Meat! 2021

Fire Up The Grill.

THE DRILLING FAMILY, HARVEST MOON ORGANICS

GROWING LOCAL Harvest Moon Organics works to keep quality and organic meats in the Chippewa Valley words by R E B E C C A M E N N E C K E • photo by K Y L E L E H M A N

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ROWING LOCAL, SUPPORTING LOCAL, AND STAYING LOCALLY FOCUSED is what allows Harvest

Moon Organics of Cadott to provide great quality poultry, pork, and beef to the Chippewa Valley since it opened as a family-run farm in 2017.

Since the farm’s purchase and restoration beginning in 2010, Harvest Moon has been a labor of love for owners Andrew and Emily Drilling (as well as their three adorable children Olive, Ira, and Otto), who are dedicated to raising certified organic meats and selling locally produced goods through their farm store, The Old Laughing Lady.

“We enjoy every aspect of running a farm,” the pair said. “Overcoming challenges, working hard, learning resourcefulness and new skills out of necessity, and meeting new people and making new friends – (those) are just some of the great things that

come from running a farm.”

The Drillings aren’t only local, they’re organic – a term that gets loosely tossed around in direct marketing. Their farming practices are USDA inspected every year to ensure they adhere to rigorous organic standards (which you can find at usda.gov). Harvest Moon Organic is also certified by the Real Organic Project, and was named one of the best local organic farms in the 2021 Chippewa Valley Reader Poll.

In addition to creating more sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices, going organic also means not supporting big oil companies through synthetic fertilizers, Big Ag companies (such as Monsanto) through seeds, plants, machinery, and land, and helps eliminate Big Pharma monopolies, the pair said. “By purchasing and growing organic, we are not

supporting the industries that are destroying our health, environment, and small family farms,” Andrew said.

Their farm store – named after the 1968 Neil Young song – features items produced, found, and made on their farm, including their pork, beef, chicken, eggs, soaps, and art.

They also carry items from other local farms and entrepreneurs including Pozarski Family Farms Maple Syrup, B’s Bees honey, Terravee Naturals Elderberry Syrup, Fizzeology Foods Ferments, Everything Hemp CBD, and more. The family plans to soon add a commercial kitchen to offer goods like apple cider vinegar or wheat bread flour using ingredients grown and raised on their farm.

The Drillings know firsthand the importance of supporting local, as major meat industries across the

country monopolize the industry and destroy family farms. But, it can be tough to let locals know that their spending habits are part of the problem. “If we keep money in our community, the community will thrive,” Emily said. And that doesn’t mean you have to purchase directly from their farm, she added. Supporting other local businesses and the Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market (now open for the season!) indirectly supports their farm.

As big believers of tangible media, the pair hope to launch a new publication called Old Ways – a paper publication featuring homesteading tips and ideas from their farm and others like it in the Chippewa Valley.

Harvest Moon Organics • 2722 220th St., Cadott • (715) 450-3507 • harvestmoonorganicsllc.com

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EATING GOOD LOCAL MEAT ON A BUDGET It’s not always easy, but it is always a good call words by N I K N O V A K

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OOD MEAT ABOUNDS IN THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY. But some-

times you have to look for it.

There are the farmers markets, of course. And some of you have friends and relatives just outside of Eau Claire, in the hills and coulees and across the glaciated fields, still working the land, still caring for animals, still participating in the hard-scrabble story of rural stewardship.

Our region has a long-standing ethic of decency, toughness, and ecology that binds us together. But the big-box grocery stores haven’t necessarily caught on. Bright colors, loud signage, rock-bottom prices – and low wages – can easily distract us from purchasing quality products.

We need more markets for all that our farmer-neighbors have to offer – and more education on how buying local meat can be healthy and affordable while benefitting the community and the environment.

This is where places like our little grocery store, Just Local Food Cooperative, succeed. Our sales may account for a small slice of total retail food dollars, but we sell more local and sustainably raised meat than any grocery store in Eau Claire.

That’s the truth.

In part, this is because of our standards. All meat at Just Local Food is sourced locally first (within 100 miles of our co-op) and raised in the out-of-doors without antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones. It is good-tasting and good for you. And, as it relates to the title of this article, our meat is fairly priced – for the workers, the farmers, and the eaters.

But how do these prices fit within a budget? Where to start?

If you’re new to all this, and you’re curious, stop in and talk with us. The co-op is a friendly and welcoming place. We’ll gladly give you a tour and meet you wherever you are at.

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If you are a convenience shopper and you like cooking to be easy (and delicious), consider a bone-in pork shoulder roast. If you have a crockpot, you can cook your roast from FROZEN. Add a little bit of broth or stock (or a can of cheap beer), turn your thermostat to LOW for eight hours, and dinner will be ready with stunning simplicity. Add salt, garlic, cumin, and hot peppers to taste.

Pull your pork with forks and you have the makings of some damn fine tacos. Thinly cut red cabbage, diced onion, a squeeze of lime, grated cheese, and your favorite salsa will certainly add to the experience, but if you can’t wait, go ahead and stand over the pork, fork in hand, moaning freely and without guile as the juices run down your chin.

If you are a chicken person, get yourself a whole chicken and roast it until the juices run clear and the skin is crispy. A four-pound bird yields one or two nights of chicken dinner, followed by a week’s worth of lunchtime salads. The carcass, of course, should be saved for chicken and dumpling soup – with ample amounts of garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Make Grandma proud.

Nobody just eats meat, but meat invariably improves every meal.

If you’re willing to prioritize the good stuff, and you take a little bit of time to plan a menu and cook at home, not only will your life be more delicious, but you will find solace having made an investment in our community. Well-raised meat builds soil, improves our water quality, and contributes to rural and urban economies in every possible way.

Be a local food patriot! Eat good meat.

Nik Novak is a writer, teacher, stonemason, farmhand, and a meat-loving storekeeper at Just Local Food Cooperative in Eau Claire.

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‘steak’ing out good eats J O H N NY ’ S ITA LI A N STE A KH O U S E R A N KS A S TH E B E ST S T E A K H O U S E I N T H E C H I P P E W A V A L L E Y. I T ’ S N O S U R P R I S E W H Y. When it comes to being the best steakhouse in the Chippewa Valley, Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse has only one secret: sourcing their meats from the best of the best.

“If you bring in a poor-quality product, and you try to dress it up, it’s still going to be a poor-quality product at the end of the day,” said Executive Chef Shawn Wamsley. “So we try not to dress our protein up at all. Our intent in the back of the house is to enhance the high-quality beef that we get in house to the best of our ability – easy, simplified seasonings: salt, pepper, olive oil. I don’t think it needs anything else beyond that because the protein by itself is that good.”

Their steaks are so dang good because they source their meats from quality meat producers, and Johnny’s also uses a unique approach to cook their steaks: they use a top-heat broiler as opposed to a bottom-heat grill, which sears instead of grills. “Here’s the beauty of a broiler,” Wamsley said. “It cooks the meat more evenly.”

possible ingredients and sourcing for their foods, they also aim to be consistent – consistently good, that is.

“We want to put out the best possible product,” said Matthew Rashid, general manager. That means high-caliber, consistent execution.

“People weren’t used to that in Eau Claire,” Rashid said “Automatically, there was this connotation that, ‘Oh, they’re probably overpriced.’ But when we nail that execution from start to finish, that’s what leaves people wanting more.”

“Interpersonal connection, loyalty, and respect – they’re huge... There’s a lot of cohesiveness amongst all of us here... It’s empowering.”

Shawn Wamsley, executive chef

Transparency in their process is also crucial, as they show the worth of their food through the quality of their ingredients.“We couldn’t be more

transparent with the cost of our product, with the recipe development of that product, and what that price point is represented on that menu to a guest that’s paying for it,” Wamsley said. “We will never gouge our guest.”

Not only does Johnny’s strive to have the best

Beyond the plate, Johnny’s has the feel of a destination restaurant in Eau Claire’s backyard, and they work to make sure they know every guest by name. “Interpersonal connection, loyalty, and respect – they’re huge,” Wamsley said. “And it’s hard to find a cohesive team in a restaurant. But there’s a lot of cohesiveness amongst all of us here... It’s empowering.” They celebrate with special events that are important to each Vallian: weddings, birthdays, bridal showers, and – most recently – vaccination celebrations.

Johnny’s also has deep community ties with Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and Wamsley sits in committee boards with the Eau Claire City-County Health Department and the CVTC Culinary program.

“We want you to shine for who you are,” Wamsley said. “We’re not here to suppress. We’re here to support and motivate, and be successful.”

C H E C K O U T J O H N N Y ’ S I TA L I A N S T E A K H O U S E I N T H E L AT E S T E P I S O D E O F O U R “ M E E T T H E B E S T ” V I D E O S E R I E S O N VO L U M E O N E . O R G !

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BUYING IN BULK A whole, half, or quarter means more meat and extra savings words by L A U R E N F I S H E R

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OR A FISCALLY CONSCIOUS FAMILY OF CARNIVORES,

budgeting for protein might be a challenge. However, if you’ve got a mind for planning ahead and some freezer space to spare, buying meat in bulk can be a big money-saver.

Many farms and meat processing facilities in the Chippewa Valley offer customers the option to purchase a whole, half, or quarter cow or a whole or half pig (referred to as “beef” and “pork” during the buying process). Patrons pay a dollar amount per pound of “hanging weight,” which is the weight of the animal before aging and processing.

Some butchers base the price on the weight of the animal when it’s alive, so make sure to clarify the process with your butcher. The butcher will do all the processing and packaging for you, so all you have to do is put in your order and pick up the meat when it’s ready. Depending on the season and availability, the process can take one to three weeks from order to pick-up.

Something first-time buyers should be aware of is that even if their half beef weighs in at 400 pounds, they will not receive 400 pounds of meat. Processors often dry-age meat for several days, which reduces the moisture in the product and therefore the weight. During the butchering process, bones and unwanted organs are removed, further reducing the weight. Depending on a number of factors, a 400 pound half beef will yield about 250 pounds of meat.

One of the beauties of buying in bulk is that the price you pay per pound covers everything from ground beef all the way up to steaks that would cost more than $10 per pound if bought individually.

One of the perks of buying beef and pork this way is that you get a lot of say in how it’s processed.

Many processors allow you to choose the thickness of any steaks, and how many cuts or pounds of meat are in each package. So if your

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ELI DUKE / CC BY-SA 2.0

ONE OF THE PERKS OF BUYING BEEF AND PORK THIS WAY IS THAT YOU GET A LOT OF SAY IN HOW IT’S PROCESSED. MANY PROCESSORS ALLOW YOU TO CHOOSE THE THICKNESS OF ANY STEAKS, AND HOW MANY CUTS OR POUNDS OF MEAT ARE IN EACH PACKAGE. family of four needs a pound and a half of ground beef for a meal, or a one-pound package is just too much for you and your spouse, you can adjust to avoid waste.

Once you’ve brought your bounty

| MAY 20, 2021

home, pork lasts in the freezer for 6-9 months, and beef will stay good for 9-12 months. Store meat at -10 to -15 degrees Fahrenheit and remove to thaw a day or two before you want to use it. In order to avoid spoiling

the meat, avoid repetitive warming and cooling.

“Buying a quarter or a half is a lot of money up front, but the savings are well worth it,” said Randy Grossbier, owner of Spring Brook Meats in Elk Mound.

Depending on where you buy your meat from, you also benefit from a personal relationship with the butcher, who can tell you where and how the animal was raised. At the end of the process, you’ll have a freezer full of food, one less reason to go grocery shopping, and some significant savings.

CUT RI

LOCAL MEAT SHOPS Want to get grilling? Here are some places to start listings by J A M E S J O H O N N O T T • photo by A N D R E A P A U L S E T H

CUT RITE ME ATS 872 N. Broadway St., Menomonie • facebook.com/cutritemeats • Featuring homemade beef jerky, bratwurst, summer sausage, beef stix, and more.

In-house smoked meats, and fresh meats including beef, pork, chicken, and seafood, with selection of cut, wrapped and frozen meat bundles.

JACOBSON’S MARKET 17183 50th Ave., Chippewa Falls • 311 East Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire •Find it on Facebook • Locally owned meat market where all meat is cut daily. Famous for fresh burger, homemade snack sticks, hot dogs, brats, and summer sausage.

Cheese selection, seafood, wine, and beer cave.

MIKE’S STAR MARKET 2238 Heimstead Road, Eau Claire • mikesstarmarket.com • Features hormone-free beef, local grass-fed beef, lean pork, hormone-free chicken, and local lamb, as well as lean pork sausages and brats, condiments, and custom spice mixes – all handmade right in our store for the freshest flavor.

RUMP’S BUTCHER SHOPPE 1411 Lynn Ave., Altoona • rumpsbutchershoppe.com • Featuring a full line of locally grown beef, along with fresh chicken, lamb and pork. Rump’s handcrafts our own sausages, snack sticks, bacon, bratwurst, hot dogs, jerky, and ground beef patties. Also serving cheese curds, deli meats, and convenience items like eggs, buns, side dishes, and beverages.

CUT RITE MEATS, MENOMONIE

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