I heart Beretta Farms

Y’all know I love Chipotle. So when I got the invite to go check out Beretta Family Farms, who provides much of the organic meat to the Chipotle locations here in Toronto, I jumped at the chance and it’s turned out to be one of my favourite days this summer.

From our gracious hosts (Mike and Cynthia) to their adorable dog Jackie, from the hayride to the kittens hiding in the barn, from the oxen (first time I’ve ever seen one — they’re ginormous!) to the incredible peacefulness of the farm…it was all a recipe for happiness.

We got to see the farm’s six-week old sheep, the yorkshire pigs that’ll be 220 lbs this October, nearly 400 cows grazing in the open field, and turkeys that hatched in May that’ll be full-size by Thanksgiving. And how about Fernando, the 18-year-old white steer they refer to as the “godfather.” Fernando shouldn’t have survived birth, but he did and inspired by an article Mike had read, Mike bottle-fed Fernando and raised him differently (almost more as a pet cow — the kids used to go on rides on him). These days gentle Fernando helps keep the other cows calm; they follow him around and with Fernando keeping cattle zen, this helps them to gain weight. (Sometimes I wish I had a Fernando equivalent keeping me calm in my life — although I don’t need the fattening up part!)

The farm also boasts a vegetable garden, where they grow most everything and much of it is used in Beretta’s newly launched catering business (absolutely delicious — Cynthia so sweetly sent us home with a polenta dinner and some organic beef jerky that I was sorry to finish eating because I just wanted more).

All in all, Beretta Farms is all that you (or at least I) dream of farms to be like.

The day ended very well — with a meal of Chipotle tacos and some beef simply seasoned and barbecued — delicious. We fed the leftover produce from our lunch to the pigs btw.

The farm is not open to the public on a regular basis, but this Saturday (August 18, 2012), it is as they’re holding their family day. Pop over for a hay ride, a cow milking demo and learn how a family-run farm works.

If I had a car, I’d so be there to experience it all over again. Instead, I’ll just have to settle for enjoying their delicious chicken or beef when at Chipotle.

3 Comments August 17, 2012

Quickie bite: Chipotle

A new location of Chipotle opened today in Toronto (the third one here) at 123 Front St. West. Yum!

It’s one of my favourite spots for a quick, inexpensive bite — it’s that cilantro rice that gets me. Ok, and the tender, perfectly seasoned meat.

(btw, they now offer brown rice, too, for you health nuts)

Didja know they’re committed to organic produce and naturally raised meat? (here in the Toronto locations, the pork comes from du Breton farm in Quebec, and the organic chicken and beef is from Beretta Farms, which is just outside of the  T-dot)? I didn’t know that at first; I just knew that my burrito was pretty darn tasty.

My usual order? The chicken burrito with black beans (fibre, yo!) and guacamole (healthy fats!). With all of that, the burrito ends up being bigger than one of my cats.

So I only eat half. And save the rest for lunch the next day. There you go, that’s my smart-dining-out strategy for you for today. You’re welcome!

(I kid, but I do often only eat half my main and take home a doggie bag — but usually the reason is so I can have a bite of dessert…).

1 Comment January 18, 2012