410589 Tue Jun 12 08:42:18 -0700 2007 15 3 California 0 2652140 I was just wondering how many San Diego chowhounders are going? And if you are going where are you eating before or after i.e. will you eat one of the meals he researched? (Mods--please don't move to food & media not enough San Diego people will check) Tue Jun 12 08:42:18 -0700 2007 50314 jturtle 1 2652441 I will go tonight but his talk will not influence my decision where I will eat tonight. His ideas/books don't cover a novel concept (especially outside of the US) and these ideas were relative close to my way of living regarding foods anyway. I think he is important because he brings those idea to the mainstream in the US and hopefully more people will think more about what and how they eat in the future. But it is also very important that people don't follow him blindly but develop own ideas and opinions. Not everything he (and other authors with similar opinions, e.g. Marion Nestle) are publishing should be taken as the best way to live. Tue Jun 12 09:57:46 -0700 2007 2652140 13239 honkman 2 2655850 I was there last night - I don't think the crowd really represented the "mainstream" US population, but it's a start. I saw Jay from the Linkery there, and some of you were probably there but I didn't know who you were! I was actually a little disappointed in the talk - it felt more like a book signing than a lecture, but it was cool to see him in person. I went with Maia, from the blog www.maiapapaya.wordpress.com - she had clued me into the fact that he was coming and we met beforehand at Wired to split a salad and a sandwich. They were both very good and they had a lot of French and Spanish wines by the glass - glass prices were high though given the bottle prices (7-9 bucks when bottles were 23-30). Also saw Edo Sushi, Barolo and a new bbq place in the space where Daily's used to be called "Grillions." Looks like Cathy on mmm-yoso!!! wrote it up just recently and said it was pretty good - http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2007/05/grillions_homes.html I agree that people should form their own opinions and ideas about the food chain, food systems, etc. but he is in a position to share a lot of information, having done the journalistic research. I hope the information he's spreading will prompt some changes. For example, just the other night I went to Iowa Meat Farms and asked them whether they have any sources for sustainably raised or grass fed meats. They said no. I asked if they get requests for it, and they said they do, but they don't bother to carry grass fed meat because they don't like the taste, and most "organic" meat is simply fed organic grain, not humanely raised. (This is a concern that is raised in the book.) Pointing to the prime steaks in the case, the counter guy then told me that the meat has to pass rigorous inspections to make sure it is antibiotic and additive free - and that cows are only given antibiotics when they're young (he didn't mention that they're also slaughtered when they're young.) The gist of his statement was that the meat was clean because all of that "has to be out of their system." I wasn't sure if this referred to some sort of increased scrutiny for Prime meat, so I didn't argue with him, but I can't help but believe that's a line they are feeding to people who go in and ask for "clean" meat. I had promised my husband steak for dinner, so I walked out with two prime ribeyes for around $40.00. Unfortunately, they weren't all that great (but the bottle of Elyse Cabernet that I picked up to go with them was stellar!) That's my second disappointing experience with Iowa Meat Farms in the past year, so I don't think I will be going back. I think we're going to have to get a freezer, so we can start ordering in bulk. Wed Jun 13 08:53:53 -0700 2007 2652441 11803 Alice Q 3 2656785 I thought the talk yesterday was good but I agree that I also had hoped he would go beyond talking about his book. Part of the Q&A was more interesting than the lecture. If you are looking for places to buy local grass-fed/organic/humane meat you might want to look to the two webpages he mentioned yesterday: http://www.eatwellguide.org/ http://www.eatwild.com Unfortunately there are not many option in San Diego at this point. (And I really don't like freezing meat. It loses a lot of quality) Wed Jun 13 12:38:47 -0700 2007 2655850 13239 honkman 4 2657983 I actually have links to both of those on my blog. Unfortunately, they aren't very helpful when it comes to finding sources for pastured or humanely raised meat in the local area. Wed Jun 13 17:59:06 -0700 2007 2656785 11803 Alice Q 5 2658050 You do know they auction off the animals near the end of the County Fair, right? I did mention this on another post. The animals will have been raised by the local High School 4H clubs and I would think those animals were pastured and raised humanely. If for no other reason, you could find the shop that will butcher those cows, sheep and goats and then know the place where the locals have their animals butchered and perhaps see what they sell there that is local. ...Kind of like Point Loma Seafods cans your fresh caught fish in exchange for you leaving a % of your catch with them to sell.... Wed Jun 13 18:19:31 -0700 2007 2657983 12123 Cathy 6 2658692 I might be wrong but I read somewhere that these animals are not butchered locally. Perhaps Jay from the Linkery knows more about it (and can comment if he reads this) but I think one problem is that there is no place locally in San Diego where non-corporate farmer can easily get their animals butchered. Thu Jun 14 00:12:17 -0700 2007 2658050 13239 honkman 7 2659017 Honkman, I can answer that question and you're mostly right. To digress for a moment, the CURFFL -California Unified Retail (something) Food Law, otherwise known as the "Health Code" or "Health Regs" - is being changed on July 1 to something now called CalCode. These are the health and safety rules and regulations that apply to every single food establishment no matter how big, small, or what function they perform. If they handle food, they have to comply with CalCode. I had to attend a training session on this yesterday, and one of the topics covered was food from private sources. Private sources essentially means anything that isn't coming through routine lines of distribution, i.e. home cooking, animals that may have been hunted. The health inspector doing the presentation specifically mentioned butchering of private animals. He said there was only 1 place in all of San Diego county that he *thought* (meaning he wasn't sure) was willing to do the butchering on a private animal. And by private animal he was actually referring more to animals that were hunted, not county fair purchases. For both the County Department of Environmental Health and the State Department of Health, it is an issue of public food safety. Anyone doing butchering whether from the hoof or primal parts has a whole array of rules and regs with which they must comply. I wonder if a private individual purchased a fair animal if they'd be provided with a reference on where to get it processed, or just be expected to take possession of the animal and left on their own on how to proceed thereafter. Thu Jun 14 06:40:35 -0700 2007 2658692 10506 DiningDiva 8 2659377 Years ago, (~ ten) they would butcher them then and there at the Fairgrounds and you would have the parts wrapped and ready for transport that evening. Auctioning was done on the last day. I noticed maybe 3 yers ago that the auctioning was done a few days before the end of the Fair and was unsure of the entire new process. I know Roger Hegecock, when he broadcasts his radio show from the Fairgrounds, always talks about whatever type of goat or from what farm or organization he will be bidding on that year, but I have not paid that much attention. Thu Jun 14 08:35:03 -0700 2007 2659017 12123 Cathy 9 2660403 Hey, maybe someone can call in and ask Roger where - or how - he gets his on the hoof purchase processed. I think you're right about the on-site processing years ago. Probably a victim to the ever increasing amount of government regulation. Thu Jun 14 12:24:58 -0700 2007 2659377 10506 DiningDiva 10 2660478 Well, I can't imagine that anyone walks a live animal out of the Fair into their automobile in the parking lot; especially the cows. Roger usually says when he will be broadcasting live from the Fair, so as to get people to come down to the booth to see him. Maybe I will remember to pay attention to something other than the traffic reports. Thu Jun 14 12:44:19 -0700 2007 2660403 12123 Cathy 10 2661624 The Junior Livestock (4H) Auction is on Saturday June 30. No time is listed. Info on Fair website (www.sdfair.com) says over 1000 students will partcipate. Thu Jun 14 17:26:17 -0700 2007 2660403 12123 Cathy 11 2686383 Did anyone have an update on this? It's a little late for this year, but might be something to think about for next. Would make for some interesting posts! :-) Fri Jun 22 20:41:43 -0700 2007 2661624 11803 Alice Q 12 2686447 It is on June 30- in 8 days, Alice.... Fri Jun 22 21:24:18 -0700 2007 2686383 12123 Cathy 13 2686555 Hi Cathy - but what about the butchering, etc? Fri Jun 22 23:15:15 -0700 2007 2686447 11803 Alice Q 14 2687181 Oh. Sorry. When I went the person who I could ask/would know was not working that day. More information would be available definitely on the day of. Sat Jun 23 10:32:51 -0700 2007 2686555 12123 Cathy