Meat at the Market
Once upon a time, meat was rare at any farmers market. Not so now and especially not so at the Curb Market. Nine annual vendors and one consistent daily vendor provide a variety of meat and one annual vendor provides seafood. (Annual vendors have generally been at Market for a number of years and are at the same tables each Saturday. Daily vendors generally have not been at Market long and may be at different tables each Saturday.) Here is a list by product with a short description.
Beef ( for all beef vendors, most cuts are available year round)
- Marguerite and Steve Fields run Rocking F farm. She and Steve raise cattle on their pastures in northern Randolph County. They also have a country store where they sell their meats as well as fertilizer, seed and other farm goods.
- Robert Roth owns Rothchild’s Farm as well as LOAF Bakery. He raises and finishes Angus steers on grass in southeastern Guilford County.
- Kenneth and Dani Strader produce grass fed beef on Meadows Family Farm in Julian. In addition to selling at Market, they offer meats for order on the internet. Meadows earned Animal Welfare Approved certification.
- Six Gunn Farm is a new vendor at market. All is pasture-raised and available at Mid-Week Market.
Lamb (for all lamb vendors, lambs are raised on pasture, supply is seasonal in fall and spring, supply is also tight so expect vendors to sell out quickly)
- Stoney Mountain Farm in the short shadow of Stoney Mountain in Alamance County is one of three lamb vendors in theMarket. John and Olga Elder pasture-raise Navajo-Churro
sheep, a heritage breed from the southwestern US. The Elder’s vend traditional lamb cuts plus products made from wool contributed by their mature ewes and rams. - Massey Creek Farms both raises lamb and Karakachan guard dogs needed to protect them from coyotes and other predators. Garland McCullom’s lamb as prepared by Garland and Jay Pierce of Lucky 32 took excelled at Farm to Fork last year.
- John Handler and Sharon Weatherford pasture raise their lamb on Weatherhand Farm lamb near Climax in Randolph County. While John sells at the Curb Market, Sharon is a mainstay of the Durham Market.
- Pine Trough Branch Farm is a daily vendor and our newest lamb vendor. Hilary and Worth Kimble along with Worth’s sister Jenny raise their lamb on pasture. They recently attained certification from Animal Welfare Approved.
Pork
- Pine Trough Branch Farm has a variety of cuts from hogs raised on pasture. Their first year’s supply is limited so ask early.
- Massey Creek Farm usually has a generous supply of pasture-raised pork in both regular cuts and a variety of sausages. Undercurrent Restaurant recently featured Massey Creek sausages. You may find Massey Creek pork on other menus in the area as well.
- Meadows Family Farm sells its pasture-raised pork in both regular cuts and a variety of sausages. Weeping Radish in Jarvisburg, NC processes their sausage. Meadows also sells uncured ham.
- Wards Farm, aka Ward’s Happy Chickens also sells pork products. Smithfield Foods processes Kenneth and Patsy Ward’s hogs into a variety of traditional cuts and sausages. Most are available year round
- Many customers probably think first of Natalie Foster as the Garlic Lady. Natalie, Steve, and the kids also sell pasture-raised pork from their Cornerstone Farm. Natalie’s supply is generally limited so ask to see what cuts she has and when she expects to have more.
Poultry
- John Handler and Sharon Weatherford also raise free-range chickens at Weatherhand Farm. Their supply is sporadic and demand is high since most of the chicken John sells is fresh; i.e., it hasn’t been frozen. John and Sharon process their chickens on their farm.
- Rocking F also sells chicken from time to time. Again, chicken supplies are sporadic for Marguerite so ask ahead.
- Massey Creek Farm and Meadows Family Farm just may have your Thanksgiving and Christmas heritage breed turkeys. Both take reservations and have very few left for general sale.
- Massey Creek Farm may also have mature hens for sale from time to time. Hens are good for stocks and for long simmered chicken dishes.
- Six Gunn Farm is a new vendor at market. All chickens are free range and a variety of cuts including whole chickens are available at Mid-Week Market.
Seafood
- The Market’s seafood vendor is George Smith of Smith Farms and Greenhouses. George travels to the NC coast each week to bring a variety of seasonal seafood to Market. Expect to find tuna, shrimp, scallops, porgy, sheepshead, mackerel, flounder and many others but do not expect to find them all every week. George can also help you think about how to prepare the bounty he brings to Market.
(Article contributed by Charlie Brummitt)