A little over a year ago, when we had finally found the house and decided we would move to a rural county outside the big city of Lexington, KY, an article in a nearby newspaper caught my eye. The article described a business that would be moving to the area soon, Marksbury Farm.
Considering that this came at a time when I was beginning my commitment to buy only small scale, humanely raised and naturally fed animal products, I could not believe my fortune.
You see, according to that article Marksbury Farm was planned to be a processing facility for just that. Local farmers from around the area could have their animals processed at a local facility where they could then sell these products to consumers in the area. This would eliminate the need to drive hundreds of miles to the nearest USDA facility.
That alone had me thrilled, but I was even more excited about the proposed market that was part of this project. The plan was to have a shop where grass-fed, pastured, humanely raised local meats would be sold to the public. A one-stop shop, a place that would mimic the old-fashioned butcher, but with animal products I could feel good about buying and eating.
Fast forward to last summer.
Our community was hosting a showing of Fresh: The Movie and I was asked to speak about the nutritional benefit of local food. It was here that I first met, Richard McAlister, one of the partners behind bringing Marksbury to the area.
It was a busy a time, as they were undergoing USDA organic certification with plans to open the processing facility within that month. The market was soon to follow. It was at that meeting that I realized this wasn’t just rumor or an idea. Soon I would have access to an incredible resource!
Last Saturday, myself and three other Kentucky Food Bloggers – Mindy from Mindy’s Mouthful, Samantha from A Teenage Gourmet, and Melissa from My McDonald Meal met Richard to tour the facilities. I’ve been frequenting the market since the end of December, but this was my first chance to get an up close look at the facilities.
Richard took us through the empty facility and each step of the process for cattle, pigs and poultry. He explained to us each and every precaution they take to ensure humane handling, during this process that, let’s be honest, we really don’t like to think about.
I was glad to hear him mention Dr. Temple Grandin when we took a look at the outdoor holding area. If you haven’t heard of Temple and her research, or haven’t seen the movie that aired on HBO, I highly recommend it.
I have toured a processing facility one other time. As part of my Food Science course at Purdue we explored the facility on campus, and it was interesting to compare the processes there (about 10 years ago) to what I saw at Marksbury. There were noticeable improvements with this facility compared to what I have seen before in terms of respecting the animal and the fact that they are giving their life to nourish us.
We withheld many pictures inside the facility because I know many don’t wish to see that. Then we entered the smoking room, and the storage room. Let me just say, it was a smoked meat lovers paradise.
To simplify, Marksbury processes animals for local farmers. Their guidelines explain the conditions in which the animals must be raised. This meat can be picked up by consumers from the facility who might be ordering a full or half of beef or pork from a specific farmer. In addition, Markbury purchases animals which they process and sell in their market.
Yes, let’s get to the market. Set in a gorgeous old farmhouse is a Kentucky food paradise. Not just meat, but foods of all kinds.
Okay, first the meat. There is every cut you can imagine and some products you might not, everything from pork tenderloin to beef tongue. They are also offering prepared dishes like steak pie and ready-to-cook meatballs. Did I mention that some of the partners are of Scottish descent? So you can imagine the good meats and sausages in the case.
A few things we’ve purchased include Italian sausage, chicken sausage, ground pork, ground beef, whole chickens, chicken wings, smoked brats, prosciutto, braunschweiger and hot dogs. One of the best parts is that because Marksbury purchases and processes their meats their prices are very competitive and affordable in the market of grass-fed and pastured products.
Each time I visit, there are more foods available that aren’t meat at all. There are Kentucky cheeses, including this delicious Asiago Peppercorn from Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese.
Kentucky milk, cream, yogurt, granola, breads, produce, vanilla, flavored sugars, salts and soy sauce can also be found lining the shelves along with many more items.
There are still some farmers around the area whose relationships I value and I will continue to buy from them directly. However, I feel incredibly fortunate to make a short drive and have such variety at my finger tips.
The Marksbury Farm Market truly encompasses the local butcher. The kind of place where you go with no plans for your dinner menu, and leave with a gourmet meal planned based on fresh, local ingredients.
Several media outlets have published articles on Marksbury, so check out the links below to learn more. This coming week I’ll share what we did with the hotdogs we purchased. And of course, if you find yourself traveling through central Kentucky, don’t miss the opportunity to stop by and see it for yourself!
73 Fisher Ford Road
Lancaster, KY 40444
Solving the Meat-to-Market Riddle – Edible Louisville
New Garrard operation provides market for local meat producers and consumers – Lexington Herald Leader
Disclaimer: I received no product or monetary compensation to tour or post about Marksbury Farm.
