Pasture Prose
Happy New Year from Yellow Hutch Farm! I hope you had a joyous and cheerful holiday season and are as excited as we are for the possibilities of 2019. We are beyond thankful for all your support during our inaugural 2018 season. It was an exciting, challenging, and educational year for us as we started production and marketing our farm products. We have met many great people throughout the year, hosted tours at the farm, started our tenure at the Cambridge Farmers Market, and have really enjoyed the opportunity to build lasting relationships. Our grass-based system of frequent pasture rotations, working with nature, and not administering unnecessary antibiotics or growth hormones ensures the highest quality, most nutrient dense, cleanest food you can get. An added bonus is that the flavor is like nothing you can find at the supermarket! We continue to be humbled and amazed by the feedback we’re getting about the wonderful culinary and gastronomic experience our food can provide. Please let a friend know about us!
We have several new and exciting things in this edition of Pasture Prose, and hope you will enjoy reading and sharing with your network. As always, I welcome any and all feedback, questions, or concerns.
I would be remiss if I didn’t give a big THANK YOU to all of our Founders’ Club members in 2018. It helped us immensely as we geared up for production, and we hope you found the investment worthwhile. For those that still have a balance on the books, remember that your investment NEVER expires. You can “cash it in” at any time. With that in mind, we are opening up membership again in 2019, until May 31st. More on this later in the newsletter.
DID YOU KNOW?
We handle our bulk purchases very differently than other farms. Traditionally, buying in bulk direct from a local farmer is a great way to stock up, support the local economy, and save money too. But, it can also be a confusing transaction for many people. Usually, a farmer sells an animal based on “hanging weight”, the customer then works with a butcher to determine how they would like the animal cut and wrapped, and then they pay the butcher directly for the finished product. This is usually done to skirt around the USDA inspection requirements, and all meat would be labeled “NOT FOR SALE.” Essentially, you are buying the live animal and then contracting with the butcher on the side to have it processed. This process has advantages, but the extra, after-purchase fees often lead to confusion and dissatisfied customers who thought they were paying a low per-pound price. By the time you actually get the meat in your freezer, you have to do some complicated arithmetic to figure out how much you actually paid per pound, and you may or may not think it was such a good deal.
At Yellow Hutch Farm, we have a different approach: Bottom line pricing! All of our animals are processed by a family-run, USDA-certified butcher, which means we don’t have to skate around the food police with confusing purchase and processing scenarios. This will also allow us to legally sell and ship products across state lines. You pay a per-pound price for the finished product. Simple as that. If you buy in bulk, you will still get to fully customize your cut list based on your cooking preferences and family size. And, best of all, you can save up to 40% off the full retail value of your cuts!
Sign up now and send us a deposit to reserve a whole, half, or split half beef or whole and half hog. As we get closer to butcher day, we will send you a cut sheet to fill out. That sheet will go to the butcher, and your animal will be cut to your specifications. Don’t hesitate to ask questions if you need help or advice!
THE FOUNDERS CLUB 2019: BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER!
Back by popular demand, between now and May 31st, membership is available in the FOUNDERS’ CLUB. Members can sign up and PRE-PAY for farm product in any amount they choose. It could be $20, or $20,000- it’s up to you! We will earmark that money in your name, and you can redeem at any time, for any currently available product, and your investment NEVER EXPIRES! But wait, there’s more…
When you sign up and invest, you are entitled to a 10% BONUS in free product on everything you order (does not include shipping), up to the amount of your initial investment. 10% is a pretty good rate of return on any investment! For example: If you were to invest $1,000, you will be entitled to $1,100 worth of product. And remember, it NEVER EXPIRES! This is good for both retail cuts and bulk purchases (whole, half, and split-half animals, and bulk purchases of whole chicken) – anything! FOUNDERS’ CLUB membership allows us some working capital to better cash flow our production costs until we have product ready for you to eat. The 10% BONUS is a way of saying Thank You for the “loan”. Head over to yellowhutchfarm.com for more information and to sign up.
NEW FOR 2019: You now have the convenient option to pay with your credit card through our website! (a small processing fee applies) Visit yellowhutchfarm.com/shop for more information.
2019 OFFERINGS
Below is a brief description of what we are producing in the 2019 season.
PASTURED BROILERS
These birds come to the farm as day old chicks and begin their life in our brooder where they are started on their non-medicated, non-GMO, corn and soy FREE ration. After about 3 weeks they are feathered out and ready to go out on pasture. They are placed in portable shelters, called Chicken Tractors, and are moved EVERY DAY to fresh grass where they can forage for protein and fertilize at the same time. At around 8 weeks, they will be ready to process.
We are planning three batches of broilers to be processed the weeks of June 10th, July 22nd, and September 9th.
Throughout the 2018 season, we were able to fine tune our procedures and inputs for our broiler chickens. We are so excited to report that we found a local source of corn and soy free feed that is nutritionally balanced, NON-GMO, AND transitional organic. While this new feed is slightly pricier than our original feed, the birds raised with it later in the season thrived and far out performed our earlier, smaller batches. We decided that although it raises our prices slightly, the nutritional quality (for the birds and in the final product) is well worth the investment. The price for whole birds in 2019 is $4.95 per pound. While the retail price is going up, so is the volume discount. Bulk orders of 10 or more will receive a $0.70/lb discount, an increase of $0.50 over last year!
NEW FOR 2019: We will be offering cut-ups and portioned retail cuts of poultry! Due to popular demand, our USDA processor will be doing cut ups for us this year. We are so excited to have this option to offer our customers! I don’t have the pricing list yet, so stay tuned.
NEW FOR 2019: For bulk pre-orders of 10 or more, we are asking for a non-refundable deposit of $50 per 10 pack in order to better control inventory.
SALAD BAR BEEF
100% grass fed and finished beef is THE most regenerative protein source we have. A cows job is to convert sunshine into food by way of grass. Cattle managed in an intensive rotational system where they are moved every day to a fresh salad bar does wonders to rebuild soil health and animal welfare. Like the bison on the Great Plains, the cattle move together in a tight group, controlled this time by portable electric fencing instead of predators. This creates a short term pasture disturbance followed by a long period of rest. It allows the pasture to rebuild it’s roots and proliferate. Over time this management system builds organic matter and produces a very diverse diet for the animals, hence the Salad Bar moniker; we never have to feed grain, shovel manure, or buy chemical fertilizers! Bulk options include whole, half, and “split-half”. A split-half of beef gives you the same variety in cuts as a half, but in the smaller “quarter” quantity. A bulk purchase can save up to 35% compared to retail. Combine a bulk order with membership in the Founders’ Club and save even more!
We are now taking deposits for 2019. Beef will be processed and ready to pick up in early November. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per half, or $750 for a whole locks you in. First-come, first-served. If we’ve already sold out, you will be first on the waiting list for 2020.
Prices are the same as last year. A whole beef is $9.00 per pound. That is the average of all the cuts; from prime rib and filet mignon, to hamburger and stew meat. Each cut will be labeled for retail sale, so you’ll be able to see how much you saved every time you visit your freezer! Whole beef patrons can plan for 300-400 pounds of freezer beef. Go in with a friend and split it up among yourselves! Halves and split-halves are $9.25/pound. Remember, the bulk orders are fully customizable; you can choose your cuts and packaging options! Click here to reserve your Salad Bar Beef now!
NEW FOR 2019: Set Price Split-Half! Is the thought of having to fill out a cut sheet, and wading through the myriad options intimidating? This “all inclusive” price includes high quality, vacuum sealed packaging, pickup at the farm and only requires 4 cubic feet of freezer space. The package will include 80lbs of the high quality, local grassfed Salad Bar Beef, including:
- 15lbs of Porterhouse, ribeye and sirloin steaks
- 15lbs of brisket, sirloin, and chuck roasts
- 6lbs of premium stew meat
- 6lbs of beef short ribs
- 10lbs of pre-made burger patties
- 25lbs of ground beef in one pound packages
Every order will also include our Grassfed Beef Cooking guide, including recipes. Please note that weights listed are approximate and each Set Price Split-Half will differ slightly. Each package will contain 80lbs of product, with a maximum of 35lbs ground beef and burger patties.
If you would like to order a Set Price Split-Half, a $300 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your order with a balance of $450 due at pickup. Ready to order? Click here to reserve today!
PASTURED AND FORESTED PORK
Pigs are amazing creatures. We love the utility of the animal and the quality of the meat they provide. We raise the pigs outdoors, rotating around the farm protected by portable electric fencing. They start in the garden area rooting and tilling the soil, while foraging any yummy leftover vegetables. Then they will move through the rougher pasture areas helping to clean up the overgrowth and fertilize as they go. Finally, they will finish in the woods, where they can root for morsels and glean anything they want from the tree nuts and leaf litter. They always have access to a balanced, non-GMO, corn and soy free ration. Pork will be available by the cut, and as a discounted bulk purchase of a whole or half animal that is custom cut to your specifications.
Pork will be ready in late August. Bulk price for a whole, (plan for about 150 pounds in the freezer), is $7.50 per pound; halves are $7.75. Remember – this is the price for the meat you take home. There are no surprise processing fees or costs after that! Reserve yours today with a $200 non-refundable deposit per half! Reservations are filled first-come, first-served.
WHERE TO FIND US
We are excited to get started on our second season at the Cambridge Farmers Market. Every Saturday morning from May 11th through the end of October, we will be at the market, ready to meet you! We are working to schedule monthly drop offs in Minneapolis, so if you are closer to the cities than the farm, we will be headed your way! Stay tuned for more information! As always, you are welcome to come out and visit the farm to see where the animals are raised and have access to all the cuts in our freezer room.
Please consider these bulk and volume purchase options to realize the best value for your food dollar. If you plan on eating meat all year, you might as well have it in your freezer! Combining bulk purchase with a Founders’ Club discount will result in huge savings! Referrals are our lifeline, so please tell a friend and ask them to sign up on our email list. Please visit our website, www.yellowhutchfarm.com for more information. If you would like a paper version of this letter for yourself or a friend, let us know how we can get one to you. As always, thank you for being with us on this journey!
Cheers and good eating!
Chris and Lauren