Neighbor Laura Stanley emails to describe the newest food-buying option, a nice addition to the new CSA and good news for carnivores: A local meat club.
She emails:
Local, pasture-raised meat and dairy comes to Victorian Flatbush!
Eating "grassfed" was never easier in this neighborhood. We've got our own new "meat buyers' club" receiving monthly deliveries from a co-op of nine family farms in Washington and Delaware Counties. With just twelve families signed up so far, there's plenty of room for more members.
Here's how it works: A week before delivery, members order online from the co-op's user-friendly website. The selection varies according to the season, but there's always plenty to choose from, including beef, lamb, pork, chicken, duck, turkey, eggs, cheese, yogurt, honey, maple syrup, and fresh bread from Rock Hill Bakehouse. Meat and poultry are packaged in the FDA-inspected facility where the animals are slaughtered; the co-op delivers them frozen. Each order comes neatly labeled with the name of the buyer, so there's no confusion on pickup day. Pickup is at a member's home—currently it's in Beverly Square East. And payment is easy, via PayPal or personal check.
Most important, this food is wholesome, rich in those CLAs and Omega 3s we've all been reading about. Good for the earth, too, as all nine farms are proud environmental stewards. And so tasty! The eggs taste like eggs, with bright saffron yolks that stand tall in the fry pan to greet you good morning. The beef is lean and deeply flavorful, and the ivory-colored sheep-milk yogurt is dense and addictive. Prices aren't bad—less than the farmers' market, but more than the supermarket. It costs nothing to join.
To view what's on offer, visit http://csapasturedmeatandpoultry.com/csa/csa_35/default.aspx. For information on joining, email Laura Stanley at laura.anne.stanley [at] att.net.