Cool front page article in the Statesman this morning about eating locally, huh?

I started communicating this weekend with a farmer/rancher in the Salmon area who had posted to Craigslist about a meat CSA. I checked out her website and contacted her, and thought I'd share her reply. I am thinking my family will probably end up getting a half a pig and some meat chickens from her this fall, and in case anyone else is interested--you never know. Maybe we could get a group deal, or at least arrange a central drop-off location. I'm willing to drive to Salmon to pick our stuff up, but am not sure how much frozen livestock I can wedge into a Honda with a car seat in it. :-) If you do happen to contact her and place an order or buy a share, could you please let her know I referred you? Thanks! Here's her e-mail below, and it includes her website. Oh, and in case you are wondering about pricing--last year we paid about $435 for a cut-and-wrapped half pig. (I can't remember what the hanging weight was.) That was a local animal, but it had been given its first round of shots/antibiotics when my friend bought the weaners to raise, and they weren't fed organically. So I think her price for a half pig (approximating it, based on the package details) seems pretty fair when you factor in organic and heirloom.

Hello Casey!

Thank you for your interest in my organic meat CSA. For the past several
years I have been choosing and acquiring good healthy breeding stock and
building the herds and this is the first year that I am offering the CSA
shares to the general public. So, as for details, I am flexible on them
and can work with you to tailor a package to suit your needs. My main
interest in is producing healthy, clean meat for those that care about
what they eat, and in the process saving endangered breeds and giving the
animals a humane and happy life.

As you might have seen on the website (www.nigeriansandicelandics.com), I
primarily focus on the heritage breeds of pig, sheep, and poultry to
produce Certified Naturally Grown pork, lamb and poultry, all of which I
breed and raise myself. I do not acquire outside animals to fatten then
sell. (Although I may have to add more chickens and turkeys this year due
to a fox that ate a number of my hens last year.) I have a couple
associates here in the Salmon area that raise grass-fed beef and goat, in
case that interests you. None of the animals are fattened or finished on
corn (although pregnant and nursing mothers may be supplemented with corn
or other whole grains during the time they are raising their young).
Everyone here is exclusively pasture raised, grass or forage fed (hay is
fed during the winters).

As for your questions:

1. You being in Boise-- I may be able to arrange for delivery to you (or
a central location near you) for a shipping and handling fee to cover
costs, or you may come here to pick it up from the Salmon butcher (Lakota
Meats) directly and visit the farm if you are interested, or I could try
and help you coordinate with others from your area who are getting meat,
or finally, I can use a USDA approved butcher in Montana and then send the
meat via Fed Ex or UPS (this option will likely incur quite a bit more in
processing costs and transport fees but may be the most convenient for
you).

2. price/shares- Again, I am flexible and can make a package that suits
your needs. As a model package we can start with Option 1, Full share:
$950 includes 1/2 pig, 1 whole lamb, and 10 chickens (or 1 turkey and 3
chickens). This is approximately 50 lbs of lamb, 80 pounds of pork, and 50
pounds of poultry. Lamb and pork are cut and wrapped and poultry packaged
whole.

Option 2: 1/2 share for $525, includes 1/4 pig, 1/2 lamb, 5 chickens (or 1
turkey) for approximately 40 pounds of pork, 25 lbs lamb, and 25 lbs
poultry.

Other combinations can include just lamb and pork, and there may be
availability of game birds or beef and goat/cabrito/chevron and mutton.
Please let me know if you might also have an interest in goat or sheep
milk or artisan cheese made from them, or goose, duck, rabbit, yak or
guinea hen, or honey. I can custom raise such animals for you or will
consider adding them in the future. I have some associates that make
artisan cheese and honey from naturally raised animals and bees

I do have a contract that sets forth the terms and that requires 1/3
payment upfront as a deposit and the 2/3 in July and the final payment in
the late summer/fall just before butchering begins. Any shipping and
handling costs would be determined after butchering when actual weight
will be known. You have the freedom to instruct the butcher as to how you
would like the meat cut and processed. Our butcher can make bacon and
sausage for additional processing fees. The law currently doesn't allow
for us to make and offer you either of those products (in time I will
figure out a way to do offer delicious sausages).

3. Availability-- that will depend on what meat you order and how fast it
grows. Chickens can be ready throughout the summer, pork may also be
available at different times (we are having several litters of piglets
this spring) from summer to fall or early winter, turkey for the holidays,
and lamb in late fall unless you requested it earlier. Our favorite
butcher is very busy in August so most of the processing he would do would
be after that time. Some cross-bred animals will be ready faster than the
purebred heritage breed animals. If you specify that you want one over the
other or to have your meat ready at a certain time we will work with you
to get that accomplished. (Of course, being naturally raised without
growth hormones or stimulants or heavy grain finishing, animal finish
times and weights are subject to natural forces and cannot be guaranteed.)

Please let me know if I can tell you anything else or if you would like a
contract sent to you. Again, I am flexible and can work with you to
create just the package you would like, or to meet your budget.

Thank you again for your interest.

Sincerely,
Holly Flowers