Meet CSA Member Laura!
Laura is a newer member to the CSA but a seasoned resident of Bend. Having lived in the area for 20 years, she has seen the growth and change to the area first hand.
She lives on the outskirts of Bend with her husband and two children. They live near the river and take full advantage of all it offers them such as swimming and hiking.
Her family are big advocates of the CSA and are always eager and excited to get their share every month!
JOIN DATE
2021
CSA PICKUP LOCATION
Bend
SHARE TYPE
10# share
WINNING THE MEAT LOTTERY
Back in 2021, Laura found herself thinking about diverse themes related to the pandemic, such as global markets and the world at large. It had been on her mind for years to look into buying her meat locally.
Stretching back to childhood in Minnesota, her family got most of their meat from her father’s hunting. She knew what it was like to eat meat that wasn’t from a store. All of this created a strong sense that:
“We need to know what we’re eating and where our meat is coming from.
I was just interested in getting my food locally and sustainably and from people I trusted.”
Laura hopped onto the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance website. That is where she found the Double F Ranch. She started messaging meat CSAs to see who had room. She quickly hit the CSA jackpot; the Double F Ranch CSA was the first that could get her in!
“I was so excited and very happy to be part of their CSA because their meat is amazing and they’re wonderful people. I got lucky.”
VALUE OF THE CSA
Laura cannot imagine eating store meat again. The thought of it is not to pleasing. The quality of the CSA meat is what really impressed her and her family. She noticed the difference in taste from the beginning.
Over the year as a new member, she loved the variety in the cuts they received in their share.
Her youngest gets super excited on CSA pickup days. He opens the bag and regularly asks, “Is there bacon?”, cottage bacon to be exact! It is a family favorite!
The CSA has grown their understanding of what it means to eat locally.
“When I prepare a meal with the meat we talk about it as a family and I talk about the food more. I think we just appreciate it more. We appreciate the meal.
We appreciate the hard work that went into the meal, not just by preparing it but the raising of the animal. ”
FAVORITE CUTS AND MEALS
There are many CSA cuts of meat that are favorites around the dinner table. One cut of meat, in particular, the beef tenderloin, had Laura and her family scrambling for the last bits of meat. It was so tender and tasty that they couldn’t get enough!
Some of the family’s go-to meals include:
Pasta and ground pork sausage
Grilled steak with veggies
Pork chops, a CSA all-time favorite!
ADVICE TO NEW MEMBERS
Laura loves to cook and found the transition to the CSA meat to be seamless. She highly recommends not being intimidated by the CSA.
“Don’t be intimidated by the different cuts that you might get. The fun of it is trying to figure out the best way to use it. Checking out how to use the different cuts, what’s in the share for the month, and deciding what you’re going to do with it. ”
Laura has found the emails from the CSA including recipes, tips and tricks to be very useful in her cooking. She also uses a lot of online resources such as the New York Times cooking for inspiration.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Laura and her family have no plans of going back to non-CSA meat and enjoy sharing about their experience with others.
“I just am really grateful for what they do and grateful that I get to be a part of their labor of love and be the beneficiary of it.
I tell everybody that I know about the CSA.”
Thank you Laura for sharing with us about your CSA experience! -Rachel