Summer Share Week 5 & Independence Day Specials

Good afternoon Trevor-

Finally, some much needed rain. But as they say, when it rains it pours. I guess I'm being figurative. There is a flurry of activity going on this week.

At Fresh Fork, we spent our Sunday moving warehouses. It's just across town to a bigger facility, but moving and organizing a whole business in 1 day is a rough job. Big thanks to my awesome team for hanging in there and getting it done. Since the pandemic when we started prepacking totes, we've been tripping over each other at the warehouse. Our new setup is geared towards how we currently operate - with a conveyor system for the totes, much more racking, and a refrigerated packing line for the totes. We are excited about the efficiencies and quality control this should provide!

At the farm, our kitchen is busy getting all the sweet treats ready for this week - festive sugar cookies, the last of the strawberry rhubarb pies, and buns for your weekend grill out.

And over at OCP we're trying to fit 8# of sugar in a 5# sack, so to speak. The cooler is bursting with fun flavors for this weekend ranging from a full line of smoked meats, new sausages, kabobs, and more. A separate menu will be sent about that later this week.

A few quick reminders about our summer schedule:

vacation requests are due by Saturday at midnight. If you are traveling next week, please get your vacation request in soon.
next week's holiday does not impact our delivery schedule

And lastly, this week we are excited to open up Fresh Fork to the general public. Please tell a friend or family member to give us a try. This week we are offering:

One Time Shares - try a bag with no full season commitment
Bundles - cost saving meat bundles for the holiday weekend.

All items must be ordered online by tonight at Midnight for delivery tomorrow (Wed, June 28) thru Sat, July 1.

Happy Independence Day!

Trevor and the FFM Staff

Late Signups

If you or a friend are still considering joining, we would love to have you!

Late signups are pro-rated, you'll only pay for the weeks you receive (full upfront rates will adjust automatically). Weekly payment also available.

For full details, including pricing and pickup locations, visit here: Summer Season Info Page

Easy Online Signup

30,000 bites for 1# of beef

Part of Fresh Fork is to let you walk in the farmer's shoes, so to speak. I like to help the farmers understand what the customers are saying, and vice versa.

There are certain tid-bits of data that stick in my mind and make me think. One of them is how many bites a steer takes.

They say a steer takes about 30,000 bites per day, no matter how much feed is available to him or how good it is.

And in general, a steer gains about 2.5# of weight per day, and the yield after harvest is about 40% off the bone. So they gain approximately 1# of usable meat per day.

We are just finishing the "spring flush." The early grass is called the “spring flush.” It is when the grass grows the fastest, about April and May. On the surface, it looks like there is an abundance of feed for the beef, but in reality, the grass is of the lowest value of the season and a challenge for a farmer to manage. The grass is high in water content and often low in magnesium – something that can actually cause what is called “grass tetany” – and can poison the cattle.

Our beef producers are feeding a grass-only diet. Beef cattle are ruminant animals – similar to goats and sheep – meaning they have a special digestive tract designed for processing the fibers in forage to extract all the nutrients for life. Summary – beef, unlike humans, hogs, and chickens – can live entirely off of grass.

But when feeding a grass only diet, the challenge is seeing the nutrients. Cattle will only take 30,000 bites per day, regardless of whether or not they actually get filled up. If the forage is low quality or if there isn’t enough mass there, the farmer could be “wasting bites.”

It is my goal to make every bite count. The goal is to graze the grass right before what is called “boot stage.” This is when the grass is about to form a seed head. At that point, the grass has the maximum amount of energy - both in the roots and in the leaves. You want each of the 30,000 bites to be a full bite to maximize “dry matter” intake and turn watery grass into pounds of meat.

Sometimes when I’m standing there watching the beef eat, I think to myself: ‘How many bites per day do I take? And do I make them all count?’

It amazes me that sometimes I understand more about what the livestock need to thrive than I do my own body. It is further amazing that we -- as farmers -- spend a lot of time studying the nutrient contents of our pastures and feedstuffs while no human shopping in the grocery store looks for a similar analysis of their fresh veggies or meat.

I can positively assert that not all food is created equally. I assure myself that if I can feed the beef the healthiest diet and if I eat that beef, it surely must be the healthiest option for me.

Thank you for supporting Fresh Fork and our network of farmers who go the extra mile to deliver you healthy, nutrient dense foods that make every bite count.

Place a Special Order

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I was surprised to get a few berries last night to make one last run at the strawberry rhubarb pies. Strawberries shut off fairly fast, but we have enough for 1 more week of these.

Pies should be pre-ordered online to ensure you get one.

Each pie is made with our signature lard-based pie crust recipe - lard rendered from our heritage hogs, then cut into organic flour from Stutzman farms for a flaky and flavorful crust. The filling is bursting with the sweet tart flavors of Ohio strawberries, fresh rhubarb, and a simply organic cane sugar. Each pie is finished with a buttery and crunchy crumb topping featuring organic oats and organic sugar.

Pies sold by the 6 inch (portion control size) or family friendly 9 inch size.

Order Pies Online Here

Sugar Cookies for Freedom

We've needed a reason to make sugar cookies for a few weeks. The staff loves the decorating part. Although it's time consuming, there is nothing more fun than taking a plan cookie and turning it into art.

Made with organic Stutzman Flour, Minerva butter, organic cane sugar, and frosted with an American buttercream icing, colored with natural food dies like blueberry powder (blue) and beet powder (red).

Sold by the 4 pack. $6

Order Cookies Online

Summer Meat Bundles

We have been finally able to catch up on our meat inventory, so this week we have some bundles designed to help you stock up and save.

Here are some bundles we have available for pickup THIS WEEK! Place your order by 11:59pm tonight!

Cluckin Good Deal: $145

There is no disputing the quality difference between our pasture raised chicken and store-bought chicken. Use this bundle to stock up at a steal of a deal! ~25# total

2 packages Chicken Breast

(~ 3#, 2 breast per pack)

2 packs Chicken Thighs

(~ 3.5#, 4 per pack)

2 packs Chicken Drumsticks

(~ 2.6#, 4 per pack)

2 packs of Wings

(~ 5#, 10 per pack)

2 packs of Mild Italian Chicken Patties

(~ 2.5#, 4 per pack)

2# Ground Chicken
1 whole chicken (~4#)
1 bag chicken bones/back for broth (5#)
1 quart Chicken Stock

XL Get Grilling Bundle: $110

This package incorporates our best cuts for the grill. Fast cooking, high heat cuts that take well to grill marks. ~12# meat

- Pork: 2, 2 packs Boneless Loin Chops (approx. 3#)

- Beef: 2 Steaks (Ribeye or T-bone) (approx. 2.5#), 2# Ground Beef

- Chicken: 2, 2 packs Chicken Breast (approx. 3#)

- Grassfed Beef Burger Patties (4 patties, 1.25#)

1 pack nitrate free hot dogs (1#)

Sausage Sampler Bundle: $60

Our sausages are all made with our original recipes using pasture raised pork and chicken. Bundle includes 1 package of each sausage listed below.

4 links per pack, ~1.2# per pack. Hot dogs are 8 links per pack, 1#.

Caramelized Onion, Apple &

Bacon Poultry Brat

We start with chicken and turkey, grind in uncured bacon, and naturally sweeten this brat with caramelized onions and applesauce. No sugar added.

Apple Cinnamon Brats

A fresh brat ready for the grill for dinner and equally as satisfying paired with pancakes and maple in the morning.

Italian Sausage Link

Pasture raised pork seasoned with the classics of fennel, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. This mild Italian is perfect stewed or on a bun.

Smoked Kielbasa

A smoked Polish classic, featuring a balance of black pepper, garlic, and marjoram. Great with kraut, mustard, or served alongside potatoes or pierogis.

Feta Spinach Chicken Sausage

Pasture raised chicken, ground with fresh spinach and goat feta for a healthy and light flavor.

Mild Italian Chicken Sausage

Pasture raised chicken with crushed black pepper, salt, and garlic for a mild Italian sausage, great on the grill or on a pizza.

Beef and Pork Hot Dogs

We start with our grassfed beef and pasture raised pork. A 60/40 blend of beef to pork produces a hot dog with a balance flavor and nice texture. The hot dogs are made with a natural cure of celery salt, smoked lightly, and the casings peeled off. These skinless dogs are favorites of man and child alike!