With the exception of my once-a-year jumbo corndog indulgence at the state fair, I don’t eat pork. Turkey? Sometimes. Chicken? Guilty as charged. Cow and pig? No thank you.
Nevertheless, when I was invited to accompany Grange’s Chef Tuohy to an organic pig farm last week, I could not help myself—I was beyond curious.
Dressed in a pair of old jeans and my trusted pink polka-dotted rainboots, I carried a flip cam in one hand and my camera in the other. We quickly escaped Sacramento’s torrential downpour, only to be welcomed to Riverdog Farm with a burst of sunshine. As we drove along the narrow windy rode, I was taken back by the immense beauty—for as far as I could see, there was nothing but green.
The farm was much bigger than I expected, and again, lushly green. Tim the farmer gave us an in-depth tour and I was slightly shocked by how open he was. Within minutes, he had invited us to take photos while we walked all over the property. I was immediately reminded of Food, Inc., where many of the farmers refused to let cameramen anywhere near their farm. That was simply not the case at Riverdog, because thankfully, they had nothing to hide. Their animals are treated very well, and while I was somewhat appalled at certain verbiage used that day (slaughter, chop, etc), Chef kindly reminded me that the pigs were simply meeting their fate. They were raised to be food, not raised to be pets.
Okay, I get it. But looking at the baby pigs did not make that logic any easier to accept.
However, at the end of the day, it was truly amazing to see this farm in action. They raise pigs and chickens, as well as harvest fruits and vegetables. All year round, that is their job. I thought of Epitaph for a Peach, and the fact that farming is such a different lifestyle, yet so many people make a living that way and go completely unnoticed to most of us.
I couldn’t help but think about how much food is glamorized in today’s society. We order off menus at fancy restaurants, and our meat appears at the table perfectly cooked and seasoned. Nevermind the fact that a farmer was taking care of that animal for YEARS prior to your dinner reservation. He fed it, he took care of it, and he made that dish possible (well, him and the grace of God). That animal was delivered, potentially whole, to the kitchen of the fancy restaurant, where they broke it down and created dishes from the pieces.
Our food is equally glamorized at the grocery store—presented to us in neat little plastic packaging. Do you ever wonder where that meat comes from? Do you ever check to see what that animal was fed?
This is something I have always been passionate about, and probably moreso after I saw Food, Inc. last year. I’d be lying if I said we always buy organic, but I would confidently say that 90% of the meats, fruits, and veggies I cook with, are organic. Even though it can be expensive at times, our purchases cast a vote, and I want my voice to be heard. Needless to say, I am proud to represent a wonderful restaurant like Grange who believes in the same purpose.
Food for thought this week (no pun intended): Do you know where your food comes from?
Sites worth visiting:
Grange
Slow Food USA
California Farmers’ Market
Riverdog Farm
Community Supported Agriculture
And if you’d like to see more of my trip to the pig farm, check out the video here.
