Thank you La Scala! on November 20th, 2011
We were so pleased to have the opportunity to gather with good company while dining on excellent food. We were pleased to have a good crowd come out to see “Fresh, The Movie” at La Scala in Lafayette, IN a few weeks ago. In fact the crowd was larger than originally planned for so we had to move seating arrangements prior to the show. The sound had been tested for the smaller dining room; the tall ceilings absorbed more than the speakers could put out in the larger room. Yet those that joined us still smiled and we still enjoyed the show. I was just personally happy to have sub-titles. But who can complain about having more folks come out to learn about good food and farming. You are all appreciated! Here’s a large round of applause to Paco and Kirsten Serrano, owners of La Scala for making it happen.
Join us Monday night, that is tonight, for dinner and a movie! on November 5th, 2011
Business Mentoring Business!
This Old Farm, Inc and La Scala Restaurant want to welcome Diana Endicott of Good Natured Family Farms, Kansas City. Diana Endicott has led a local food movement in Kansas City for the past 10 + years encouraging local farms while providing good food through a Kansas City local chain of groceries owned by Ball Foods. She has provided countless hours of encouragement and mentorship to a similar organization here in Indiana, This Old Farm. This Old Farm’s mission is to bring healthful, local food to Indiana by sustaining, nurturing, and prospering the family farm through cooperative distribution of local, environmentally conscience foods at a cost that both supports the farmer while representing the true cost and value for the customer. This Old Farm has been working since the year 2009 to grow a producer network while providing both custom and retail meat processing services to central Indiana. They now offer wholesale and retail chemical free produce, traditionally raised meats, as well as certified organic meats. They have come back strong after a devastating fire that leveled their processing facility to reopen in June of 2011, not without partnerships like the ones had with both Diana Endicott of Good Natured Family Farms and La Scala, a locally owned Italian Restaurant in Lafayette, IN. Paco and Kirsten Serrano, owners of La Scala support local farms through serving dishes made with wholesome ingredients. They are opening their doors on Monday night, November 7th, to welcome Diana Endicott. Diana Endicott was featured in the movie “Fresh”. To honor her, a viewing of “Fresh” will begin at 6 pm. For more information call This Old Farm at (765) 324-2161 or La Scala at (765) 420-8171. Nothing is more important than the relationships we develop. Come be a part of your food system and see how business mentors business or farm mentors farm.
Relevant websites:
This Old Farm
La Scala
www.lascalaitalianrestaurant.com
Good Natured Family Farms
The Economics of a $100 turkey. on November 5th, 2011
By popular demand. It is nice when readership gives positive feedback. This was a post that many commented back on. Because it is timely, I decided to put it out again this year. We have a few different turkey options this year……..
Certified Organic raised on pasture for $6.25/lb
Pasture raised naturally fed turkeys for $5/lb
It is time to get your order in. Especially if you want to request a specific size. Call (765) 324-2161. We love being part of your holiday tradition! Now on to the old but timely posting…………..
Wow $100 for a turkey? It does seem like a pricey extravagance. Someone recently told me that even they could not “afford” a $100 turkey. This standard American (middle class, double income, parent of 1.7 children, owner of big screen TV and dual cell phone package…….) felt the cost of a 20# pastured turkey fed organic grains at $5.25/lb was just too high. While I could explain why it costs that much to raise a heritage turkey where the poult (turkey chick) costs $7 alone and then the cost of organic feed is $.25/lb for a total feed cost of $40 and then there is the housing, labor, energy costs, processing, etc. I thought instead I would do an economic analysis of a 20# turkey from the customer’s stand point. I know how much it costs to raise turkey in a pasture model outside of large scale production but what value do you get on your table. So I took home the first turkey of the season happily after processing and got started recording what we ate.
| My Turkey Analysis | |
| Meal | # served |
| Roast turkey | 8 |
| Turkey sandwiches | 14 |
| Turkey Salad Sandwiches | 10 |
| Turkey and Noodles over mashed potatoes | 18 |
| Turkey and Rice Soup | 15 |
| Cream of Turkey Soup | 15 |
| Total protein servings | 80 |
| Total cost per protein serving | $ 1.25 |
Wow, that was a lot of food! The end cost per serving of protein came out even lower than I thought it would at $1.25/serving. Not such an extravagance after all. The key here is in making sure you utilize the whole thing. Most people would throw away what I consider to be the best part when they throw away the bones. I had two large pans of bones to easily cook out the minerals and vitamins collected in the bone stock and produce the most wonderful broth. Turkey broth is really my favorite broth. It is then easy to pick off all the meat and utilize the non carvable meat for turkey salad, turkey and noodles, and soups. The flavor remains full even after simmering for a long time while making broth. Because I know these skills are not second nature I will include recipes in the coming weeks in preparation for Thanksgiving. Now is the time to get your order in for your holiday turkey. While you are at it make sure you store one for later. At $1.25/serving it is a good value while supporting your local economy and sustainable environmentally friendly farming that produces food that is both safe for the environment and nourishing to your body. More than can be said for a bottle of pop that costs the same and is consumed daily by that same individual who felt like he couldn’t afford a good turkey. I think he can’t afford not to eat good food. Throw away the pop and junk food and let’s learn how to cook.
Fresh from the Farm…………. on October 30th, 2011
Each week our supply changes as we process fresh from the farm for our retail and wholesale customers. This week we will be processing 100% grass fed beef. If you don’t have an order in, give us a call. Next week we will do one of our last batches of pasture raised poultry. This batch of poultry is certified organic and raised on pasture. We will be bringing in pasture raised hogs from our farm at the end of the week. These hogs were fed certified organic grain and raised outside on grass. I am extra excited because we just got the lard kettle also known as a steam kettle up and running. Now we can think about those holiday pies! If your freezer isn’t full with meat straight from the farm, give us a call and we will fill it up with the good meat. I just read an article today about the benefits of stocking up for winter. It talked about meat being highest in CLA’s Omega 3’s and other health promoting benefits right as we go into winter as the livestock has stored these nutrients in preparation for winter. By purchasing in the fall you are getting the most bang for your buck. It went on to talk about the economics of filling your freezer with nutrient dense meats as opposed to vegetables and fruits which are less compact. I have to agree that there is something innate in all of us to stock up before bad weather hits. Call (765) 324-2161. We love to talk to you!
Turkey Time! on October 30th, 2011
The leaves are changing, the weather is cool, the kids are dressing up like goblins………… What does it all mean? Time for your turkey planning. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. We are taking orders for what has become a family tradition. Nothing is more important at your holiday meal than the turkey. We, at This Old Farm make sure we get you just what you are looking for in a holiday turkey. Our turkeys are raised on pasture being fed only good feed. Because they come from small farms there is no need for antibiotic usage or other negative feed additives. Only sunshine, green grass, and good grains make for a full flavored turkey that will surely make everyone come back for more. Because while I first said it was the turkey that was the most important part of your holiday dinner, we all know that is not true. It is the family and love that surrounds the holiday season. Give your family the best, call us at (765) 324-2161 to place your order today. It will be here before you know it!
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