Planting season has ended and the Rancho settles into its hot growing season. The biodiversity that spans our cultivated fields and our wildlife corridors thrives. Our pigs are also healthier and stronger than ever but missing the wintertime climate. The ancient wheat trial is coming to an end, moving closer towards becoming flour and bread under Bay Area artisan bakers’ watchful hands. Our first try at growing organic tomatoes (part of our crop rotation plan) is going well and we will look to harvest sometime the first week of September. Our mama and calf pairs munch on the still green grass and invasive weeds. Our walnut orchard’s bounty goes from green to brownish, and our nocino, or walnut liqueur, is curing in the cabinet for winter libations. Our June grafts, young scions nested into strong root stock, are growing well. The heirloom bean crops have taken hold well, only our second season with this enterprise. The watermelon and cucumbers that we grow for seed are stretching their limber leggy spindles and growing quite nicely.
WHAT DOES "NATURAL" MEAN?
A few weeks back, Consumer Reports issued a call to ban the Natural label from food products. Pointing out that the label is unregulated by the US Food and Drug Administration, they are launching a campaign to end use of the word in food manufacturing, focusing on companies that misuse the term and profit from a lack of general understanding of the label. Given that our pork is labeled with the Natural term as well, we thought it wise for us to speak up and let you know our opinion.
We agree entirely with the motivation behind the campaign, in Consumer Reports’ own words: “We want to clean up the green noise in the food label marketplace so Americans can get what they want—truthful labels that represent important and better food production systems.” Labels are currently misleading and confusing for the retail shopper, and often times difficult to certify and control for our governing bodies. But rather than ban the word, Llano Seco would like to see regulations placed around it that distinguish it from other certification standards (such as Organic and GAP) so that producers can have clear guidelines around using labels, or choose to avoid them. We too would like to hold companies accountable for the words they use, and would welcome strict legislation that defines the word Natural so that large food conglomerates are held to clearer standards, and consumers can have clarity.
Most importantly, we feel the best way to educate consumers is to continue to give more information rather than less. We are committed to communicating our mission, our practices, our methodology frequently and with transparency rather than simply rely on a label. We chose the Natural term in hopes that we would always have an opportunity to expound about what it means to us: responsible, with care and concern for environmental welfare and a holistic vision for long term health; humane, always prioritizing the best life possible for our animals while they are alive; family farmed, on a property stewarded by our same family in the same place for 6 generations; GMO-free, without the unknown factors of genetically manipulated feed or crops; local, to Northern California, with the whole lifecycle of our pigs happening on our single, source-verifiable farm in Chico; antibiotic and hormone free, without sub-therapeutic treatment that endanger our collective public health through continued exposure; artificial ingredients and preservative free, without any “unnatural” additives; uncured, avoiding the debatably carcinogenic consequences of nitrate and nitrates in our value added products.
What does Natural mean to you? We welcome continued dialogue. Visit the Global Animal Partnership website and the Non-GMO Project website to learn more about certifications we are in alignment with. We will be posting to our own website and social media a comparison of different types of feed production including organic, conventional, and Llano Seco. And as always, the most important way to know how to differentiate methods is to know your producers, and start a dialogue. Be in touch with us at [email protected] and let us know your concerns and thoughts...we’re always listening.
HEIRLOOM BEAN UPDATE
We’ve planted our 2014 crops of bean test plots, full of exciting new varietals such as Jackson Wonder, Snowcap, Tarbais, Bolita, Blue Speckled and more. With our fertile unleveled fields and prime bean-growing climate in Butte County, we have the luxury of cultivating a whole slough of varietals, and doing it well. One group that loves our beans are the deer. They are targeting our heirlooms. They have finer senses than the best human and they are putting their stamp of approval on the heirloom beans with more vigor than we appreciate. Don’t see a bean on the shelf that you like? Get in touch with us, we want to hear what you want us to plant.
Our 7 varietals of heirloom beans can currently be found in these retail stores in the Bay Area and beyond:
Mollie Stones (throughout the Bay Area), Bi-Rite (SF), Olivers Markets (Santa Rosa & Cotati), Pacific Market (Sebastopol), Woodlands Markets (Kentfield & Tiburon), Haight Street Market (SF), Monta Vista Market (Cupertino), Monterey Market (Berkeley), Cal Mart (SF & Calistoga), Bianchini’s (San Carlos & Portola Valley), 26th & Guerrero Market (SF), Market Hall Produce (Oakland), Oceana Market (Pacifica), Andy’s Produce (Sebastapol), Sacramento Food Coop (Sacramento)
No time to hit the grocery store? You can also always find our pork, beef and bean products online and available for home delivery at Good Eggs.
COMMUNITY NEWS & HAPPENINGS
A few past, upcoming and ongoing goings-on that we are proud participants and supporters of:
Hog Butchery Classes at 4505 Meats happen every month on Thursdays in SF. Well-loved Bay Area meat-epreneur Ryan Farr’s butchery shop and newly opened BBQ and burger joint on Divisadero is a meaty enterprise that is also dedicated to consumer education about sustainably raised animals and how to get the most out of them at home. 4505’s classes feature our Llano Seco pigs. Sign-up here and stay up to date with all their happenings via their facebook page.
On August 3rd we got our coals on at Cochon 555 Heritage Fire Napa – Charles Krug Winery, Saint Helena. We joined in the fiery fun and never-ending antics of the Cochon team as they herald heritage breeds, with signature Bay Area chefs cooking everything on open flame at this wine country event. Look out for future editions all over the Bay Area and US.
On August 9th, we’ll be serving our sausages at the American Craft Council (ACC) San Francisco Show, in conjunction with the Good Food Merchants Guild, of which we are a proud member. The ACC is a national non-profit organization now in its 39th year, whose mission is to “champion craft”. The ACC’s San Francisco Show will take place August 8-10 at the Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion, showcasing 300 of the nation’s top contemporary craft artisans in a three-day celebration of all things handmade. We are part of a vibrant Good Food Artisan collection to showcase the Good Food Merchants Guild members to the greater craft community. More information on the event here.
The 3rd Annual National Heirloom Expo is coming to Santa Rosa on Sept 9-11 and you can bet we’ll be there with our pork and beans.
We donated 450 lbs. of our sausage to the Raphael House shelter and its residents, because we believe all folks should have access to good, clean meat.
Want to know where we’re next serving up our pork? Stay up to date with our happenings on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds.
SUMMERTIME RECIPE: BBQ RIBS
Scott Becklund, Pacific Market (Sebastopol)
This rib recipe from Head Butcher Scott at Pacific Market will make our ribs stand out at all your summertime festivities. We were thrilled to introduce Scott to our buddies at Dutton-Goldfield Winery in the Russian River Valley, who seem to be making a habit of pairing our pork with their grape juice. Scott cooked their most recent summertime BBQ event -- be sure to get on their mailing list to be sure you don’t miss future festivities.
BBQ Spareribs
Use a simple brine to marinate ribs 4 to 6 hours (no longer). Smoke at low temp with apple or other fruit wood 3-5 hours. Remove from smoker and let cool. Dry rub with Pacific Market BBQ spice (or your BBQ spice of choice if you can’t get yourself to Sebastopol!). BBQ on indirect heat, slowly, approx 1.5 hours. BBQ temp should be approx 200 degrees. If desired add BBQ Sauce for last 20 plus minutes. Turn often, allowing it to camelize.
Wrap the ribs well with foil and 3 tbls of water or beer. Seal well, wrap the whole package in towels and place in insulated cooler for 30 to 40 minutes. This will keep ribs moist and tender as they continue to cook.
OFFAL WONDERFUL 2014
It's coming back...stay tuned for our next Noticias to learn more about our annual celebration of whole animal cookery, including all the insides, and events at the Eat Real Festival and Butcher's Guild Conference.
