Local Food Economics

I recently was a panel member at a Local Food Economic Roundtable, hosted by the Co-Intelligence Institute, and part of the Lets Talk Eugene Series.  Patrick Maxwell hosted and copied notes from the event onto the web.

Lots of good dialog at this event.  Here is what i took home from this meeting:

• Impact of local agriculture on young, old, homeless people, and all people cannot be understated
• Small acts go a long way.  For example, posting photos of farmers market produce on Facebook
• Need to apply economic principles/studies pertaining to food at the local level, especially accounting for the negative externalities of corporate, multi-national food production and factoring positive externalities of local food production.

Deck Family Farm
Willamette Valley Pasture Raised Meat

Late Spring 2012 Newsletter
Summer is Here!
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the garden is blooming, and the new baby animals are frolicking - it would appear that summer has finally arrived out here on the farm! We've made good use of the winter's remnants and compostables, which is evident in the flourishing of the vegetable garden - potatoes, tomato, onion, squash, and much more.

We are also home to a number of new additions - calves, chicks, and piglets galore! To top it off all this cuteness, we have managed to foster an unlikely friendship between a group of orphaned piglets and the brooder hens, who have all but adopted these little piglets. With so much life and color our here, now would be a wonderful time to come out for a visit and see it all for yourself!

Earthsong Waldorf Farm School
we don't just have baby animals running around - now that the Earthsong Farm School is getting into full swing, we also have little children exploring the farm!

Upcoming Farm Events
On July 7th we will be hosting an all day event which includes a catered lunch and refreshments. We will be demonstrating how to slaughter, butcher, and package a hog and you will leave with your share of the meat. This event has a limited enrollment of twelve participants, so please sign up well in advance. To sign up please contact Tenzin at
Deck Family Farm 541.998.4697 or by email: info@deckfamilyfarm.com.
We are also hoping to host a farm dinner sometime in the not so distance future, in which all proceeds will be contributed to a local cause. Details have yet to be determined - stay tuned as the plan develops.


Farmer's Market in Full Swing
And our weekends are jam-packed! Come see us at one of our many Saturday booths located at the Lane County Famer's Market, PSU Market, Hollywood Market, or St. John's Market, or stop by on a Sunday at Montavilla Market, King Market, or Woodstock Market in Portland. We have a lot of exciting new developments taking place, which include a complete revamping of our booth displays. Picture iced "ready-to-go" display tables, new display freezers, banners, and digital photo displays! We have also been working with Cousin Jack's Pasties to create Deck Family Meat pasties which we can serve at Markets. They will be made available hot and ready to serve at Hollywood Market in Portland beginning June 30th. Frozen pasties will be made available at all other markets. Our feature pasty is a "Steak and Ale" creation, featuring our 100% grassfed Oregon Tilth Certified Organic Heritage Galloway steak and Ninkasi Ale. Yum! *Special: Mention this newsletter at any of our market booths and receive 10% off your purchase!

New Products!

We are also pleased to introduce you to our newest lineup of hand-crafted meat products designed especially for Deck Family Farm by local artisan chef Brad Burnheimer of Burnheimer Meat Co. (BMC). Brad has taken his passion for locally-sourced, high-quality meats and created our Artisan Series of fresh sausages and pâtés, along with cured salami, whole muscles, bacons, and more. We currently have Fresh Breakfast Sausage, Toulouse Sausage, Tesa Bacon,

Liverwurst, and Country Pâté - many more to come!
Furthermore, we are currently offering two variations of seasonal lamb sausage - sundried tomato and pomegranate. Both flavors are wonderful on their own, but also serve well in stuffed mushroom and/or pepper dishes.
In addition, we are now selling chicken by the piece - breasts, thighs, and wings - as well as by the whole bird. Place your order now, and see what all the fuss is about!

Have you Heard About Our Creamy Cow Cooperative?
Now it is even easier for you to enjoy the yummy goodness of pure raw Jersey milk by becoming a co-owner in The Creamy Cow Cooperative Dairy Herd. Becoming a part owner in the Creamy Cow Herd means we will board, care, milk and deliver your raw milk and raw milk products to drop site in your neighborhood. You own the herd and we do all the work! For more information, give us a call at 541.998.4697

Deck Family Farm Takes Top Certification

It is our great pleasure to announce that our beef herd has received top animal welfare certification from Animal Welfare Approved. We were informed yesterday, and

couldn't be happier about it! We strive for excellence with our animals and products, and it feels wonderful to have our hard work recognized. Get the full scoop at http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org

Become Friends on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter

We are currently working on our social media outlets, and we need your help! Find us on Facebook and Twitter in order to receive streamlined
information about the farm, our animals, and our products. Who
knows - you may even get some awesome promotional deals!
Open for visits every Monday thru Saturday - come see where your meats are raised!!
www.deckfamilyfarm.com/541.998.4697