Good Afternoon
It's a muggy start to our second week of the Summer 2021 Season! This newsletter is going out to our full mailing list, so if you aren't signed up for the summer yet, we have some room to join still. Information below.
We have tons going on this week, so read below for:
1) My take on the JBS meat processing ransomware attack, including some insight into how the Amish and Mennonite view the internet (yeah, our meat cutters won't be hacked).
2) Strawberries. It's important that you read this. They are extremely sensitive to weather conditions and very perishable.
3) PIE. It's the first week we have fresh pies. This week, of course, strawberry rhubarb with crumb topping.
4) LATE SIGNUP. Yes, you can still join Fresh Fork to begin this week or next. Info below.
5) Bag Contents. With these longer newsletters, some of the mobile devices cut off the end of the newsletter. If you scroll to the bottom, there should be text that says "Display Full Message." Click that and you'll be able to scroll to the bag contents.
For this week's bag, one of the most important things we are coordinating is: STRAWBERRIES! Last week, you may have had the opportunity to taste the first strawberries of the season, and this week we are happy to announce that we will have them again!
That being said, strawberries are notoriously tricky, so read ahead to learn more about growing and harvesting conditions, how to store the sweet ruby gems, and recipe recommendations!
HELP WANTED: We are also looking for some more Greeters at a few of our stops: Avon, North Olmsted, and Tremont! If you pick up a share at these stops, Greeting is a great way to engage with other Fresh Forkers and pay off your share as you go! If you are interested in working these stops, please apply by responding to this email with your information (name, contact info, and stops you're interested in working).
Thank you again,
Trevor & the FFM team (Lauren, Allyson, Katie, Evan, Connor and all the Summer 2021 Staff)
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If you or a friend are still considering joining, we would love to have you. Our farmers are excited to feed your families this summer!
Late signups are pro-rated so that you pay for when you join until the end of the season.
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First, Let's Chat: Security in Your Food System |
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A Ransomware Case for Local Foods
There are many arguments for why eat local foods. One is clearly the freshness and quality. The other is helping your local economy. Some prefer to favor the smaller carbon footprint. Regardless of the arguments for and against local foods, one that feels like a “Doomsday-er” theory is that it creates food security.
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So let's talk about food security, and what it actually means. It means you don’t starve in a disaster.
Up until about 18 months ago, we would have never imagined that there would be a food supply-chain issue in this country. Then enter COVID-19. In a matter of weeks, the virus wreaked havoc on supply chains. Grocery stores were out of food and prices were reflecting the shortage. This, however, was not the case at Fresh Fork or with the local farmers. We were fortunate to have healthy, quality food and our prices remained constant.
Enter 2021 – Cyber Criminals Lock up Red Meat
Just when the impact of the pandemic on our food system was starting to lift and the consumer was beginning to forget their local farmer, a nefarious “hacker gang” - spread across the globe in remote nodes – banded together to create a wicked technology that could capture sensitive business data and hold it’s prey hostage.
The result. The world’s largest meat packer shut down the world’s 5 biggest slaughterhouses in the US – and additional facilities in Brazil, Australia, and Canada.
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First you must understand these facilities...Some might react to this as if was like the Robin Hood scenario – except these criminals didn’t have an altruistic intent. They just wanted money. They could care less about the environmental, health, and economic impacts of these large meat packers.
These facilities we are talking about are massive. Many are directly integrated with a feedlot as well. The feedlot is a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) where beef are “finished” on a concentrated energy ration of corn and soybeans. These operations rely on therapeutic medication – particularly antibiotics – to counter the potentially deadly impact of infectious disease and sanitation issues.
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Some of these facilities may be associated with feedlots housing 100,000 or more beef. The kill plant might slaughter up to 10,000 head per day. Just think about how to handle all the waste: hides, bones, internal organs, and even manure!
About Dry Aging vs Wet Aging
Then there is the issue of how to handle the carcass. “Fresh Beef” doesn’t mean it was killed that day. Beef in general gets better with a little age. At Fresh Fork and Ohio City Provisions, we generally “hang” our beef 2 to 3 weeks to help the meat firm up, dry out a bit (evaporation), and tenderize. There are enzymes in beef that slowly break down the meat – think about it as controlled decay – and make it more tender with age. Not all parts of the beef benefit the same, but a well marbled ribeye at 35 to 45 days can be very nice.
Now that you understand what dry aging is, think about a cooler with ten cattle hanging in it. Each weighs about 800 lbs. Each carcass enters the cooler "hot," meaning with the body temperature still in it. It takes a lot of energy to chill that meat down to below 40 degrees and keep it there.
Now think about how big of a cooler it takes to hold 1,000 cattle. It would have to be enormous. Now if you slaughter everyday and hang the carcasses for 14 days or longer, you are talking about a cooler with tens of thousands of cattle.
You can start to see the logistical issue here. As a result, some time ago the industry figured out that you can debone a beef carcass “hot” – meaning it is still warm from the kill. The individual pieces could be put in a vacuum bag and passed through a chill tunnel to chill them down more quickly.
The packing plant now gets to sell extra moisture (that hasn’t evaporated) and move it out quickly – sometimes, same day. In this scenario, some steaks are now marketed as “wet aged.” They might get locked up in a cooler for 2 weeks, but in a bag as opposed to in the open air.
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This Just-in-Time Inventory Caught Up to Us Last Year
When COVID hit last year and the shutdowns caused a shift in demand, this just-in-time inventory model failed us. The grocery stores wanted more meat but the packing plants didn’t have it. Then to compound the issue, the plants faced labor issues as illness struck the labor force.
But We Didn’t Learn
Here, a year later, many Americans are back to the same model trusting that their grocery store will have plenty. And now we have to deal with cyber criminals.
I’m not Aesop, but I can tell you about the Chore Boy
OK, I think you get the hint...and I’m thanking you for voting for local food with your grocery dollar. I hope you’ll share this with a friend and consider stocking your freezer with local meats for the next unforeseen crisis.
But I’m done preaching to the choir here – now I’ll simply make the awkward transition to our slaughterhouse and their lack of technology.
The Chore Boy is an Alternative to a Computer
Our slaughterhouse will not ever be attacked by ransomware. In fact, they aren’t connected to the internet at all. This is hard to explain, but I’ll do my best.
Up until about 2 years ago, I couldn’t even email our packer. Then, his church allowed email through a fax server. This is common now in Amish and Mennonite communities where emails are sent to a server that converts them to a fax. On the other end, the recipient can send a fax to the email server that emails me. As you can imagine, it is clunky.
Now, some of the more conservative Mennonite communities are allowing home computers as long as they don’t connect to the internet. The Amish and Mennonite are very resistant to the internet (but you must understand there are many very localized sects and rules, so this varies a lot). In general though, they believe that the internet – and even Microsoft – is the same thing as porn. I’m not kidding. It’s a sad misunderstanding that has perpetrated the community.
So, in the case of Newswanger Meats, there is a guy in their community who has received permission from the church elders to sell computers to the Mennonite community. His machine -called the Chore Boy by a company called Conservative Technology Solutions (which doesn’t have a website, of course) – is 20 year old technology that is in a wood cabinet case. His claim to fame – this machine absolutely can not access the internet. He even sells them with a guarantee that if anyone connects to the internet, he’ll pay them.
We are Going to Patent the "Chore Child"
I joke with the one meat cutter that I’m going to get him a cell phone one of these days. He says it might be OK as long as it’s not a smart phone. My response back – I’ll just bevel out a 2x4 and drop an iPhone in it. You can call it a "Chore Child" and it will be acceptable. He gave the idea a full belly laugh.
But overall, while it may be frustrating sometimes to communicate with members of the Amish and Mennonite communities, I’m very grateful for the silver lining – that our food supply is secure and that I know today, tomorrow, and in to the future that I’ll have a healthy meal on my table.
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Getting the Most out of Your Share |
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Tips for the Pickup Process
At the warehouse we pack your share into plastic totes. These totes are color coordinated so you should get the same color each week. Inside the tote, there is a clear plastic liner bag for food safety. The liner bag is not intended to transport your groceries to your car.
We suggest bringing your own reusable bags, box, or whatever works for you. Please unpack your tote at the stop and check it against the bag contents sheet. We are human and make mistakes on packing the totes.
To see how the pickup process works, refer to this slick new video link below.
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Getting the Most Out of your Veggies
One of the most common reasons someone doesn't renew their share is that they get too much food with Fresh Fork. Let me help you read between the lines. They throw out their kale because it went wilty before they could use it or didn't make it to the snow peas.
Eating in season is very affordable, healthy, and tasty. With about a half hour of prep work each week, you can keep dollars in your pocket and feel like an Iron Chef in the kitchen.
Step 1: Unpack your bag when you get home.
Step 2: Wash, peel, and prep your veggies. If your veggies are ready to cook, you will more likely cook them when in a hurry.
Step 3: Use the most perishable or unusual item first (think: strawberries! Get to them right away, no need to save them until Monday!))
Recipes
Place a Special Order
The weekly share can be thought of as your base package and access to the store. For this model to work, we need weekly subscribers so that the farmers can grow efficiently, our trucks can run full, and we can guarantee work to our staff. The subscription model allows us to offer affordable prices and a big bang for your buck.
To maximize your experience, consider a special order. We have access to hundreds more products than what is in the weekly bag. From milk and eggs to meat and additional veggies, the best way to round out your groceries for the week is to place a special order.
Special orders must be placed online by Tuesday at midnight to make it in for the week.
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What's the Deal with Strawberries? |
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We LOVE strawberries here at Fresh Fork...really we do! Fresh, local, strawberries are pretty much the best snack you could ask for when working long, hot days on the farm or in the warehouse. There is just one difficulty with strawberries, they are highly perishable.
This might seem a bit odd, you can get strawberries from the grocery store that can sit in your fridge for a week without issue. The notable difference between the strawberries you get at the grocery store and the strawberries you get from us is ripeness. Our strawberries are only picked when they are well and truly ripe. How can you tell? Well, this might seem obvious from the outside: completely, gorgeously, ruby red, inside and out. This holds true for the inside, too. When you slice one of these berries open, there is no white/paled green running through the center of the berry. It is red all the way through. This means the berry is truly ripe and ready for harvest. It also means the clock has started ticking...but in a good way. There is nothing better than eating a truly ripe, local, strawberry...so don't wait to eat the little gems! Give them a good rinse, and add them to your next meal!
Now, thinking ahead for this week. Like we always say, the bag contents (what produce we have available) is subject to change, just like the weather. And, we really should be looking at the weather right now. According to the forecast, it is going to rain everyday this week. Strawberries are highly weather-dependent, and if it's raining the farmers can't pick the berries. Our strawberries come in freshly harvested every day of delivery week, and are then packed into the shares immediately. There is no room for us to keep them in the cooler for multiple days before packing them.
So, you're getting strawberries and you don't know what to do with them. You want to make them last, and don't want to lose out. Here are some helpful tips and a few recipes to get you started.
Macerating Strawberries
"Macerating" is the process of soaking fruit in liquid, which softens and adds flavor/sweetness to the fruit itself. For strawberries, this is a very simple process. Sprinkle the berries in sugar, this will draw out the liquid, and create a syrup. From there, the world is your oyster! Store the syrupy-concoction in your fridge (gives you an additional 3-4 days with the fruit) and add to your breakfast (overnight oats, pancakes, waffles), or your next cocktail/summer drink! If you want to macerate your strawberries, but don't want to use white/granulated sugar, try maple syrup! Or, get creative and add a squeeze of lemon with the sugar for citrusy macerated berries.
If you're not interested in making a strawberry syrup, try one of these other recipes, and remember: keep it simple, and have fun!
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SPECIAL ORDERS
Deadline + Pick-Up Details
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As a reminder, you may log into your account online at http://csalogin.freshforkmarket.com/ and place a special order (select "shop for extra items" or "Shop" at the top of the screen) for delivery this week.
ORDER DEADLINE FOR DELIVERY THIS WEEK -- Tuesday at 11:59pm
Lauren has been working hard to update the store inventory. It changes frequently so stop back often. I know this week we didn't get a chance to inventory the beef cuts that came in so those will most likely be available next week.
Your special order will be delivered only to your primary location as selected in your profile. Please review this BEFORE placing your order (adjust + save as needed). Please do not email or call to change the location of your special order. It sounds easier said than done. Our software prints a pick list per location for what products we must take along. If we attempt to move it manually there is a high probability that we'll mess it up and no one will be happy.
When you get to you check-in, please let the greeter know you also have a special order to pick-up. The order is packed separate from the regular share.
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Need I say more? The ladies in the kitchen have been busy capturing the flavors of the season.
This morning, John (one of our employees) brought in the day's harvest of strawberries. He only had 50 quarts from his patch, but they were perfect. The ladies washed them and cut them into pieces. Next up, the fresh rhubarb from Melinda's patch at home.
Into the tilt skillet went the fresh berries and rhubarb with just organic cane sugar, organic pastry flour, and organic tapioca starch. As the water leeched out, we strained the pie filling off and retained the solids for the pie filling.
Melinda pressed out some pie crusts made from organic spelt flour, house rendered lard, and butter. The filling was poured in and a crumb topping of oats, butter, flour, and sugar added to the top.
30 minutes later, the pies were bubbling in the oven and ready to go.
So, to keep the first week of pies simple, we are offering only small pies - 6 inch size.
Preorder only on the pies.
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**Some locations have changed this year (North Olmsted & Shaker Heights) and
Ohio City Provisions has a new start time (3pm).**
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For specific information by stop, click on the location name below. |
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Small Omnivore
Green Onion Brats
Asparagus
Leaf Lettuce
Zucchini
Radishes
Kohlrabi
Collard Greens
Strawberries*
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Small Vegetarian
Asparagus
Leaf Lettuce
Zucchini
Radishes
Kohlrabi
Collard Greens
Strawberries*
Asian Greens
Rhubarb
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Mini
Asparagus
Leaf Lettuce
Zucchini
Radishes
Collards
Strawberries
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Large Omnivore
Green Onion Brats
Asparagus
Leaf Lettuce
Zucchini
Radishes
Kohlrabi
Collard Greens
Strawberries*
Spinach
Tomatoes
Feta
Cauliflower
Ground Beef
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Large Vegetarian
Asparagus
Leaf Lettuce
Zucchini
Radishes
Kohlrabi
Collard Greens
Strawberries*
Rhubarb
Asian Greens
Spinach
Tomatoes
Feta
Cauliflower
Vegetarian Quiche (frozen)
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Small Vegan
Asparagus
Leaf Lettuce
Zucchini
Radishes
Kohlrabi
Collard Greens
Strawberries*
Asian Greens
Rhubarb
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*Strawberries are very very difficult for us logistically. We run trucks Wed thru Saturday to get fresh berries. The farmers have no clue how many berries they will have until they are done picking and sorting them.
I'm saying, if we run into a shortage - perhaps due to rain - we will have to exclude berries from some routes. I don't want to do this, but that's farming. We'll see what happens.
Overall though, I can tell you one thing for sure. When it rains the berries have a shorter shelf life than usual. The excess water makes them more perishable. Please eat immediately or macerate them to extend the shelf life. Instructions above in the strawberry section.
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