'Eating the view': Local farmer raises cows, pigs, hens and turkeys with sustainable farming methods

By CLAIRE HOPLEY

Published on October 03, 2008

Most farmers, it seems, were born into their jobs, growing up on a family farm, learning to farm from parents, and eventually taking over from the older generation.

That's not how Marc Cesario of GreenHorn Farm in South Amherst got into farming. He grew up in Hudson in Central Massachusetts, and apart from tales of a distant relative with a dairy farm, his early life was far from agricultural. Nonetheless, he says he always thought about being able to sustain himself, and occasional trips to visit family out West gave him a view of ranching that he found very appealing.

By the time he arrived at UMass he had decided that he definitely wanted an outdoor life, so he enrolled as a Wildlife Biology and Forestry major. Two years later he took time out to apprentice with Dan Kaplan, Farm Manager of the community-supported Brookfield Farm on Hulst Road in Amherst.

"Without that experience I could never have done it," says Cesario, who now raises cows, pigs, hens and turkeys with sustainable farming methods that focus on the welfare of the land, the animals, and the people who eventually eat the meat.

Cesario followed his two-year apprenticeship with two years back at UMass, where he eventually got a degree in agriculture. Like his Brookfield experience, he says his UMass training was vital to his venture into farming. He also credits Gordon Thorne, who owns the Bramble Hill property on which GreenHorn Farm is located, with making his project possible.

"There have been some horrible moments when I have thought, 'What can I do now?' Cesario said, "and without Gordon and Dan Kaplan I wouldn't have got through."

But get through he has, and he now owns a herd of 35 cows, two Gloucester Old Spot sows, each of whom has a litter of piglets and around 400 chickens. The cows are raised for meat, not milk; likewise, the chickens are a breed that produces meat rather than eggs.

Cesario sees meat production as the next step in the move towards sustainably grown local food that began over 20 years ago with people getting back into vegetable growing and the development of farmers markets.

"It's like if you grow a carrot, the next thing you want is to grow a better carrot," he said. "Then if you're growing vegetables locally and people are eating them, the next things you need to produce locally are proteins - meat - and then the hard beans and cereal crops."

He said some farmers are beginning to plant cereals locally, though he is devoted to raising animals, not least because he thinks much of the land in New England is best suited to the purpose. Looking out over the fields that roll back from South Pleasant Street and upwards towards barns, he says, "That's not good for vegetables, but it's perfect for animals."

The land used to be a dairy farm run by the Jacques family, who were hoping when they sold it that one day it would have animals grazing it again.

Grass fed beef

Grazing is important to both cows and chickens. Clearly it's more natural than feeding them a diet of grain in feedlots or battery houses, so in that sense it's more humane. But there's an effect on the meat too.

"Grass-fed beef has a better balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, and less saturated fat," Cesario explained. "Chickens that are allowed in the pasture find grubs and other things, so their diet includes that as well as the feed I give them. It makes the dark meat a little darker, and they are more flavorful."

Cesario has a personal relationship to flavor, because he likes to cook, a fondness he attributes to his mother. "Her background is French-Canadian," he said. "She cooks all the time. We hardly ever went out to eat when I was growing up."

He notes that grass-fed beef needs cooking at lower temperatures and for longer than the grain-fed beef of the supermarkets. Pork raised naturally from traditional breeds is fattier than the lean pork that has become typical.

"But the fat is natural," he said. "Pork is just not a lean meat. Even in the industry they are realizing that pork is not the other white meat.' It has no flavor if it has no fat."

As for chicken, while sustainable feeding produces a tastier bird, cooking methods don't have to change. "The thing I notice with selling chicken is that no-one seems to know how to cook a whole one nowadays. Everyone wants just parts."

The lack of knowledge about how to roast a whole chicken extends to complete ignorance when it comes to the interior parts of animals.

"I am interested in selling the whole animal, including the heart, the liver, the tongue, and so on," said Cesario. He laments that these parts have now virtually disappeared from supermarkets, but said that there are still people who want them.

He supplies chicken giblets to a restaurant, for example, and one customer of Caribbean origin is happy to be able to buy chicken feet. These parts can also be made into sausage of various kinds, and Cesario points out that slaughterhouses will generally use them for this purpose.

Slaughter-houses are a major problem for local farmers. There are not enough of them, and the only one within reasonable distance (in Athol) burned down last year. So all farmers now have to take their animals on a two-hour trip to New Hampshire.

"That's bad for them," Cesario said. "Animals just don't like being transported, so it's inhumane. And they get anxious and that affects the quality of the meat."

He's looking forward to the Athol facility getting back in business soon, but more significantly he says that in Europe and Washington State there is a system of mobile abattoirs that go around to farms, making life easier for both farmers and their animals. He's hoping that a similar system will eventually come to our region.

Cesario recognizes that much of the interest in sustainable agriculture and eating local and organic foods has come from vegetarians, and that they oppose the use of animals as food. Many non-vegetarians too worry about the conditions in which many animals are raised.

Certainly, few people want to get into the ins and outs of slaughtering them. But Cesario points out, "Animals have always been part of our diet. Many people don't do well on vegetarian food; they get tired because they're not getting the protein and other nutrients in meat. I think it's important to eat locally and have strong farms so we can really continue 'to eat the view,' animals have to be part of that."

'Omnivore's Dilemma'

One book that influenced Cesario's thinking about sustainable and local food supplies is Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Dilemma," an exploration of how our food is produced and what sustainability really implies.

Three other books of special interest to cooks interested in thinking through issues of meat-eating are "Fat" by Jennifer McLaglan (Ten Speed Press, 2008); "The River Cottage Meat Book" by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Ten Speed Press, 2007), and "Nose to Tail Eating" and "Beyond Nose to Tail" by Fergus Henderson and Justin-Piers Gallatly (Bloomsbury, 2005 and 2007 respectively).

The authors of the latter two books are English, and Jennifer McLagan grew up in Australia, with a strong background in British cooking. Marc Cesario notes that British and European tastes have not drifted so markedly away from meat and still tolerate some of the innards so often wasted in America. Certainly, in Britain, once despised cuts of meat and the traditional dishes made from them, are coming back into favor.

Sample recipes from these authors follow, as does a recipe for Roast Chicken for anyone who doesn't know how to make this simple, best-of-all chicken dishes.

Marc Cesario's meat can be purchased at the stores at Brookfield Farm on Hulst Road (you don't have to be a member to purchase), and also at the Food Bank Farm on Route 47 in Hadley. In addition, anyone interested in making a larger purchase - a side of beef or pork for the freezer for example, or a dozen chickens - can contact him directly at GreenHorn Farm, 599 South Pleasant St. in Amherst. The number to reach him is (413) 835-5474.

ROAST CHICKEN

I was startled recently to be told by a teenager that I was the only person she knew who made roast chicken. Most of my friends also make roast chicken, but many people, Marc Cesario among them, confirm that lots of folks no longer know how to do it. Nothing could be easier, and a whole chicken is way more than the sum of the parts because the flavors stay in the meat, rather than leaking away in the package or the pan.

You can add what you like in the way of herbs to enhance the taste. Thyme is good with chicken, as is sage. Tarragon is delicious - a French favorite. You can enhance the flavor and the meal by adding stuffing, and some of the cautions about undercooked stuffing that we hear every Thanksgiving apropos of turkey do not apply to chicken because the amount of stuffing is smaller and the cooking temperature higher.

A roast chicken feeds 6 people and you have the bones and any leftovers for making into soup. Think you need a bit more than one chicken? It's just as easy to roast two birds at the same time. Or if that is more chicken than you need, buy an extra leg or two and stick them in the pan when you turn down the temperature after the first 20 minutes.

1 roasting chicken, preferably raised naturally and without hormones

salt

5 tablespoons butter at room-temperature

11/2 teaspoons of tarragon or thyme or mixed herbs

1 lemon or stuffing (see below)

Turn the oven to 425 degrees and grease a Dutch oven or roasting pan into which the chicken will fit comfortably without leaving too much empty space. Wash the chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of salt inside the bird and rub it around.

If you are going to stuff the bird, do it now, using the instructions below. Loosen the skin from the breast. Mix your chosen herbs with the butter and divide the mixture into 5 portions. Push two portions under the skin and onto the flesh of each breast. Rub it around a bit. Rub a portion over each leg. Put the last portion on top of the breast on the outside.

Sprinkle with salt. If you haven't stuffed the chicken, use the lemon now. Halve it and squeeze the juice of one half into the cavity. Put both lemon halves inside the cavity. Then put the chicken in the pan and into the oven. Roast for 20 minutes. Baste, then turn the temperature down to 375 degrees and continue roasting, occasionally basting, for another 40-45 minutes.

The chicken is done when a skewer or toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the thigh elicits clear, not pink, juice. Remove from the oven, cover, and let rest for at least 10-15 minutes before carving.

Strain the pan juices, adding a few drops of lemon juice if you like to serve with the bird. Or leave them in the pan and stir in a tablespoon of flour to form a roux, cooking over medium heat, and adding vegetable broth or chicken stock to make gravy as thin as you like.

STUFFING

Stuffing is as good and as beloved with chicken as it is with turkey. You can use any turkey stuffing recipe, including packaged stuffing such as Pepperidge Farm, but you need only about one-third of the amount you would use for a 14-pound turkey.

To make your own stuffing, you chop and onion and put it in a pan with a cup of water and a bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and add 1-2 tablespoons of butter.

Grate 4 cups breadcrumbs made from stale bread. Add black pepper, salt, and 1 teaspoon dried sage. Pour in the onion and its liquid and stir. You may need to add more water or crumbs if the stuffing is too dry or too moist.

Stuff the bird just before you spread it with butter, then as soon as you have the butter in place, put it in the oven. Don't leave it sitting about. An alternate stuffing is to use 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus the grated zest and juice of a lemon instead of the herbs and onions.

CORONATION CHICKEN

This English dish was created for the coronation of the Queen. It's omnipresent on many English menus, sometimes in forms so pathetic that it has become unfashionable among foodies, though it maintains its hold on the public. This version, which suggests turkey or pheasant as options to the traditional chicken, comes from "The River Cottage Meat Book" by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Ten Speed Press, 2007), The Greek yoghurt makes a terrific difference. Go for the Total brand available in most supermarkets.

About 14 ounces leftover chicken, turkey or pheasant, cut in thick boneless slices

2 tablespoons good spicy fruit chutney

1 tablespoon good Madras curry paste or powder

scant 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

scant 1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup slivered flaked almonds, toasted till golden

chopped chives or cilantro or both if handy

Mix together the chutney, curry paste, yogurt and mayonnaise, then add the cold meat and toss together. Chill for a couple of hours. Just before serving, spread the dressed meat out on a platter and scatter the almonds and chopped herbs on top.

BRAISED OXTAIL

Oxtail is beloved in many countries, including Britain, France, Spain and the Caribbean islands. It's often available in supermarkets, but you may need to ask the butcher or poke around to find it. This recipe is from a new and immensely interesting book by Jennifer McLagan called "Fat." (Ten Speed Press, 2008).

5 pounds oxtail cut in pieces

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons rendered beef fat or pan drippings (or use lard)

3 celery stalks, halved lengthwise and sliced

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large orange

1 cup red wine

3 cups beef stock

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds

2 cloves

1 star anise

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Dry the oxtail and season with salt and pepper.

In a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole, heat the fat and brown the oxtail in batches, transferring the cooked pieces to a plate. Add the celery, onions and carrots to the same pan and cook slightly until softened.

Remove the zest from the orange in large strips and set aside. Pour the wine into the pan and bring to the boil. Deglaze the pan using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the stock, garlic, tomato paste, then the orange zest, bay leaves, cumin, cloves and star anise.

Return the oxtail pieces to the pan and cover the surface with a dampened piece of parchment paper and the lid. Braise in the oven until tender but not falling off the bone - about 3-4 hours.

Strain the liquid into a large measuring cup. Cover and refrigerate both meat and liquid overnight.

The next day, remove all the fat from the top of the liquid. Squeeze the orange to get 1/2 cup of juice. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the oxtail in a baking dish. Put the jellied liquid in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil until it has reduced to 2 cups. Add the orange juice and pour over the oxtail. Transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered, for about an hour or until the oxtail is almost falling from the bone.

BRAISED SHOULDER OF LAMB

Shoulder of lamb is a favorite English roast because it's more succulent than leg. It's much appreciated elsewhere too. In America it is usually cut up to make shoulder lamb chops or stewing lamb, so you need to ask a supermarket butcher to hold off his knife, or if you buy freezer lamb from a farmer, ask for the shoulders to be left as roasts rather than cut into chops. This recipe is from "Beyond Nose to Tail" by Fergus Henderson and Justin-Piers Gallatly (Bloomsbury, 2007). The oven temperature should be 325 degrees.

1 shoulder of lamb on the bone

20 shallots peeled and left whole

20 cloves garlic peeled and left whole

a splash of olive oil

a bundle of thyme and rosemary

1/2 bottle white wine

1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock

sea salt and black pepper

In an oven tray deep and wide enough to hold your shoulder of lamb, brown the shallots and garlic in the oil.

Lay the bundle of joy in the pan and put the lamb on top. Pour in the wine and stock. Season the shoulder liberally. Cover with foil and place in a gentle oven for 3-ish hours, always keeping an eye on it and poking it with a small sharp knife to check if its done. As far as cooking the meat goes, shoulder of lamb is one of the best behaved and you don't even have to know how to carve. It's a case of attack.