Last night we had two steaks from Maple Lea Farm who raise Highland Cattle.
Wow! I think the best steak I have yet had anywhere. And to think they are just around the corner.
Highland Cattle fit well on the local landscape and can and do live outside all year. They also are wonderful mothers and rarely need a vet. If you think dogs, Highland Cattle are Coyotes to the Pekinese. For we have bred animals that can only live in a barn now and who depend on us entirely.
The opportunity is to change the economics of ainmals by moving away from the "Pekinese" and going back to the "Coyote" Work with animals that fit the world and not the barn.
Then you avoid all the costs of the dependency and you get a better product.
For it is the same with the Meat King Chicken. Most of the chicken we eat is from this one breed that is market ready in 8 weeks. By 10 weeks, most cannot walk they are so big. They are so stupid that they cannot forage. It is the same with a Berkshire Pig or a Black Faced Sheep. More on the Berkshire here.
The new farmer mainly sells direct to their customers. Thus capturing more margin here too. Here is a list of vendors at the Knowlton Local Market. At Jadhore, you can buy half a cow and so get your costs down too - I plan to go in with a few friends and do this.
