Beef

Somehow I had no finals this semester. It left me with a big empty week laying out in front of me. How did I respond? By taking field trips! I went to the dairy farm twice, to a creperie, planted a vegetable garden, and spent a day learning about butchery at Four Mile River Farm. I felt like it was my job as a responsible meat eater to understand where my meat was coming from and to really understand the link between live cows and filet mignon. In a world with meat presented on styrofoam trays topped in cellophane, it is easy to forget that meat is life. There is a huge disconnect between a cut and where it comes from on a cows anatomy. We rarely think about a live animal and our food source at the same time. In case you are curious, here is a chart detailing that information.


This separation does not exist at Four Mile River Farm. We arrived early in the morning and entered the chilled processing room. There a side of beef was hung by a hook and broken down into all of its various cuts. What really amazed me is the amount of artistry and acquired knowledge that go into the process. The lead butcher has been doing it for 50 years and he was like a ballerina with his knife moving swiftly and precisely. Now I understand why we pay more for meat produced on a small scale. No machine could duplicate the finesse with which this man worked.



The other amazing part was how much respect the crew had for the animal. These steer were raised on pasture by someone who knew them by name. This respect continued after the animal's life had been taken. No parts of the beast went to waste! The organs went into a premium dog food mix that was sold direct to buyers at the farm. Every last scrap of muscle was pulled from the bone to go into the twice-ground meat. I expected to leave the experience cringing into vegetarianism, but my time at four mile river farm really cemented my love for good meat. After witnessing the beef industry on a very personal small-scale level, I can't imagine buying meat in a cellophane package again. I do however look forward to meeting other local meat providers and getting to know them and their product well. This ended up being a very powerful experience.

Check out at www.fourmileriverfarm.com