Pasture Raised and Grass Fed on Stony Brook Farm

There are two ways to buy meat from us:

By the whole or half

If you have a dedicated chest or upright freezer at home the most economical way to purchase your meat is by the whole or half animal. For those of you concerned about energy consumption, per pound of meat stored, energy usage from a modern efficient freezer is extremely small if you have the proper sized freezer. Freezers work most efficiently when they are full. Chest freezers are more efficient than uprights because when you open the door of an upright freezer, all of the cold air tumbles out while it stays put, more or less, when you open a chest.

When you purchase a whole or half animal, you decide how the animal is to be butchered, so you can get exactly the cuts you want.

• A whole pig will yield about 100 pounds of meat, a half about fifty
• A whole lamb or goat will yield about twenty-five pounds of meat, a half about twelve
• A whole chicken will range from three to five pounds

Click here for a whole/half price sheet

By the individual cut

We also sell individual cuts of pork, lamb, and goat, which can be purchased on the farm by appointment or at the Capital District Farmers Market in Menands (381 Broadway) on Saturdays May through October from 8am to 1pm.

Click here for an individual cuts price sheet

As a shareholder in the Stony Brook Farm CSA
[NOTE: I have put off my plans to start a CSA]

Beginning in 2009, we will be offering shares in a meat CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, a novel and increasingly popular arrangement between farmers and the people they feed. The idea behind the CSA model is that shareholders assume some of the risk of the farming venture by paying the farmer at the beginning of the season for the produce that will be produced during that season. In the event of a bad season, due to weather or disease, or whatever, the shareholders receive less produce than they would have otherwise. In addition to sharing the burden of risk, shareholders also provide farmers with much needed cash flow in the beginning of the season when a farmer’s cash needs are the highest and income is the lowest. This makes it possible for farmers to have cash on hand to meet their operating budget without needing to take out an interest bearing loan. Finally, because a share in a CSA is essentially a share in the farm, the CSA relationship is a much closer and more intimate relationship with the farmer and the farm than purchasing directly as a customer. Many CSAs welcome work on the farm by their shareholders, either as volunteers or in trade for some or all of the share fee.

Ideally, the Stony Brook Farm CSA will be established as a partnership with an existing vegetable/fruit CSA so that people are able to get their meat and vegetables at the same location and time. This not only saves time, but also fuel.