And we're off!


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From Pasture to Plate: Northfield Farms Edition

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Today while at Northfield Farms, we got our first look at an on-farm butcher shop that shares their "pasture to plate" story quite well. Jan was very passionate about sharing the story of his farm with us before showing us his livestock and butcher shop. Since we toured a similar butcher shop in Minnesota, the St. Paul Meat Shop, we noticed the main concepts of selling meat at a small butcher shop wasn't too different from the United States. For starters, both butcher shop's main goal was to provide a high quality, safe and wholesome product for their consumers. The meat counters both contained numerous meat cuts that cater to various palates and customer's specific needs. Both butchers sold bacon that could be sliced to a specific thickness and quantity; however, Northfield offered dry-aged steaks that could be cut the same way. Nick Mangigian- St. Paul Meat Shop Marc Andrews- Northfield Butcher Not only does Northfield Farms ope...
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Beautiful Beef

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The first beef farm we visited earlier in the week was Northfield farm, which is known for their amazing and historical beef that they then sell at Borough market in London! Jan and Tessa first started their farm with one smaller framed Dexter cow and then expanded it to a 250 head herd. Due to the smaller frame of the Dexter breed, they weren't originally a very commercially popular breed. Over the years, Jan and Tessa started to breed in a Native Angus bull with their Dexter cows. This transition then led to the Pedigree Aberdeen Angus, which is known as the Valentine Herd. This pedigree is considered the UK's premier beef breed. To add some diversification to his herd, Jan is currently breeding in Pedigree White Park Cattle, which is a very old, ancestral breed from the UK. These two breeds create what Jan likes to describe as very marbled and flavorful meat. Once the beef is finished, they sell the cuts in their on-farm butcher shop. All of the beef is raised on free range...
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A Senior's Farewell to the University of Minnesota

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Completing the Shires, Shorthorns, and Sheep: Exploring Livestock Production Systems in England marked the end of my undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota. Leaving for England two short days after my college graduation seemed to be a little daunting, but there's no doubt in my mind that it was worth it and a GREAT way to end my collegiate career! The highlights of my trip to England included visiting farms, such as Wimpole and Native Beef, to see how they are working to preserve the genetics of England's heritage breeds, seeing the racing industry in Newmarket, and experiencing several markets in London. Growing up in production agriculture has given me personal experiences with raising beef, sheep and crops, such as corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. I enjoyed observing the similarities and differences between agriculture in the United States and the United Kingdom. Heritage breed preservation seemed to be important to several of the farms we visited, and I di...
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