The Sonoma County UC Cooperative Extension office is in the news today for launching a meat-buying club. Reporter Michelle Anna Jordan of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat praised the idea in her food column.
"What I find so innovative about the Sonoma County Meat Buying Club is that it benefits not one but many local farmers and ranchers, and that is a great thing from any perspective," Jordan wrote.
UCCE is sponsoring the startup of the Sonoma County Meat Buying Club, which will later be turned over to a non-profit organization. Members will receive boxes of frozen local meats, delivered monthly to central pickup locations in Healdsburg, Santa Rosa and either Petaluma or Sebastopol. Ten-, 15- and 20-pound boxes of local lamb, pork and beef will range in price from $100 to $200. Duck, chicken, eggs and goat may eventually be offered by the club.
To begin with, consumers can sign up for a single month, but later subscriptions will be sold by the season.
The article in the Press-Democrat steered consumers to an online survey, which concludes with the opportunity to fill in contact information for people interested in joining the club.