Remarkable, Locally-Sourced Protein Delivered Weekly by 4P Foods

After months of working closely with our farmers and getting into the nitty gritty of logistics, we were finally able to get all of our ducks in a row (pun intended) to start delivering local, sustainable and humanely raised meat (yes, duck will be included) and eggs from some fantastic small family farms in the Mid Atlantic Region. Think happy cows and chickens!

It took a lot of planning, meeting with our farm partners, figuring out packaging, some more planning, and a few additional gray hairs for Tom. Thankfully, however, we have some wonderful farmers who have been super helpful throughout the entire process. A huge thanks goes out to them for making our local meat delivery possible. We hope you will give it a shot and see for yourself what makes healthy and happy animals the best accompaniment to our dinner tables.

Our new Protein Share will work exactly the same way our produce share does: you sign up for a share that works for you (with or without eggs) and we will deliver it to you every week (unless you decide to skip). We will include in our newsletter a list of what variety of meat you can expect in each share and the farms they come from.

Here are a few FAQ's to get started:

• What kind of meat will be in my share? All kinds! We'll do many of the staples: pork, beef, and chicken. But we'll also incorporate other items such as turkey, duck, bison, rabbit, lamb, and the like.

• What cuts will I receive of each? It will vary. We'll email you each week to tell you the exact type of meat and the cut you can expect to receive. We'll have everything from ground beef, pork chops, and chicken wings to whole rabbits, duck thighs, and bacon (yes, bacon).

• How much meat will I get? It will vary each week depending on the cuts. A whole chicken, for example, will add more weight than a filet mignon. Each share will include the same amount of *value* spread across different cuts of awesome meat. Generally though, it will be somewhere between 4.5 and 6.5 pounds. Each newsletter will tell you the cut and approximate weight of each.

• What about the eggs? You can add a half dozen or full dozen eggs to your meat share. These are free-range, pastured chickens raised and processed with integrity in humane, natural conditions. To clarify, these are happy chickens who eat bugs and worms, they are rotated around open pastures for plenty of fresh grass, and they play an important role in the overall soil health by providing nutrient rich droppings.

• How are the animals raised? Are the animals treated humanely? We have partnered with farmers who use only sustainable, ethical practices when it comes to raising animals. That means no GMO feeds, lots of open space to graze, no growth hormones or antibiotics, and natural, humane treatment when being processed. These are happy animals being cared for by farmers who take their art very seriously. If you ever want to come visit one of the farms to learn more about the animals, there is an open invitation anytime. We would love to show you around.

• Will I get to choose what meat I receive? Much like our produce shares, you will not have the option to choose what is in each bag. However, you do have the option to skip any week that doesn't interest you.

• Can I skip a delivery? Yes, as long as it is by midnight two days prior to your delivery. That means Sunday at midnight for Wednesday delivery, Monday at midnight for Tuesday delivery, and so on.

• How will it be delivered? All meat will be delivered frozen in reusable cooler boxes packed inside a 4P Foods tote bag (for easy transport). It will keep your meat frozen for up to 24 hours, so you have plenty of time to get your meat into your fridge or freezer. This packaging is not cheap, so please be sure to return it to us. We will sanitize and reuse them.

• What about returning the cooler bag? Please return it to your pick-up location the morning of your next scheduled delivery. This is an honor system - please don't make us have to start charging deposits for the coolers. No one wants that!

• I'm in - How much does it cost and how do I sign up? The meat share is $55.00 per week, which includes delivery and packaging (sales tax additional). Just like the produce share, your card will be charged on the first of the month for all shares received the month prior.

If you are already a 4P Foods member, you can login to your account by clicking HERE and adding a meat share. Or, if you don't have an active membership yet, you can create one by clicking HERE and getting started TODAY!

If you've never tried local, grass-fed meat like this, you are in for a real treat. If you're on the fence, remember you can always sign up, try one week, and if it's not for you, you can cancel anytime.

Reach out to us if you have any questions or want to know more about the program. We hope you're as excited as we are!