RK Farms Works with GreenStar to Bring Beef to Market

Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 October 2009 21:02

By Jennifer Wholey,

GreenLeaf Intern

Who doesn’t love a little more variety? The ability to make informed choices has always been an important value for GreenStar shoppers. Now, GreenStar is offering more options to its meat-buying members. RK Farms, owned by Kathy Engel and Bob Preston, is GreenStar’s newest supplier of beef.

In 2003 GreenStar members voted in two referendums to allow and govern the sale of red meat in the store, and in 2004 the “Criteria for the Fair Treatment of Animals” was established. The referendums require a team of GreenStar members to conduct inspections of any farm wishing to sell their products at the Co-op. “GreenStar’s member-owners decided in 2003 that they wanted GreenStar to sell only local, humanely-raised, natural meats,” said Felix Teitelbaum, marketing staff and member of the Inspection Team, which ensures that the strict rules regarding the animals’ living conditions, diet and method of slaughter are being followed.

The criteria outlined by the referendums are so stringent that only one supplier, Englebert Farms, which has sold pork and beef at the Co-op since 2007, met the requirements until August, when RK Farms began selling beef at GreenStar. In compliance with the criteria governing GreenStar’s sale of red meat, their beef is hormone- and antibiotic-free, 100-percent-grass-fed, all-natural and produced within 40 miles of Ithaca. On May 22, GreenStar’s Inspection Team visited the farm in East Steamburg, NY. The group, which also includes General Manager Bini Reilly, Grocery Assistant Jason Blake-Beach and member-at-large Laurie Pattington, decided the farm meets GreenStar’s criteria and approved RK’s meat for sale at the Co-op.

Kathy Engel worked in GreenStar’s Bulk Department from 2001-2003 and has worked in Grocery since 2007. “Working in the store helped me to understand our customer interests and focus my efforts on raising beef that is in line with the ethical and environmental values of our membership,” said Kathy.

RK Farms is home to ten Angus breeding cows, two Herefords and one Devon bull, named Rosco. “The Devon breed is one of the most ancient lines of English cattle, historically noted for superb tenderness and flavor. Devon cattle fell from favor with the advent of industrial feedlot beef management, because the animals fatten too quickly on grain and do not grow as large as modern beef types,” Kathy noted. “Devon are ‘grass cattle,’ meaning they retain the genetic predisposition to fatten well on grass alone.” RK is working to cross-breed the grass genetics of Devon back into the prime grading line of Angus cows.

The farm is also a member of the Seneca Beef Producers, who, with the help of a grant from the NY Farm Viability Institute, are conducting a cattle DNA project. Using hair samples taken from 15 producers’ herds within the group, the breeding group DNA will be tested for genetic markers that indicate feed efficiency, tenderness and overall quality. The results of this project will help farmers to make breeding decisions that will improve their businesses. RK, for instance, plans to use the information to acquire cows with a predisposition for tender meat.

RK’s products are now fully approved for sale at GreenStar, but they did not initially meet all of the Co-op’s required criteria. The two areas of concern were an unfenced drinking water source and the use of a chemical wormer. Unfenced water sources have the potential to let animals track contaminants into the water. The area has now been fenced, and the cows can safely drink from a newly-installed trough.

 RK’s prior use of the wormer ivermectin was not specifically prohibited by GreenStar’s policies, which require producers to use preventative health care methods that control parasites without the use of wormers. After meeting with the Inspection Team, RK has agreed to discontinue using the wormer. Instead, the cows are fed a mineral and herbal supplement and are put into more intensive rotation grazing. These practices are able to effectively control parasites in the animals without the use of chemicals.

“I shifted my parasite-control focus to better pasture management. I added some pasture divisions to improve pasture rotation and switched to a mineral supplement with kelp and diatomaceous earth used by organic dairy farmers,” Kathy explained. “By strengthening the overall resistance of the animals, parasite problems are minimized.” She added, “I installed fences and troughs on the home farm to improve water quality and help break the parasite cycle.”

GreenStar also stipulates that no chemical herbicides or fertilizers be used on the pastures on which the cows graze. RK’s “home farm” meets this qualification, but during the summer the animals graze on Finger Lakes National Forest land under the Hector Grazing Association grazing permit. This past summer the Forest Service tried to curb non-native invasive species on Forest land using chemical treatments. However, the Service used manual removal techniques in the areas grazed by RK’s cows. Kathy was the first producer to work with Hector Grazing to discourage chemical weed control, and she is thankful that both the Association and the Forest Service were receptive to her requests for exempting the pasture used by her cows.

The changes have improved RK’s operation, and the best part is that RK and GreenStar worked together to address the issues in question. “I feel totally comfortable selling RK’s beef having toured and screened the farm,” said Jason Blake-Beach, Grocery Assistant and member of the Inspection Team.

“RK Farms’ relationship with GreenStar has been progressive and cooperative in that we have worked together to build a local supply of high-quality, grass-fed beef that saves the customer money,” said Kathy. “GreenStar buys directly from several small local farms, allowing the producer to distribute directly to the store. This reduces costs and shortens the carbon path from farm to table.”

GreenStar’s Inspection Team is pleased to have helped a local supplier bring their product successfully to market. “We are really happy that RK was willing to adjust their practices to comply with GreenStar’s requirements. We are helping our producers farm more sustainably,” said Felix. This success is a testament to the strong commitment of GreenStar’s staff and member-owners to local, sustainably-produced food. RK adapted its practices to comply with GreenStar’s criteria and thus expand its market, and GreenStar is now able to provide more variety to its customers. It’s a win-win for all parties involved, including the cows.