Locally produced organic beef is in high demand as mad cow takes a bite out of commercial beef industry.
By: Mary Ann Cavallaro
Steer grazing behind fences in pastures, cows huddled together leisurely munching on grass scenes from a west Texas cattle ranch?
In fact, this is a relatively typical sight at Cherry Grove Farm, in Lawrence, and Simply Grazin’, in Hopewell, two local farms that sell everything from beef to produce to nearby restaurants and consumers.
The outbreak of mad cow disease may have hurt the commercial beef industry, but here farmers are reporting that health concerns have whetted the public’s appetite for organic, locally produced food, and ultimately helped their operations.
"The only reason to farm in New Jersey is to sell to people that live in New Jersey," says Kelly Harding, manager of the 200-acre Cherry Grove livestock operation off Route 206, home to beef cattle, dairy cows, lambs, pigs and chickens.
Mr. Harding, originally from Maryland, was hired a year ago to take over the farm, owned by the Hamill Family and part of the state’s Farmland Preservation Program.
Although the livestock operation is not yet certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as organic a designation given to farms that, among other things, don’t feed livestock antibiotics or animal byproducts Mr. Harding farms organically. The beef cattle, dairy cows, lambs, pigs and chickens all graze freely. The cattle also feed on grass rather than grain, and growth hormones or synthetic proteins commonly added to the feed of commercial cattle are never used.
"We’d don’t use any antibiotics or pesticides or anything like that on our farm," he said. "We farm organically because we think it’s the right thing to do."
All of Cherry Grove Farm’s meat is processed at a USDA-inspected, family-run abattoir in New Jersey. Products are sold via the Internet, at farmers’ markets and by individual appointments at the farm. Ground beef costs $5 per pound while a T-bone steak is $12.50 per pound roughly $1 more than the average supermarket price, depending on the quality of the beef.
Cherry Grove sold 20 cows in 2003 with sales steadily increasing since the farm opened in September.
Because the farm is still so young, Mr. Harding said it’s not possible to quantify how much mad cow has impacted his business, but he says that it’s usually on the minds of his customers.
Similarly, when Karen and Mark Faille purchased their farm, which they now call Simply Grazin’, in Hopewell in 1996, they made a commitment to strive to live in harmony with nature and that commitment was carried over to the community. Mr. Faille feels strongly that the community should know the "face of the people who grow the meat."
Their original 2-cow, 40-acre operation has since grown to include over 120 cows and 500 acres of farmland preservation property,
The farm sells organic beef, pork, chicken and eggs, and Mr. Faille reports that orders for beef have doubled since the mad cow outbreak.
"More than half of the people who call us to order are now calling because of mad cow," he said. "Many say they had an interest in organic beef, but mad cow just pushed them over the edge.
"I think our local connection, grass feeding and organic qualities just give people that extra security blanket they’re looking for."
Mr. Faille also stressed that while he is profit driven, he’s not trying to "manipulate anything" including the public’s fear of mad cow disease.
But really, he doesn’t need to.
Local fine-dining establishments provide a steady stream of demand for Simply Grazin’ products. Mediterra Restaurant and The Nassau Club, both of Princeton, and The Brothers Moon, of Hopewell, are all regular customers.
"Our prices may be between 25 and 50 percent higher than what you might see in a local butcher or grocery store, but our products offer a healthier alternative," Mr. Faille said.
Mediterra owner Carlo Momo agrees.
Mediterra has always sought to buy organic, local or grass-fed products to insure quality meat, he said, but there is a "demand in general for eating healthier," he observes, since the mad cow scare.
At Whole Earth Center, a nonprofit natural foods store in Princeton that purchases beef from organic farms like Simply Grazin’, General Manager Jen Murray says demand for organic beef jumped nearly 50 percent over the last year due to the concerns about mad cow. "We’ve definitely had a huge increase in consumer demand for organic beef," she said.
So much so, in fact, that it’s been hard to keep beef on the shelves.
"Unfortunately our supplier has also had that increase, so it’s hard to keep up with demand. When you’re a small local farmer, it takes a certain amount of time to process that cattle."
For more information, visit www.cherrygrovefarm.com or www.simplygrazin.com.