Meat has seasons too
“Imagine if we had a food system that actually produced wholesome food. Imagine if it produced that food in a way that restored the land. Imagine if we could eat every meal knowing these few simple things: What it is we’re eating. Where it came from. How it found its way to our table. And what it really cost. If that was the reality, then every meal would have the potential to be a perfect meal. We would not need to go hunting for our connection to our food and the web of life that produces it. We would no longer need any reminding that we eat by the grace of nature, not industry, and that what we’re eating is never anything more or less than the body of the world. I don’t want to have to forage every meal. Most people don’t want to learn to garden or hunt. But we can change the way we make and get our food so that it becomes food again—something that feeds our bodies and our souls. Imagine it: Every meal would connect us to the joy of living and the wonder of nature. Every meal would be like saying grace.”
― Michael Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
All fruits and vegetables are more abundant in some seasons than others, and although most folks don’t realize it but the same is true for meat and eggs. As a farmer who sells directly to customers, whether it is individuals or restaurants, I think a lot about how to match product supply with demand throughout the year. Many of our customers understand the seasonal cycles of our products. They often buy extra in times of abundance to freeze or preserve for later use. When this happens between farmer and consumer it represents the natural ebb and flow of production, which matches the natural cycle of spring abundance, a plateau in summer, the fall larder and a continual decline until the following spring. A lot of effort and money is spent by our industrialized food system to produce meat and eggs year round, which has created foods that are cheap and lack nutrients. When we bring animals inside within a controlled environment, also known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, we control our food supply and simply take the seasonality out of meat and eggs.
The “fattened calf” isn’t just an ancient celebratory meal, but also sensible harvesting. Farmers simply slaughtered their cattle after they’ve had ample time to fatten up. Grass and other forages grow in abundance during the spring and summer, as fall approaches the first frost kills the horn flies, rains typically arrive, and grass is the sweetest. Calves ramp up their forage intake on this lush seasonal abundance, all the while enjoying cooler weather and “beefing up.” This fattening period is a mammal’s natural response to prepare for winter. This makes late fall to early winter the perfect time to harvest calves before the virtual famine of winter sets in.
They don’t call it a “spring chicken” for no reason. Spring is when the hens egg production has peaked and the yolks color is brightest and most nutritious. Chickens usually lay for about a year and then go through a period called molting. Molting is a dormancy period, typically during the winter when daylight hours are lowest. During molting their egg production ceases, new feathers are grown and fat preserves are replenished. Another factor that effects egg production is that chickens have a high metabolism. During cold weather they use all of the calories that they consume to stay warm rather than lay eggs. The last major factor is daylight hours, which effects hormones that secrete chemicals to their glands, thus allowing them to lay eggs. As daylight hours get short during the fall production slows, and as the winter solstice approaches egg production is at its lowest. Culturally our demand for eggs peaks in the fall and wanes in the spring, which is exactly opposite of a chickens’ natural production cycle.
The practice of eating seasonally was routine before refrigeration and the industrialized food system replaced animals raised on pasture in accordance with natures rhythmical cycles. Here are some simple ways to harmonize your eating habits with the seasonal availability:
Visit your local farmer’s market
Make a list of products in your region and when they are available.
Preserve abundant food for when it’s in short supply.
If you don’t have a chest freezer get one. You will be able to preserve much more food.
Find resources that teach you about food preservation.
Some of my recent favorite books on cooking and food preservation are:
Jerky: The Fatted Calf’s Guide to Preserving and Cooking Dried Meaty Goods by Taylor Boetticher
We have some really nice Parker Creek Ranch beef in the freezer that was harvested in November and December on lush pasture! It has some of the best marbling we have produced yet. Stock up your freezer for the year by checking out our bulk buys. We sell whole, half or quarters as well as several nice "boxes" to choose from. Follow this link to find out more: https://www.parkercreekranch.com/grass-fed-beef/
