Enjoy Our Terroir!
Now we’re gittin’ fancy! Terroir is a simple word, but it is kind of like a hyperlink – it means a lot. It is often used when talking about wines. Terroir relates to the soil and micro-climate, the subtle local differences which make a wine spectacular. It also means “a sense of place”. We believe terroir is important for cows, too. You can see it in their shiny coats. Condalia Farms Brand beef is grown in an area west of the Llano Uplift, where a variety of Pennsylvanian-aged clays, limestones and sandstones create a unique soil and diverse brush. We believe the richness of this soil, along with the free choice minerals we provide, creates really flavorful beef. So, enjoy our terroir!
Optimum production, versus maximum production.
There’s lots of talk about sustainability these days. On a finite planet, it’s something we’ve got to address. We try to do our part by co-existing with the native flora and fauna. In fact, our brand name reflects a plant we purposely protect – the Condalia hookeri, which produces tiny, edible black berries in the mid-summer. So, we avoid overstocking our acreage, and have invested in fencing to allow pasture rotations. The result is less stress on the animals and the native species, and less stress on us.
Cows able to express their “cowness”.
It sounds corny, but it is a favorite saying of Joel Salatin, who was central to the story in Michael Pollan’s The Ominvoire’s Dilemna, and star of Food, Inc. and Fresh, the Movie. Sometimes known as “the world’s most famous farmer”, Joel is a friend and mentor, and is proprietor of the Polyface Farm, in Swoope, Virginia. We’ve attended two of his Polyface Intensive Discovery Seminars, and he is truly an inspiration. Among other things, Joel preaches on the importance of allowing “cows to be cows”, “pigs to be pigs”, “chickens to be chickens”. In other words, go with the natural flow, not against it. We try to heed those words with the Condalia Farms operation.
Condalia hookeri
