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Before supermarkets and distributors made mass-produced livestock
dominant on the market, American farms raised a wide variety of farm
animal breeds. These were developed over centuries for being
able to thrive in their particular climate and environment, and for
the flavor and texture of their meats.
Red Bourbon and Narragasett Turkeys, Dark Cornish chicken, Buff geese,
Berkshire pork, Tunis lamb, Red Poll beef and American bison, are only
a few of the wide range of heritage breeds being raised by American farms.
Despite being ideally suited to their particular climate and vegetation,
forming an integral part of the land's ecosystem, many of these breeds
have become rare, and in some cases almost extinct. This is mainly because
they do not respond profitably to the challenge of mammoth industrial
meat and poultry production. In fact, there are only a handful of livestock
breeds that do "respond well" to factory farming. These animals
have been artificially bred out of most of their natural instincts and
will thrive and rapidly become indecently obese on entirely artificial
diets.
Heritage meats are different from their industrial counterpart: They often
have less excess fat, a tighter muscular grain, and superior flavor.
Rescuing heritage breeds is preserving our cultural heritage, a part of
America's bio-diversity and a resource for future generations.
It also means enjoying some of the best meats in the world while helping
small farmers and breeders survive.
Raising these breeds can be more costly and time consuming than raising
the more common ones, which were developed for productivity. This makes
heritage meats tipically more expensive than supermarket fare, but those
who have tasted them agree that the cost -and the wait- are well worth it.
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Photo by Sugar Mountain Farm
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