While surfing on the Farm Fresh RI website, searching for farms that sold local farm raised meet retail I came across Locust Leaf Farm in Foster Rhode Island.
Specializing in Custom Slaughter
Fresh Artisan Beef, Lamb, & Poultry
Foster, Rhode Island
Fresh Artisan Beef, Lamb, & Poultry
Foster, Rhode Island
For more information, please contact Bill and Julia at 401-647-4385
Locust Leaf Farm is a small local farm specializing in Fresh beef, turkey, chicken, and Lamb. They do NOT use any antibiotics, hormones, etc. When you pull up to the farm, not only are you greeted by the dog but the sheep, cattle, pigeons and the chickens are all very close. When I pulled into the driveway the family was out planting vegetables under the supervision of their dog.
The unique part of their farm is that they have a clean, state of the art processing facility on the property. With this, they are able to cut and wrap the meat on the property, ensuring that their customers get the cuts they want, and that the meat is not handled by multiple people. They also have meat cutting services available to other farms.
Last week when I called Locust Leaf Farm to see what products were available. When Julia answered she asked me what I was interested in and why, and then I was asked to first the farm. Then after the visit, if I like what I observed I could be put on the waiting list and then we could discuss what items are available for sale. I liked that idea, so I schedule for a tour.
Locust Leaf Farm, is a small farm, with just enough animals to provide fresh meat for the family and for a small group of customers. I love the idea of seeing the animals all in one location (a few cows were in friends fields off the farm) and knowing how they have been treated and when and where they were slaughtered.
The following are the details and photo's of my tour:
I arrived shortly after 1:30 pm, and as I mentioned above Julia and her two daughters where out planting vegetable plants in the front yard. I was quickly greeted and given a tour of the picturesque farm. First stop, the butcher shop. Very small, but appropriately sized for the size of the farm and the amount of meat they butcher.
The Butchery:
The Chickens for slaughter-
Although the don't know it, they will be killed tomorrow, and the meat ready for sale the next day.
The Next Generation
The next group of chickens to eat drink and cluck until they are time for slaughter.
The Hens for Eggs:
The Cattle:
Oreo (in the first picture) is a friendly cow, she comes right up to greet you...
The New Addition:
The Sheep
Luckily for the farm each mother gave birth to two lambs.
After the tour, I was able to buy some ground beef and a beautiful sirloin steak and am now on their contact list. Farms like Locust Leaf Farm, Blackbird Farm (see my blog a few posts ago) are great examples that farms can survive in today's economy, compete (albeit on a small scale) against large box stores. And perhaps the most important part is that the product has been treated humanely, is superior in taste and quality and is clearly a better for the environment.
The adult chickens get slaughtered tomorrow, the turkeys right before Thanksgiving, the sheep in the fall.
For more information, please contact Bill and Julia at 401-647-4385
Until I blog again, Eat Well, Live Life and Be Safe
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