When you do business with Farm Direct, your purchases support small family farms in Northern Indiana. Read on to find out more about where your meat comes from and the farmers behind it all. Pictures and video coming soon...
Sutton Cattle Company - Corn Finished Beef
Beef is pastured with free access to nearby woods for shade. Homegrown non-GMO corn is gradually introduced to the cattle late in the feeding program to add \'\'finish\'\'--or the extra fat which gives the beef a gourmet marbling. The degree of marbling is the criteria on which the USDA grades beef as prime, choice, select, etc. The cattle are a cross of Angus called Hereford-Angus which are notable for their finely textured marbling and tenderness.
Seven Sons Farm - Grass-Fed Beef
This is an intensive grazing system farm. The beef are raised on irrigated pasture of rye, clover, alfalfa and orchard grass. They get moved to a new 1-2 acre section of pasture every 24-48 hours, providing the freshest, most abundant forage and preventing disease. The cattle never receive grain and are born, raised and finished on grass. During winter and times when fresh grass is not available, cattle are fed stored forage such as hay. Cattle will sometimes receive a small amount of molasses to balance and supplement their nutritional needs.
Farmers Blake and Blaine Hitzfield ensure that their cattle are raised in a low-stress environment with plenty of fresh air and sunshine and never receive added hormones or drugs. If you have stopped eating beef for health reasons, this is the beef to re-consider. 100% Grass-fed beef is proven to be higher in Omega 3s and has a more desirable balance of Omega 3 fatty acids to Omega 6 fatty acids than conventionally raised beef. Consuming a balanced ratio of Omega 3 and Omega 6 helps to regulate and maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Furthermore, grass-fed beef is significantly higher in CLAs--or conjugate linoleic acids--which are known to have anti-cancer properties and positive effects on our metabolisms.
Eagle Creek Pork
Hogs are born in roomy pens, not farrowing crates. When old enough, they are transferred to paddocks with small \"doghouses\" for shade, or in roomy pens in open sided sheds. Eric and Alan, combine a lifetime of experience, beginning in their 4-H days working with hogs with Purdue degrees in animal science. Alan is now working on hi veterinary medicine degree specializing in swine nutrition. They raise primarily Duroc hogs w heritage type hog known for it\'s superior flavor and higher \"marbling\" percentage which results in a more succulent pork.
Gunthorp Farms Chicken, Turkey and Duck
We are extremely proud to offer this poultry that is raised completely free-range and processed on farm in LaGrange, Indiana. Some of Chicago\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s finest restaurants--including Rick Bayless\'s Frontera Grill--serve Gunthorp poultry and now you can, too. [url=\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2008/Hello-Beautiful/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"]Click here[/url] to read all about Farmer Greg Gunthorp.
Greg\'s chickens spend the first 3-4 weeks of their lives in the brooding barn under the care and management of Greg\'s children. After that, they are moved out to pasture (the chickens, that is, not the kids.) While being allowed to “day range”, the chickens still receive a mixture of corn, soybeans, and Hubbard’s Homestead mineral mix.
The chickens, duck and turkeys receive the same feed. Greg\'s ducks are older at slaughter than most duck available. This, and the fact that they are raised on pasture, makes them more like the duck available in Europe. The turkey, too, is not quite like any you\'ve ever had before. Keep Farm Direct in mind when Thanksgiving rolls around! Your dinner party will be silent with enjoyment. One of our customers, when asked how her Thanksgiving turkey fared, she replied, \"Oh devastating. Devastatingly good!\"
Fertile Acres Southdowns
The farm was named by Wilma, matriarch of a family of eight. Between the sheep and the many children, she knew that these were indeed "Fertile Acres." The family spent many years developing their line of Southdown sheep. Southdown is a slower growing lamb than the ubiquitous Suffolk one finds in grocery stores. Southdown is therefore a much milder tasting lamb, but with that special savor slow grown things are known for. These sheep are fed grain but are turned out to pasture daily by Farmer John. (Sheep kept in pasture at night can be subject to predation by coyotes, and unfortunately, suburban dogs that are allowed to run loose.)
Big Oaks Tunis
Tunis sheep are a heritage breed, founded in the U.S. in 1799 when Tunisian sheep were crossed with American/English lamb breeds. Their meat is so mild and has such a distinct flavor that Slow Foods USA has put it on their Ark of Taste. Big Oaks Tunis are raised by Farmer Bill, brother to Farmer John who raises the Southdowns.
Bugle Valley Elk
When Farmer Gene decided cattle were too much trouble and not enough return, he converted to raising elk. Gene and his wife Phyllis now raise almost 100 head of elk in the rolling hills near Turkey Run State Park. Elk meat is extremely lean and a healthy choice for your low-fat diet. These elk are raised on grass pasture inter-planted with turnips for additional nutrition and forage. The elk also feed on corn with minerals for antler growth but never receive steroids, growth hormones or antibiotics. Because these animals are domestically raised in a low-stress environment, the meat does not have a game-y flavor. If you are tired of the beef-pork-chicken trio, we encourage you to try a taste of our Indiana-raised elk.
River Basin Bison
Tucked away on a back road near the Kankakee River, these bison spend their days contently eating the rich, river bottom grass. The herd of ten is led by a bull who keeps a very close watch on things. Farmer Jason claims the best way to raise bison is to leave them alone - a philosophy that accentuates the flavor and health benefits of his bison meat. The easiest way to transition to game meats is with our 1/3 pound patties. Cook just like beef burgers, but eat as a healthy alternative.
Cooks Bison Ranch
Coincidentally, both of our bison farmers are named Jason. Jason, at CBR, purchased his first thirty bison in December of 1998 and changed the look of his familys 70 year-old farm to Cooks Bison Ranch. His new purchase traveled in strong blizzard conditions from Tennessee and from Bourbon and Bremen, Indiana. Just as the once endangered bison have begun to quickly multiply, their herd of 30 has grown to 300 with numbers continually growing. Their once 83-acre farm has grown to 900 acres which now hosts group tours of all sizes including school groups. Cooks Bison Ranch offers some great value added products made with natural ingredients. We are big fans of his bison ham--a lean deli-style lunch meat--and the fully-cooked bratwursts that make a quick and delicious dinner.
We utilize small local processors who are able to treat the animals with care and dignity because of their smaller volume. Our processors are family run operations which are either multi-generational or have decades of experience. Their aim is to please you, the customer by giving you the best meat possible, and do not take shortcuts when it comes to processing your meat. All beef is dry-aged for up to 21 days; lamb, venison, elk and bison up to 10 days. Dry aging is a real art, with the processor\'s experience deciding the perfect time to begin cutting the carcass. We age the entire carcass, so even the burger is dry aged! For more information on dry-aging and other meat terms, [url=\"http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/mh_beef/article/0,1977,FOOD_10263_4850325,00.html\"]click here[/url].
There are no fillers or water added to your ground meat or sausage. For custom sides and quarters, we will assist you in choosing the number of pieces per package, and thickness, weight and type of cuts. All meat is chilled and frozen to preserve freshness and taste for you. It is carefully wrapped in heavy-duty freezer paper to maintain its quality for months in your freezer. All meat cuts are content labeled.
Visit our [link=\"products/\"]products page[/link] for current prices, or [link=\"contact/\"]contact us[/link] for special cut and side or quarter animal availability. You can purchase individual items at our [link=\"markets/\"]farmers\' market[/link] booth.
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