Here’s the weekly roundup from Watson Farms and your direct connection to your farmer. Enjoy the latest edition of Pasture Posts!

You might have heard the news lately that the USDA granted its first-ever approval of the sale of lab-grown chicken by two companies. This process of cell-cultured meat production should not be confused with plant-based imitation meat like we discussed back in Pasture Posts #86.

Cell-cultured meat starts with a sample of stem cells from an egg which is submerged in a nutrient-rich soup within a stainless steel vat that contains ingredients that stimulate the cells to grow and divide. The ingredients of this broth are proprietary but include a mixture of fats, sugars, amino acids, and vitamins. Consumers should demand to know exactly what ingredients are being used in this process.

Further mechanical processing is then needed to improve the texture of the product. These processes include mixing, heating, shearing, and/or extruding. The product also has to be shaped and portioned according to the desired shape and size of the cut.

One of the big selling points for these companies is sustainability through a smaller carbon footprint than industrial systems, but that has yet to be proven. Of course, a comparison with the industrial confinement model misses the mark as that system is greatly flawed as well.

Thankfully we have found a system that provides a good life for the chickens, regenerates the soil, and provides an honest, wholesome product with as few externalized costs as possible. We produce real chicken in a manner that might seem more and more old-fashioned as the food industry continues to get further away from nature. Our birds actually get to hunt for bugs, scratch in the dirt, and graze tender grass as their bodies grow. We provide them a respectful life, and they provide you and us with a nutritious protein that we can consume with confidence that, in turn, imparts growth of many different forms to our lives.

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Product Spotlight

If you haven’t had the chance to try our chicken yet or if it’s just time to restock, now is a great time to do so as our Chicken Stock Up Event continues!

With this promotion, you will be able to save significant amounts (10% – 25%) for a limited time on everything from a la carte cuts to bundles (even the huge Super Flock Stock Bundle).

It’s also for all our customers – those in our home delivery areas as well as our UPS folks!

Take advantage of these great deals on truly pasture raised chicken from birds rotated to fresh grass daily. This is real chicken!

Home Delivery and Farm Pickup

UPS Bundles

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Order Deadlines and Store Hours

Here’s a friendly reminder to get your orders in by the deadline. We have changed our workflow some to help reduce errors, so we have to begin the process of staging orders for the next day’s delivery very soon after the deadlines below. Help us serve you better by ensuring your order is placed in time!

Charleston Area: 12 noon Mondays

UPS Orders: 12 noon Mondays

Columbia Area: 12 noon on Tuesdays

GSP: 12 noon on Wednesdays

Charlotte/Fort Mill/Rock Hill Areas: 12 noon on Fridays

Farm Pickup: Please wait until you receive an email stating that your order is ready to be picked up (usually 1 business day from when you place your order). Farm pickup is done during store hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 10am to 6pm
Saturday: 10am to 2pm
Closed Sunday and Wednesday

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Tell a Friend!

It’s now easier than ever to Give $15 and Get $15 through our Referral Program. We don’t spend a lot of money of advertising, but rather we focus on producing products that people love and are willing to tell others about. So we depend on word of mouth to find new customers and ultimately to heal more land.

So in an effort to streamline this process we have made it easier to tell others (via email, Facebook, or Twitter) about Watson Farms. And it’s all automated on the backend, so you don’t have to rely on us to issue the store credits manually. Just head over to our Referrals Page and start sharing!

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Did you know that we have a webpage that displays all the reviews we have received?  

Check it out!

Check out this ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review:

“I ordered several different cuts of beef from them. They were all excellent. Delivery went smoothly. Everything was packaged well and cleanly. I’ll definitely be a regular customer and look forward to trying their other products like ham. It’s nice to be able to buy from a local, family farm.”

We would greatly appreciate it if you would be kind enough to leave us a review.  It helps first-time customers purchase with confidence.

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Thanks again for being partners in this endeavor of local, pasture-raised proteins that has truly transformed our farm.  We look forward to continuing this transition while serving you long into the future.

Sincerely,
The Watsons

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Pasture Posts is written by Matt Watson.