The produce and meats you buy in stores most likely come from large corporate farms that use hormones and chemicals to artificially increase growth rates. This results in a fatter profit for the corporation but a poorer quality product for the consumer (you). Remember, whatever chemical and pharmaceutics go into that food ends up in you and your family.
A CSA allows you to deal with small local farms, where most of us still put our integrity above money. This results in a better and healthier product for you.
A CSA brings consumers and farmers together in a relationship of mutual support. Each member makes a small financial commitment to support the farm throughout the growing season. In return, members receive either a weekly box of fresh produce or, at harvest time, the meat that we are raising for you. The farmer and the member share the risks and the bounty of the garden and pastures.
CSA also promotes dialog between farmers and consumers, and encourages a sense of community. It lets buyers see where their food comes from and gives them a vested interest in the land while letting growers offer a wide variety of produce with a motivation to provide only the highest quality.
Programs we are offering at this time include shares of pork, goats, and vegetables.
Our pigs and goats are raised humanely and on pasture. Our animals are NOT lot fed! (i.e. Not stuffed in small pens and fed chemicals to make them grow faster)
Our chickens are truly range fed. Research shows this makes a healthier and tastier meat.
Our garden receives no chemical herbicides or insecticides. (We don't like to eat chemicals either!)
INTERESTED?
VEGETABLES: We have 10 shares available this (2010) growing season. Each share will be about 20 weeks long, starting with the first crops in June. A whole share is enough to supply a family of four with 4 to 6 different varieties of veggies each week. Each week's harvest is divided up between the members. The vegetables are harvested the day before or the morning of the scheduled delivery. The shares are cleaned, divided up, packaged and delivered to a drop off site once a week for the member to pick up.
PIGS: We raise the pig until it is 250 to 300 pounds. This will usually produce 130 to 150 pounds (about 67% of live weight) of pork. It usually takes 6 to 8 months to achieve the desired weight. From the processor it will go directly to our farm where it can be picked up, or we will be doing deliveries once a week. We do not offer smoked or cured meats at this time.
GOAT: Goat produces 57 – 60 % of live weight meat, so we are offering cuts of goat. If you are interested in a whole goat share, Contact Us and we can make arrangements. You can purchase ground, steaks, or roasts. We will mostly likely run out of specific cuts, so reserve early!
CHICKEN: At this time we are offering whole chicken shares (4 chickens per month). Please keep in mind that shares are offered to full members who have purchased a full share of either the vegetable or pork first. In the near future, we will also offer fresh egg shares, please check back.
PLEASE NOTE:
We do offer special packages for widows, or the elderly. If you need help, please Contact Us.
OUR PACKAGES (or SHARES):
VEGETABLE:
$500.00 per share (20 weeks x $25.00 per week)
payable up front, or at $25.00 per week.
PIG:
* The Whole Pig, $550.00(about $3.92 per pound)
* Half A Pig, $275.00 (about $3.92 per pound)
* Quarter Of A Pig, $137.50 (about $3.92 per pound)
GOAT:
$5.00 to $8.00 per pound, depending on cut.
CHICKEN:
$60.00 per share (4 x $15.00)
As you order the meat, you can get it cut however you want. If you want loin instead of chops, hams quartered or halved, if you want the jowls or soup bones, etc. that is fine, just let us know.
PLEASE NOTE:
WE DO NOT SHIP VEGETABLES OR MEAT.
We offer pickup at the farm
and some local delivery,
depending on location, or schedule.
Buy locally and support farmers in your area.
Fine Print and Definitions:
In order to make this great deal work, unfortunately, there has to be guidelines:
Limited Number: We, Detour Ranch, and the McEntire family may limit of the number of CSA pigs, goats, and or chickens; per year, per family. Depending on how many we have available compared to how many people have purchased. What that means is, if 100 people Pre-Buy, and we are only expecting 100 pigs, if one family buys two, there might be a shortage.
Processing will initially just be slaughter and cut & wrap. We won't be doing cured or smoked in the beginning. We do want to add these additional processes soon but first we need to either find a good butcher to do it for us, or be able to do it ourselves. Both options are being researched at this time.
Transfer your CSA Pre-Buys as gifts, donations to local food banks or other organizations in your name. A great way to leverage your charitable and gift giving this holiday season by giving something everyone needs: Food.
Quarter pig is not a literal front or back quarter of a pig but rather a mix of commercial cuts representing a quarter pig of weight. This gives you a variety of pork cuts. By the way, a quarter pig fits in about one cubic foot of space.
Weights are not exact. These are real animals, not assembly line plastic animals. To keep the pre-buy simple we are using an average market size for weight and we will make sure that all of the CSA Pre-Buy cuts or animals are at least that big so you get your money's worth. As is the norm with whole animals sales, the price per pound is based on what is termed hot hanging weight also called simply the hanging weight. That is the carcass weight after it has been slaughtered, gutted, cleaned, inspected and is ready to enter the chiller for hanging. There is a small amount of loss to evaporation during hanging time and some loss to trimming during meat cutting. Actual commercial style cuts are generally about 67% (for pigs) or 55% (for goat) of hanging weight.
Legal mumbo jumbo: Our farm is not a charitable organization so donations are not tax deductable and this is not an investment or stock purchase. This is a purchase of product. In the hopefully never to occur event of litigation regarding this, any disagreement is to be resolved by binding arbitration in Callahan county, Texas, under Texas law with each party responsible for their own expenses and half the arbitration costs. Lets keep everything friendly and personal.
That was a lot of fine print for something I'm trying to keep simple. Hopefully that makes everything clear and straight forward. The CSA is a win-win for everyone. Customers get a great deal on healthy meat and vegetables for their family, and we have the funds to move forward with expanding, so that we can offer this to more people. If you have any questions, please ask, make suggestions, etc.