SEPTEMBER 2015

The New Header
"Nobody sees a flower, really. We haven't time, and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time." - Artist Georgia O'Keeffe
Bundle up for fall with pork!     
Buying in bulk saves a lot; offers great variety for less cost 
Plus, find great late summer pork specials throughout the store

Just in time for Labor Day weekend, Ranch Foods Direct is launching the Pig Pool program to compliment the existing Cow Pool program.

Pooling is similar to the CSA model, in which customers buy a share of a farm's production and then get their product delivered throughout the season. In the case of meat, the customer is simply buying a portion of an animal as reflected in the percentage of chops, hams, ribs, roasts, fresh side and ground pork sausage that are bundled together.

"You can buy a portion of a pig or you can encourage friends and family to go 'whole hog' and share an entire animal between them," says Ranch Foods Direct owner Mike Callicrate (shown at right). "There's a significant savings to the customer, but it also helps the farmer by allowing him to sell the whole animal rather than trying to find a market for all the different parts and pieces."
 
"We timed this special promotion to give our customers a chance to stock up for hearty meals they can enjoy throughout the fall and winter," he adds.

NEW Pork Rib Chop Bundle  
on special now for $102.99 per case.
Selection of pork chops includes: 
10 (10 oz.) Bone-In Rib Chops 
4 (1 lb.) pkg. Boneless Thin Center Cut Chops 
6 (1 lb.) pkg. Boneless Center Cut Chops 

Museum director helps keep local history alive
   
Matt Mayberry (left) has served as executive director of the Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum for the past 12 years. Located near downtown, the free museum helps keep the community's unique history alive. Last month the museum hosted the second annual Colorado Grown Festival, with food trucks, special exhibits, permaculture demonstrations and urban homesteading classes on fiber arts, food preservation and much more. (Photos right)
 
It just so happens that Mayberry is a Ranch Foods Direct fan who shops the store regularly. He agreed to share his insights.
 
HOW OFTEN DO YOU SHOP RANCH FOODS DIRECT? A couple of times a month.
 
NAME SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCTS: I love the ribeye steaks and the Italian sausage. I like to mix the pork and chicken sausages together. The bacon. I love the ice creams, but I try to avoid them, if I can.
 
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR COOKING STYLE? During the week, I like things quick and convenient, but I love to cook on the weekends. I make the Sunday dinners at our house.
 
ANY SPECIAL FAMILY FOOD TRADITIONS? Philly cheese steak has become somewhat of a tradition that we do on New Year's Eve. It started with some friends of ours who were from Philly. They've since moved back to Philly, but we are keeping the tradition going. Since I discovered the Philly steak meat at Ranch Foods Direct, I've been having a lot of fun with it.
 
WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO SHOP RANCH FOODS DIRECT? Nobody can beat the quality of the meat. It's fresh. It's local. Everybody who works there is always kind and friendly and has great suggestions. It's kind of a local institution now the same way the museum is.
 
WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF THE PUBLIC MARKET PROJECT? I think it's a great idea. So many communities have public markets now that are very successful, and I think it will be a very successful model in Colorado Springs. It would be great for me if on my way home from work I could stop somewhere downtown and pick up something local for dinner. 

Upcoming events to greet the golden days of September...    
Annual Poopalooza manure distribution event Sept. 19  

It's time to prepare your yard and garden to be the best it can be next spring! Hormone-free manure provided in exchange for a free will donation

 
 
Colorado Collective's final farm-to-table dinner Sept. 26...    
...featuring a heritage hog provided by Ranch Foods Direct
 
CHEF KEVIN CAMPBELL, shown at right showing off some of his delicious charcuterie made using traditional old-world techniques, will be hosting the final farm-to-table dinner of the season put on by the creative team at Colorado Collective. Kevin is hosting the extravaganza of good eating at his rural home near Monument, and it is being billed as the party of all parties! To celebrate another great season of local food, the feast will conclude with live music and dancing.
 
Ranch Foods Direct is donating a pig for Kevin to roast. Expect an extravaganza of nose-to-tail cooking. Among the offerings he has promised: samples of fresh homemade sausages and artisan-style charcuterie!
 
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26.
Tickets: only $68 per person
Go to the Colorado Collective website and click on the EVENTS tab for tickets. Or CLICK HERE
Be forewarned: Collective Plate dinners do sell out!
 
Unique educational opportunity at UCCS in mid-September 
Get to know your locally grown grains!