By Angela Madaras • Photography by Rachael Waring

Mark Skowronski with one of the calves from Emma Acres Farm on Waters Road.

My passion for great food, and for those who produce and handle all aspects of providing it, is at times an obsession. I become a little rapt when meat and fish are involved because I have health issues that demand clean, healthy food, and environment. I place huge emphasis on the person behind the product when I embark on seeking out a farmer, hunter, monger, or purveyor. There is a symbiotic relationship between one who raises, gathers, and hunts animal meat and the end consumer. This relationship should be taken on with deep sincerity and thoughtfulness. I prefer, when possible, to purchase meat from animals bred and raised locally. The animals feed from grass in the pasture where they live and roam, until they are nearing full growth. At this point they are usually grain fed for higher fat marbling, but the lives of the animals are still cared for and properly managed.

We support our neighbors, friends, and family that spend their time feeding and caring for their livestock. We take a weekend every year to butcher a hog with family and friends. We also buy half a cow from a local farm and tell the butcher exactly how to cut it up in ways we will get the best use of the animal’s tasty morsels of nutrition for a whole year. The taking of a life stings, and feels incredibly intimate and primal, so I offer gratitude for the animal’s life force, and take great care to do this in a cognizant way. For the meat we are unable to gather from neighbor farms we use some of the following locally owned, independent shops that specialize in meat products with craftspeople at the helm, who know what they are selling and handle it with care.

The following article will explore some of the people who have a hand in making the roasts, salmon, and burgers that appear on your plate. The people and places mentioned here are devoted to their craft. I highly recommend you take a day or two to visit each market, farm, purveyor, and craftsperson highlighted. There are many price ranges to fit any budget, and these people will help you find exactly what you like, want, and perhaps inherently need. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and

learn about what you are putting in your body. My hope is that if one is to eat animal products they will do it in an educated way. And those local pros in the business who take the time to care will be supported and able to continue for many years to come.

The setting is of utmost importance if one considers the health of the animal and how that translates in one’s body. Purchase good meat from animals that are raised on healthy, well-managed land and water! Building a relationship with farmers-producers is a good way to begin the journey of the animal becoming fare. EMMA Acres Farm is one local farm that sells rare breed chickens, heritage hogs, lamb, and cows wholesale and retail directly from their location. They offer customers a weekly slot to purchase meats directly. Some of their products are found in the frozen section at Argus Farm Stop in Ann Arbor, and Agricole in Chelsea. Farmer Mark Skowronski, a scientist by trade, hails from a long line of farmers, as does his wife Michelle Kahlenberg (a doctor and researcher) who is responsible for growing the organic garden produce. Their farm is now 100% solar powered and resilient for future generations.

Malaika Whitney, her husband Mathew Haarklou, and their daughter.

Another one of the many local farms that sell organic meats is Whitney Farmstead in Ann Arbor. Local young couple, Maliaka Whitney and Mathew Haarklou, decided to remain on her sixth generation family farm. They are extremely passionate about preserving farm land and farms in our area because of the long history their family shares with the land and community. They want future generations to inherit this farm and keep it vibrant for many years to come. Their website whitneyfarmstead.com describes their business and practices best:

In addition to farmers markets (Ann Arbor and Webster) and Argus Farm Stop, we also offer a year round diversified meat CSA. Pickups are from the farm and offerings include 100% grass-fed beef and lamb, and pastured pork and chicken. Our CSA membership perks include a wide variety of nourishing meats in flexible share sizes, as well as member on farm potlucks and pasture walks.
All spring, summer, and fall we rotationally graze our livestock on diverse lush pastures of grasses, legumes, and forbs. Our Heritage Breed cattle are 100% grass fed. Our Heritage Breed Red Wattle Pigs and Broiler Chickens are raised on pasture and fed organically grown (primarily) local grains, minerals and kelp, homegrown milk, hay and pasture, and acorn and hickory nuts from our trees in the fall.

Stephanie Willette, manager at the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market.

According to Stephanie Willette, the Manager of the Ann Arbor Farmers Market

Of the 125 vendors we have at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, six sell chicken, five beef, three turkey, five pork, two lamb, one fish and one goat. Most sell more than one type of product, so there are only a total of ten vendors that sell meat overall. We have fewer meat vendors than many other types of products because the regulations and licensing are stricter for food safety reasons. It’s also become more expensive in the past few years to process meat, which is another obstacle.

I have found that many customers are very conscientious about how their meat is raised and are interested in the care given to the animals. Vendors who are successful use practices like free range, grass fed or non gmo grain, organic, and no hormones or antibiotics. In the store, these labels can be confusing, because it’s not exactly clear what “organic” means for how an animal has been raised, and there’s still a lot of variation between farm practices. Meat vendors need to tell their story and communicate to customers why their animals are raised humanely and the difference between local meat and that from factory farms.

Read related article: Support Your Local Farmers and Growers— Even in the Winter!

Organic, local (considered within a 50 mile radius) and/or grass fed meat that allows grazing in open healthy fields, is better than organic meat from places outside of the U.S. But that does not mean Illinois or Iowa beef is less than, just that there are lower fuel emissions and transportation costs when you buy closer to home. In addition, we are supporting our local farms, people, community, and economy. Local can mean many different things to many folks and even something different in the industry. Costs are higher from small farms because of processing fees due to a lack of local processors. FDA and state regulations make it a challenge as Willette pointed out. The “upside” is that meat production is protected in Michigan and through the Midwest, and worries of health concerns such as serious infections, disease, and such can be almost eliminated. Here is what the Graham Sustainable Institute of the University of Michigan has to say about the local food chain:

There is an imbalance in the Southeastern Michigan supply chain involving sustainably and humanely raised animal products. First, the supply chain lacks a shared understanding—from producers to end consumers—of what sustainably and humanely raised animal products are and the spectrum on which they can range in terms of environmental, economic, and social impacts. Second, demand from institutional purchasers and other wholesale buyers like restaurants and stores far outstrip supply. There are many questions surrounding why these gaps exist, yet, there is no lasting group in our region working on this issue.

The group at the Graham Sustainable Institute is beginning to establish a working livestock-supply chain through authentic relationships between all involved in order to increase the supply chain locally.

One retail market and butcher shop, Sparrow’s Meats, in Ann Arbor has been in business for almost 35 years in Kerrytown. Owner Bob Sparrow, and his friendly staff, operates an open air meat counter where they butcher meat from local and nonlocal farms for a reasonable price. Many of their products are from West Michigan, surrounding states, and the Midwest. They also sell odd cuts and provide special orders per customer. Their chicken is air dried. It is extremely moist and tasty at three dollars per pound on average. They will even grind it and add ingredients like spinach and feta if you order in advance for a little extra cost. They also sell some organ meats, bones, fois grois, cured meats, and cheeses, have a fabulous sandwich and salad take-out counter, and so much more. It is one of the best retail places to buy reasonably priced meat, with Knights Market a close comparison. Both butchers will custom order and cut whatever you desire. They are happy to answer any questions you have. Both Bob Sparrow of Sparrow’s and Vernon Bedolla of Knights, are knowledgeable, seasoned butchers who care about what they do and who they serve. I recently sat with Bob Sparrow for a pleasant conversation. He only buys his goods from a real person, not online, and has developed relationships with all of his producers. When he is able, he procures local meats, but consistency and quantity is a challenge as he also provides meat cuts for about 20 restaurants. Sparrow’s Meats employs about forty people, and Sparrow personally trains all his butchers, spending a month or more on food safety-service measures. He hires people who are clean and good at communicating with customers, but he emphasized that safety comes first and foremost. Safety measures include temperature alarms on the refrigerators and other equipment. The market is inspected by the state and USDA regularly and can only accept animals from inspected farms.

Mike Monahan and the family behind Monahan’s Seafood Market.

Also included within the same market space at Kerrytown is Monahan’s Seafood. Fish mongers are laid back artisans who take great pride in their fresh products. Monahan’s also sells kitchen cooked lunches hot off the grill with whatever fish are available in the case. Certain favorites are part of their daily menu, but you can walk up to the counter and pick your fish and sides made to order. They have fish delivered daily from all over the world, but I see mostly Atlantic, Maine, and Michigan offerings in season. They do sell some frozen items and offer meals to take home for re-heating. Catering and bulk sales are welcomed with advance notice. They always have wonderful raw oysters you can slurp at the counter and poor boys on Saturdays. Seating is available inside and out in the shared garden space of Kerrytown. Their staff is knowledgeable, and owner Mike Monahan is usually present to answer questions and offer recipes. Every Friday they send regular customers the “Friday Fish Report” with the weekend specials and usually a recipe or two. His family works in the business, too. I trust the sources Monahan’s uses, and I do not mind spending a little more to support those who are fishing, raising, and selling the highest quality fish available. They also happily offer their own pickled herring and other cured fishes for bagels and such. The staff is super friendly and fast. Anthony Bourdain loved Monahan’s and Sparrow’s when he visited Ann Arbor in 2014, so you know they have to rock! “You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together,” Anthony Bourdain once said. This is a great place to do just that!

Around the corner from Monahan’s and Sparrow’s, in the same building with an entrance off of Kingsley Street, you will find a shop called Durham’s Tracklements, named after the owner T.R. Durham. They make and sell smoked and cured fish on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. They are a small shop with friendly staff and a very informed and jovial owner who loves what he does. He has also authored a cookbook and offers recipes and guidance to assist picky clients. Salmon may be his favorite, and most abundant, product, but they also offer “Catch-As-Catch-Can” like mackerel, trout, and bluefish. In addition they have added turf offerings such as duck, lamb, Berkshire pork, and other specialties. It’s nice to know that all your meat needs can be handled from one block and about two dollars for a parking meter. Take your cooler and enjoy a weekly routine of Ann Arbor’s best.

A family member, we will call him John Smith, drives to Michigan for a half hog and half a cow every year. He is in the meat industry, trained as a butcher, and has worn many hats since. He travels all over the country for his work, attending industry shows and meat plants, and knows some of the key producers for most grocery chains and restaurants. I asked to interview him about his take on the business with forty years experience.

Angela Madaras: As a trained butcher, and someone working in the corporate meat industry, why is it important for you to drive to Ann Arbor in order to butcher our pig and buy grass fed beef? Is it for the taste and quality of the meat, the friendship, family, community, or to support farmers?

John Smith: The short answer is YES to all. I would come up to just cut-up the hog and not take a pound of it home because we enjoy that weekend so much. Fortunately, we do take home some of the meat and that is the cherry on the top. Plus, I have really enjoyed getting to know your friends—all very cool and unique people with open arms. They have made me feel very much at home and part of the group. Farmers have been the "back bone" during the evolution of the history of this country, and I have a great respect for them. Never ending work for a few pennies it seems, and always betting against the house. I have seen the meat machine at work for over forty years and have experienced so much. I have been right in the middle of the industry conversion from hanging beef that was brought to the back of the supermarket where it is cut and placed in coolers, to beef that is processed in a central location or case ready operation, trayed, price labeled, enveloped in a sealed bag with nitrogen with a shelf life of 16 days. When once chickens took 47 days to grow to 3.75 lbs in 1979, it now takes our "genetically modified" chickens 47 days to grow to 12 lbs. Hogs were once considered large at 150 lb dressed, they are now 230+ lbs dressed. I enjoy eating the locally grown meat, knowing there is a lineage to them and they are raised in a healthy, nutritious, sustainable manner. The flavor is real and not enhanced with process aids that inundate the protein sector today. I am no longer a buyer of meat that is in the supermarkets. There are some exceptions, there are supermarkets that still cut meat in the back room, but the skill level is low and getting lower. Most of the major supermarkets today have been forced to go to these case-ready operations. Those exceptions will continue to be driven toward the case-ready operations, because it requires less staff. Case-ready meats aren't terrible, and I do not want to give that impression, and the stores are all well run, quality stores where cleanliness is key, but they too are facing a labor shortage, and it’s just a matter of time before those operations will struggle with the same issues that all supermarkets face today.

Angela Madaras: Where do you see sustainable meat production heading? Is it important for the health of the people, the animals, and the planet?

John Smith: Sustainable? I have used that word it feels like thousands of times over the last several years because meat production as we have known it is not sustainable. We are in a decline and are going to ride this all the way to the crash. It won't happen soon, but I am thinking we are within a ten year window where the industry will not exist as we know it today. The biggest reason I see the meat industry in the U.S. crashing is that there will not be a work force to operate it. Automation is coming, but will not be able to perform all tasks. We started seeing the cracks in the system occur about five to seven years ago, and much more so in the last three.

Plants just are not seeing young people willing to work for the wage they are paying—around $40,000 for skilled workers. The work ethic is missing. I have tried to mentor young people in these operations. If they show up, work hard, do a good job, they will be noticed, and it won't be long before they are promoted to the next level. Today, the scene that is repeated way too often, is giving an operator a pay raise which they decline, because it will put them at a pay level that will disqualify them to receive the benefits they are getting from the government. Or they keep the raise and just "call out" a day—absenteeism per day approaches 20% in many plants. Immigrants "saved" the meat industry in the early to mid 90's when unskilled workers came to the U.S. in droves and quickly learned that the meat industry would gladly put them to work, pay them $7.25 an hour, and let them work as many hours as they wanted. They forced out the American meat industry workers who were making in excess of $15.00 an hour in the 90's, but the owners, and major companies, realized that they could tap into the immigrant worker and pay them a whole lot less, and man did they work. It stayed that way for about ten years, until they became "Americanized." They started getting assistance from the U.S. government and realized they didn't have to work so hard for their money, and could collect benefits, like the Americans they replaced a decade earlier.

Then the industry started going to other parts of the world to look for workers and brought them over. It is quite typical to go into a meat processing plant today and see signs written in 20 different languages. The American meat worker is an afterthought—probably less than 10% of the work force is American, the rest hail from all points on the globe. There are other factors that will force this change in the meat sector: fuel costs, feed costs, and costs to replace the old meat plants is staggering. I believe I am right when I say that the average pork plant in the U.S. is over 40 years old. There is one in Sioux Falls, SD that is over 100 years old. It is an active relic of a bygone era—eight stories high, slaughter on top floor and every bit goes down floor by floor. The book The Jungle was inspired by plants like this. There have been new plants built in the last 20 years, and some in the last five, but on a whole they still only represent 1/5 of the meat plants in the U.S.

From a planet perspective, the amount of resources the industry gorges itself on to grow an animal is incredible, and just the amount of fossil fuel it takes to fuel this monster is immeasurable. Not to mention the natural resources consumed. The amount of water use each day is in excess of one million gallons per plant. Throw in the seed for feed corn, the most crucial part of the industry, and how it has been genetically modified with pesticides and herbicides, and I believe we are sitting on a time bomb. The industry is moving toward renewable power sources and harnessing some of the methane that comes from the process, but that is only a drop in the bucket. Top management is focused on short term, much is kicked down the road for others to solve.

Angela Madaras: Can you tell the difference in meats raised in a humane way?

John Smith: I do not believe the difference can be distinguished by most average folks, but there is a huge difference in taste to those who care, and foodies will know the difference, too, but it also makes a huge difference when you look at the larger picture. Processed humanely? I think that is where the real difference lies. All of the protein industries are adopting the Gas Stunning method. The animals are brought into the building and are "put to sleep" by immersing them into a CO2 tank. The meat quality is better; less thrashing around which leads to less adrenaline racing through the animal. Meat quality is better too.

Angela Madaras: Can you share anything else you feel the readers should understand about the corporate meat business versus the local people who continue to raise grass fed and healthy animals and butcher by hand as a craft?

John Smith: The large meat processors basically do the same thing: they process meat that is made to sell, not to eat. More and more meat is being processed in a plant with some sort of a process aid, whether it is marination or flavor enhancer, and some are injected in excess of 30% water,. The laughable part is they call it "value added." The only value is what profit it brings them. I love the way the small butcher shops are again thriving, however, there is a caveat. The meat they are being supplied with in many cases is the same protein that the supermarkets are providing. The primary difference is the skill level to process it is typically much higher and quality cutting is being done at a small butcher. The abattoirs [slaughterhouses] that are going to thrive are the ones that source meat locally, of a certain quality. Meat that is traceable and grown organically. Once you get to know your local butcher, he/she will take care of you.

One doesn’t have to agree with everything John Smith said to understand that no matter what you are eating, it all comes down to relationship; relationship between you and the farmer, the relationship between the farmer and the animals, and the relationship between the animals and the land. I’ve given you an opportunity to see a little bit inside the meat business from a couple perspectives, but there are many books written on the subject and documentaries made to educate you about the importance of buying local—not only to support your local economy, but also support your health. I also ask that you consider how YOU define local and what that word means to you. Each person must grapple with these ideas and definitions.