What does the label mean on your CowShare?

As all of our customers can attest, there are a several seemingly mysterious numbers on both the box labels of our shares and on each package of meat. To the eye it might come off as a vestige of bureaucratic record keeping or elaborate USDA documentation. In a sense, both of those things are true, but that’s not everything. 

What those numbers represent to you, the consumer, is a reflection of both our quality and assurance. Those numbers are documentation--a verification of our protocols. 

Throughout the life cycle of every animal we process, there are certain signifiers that are given. When the animal is born, its lineage is reflected in the farmer’s personal system. That is the basis for the number assigned on an ear tag. Upon processing, that animal is given a unique ID that is printed on every subsequent package of meat. The work order is based off our specific cutting instructions for that animal. And of course there is the USDA seal, which assures that everything was processed in a federally inspected facility. 

What this means is that we can look at any of those numbers, off a package or a box, and trace a single package of our beef or pork to one of our farms and to one of their animals! In a time of uncertainty in the world of food production, our promise to you is embodied in those numbers. We operate on a system of transparency, so ensuring traceability and verification every step of the way is central to our mission of providing the highest quality, fully pastured pork and grass fed beef. 

So while numbers on packaging might feel like a ubiquitous sign of large-scale agriculture, for us it’s just a small window into our methods. Behind every one of those numbers is an animal that we’ve met in the pasture, that our farmers helped birth, and that our certified humane processor has handled. For us, that makes all the difference.

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Reflections on a Good Year

As 2014 comes to a close, we at Philly CowShare are feeling very grateful. We’re honored to be a part of such an amazing community of eaters, farmers and butchers and people who care deeply about sustainable food. The food we eat brings us closer together as we reach for a common goal.

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Steak of the Union: Introducing Our New Pre-ordering Process

We hope you enjoyed the beautifully mild summer this year—our cattle certainly did. It was a welcome break from the drought our region faced through 2012 and 2013, topped off with a record-breaking winter in terms of snow and temperatures. But while our cattle were happily munching along, Mother Nature had already spoken. Our cattle are soil-regenerating, nitrogen-fixing, carbon-sequestering, grass fanatics, but they can’t control the amount of sun, rain, snow and temperatures that are crucial to producing the grasses and hay they love so much. Bottom line: There are fewer cattle available this year and likely next year.

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One Ham, Many Meals

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Cooking for a Crowd (without Getting Stuck in Front of the Stove)

Whether it's a casual gathering of friends, a celebratory meal or a weeknight dinner for your hungry family—cooking for a crowd can be stressful for the cook. (What should I make? How much should I make? Will everyone like it? When will I get to eat?)

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

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