Saturday, July 19, 2014 Meat at the Market

Many people don't realize that they could buy their meat at the Holt Farmers' Market as well as their produce. But it's true! Break O'Day Farms sells organically raised chickens and rabbits, the well-known Otto's Chicken sells quality chicken in all sorts of quantities from nuggets to packages of thighs/breasts to whole birds. The newest meat vendor at the HFM is Lonesome Pines grass-fed beef. That's Jackie in the pic, the "farmer's wife" as she calls herself, and she's great to talk to. Theirs is a family business started several years ago when her Dad moved from Arkansas to Michigan. She and her husband owned acreage that had been idle for years, and Dad wanted to put the land to work. So they started with five brood cows in 2006, and now have 80 animals on the farm at any given time. Charley, their bull, is docile and friendly until a cow is in heat, of course. Then he does his job and the cows are inseminated naturally. While not certified organic, the animals are pastured and are not force-fed hormones, nor given routine antibiotics and are treated humanely. They even have names which doesn't happen on factory farms. They live a happy life until they are harvested and sold at farm markets. 

 Being family--oriented, their son is the herd manager, while Jackie and her farmer husband work full-time jobs during the week and sell at farm markets on the week-end. They love to have visitors to show people, both big and little, where their food comes from. They ask people to call ahead to ensure someone is available to give the farm tour.  517-853-1906 or c. 269-838-4395. The farm is located at 6600 Bivens Rd in Nashville, MI 49073. lonesomepinesbeef@yahoo.com

Many more vendors will be at your service this Sat. Rowe's Farm Market is back, selling their produce, all grown on their farm. Gary told me they planted 4,000 tomato plants this spring!!! And while none may be ripe this week (but you never know ), he's got summer squash and much more to sell in the meantime. Another great guy to talk to; you'll find him on the south side of the bigger building. Plus, Cindy McElroy will be providing music from 11:00-1:00. 

REMEMBER IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY AT THE HOLT FARMERS' MARKET!