In store |
Passover lamb |
Sound bites |
 Don’t skimp on shrimpWhile cheap seafood imports flood meat cases, Ranch Foods Direct sells only USA Mississippi Gulf shrimp. CLICK HERE to read about the challenging livelihoods of U.S. shrimpers, who seek simply to “fish another day.” |
Ode to desk dwellers |
 RECIPE BOX Try a refreshing new spin for Ranch Foods Direct ingredients like fiery George’s Jams, Callicrate homestyle beef broth or Haystack Mountain Goat Cheese logs, CLICK HERE. |
| “What I do is more than farming. It’s learning how to care for life and improve society. I believe the farmer is the closest servant to God.” — Japanese farmer Susumu Hashimoto |
Featuring Chipotle Short Ribs this month, $3.29/lb. 
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April 2008 “When one flower blooms, spring awakens everywhere.” — Irish poet and writer John O’Donohue |
Beef less traveled The Cortese family farm is a jewel in the desert. |
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| Neat as a pin, tucked into a gentle slope near the Arkansas River, the cattle feeding operation — ultra-professional, impeccably managed but small by modern industrial standards — is run by a friendly father-son duo who epitomize the good will and neighborliness of the valley’s traditional family farms.
Gary Cortese, the operation’s third generation farmer-owner, raises 150 head of cattle a year on a natural feed diet, without artificial growth hormones or sub-therapeutic antibiotics, and sells them directly to customers in the Pueblo area. Despite the challenges, he wants to stay in the cattle business. And he couldn’t direct-market beef like he now does without the help of a local processing and packaging company. That company is Ranch Foods Direct. CLICK HERE for his story. |
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| Did you know? ... The most alarming statistic in Michael Pollan’s bestselling book, In Defense of Food, might be this: In 1960, Americans spent 17.5 percent of the national income on food and 5.2 percent on health care. Today, spending on food has dropped to 9.9 percent of national income, while health-care spending has climbed to 16 percent. | ||
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Wheel of cheese, wheel of life |
| Artisan cheesemaker Meg Cattell is excitedly discussing plans for the greening pastures as we roam her farm southeast of Ft. Collins. “We’ve planted wild geraniums and ox-eye daisies — studies show that you can taste them in the cheese. In Europe, trained tasters could tell what village the cheeses came from — and it was due to the wildflowers,” she explains. “At our dairy, we just want to keep things really regional and as close to the earth as possible.”
Europe comes up a lot as Meg discusses dairy farming and cheesemaking, CLICK HERE. |
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On a roll — Michael Sturdevant is a local legend. Since he started Colorado Bread Company in 2000, his local bakeries have been flooded with customers, and though various retail outlets have opened and closed in the years since, his popularity has never waned. |
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| “We’re slammed,” he says at his newest baking/retail location in the Bonn Shopping Center where everything from rustic breads to elaborate cakes dazzles the eye.
You can buy an assortment of Michael’s breads and pastries at Ranch Foods Direct, including his shop’s made-from-scratch hamburger and hot dog buns, ciabatta, danishes, muffins, tarts and more. For more on Michael’s bakery prowess, CLICK HERE. | ||
Have a clean green summer Order Colorado’s own, organically grown |
Grant Family Farms, located north of Ft. Collins, is the state’s first to gain organic certification from Colorado’s Department of Agriculture. The farm’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program plans to make its fresh seasonal bounty available in Colorado Springs — and throughout the state — this summer. Ann Grant, who represents the CSA in Southern Colorado, says subscription programs are a great opportunity to know the source of your food and buy directly from the farmer for all 26 weeks of the harvest season. Deliveries will be made to a variety of pick-up locations along the Front Range including Ranch Foods Direct in Colorado Springs. Subscribers will enjoy an abundant box of fresh, organic vegetables, herbs, eggs and flowers each week during the growing season. To learn more, to subscribe or to ask any questions about this unique opportunity, Ann urges you to please CLICK HERE to visit them on the internet OR contact her directly at [email protected] or 351-0077 in Colorado Springs. “Thanks in advance for your interest, and I hope to hear from you,” she says. |
| “Earth teach me humility as blossoms are humble with beginning… Earth teach me regeneration As the seed which rises in the spring.” — Ute prayer |
 ... Your local source of natural beef, poultry, buffalo, pork, lamb, eggs, wild seafood, deli meats and cheeses, meals and more! Member, Peak to Plains Alliance
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Store and Meat Plant Mike Callicrate, Owner Please note: You can subscribe to the RFD newsletter or sign up for the birthday club at the Ranch Foods Direct website www.ranchfoodsdirect.com or in our stores. This newsletter is published by: Candace Krebs Writing, Editing, Photography, Design - Candace Krebs is a freelance writer and communications specialist. Contact her at [email protected]. Website design and web page newsletter design by Computer Images, [email protected] - www.graphicandwebdesign.com |
