Meet the Member: Lauren and Ryan

Meet CSA Members Lauren and Ryan!

Lauren and Ryan are newer members and an amazing addition to our CSA family. They are a kind, social, and locally minded pair.

Lauren works in healthcare and Ryan owns a graphic design business and in the winter he works selling skis to retailers. They both love to ski, mountain bike, get outside, and fly fish.

Both transplants to the state (Lauren from Vermont, Ryan from Colorado), they lived in Portland for over a decade before making their way over the mountains to Bend right as the pandemic shutdowns were beginning.

As Lauren puts it, “It was an interesting time to move to a new place where you couldn’t go anywhere.” Over time they adapted and are thoroughly enjoying the next chapter of their lives in the high desert.

JOIN DATE

2021

CSA PICKUP LOCATION

Bend

SHARE TYPE

10# Standard share

LEARNING ABOUT DOUBLE F RANCH Meat CSA

When Ryan and Lauren lived in Portland, they were a part of a vegetable CSA. Being familiar with the CSA model and wanting to continue to support local agriculture, Lauren began searching for one in Bend after they moved.

She had heard of meat CSAs before and decided to look into what options were available in the area to get access to local meat.

After coming across Double F Ranch’s pastured meat CSA, she joined the wait list. When Katia messaged to let them know the CSA was expanding to accommodate more people during the pandemic, they jumped at the opportunity to join.

COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING LOCAL

Lauren grew up knowing what it meant to really live a local food lifestyle. Having lived in a small town in Vermont, she had experienced connections with local farmers to source food - they had a veggie CSA growing up, got their milk from the local dairy and bought maple syrup from the syrup place around the corner.

Being a part of the CSA allows them to embrace that local lifestyle now with their own family.

“Probably in college you kind of drift away from a lot of that and then you kind of come back to your roots of where your food comes from.

Oregon really nurtures that environment of trying to shop locally. So, it was a really easy transition.

We were always trying to be good at it. As best we can. And now we have more opportunities to do that.”

— Lauren

It is of equal importance to Ryan to have that connection to the community and one way to do that is by spending money locally and getting to know the producer.

“I think the biggest thing for me is - I’m a huge shop local sort of guy. Anytime we’re going to spend money on something, as long as it’s going to somebody local, that’s better.

It’s even better if we have a relationship with the ranchers. It’s been awesome. It’s all about keeping money in the community.”

— Ryan

CONNECTING TO YOUR FARMER

Connecting to the farmer who produces your food is key to feeling more connected to what you are eating. That trusting relationship is why so many stay in the CSA. Lauren and Ryan quickly felt like Nathan and Katia were paying attention to them personally and cared about them.

“You just feel like you’re not getting your meat from some generic place. That they are considering you as a person and what you like.

That’s really nice and an important part of why we do it.”

— Lauren

Ryan loves to make jerky and asked Katia about getting some London broil to make it. Katia was completely honest that she didn’t know much about that cut but said she would research it and get back to them.

And she did. She sent along a detailed email about how London broil is not a specific cut, but a cooking style that can use many different cuts - hence why she’d never gotten a cut labeled “London Broil” from the butcher (and why Ryan may have had trouble sourcing the same cut from the butcher shop). She recommended specific cuts that would be great for jerky-making.

“Katia didn’t look at me like I’m an idiot like most butchers do. She took the time to figure it out which was so thoughtful and we learned a lot.”

— Ryan

“They pick up all the little things. I think it just shows who they truly are. They truly care and are inspired by what they do. That’s perfect. That’s exactly who we want to support.”

— Ryan

Ryan really appreciates the way Nathan and Katia remember his favorite cuts. In particular, he loves the chuck eye steaks.

“It’s one of those lesser-known cuts. When I brought it up not too long ago, they both smiled.

When I see them show up in my share, it’s pretty awesome because there’s only two cuts on a single cow. That’s the thoughtfulness they have. So, I appreciate that. ”

— Ryan

Even in the beginning, Ryan saw a level of attention and detail in the way Double F Ranch communicates with CSA members.

“I remember one of the first emails we got from them was a video of Katia just introducing herself and the CSA.

Being somebody who’s on the marketing side of life, I was just blown away that they took the time, effort, and compassion to do something like that.

They had me at that - hook, line and sinker. ”

— Ryan

TOP CSA QUALITIES

Both Lauren and Ryan appreciate that the CSA provides support with ongoing emails about cooking various cuts and meal ideas.

“Tonight we slow cooked the big ham roast. I remember getting it and thinking, oh gosh, what am I gonna do with this giant piece of ham?

And in one of the emails, Katia mentioned slow cooking it in a few cups of apple juice then shredding it and using it for all sorts of things.

So that’s what we did tonight. We made Cuban style sandwiches and it was delicious.
”

— Lauren

Lauren loves how the CSA has pushed her as a cook:

“I really love to cook it’s kind of taken me a little bit out of my comfort zone with certain cuts of meat that I get. Ones which I would not have normally cooked.

It forces me to think outside of my box as well. What am I going to do with this? Let’s look for new recipes or ways that I could cook this style of meat. So that’s a new adventure for us.”

— Lauren

Both absolutely love the Community Support portion of the CSA and take to heart that they are voting with their dollar to show that they believe in the vision of Nathan and Katia.

“Getting to know them and seeing that this is their passion and that we can actually help them develop it. Our support helps them become the best ranchers they can be.”

— Lauren

Ryan is usually the one who picks up the CSA share every month. He enjoys spending time at the CSA pick-up visiting with Nathan and Katia, even if it is just about the weather.

“We can’t say enough good things about Nathan and Katia. The other thing I would mention about them is their positive attitude. You’re talking about the weather at CSA pickup, like the droughts and whatever ominous things are out there.

They are always saying, “oh yeah our family has been farming in this desert for decades, it’s no big deal to us.”

They are really positive about all that. It’s just refreshing. Makes you want to go help, you know. Like dig a ditch or whatever - just be out there with them. They are great people.
”

— Ryan

FAVORITE CUTS AND MEALS

Ryan is a huge fan of the CSA chorizo. In his words, “it should have its own hashtag!” Hmm…maybe #DFRChorizo!?

They think the tri-tip is especially tasty. Once when Lauren’s parents were visiting, they used their smoker to cook the tri-tip. It made such an impression on her parents that they next time they visited they specifically requested to have it again!

Other cuts they can’t live without:

• Smoked ham

• Steaks

• Ground beef for burgers

• Anything they can throw on the smoker!

Lauren loves using the whole chicken. This last winter she made a lot of:

• Chicken soup

• Matzo ball soup

• Smoked whole chickens

She then saved the bones to make chicken broth for other dishes like risotto.

““It’s nice to be able to feel like you’re using an entire chicken rather than just stealing two wings in a party pack.” ”

— Lauren

FINAL THOUGHTS

“We always recommend it to our friends - get on the wait list! We really promote it to people because we so enjoy it and I think it’s been an enriching experience for us overall. ”

— Lauren

Thank you, Lauren and Ryan, for sharing your experience with the CSA! -Rachel

---

Meet the Member: Nadia

Meet CSA Member Nadia!

Meet Nadia, a seasoned CSA member with plenty of experience cooking for a crowd. Nadia has a blended, multi-generational household that includes three children and her parents.

Her commitment to the CSA and her Belarusian culture plays a large part in her cooking choices. Being a part of the CSA has allowed her to cook more traditional dishes as well as provide high-quality meat for her growing children.

Follow along as you get to read this Meet the Member Interview in Nadia’s own words.

JOIN DATE

2016

CSA PICKUP LOCATION

Portland

SHARE TYPE

20# Share + monthly extras purchases

What led you to look for a meat CSA?

I just found myself being grossed out by the supermarket meat. I don't know how that happened or maybe I watched some kind of documentary. You know how it happens to people. I watched a documentary about commercial meat production.

I just ended up going to the grocery store to buy something for dinner and walking up and down the meat aisle. I wasn’t able to pick up anything at all. I would look at something and I would just have this aversion. It's hard to explain. 

I ended up having my husband go buy meat. I would cook with it, and I wouldn't feel good about it either. I was a vegetarian for a while. But then after I started cooking for the whole family, I couldn't really remain vegetarian because I'm cooking meat.

It was very natural for me to search for better options, and I heard of people buying half a cow. But it just felt like too much.

I remember reading in the blog Katia wrote, that you just needed a regular freezer for a 20-pound bag of frozen meat. So, I thought that will work!

How did you first hear about the CSA?

I actually had to do quite a bit of research. I asked around my social circle and nobody knew anything about a meat CSA. I did a vegetable CSA. I really liked that sort of concept. I wanted to do a meat one and I couldn't find anybody. I even asked on Facebook and nobody knew anything.

I just started Googling. Then came across some kind of research paper that Katia participated in. I read about it and I'm like, “OK, those people look legit.” At the time there were no reviews on Yelp or elsewhere.

There are so many farms doing the CSA model today though. I feel like, even six years ago, it wasn't as common.

I just emailed Katia. As it happens, I used to work on the east side. So, the pickup was literally a 12-minute drive from my work. I was like, oh, this is very convenient. This is meant to be. 

How did you choose your share size?

So I started with a full share (20# share) initially. You know, that wasn't enough because, with so many men in the family, they all want to have at least one meal a day with meat. So I moved on to two full shares.

I sort of realized that there are some very specific types of cuts that I'm wanting to cook with. So what I end up doing now is, I have a full share and then I order probably an equivalent to a whole share from the online store.

It is more expensive to order so much from the online store, but it gives me more control. I have more control over the meat and the type of meats that I have, so it works better for me that way.

What qualities of the CSA do you enjoy the most?

• The CSA basically allows me to cook cultural foods that I wouldn't be able to as easily make. I'm always asking Katia for some special cut like beef tails or liver or pork fatback that is hard to find in a grocery store.

• I like the fact that I don't have to go to the grocery store every time to get meat. Even though sometimes I get a cut of meat and I am like “what do I do with that?” But at the same time, it sort of encourages me to be creative and to learn things.

• I have learned so much from cooking the CSA meat that I wouldn't normally bother to learn, consider, or try. There is not a lot of variety when you just go to the supermarket. I like the variety and ability to expand my cooking horizons. Being allowed to experiment and try. 

• I like the personal touch, almost concierge service. I can tell that Katia is attentive to the needs that I have to feed a whole bunch of people.

  It doesn’t always work out to have just one cut of something because it's not enough for a whole meal. So, I noticed her putting two cuts of something that should normally only have one cut. I appreciate that because it is so nice. She's actually paying attention.

“I like the personal touch, almost concierge service. I can tell that Katia is attentive to the needs that I have to feed a whole bunch of people.

I like this individual approach. It makes you feel special. Like you have your own butcher.”

• Of course, the quality is great. I cannot complain. I can't compare it to anything. I have tried buying meat at the farmer’s market but it was different.

What do you look forward to EVERY month when you pick up your share?

I always make sure I review Katia’s, “What’s in my share.” That way I can order the extras in addition to that. Every once in a while, there is some new cut of meat that I haven't tried before and I'm like, oh, that would be cool to try.  

It’s always good to see Katia and Nathan. It was way better when we could hang out, have a snack and even maybe a glass of wine. I was kind of looking forward to that. It’s kind of comforting to see familiar faces and to know everything is still working as it should. That my meat is coming.

I remember during coronavirus at some point they were saying, we are going to run out of meat because all the chicken plants have to shut down because there are no workers. I remember thinking good thing I have my little CSA. I am not going to run out of meat at least this month. I think it's comforting to have that.

What are your favorite cuts and extras?

I stock up quite a bit on ground beef because we have two teenagers, and they like to have meat. They are not happy with just a little tiny bit on the side. As a result, I end up getting a 10-pound ground beef bulk order almost every single month that feeds them. 

I also purchase larger cuts that would serve the whole family, like a roast or a pork shoulder. We like pork chops. Every once in a while, Katia has some random cuts that I'm interested in trying.

I also buy quite a bit of country sausage and Italian sausage. Those go well with lasagna, which is also an economical way to feed people.

What are the meals that you cook regularly?

We use ground beef a lot. It doesn't excite people that much anymore, but of course, the burgers turn out great, very flavorful.

I've been feeding everyone beef short ribs and put them on polenta. I was essentially raised with cooking whatever is in the fridge. People are happy with that and then I use different kinds of roasts, pork shoulder, or any kind of large piece of slow-cooking meat.

I rotate meals because I have to cook after work. I don't have a lot of time to spend creating different dishes. My ideal dish is something that takes half an hour or less to prep and then cooking and serving another half an hour or so.

I don’t enjoy those elaborate dishes where you have to go to the grocery store and buy a whole bunch of ingredients and then chop them all up. I am still doing it but with what I have in the fridge.

I use recipes that I know. Dinner’s not going to be a flop. Every once in a while, it's good to experiment. But I've learned not to do it on weeknights at least. Sometimes I do it on the weekends when I know we can order pizza if it doesn’t work out.

On weeknights, I like sticking to tried and true meals that I know are just going to come out reasonably well and feed the people. 

I make beef stroganoff and goulash. They both can go on rice and pasta. I slice up meat like cube steak to put on top. I usually do the cube steak because it's relatively inexpensive. The butcher tenderizes it so you don't have to worry about over-cooking it. If you start slicing it while it's still a little bit frozen then it's way easier to slice it finely.

I have used several different cuts of meat for the stroganoff. A lot of them take a while to cook. I need something that cooks up pretty fast like the cube steak.

I also do the vegetable CSA and it limits me on what vegetables I use. I try to use up my vegetables and my meat at the same time. I end up having to be creative because I try not to go and buy extra ingredients for my dish.

It's almost like a puzzle. You have to use up the vegetables before they go bad, pair them with the CSA meat, and try to arrange the meal in a way that people like it too. Takes a little bit of mental work to figure it out. 

In the wintertime, I get quite a bit of sausage because I end up cooking a lot of meals with roasted vegetables and pieces of sausage. Then in the summertime, I end up with lots of leafy greens. I end up either marinating meat and making steak salads or having a big green salad with some protein on the side like a chicken breast or fried up chicken thigh.

What is the #1 reason you stay in the CSA?

“It’s a habit, I can’t imagine not doing it anymore. I still have to eat and feed my family.

If I don’t do the CSA, I just don’t know what other options I would have. So, I guess the number one reason is necessity. ”

FINAL THOUGHTS

“Right now I am enjoying the good food. Food I can feel good about.”

I'm very grateful that I found the CSA. I am just amazed how well it is being run. I'm just happy and grateful to be part of it. I am thankful for all the hard work and dedication that Katia and Nathan put into it and the many people supporting it. I'm looking forward to getting back to connecting with everyone because this is a community effort.

Thank you so much Nadia for sharing your CSA story with us! ~Rachel

Meet the Member: Laura

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

Meet the Member: Bronwen and Stephanie

Meet Bronwen and Stephanie

Bronwen and Stephanie are dedicated CSA members. They have a large, blended family which includes three kids and a wonderful bonus parent.

They relocated to Bend from Washington a few years ago. Bronwen’s job at the Bend Parks and Recreation District has allowed their family to get to know the community better and to get involved.

Community involvement and supporting local agriculture is at the heart of who they are as family. Whether they are buying extras or stocking up on Double F Ranch soap, they love supporting our CSA community!

JOIN DATE

2019

CSA PICKUP LOCATION

Bend

SHARE TYPE

10# Share

LOCAL SUPPORT LEADS TO FINDING The CSA

After Bronwen and Stephanie moved to Bend they started the transition to buy local food.

Having grown up visiting her grandparent’s farm, Stephanie knew from firsthand experience that there was a big difference between store bought food and the fresh meat, eggs, and produce found on the farm.

For Bronwen, the impact of agriculture on the environment was at the forefront of her mind and before joining Double F Ranch Meat CSA she was considering vegetarianism as a way to stay committed to her values.

Bronwen and Stephanie admit that how they discovered the CSA was completely random. They found themselves discussing their efforts to source local food with a friend who then suggested they look into CSAs. They quickly took to the CSA model and found it to be the very food experience they had been seeking.

“In terms of where we’re spending our money, we like to be able to go into a business and see the people who are actually benefiting from it, rather than a big corporation.”

They are now a CSA household, having also joined a vegetable CSA as well!

THREE FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THE CSA

• Quality: After joining, Bronwen and Stephanie could tell the difference in the meat immediately. The CSA has helped them be more mindful about what they eat which has improved the quality of their cooking.

• Environmental Impact: Supporting local farmers who take care of the land and the animals is one of the reasons they joined the CSA.

• Connection: Bronwen and Stephanie love seeing Nathan and Katia every month. They love the connection and being able to share in this unique experience as a family and community.

“When we pick up our food, there’s something really nice to have those brief interactions with [our farmers]. We know that they’re putting themselves into the product that we’re buying from them, and I like that part.

I look forward to going and getting our CSA and seeing them. They are so friendly and it just feels like a community.
”

— Stephanie

MEALTIMES BEFORE CSA VS NOW

Before joining the CSA they found it harder to plan meals. You don’t normally buy a month’s worth of meat at the store. But having a freezer full of meat has helped them plan more efficiently.

It has also helped them save money on their grocery bill! Grocery shopping is more about picking up supplemental food to help compliment the meat and veggies.

One of the joys of joining the CSA is that now Browen and Stephanie’s children are proud of the food that they eat. They all get to relish in the joy of a completely locally-sourced meal!

FILLING THE FREEZER

Having such a dedicated and hungry household means that stocking up on meat is essential. They love having the ability to purchase extra cuts to go along with their CSA share. It is one of the great perks about the CSA.

Some of their favorite extras include:

• Beef Tri Tip

• Ground Beef

• Chicken Wings and Drumsticks

• Carne Asada

• Eggs

• Ground Pork

• Ham Steaks

Some of their favorite meals include:

• Cooking a whole chicken and using the meat to make other meals like enchiladas.

• Meatballs

• Stuffed bell peppers

• Homemade corn dogs, a huge family favorite!

TIPS FOR NEW MEMBERS

It is always refreshing to hear from other members about what was helpful in the beginning of their first CSA season.

Their advice to a new member feeling intimidated by the CSA? Take it slow.

They offered these thoughts on how to think about your share in the beginning:

• It will make life more convenient.

• It does not take up that much space.

• It will help you be more thoughtful about your food and planning.

Another great piece of advice for new members:

• “If you are going to have any houseguests, plan to buy MORE meat.”

In the beginning there were a few times that they would have guests and need to run to the store to buy extra meat. They adjusted quickly though and started planning ahead by buying extras at pick up to keep the freezer well stocked.

Great advice even for seasoned CSA members!

SHARING THE CSA LOVE

Bronwen and Stephanie came into the CSA family by word of mouth, and they enjoy sharing their experience with others in hopes that they too might learn more about CSAs.

“We’re proud of [the CSA]. We love when we have guests coming over and telling them about the CSA.

Honestly, before I had moved here, I didn’t even know about CSAs. A lot of people have never heard about it. A lot of people want to look into it. They want to see if it’s available in their communities.

I’m just proud of it.”

— Stephanie

MORE THAN JUST FOOD

The also are both committed to the Double F Ranch artisan products. They exclusively use the soap made by Kathy and loved the December blog post about Kathy’s creative process.

“We just love the soap so much there’s no way we could go back to normal soap. It’s really neat to read about her story and how she makes it and see the photos. It’s beautiful and it feels so good on your skin.”

— Bronwen

CHAIN OF FOODS

This past October, Katia had the wooden round tray of brightly colored fruit and veggie temporary tattoos sitting at the sign in table.

Their youngest had never had a temporary tattoo, so Stephanie picked one out to bring home. But those veggies were so cute, she grabbed some for the whole family.

When everyone was together, they each picked out a tattoo and placed it on their forearms and took a family photo.

This row of foods was so beloved by Bronwen that she’s decided to get a permanent tattoo of it herself. They decided to call it the chain of foods after their youngest daughter’s favorite Aretha Franklin song, Chain of Fools.

What a sweet CSA memory and moment of family togetherness!

Thank you Bronwen and Stephanie for sharing your CSA experience! -Rachel

Meet The Member: David and Sarah

Meet David

and Sarah

Let me introduce you to Double F Ranch CSA members and Bend CSA Pick Up hosts, David and Sarah.

They met in chiropractic school and found that the greater Bend area provided an accessible and family friendly environment for them to start their own family and small business. Both David and Sarah love the outdoors and were drawn to Central Oregon’s bountiful opportunities for enjoying nature and snowboarding.

David and Sarah are passionate and dedicated small business owners. As owners and chiropractors at Pure Light Family Chiropractic in Bend, they have found their passion in helping support families on their wellness journeys and working to create healthy communities.

Join Date

2017

CSA Pick Up Location

Bend

Share Type

10# lamb share

Finding the CSA

David and Sarah first connected with Nathan and Katia at a potluck at the Bend Birth Center (from 2016-2019 BBC hosted the Bend CSA pickup). They were just starting their family chiropractic practice in Bend and frequently worked with pre- and post-natal clients from BBC.

The CSA piqued their interest. David and Sarah had always understood the importance of high-quality meat and had done a lot of their own digging into what would be the healthiest option for their family.

“The more you go down that rabbit hole of learning about agriculture in this country and factory farming, the more motivated you are to work with farmers who are local and have high standards of quality and care for their animals.”

— Sarah

They interviewed Nathan and Katia, asking them lots of questions. They were both blown away by the quality, attention to detail, care of the animals, and overall CSA support and decided to join.

Super Hosts

In 2019, the CSA Pick up site at Bend Birth Center was no longer feasible due to a parking lot redesign. At the time Sarah and David offered to host the CSA pickup at their own business, Pure Light Family Chiropractic.

Fast forward a few years and dozens of CSA pickups later, and David and Sarah love hosting the Bend CSA Pick Up. Their clients love it and their staff loves it too! So much so that, as of this interview, all their staff members are CSA members too!

Creating intentional Community Connections

The strong connection between the CSA and David and Sarah is by design. Their commitment to building “community” is at the heart of who they are as people and providers. It is evident in the choices they make as a family and in how they run their business.

“The biggest thing we always envisioned with our practice, was not just delivering high quality chiropractic care, but creating a community surrounding a healthy lifestyle.

People are open and willing to change, and we offer these things right at their fingertips. They are already coming here for chiropractic care. There is a meat CSA and a vegetable CSA drop off here. We have connections to other health care providers.

We’ve created a big community around raising children in an alternative way.
”

— David

The Value of Belonging To The CSA

The benefits of the Meat CSA, go way beyond just having a full freezer. The added merit comes in the ways that the CSA allows you to not only live out your own values, but also find new and meaningful ways of living.

For David and Sarah that meant benefiting from the closer connection to their food source.

“We love being able to get to know the ranchers who put the time, energy and love into producing [our food].

The closer that you can get to the food sources we consume and having relationships with those who produce that product, the better it is. It’s all about community.”

— David

The CSA created an opportunity for David and Sarah to learn more about cooking. When they first joined the CSA, they were met with the task of getting such a variety of different cuts of meat. They embraced that challenge with a positive can-do attitude, asking, “How can I learn more about this cut?"

“Before the CSA it was more ground beef and pre-packaged chicken breast or chicken thighs. I didn’t really get creative with meat, it was just kind of like the basics and with the CSA you get such a variety like lamb, pork and different steaks that I never would think to get. It is not only nutritionally beneficial for your body, but also really makes cooking interesting and fun.”

— Sarah

One of the unique ways that David and Sarah have benefited from the CSA is in their use of organ meat.

A little backstory here. Both David and Sarah have spent a lot of time educating themselves on first foods for children. Not just because they have a small child but also because they consult with parents in their practice about first foods and the benefits of early nutrition.

One of these important first foods is organ meat and bone broth. The CSA allowed David and Sarah to make first foods like liver pate for their daughter.

In their practice, they appreciate being able to recommend the CSA for a place to access these quality products and give parents an alternative to traditional first foods that are not as nutritionally dense.

David and Sarah care deeply about empowering parents and helping them “put their children’s health into their own hands and follow their intuition”.

Mealtime Before The CSA vs. Now

David and Sarah have always been good meal planners and continued their once-a-week meal planning after joining the CSA. But previous to the CSA, it was, “what can I pick up at the store"?” and now instead they ask, “What’s in our freezer?”

“[Meal planning] was kind of boring before. It was like oh, I guess we’ll just get chicken. I guess we’ll just get beef. Now it is based around the abundance of options we have.”

— Sarah

A Peek Into Sarah And David’s Kitchen

Getting a figurative peek into someone’s kitchen to preview the mindset, skills, techniques and tools that make each home kitchen tick can be so inspiring and motivating. Here David and Sarah share some tidbits from their kitchen:

Cooking as a parent

David and Sarah’s daughter loves to help cook. She is three years old, and their philosophy is to feed her what they would normally eat. She has her own little kitchen, and she loves making up her own meals to share too!

One of the ways their cooking style shifted after becoming parents was that meals became less complex as they found new ways of cooking that were more efficient, less time consuming and still tasted great.

Kitchen Gadgets

Some of their favorite kitchen gadgets include the grill and the instant pot. They recommend the instant pot for making bone broth. They also use it to make soup!

They found silicone ice cube trays to be helpful for storing the liver pate they make for their daughter. After making the pate, they put it in the freezer trays so they can pop out a perfectly-sized portion as needed.

The pate goes great with veggies and crackers!

CSA superpower

David loves to marinate. He embraces figuring out how to create food with bold flavors and considers his marinating skills to be his “CSA superpower”.

It is one of the reasons why they so highly recommend their GF Mediterranean lamb meatball recipe - letting the herbs and spices infuse overnight creates such an amazing depth of flavor. (Recipe below!)

Favorite cuts

David and Sarah always enjoy the CSA share variety, but are delighted when they unbox these cuts:

• Ground lamb

• Beef tenderloin steaks

• Ham steak. They stock up on ham steaks to make ham and potato soup.

• Bacon. Because everyone loves bacon!

• Ground Beef. They regularly order extra ground beef to always have on hand.

CSA skills to conquer

David appreciates having tried and true recipes in his cooking repertoire and is working towards finding his perfect recipe and technique for lamb chops.

Sarah finds herself to be more adventurous in the kitchen now. She is more apt to try new ways to cook familiar cuts and is more comfortable and confident when it comes to cooking meat. Even after many years as a CSA member, she’s still excited to expand her knowledge and skills.

Final Thoughts

David and Sarah are very grateful to be a part of our CSA community!

“I truly just want to say that Katia and Nathan are such amazing, down to earth people and parents. We are so inspired by them.

It’s really fun as a young family to work with another young family who’s really making a difference in the community. We are super grateful to be a part of that bigger vision. ”

— David and Sarah

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Mediterranean Lamb Meatballs

An absolute staple in David and Sarah’s kitchen. This recipe:

• is big on flavor with a secret ingredient twist

• is easy to throw together

• happens to be gluten-free

• consistently produces amazing results

• is easily doubled or tripled and freezes well

Ingredients

For The Meatballs

• 1 pound Ground Lamb

• 1/4 cup minced white onion (make it really fine)

• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon coriander

• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (secret ingredient!)

• 1 teaspoon salt

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Steps

1. Mix together all the meatball ingredients with hands.

2. Cover the bowl and let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

4. Form the meatballs into small balls. You should get about 20 meatballs.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.

6. Serve meatballs on skewers or with toothpicks.

Thank you Sarah and David for sharing your CSA experience with us!

- Rachel, Community Manager and CSA member since 2010