Farm to table isn't just reserved for your favorite restaurant outing! During this time when it's difficult to find groceries at the store, it's a great time to try locally sourced produce and meat. We are excited to share Truman Hill Farm, located in Hardy, VA, with you. Truman Hill has been a working family farm since the 1800s. Over the years, they've produced tobacco, fruit orchards, brandy distilling, timber and cattle. They've been raising grass-fed beef since 2009. Truman Hill raises their cows on chemical free pastures with no antibiotics or artificial hormones. Their black Angus beef is 100% grass fed and finished, dry aged, and locally processed in a USDA inspected plant.
Truman Hill Farm will be making locally raised, grass-fed beef available with drive-thru deliveries on Saturday, April 11 in Christiansburg, Roanoke, Moneta and Rocky Mount. The pick up location for Roanoke is Towers Mall. Learn more and reserve yours at https://trumanhillfarm.com/
For larger orders you can now reserve you own quarter, half, or whole beef to custom process to your specifications. Click here to order now and pickup in June or December. If you've never ordered a cow / partial cow before, you're not alone. The farm will help you select your cuts. You'll get a worksheet that will guide you through selecting how you'd like your beef processed- into ground beef, chuck roast, steaks, ox tails, ribs- you get to choose!
Is it safe to buy locally processed meat? Especially during the COVID-19 lockdown?
Buying locally sourced product is just as safe, if not safer, than grocery store shopping. Here are a few notes from local farmer, David Hurt, about Truman Hill Farm's safety procedures.
Processing Sanitation: Our burger and steaks that we deliver monthly are processed at Piedmont Custom Meats, a USDA inspected plant. I toured their facilities in February and was extremely impressed by their technology, cleanliness, and protocols. A USDA inspector is on site through every step of processing to assure food safety. As an example of their proactive approach, Piedmont Custom Meats recently shared the following update: PCM Response to Covid-19
Meat Handling and Delivery: I have a Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services meat handling license (yes, that is a real thing) which specifies safe and sanitary food handling practices. These steps are strictly followed with additional measures in light of Covid-19. Even though your beef is vacuum sealed in secure packages, we will go the extra mile to make sure your order is safely stored and handled until it is delivered to you.
Pick up at the Plant
When we pick up beef at the plant, we handle it with nitrile gloves and pack it straight into sanitized coolers. From there we take it back to the farm where your order is placed directly into new bags labelled with your name and stored in clean freezers until delivery day.
Pick up at a Delivery Location
To limit social interaction on the pickup dates, we can load your order directly into your car for a "drive though" pickup experience. No crowds, no shopping carts, no chance of anyone else to handle your food. Depending on customer needs and current recommendations at the time of pickup, we are exploring the option for home delivery. Subscribe to Truman Hill's Newsletter for updates.
Macaroni Kid Roanoke will be sharing more with you over the coming months, including recipes and a visit to the farm.
