

On the farm 

Springtime at Terra Farma always means lots of new life, and this year is definitely no exception. The last of our expectant sheep had her lambs early this month, making 18 lambs in total this year. This is far more than we’ve raised in past years, and we are looking forward to being able to include lamb in the CSA shares more often in 2023. The same day that last lamb was born, the first of our dairy goats had a single kid, and the next day another had triplets! A couple more moms are due any day now, then next month the meat goats should follow up with kids of their own.  

This is also the time of year that our poultry operations really start cranking up for the year. The first week of the month heralded the arrival of 100 new chicks to be future egg layers, then the next week 200 more chicks destined for the table arrive, with about that same number coming every five weeks through August. In a few weeks, we’ll start collecting eggs from our turkey flock to put in our incubator for hatching in May. Our heritage breed turkeys grow much slower than the ultra-fast growing (but far less tasty) commercial varieties, as we will hatch them in May but not process them until the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. We will open for pre-orders once we see how the hatch goes.  

But our largest new arrivals were also the least expected – we got both a new cow and a new dog! One of our current dairy cows ended up not getting bred as expected and our milk supply was looking increasingly ill-equipped to meet demand, so we found a very sweet cow at a small farm in Washougal, and we brought her home at the end of February. She was in rough shape, as she had two calves nursing off her, even though they were almost as big as she was, and she was being fed low quality hay. She’s doing so much better now, fitting in well with our other girls, putting on some needed weight, while doubling the amount of milk she’s producing just in the 2+ weeks she’s been here.  

Our new dog, Jolee, is another Great Pyrenees that came from the same farm just up the road where our recent herd of meat goats came from. The owners of that farm realize that, without the goats there, Jolee was bored, and they offered her to us at no cost! She’s very sweet, but also a natural at being a livestock guardian dog. She’s also young, at 2.5 years old, and unspayed, so it’s very possible we could be back in the puppy business much sooner than anticipated.  

Recipe – Chicken Pot Pie 

As promised, in honor of pi day (3/14), here’s a great chicken pot pie recipe. This one is from the awesome book “Salt Fat Acid Heat” by Samin Nosrat (check out her limited run podcast, “Home Cooking” – it’s a true delight for the ears) and we adapt the veggies to whatever we have on hand, it’s a forgiving recipe. If you have the book, this recipe is on page 322. 

Ingredients 

  • 4-pound chicken 
  • Salt 
  • Olive oil 
  • 3 tablespoons butter 
  • 2 medium yellow onions, ½” dice 
  • 2 large carrots, ½” dice 
  • 2 celery stalks, ½” dice 
  • ½ pound fresh cremini, button, or chanterelle mushrooms, trimmed and quartered 
  • 2 bay leaves 
  • 4 sprigs thyme 
  • Black pepper 
  • ¾ cup dry white wine or dry sherry 
  • ½ cup cream 
  • 3 cups chicken stock 
  • ½ cup flour 
  • 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen 
  • ¼ cup finely chopped parsley 

For the crust – pie dough, your favorite biscuit recipe, or 1 package store-bought puff pastry + 1 whisked large egg.  

Prep the chicken by quartering it, which ends up being 8 pieces: two each of legs and thighs, and then each breast piece is cut in half. Season generously with salt. Coat a hot Dutch oven with olive oil, when simmering, add half the chicken pieces, skin side down and brown evenly on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining pieces.  

Remove any excess fat from the pot, then melt the butter and add the veggies (not the peas or parsley, they’ll go in later) and herbs, with a light addition of salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until the veggies start to soften, about 12 minutes, then add the wine and deglaze with a wooden spoon.  

Nestle the browned chicken into the vegetables, add the cream and stock and increase the heat to high; cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Remove the breasts after 10 minutes of simmering but leave the dark meat for a total of 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the chicken to a plate, and allow the sauce to cool. Discard the bay leaves and thyme. After a few minutes use a spoon to skim the fat off into a bowl. Combine ½ cup of the fat with the flour into a thick paste. Add this back to the pot and bring the entire mixture to a boil for about 5 minutes. 

Heat oven to 400 degrees, shred the chicken meat, chop the skin finely, then add to the pot with the peas and parsley. Pour it all into a 9×13” baking dish and top with the dough or biscuits, cutting a few steam holes if using dough. Brush the dough with the egg wash. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Enjoy! 

Meat CSA December 2021

Terra Farma Meat CSA December 2021

In your share this month:

  • Roast (beef or pork) THURSDAY – Sweetheart Ham SUNDAY
  • Chicken
  • French Garlic Sausage
  • Breakfast sausage
  • Bacon
  • Ground beef THURSDAY – Steak SUNDAY
  • Bonus

It’s time to renew your membership!

If you haven’t already done so, there’s still time to renew for next season, or all of next year, at a discount. We are being forced to raise prices next year, as, like everything else, our costs have increased dramatically this year, but we are extending the discounted price for renewals for the spring season through the end of this month. Also, you can sign up for the entire year of 2022 at 2021 prices. Our email to you on 11/17 has those links to sign up, if you can’t locate that, just let us know and we’ll send them to you. There will also be a new location in Woodstock, so if you are in SE, that might be a good option for you. We are also adding new shares, so if you have friends who have been wanting to join, now is the time.

On the Farm

Word of the season: Mud! One of the challenges of raising pigs on pasture west of the Cascades is creating enough dry space for them during winter. We do have a small-ish permanent building for some of them, but they all have outdoor areas that they love to turn into mud pits. The pigs think it’s great, the farmers, not so much. It doesn’t help that we currently have 22 pigs on-site, by far the most we’ve ever had through winter, but 6 will go in for processing in February and 12 more in late March, so there’s a little light at the end of the tunnel. We are also considering finding a beginning farmer that wants to raise pigs and has better winter facilities than we do, who we could mentor, provide them with animals and equipment, and guarantee that we’d purchase a certain number from them every year. It would help alleviate our workload a bit while helping to develop the next generation of farmers. If you know of anyone who might fit that bill, feel free to put them in touch with us.

Everything else is kind of in standard winter mode, with daily milking of the cows and goats, caring for the laying hens and their eggs, along with the rabbits, sheep, and the goats that are not being milked. The only recent new additions are a 6-month old steer that was given to us by some friends who bought a house in White Salmon, WA that came with a collection of poultry and this ones steer who they didn’t feel comfortable taking care of; and a batch of 100 baby chicks which will become our next batch of laying hens in about April.

Product Spotlight

French Garlic links – these are one of our favorites; flavored with garlic, red wine, and a collection of herbs and spices, these are delicious on their own or added to all kinds of dishes. We recently had them as an addition to homemade mac and cheese, so good! It’s probably best known, though, as an ingredient in the hearty soup, cassoulet; here’s a recipe:

Smoked Sausage Cassoulet

Ingredients

  • 2 bacon slices
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 pound pork roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • ½ pound French garlic sausage, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 8 teaspoons finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
  • 8 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Step 1

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add onion, thyme, rosemary, and garlic to drippings in pan; sauté for 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in crumbled bacon, salt, pepper, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.     

Step 2

Place half of the beans in a large bowl; mash with a potato masher until chunky. Add remaining half of beans, pork, and sausage; stir well. Place half of the bean mixture in a 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker; top with half of the tomato mixture. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Bonus item – Stroopwaffels

The classic Dutch treat that is literally translated to “Syrup Waffle” is handmade in our kitchen. You can eat these as is, like a decadent cookie, but we do highly recommend setting them on top of your cup of hot coffee until the caramel interior softens a bit, then dunk and eat.  Note: these do contain gluten, dairy, and eggs.

Meat CSA November 2021

Terra Farma Meat CSA November 2021

In your share this month:

  • Lamb Stew Meat
  • Ground Beef
  • Guanciale (Jowl Bacon)
  • Beef steak or short ribs
  • Chicken
  • Italian Sausage
  • BONUS – Leaf Lard

Welcome to the November share, particularly to those who are trying our CSA for the first time! We have one more month remaining in the fall season and then exciting news for the January-April spring season (sorry Winter, but since our CSA has only three “seasons” you were the odd one out) as we are adding capacity with 20 new shares and a new pickup location in Woodstock. The latter site is at the home of 47th Avenue Farm and our pickups there will coincide with their veggie CSA pickups. Existing members received an email with renewal instructions and new members can sign up through our online store. Please share with your friends as we hope to fill all those slots by the end of the year.

On the Farm

When we last saw most of you, we were just about ready to go on a little vacation, our first in 5 years! We went to Wallowa Lake in far NE Oregon during the last week of October and it was just perfect. One of my favorite trees is the mountain larch, which is a deciduous conifer, and they were at the peak of their fall color, along with all the aspens, cottonwoods, and wild sumac. Dramatic clouds and mixed sunshine only added to the beauty, plus, since it was the “off-season,” there were virtually no tourists to be seen. We rented a small cabin with views of the mountains, and I think every other cabin in the area was empty, making it ultra-peaceful. Huge thanks to our friends and volunteers who cared for the animals while we were gone!

With the turkeys being processed this weekend, the last of the seasonal chores is finally crossed off the list, allowing things to slow down a tiny bit for winter. It never fully stops, though, as there are still the daily tasks of milking, feeding all the ruminants, pigs, and laying hens, collecting eggs, and responding to weather conditions in what looks like might be an active winter. But new animals will still be arriving, though, with our next batch of layer chicks coming on Monday, then in a couple of weeks we will be picking up a 6-month-old steer from some friends who bought property that came with animals but not the proper facilities to care for them. Then our first newborns of the year will come in January with a new crop of lambs!

Featured Items

Lamb stew meat – We are excited to finally have this back in your share! For a recipe, I’m going to refer you back to the one we shared a year ago that was created by cookbook author Heather Arndt Anderson specifically for us and Umi Organic Noodles: https://www.umiorganic.com/recipe-blog/2020/12/13/cumin-lamb-sesame-noodles Trust us, it’s amazing!

Guanciale – We’ve offered this a couple of times, but if this is your first experience with it, you may not even know what it is. On the package, it’s called jowl bacon, and that’s exactly what it is – bacon made from the cheeks of a pig. It’s a item that can be very difficult to find, but that’s one of our goals with the CSA, to produce not only the highest quality meats, but also to share some lesser known cuts.

Guanciale is most associated with a dish called Pasta Carbonara, which you can prepare by simply adding a mixture of egg yolk and grated Italian cheese to cooked spaghetti, with a little reserved water, and finish with guanciale fried in its own fat. For more detailed directions, with photos, go to: https://www.finedininglovers.com/recipes/main-course/pasta-carbonara

Italian Sausage – We included this for November just because it works so well with Thanksgiving Stuffing!

Leaf Lard – What is leaf lard, you might ask? There are two main types of fat on a pig: back fat, which is exactly as it sounds, it’s the layer of fat directly under the skin, and leaf fat, which is internal fat, mostly around the kidneys. Lard is the product that results after pork fat has been rendered down, and leaf lard, with its softer texture is famous for its role in making the best tasting pie crusts. You are getting 6 ounces, which is enough to use in this tried and true recipe from the food network: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/amy-thielen/leaf-lard-crust-2364036#reviewsTop

Thank You, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Meat CSA October 2021

In your share this month:

  • Beef Steak
  • Ground Beef
  • Bacon
  • Pork Chops
  • Chicken
  • Andouille Sausage

On the farm

Autumn is normally a time when things start to slow down at Terra Farma and we can feel the gradual ease into the winter routine; but not this year! The most exciting activity was the birth of our latest calf on the 13th, a little bull calf named Ozzy. Then, an hour later, twin baby goats were born, a little boy and girl, and all moms and babies are doing well. But that also means we have another cow to milk twice a day, and she’s a powerhouse – already producing over 7 gallons a day. Then, we had some neighbors up the road gift us their herd of 8 meat goats, and this was quite a gift because these are beautiful-looking goats. We are still trying to figure out where to put everyone.

But we are managing to cross some to-do items off our list; we just brought six pigs in for processing and the last batch of meat chickens will be done this weekend. Then it’s only a month until turkey day and that’s when daily chores will finally ease off for a bit. However, we are going to have more pigs on the ground through winter than we’ve ever had, and there are early indications that this could be a cold, wet winter, so things might get interesting if we have lots of snow and/or ice.

The real exciting news is that we are going on a little vacation! It’ll be the first time in five years that we’ve been able to get away for more than a weekend, so it’s sorely needed. We are heading out the last week of this month to a little cabin near Wallowa Lake in NE Oregon, and even though the weather doesn’t look like it’s going to fully cooperate, even if we just sit in the cabin and read for a few days, it’s still going to be great.

Featured item: Andouille Sausage

Some of you received this in your share earlier this year, but if you are new to our CSA, or have a half share and missed it, this may be an item you don’t have a lot of experience with. Even though it has French and German roots, andouille is a classing Cajun sausage and is most commonly found in a traditional jambalaya. The Spruce Eats website has a great page on it, so instead of putting a recipe in for this month, we’ll just send you to their page where you can find multiple meal ideas.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-an-andouille-995561

Thank You!

In your Meat CSA for September 2021

In your share this month:

  • Rabbit
  • Beef Roast
  • Pork Chops
  • Bacon
  • Italian Sausage
  • Optional Bonus – Pork Bones

On the farm

The change in season is a welcome sight, the 2+” of rain we had last weekend is already causing our pasture to send up some fresh grass seedlings, and with more rain in the forecast for the coming week, we are crossing our fingers for some productive grazing in October. It’s also the time of year when we can finally start to see our daily chores diminishing ever so slightly – we just processed the last batch of guinea fowl for the year, our last batch of broiler chickens is in the field, and six more pigs will become bacon in a few weeks. But one of our dairy cows, Stella, is due to calve on October 6th, when the twice a day milking will take a little longer. We’ve been low on milk for a while, so her extra production will certainly fill a need. We’ve not been super active on social media this year, but a new calf is always a reason to share.

Featured Recipe

This comes from the website of Hank Shaw, who’s an authority on all things hunting, gathering, and cooking of those things: honest-food.net, and I also recommend his podcast, Hunt Gather Talk.

We included the Italian sausage to complete this recipe, though I’m guessing his intention was to use links, but since ours is bulk packaged, I’d suggest lightly browning it prior to adding it in step 4.

Calabrian Rabbit with Red Peppers

Ingredients

  • 1  rabbit, cut into serving pieces
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 pound Italian sausage, cut into large pieces (hot or sweet)
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano or marjoram
  • 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon Calabrian hot pepper paste or 2 teaspoons Sriracha hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 1 cup roasted red peppers, cut into slices

Instructions

  1. Cut the rabbits into serving pieces. For a primer on how to cut up a rabbit, go to Hank’s website: https://honest-food.net/how-to-cut-up-a-rabbit/. There’s lots of other great recipes there, too.
  2. Find a wide, shallow pot. A large, high-sided saute pan is a good choice, but one of those earthen braziers is even better. Arrange the rabbit pieces in the pot and just barely cover with water. Bring to a simmer and add a healthy pinch of salt and the bay leaves. Skim any scum that forms on the surface of the water.
  3. Simmer the rabbit uncovered for 1 hour, turning the pieces from time to time as the water cooks away; this keeps both sides moist.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Keep turning the rabbit and sausage pieces so they are coated in the sauce, and when it thickens enough — about another 10-15 minutes — you are ready to serve.

Bone Broth

To make broth with your pork bones, you can just cover them with water and let them simmer for a while, but to really bring out the flavor first roast them at 350 degrees for about an hour, then put them in a stock pot or slow cooker, cover with water, add chopped vegetables of your choice and simmer for 4-24 hours. Strain and transfer to a jar to keep in the fridge or you can put it in freezer safe containers and freeze in smaller portions.

Enjoy!

Meat CSA FAQs

Signups for the Jan-Apr 2021 season are open now in our online store.

FAQs for the Terra Farma Meat CSA

  • What is a CSA?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and typically refers to a subscription type program where you receive a regular share of farm products for a season, or other specified time period, in exchange for payment at the beginning of the season. This helps the farmer with up-front operating capital and security knowing that their product is already sold.

  • I’m familiar with a vegetable CSA, how is a meat CSA different?

While veggie boxes are usually weekly, meat boxes will be a once-a-month pickup, but will still have a variety of meats and cuts.

  • What will be in a Terra Farma share?

A typical monthly box will include 10-12 pounds of meat, which may include 2-3 pounds of pork, 2-3 pounds of beef, a whole chicken, an occasional duck, rabbit, and/or guinea fowl. Lamb and goat will also likely be included later in 2020 and certainly in 2021. This variety of meats is one thing we believe sets us apart from any other CSA. You can expect steaks, small roasts, sausages, ground meat, bacon, ham, ribs, and some specialty cuts; some items will make regular appearances while others will rotate in and out. Each month will not look exactly alike.

  • How much does it cost?

Each membership period will be 4 months and cost $445.

  • Do I get to choose what’s in my monthly share? There’s also an option for a half share for $225; this will be the same 10-12 pounds of meat, but picked up only every other month.

Like most veggie CSAs, each share will be the same, both to make sure we make best use of the entire animal and to give you a chance to try some cuts that you may not have otherwise chosen. However, we do anticipate there will be times when we have smaller quantities of certain cuts, and you may have an option to choose among a couple different individual items.

  • What about organ meats? I don’t think I want those in my share.

We are not planning on including organ meats in a normal monthly share, but if that’s something you do want, let us know and we’ll work with you.

  • Where will I get the share each month?

We are initially planning on two pickup locations, one at our farm in Corbett and another one in Portland. The Portland location is still being determined but will likely be somewhere in N or NE PDX. They will occur the last week of each month, with some movement possible around major holidays; the on-farm pickups will coincide with our chicken pickups on weekends, and the Portland pickup will be on a weekday evening.

  • What if I can’t come to the pickup because I’m out of town?

Ideally, you could have someone come in your place and pick up for you, but if that’s not possible, let us know in advance and we’ll make other arrangements.

  • What about add-ons? Eggs? Milk? Turkey?

We are not including these as specific options at this time. For the eggs and milk, since these are perishable items, the logistics of a monthly pickup create distribution difficulties. We would have high demand for these items the week of pickup, but not the rest of the month. However, if we have some available the week of pickup, we will send out a message with options to reserve. Looking to the future, as our membership grows, we will add additional pickup locations and could stagger them through the month to even out demand to create the possibility of a regular add-on.

While our popular Thanksgiving turkeys will not be part of the CSA, we will allow our CSA members first opportunity to reserve one. These do sell out every year, this perk can help ensure you get one.

  • Are there any other perks?

Yes, we want to create as much value for you as possible and we really want to build a community of like-minded eaters. We’ll be creating a private Facebook group (I know, we’re not thrilled about Facebook either, but I don’t know of a better alternative that people actually use; willing to hear ideas, though) to share recipes, tips, results, and any other pertinent info. We’re in the planning stages for some low-key farm events, some which may be CSA member exclusive, others where you’d have first chance to sign up. You’ll get a Terra Farma insulated bag to transport your products. Likely more ideas to come.

  • Any other questions?

Let us know at terrafarma@comcast.net

We are starting a Meat CSA!!

  • Are you looking for humanely raised meat, but don’t have freezer space to buy a whole animal?
  • Are you trying to be more intentional with your food dollars by supporting the local economy and buying from farmers who have a proven track record of regenerative agriculture practices?
  • Do you want to know exactly where your meat comes from and have a direct relationship with your farmer?
  • Do you have uncertainty about marketing claims and labels when there is no other information on how that animal was raised?
  • Are you looking for meat that has a better nutritional profile than mass marketed meat?

A beautiful pasture-raised roasted chicken from Terra Farma

If any of these describe you, a membership in Terra Farma’s meat CSA may be right for you. What is a CSA, you ask? CSA is an acronym for Community Supported Agriculture and has traditionally been associated with vegetables, where you sign up for a fixed price for an entire season and receive a varied selection of vegetables each week.

A meat CSA is similar in that there is a prepayment for a defined period of time and you will get a variety of products, but pickup is generally once a month and, since most of the meat is delivered frozen, it can operate year-round.

You get a reliable supply of the finest products, get to try things you may not have selected on your own, and you help support the local food economy by making sure your farmer has some upfront capital to cover expenses during the season and the comfort of not having to guess how much they need to produce each year. The latter is key to preventing unnecessary food waste that so often occurs on the open market.

We are tremendously proud of the care and respect we give our animals, and we are open and transparent with all of our practices.

Here are the basics of how Terra Farma’s meat CSA works:

Once a month you will get a box with 10-12 pounds of a variety of meats and cuts from animals raised by us on our farm. This will include whole pastured chicken, grass-fed beef, pastured pork, and even the occasional guinea fowl and rabbit. Future plans even include goat and lamb, making this the most diverse meat CSA that we know of. You’ll also get other surprises periodically, we can’t tell you what yet, otherwise it wouldn’t be a surprise!

We will have quarterly subscription periods, so you’d be signing up for a 3-month commitment at a time, this will cost $325. That works out to just about $10/pound for the best pasture-raised meat you can find.

You will pick up your share either at our farm in Corbett, or at a location in Portland that is still to be determined (though likely in N or NE PDX)

You will get 2 of the coveted Terra Farma insulated bags to transport your precious cargo.

The first pickup will be in April, and we’ll start accepting signups March 1st, though stay tuned for a special early bird offer in February!

We’ll be following up soon with more information and lots of FAQs. We are very excited about this and can’t wait to share our farm with you in a whole new way!

Taking orders for pastured chickens and turkeys

You can now place your orders online for our famous pastured poultry! Please visit our online store HERE to place a deposit on chickens or turkeys. The balance after the deposit will be paid when you pick your order at our farm on the date(s) you selected.

These birds are processed by us the day before you pick them up, so they are fresh, not frozen, and are packaged as a whole bird in a shrink bag so that they will freeze very well. Feel free to stock up with chickens for the winter, because after October 2nd, we won’t have any more until next June.

The turkeys will be ready for pick-up on the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving, so you can have a pasture-raised heritage turkey on your holiday table that has never been frozen.

Feel free to contact us at terrafarma@comcast.net if you have any questions.