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No love at first bite

Posted at 5:16 PM on January 15, 2008 by Margaret Hochla (3 Comments)

Five years ago, I was really excited about starting to feed my family with foods produced locally and organically. I was one of the founding members of a local food cooperative that also has a core mission of feeding the hungry and food delivery to the disabled. I eagerly ordered a variety of vegetables and tomatoes. They were very well received. I was encouraged.

The next month (orders are once a month) I ordered cheese, eggs and other dairy products. The cheese tasted different to my children, although one child pronounced it, "outstanding". The next month I ordered beef for the first time.

Many people in Oklahoma consider themselves to be beef experts. My family was no exception. They know what beef should look like on the hoof and taste like on the plate. I was excited to see that the ground beef I was cooking did not need to be drained. I checked the package to see if I had ordered a special lean cut. I had not. I couldn't wait to serve it.

My family did not like the taste of this beef at all. I was really disappointed. Even I thought it had an overly subtle and almost sweet taste. I wasn't sure I liked it, although I knew it must be good for me. I didn't want beef to turn into spinach! We persisted, however, and gradually cleansed our palates to where they are able to appreciate meat that lacks the additions commonly found in "supermarket" cuts.

This process of detoxification took almost a year as each food and food group eaten was transferred from mass production to local, sustainable and natural foods on the table. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Comments (3)

Whereever did you get the "real" beef?!!
We have a friend coming to visit in a few weeks who generally only eats "organic" meat. I'm a vegetarian, but wouldn't mind my son eating meat as long as it was raised in a way that was environmentally not damaging and didn't way overexpand his 'footprint' (Diet for a Small Planet was a huge influence in my decision to become a vegetarian). It sounds from your posts as if your area is far ahead of the TX Panhandle in this sort of thing. Can you suggest where I might be able to look for 'natural' meat?

Posted by Jennifer | February 23, 2008 9:42 PM

Jennifer,
I believe there are several local cooperatives in your area. I know Texas distances are even more intense than Oklahoma ones, but some of your closest producers might be willing to ship to you. Of course one advantage is being able to actually visit the producers.

Texas probably has a list of certified organic producers and where they market. It could be through the Agriculture department at the state level or even the county extension level.

I know there was talk last year of starting up a local cooperative in the McKinney area. You might plan trips to Dallas or Fort Worth and include some producer shopping as well.
Please let me know what your search uncovers, and I will start looking, too.

Thank you for your comments.

Posted by margaret hochla | February 25, 2008 3:40 PM

Margaret,
Thanks for your reply! I am so excited, not just for the info re what to feed my son and our visitor, but also to hear from someone around here who cares and who knows something about this.
Dallas is 5 hrs away, so I don't think I'll look that far, but I will at least start looking around here. With Hereford so close to us, there must be someone who's trying to do it differently. IF I find anything, I'll be very happy to share.
Jennifer

Posted by Jennifer | March 1, 2008 9:08 PM