A New Approach to Selling Sustainable Meat: The Beet, Weaver Street's E-Newsletter

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A New Approach
to Selling Sustainable Meat
The recent change of how we sell meat in the Carrboro store is part of an integrated effort to bring you fresh and nutritious meat from local North Carolina farms. As your buying agent, our mission is to bring you meat that is sustainably produced. Sustainable in this context means not only grown on local farms using ecologically-sound farming practices, it also means getting the meat from the farmers' fields to your table in an economically viable way. For local meat to become the primary meat that we sell, farmers need to be paid a high enough price to make a good living and consumers need a consistent selection of fresh product at an affordable price. In the past, we have had short-term successes in selling local meat that ultimately failed because the grower was not economically successful. More

New Meat Packaging
Our Commitment to Safe & Delicious Meat

Jazz & More! Brunch
Hillsborough Sunday Brunch
Wine Sale & Shows
Hillsborough Last Friday

Hillsborough Handmade Parade
Recycling Volunteers Needed
Tents of Hope for Darfur
Vintage Car Show
Womancraft Spotlight Gallery

October Wine Dinner
New Art Show

Weekly Produce Specials
Weekly Meat Specials

Friday Wine Tastings
Grass-fed Beef Recipe



A New Approach to Selling Sustainable Meat continued
An example of this is Alison farms, an outstanding local chicken producer who went out of business about six months ago. Since then, we have had to substitute Pennsylvania chicken while we search for another local producer. These failures have made it clear that the starting point in selling local meat is to pay local growers a premium price so that they can be long-term partners. We've made a commitment to pay our meat growers a higher price than other retailers; for example, we pay our pork growers 18% more than the next-highest paying buyer. After establishing a sustainable price for growers, the next step was to develop a system of processing and retailing that would allow us to pay farmers more without raising our prices to consumers. If local meat is to become a popular option, we need to price it competitively with other premium meat. Instead of raising prices, we looked elsewhere for ways to become more efficient, and that led us to begin to cut and package meat for all three WSM stores at our new Food House facility. Processing meat in one location reduces costs, and has the added benefit of improving quality and safety, since the Food House was designed to provide the proper amount of storage; a climate controlled processing room; and high-grade sanitation. The Food House also provides a ready outlet for cuts of meat that we that we don't normally sell in the stores. When we buy beef directly from a farmer, we buy a whole cow, not just the most popular cuts of meat. In the past it has been challenging to find outlets for the cuts of meat that don't have a high retail demand. With our meat processing co-located with our prepared foods kitchen, we can now use the other cuts of meat to make ready-to-eat meals for you. So in addition to finding top quality local pork and beef on the meat shelf, you will also find it in our prepared foods. To sell local meat efficiently requires a method of packaging that maximizes freshness and reduces waste. Meat that has to be thrown out represents a huge loss of time, energy, and resources for farmers, WSM, and our customers alike. We have invested in a vacuum packaging system that will keep product fresh and eliminate waste (see sidebar on our new packaging). We realize that selling pre-packaged meat is a different approach than selling meat from a service counter. However, after researching all the options, we are convinced it is a necessary means to bringing you a variety of local meat selections that you can't find elsewhere. We are committed to providing a variety of package sizes so that you can find the amount you want, and providing top-notch information so you know where the product came from and how to cook it. Up until now Carrboro customers have only seen the absence of the service counter. You will now see the upside of our new meat program—a meat case stocked with grass fed beef and pasture-raised pork from local farms. You can learn more about our local meat program in the brochures at the meat case and on our website, where we profile our farmers who share our commitment to stewardship of the land, humane practices, and strict quality control. One example is Parker Farms, a small farm nestled between Hillsborough and Roxboro in the Hurdle Mills area of northern Orange County. The Parker family raises their four children, their crops, and their farm animals in a wonderful, nurturing farming environment. We think that you will agree that our farmers are an outstanding group with a dedication to producing a quality product in a sustainable fashion. Our new local meat initiative is a partnership effort with NC Choices (www.ncchoices.com), a project of the non-profit Center for Environmental Farming Systems, that is working with us to develop and manage a network of farmers and processors to provide a steady, year-round supply and FoodLogiQ (www.foodlogiq.com), a Durham-based company specializing in on-demand food safety and food systems software, which provides needed expertise in meat processing, packaging and traceability systems. Our program needs your support if responsible animal husbandry is to succeed in our area. When you make educated choices about where you shop and what you eat, you are actively shaping the world around you. Sustainable meat production is a vital link to a more sustainable food system, one that allows you to truly eat well. Look for our selection of grass-fed beef and pasture-raised pork complete with new packaging in the stores this Thursday. Read more.

Weekly Produce Specials - THESE SALES ARE EFFECTIVE Tuesday, September 23 through Monday, September 29.


	New item! Organic Tsugaru Apples	3 lb. bags $4.99 each
	Organic Rocky Mountain Sweet Onions	3 lb. bags $3.49 each
	Organic Yukon Gold Potatoes	99¢ lb	super low price

Weekly Meat & Seafood Specials

	Beef Rib Eye Steaks	USDA Choice $10.99 lb	All Natural save $5.00 lb.!
	Murray's Fresh Whole Chickens	All Natural $2.29 lb	save 70¢ lb
	Fresh Tilapia Fillets	Farm Raised $7.99 lb	save $1.00 lb

Read more about other Weaver Street Market Specials.


Friday Wine Tastings

Stop by any of our locations on any Friday evening for a free tasting of wines. Get your wine questions answered by a knowledgeable rep or staff member. Southern Village and Hillsborough stores: 5:00-7:00 pm Carrboro store: 4:30-6:30 pm. Samples are free, you must be 18 to sample. Product Tastings: Friday, September 26 in SV 4:30-7 Larry's Beans coffee Saturday, September 27 in Carrboro, 11-2 Larry's Beans and the great Pabst Blue Ribbon give away! Samples of the classic, free glasses, and a raffle for a PBR bocce ball set. While supplies last. Come early!

Grass-fed Beef Recipe

Braised Beef with Rich Gravy and Rice From The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook by Shannon Hayes Here's a homey way to enjoy your stew beef or round steaks. This recipe looks complicated, but it is quite simple. Start by preparing the beef. Once it is simmering in the broth, make the rice with vegetables, then finish off the beef and gravy and serve. From start to finish, this recipe should take only about an hour and a half, with ample downtime for sipping cocktails and nibbling. The ingredients are inexpensive, and the entire meal can be served in one steaming-hot nourishing bowl. Serves 4. 1 1/2 to 2 pounds stew beef or round steak, cut into 1-inch cubes salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, sliced into thin wedges 2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional) 1 clove garlic, minced 3 cups beef broth plus 1 cup, if needed for gravy 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3/4 cup ice water Sprinkle the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the meat, and sauté the onions, mushrooms, and garlic until the onions are translucent. Add 3 cups of the broth, and bring to simmer, stirring the mixture often and scraping up any browned bits. Return the beef to the skillet, cover tightly, and simmer for 1 hour or more, until the beef is tender. If the liquid starts to boil over, turn the heat down slightly. Periodically check the stew to make sure there is ample liquid for cooking the meat and for making the gravy afterward. If too much has boiled off, add the forth cup of broth. If you still need more liquid, add a cup or two of water (you'll want nearly 2 cups of liquid left in the pan after the meat has cooked). During this time, prepare the rice and vegetables (see below). Once the rice and vegetables are ready, in a separate glass, whisk the flour into the ice water until smooth. Gradually stir this thickener into the simmering beef and broth. Bring the mixture to a slow boil and cook for a few seconds, stirring, until the gravy thickens. Serve over the rice with vegetables. For the rice and vegetables: 2 cups brown rice 4 cups warm water 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped 1 onion, finely chopped 3 carrots, scraped, shredded 2 sweet bell peppers, green or red, diced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup blanched almonds, sliced Bring rice to a boil, skim off any residue that rises to the top, stir in the salt and butter, cover, lower the heat, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 30 to 45 minutes. Just before all the water is evaporated, sauté the vegetables in the olive oil until crisp-tender. Stir them into the cooked rice, and add the sliced almonds. Keep warm until you are ready to serve.

New Meat Packaging

WSM Introduces New Meat Packaging this Thursday

Good things sometimes come in unusual packages. Take, for example, the vacuum-sealed packaging that might have caught your eye in the Weaver Street Market meat department. Traditionally vacuum-sealed packaging has been used to keep cured meats like bacon and hot dogs fresh. Using this type of packaging for fresh meat is just catching on in the US, although it has been widely used in Europe for some time. Weaver Street Market is converting to vacuum packaging meat for the many benefits that it brings.

All meat packaging and refrigeration is designed to protect against exposure to oxygen and heat that breed the bacteria that cause spoilage. Keeping meat chilled and wrapping it in plastic film only addresses half the problem, as traditional plastic wraps allow oxygen to permeate the package. Vacuum-sealed packaging does a better job of keeping meat fresh because it removes most of the oxygen, which slows the growth of bacteria.

One of the benefits of vacuum-sealed packaging is that it gives you the freedom to cook your meat according to your own timetable. Because oxygen is removed, the shelf life of vacuum-sealed red meat increases from a matter of days to at least two weeks. The extended shelf life means you rarely ever have to throw anything away due to spoilage. Even ground beef, which typically needs to be used within a day or two of purchase, can last twice as long in the new packaging.

Just like you don't have to throw away product at home, WSM does not have to throw away product at the store. Meat that has to be thrown out represents a huge loss of time, energy, and resources, a frustrating waste for staff, shoppers, and farmers alike. By reducing waste, we can pay farmers more.

Though the longer shelf life means you don't have to freeze your meats right away to keep them from going bad, freezing is still a great option when you want to stock up. Vacuum-sealed packaging is perfect for the freezer as the lack of oxygen on the surface of the meat prevents freezer burn and eliminates the need for freezer bags or other additional preparation.

Another advantage to the vacuum-sealed packaging is the lack of messy drippy meat juice that is associated with conventional packaging. All liquids are sealed in place, so there's no need to wrap your meat in additional plastic bags. This not only minimizes the potential for cross-contamination with other foods, it also keeps more plastic bags out of the waste stream. Currently the trays underlying the meat are made of plastic, but we are working to locate a biodegradable option to further reduce the environmental impact.

Meat that is packaged in vacuum packaging does not have the same bright red color that it has when packaged conventionally. This bright red color is caused by exposure to oxygen, meaning that juicy chop wrapped in traditional plastic film is already beginning to spoil. The darker hue of vacuum-sealed meat is visual proof that the product is protected from oxygen. Once the package is opened and the meat exposed to air, it will redden to the usual color. We think you will find the small cosmetic change in meat color is unimportant compared to the benefit in freshness and quality.

It's important to note that we are strenuously avoiding techniques employed by some other supermarkets to inject gas into meat packaging to create a bright red color in packaged meat. Thinking that consumers will refuse to buy meat that it not bright red has led to the practice of packaging meats with carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide to alter the color. Most retailers using the gas method do not put this info on their labels. We believe that this constitutes an unnatural and unnecessary additive, and in some cases actually diminishes the quality of the meat. No gas of any type is used in our packaging methods.

We will also be introducing vacuum packaging for seafood. Seafood packaging uses a different film that has a higher oxygen transmission rate and therefore will not have quite the shelf life.

Our Commitment to Safe & Delicious Meat

It's possible to be a more responsible omnivore provided you make educated choices about the meat you consume. Our meat selection criteria reflect our commitment to providing the freshest, healthiest, and most conscientiously-raised meat available.

Local
We are committed to offering meat from small-scale local producers and processors. We build partnerships with family farms and processors in North Carolina who share our commitment to quality products and sustainable farming practices.

Fair prices paid to Farmers
We have made a commitment to pay farmers a higher price than other retailers because we see them as long-term partners. We want to make sure they can earn a living and keep producing far into the future. In the past, we have lost local meat suppliers who went out of business because it wasn't profitable enough. Paying a premium to farmers is a necessary starting point as we devised our processing and retailing systems to get the meat from our growers' farms to your table.

Antibiotic and Hormone Free
We don't sell meat that has been given antibiotics or hormones. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, 70% of all antibiotics in the United States are used in animal agriculture. Antibiotics are commonly added to grain feed to stimulate growth and ward off disease when animals are kept in unsanitary over-crowded feedlots. This over-usage of antibiotics contributes to the increase of drug-resistant bacteria, a serious public health problem. While the use of synthetic hormones in chicken and pork is prohibited, American cattle are regularly fattened using hormone injections. The European Union has banned the sale of US beef due to concerns about the long term safety of these practices.

Grass-fed Beef
When you eat meat from animals raised on pasture, you are improving the environment as well as giving your family the healthiest possible beef. Raising animals on pasture benefits the environment by using less energy, since grazing animals facilitate their own fertilizing and harvesting; by reducing soil erosion, since pasture generates 93% less erosion that row crops; and by slowing global warming, since pasture removes more carbon dioxide from the air than any other land uses, including forestland. Grass-fed beef has been proven to be leaner and contain higher levels of beta carotene, Vitamin E, and Omega-3 fatty acids as compared to meat from cattle raised on conventional feed. Most cattle are fed a high calorie mixture of grain and animal by-products to fatten them at an unnatural rate. In contrast, grass-fed cattle roam freely, grazing as comes naturally. This diet takes longer for cattle to mature, but results in leaner, healthier meat.

Vegetarian Feed
Weaver Street Market is committed to only offering meat from animals raised on vegetarian diets. It's important to make this distinction as most consumers are unaware that feed containing reprocessed animal tissue is common at large scale commercial farms. There is growing concern that the practice of feeding animal by-products to livestock and poultry contributes to the spread of diseases like Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy as animal waste is artificially re-circulated throughout the food chain.

Humanely Raised and Processed
It stands to reason that healthier animals make for healthier food. Humane living conditions and careful oversight at time of slaughter increase the quality of life for livestock, resulting in fewer health problems throughout the lifespan and reduced residual stress hormones in the meat. Animals enjoy high quality living conditions, including the freedom to roam throughout their life span, and are processed in as humane a manner as possible. Farms utilizing local processing facilities minimize the number of miles animals must be transported, which cuts down on both stress for the livestock and emissions from vehicles.

Selection and availability
We are working closely with NC Choices (www.ncchoices.com), a non-profit project of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, to build a consistent supply from local producers; when local supplies are limited, we fill in with non-local producers who best meet our criteria. We will continue to supplement our local pork and beef with products from Niman Ranch and Meyer Natural Angus, national leaders in antibiotic and hormone-free meats. We are also currently carrying chicken from Murray Farms in Pennsylvania, until we can source poultry once again from local growers after our NC poultry supplier Alison Farms went out of business.

Jazz & More Brunch

Every Sunday
11 am - 1 pm
Jazz & More Brunch at Weaver Street Market continues through October! Hot food, with cool tunes is a great way to start your Sunday.

Inside, we'll have fresh scones, muffins and sweet pastries in our bake case; fresh, hot coffee and a barista to make that special coffee drink; and an array of eggs, grits, pancakes or French Toast to fill you up! Outside, under the oaks, you'll hear a range of local bands playing Jazz, Americana, Blues, and Bluegrass; keeping everybody happy and dancing.

September 28- Carrboro Music Fest Kick-off with Barrowburn
October 5- 2nd Stage- Traditional, Folk, Country, Bluegrass, and Popular Music
October 12- Gravy Boys- American acoustic
October 19- Saludos Compay- original and South American Music
October 26- Equinox- jazz and pop standards

View more Weaver Street Market events here.

Hillsborough Sunday Brunch

Come enjoy music on the Hillsborough store lawn from 11am-1pm in our first annual Sunday Brunch series. Featuring a wide variety of musicians, both old favorites and new finds, and a relaxing outdoor setting to enjoy breakfast made fresh from our hot bar or choose from assorted delectable pastries and baked goods.
September 28 - Frankie Alexander & Friends - Classic jazz standards for the introspective listener
October 5 - Pratie Heads - More-or-less Traditional Music of the British Isles
October 12 - Charles Pettee & Friends - bluegrass/finger twisting acoustic originals

Wine Sale & Shows!

Weaver Street Market's 5th Annual Fall Wine Sale & Shows!
Wine Sale: October 3 - October 22
The sale will feature a selection of up to 40 favorite and fine wines from around the world at discounts up to 50% off regular price! 10% regular case discount applies on top of sale price! This is a "no risk" wine sale - you can taste all these wines at the Wine Shows.
Store hours
Weaver Street Market: Carrboro, 7:30 am - 9 pm M-F, 8 am - 9 pm Sat/Sun, 929-0010
Weaver Street Market: Southern Village, 7 am - 9 pm Daily, 929-2009
Weaver Street Market: Hillsborough, 7 am - 9 pm Daily, 245-5050

Wine Shows:
CARRBORO - Saturday, October 4, 1 - 5 pm
SOUTHERN VILLAGE - Saturday, October, 11, 1 - 5 pm
HILLSBOROUGH - Saturday, October 18, 1 - 5 pm

tickets $5...proceeds benefit WSM Cooperative Community Fund.
taste...choose from up to 40 wines!
enjoy...live music, hors d'oeuvres, and your favorite wines at great values!

Hillsborough Last Friday

September 26, 6-8pm

Weaver Street Market joins the offerings of great music in Hillsborough's historic downtown with the traditional American sound of The Guilty Pleasures. Come grab a bite to eat on our lawn, enjoy the band, and then explore downtown where businesses, galleries, studios, restaurants, museums and historic sites remain open late and offer special events, artists, crafts, food, and great music.



Hillsborough Handmade Parade

The Hillsborough Arts Council's Handmade Parade is coming up fast on October 11! Get ready to participate by attending the Mask and Puppet Making workshops! Donovan Zimmerman of Paperhand Puppet Intervention will teach participants to make a mask, costume, or giant puppet using cloth, paper mache and recycled materials. Bring an idea of a creature from the Eno River that you would like to create. Each workshop consists of two sessions... choose either 'Two Saturdays' or 'Two Sundays'. September 27, 28 and October 4, 5 This workshop will take place at the Orange County Parks and Recreation Department
Read more here.
Register here.

Recycling Volunteers Needed

Saturday September 27 is the 60th Anniversary of the Historic Occoneechee Speedway in Hillsborough. More than 30,000 people are expected to attend the car show and fund-raiser to restore this historic first NASCAR track. Orange County will provide recycling services at this event. We need people throughout the day (8:00 am-5:00 pm) to help educate the public on how to recycle correctly, and to haul the expected bins full of recyclables to Recycling Central. The Carrboro Music Festival is also seeking Waste Reducing volunteers to monitor bins and sweep the event grounds on Sunday September 28, 12:00 pm-8:00 pm. Contact us to volunteer or get your high school aged student to earn some community service hours. (919) 968-2788 or email.
Learn more about OC Recycling here.

Tents of Hope for Darfur

Sunday, October 5 11 am - 1 pm Tents of Hope for Darfur, handpainted with images and messages of hope, will be at fundraisers to aid Darfur, at Weaver Street Market's Hillsborough and Carrboro stores, Sunday, October 5th, 11am-1pm. Members of the Triangle-based humanitarian group, the Interfaith Coalition for Sudanese Peace and of the nationwide Tents of Hope campaign will be on hand to answer questions at these fundraisers to aid Darfur. Background: Darfur, a desert area in western Sudan, has been the site of mass killings, rape, disfigurement and displacement of its people for five years. It is estimated that over 400,000 men, women and children have died, and over 2,500,000 displaced from their homes. In June 2007, a grassroots effort named Tents of Hope took hold in the U.S. The project enables Americans across the country to channel their fervent hopes for peace in this war-torn country and to work toward an end to the genocide in Darfur. The project culminates in a Gathering of the Tents on Nov 7-9 at the National Mall in Wash D.C. where these tents will be joined by tents from over 300 communities nationwide. (This event is the last of a series of fundraisers with tents moving throughout the community. Tents of Hope will be at TirNaNog in Raleigh, The Hibernian in Cary, The Cave in Chapel Hill, and Papa Mojo's Roadhouse in Durham, all on Sat, Sept 27th!) For further information please contact: Sonia Katchian, 967-1585, or email.

Vintage Car Show

This weekend Saturday, September 27 8 am - 5 pm Elizabeth Brady Road in Hillsborough Don't miss this year's "Celebration of the Automobile and Racer's Reunion" adjacent to the Historic Occoneechee-Orange Speedway. Last year's inaugural event drew over 40,000 spectators, who came to admire the cars (everything from vintage race cars to classics and muscle cars) and meet car racing legends. The Occoneechee-Orange Speedway is the only surviving track from the inaugural season of NASCAR, and is now a peaceful, wooded walking trail, on the National Register of Historic Places. The Historic Speedway Group began hosting a Car Show to raise money for preservation and restoration of the track. Be sure to walk the track if you need a break from the crowds. The event is free to the public. For more information on the Historic speedway group and the schedule of events at this year's show, visit their website below.
Learn more about the Speedway here.
View the itinerary here.

Womancraft Spotlight Gallery

Womancraft Fine Handcrafted Gifts "Spotlight Gallery" presents "Coiled Pine Needles and Hand Turned Wood - A Collaboration by Douglas Odom and Pat Lloyd 2008" October 1st - October 15th Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday, 10am-7pm and Sunday, 12pm - 5pm. The Shops at Eastgate, 1800 E. Franklin St. Chapel Hill, NC, 919.929.8362 Photo courtesy of Pat Lloyd
Learn more about Womancraft here.


October Wine Dinner

Loire Valley Wines Monday, October 13, 7:00 - 9:30 pm Join us October 13 for a wine tasting tour of France's Loire Valley. The Loire is a wine region that flanks France's most famous river, a region that produces wines known for their delicate, subtle style such as sweet wines from Vouvray, delicious and elegant reds from Chinon and Champigny, and the numerous refined whites and sparkling wines from places like Touraine and Saumur. The names alone conjure up images of rolling hills, the vast Loire River, and Renaissance-era castles, spires and villages. The grapes produced in this region are Melon de Bourgogne, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and a few other more obscure varieties. These wines are incredibly good food wines with ample acidity and expressive fruit flavors. Join us for this tasting tour and find out what this vast, wine producing area has to offer. Plenty of delicious food will be prepared to complement these wonderful French wines. The cost of this event is $45 per person. Space is limited, so reserve early. Please pay in advance and pick up a ticket for this event at either Panzanella or the customer service desk at Weaver Street Market in Carrboro.
Visit Panzanella's website to view all menus (lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch).
Sign up for Panzanella's Enewsletter here.

New Art Show

Jenifer Padilla September 30 - November 30 "Mixed-media works on paper and canvas"