Here are the answers to your questions:
Happy Friday!
We’re thrilled with all the new faces we see each day! Welcome, all of you, to the family.
New faces generate a lot of questions. Here is what you need to know in bullet point format:
YES, we are open at the Beef Barn.
Beef Barn hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 10-5. Mondays by chance.
The store (Beef Barn) has been busy, but that doesn’t mean it’s crowded. You can shop here without milling through masses of loafers.
We raise all of the cattle that produce every piece of beef available to you at the Beef Barn. Why is this important? We’ve learned a lot about diseases recently. Co-mingling spreads disease. Isolation does not. Our herds remain completely isolated from the outside world from birth to harvest. Our beef is cut by the same small group of people every week under strict USDA inspection. We haul the cuts home ourselves, ensuring the fresh beef never comes in contact with anyone else before it’s available to you. Compare our method to that of the typical market: They don’t own cattle, so they buy anything they can out of the co-mingled masses at the auction barn, then sell it to unsuspecting customers as ‘local’. Friends, ‘local’ is not traceable. If you’re not buying from the source, you don’t know what you’re buying.
If you live in or near Clarion, the best method for you to get beef is to come out and shop for it. As I mentioned, the store is not crowded. You can wait in the parking lot until the person in front of you leaves if that makes you more comfortable. Enjoy the pond. Sit on the bench and relax. Or just come in and start shopping. There is plenty of room. Whatever works for you.
If you live in or near Clarion and you’re extremely uncomfortable in public, you may pre-order by calling 814-221-0219 or emailing clarionfarms@windstream.net. Leave a voicemail with your order. I will get back to you. We appreciate your commitment to our farm and will do everything possible to accommodate you. Please note that you do not have to pre-order; you may come out and shop.
That said, if you live in Pittsburgh and do not have the option to shop at the Beef Barn, pre-orders are your best friend. I’m in the Strip every Saturday from 9-12 at 2216 Penn Avenue. Call 814-221-0219 or email clarionfarms@windstream.net to place your order. The earlier in the week you order, the better the chances of getting what you want.
Our inventory fluctuates constantly, so it’s nearly impossible to say what exactly we have at any given moment. When we’re talking on the phone I would love to be able to explain what you can expect to find upon your visit to the Beef Barn, but, unless I happen to be standing in the store, I cannot. If you live in or near Clarion, your best bet is to take the chance, come out, and shop.
All of you are unique and incredible individuals who add value to our farm. Thank you for being a part of the story!
That’s the wrap-up of all the FAQs I’m fielding at the moment. I hope it helps.
John-Scott