A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
When a stressful week with deadlines ends with Nat When a stressful week with deadlines ends with National Cheese Lovers Day, how could I not partake? Tbh, I wasn’t especially hungry, and the appetizers are always the best section of any menu, so the queso blanco from El Mejicano in town wasn’t too hard a choice. It’s smoky and cheesy and I could have licked the bowl clean, but a girl’s gotta have some boundaries. Happy weekend, friends! ✨
A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her of me and dropped it off in our mailbox, which really touched me. 💛 Life is too freaking short not to make conscious decisions to do more of what makes you happy, and to cut out the things that don’t. Rainbow Rowell said it best, “So, what if, instead of thinking about solving you whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.”
The face and the daily hiccups… 😍 The face and the daily hiccups… 😍
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Meeting Jones Dairy Farm

February 12, 2014 · Narrative

My sister and I grew up on Jones Dairy Farm breakfast sausages. In fact that’s the first thing my Mom mentioned to me when I said that I would be meeting the folks from Jones Dairy Farm this past weekend. And both my own kids love sausages, whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, so it’s a tradition that has continued to this day.

So how was I going to say no to a weekend adventure? Especially when it was taking place at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

I wasn’t.

With iced coffee in hand, at the unforgiving time of 6:20 am on Saturday morning, I set out for the campus. The CIA side of the visit will come in another post, likely next week. For today, we focus on Jones Dairy Farm.

First of all, I hate to admit it, but I didn’t even know they made bacon. I don’t know if I just wasn’t paying attention, and maybe really did know but just didn’t know that I knew …? But that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. If you saw my bacon picture on Instagram on Saturday morning, you know what I thought about the bacon.

Amazeballs.

Just the perfect amount of crispiness, and fat, and chew, and black pepper.

And if we didn’t have a full day ahead of us that morning, I totally would have gone back for more.

In fact, I even texted Sarah across the table that we should, because, you know, there is strength in numbers.

There were many employees from Jones with us that day, and they gave us quite an education. On the company, their goals and mission, their product line, and even the proper way to break down a pig and how to cut a ham (easy YouTube videos available right from their site; they made it look so easy, mostly because it is).

JDF - ham-001

Jones Dairy Farm is a sixth generation family business, and I love that. If you are a family member, you are not automatically in the business. You have to first go out in the world and prove that you can earn a living on your own, without relying on the family name. Once you have done that, you can come into the fold. Starting at the bottom. The current President/CEO, Philip Jones, went to France and earned his culinary degree. And came back and started at Jones in maintenance. No nepotism there.

Being a strong proponent of clean eating, aside from the core family values, I loved their commitment to their ingredient list. Or lack thereof. Eschewing what their competitors might do to drive down price, they stick to just a handful of ingredients in their sausages (pork, water, salt spices, collagen casing). Things you can pronounce. Things you can feel good about eating and letting your family eat. Even though they could stuff their sausages with sub-par items to keep the cost down and compete on a price level, they choose not to. No artificial coloring. No preservatives. Gluten-free. Basically no crap.

JDF - sausages-001

And I couldn’t be more pleased to know that.

Because long-term, the savings might not be in your wallet, but it’s in your health.

And what is more important?

JDF - ingredients-001

Beyond the breakfast sausage that our family loves, the Jones Family also offers scrapple, fresh ham, turkey bacon, and Canadian sausage (which I use when making breakfast sandwiches, love the value size packages from Costco).

JDF - products-001

The education that we received over the weekend, paired with really getting a pulled-back look at the core values of the family company, couldn’t have been more eye opening. It’s moments like that that reinforce a connection to a company. Any company.

And so, my pursuit for their bacon is on.

*Although this is not a sponsored post, my hotel stay was comped.

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, Jones Dairy Farm

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    February 13, 2014 at 7:45 am

    Gotta love a company that cares about what its consumers are putting in their body!
    Joanne recently posted..Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodle Sprinkle Cookies

    Reply
  2. Anna @ Garnish with Lemon says

    February 13, 2014 at 10:40 am

    Sounds like a company doing it right. Great learning experience!
    Anna @ Garnish with Lemon recently posted..Opal® Apple Cranberry Chutney

    Reply
  3. Paula - bell'alimento says

    February 13, 2014 at 11:55 am

    Love learning more about companies!
    Paula – bell’alimento recently posted..Seared Scallops with Creamy Bacon Vinaigrette

    Reply
  4. Meagan @ a zesty bite says

    February 13, 2014 at 4:21 pm

    What a fun trip and it sounds like a great company.
    Meagan @ a zesty bite recently posted..Ham and Cheese Croissants

    Reply
  5. Meg says

    February 14, 2014 at 1:06 pm

    Sounds like a fun — and delicious! — experience. I would definitely rather pay a little more upfront for healthy, quality food than have to wonder about what I’m putting in my body and suffer for it later. Good to know!
    Meg recently posted..A day of love

    Reply

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A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻

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A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
When a stressful week with deadlines ends with Nat When a stressful week with deadlines ends with National Cheese Lovers Day, how could I not partake? Tbh, I wasn’t especially hungry, and the appetizers are always the best section of any menu, so the queso blanco from El Mejicano in town wasn’t too hard a choice. It’s smoky and cheesy and I could have licked the bowl clean, but a girl’s gotta have some boundaries. Happy weekend, friends! ✨
A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her of me and dropped it off in our mailbox, which really touched me. 💛 Life is too freaking short not to make conscious decisions to do more of what makes you happy, and to cut out the things that don’t. Rainbow Rowell said it best, “So, what if, instead of thinking about solving you whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.”
The face and the daily hiccups… 😍 The face and the daily hiccups… 😍

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