SF/Bay Area Mags PSA (spam?)- Grass Fed/Sustainable Food Delivery Friday

[BeanDip4All]

If any of you are interested, I wanted to pass along the info that the farm that we get our food deliveries from is in town this weekend doing a drop off.

Their stuff is INCREDIBLE and absolutely worth it if you can swing by and pick some up! For that matter, if you can't make it Friday (it's my day off) and you want some stuff, I can always snag some for ya and we'll figure it out.

http://www.chaffinfamilyorchards.com/

Here is the email from the farmer. If you want to place an order, let him know by Wednesday at Chris_Kerston (at) chaffinfamilyorchards (dot) com. You have to email him what you want before you go pick it up!

I recommend all of their beef, eggs and olive oil in particular. crazy, crazy good.

So this Friday Oct 2nd we will be running through if you want to get an order from us.

The following is what products we have available right now. I apologize for the short notice but all orders must be placed by Wednesday at 4pm to give me time to get everyone’s order processed and ready for delivery. We have a limited supply of certain items, particularly the cuts of beef so the orders will be filled in the order they come in. This will most likely be the last run we make that beef will be available in any quantity until next spring when we harvest beef again.

We will get your order ready and meet you at one of the designated drop off points. You can pay at the pickup with cash, check, visa, or mastercard. Please indicate which pickup site you will be at and what products you would like to get. If you are unable to make it to either pickup site but you have a friend or family member who is available just send along their name when you email your order. Also it would be great if you could include a cell phone number with your email so that if I run into any problems I can reach you and let you know.

I will be travelling in a large extra cab long bed Blue and White Ford Pickup.

Here are the delivery locations I will be stopping at.

930am Sacramento Truxel Exit
Over by the Starbucks
I-80 & Truxel at 3511 Truxel Road

1030am Davis Co-Op Foods
620 G Street, Davis

230pm San Francisco Public Parking at Ocean Beach
Across from Beach Chalet Restaurant which is located at:
1000 Great Highway @ Ocean Beach
Between Fulton St. and Lincoln Way

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call or email. I look forward to seeing you all, take care everybody!

Chris Kerston
Chaffin Family Orchards
606 Coal Canyon Rd.
Oroville, Ca 95965
530-370-6432 Cell
530-533-1676 Ranch Office

www.ChaffinFamilyOrchards.com
www.twitter.com/ChaffinOrchards


PRODUCTS

Grassfed Beef
Our Grassfeed Beef is really special. Its 21 days dry aged, which is an old fashioned process that tenderizes the beef and makes it more flavorful. It's usually something only the finest steak houses serve. On top of which most grassfed producers do not get enough fat cover on the animals to make them eligible for this process. Also our beef does not have a sharp grassy flavor like some grassfed products. I am reading more and more articles about ranchers rushing through the grass finishing process because of the high demand for healthier beef. In essence they are giving grassfed a bad reputation. Beef much like wines will also take on a local flavor representative of both the grasses available and the herd management. Our grasses and management techniques give our beef a very mild almost buttery flavor. Our beef is also certified Animal Welfare Approved (http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/ ) and Certified Predator Friendly (http://www.predatorfriendly.org/ ) in addition to being entirely grassfed from birth to harvest.

The weights on each package can vary a bit but I have included a conservative average. Steaks come 2 to the package. Please indicate how many packages you would like to purchase.

ALL BEEF IS FROZEN

Stir Fry (thin strips)……………………...$8/lb (appx 1lb packages)

Crossrib Steak (best pot roast!)….…$8/lb (appx 1.75lb packages)

Briskets…………………………………… ..…..$8/lb (appx 2.2lb packages)

2” Chuck Roast ………………………….….$9/lb (appx 2lb packages)

Sirloin Tip Steak……………………………..$11.50/lb (appx 2lb packages)

Ball Tip Roast (like a tri tip)………..….$11.50 (appx 2.25lb packages)

Top Sirloin Steaks………………………..…$12 (appx 2.5lb packages)

New Yorks……………………………..…….... $15.50lb (appx 1.5lb packages)

Filet Mignons………………………………..…$2 2/lb (appx .8lb packages)

Beef Heart……………………………………... $4/lb (ind packaged)

Chicken Feet……………………….$6/pkg (appx 2lb packages)
didn’t know where else to include this

Extra Virgin Mission Olive Oil
Chaffin Family Orchards is extremely proud of our organically farmed Extra Virgin Mission Olive Oil. The olives come from nearly 100 year old Mission olive trees. As the trees age the olives develop more delicate and subtle flavors. Mission Olives are an heirloom variety listed on Slow Food's Ark of Taste as a high quality fruit that is currently endangered but worth preserving for its mild taste and local heritage. In addition to this, Mission olives are known for their soft buttery flavored oil. Often mission oil is used to tone down sharper or subpar oils in a blend to make them more palatable. Very few bottled olive oils on the market are made strictly from Mission olives, but the flavor that comes from pure Mission oil is unparalleled.

In addition to outstanding trees, what makes Chaffin's oil really unique is how late we harvest the olives. We don't typically start to pick the fruit until early January which means the olives are all overripe and full of oil. Waiting to harvest the olives this late is risky because they are more susceptible to being blown off the tree in a strong wind, however the finished product is worth the risk. The olives are so mild at that point that they make a really superb smooth oil with no sharp or grassy bite.

We are a small operation and make our olive oil in very small batches. Quality means everything to us and you can taste our passion for creating the finest olive oil possible in every bottle. Our olive oil is made exclusively from our own olives which are all organically farmed. The oil is cold-pressed and unfiltered for maximum health benefits. As an interesting note we just found out tonight that our olive oil is the gold medal winner for Delicate Mission Olive Oil at the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin competition this year.
375ml bottle $8 (half wine bottle) - Sorry we sold out of the gallon size
12 bottle Case of 375ml bottles - $72 ($6 per bottle)

Pastured Free Range Eggs
Our egg layers roam open grass pastures on the farm and they also help us graze the orchards as well fertilize and clean up downed fruit. Their constant movement to new areas and consumption of fresh grasses, seeds, and insects makes for a truly superior egg. The birds also have free access to an organic ration at all times. Eggs are collected daily and refrigerated. Supply will be limited.
$6.50 per dozen

Heirloom Avocadoes
The duke is a thin skinned, early ripening variety that tolerates colder temperatures. Our farm is in a micro-climate that doesn’t really ever freeze so these avocadoes are perfect to withstand our mild frosts. You will notice that often the pit will rattle when you shake them which is a sign that they are ripening. You can eat them with the skin on and bite through them just like an apple. The flesh is soft and smooth similar to Hass but I think these are even a bit creamier. They make a great guacamole especially with all the great tomatoes, garlic, and onions available right now. Just pit them and throw the two halves, skin and all, into the blender with your other goodies for a perfect dip. I am going to play around with making guacamole and freezing it this year. We will see how that goes. You can tell these are ripe just like you can with a hass. The flesh will be soft and you will be able to leave an indent in the flesh when you push on it with your finger. Del Chaffin who started the farm back in the early 1910’s was instrumental in researching and bringing duke’s to northern California. At one point this farm had hundreds of trees but somewhere along the line most were tore out so we only have about 30-50 now. Like the rest of our orchards the trees are about 50 -60 years old, and they tower the other trees some almost 40 feet tall. Read here for more information on the history of the duke avocado http://www.avocadosource.com/CAS_Yea...3_PG_28-36.pdf

$1 each (appx same size as Hass)

[BeanDip4All]

(continued)

Olives for Home Curing
Whether you are just learning or have been curing your olives for years you will really enjoy the quality of our large green organically farmed olives. Most people find that is really worth their while to cure them in large batches. It’s virtually the same amount of work as a smaller batch and you get to enjoy delicious organically farmed olives all year long. A lot of folks tell us they give their cured olives out as Christmas gifts. For many families curing olives is an annual tradition. You can now carry on this tradition or work to make it a new family tradition. Each family cures them a little different but below is a list of recipes to help you get started.

Please order as many pounds as you would like. 20lbs fits nicely if curing in a 5 gallon bucket or crock. Usually 60-100lbs is the most common size order but you can absolutely order as many as you would like. Have fun!

Olives are $1/lb

Organic Brown Rice
We have partnered with Massa Organics to sell their fabulous brown rice. You may have seen them in bay area publications or farmers markets. Massa Organics is part of a small family farm located along the Sacramento River near Chico, California. The farm is owned and operated by Greg Massa and Raquel Krach, in partnership with Greg's parents, Manuel and Mary Beth. They grow organic whole grain brown rice, which is available in both 2lb bags and 20lb bags.

I have been very impressed with Gregs organic family run operation. You would never believe the amazing flavor that comes from this rice. So try the rice that the San Francisco Examiner called the "nuttiest, sweetest, sexiest brown rice" ever! House and Garden Magazine calls our rice "a must for your larder," and Saveur Magazine called it "the best brown rice!" www.massaorganics.com Feel free to contact Greg from his site with questions about his farming but place your order with us and we will bring it down with our regular stuff.
2lb Bag Organic Brown Rice $4
20lb Bag Organic Brown Rice $30

[dk_alaskan]

$6.50 for TWELVE EGGS??????? WOW!!!!

[BeanDip4All]

$6.50 for TWELVE EGGS??????? WOW!!!!

what, you think the price of moral superiority comes cheap?!?

i kid... but, you know cheap food is a myth, right?

eggs are a very small part of the equation, but here is where cheap supermarket eggs come from.

i don't mind paying a bit more, eating less, and knowing you're supporting a small, family run, local farm. it might be higher priced, but tastes amazing, is good for the environment and wholesome and sustainable.

rent the movie food, inc


read omnivore's dilemma, fast food nation, or a host of others like it.

or, you could just come over for dinner next time you're in San Francisco and i will make my case via culinary razzle dazzle and beers!!

[KQ]

$6.50 for TWELVE EGGS??????? WOW!!!!

I pay $4.98 a dozen to get organic, farm fresh eggs from the family farm down the way from me. I just can't buy the big commercial stuff when I know I can:

1. Prevent wear & tear on the roads
2. Save oil
3. Cut down on pollution
4. Cut down on the number of chickens living in factories
5. Cut down on the amount of antibiotics and pesticides being added to the environment/food chain, and MOST IMPORTANTLY
6. Support a local family

It may seem like I'm David facing Goliath but by Jiminy I'm going to try and do my part!

Next year I'll have my own chickens. Love chickens!

[dk_alaskan]

I understand supporting the local farmers and the whole sustainability model, i am curious at what point (in this case, the price point), does the cost not equal the investment. I too love farm fresh eggs, i am trying to understand others viewpoints on the matter and eggs are just a part of the equation.

[OldLarry]

I pay $4.98 a dozen to get organic, farm fresh eggs from the family farm down the way from me. I just can't buy the big commercial stuff when I know I can:

1. Prevent wear & tear on the roads
2. Save oil
3. Cut down on pollution
4. Cut down on the number of chickens living in factories
5. Cut down on the amount of antibiotics and pesticides being added to the environment/food chain, and MOST IMPORTANTLY
6. Support a local family

It may seem like I'm David facing Goliath but by Jiminy I'm going to try and do my part!

Next year I'll have my own chickens. Love chickens!

Know a family in CT burbs who have their own chickens inthe back yard and swear by them. Seems weird to me but kinda fun- If we had more land I'd consider it...

[KQ]

Know a family in CT burbs who have their own chickens inthe back yard and swear by them. Seems weird to me but kinda fun- If we had more land I'd consider it...

I read about this guy who kept chickens on his balcony in NY city. Seattle just passed a law allowing up to 3 chickens. Check this out:

The Urban Chicken

I too love farm fresh eggs

I understand that the taste of farm fresh CHICKEN is also like no other but I'm afraid I couldn't kill one. However, if you're not squeamish like me you should give it a try.