Farm-to-counter may not be a thing for most of us, but it is a service that Bolyard's Meats delivers all the time. Bolyard's is a butcher shop that works directly with farmers on the beef, pork, lamb, poultry and more. And in a really unique spin, you not only buy fresh from the farm meats at the meat counter, but you can get a great meal too. And you can eat that while watching the butchers at work in the cutting room from a lunch counter!

In this episode we talk with chef and butcher Chris Bolyard who shares his passion for whole-animal butchery, sustainable practices, and providing high-quality meats to his customers. 

Here are some key points from the episode that will capture the interest of food and cooking enthusiasts:

• Chris emphasizes the importance of understanding where your food comes from and the impact it has on its quality and taste. He highlights the strong relationships his business has with local farmers, visiting their farms to learn about the animals' upbringing, diet, and living conditions.
• Seam butchery is a technique used by Bolyard's Meats, allowing them to offer a wide variety of meat cuts to their customers. They take pride in introducing customers to new and lesser-known cuts, encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones.
• Chris highlights the importance of minimizing waste and utilizing all parts of the animal to create value-added items like charcuterie, deli meats, sausages, and more. 
• The holiday season is already on the mind of folks in food service. We discuss the increased demand for their products during the holidays, including fresh turkeys for Thanksgiving and standing rib roasts and tenderloin roasts for Christmas. 

Links Available:

• See videos of beef being broken down in the cutting room and an interview with the farmer who produces beef for Bolyard's Farm-to-Counter post on groundedbythefarm.com 
• Bolyard's Meats website
• Price Family Farms website (beef source we talked with)
• Buttonwood Farms (poultry source)
  
  

As we change seasons, we're talking seasonal foods with chef Zane Dearien at a unique restaurant in St. Louis' Central West End -- Bowood by Niche. The restaurant is paired with a garden center, providing a perfect patio environment to enjoy a relaxed meal with friends and family. Our conversation focuses on the importance of utilizing seasonal foods and the on-site herb garden at the restaurant, and ways home cooks can up their game too. 

During the interview, several key topics are covered:

• Zane's background in food & the restaurant industry.
• The restaurant's unique concept of combining a restaurant and garden center, offering guests a garden atmosphere and relaxed dining experience.
• Zane emphasis on seasonality and freshness in his menu planning, focusing on using the freshest ingredients available each season.
• The on-site herb garden at Bowood, where they grow a variety of herbs used in their dishes, ensuring the utmost freshness and flavor.
• The growth of Niche from one restaurant to a network of great neighborhood chef-driven experiences throughout St. Louis under direction of chef Gerard Craft. 

We also talk through the challenges and rewards of working in the restaurant world in a few different ways: 

• The misconception of the glamourous chef life portrayed online and in the media versus the hard work and dedication required in the industry.
• The importance of building relationships with local farmers and the need for flexbility at times due to complications of weather, etc. 

Links Available:
- Bowood by Niche website: https://www.bowoodbyniche.com/ 
- A video on the on-site herb garden at Bowood: https://youtu.be/gqA877w1kpw
- Detailed show notes post & photos on additional info https://groundedbythefarm.com/seasonal-cooking-zane-dearien/ 

Cheese farmer made be a made up term but when you make artisan cheddar cheese from the dairy cows you milk, it seems fitting! This episode we visit David Hemme, a Missouri dairy farmer who began making cheese seven years ago!

The Hemmes are committed to "better from the beginning" and the result is incredibly tasty products with an eye on the future.  We cover all the topics from cheese curds -- did you know small batch cheesemakers as they make a 42-pound block of cheese are left with about 27 pounds of leftover curds? -- to regenerative farming techniques being used on the farm. 

Topics in the interview:

• The process of making cheddar cheese and the production of cheese curds.
• The search for artisan pizza places and finding cheeses that may be best suited for the preferences of the Hispanic community.
• David's discovery of higher-quality cheeses and recommendations for some of the best farmstead cheeses. 
• The American Cheese Society event and the vast variety of artisan cheeses available.

Key Links:

• The Hemme Brothers website hemmebrothers.com
• Hemme Brothers on Instagram
• Hemme Brother on Facebook