HERITAGE FOOD PRODUCERS AND PROCESSORS

We believe the best way to help a family farmer is to buy from him.

"Taste, like identity, has value only when there are differences" – Carlo Petrini

Heritage Foods USA was formed in 2001 as the sales and marketing arm for Slow Food USA, a non-profit organization founded by Patrick Martins and dedicated to celebrating regional cuisines and products. The Heritage Turkey Project, which helped double the population of heritage turkeys in the United States and upgraded the Bourbon Red turkey from "rare" to "watch" status on conservation lists, was Heritage Foods USA's first foray into saving American food traditions. In 2004 it became an independent company.

Today Heritage Foods USA processes 200 genetically sound, antibiotic free and pasture raised pigs each and every week, come rain or shine, from 40 farmers that hail from the Midwest and New York. We also process 7,500 heritage turkeys for Thanksgiving and a few hundred head of cattle a year. We sell to wholesale accounts and via e-commerce to home chefs. We must eat these foods to save them.

We are proud combatants in the fight to promote difference and diversity in a marketplace dominated by monocultures. In this kind of marketplace, animals raised on pasture without antibiotics are hard to come by, as are rare and heritage genetics that evolved naturally rather than from laboratories designed for meat production and fast growth.

	Pork		Heritage Chicken
	Berkshire		Lamb
	Red Wattle		Tunis
	Duroc		Katahdin
	Tamworth
	Gloucestershire Old Spot		Ducks and Geese and Guinea
	Large Black		Goat
	Mule Foot		Rabbit
	Processors		Fish (Salmon, Trigger Fish, Tuna)
	Heritage Turkey		Bison
	Beef		Curemasters
	Piedmontese		Native Foods
	Angus and Hereford		Cheese
	Highland
	Ancient White Park
	Akaushi

PORK

Berkshire Pork

Berkshire meat is elegant, luscious and smooth. The streaks of fat that run through Berkshire meat give it a round and buttery flavor that melts on the tongue. The firm and substantial texture of Berkshire meat was so cherished by the British monarchy that they exported the breed all over the world, including Japan where it is called Korobuta.

Our Certified Humane Berkshires are raised by a group of small family farmers in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. We know our Berkshires are purebred because they all have six white spots, one each on the tip of their feet and one each on the nose and tail. Unlike factory farm pigs, which have been bred to grow quickly in indoor environments, Berkshires have bred for maximum taste. Berkshire meat is so good it can be prepared with almost no additional ingredients save salt and pepper.

HERITAGE Foods USA Berkshire Farms:

Newman Farm

Newman Farm, located in the Ozarks of southern Missouri, is owned and managed by Mark and Rita Newman. Their farm is one of the few pork farms left in southern Missouri. Both Mark and Rita have been involved with farming since they were children. Mark began farming in high school, as a member of the Future Farmers of America program. Mark, Rita and their grown children Chris, Susan, Courtney and David, believe strongly in the values of family farming.

The Newman's have been involved in outdoor pork production since 1968. They began raising high quality 100% purebred Berkshire pigs on pasture in the mid 1990s, the only of its kind in the US. Today they have a thousand pigs which roam freely on this sprawling farm, and new piglets are born every day. They have plenty of fresh air, sunshine, and water, which also contribute to the rich pork color and excellent marbling.

The pigs receive only the highest quality feed rations or corn- soybean meal along with vitamins and mineral supplements. The pigs are completely free of growth promotants, animal protein by-products, or sub-therapeutic antibiotics. Through selective breeding, meat quality testing, and topnotch production standards the Newman family has been able to produce the highest quality pork product, which imparts a sweet, tender, juicy, and simply different flavor than any other pork. At Newman Farm they take pork production seriously and believe that quality pork begins at the farm and ends with satisfied consumers.

All animals are handled and transported according to Humane Farm Animal Care Standards. Mark comments, "A lot of people wouldn't do it," but he and Rita understand the value of small family farms. Mark continues his work because he derives personal satisfaction from it. Seeing the end result is a unique and wonderful thing for him. In Mark's own words: "You gotta have it in your heart or you're never gonna make it."

Lazy S. Farm

BERKSHIRE PIG SOUNDS

BERKSHIRE PIGS AT LAZY S FARMS

LARRY AND MADONNA SORELL

BERKSHIRE PIGS AT LAZY S FARMS

Larry and Madonna Sorell have been farmers since 1970 when they purchased 200 acres of land in Cloud County, Kansas. Larry Sorell continues a family tradition that was passed down from his grandfather to his father and then to him. Today, the farm is a bit smaller but they still maintain true biodiversity on the farm, raising numerous heritage breeds including turkeys, some chickens, Katahdin and Jacob lamb and several pig varieties. Madonna and Larry have had nine children but few are still active on the farm. Thanks to Larry's hard work he has managed to obtain numerous rare breed genetics on his farm plus a strong line of six-spotted Berkshires. He has also developed a network of 10 Amish farms who raise pigs for him.

Norton Farm

Eric Norton

Pigs Running at Norton Farm

Sow at Norton Farm

Wintertime at Norton Farm

David and Wesley, and Eric Norton run Norton Farm in Plattsburg, MO. We met the Nortons through our friends at Paradise Locker Meats. The Norton Family has always raised their pigs outside, but we applaud them for steering their operation to a full bred Berkshire genetics. The local Kansas City is happy too!

Norton Farm is a third generation farm that raises pigs and Angus cattle as well as corn, beans and wheat. Eric tells us he loves being outside, watching the pigs grow and seeing happy customers taste his efforts. Eric spends most of his time feeding the pigs a no-antibiotics/animal by-product feed. Eric is a young farmer who wants to stay on the farm and raise pigs until he retires.

Holthaus Farm

Decorah Iowa

David Holthaus

Holthaus Farm

Holthaus Berkshires

David Holthaus is an avid and experienced community farmer who has been raising pigs and cattle on his 500 acres in Decorah, Iowa since 1974. He currently backgrounds Holstein cattle for the many farms that make up the dairy country in Northeast Iowa in addition to the 700 Berkshire pigs he has on pasture and feed at any given time. We applaud David Holthaus for becoming Certified Humane for Heritage Foods USA and its customers.

David takes pride in bedding his pigs very deeply in corn stalks and straw bailed on the farm. The stalks and straw are then cleaned out of the barn and returned to the land for fertilizer to raise corn and hay for the next year.

These Berkshires are housed in traditional northeast Iowa farm building, open barns with access to the outdoors at all times.

David is also raises corn for the cattle raised on his farm or is delivered to the local feed mills.

Keevhaver Farm

Located very close to Paradise Locker Meats in the "Show Me" State of Missouri, the Keevhaver brothers have been adjusting the farming practices of  their farm to include more Berkshire pigs raised outdoors. Their operation is slowly growing and as long as things move in the right direction, we will be happy to see them pull up with a new batch of pigs for market.

Baker Farm

Trent and Troy Baker of Kiron, Iowa bring is some of the most beautiful pigs we have ever seen. These Berkshire pigs are pure gold according to our chefs and to Paradise Locker who sees every pig that Heritage Foods USA processes. The Bakers raise their pigs outdoors and are always working to improve the quality of the genetics on the farm. Over time the Bakers will grow their farm to supply even more restaurants with delicious tasting pork.

Red Wattle Pork

Red Wattle meat is charmingly inconsistent and can be earthy, vegetal and herbaceous. Its expressive porky flavor is concentrated, edgy and even racy.

The Red Wattle pig populated the backyards of New Orleans during the 18th and 19th centuries where it was bred to stand up to the strong and flavorful Creole cuisine. These gentle Red hogs are noted foragers and when allowed to roam their meat develops traces of the forage of their locale.

Originally the Red Wattle hails from New Caledonia in the South Pacific, and is one of the few pigs raised in the United States not from Western Europe. The Red Wattle is the only pig left in the world that still has a wattle hanging from its jowl. The Red Wattle is considered critically endangered with an estimated global population less than 2,000. Buying and eating our Red Wattle pork is a key to preserving diversity in the livestock supply and supporting Animal Welfare Approved family farms like Lazy Ranch in Glasco, Kansas.

Heritage Red Wattle Farms:

Lazy S. Farm

Red Wattle and Mulefoot at Lazy S Farm

Red Wattle Piglets at Lazy S Farm

Larry and Madonna Sorell have been farmers since 1970 when they purchased 200 acres of land in Cloud County, Kansas. Larry Sorell continues a family tradition that was passed down from his grandfather to his father and then to him. Today, the farm is a bit smaller but they still maintain true biodiversity on the farm, raising numerous heritage breeds including turkeys, some chickens, Katahdin and Jacob lamb and several pig varieties. The Sorells raise the best Red Wattle pig in the country. This hog breed is the rarest of all American pork breeds. Red Wattle meat tends to be a little darker than most other pork and is very tender. The variety makes wonderful hams and has a juicy and flavorful taste even though the meat is lean. This pig, which gets its name from its red color and the wattle that hangs under the chin, originated in New Caledonia, came to New Orleans in the 18th century and was developed in the forests of Texas. With increased demand and the hard work of the Sorells, the Red Wattle will find its niche in the 21st century, even if it does not conform to the unnatural needs of industrial agriculture.

Duroc Pork

Duroc meat is clean and crisp. Its taste and texture are polished and easy on the palate. Duroc pork is a standard, not too fatty, not too lean, not too strong but certainly more flavorful than its factory farmed cousins. For decades the Good family of Olsburg, Kansas have bred to improve the taste characteristics of their Durocs.

Duroc pigs were used as the foundational genetics of the pig industry beginning in the 20th century. Large litters and the ability to gain weight quickly were Duroc characteristics from the start. In 1812, early "Red Hogs" were bred in New York and New Jersey and these would be the ancestors of Duroc pork today. As our Duroc farmer Craig Good attests: Duroc pigs Do Rock!

Good Farm

BUCK - Duroc Boar at Good Farm

Craig Good and Duroc Sows

Duroc Gilts at Good Farm

Duroc Growers at Good Farm

Duroc Grower at Good Farm

"The bloodlines of our Duroc pigs go back to a few select sows from the breeder I worked for. He had raised Purebred Durocs since the 1940's. We are small in comparison to most pork producers. We have 65 purebred Duroc and Yorkshire sows. Of the 65 sows, 30 of them are Durocs. The Yorkshires are noted for their Maternal traits and the Duroc are noted for their good growth rate and excellent carcass traits. They are also noted for their muscle quality and good eating quality.

We have been performance testing since our start and only select the best of the best to be breeders in our herd. We are now placing extra emphasis on selecting Duroc pigs that have superior muscle quality. In our effort to do so, we are bringing in some old lines from the 80's. We will evaluate what they can offer to our herd. We feel that they may even further advance our effort to produce great tasting pork. We primarily sell to other small to medium sized producers. The producers purchase pigs from us because they trust the good health level of our herd, and the attention to detail and quality that we are able to employ in our small herd.

In recent years, with the evolution of large, mega swine farms, Good Farms has resisted the trend to grow large. We choose not to follow that trend because we feel that true quality is achieved by working with detail and care in breeding our hogs, not just cranking numbers and pounds off of the farm. Because of the trend of larger and larger swine operations, remaining our size is difficult because, as with many businesses we are in an era of low margin and high volume.

We are proud of our place in the farm economy and hope that we can continue to serve the producers that have been true to us over the years. We feel that the family farm has been a true asset to America and we strive to work together with our fellow producers to remain a viable part of the future. We have a strong commitment to produce pigs that are of the highest quality possible. The pigs that we are raising are not fed any antibiotics. All pigs are registered and all ancestry is tracked in making our breeding decisions."

Tamworth Pork

Tamworth meat is robust and gutsy and is the leanest of the pork breeds that we sell making it an excellent source of bacon and jowl. It has a balanced flavor that is the pork equivalent of a red beer. A safe food supply is a diverse food supply so the Tamworth's presence on the Threatened list means that demand is needed to preserve this delicious breed. The Tamworth is a hearty and strong animal making it an excellent candidate for a growing urban farm movement around the United States. Our Tamworths are raised in Kansas and in upstate New York.

Metzger Farm

Doug Metzger works his 1500-acre farm, which grows corn, sorghum, wheat, alfalfa, oats, barley, Reese turkeys (he has worked with turkeys since 1951) and pigs with wife Betty, son Mark, daughter Marilyn, son in law Stan and their three kids. Farming has become more challenging for Doug in recent years as he struggles to remain independent in an era of commercialization. "The chicken industry and the turkey industry went the way of industry," Doug explains, " and I'm working hard so that the same doesn't happen to the pork industry". Doug has raised purebred, certified Berkshire pigs since 1954 and learned the art from his grandfather Fred, father Wilhelm and father-in-law Japhet. These elder statesmen also taught Doug how to raise the now endangered Tamworth pig (as of 1961) and the Hampshire pig.

Fred Metzger was born 1885 in Lamar, Missouri to a family who had recently moved to the United States from Germany. Fred moved to Hancock, Minnesota when he was 10 and then to Larchwood, Iowa around 1900. Fred lived to be 104 and according to one source, had more living descendents than anyone alive in the United States with 368. Fred's son Wilhelm was born in 1911 and moved to Kansas in 1933 after he met and married the beautiful Julia Meyer. Julia's father Japhet Meyer owned the farm where the Metzgers live to this day.

Doug currently raises certified Berkshire and Tamworth pigs. For the past three years Doug has sold his Berkshires to the Japanese market. But Doug hopes that rising interest in Berkshire pigs will help him lay the foundation for a domestic market and allow him to expand production to include other local Kansas farmers. Making enough money to get by is the hardest aspect of farming for Doug and is the greatest obstacle to allowing his grandchildren to continue the work of four generation of Metzgers.

Gloucestershire Old Spot

Gloucestershire Old Spot has the milkiest fat of any pig breed we have ever tasted.  Listed as critically endangered, we must eat these pigs and create a market for them in order to save them. Heritage Foods USA is proud to be working with two farming networks to see more of this breed in restaurants and homes. Orders for these pigs can be made by calling us at 718-389-0985.

Good Farm

Gloucestershire Old Spots at Good Farm

"My family has been involved with agriculture for many generations. We have had this farm in Olsburg since 1964. We are a diversified farm, raising purebred hogs, purebred Angus cattle and various crops. I have worked with pigs and cattle since my 4-H projects in the mid 1960's. Following graduation from Kansas State University in 1975 I worked for another purebred swine breeder for 5 years. Amy (my wife) and I decided to move back to the farm in Olsburg in 1981.

Lazy S Farm

Gloucestershire Old Spots at Lazy S Farm

Larry Sorell and Gloucestershire Old Spots at Lazy S Farm

Larry and Madonna Sorell have been farmers since 1970 when they purchased 200 acres of land in Cloud County, Kansas. Larry Sorell continues a family tradition that was passed down from his grandfather to his father and then to him. Today, the farm is a bit smaller but they still maintain true biodiversity on the farm, raising numerous heritage breeds including turkeys, some chickens, Katahdin and Jacob lamb and several pig varieties. Working with a network of Amish, Larry and Madonna are helping protect numerous breeds of rare pigs.

Large Black

Large Black pigs are listed as critically endangered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. This English orchard pig was bred to lounge around orchards and is not a hard working pig. The ears that hang over its eyes show this. As a result the meat is delicate and even the fat is supremely edible.

Lazy S Farm

Large Black at Lazy S Farm

Large Black Sow at Lazy S Farm

Larry and Madonna Sorell have been farmers since 1970 when they purchased 200 acres of land in Cloud County, Kansas. Larry Sorell continues a family tradition that was passed down from his grandfather to his father and then to him. Today, the farm is a bit smaller but they still maintain true biodiversity on the farm, raising numerous heritage breeds including turkeys, some chickens, Katahdin and Jacob lamb and several pig varieties. The Large Black is a new addition to the farm and they are growing fast.

Mule Foot

Lazy S Farm

Mulefoot at Lazy S Farm

Mulefoot Family at Lazy S Farm

Larry and Madonna Sorell have been farmers since 1970 when they purchased 200 acres of land in Cloud County, Kansas. Larry Sorell continues a family tradition that was passed down from his grandfather to his father and then to him. Today, the farm is a bit smaller but they still maintain true biodiversity on the farm, raising numerous heritage breeds including turkeys, some chickens, Katahdin and Jacob lamb and several pig varieties. Mule Foots have feet shaped like a mule. Their meat is cherished but little has been written about its taste. Tune in soon for information on what our chefs are saying about the Mule Foot.

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ABATTOIR

Heritage Foods USA works hard to ensure the ethical and humane treatment of the foods we sell when they are raised, transported and processed. Just as we work with producers who use strict production protocols, we also work with processing facilities that we know and have visited. We ensure that the animals do not suffer at any point in the process which would affect taste and which would violate the sacred pact we have with the food we consume.

Paradise Locker Meats

Birdseye of Cutting Room Floor at Paradise Locker Meats

Butchering at Paradise Locker Meats

Carcass Inspection at Paradise Locker Meats

Outside at Paradise Locker Meats

Every week we process 200 pigs at the Paradise Facility in Trimble, Missouri. The Fantasma men: Father Mario and his sons Lou and Nick are among the best butchers in the world and do most of our cutting for home chefs and restaurants. They also boast a lovely retail outlet in the front of the plant.

Paradise Locker is a USDA inspected facility that is also Certified Humane. They currently supply some of the best restaurants in the country for Heritage Foods and are also expanding to deal with a growing local market in the Kansas City area. In addition to their cutting they are also great curers of hams, belly and chops. They also have a line of delicious sausages.

When Paradise Locker and Heritage Foods began work together in 2005 we processed but 5 pigs and they had but 5 employees. Today the relationship has exploded with success and they currently employ a team of over 30 people.

Purdy and Sons

Purdy & Sons' Food, Inc.- Located in Sherburne, New York, Purdy & Sons is a family run processing facility that has been in operation since 1963. Along with a commitment to animal welfare and responsible farming, Purdy processes every order as it is placed, making attention to detail everything. Our 30 hogs from Heritage Foods arrive on Tuesday, are processed Wednesday and Thursday, and then they are out the door on Friday. The quick turnover ensures the freshest goods available.

Purdy is filling the void for those who want locally sourced food, but do not have access to these products. The business is unique, refusing to use the all-too-commonly-used nitrates in the smoking process, but this hardly comes as a surprise. When asked what sets Purdy & Sons apart from other processors, Dan Purdy responded, "Hey, I'm a unique guy, so naturally, my business has to be unique." Hopefully, Purdy's way of doing business will catch on, but until then, unique is what we shoot for.

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TURKEY

Over the past decade, Heritage Foods USA has been a leader in the food revolution in the United States. Selling Heritage Breed Turkeys is just one aspect of our work in supporting American agriculture in the form of traditional family farms, and careful stewardship of our national resources. Nothing exemplifies the spirit of our commitment more than our Heritage birds for Thanksgiving.

We want all our customers to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. We at Heritage have much to be grateful for. With the ongoing support of our customer base, we are able sustain 40 family farms, with more being added every month. We have helped to preserve an area roughly the size of Manhattan for traditional agriculture!

Most importantly, our work in encouraging farmers to raise heritage breeds, whether poultry, pork, beef, or lamb, makes a significant contribution toward maintaining our national agricultural bio-diversity, an essential element to the overall food safety of our nation.

The methods used by commodity farming represent a hidden and incalculable cost to the consumer. Selling good, clean food at a fair price that reflects the true cost of responsible husbandry is the principal goal of Heritage Foods USA. You are participating in one of the most important movements of our time with your continued support of small and medium sized American farms.

Our turkeys are produced by Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch and Leaping Waters Farm. Frank Reese and his team at Good Shepherd essentially introduced a gastronomic meaning to the word "heritage" in the English language! This year we are also delighted to introduce the Bradford Family of Leaping Waters Farm as a new producer of Heritage Breed turkeys. Leaping Waters Farm is situated on the beautiful Route 81 in Virginia - a nexus of small farms bubbling with potential for raising heritage breeds.

Heritage Turkeys come from bloodlines dating back to the mid 1800s. The unbelievable flavor of the white and dark meat has been heralded by the greatest chefs of our time. So remember to order your Heritage Turkey early!

Heritage Turkeys arrive the Tuesday before Thanksgiving via FedEx.

Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch

White Holland at Good Shepherd Ranch

Standard-Bronze-Turkeys at Good Shepherd Ranch

Standard Bronze Flock at Good Shepherd Ranch

Since 2002 a partnership between Heritage Foods USA and Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch has led to one of the greatest conservation success stories of this decade and a future for the most delicious tasting turkey in America.

By buying a Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch Heritage Turkey you are supporting a network of independent growers, preserving endangered lines of turkey breeds that you must eat in order to save, and ensuring humane animal treatment: our turkey farms are the first to receive Animal Welfare Institute's Animal Welfare Approved certification.

GSTR today consists of a network of family farms which you can read about below.

Frank Reese

Frank Reese is considered the God Father of American poultry. His farm is called Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch. Frank has been "hanging out" with turkeys as long as he can remember. He is a fourth generation poultry farmer from Lindsborg, Kansas. Frank joined 4-H at an early age and began keeping his own turkeys at about age five, winning his first Kansas State Turkey Championship in 1955 and his first National Turkey Championship in 1974.

For nearly all his life, Frank has maintained a keen interest in American Heritage Turkeys, with an avowed objective of preventing their extinction. Frank is a founding member of the All-American Turkey Growers' Association and a lifetime member of the National Poultry Association. He is also the only licensed turkey judge for the American Poultry Association. His operation has been certified by the National Poultry Improvement Program since 1974. His turkey farm was the first turkey farm to be certified by the prestigious Animal Welfare Institute (AWI). Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says AWI is "The gold standard for how farm animals should be taken care of."

The New York Times' Kim Severson writes of Frank: "Only someone with a trained eye can pick the best toms and hens to breed and Mr. Reese is considered the best of the few people in the country who can do it. He is also the only one with a flock whose genetic line can be traced back to the late 1800s."

In that same November 7th, 2007 article Severson writes:
"Although these breeds make up far less than one percent of the 265 million turkeys produced in America last year, many chefs consider them the best thing to eat on Thanksgiving. Turkeys like Mr. Reese's take much longer to grow than mass-produced ones. Thus, they develop more fat and a robust flavor."

Frank has brought together a group of neighboring farmers to help him raise his birds including Danny Williamson of Windmill Ranch, Doug Metzger of Metzger Farm and Ron Tommy, whose farm is located just outside Wichita, Kansas. Each spring Frank sells his cherished poults to the members of his network under the condition that they sell the grown turkeys back to him just before Thanksgiving. In this way, Frank has been able to significantly increase population counts of Heritage Turkeys. The Bourbon Red turkey, for instance, was upgraded from "rare" to "watch" status by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

A heritage turkey is defined as:

• A true heritage turkey is reproduced and genetically maintained through self-breeding;
• A true heritage turkey has a long productive lifespan. Breeding hens are commonly productive for 8-9 years and breeding toms for 3-5 years;
• -A true heritage turkey has a slower rate of growth. Today's heritage turkeys reach a marketable weight in 26-28 weeks.

Frank has benefited from the mentorship of some of the leading American Heritage Turkey producers he met over the years at turkey shows and meetings. He counts among his most treasured teachers the late Norman Kardosh, as well as Sadie Lloyd, Agnes Trow, Bill Cawley and Hy Patton. For years, Frank pursued his hobby and "labor of love" with financing from his job: he is a licensed nurse anesthetist practicing in the Lindsborg and Salina area of Kansas State.

In addition to turkeys, Good Shepherd also owns some of the rarest genetics in the waterfowl segment of the poultry industry. For example, its American Buff and Toulouse geese are bred to produce the highest quality meat in the world.

Leaping Waters Farm

Owned by the Bradford Family
Town of Shawsville, Virginia
About 25 miles Southwest of Roanoke, Virginia

Leaping Waters is certified by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI).

Heart of Southern Appalachian Mountains between the Alleghany Highlands and the Blue Ridge, both regions covered on the historic Appalachian Trail.

200 years as working farm
110 acres, due South of Poor Mountain
1200-foot elevation, rolling hills

Temperate Deciduous Forest, average temperature 50 degrees, average rainfall 30-60 inches a year
Does not rain for 2 months sometime in summer
Four seasons of equal length

Population: 6 Humans, 2400 Heritage Turkeys, 43 Ancient White Park Cattle, 22 Large Black Pigs, 5 Berkshire Pigs, 10 Great Pyrenees Dogs, 7 Barn Cats.

Grasses: Indian Grass, Timothy, Orchard Grass, Alsike Clover, Crimson Clover and White Clover

Water: The North Fork of the Roanoke River runs through the farm. The headwaters of the Roanoke River are located 1 mile away from the farm. The Roanoke River flows southeast across the Piedmont, to Albemarle Sound.

Soil: The Bottom – loamy soil that resembles texture of cake batter, comes from the river bottom, some of the oldest soil in the world

Soil: The High Pasture – compact clay, drains well, bull pine provides good cover for cattle

This is part of one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Moving from the river bottom to the top of the Blue Ridge one will cross flora that ranges from southern Georgia to Canada. This diversity gives the animals a huge variety of forage throughout the year, forage that the Ancient White Parks and Large Blacks utilize to improve their condition in every season.

We are proud to work with Alec and Sarah Bradford and look forward to years of helping them bring heritage breeds to market.

Windmill Ranch
Danny Williamson

Danny Williamson owns Windmill Ranch and deals with all business related to Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch. Danny built his home, which looks more like a log cabin set in the middle of the woods of Wisconsin, from scratch with his own two hands three years ago. He and his friend Dave were looking for a place to build a home near the quarter mile section of land Dave owned in Tampa, Kansas and they found it in the form of an abandoned farm. The first thing they did with their newly purchased 18 acres was build a chicken and turkey coop. Then they proceeded to populate these structures with Black and Bourbon Red turkeys, numerous types of heritage chickens including Dark Brahmas and ducks including White Calls. His Black turkeys, which he had been raising for eight years, were sourced from Rita Eichman's farm near Dodge City. Today, Danny keeps about 100 breeders and about 2,200 young poults on his farm.

Danny grew up participating in 4H projects and so had some experience with poultry. And then, in 1998, he met Frank Reese at the state fair and his interest in poultry was rekindled. Danny's love of turkey goes past just raising them. He is also a great chef.

Danny spends his days checking up on his birds, retrieving ones that have flown over the fence, changing the water and cleaning the coops. The biggest challenge on the farm is carrying the feed. Danny is a licensed American Poultry Association Judge and presides over numerous 4H competitions (Danny will visit 15 competitions or more a year). Danny is one of the only people who has a Grand Master Breeder of Black turkey. He also boasts a Grand Master Breeder of the Dark Brahma chicken and White Call duck. To get that honor a breeder has to win many shows and accumulate at least 100 points. Depending on the show, a bird can win between 5-25 points. Only winners get points.

Kyle Robert Farm

We are excited to partner with young farmer Kyle of Kyle Robert Farm in Manchester, Iowa. At the ripe age of 24, he represents the youngest of our Heritage family. Kyle is a fourth generation farmer, and was once ranked fifth in the nation as a college wrestler! We are proud to support a new generation of Heritage farmers. Kyle breeds this year include White Holland.

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BEEF

Piedmontese Cattle

Montana Ranch – Billings. Montana.

Piedmontese cattle originated in the foothills of northwestern Italy also home to the Slow Food movement. Today, in the United States, a network of family farmers is raising the cattle on a pure vegetarian feed without the use of antibiotics and without added growth hormones. Piedmontese is unique in that it contains myostatin, known as the "double muscle gene."

Myostatin is only found in Piedmontese cattle and results in a natural tenderness. Though the beef is naturally lean, the flavor is rich and intense. Piedmontese cattle originated in the foothills of northwestern Italy and are thought to be a mix of the Auroch and Zebu cattle crossed over 25,000 years ago.

Angus and Hereford

Hearst Ranch

Hearst Ranch from San Simeon, California has been raising 100% grass-fed cattle since 1865. The Hearst family is responsible for one of the largest working ranches and conservation easements on the California coast. The Hearsts started a ranch that was prized for its quality breeding, fine livestock and stewardship of the land. These cattle, a mix of predominantly Hereford, Angus and Shorthorn breeds, are humanely raised and graze on 150,000 acres of nutrient-rich coastal prairie and native grasslands along the inland terraces of San Simeon. The flavor of Hearst grass-fed beef is influenced by the nearby valleys as well as the central coastal terroir.

We are proud to offer this beef thanks to our friend Brian Kenny from Hearst Ranch who is bringing this product to market for the first time in years. We have chosen two cuts that best express the spectrum of flavor profile and characteristics: the ribeye and the sirloin steak. The flavor of both is influenced by the nearby valleys as well as the central coastal terroir.

White Oak Pastures

Among the peanut and cotton fields of Early County in southwest Georgia, sits White Oak Pastures, a fifth generation grass-fed cattle ranch owned and operated by the Harris Family since 1866. Today the farm is in the hands of Will Harris III who steered White Oak Pastures back to the days just after the Civil War when his great-grandfather, Captain James Edward Harris, grazed his cattle outdoors and slaughtered the animals on the same land.

After the war, a relative helped Captain Harris, a cattleman at heart and by trade, settle into the area. He and other sharecroppers butchered one cow and some pigs once a week in order to feed the 100 or so people living on the farm at the time. His son, Will Carter Harris, inherited the farm, expanded it and began slaughtering animals on a daily basis. A mule-drawn wagon delivered meat in the nearby town of Bluffton while meandering the commissaries, hotels and boarding houses.

During the 1940s, the third generation took possession and saw Will Bell Harris transition White Oak Pastures into the world of industrialization along with his son Will III. But in 1995, Will made the brave and bold decision to transition back to the older ways. He started a closed herd of predominantly Black Angus cows that relied on the benefits of the deep south's bright southern sunshine, its clean air, fertile soil and sweet native grasses to keep the animals happy and healthy. Around the same time, Will and his wife Yvonne Harris were raising the fifth generation of ranchers, their three daughters: Jodi, Jenni and Jessi.

Will Harris III became a grass-fed beef perfectionist. Leaning forward and pulling up his pointer finger with an intensity heightened by a heavy drawl, he explained his desire to build his own on-farm humane processing facility. In 2008, they cut the ribbon on a USDA-inspected processing plant large enough to slaughter a few dozen of their own cattle a day. Abiding by his hero George Washington Carver's words that nature never wastes, the new plant is a zero waste facility, using a digester to transform waste into organic fertilizer.

Highland

Fountain Prairie Highland Cattle

John and Dorothy Priske's Fountain Prairie Highland Cattle Farm is home to the most beautiful cattle in the world and holds the largest Highland stock in Wisconsin. They graze on 434 acres of grass just outside of Fall River Wisconsin.

John and Dorothy began farming asparagus in 1984 but changed course when they bought a large old house built at the turn of the Twentieth century. The Priskes had a vision to repair, restore and share their newly acquired property with the community. This vision of change was meant not only for the house, but also for the entire prairie land on which the house sat. The Priskes knew that raising cattle would be the perfect solution to maintaining the land, because the cattle would both harvest and fertilize the land. With this notion, John and Dorothy Priske began farming Highland Cattle on the prairie.

The Priskes have brought back dozens of species of native grasses and other plants and recreated the original wetlands that once supported the flocks of migrant waterfowl. Today they have successfully restored 60 acres of wetland prairie and the birds and animals are returning!

These Highland cattle eat grass most of their lives and feed on grain towards the end. The Priskes raise and handle cattle humanely and do not use any hormones, anabolic steroids, or sub therapeutic feed antibiotics. The Priskes dry-age their meat for 21 days after slaughter and sell most of it locally directly to customers at the Dane County Farmer's Market.

The Priskes are dedicated stewards of the land. In fact, they have achieved Level 3 with the Conservation Security Program (CSP). The CSP is a voluntary USDA program that gives financial assistance to farmers with the best conservation and stewardship practices. The Priske's role models and sources of great inspiration include Aldo Leopold, Wendell Barry and author Michael Pollan – each would be proud. Sharing and learning with community is important to the Priskes. Through interacting with the community, they have learned that people from all backgrounds are eager and striving to get back to the land and good quality products. The Priskes often host community dinners and give tours of their farm and inn to create a place where dialog and education take place.

Ancient White Park

Leaping Waters Farm

Owned by the Bradford Family

Town of Shawsville, Virginia
About 25 miles Southwest of Roanoke, Virginia

Heart of Southern Appalachian Mountains between the Alleghany Highlands and the Blue Ridge, both regions covered on the historic Appalachian Trail.

200 years as working farm
110 acres, due South of Poor Mountain
1200-foot elevation, rolling hills

Temperate Deciduous Forest, average temperature 50 degrees, average rainfall 30-60 inches a year
Does not rain for 2 months sometime in summer
Four seasons of equal length

Population: 6 Humans, 2400 Heritage Turkeys, 43 Ancient White Park Cattle, 22 Large Black Pigs, 5 Berkshire Pigs, 10 Great Pyrenees Dogs, 7 Barn Cats.

Grasses: Indian Grass, Timothy, Orchard Grass, Alsike Clover, Crimson Clover and White Clover

Water: The North Fork of the Roanoke River runs through the farm. The headwaters of the Roanoke River are located 1 mile away from the farm. The Roanoke River flows southeast across the Piedmont, to Albemarle Sound.

Soil: The Bottom – loamy soil that resembles texture of cake batter, comes from the river bottom, some of the oldest soil in the world

Soil: The High Pasture – compact clay, drains well, bull pine provides good cover for cattle

This is part of one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Moving from the river bottom to the top of the Blue Ridge one will cross flora that ranges from southern Georgia to Canada. This diversity gives the animals a huge variety of forage throughout the year, forage that the Ancient White Parks and Large Blacks utilize to improve their condition in every season.

We are proud to work with Alec and Sarah Bradford and look forward to years of helping them bring heritage breeds to market.

Akaushi

Heartbrand Beef – Yoakum, Texas.

"Akaushi" is the Japanese term for Red Cattle. The pure-bred Akaushi are a national treasure and are the only free grazing cattle in the small country of Japan, roaming the sacred mountain of Aso where they are protected by the Japanese government. Through a loophole in the Trade Act of 1992, three bulls and eight cows left Japan in a custom equipped Boeing 747 escorted by armed guards and arrived in Texas.

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HERITAGE CHICKEN

The Original Meat Chickens, the Chickens that Fed this Country until 1960

So says Frank Reese, the country's preeminent poultry farmer, about the famed heritage chickens that thrive alongside his turkeys at the Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch in Kansas. Like his turkeys, his chickens come from those breeds that are threatened by the rise of commodity production; and they are all free ranged and humanely raised. Until now, Frank's chickens have been hard to come by; but the farm has been building up its numbers in recent months! These are no doubt the best chickens available in North America.

The 150-year-old Plymouth Rock, or the king of meat production, is the ultimate broiler chicken; it is also a member of the American Poultry's Standards of Perfection. This was the original chicken produced in the United States.

The New Hampshire is a descendent of the Rhode Island breed. Like their less blocky relative the Plymouth Rock, they are a dual-purpose chicken, known both for their eggs and delicious, very fleshy but smooth meat.

The Cornish Game, a breed from England, arrived in America in the 19th Century, and was developed solely for its meat. That meat, darker than your average chicken meat, is robust and firm, with a flavor slightly reminiscent of game.

Frank chose his last breed, the Jersey Giant, to illustrate the diversity of heritage chicken breeds. The Jersey Giant is a slow growing bird (it takes 24-28 weeks to reach market weight, as compared to the Plymouth's 16-18 weeks). A larger chicken with silky and rich meat, this is the perfect chicken for roasting. Dress it simply so you can taste its natural flavors.

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LAMB

Tunis

Sandstone Ridge Farm

James and Lisa Twomey established Sandstone Ridge Farm, in the southwestern region of Wisconsin, after they visited the nearby Kickapoo River and fell in love with the charming topography composed of limestone and sandstone outcroppings, steep valley walls and clusters of Amish farms. The glaciers that leveled most of the mid-west 12,000 years ago hit a granite bump and skipped this corner of Wisconsin where today cold springs of mineral water and trout streams flow constantly. The Kickapoo River was also a source for inspiration for the architect Franklin Lloyd Wright.

Sandstone Ridge Farm is a "piece of heaven" that became the Twomeys' hobby farm. The land they inherited was burly and overgrown, so when a neighbor recommended grazing sheep or goats to keep the grass down, the Twomeys searched for the perfect residents. They chose the Tunis sheep, a personable breed that produces wonderful meat. The Tunis have managed their pastures ever since.

Tunis have chestnut-colored faces and legs covered in thick velvety wool. The lamb are raised with their mothers on hay and feed on a good mix of protein and carbohydrates including locally-grown alfalfa hay, oat hay and nitrogen-heavy clover, a nutritional program that provides natural fertilizer and also sustains local bee populations that pollinate fruits and vegetables.

Though the barn door is always open, the animals roam on the sloping terrain most of the time. Only birthing, cold winter nights and the occasional blizzard are the few instances where their instincts motivate them to take shelter and cozy up on straw.

The younger lambs are milk-fed by their mothers and weaning occurs naturally. Pregnant ewes are given an extra ration of alfalfa pellets, corn, oats, and molasses. The ewes breed out of season and the delicately-flavored lamb is available year-round.

The Tunis sheep is amongst the oldest breeds of livestock in America and was developed in 1799 from a cross between a Middle Eastern fat-tailed sheep from Tunisia and local American sheep. It is said that Maynard Spigener (1849-1913) is responsible for having saved the Tunis breed in the United States from extinction during the Civil War. Spigener hid 30 head of pure-bred Tunis lamb in the swamps near a river that runs near Columbia, South Carolina. After the war, Spigener sold ten head of his sheep to James A. Guilliams who entered the Tunis in the Crawford Indiana County Fair where the stock was awarded for its meat, wool and breeding qualities.

Katahdin

Clover Creek Farm (TN)

Chris Wilson has been raising Katahdin Lamb for the last 18 years on 50 acres of land in Northeast Tennessee at an elevation of about 1650 feet. Clover Creek Farms practices sustainable agriculture and Chris Wilson was named Soil Conservation Farmer of the Year in 1999. Chris Wilson is certified by the Animal Welfare Institute and was a founding member of the Four Season Grazing Club.

Clover Creek lambs graze on native grasses, such as blue grass, and clovers that are abundant in the Tennessee area. Lambs are never separated from their mothers. They wean themselves naturally without any hormones or antibiotics. They are born outside and spend their entire life grazing with their mothers.

The Katahdin comes from Maine-lineage Katahdin Hair Sheep, which was bred specifically for their meat, without the big wooly coat that needs shearing.

Katahdin meat has a mild, delicate and wonderfully-balanced flavor. Our succulent Katahdin Lamb has a creamy texture and almost nutty taste.

Hubbard Hair Sheep (KS)

Hubbard Hair Sheep in Scenic Kansas

Hubbard Hair Sheep in Kansas

Heritage Foods is proud to start working with Joe Hubbard in Kansas. Stay tuned for exciting news from this special young farmer.

Willow Spring Ranch (MT)

Founded in 2009 by Katy and Richard Harjes, Willow Spring Ranch Montana raises mild and tender certified organic lamb. Their 100% grass-fed lambs grow quickly on mountain pastures and their mother’s milk. Aside from mineral and salt supplements required for their well being, there are no other inputs to their lamb. In addition to the careful nutrition, Katy and Richard are devoted to managing their land sustainably and giving their lambs the best possible, most stress-free lives. They use livestock guardian dogs for non-lethal predator control and seek to maintain a balance between the agricultural and wildlife areas of their ranch.

In addition to raising lambs on their own pastures, Katy and Rich are devoted to increasing awareness and availability of Montana sustainably grown organic lamb. Willow Spring Ranch Montana helps transition other rancher’s lands toward organic certification, and works with other like-minded family farms and ranches to bring you sustainably grown, organic lamb.

Ducks and Geese and Guinea

Good Shepherd Ranch

Ducks at Good Shepherd Ranch

Ducks at Good Shepherd Ranch

Duck Flock at Good Shepherd Ranch

Frank Reese

Frank Reese is considered the God Father of American poultry. His farm is called Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch. Frank has been "hanging out" with turkeys as long as he can remember. He is a fourth generation poultry farmer from Lindsborg, Kansas. Frank joined 4-H at an early age and began keeping his own turkeys at about age five, winning his first Kansas State Turkey Championship in 1955 and his first National Turkey Championship in 1974.

Muscovy Ducks are a long-standing breed, and have been part of the diet for many centuries. There are still feral flocks here and abroad, and strangely, though these ducks originate from the tropics, they do very well in cold climates. They are the only ducks that roost in trees in the wild.

The Muscovy Duck is best served rare to medium rare. We like to roast it hot and fast, and let it come to an internal temperature of about 165 degrees or 10 degrees less according to the chefs with whom we work. Like most game birds, this one works really well with sweet/tart combinations, such as tart dried cherries, pomegranate molasses, orange, clementine, lemon, and honey, or any combination of those elements. They also take well to somewhat unusual spices such as dried coriander, star anise, or allspice. Great side dishes with duck are the winter vegetables: squash, parsnips, carrots, celeriac, or turnips. You can par-cook and then add the vegetables to the roasting pan around the duck for a simple, but supremely elegant, one pan meal.

The Brown African Goose is a delectable and unusual option for the poultry lover. Geese are easy to cook, requiring nothing but a roasting pan and a rack. Like all heritage breeds, the goose needs slow, gentle cooking for a crisp skin and a succulent moist interior. Adding potatoes and vegetables to the pan to cook in that sumptuous and silky goose fat is the lagniappe that makes this a truly outstanding meal. By the way, goose fat is traditionally used for making confit; as a medium for frying potatoes; or even just cooking an egg, so never throw it away!! Absolutely everything tastes better cooked in goose fat, just ask Escoffier!

Pearl Guinea Fowl are also known as pintade, faraona, African pheasant or guinea hen. This tasty bird is native to West Africa. Guinea hen is a real delicacy, with a fine texture, juicy flesh, and a rich yet non-gamey flavor. Guinea fowl are insect and seed eating, ground-nesting birds with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage. Pearl guinea fowl are monogamous breeders. The females often lay their eggs out in the fields and hatch their young, called "keets" all by themselves. Most farmers love having guinea fowl since they alert humans to anything unusual. Both males and females make a single syllable, machine-gun like alarm call, but only the females have a two syllable call. In fact, it sounds like they're saying "buckwheat."

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GOAT

Boer goats are a South African breed originally developed for meat production. All of our goats are raised outdoors on green pastures.

Goat meat is very lean and tastes similar to moose and venison. It has a unique flavor but not an overpowering one. Some more fascinating facts about goat:

• Their feet are composed of two separate hooves that were originally the third and fourth toes of their mammal ancestor.
• The inside of the horn is living bone material with a blood supply.
• Goats browse rather then graze and they live communally. Goats are very smart and make an excellent addition to any small farm, especially in colder regions.

Dragon Fly Cove Farm

Dragon Fly Cove Farm is owned and operated by Marge Kilkelly and Joe Murry and is part of a consortium of working farms dedicated to outdoor agriculture and ethical treatment of animals. Within a short time they converted a ten-acre hay field into a playground for 80 Boer goats and smaller, seasonal populations of hens, pigs and turkeys.

When Joe left his job as an electrician to become a full-time farmer, he put his carpentry skills to use and built barns with bunk beds and hay feeders with access through the windows so the goats need only to poke their heads in without having to climb on the bales of hay and soil the feed. Hay is also spread over the land during feeding to assure the animals get their exercise. The cross Boer goats love being outdoors and grow beautiful coats in the winter months.

Thyme for Goat

Thyme for Goat is a consortium of five family farms in Maine primarily raising breeds for meat production to offer delectable meat cuts for our customers. Their herds are raised in a natural environment exposing them to pasture feed, sunlight and shelter from inclement weather. They enjoy browsing, Maine hay crop, grain and garden grown veggie treats.

Goat meat is very lean and tastes similar to moose and venison. It has a unique flavor but not an overpowering one. Goat families reside in the widest ecological range of any domesticated species. Dragon Fly Cove Farm one of the consortium's five partners is a small, diverse homestead farm located at the confluence of the Eastern and Kennebec rivers in mid-coast Maine. Marge Kilkelly and Joe Murray, who have worked with these lovely and gentle animals for over five years, raise the goats. Joe and Marge raise and sell Boer cross meat goats. When away from the farm, Marge works for the Council of State Governments on agricultural and rural policy in the Northeast.

Consider Bardwell Farm, VT

Consider Bardwell Farm is the first cheese-making co-op in Vermont, founded in 1864 by Consider Stebbins Bardwell himself. The farm spans 300-acres across the rolling hills of Vermont's Champlain Valley and easternmost Washington County, New York. As part of the "No Goat Left Behind" project, farm managers Alex Eaton and Margot Brooks are raising male bucklings on a 5-acre rocky hilltop pasture that is covered in wild honeysuckle, buckhorn, sumac, and locust saplings. The goats are allowed free-range access to pasture and an open barn. They roam about scampering along stonewalls and rock ledges.

The goats are Oberhasli, a dairy breed developed in the mountainous regions of Switzerland. They are brown, with hues between light tan and deep reddish brown and black spots. Oberhaslis have a friendly, gentle disposition and they are known as active and hardy goats.

Photos at Consider Bardwell Farm

Twig Farm, VT

Twig Farm is located in West Cornwall, Vermont. Michael Lee and Emily Sunderman operate the twenty-acre farm with a milking herd of about twenty-five does. Michael makes all of their cheese by hand, using traditional techniques and equipment for farmstead cheese production. Emily manages the business and marketing for the farm.

Their goats are Swiss Alpine. Their coats range from light to deep red bay or even grey. This year, after weaning, the boys were fed on skim milk left over from a local butter producer. The bulk of their current diet is pasture and fresh hay.

Photos of Twig Farm during Wintertime

Sunny Acres Farm, NY

Sunny Acres Farm is a multi-generation farm located in Athens, New York. The farm has been in the family since 1896, and has evolved through the years from a dairy and market crop farm in its early years to a beef and dairy goat farm during the 1970s, '80s and '90s. Today, Jim and Debbie Taylor raise a heard of Boer and Kiko goats and practice management-intensive grazing. As they continue to improve their forage, they hope to use this management philosophy to eventually move the entire herd to strictly grass-fed goats. They feel this is the direction they need to travel in their quest to achieve sustainability for their farm.

Photos at Sunny Acres Farm

Photos at Asgaard Dairy

Photos at Caz Acrez

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RABBIT

The Blanc de Hotot rabbit is listed as threatened on American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. The Blanc de Hotot is known for its frosty white fur and black-rimmed eyes. The beautiful Blanc de Hotot rabbit is unique being that the breed was developed entirely by women in the Hoto-en-Auge region of France. Madame Eugenie Bernhard, chatelaine du Calvados aimed to develop a new breed of rabbit that could be prized for its meat and fur. In the year 1902 she began crossing breeds and found that the Geant Papillon Francais when crossed with other lightly marked rabbits began to produce the characteristics she was looking for. It took over 10 years and 500 matings to produce what we know today as the Blanc de Hotot. The French rabbit governing body officially recognized the Blanc de Hotot as a breed on October, 13th 1922. The Blanc de Hotot was first brought to America between 1921 and 1922 but never took off as a breed. The Blanc de Hotot nearly went extinct during World War II but picked up again in 1978 when Bob Whitman from Texas imported 8 Blanc de Hotots . The American Rabbit Breeders Association standards accepted the breed in 1979.

The American rabbit is listed on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy as critically endangered. It is one of the oldest breeds developed in the United States and is a cross of many different breeds. The American rabbit was officially listed as a breed in March of 1918. As a result of the First World War the original name of German Blue Vienna was changed to the American Blue. Lewis H. Salisbury of Pasadena, California is credited as having the best genetics and kept the list of breeds used to create the end result a secret. By the 1920's furriers were paying high prices for their deep colored pelts. The American rabbit is one of the rarest breeds in all of America.

The Rare Hare Barn

Eric and Callene Rapp are the owners of Rare Hare Barn in Leon, Kansas where they raise rare breed Heritage rabbits. Eric and Colleen are both extremely dedicated to the care and preservation of rare domestic species. Callene has a degree in agriculture and has been on the board of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy since 2003. She also holds the title of senior zookeeper at the children's farm at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas. Eric had also worked at the zoo up until February of this year when he left his job to care for the rabbits at their own farm full time. Eric's passion for rabbits started on the farm that he grew up on. Eric and Callene began raising rabbits about four years ago for the main purpose of providing their family with high quality, healthy and great tasting protein.

Eric and Callene raise their rabbits in the most humane way possible making sure that the rabbit pens are large enough to allow the animals to move around and get exercise as well as stand up and stretch. The barn has plenty of windows that provide a nice view as well as ventilation and air circulation to assure that the rabbits are always cool and comfortable.

Eric and Callene truly enjoy how engaging the rabbits are. Each morning Eric brings the rabbits fresh greens from the garden, usually kale. According to Callene as soon as the rabbits see Eric coming with the greens they get all excited and start thumping around. Aside from the garden greens the rabbits have access to hay for roughage and are given a supplement of grain-oat pellets to enhance their diet. These rare breed rabbits are never fed any growth stimulants, antibiotics or animal by-products of any kind.

The Rapps have found that there is a large network of Heritage rabbit growers in Indiana where they have taken many road trips to select their breeding stock. They are lucky to have found breeders that have been raising these rare breed rabbits for over 20 years.

Eric and Callene are about an hour and a half from Krehbiel's Specialty Meats where the rabbits are brought for slaughtering. For the trip the rabbits are loaded into pens specially designed for comfortable traveling and are driven in a horse trailer with their familiar pen-mates so that the rabbits never experience any stress along the way.

The rabbits are brought to market when they are about 12 weeks old. The Rapps are definitely able to notice a distinct difference in the color and taste of the meat of the two different breeds they are currently bringing to market. The meat of the Blanc de Hotot tends to be light pink in color and a bit paler than the meat of the American rabbit. Both breeds offer a delicate taste and have a fine grain making the meat very easy to digest.

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Fish (Salmon, Trigger Fish, Tuna)

American Tuna

Our American Tuna comes from six hook-and-line fishing families at American Tuna of southern California. Fishing with hook-and-line is the only way to ensure both the best taste and the humane treatment of fish.

Only the finest center cuts of this fatty fish are filleted and hand-packed, cooked in their own juices which provides a deep buttery flavor and creamy texture. The American Tuna fishermen catch tuna that are 2-5 years old, so the mercury level in them is minimal to non-existent. Omega-3 rich, lean, protein-packed, with no carbohydrates, no additives, no fillers, no broth or water, this tuna truly deserves the Heritage label. It is "once-cooked" in its own natural juices so you can eat it right out of the can.

While Albacore tuna may not be endangered per se, the methods used by American Tuna certainly are. It is those methods and attention to detail that give the tuna such an incredible flavor. Only the finest hook-and-line caught Gourmet #1 Sashimi grade Albacore fillets hailing from the Pacific waters off the coast of San Diego, California and Oregon are used for American Tuna canned tuna.

Omega-3 rich, lean, and protein-packed: Albacore is good for your health!

Iliamna Fish Company

The Iliamna Fish Company is a hardworking crew of native Alaskan fishermen who spend their summer months touring the fishery located deep within Bristol Bay, Alaska in search of fresh sockeye salmon.

Heritage Foods USA is proud to be working with the Iliamna Fish Company, a family of 25 immediate and extended relatives that has been fishing the pristine Pacific Northwest waters since 1948. Three of the fishing families live in Alaska full time while the rest spends winters all across the United States. Every June and July all the fishermen dutifully return to the healthy Bristol Bay waters where they spend many days on the boat waiting for the influx of salmon that helps sustain the community during the long off-season.

The sockeye salmon come from the deepest part of Bristol Bay, Alaska known as Nakneck. The rich flesh of these fish is a deep scarlet to persimmon red color and imparts a slightly sweet taste, a characteristic that can be attributed to the salmon's journey from salt to fresh water.

Iliamna Fish Company has built the fishery on responsible marine practices and sustainable harvesting techniques. The fishery is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council thanks to a strong commitment from the fishermen to protect and promote the natural resources that preserve their livelihood.

The only way they fish is by setting nets, which are a lot like a sheet hanging on a clothesline floating in the wind. Part of the sheet floats on top while the remainder is anchored at the bottom and drifts with the current. The tide creates a basket that collects the fish, a spectacle often referred to as a "wall of salmon" that swims in the shallow water where the Iliamna fishermen waiting for the catch in their four-foot deep, twenty-foot long boats, carefully pull the net up and gently retrieve the sockeye. Each salmon is then bled by hand and submerged in a 33°F ice bath before it is brought to shore. Within six hours the fish are cleaned, inspected, packed and ready to be shipped to home chefs and restaurants all around the United States.

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BISON

Thunderheart Shape Bison Ranch

Hugh Fitzsimmons owns and operates Shape Bison Ranch near San Antonio, Texas. Bison meat is the native North American meat. Sixty million bison once roamed the great planes of this land and sustained our Native Americans. But by the dawn of the 20th century, the total bison population had dwindled to less than 1,000. Thanks to conservation efforts, bison are slowly recovering. Thunder Heart Bison Ranch is dedicated to allowing bison to live in accordance with their natural instincts: they eat only grass and are killed on the prairies where they live, under low stress conditions. Ted Herrera, a partner in Thunder Heart Bison and a member of the Cohahuiltecan Native American tribe, oversees kills with a ceremony that follows the traditions of his ancestors.

Thunder Heart is one of the very few ranches in America whose buffalo are both grass-fed and field-harvested. By grazing on such native grasses as Sea Coast Bluestem, Old World Bluestem, Curly Mesquite, and Hooded Windmill, these bison produce a flavor that is mild and delicate.

Thunderheart Shape Bison Ranch also produces Guajillo Honey. Guajillo is a wild desert bush that is native to Southwestern Texas and Northern Mexico, a member of the "acacia" plant family. When the delicate pale yellow blooms briefly emerge in early April, the bees at the Shape Ranch begin an intense rush to feed and gorge themselves on this "Native Nectar." The result is an exquisite monofloral "single source" honey, that is light, delicate, and subtly complex. Native Nectar Guajillo Honey, the very essence of the best our land can offer.

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ARTISANAL CHARCUTERIE

Our world-class cured meats are long-aged to guarantee a flavor profile that best reflects the characteristics specific to free ranged Heritage pork. Many great American cure masters work closely with us to bring you some of the best bacon, salumi and hams in the world.

We believe a local source for charcuterie has the duel benefit of launching new American terroirs while relieving those in Europe that are overtaxed because of high demand.

S. Wallace Edwards & Sons

In 1926 S. Wallace Edwards, young captain of the Jamestown-Scotland ferryboat, began serving ham sandwiches to his ferry passengers .... sandwiches made from ham the salt-cured and hickory, smoked on his family farm.

The demand for his ham grew so quickly that Captain Edwards soon began curing and selling hams on a full-time basis. Meanwhile, his young wife, Oneita, contributed from home by cooking hams and raising their two children, Oneita Mae and Wallace Jr. As word of the "Edwards Virginia Ham" spread, the young Edwards family began shipping their products throughout the country.

Today, Edwards smokehouses are still located in Surry County, Virginia close to the spot where the Indians first taught the English colonists the secret of bringing out the full flavor in meats through cure. The Edwards family has been honored to demonstrate their art of curing hams at the Smithsonian Institution Folklife Festival, and received many State Fair of Virginia Blue Ribbon and Grand Champion awards.

Over the last 81 years, Edwards' emphasis has always been on quality, not quantity. S. Wallace Edwards and Sons (second and third generation) remains a thriving family business dedicated to producing the finest quality smoked meat products.

Edwards works closely with Heritage Foods USA and its Certified Huamane Berkshire farmers to develop its Cured Surryano style Hams, which age for at least 16 to 18 months. This is as good as any cured meats from Europe. We applaud Sam for steering his business to include the most sustainable proteins you can find in these hams and also in bacon and sausage.

Salumi

Located in the heart of Seattle's historic pioneer square district, Salumi Artisan Cured Meats brings to the Pacific Northwest a new concept based on some very old ideas. Drawing inspiration form the traditional Italian Slaumeria, Salumi is an artisan's factory equipped to produce the highest quality gourmet cured meats and other traditional foods. Their state of the art curing facility has been custom designed with space-age materials and processes to provide a level of artistic and process control unavailable to previous generations of Salumists. But Salumi is more than a place where wonderful foods are created and sold. It's also a place dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the handmade food traditions of Italy and the Mediterranean.

Salumi is the retirement dream for co-founder and Principal Salumist, Armandino Batali. His maternal grandfather, Angelo Merlino, opened the first Italian food import store in Seattle in 1903. A century later and only a block from that original site, Armandino works with generations of family cooking traditions. Armandino's 31 year career as a Process Control Engineer at Boeing plus a lifetime in the kitchen and 2 years in the formal study of meat curing and cooking make Armandino uniquely qualified to produce artisan products that also exceed stringent modern-day food processing requirements. With Marilyn Batali, wife and co-founder, Salumi has grown from a small neighborhood deli to a well-known stop on the Seattle culinary scene.

Benton's Country Hams

Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams are slow cured using salt, brown sugar, and sodium nitrite and typically aged 9-10 months, though hams are available 1 year and older. This time-honored practice dates back to the era of our forefathers, when the preparation and preservation of meat was a way of life and sustenance. Although the hands of time and technology have sculpted many aspects of our modern world, at Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams we have upheld the traditional dry-curing process and are striving to produce world class country hams and bacon.

Benton's was started in 1947 by the late Albert H. Hicks, a dairy farmer who began curing and selling country hams out of a building in his backyard. Allan Benton, a former high school guidance counselor, took over the business in 1973 and relocated it to the present location on US Hwy 411 near Madisonville, TN.

Out of this modest, painted block building, Allan Benton and his employees have honed the dry-curing of hams and bacon into a culinary art and have catapulted the products from a simple breakfast mainstay into the world of gourmet cooking, where they have been praised for their characteristic flavor. Most recently, Benton's prosciutto, a domestic version of the renowned prosciutto specialty hams of Parma, Italy, has grown rapidly in popularity and has been featured in a broad spectrum of high-end restaurants, as well as in a number of magazines and other food publications.

Paradise Locker

See abattoir section above.

Nancy Newsome

Located in Kentucky, Nancy just placed her first order with Heritage Foods USA for 2 large batches of cured hams. We hope the experiment works as Nancy is a force of nature and could do great service to many rare breeds by accentuating the flavor of numerous rare breeds.

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NATIVE AMERICAN FOODS

Anishinaabeg Nation

The meaning of Anishnaabeg is "First-" or "Original-Peoples". Another definition refers to "the good humans", or good people, meaning those who are on the right road/path given to them by the Creator (Great Spirit).

Our friend and a Heritage Foods USA Advisory Board member Winona La Duke is who introduced us to the delicious products of the Northern Minnesota Lake regions. While we carry many products from this group it is their wild rice that is by far the most popular. This is one of the few rice varieties that is truly wild. Winona is working to protect the wild label for producers that truly raise the grain on open lakes.

Deep Run Pawpaw Orchard

Our Heritage pawpaws come from the rolling hills of Carroll county Maryland at the Deep Run Pawpaw Orchard in Westminister where Jim Davis has been raising these fruits for almost 10 years! There are seven named varieties of pawpaw he produces including the Shenandoah, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania Golden and the Allegheny, which is great in ice-cream. Each fruit will be marked so that you know what you are eating.

The pawpaw is the largest edible fruit that is native to the United States. Pawpaws are indigenous to 26 states in the US, in a range extending from northern Florida to southern Ontario and as far west as eastern Nebraska.

They have provided delicious and nutritious food for Native Americans, European explorers, settlers and wild animals. They are still being enjoyed in modern America, chiefly in rural areas. There are more than 27 varieties currently available.

The unique flavor of the fruit resembles a blend of various tropical flavors, including banana, pineapple and mango. The common names, 'poor man's banana', 'American custard pie', and 'Kentucky banana' reflect these qualities.

Pawpaw's beautiful maroon colored flowers appear in the spring and turn into clusters of fruit that ripen during the fall. The Pawpaw harvest season is from late August to mid-October. Ripeness can be gauged by squeezing gently, as you would judge a peach. The flesh should be soft, and the fruit should have a strong but pleasant aroma. The skin color of ripe fruit on the tree ranges from green to yellow and dark flecks may appear as on bananas.

The fully ripe pawpaws last only a few days at room temperature, but may be kept for a week in the refrigerator. Eat fruit that was allowed to finish ripening at room temperature. Ripe pawpaw flesh, with skin and seeds removed, can be pureed, and the pulp or whole fruit may be frozen for later use. Never eat the skin or seeds.

Pawpaws are a very nutritious fruit. They are high in vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese. They are a good source of potassium and several essential amino acids and they also contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, calcium, phosphorous and zinc. Pawpaws contain these nutrients in amounts that are generally about the same as or greater than those found in bananas, apples and organs.

Most enthusiasts agree that the best way to enjoy pawpaws is to eat them raw after they are picked from trees and are perfectly ripe. Or simply cutting the fruit in half, and using a spoon, scoop out the flesh and discard the seeds. The flavor and custard-like texture make pawpaws a good substitute for bananas in almost any recipe. You extend their tropical flavor beyond the end of the harvest season.

ARTISANAL CHEESE

Sprout Creek Farm

Just north of New York City, in the scenic Hudson Valley, at the end of the Metro North line is the city of Poughkeepsie. One of the area's hidden gems can be found just outside of city limits, where the lush, rural landscapes start and the urban density begins to disappear. That gem--Sprout Creek Farm--has been in its current location since 1990, where it functions as a dynamic farm, a working dairy, and an active educational institution. Since 2000, Sprout Creek has been making small-production, raw and pasteurized farmstead cheeses. Starting with just a few, limited offerings, Sprout Creek's catalog of cheeses has grown and matured immensely in recent years, due to the arrival of Colin McGrath, the farm's current cheese producer.

Thanks to Colin and his team's creativity, experience, and dedication, Sprout Creek now produces about a dozen cheeses. Each cheese speaks to the quality and diversity of the farm's terroir and its milk, the flavors of which change from batch to batch. These are truly exceptional in taste and quality, and Heritage Foods USA is excited to team up with Sprout Creek to offer the entire Sprout Creek line to our customers, in four distinct packages.

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