11/8/2023 – PLEASE pardon the formatting! We are currently experiencing issues with our website and hope to fix this soon!
Do you have regular store hours?
We are a family farm. Russ works full-time on the farm and is available, by appointment, to assist you with any of your questions and/orders.2. Are your animals injected/fed hormones?
Any animal products (e.g. meat, milk, eggs) have naturally occurring hormones which help animals to grow and be healthy.
Hogs/Poultry: Per USDA, ‘hormones are not allowed in raising hogs or poultry’.
Beef: We do not use added hormones or growth promotants in our beef cattle.
FYI, per USDA: ‘Can hormones & antibiotics be used in cattle raising?
Antibiotics may be given to prevent or treat disease in cattle. A “withdrawal” period is required from the time antibiotics are administered until it is legal to slaughter the animal. This is so residues can exit the animal’s system. FSIS randomly samples cattle at slaughter and tests for residues. Data from this Monitoring Plan have shown a very low percentage of residue violations. Not all antibiotics are approved for use in all classes of cattle. However, if there is a demonstrated therapeutic need, a veterinarian may prescribe an antibiotic that is approved in other classes for an animal in a non-approved class. In this case, no detectable residues of this drug may be present in the edible tissues of the animal at slaughter.’
Are your animal natural or organic?
Our farm animals are raised naturally .
Per USDA: “NATURAL:
A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed. Minimal processing means that the product was processed in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the product.”
We do not follow the organic standards set forth by the USDA:
“Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods. The organic standards describe the specific requirements that must be verified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent before products can be labeled USDA organic. Access the full set of resources that make up the USDA organic standards.
What do you feed your animals?
Our animals are all fed a well-balanced diet, with corn that has been raised on our farm, along with soybean meal. Essential nutrients are also added.
Our cows are supplemented with hay and grass.
The turkeys are free-ranged, so also have access to grass.
Are your animals free-range?”]All of our animals are free range or free roaming. They all have free access to the outside.
USDA Definition of “Free Range or Free Roaming”
Can I purchase a whole or part of a hog or cow?
You can order 1/4 or 1/2 of a hog or a cow. Please contact Russ for availability and pricing.
What are the different cuts of beef and how do I cook them?
Please see https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/cuts for details. Please see our Beef and Pork page for the cuts we sell, as we may not sell all of the cuts listed.
Are your turkeys fresh?
We receive our 1-day old turkeys from the hatchery in the summer. They are raised on our farm until the Sunday and Monday prior to Thanksgiving. They are never frozen, unless sold later than Wednesday before Thanksgiving or arrangements are made to freeze for those who pick their turkey up later. We also usually have frozen turkeys available through the year.
It’s interesting to note that, per the USDA labeling, “The term ‘fresh’ may ONLY be placed on raw poultry that has never been below 26 degrees F.” This is why you may get a ‘partially’ frozen turkey from the stores and they are still labeled as ‘fresh’.
USDA link: “What Does ‘Fresh’ or Frozen’ Mean on a Turkey Label” in the store?
[/vc_toggle][vc_separator border_width=”3″][vc_toggle title=”Facts about buying, thawing, cooking turkeys.”]Please refer to the USDA website for information about buying, thawing. and cooking your turkey.
USDA – Let’s Talk Turkey-A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey
What is the difference between “Hen“ and “Tom“ turkeys?
Per USDA: “The sex designation of ‘hen’ (female) or ‘tom’ (male) turkey is optional on the label, and is an indication of size. Toms are larger but both toms and hens should be equally tender.”
Still not seeing what you are looking for?
Visit our ‘Order/Contact Us‘ page to get in touch and we will answer your questions.