Who are the top local producers ...

[Robin Garr]

If we were to put together a list (as I'm trying to do) of the small, artisanal regional (Kentucky and Southern Indiana) food producers whose names generally appear on top restaurant menus, who would we include?

I'm thinking ...

Sheltowee Farms mushrooms

Capriole goat cheese

Kenny Mattingly's cheese

Creekstone Farms beef

Shuckman's Smoked Fish

Any more? Help me out here ... but please note that as much as I admire folks like Dreamcatcher, Stonecross and Fiedler's, I'm talking about suppliers whose names show up on restaurant menus and whose reputation speaks well for the chef's decision to feature it.

Blue Dog. I notice when I am served their bread at a restaurant.

We use Bison meat from Kentucky Bison Co.
Weisenberger Mills Stone Ground Grits
and Finchville Farms Country Ham

Robin,

I'm thinking about some of the folks that were at A Kentucky Harvest Festival, and others I see on restaurant menus:

Lilly's uses Colonel Newson's Aged Kentucky Ham
Weisenberger Grits/cornmeal appear frequently
Ky Bison at Proof
Gelato Gilberto was/is featured at Primo
Bourbon Red Turkey (heritage breed) from Star Farms
Broadbent Country Ham
Grateful Greens for lettuce/micro-greens


How about fine aged Bourbons?: they are Kentucky product and show up on restaurant menus like Holly Hill: Ouita's Scallop's A La Woodford with Weisenberger Grits is wonderful. Needs to be a named aged Bourbon to say "quality" to me.

Deb

Robin --

For Louisville, I think you and the others have targeted those of us who do get mentioned (THANK YOU TO EVERYONE); however, there are several suppliers out there that simply go by their own name and/or don't really have a "catchy" farm name. Many of the chefs use produce from Carol Friedman from Hart County. Also, there is a new (I think) lady that is/was selling heirloom tomatoes ... her name escapes me right now ... something like Britt??

Also, I know that we, Sheltowee Farm, serve as a distributor for other farmers. Shady Lane Poultry (for duck), B&E Farms (asparagus), Homeplace Blueberries, and Pastured Eggs from Bath County Egg Producers Co-Op (too new to have a name - YET). Then there is Duncan Rabbits and Bluegrass Squab.

I can't think of any more right now .. hope this helps.

And again, thank you to everyone for your continued support of the local farmers - it means the world to us.

Valentine's Ice Cream in Lexington supplies some of the white tablecloth restaurants in Louisville, or at least they used to when I worked at Limestone.

I'm curious to know if anyone has been to Creekstone Farms? I asked a sales rep once what he knew about the farm. Apparently a big box distributor utilizes the name of Creekstone farms (for most of their mainline box beef sales), and some animals may be bred there, however some articles have mentioned it as 'a little slaughterhouse in Kansas.' When I've tried to do online research about the product I have found no results leading to the farm here in KY. My sales rep at the time said that the animals were processed in Kansas, and I'm sure were probably fed a lot of corn... At any rate, the name Creekstone Farms, Kentucky is being used on quite a few big name volume restaurants in Washington DC, and NYC for that matter.

I'm working to open a restaurant in Bowling Green now- and have a lot of confidence in the aforementioned producers, and in fact I have tried, and like Creekstone Beef. I just have a little difficulty featuring it as a artisanal KY produced, KY Proud product. I hope someone can provide more info- I'd love to plan on including it along with all the other producers.

[Robin Garr]

I'm curious to know if anyone has been to Creekstone Farms?

I went out to an event at Creekstone Farm last year, and it appeared to be a real farm with real cattle. I do recall there being some discussion of a Kansas connection, and it may be that they send the beef to Kansas for processing. But it didn't look fake to me. (And I do know that the Creekstone Farm steaks at Bistro New Albany are among the best steaks I ever ate.)

There used to be a pheasant supplier out near Shepherdsville or Knob Creek Hill but the name escapes me. It's been a while back.

Here is a link I pulled from Wikpedia about Creekstone Farms ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creekstone_Farms_Premium_Beef

In talking with Critchfield Meats in Lexington, the bulls are in Kentucky and then the animals are raised and/or finished outside of Kentucky.
As far as we have been told, they do not qualify as a "Kentucky Proud" product (grown and/or processed in Kentucky).

Here is an line from a NY Times article ... "Creekstone Farms specializes in black Angus beef, and ships semen from its prize bulls in Kentucky to ranchers it buys from." The rest of the article can be found at:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE4DD103BF93BA25757C0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2

When I have tried to go to the company website, it is a dead link.

NOW ... there is Green River Cattle Company in Kentucky and they ARE Kentucky Proud. I have had their product and it is wonderful. Check them out at http://www.greenrivercattle.com

[Robin Garr]

NOW ... there is Green River Cattle Company in Kentucky and they ARE Kentucky Proud. I have had their product and it is wonderful. Check them out at http://www.greenrivercattle.com

Green River Cattle beef is excellent. In Louisville, you can just about always get their rib eyes and strips at Doll's on Brownsboro Road, usually from $11.99 to $14.99 a pound depending on whether they have it on sale.

Robin --

Also, there is a new (I think) lady that is/was selling heirloom tomatoes ... her name escapes me right now
And again, thank you to everyone for your continued support of the local farmers - it means the world to us.

I've used tomatoes from Gettelfinger Farms in the Knobs for years, Great product(inculding heirlooms) and real nice people and not crazy expensive as some local product can tend to be.