Monday, January 4, 2010

UPDATED: New Website, Family Packages, and Meat CSA!!!


CSA's have been growing rapidly across the country. They offer consumers and farmers the opportunity to work together and mutually benefit. The way a CSA works is the customer pays up front for the year's harvest. This money is prudently used by the farmer to help pay for costs associated with farming. The farmer has enough cash to avoid loans and saves in interest. This is often passed on to the customer in lower costs and/or larger share of the harvest.

We would like to offer our customers the chance to save money by investing in their food up front with our Family Packages and Meat CSA shares! This will help give us the cash flow we need to operate for the year. Please help support our farm and our farming methods by buying one of our Family Packages or CSA shares. Encourage your friends, family, and coworkers to do the same! Your health will benefit, our local economy will benefit, and animals being treated humanely and raised naturally benefit by enjoying a good life. If you are like us and believe this is the way all meat should be raised please show your support.  Buying your meat now will save you on monthly grocery bills while spoiling your family with premium, clean, healthy meats.  Tax returns are coming and this is a healthy, delicious way to use some of that extra money.

Beginning in 2010 we will be offering three sizes of Family Packages as well as CSA shares. Each size Family Package is designed to provide meat for a family for one year. A small Family Package is sized for a family of two. A medium Family Package will provide for a family of three to four. A large Package will provide for a family of five to eight. These are ball park estimates and each family will want to evaluate their own needs. You choose when you would like your beef and pork delivered. The chicken can be delivered all at once or in increments through the months of May-November. Turkey will be delivered in November.

We understand that not everybody has a large deep freeze or even room for one.  If this is the case, then a CSA share may be a better choice for you.  One CSA share will give you 10 lbs of meat per month.  This may include beef, pork, or chicken.  We will try and always give you meat from at least two animals and will disperse the premium cuts the best we can.  Please keep in mind that a beef only produces so many T-Bone steaks but a lot of hamburger.  Regardless, it is all of the highest quality.  If you have a larger family or like to eat meat, then you may want to buy two or three shares depending on your needs.  Each share is $50 and must be purchased in increments of 6 months at a time (Total of $300).  If you buy one year at a time, we can offer a discount of $25 for a total of $575.   CSA shares will begin in May but we encourage you to purchase now as we will only offer 30 shares to begin with.  After that we will go to a wait list.  At that point we will evaluate if we can handle more CSA shares. 

Although our prices are similar (and often less) than that you would pay in the grocery store, we can't compare them as they are not even the same product. We offer gourmet quality meats. We raise non-commercial heritage breeds, that are raised ethically and sustainably, fed premium 100% vegetarian feeds, handled humanely, and processed in clean owner operated facilities. As always, we never use antibiotics, hormones, or any other chemical. A quick Meat CSA Google search will reveal what a value we are offering as most of the results will show prices anywhere from $7-$10/lb. We are pleased to offer our CSA shares at $5.00/lb of actual cuts and just under $4.00/lb for Family Packages.

Below you will find the amount of meat included in each Family Package. The lbs/month and $/month is listed to give you an idea of how much meat you will be receiving. We do not deliver these amounts monthly, nor do we charge on a monthly basis. All the beef in your share will be delivered at one time, the same is true for the pork and turkey. You can pick up your chickens in one delivery or pick them up throughout the season (May-November). Once you have placed your order, we will contact you to get a few preferences. For example with the pork, you can choose if you want the hams and bacon smoked/cured or fresh. You will also get to choose between breakfast sausage and ground pork.

We are constantly hearing from our customers that they didn't realize how dramatically different and delicious pork could taste. Having raised our own beef, turkey, and chicken by the same standards as our pork we have discovered the equally dramatic difference in our own beef, turkey, and chicken. We are excited to share this with our customers by offering these products in 2010. Get ready for meats that are clean, moist, tender, and loaded with flavor! Prepare to experience what beef, pork, chicken, and turkey were meant to be.

A CSA Share will include:
10 lbs of a combination of Pork, Beef, and Chicken every month for the length of time purchased.  (If you are interested in a Heritage Turkey, you will want to order this separately.

A Small Family Package will include:

1/8 Beef (Around 50 lbs of cuts)
1/4 Pork (Around 35 lbs of cuts)
1 Whole Turkey (Around 15 lbs)
12 Whole Chickens (Around 50 lbs)

This totals around 150 lbs of meat for $588. This will give you a little over 12 lbs per month of gourmet quality meat for $49/month or just $3.92/lb.

A Medium Family Package will include:

1/4 Beef (Around 100 lbs of cuts)
1/2 Pork (Around 70 lbs of cuts)
2 Whole Turkeys (Around 30 lbs)
24 Whole Chickens (Around 100 lbs)

This totals around 300 lbs of meat for $1176. This will give you about 25 lbs per month of gourmet quality meat for $98/month or just $3.92/lb.

A Large Family Package will include:

1/2 Beef (Around 200 lbs of cuts)
1 Whole Pork (Around 140 lbs of cuts)
3 Whole Turkeys (Around 45 lbs)
36 Whole Chickens (Around 150 lbs)

This totals around 535 lbs of meat for $2100. This will give you about 45 lbs per month of gourmet quality meat for $175/month or just $3.92/lb.

Our website is very much in its developmental phase but now allows for online deposits, and payments.  Check it out and let us know what you think!

http://www.christiansenfarm.com/

9 comments:

Christy P. said...

Wow, Christiansens!! This is great! More details about when beef & pork will be delivered will be helpful so that our freezers can be appropriately empty.

Christiansen's Hog Heaven said...

Our new website has a page under "Order" titled "Availability". This shows when products are available. You can also view it by following this link. http://www.christiansenfarm.com/?q=node/29

Beginning in February we are hoping to be able to process pigs every month of the year. Beef will be a little different as we can only butcher when we have the whole beef sold. We will just have to work together and try to coordinate. If you give us a time frame then we can work on selling the rest of the beef to meet that time frame.

Anonymous said...

Nice job developing a niche market. The idea that all of you people feel the need to trash all large scale agriculture is appalling. If you think for a minute that the rest of us are lazy, complacent and abusive of our animals, then you are ignorant as well narrow minded. Get educated on what real agriculture is all about.

Christiansen's Hog Heaven said...

Thank you Anonymous for taking the time to comment. Are you interested in a discussion or just trying to vent somewhere? The reason I ask is your comment seems to miss the main issues we have with many traditional large scale farms. It actually isn't large scale agriculture that we take issue with it is the unsustainable, irresponsible, and unethical practices of farms of all sizes we are concerned about.

Before I go on, you suggested that I get "educated on what real agriculture is all about." For the record, I have a Bachelors of Science in Agricultural Science in which I graduated Summa Cum Laude. My degree was all about traditional agriculture and large scale production. I consider myself well read in more natural farming techniques as well non traditional techniques such as hydroponics and aquaponics.

I have clearly outlined what my issues with many large scale operations are. My number one issue is animal welfare. As stewards and caretakers of animal I believe that God will hold us accountable for how we have cared for his creations. I don't believe that animals like pigs should be confined to 8 ft2 their entire life, never see the light of day and be kept alive on antibiotics. Nor do I believe that chickens should have their beaks cut off and bred to grow so fast that they suffer from their legs collapsing under their own weight. I also take issue with large confinement operations (CAFOs) polluting our water with pharmaceuticals and nitrates from run off. It isn't necessary. There are healthier ways to farm.

Nowhere have I stated that large scale farmers are lazy. Nor have I stated that all large operations abuse their animals. Are you making this up or do you have me confused with another website? There is a lot of abuse however and it is well documented.

In your comment you use the phrase "all you people", and then make false claims against me and "all you people". You assume that whoever "all you people" are hold the same views as me and falsely state what you think our position is. If this isn't a textbook example of narrow-mindedness and ignorance I don't know what is. Additionally, you didn't leave your name or any type of contact information. I have put myself out there in front of thousands of people. Do you have the same courage?

You are welcome to come visit my farm anytime. After seeing my operation, we can go and visit a confinement operation. Then let's sit down and have a discussion about the pros and cons of each farming style. I will gladly give you a free sample of my pork which you can try against any confinement raised pork you choose. Maybe then, you will begin to see what all the hype is about. Best of luck to you!

Anonymous said...

I've been looking around your blog and new site. I'm excited to try your products but would like to make a comment.

You talk about feeding your animals "wholesome grain" in a couple places. This phrase makes me uneasy about what you're feeding them and you might want to think about being more specific or providing more information. Not everyone thinks grain is wholesome these days, especially things like wheat and corn, and especially consumers looking for pastured and grassfed animals.

Emily said...

I love what you are doing! I am curious, If the grass fed beef is included in the CSA? If not is the beef still organic?

I am interested in The CSA, and any other grass fed animal products!

Christiansen's Hog Heaven said...

Anonymous,

We feed all our animals the best feeds we can find. The cows feed on grass/alfalfa pasture exclusively and are never fed grain.

Chickens and pigs have completely different digestive systems from cows and require higher energy foods like grain. Our feed for our pigs and chickens is primarily grown right here in Vernon by other farmers and milled here as well. Currently we are feeding them a mixture of naked oats and alfalfa. The reason I list "wholesome grains" is because to me it means clean pesticide free grain. We are always experimenting with different kinds of feeds in order to try and see if we can find mixtures that animals grow well on and can be grown locally. In the past we have bought Utah grown corn but it doesn't grow well in Vernon since it is too cold. Wheat is a very hard grain and isn't easily digested by the pigs. All of our animals always have access to pasture and in the winter we feed them hay that has been preserved from previous growing season.

Christiansen's Hog Heaven said...

Emily,

Yes, the grass fed beef is included in our CSA share. Our CSA shares include a mixture of cuts from our Grass Fed Beef, Pasture Raised Berkshire Pork, and whole Pasture Raised Chickens. Please check out our website www.ChristiansenFarm.com to sign up.
Thanks!

Marci~ said...

My husband and I decided to stay up late on a "school night" last night and finally watch Food Inc. It sealed the deal and gave us the final push to place our first CSA order with you, which I just did this morning!

We've been feeling the need for this change for some time and are so thankful that there are folks like you out there who made this such an easy and honestly affordable decision to make. Bravo to you and many years of success!! We are lucky to have you here in Utah!

Gratefully yours,
The Jenks Family