Local vs. Grass Fed
As many of our customers may know, Hedgeapple Farm, which was our primary beef supplier, recently ceased their operations. Unfortunately, we have been left in a very difficult situation as there is not another farm in Frederick County that could adequately supply the quantity and quality of grass finished beef that we require for our 3 locations. As such, we were left with the decision of whether to continue using exclusively grass finished beef and source from further away, or continue to buy hyper-local beef that has been grain finished.
Fortunately, we were able to find a farm in Middleton that we believe shares our values of land stewardship and animal welfare. Richvale Farm is a 4th generation family farm that has recently transitioned from dairy to beef, owned by Matt and Beth Ahalt. While the animals are finished on grain, all of the feed is grown on the farm in Frederick County. Ultimately, we believe that keeping our spending in Frederick County with responsible farmers like the Ahalts is more important to us than using exclusively grass finished beef coming from much further away. Additionally, and equally as important, the Richvale beef has the outstanding flavor Boxcar customers have come to expect.
If you have any questions about this transition, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly at [email protected]
Sincerely,
Brett Novick
Founder