Greendale Pottery - Home of Greendale Black Angus

July 24, 2011

Located on the farm at “Greendale Pottery & Country Guest House”

Come meet Holly, Ken, Jamie and Joe at the McKeen Family Farm. They have been raising beef for the past fourteen years on their 14 acre farm in the heart of Greendale. This small, family run “naturally raised” beef cattle operation is managed the old-fashioned way, with close attention given to the ethical manner in which each member of the herd is fed and cared for.

Holly advises “As a special treat for our Slow Food Cycle Tour Guests, we will be having a Prime Rib Roast prize draw again this year.”

Holly also tells us that on Slow Food Cycle Tour Day this year, we are pleased to have Executive Chef Tony Heesterman of the Chilliwack Coast Hotel’s “PRESTONS” preparing a fine menu selection showcasing our home-grown, all-natural Angus Beef. Starting at 11:30am, Chef Heesterman will be offering an exciting array of delicious canapés. As you sample the fine fare, relax and take in the ambience of the farm. Enjoy the music of our Guest Musicians from 11:30am to 2:30pm. This Clarinet Duo performs in a wide variety of musical genres including swing, classical, baroque, blues and funk.

Chef Heesterman’s Menu will include:
Beef Rouladen Skewer - Thin slices of Beef, lightly brushed with Dijon Mustard rolled with Gherkin and Red Wine Onion Confit - $3.00
Spicy Teriyaki Beef Jerky - Thin strips of Spicy Teriyaki Beef Jerky Set on Organic Baby Greens and Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette - $5.00
Pulled Beef Slider - Braised Beef in our House made BBQ sauce with Fried Red Onion and Bell Pepper Relish - $2.00
Greendale Angus Chili with Fire Roasted Tomatoes and Artisan Bread - $2.00
Grilled Vegetable Skewers - Yellow & Green Zucchini, Red onions, Bell Pepper Marinated in Fresh Herbs and Olive Oil - $2.00

You are invited to visit the Pottery Studio which Holly also runs in order to keep this small farm operation sustainable. You will probably find Holly at the Potter’s wheel in her Studio getting dirty! Come and see her Showroom and experience the busy studio life which is an important part of the farm. You can also discover the “Greendale Country Guest House”, a quiet yet elegant retreat, with pastoral views of their farm and countryside, located over the Pottery.

Along with the cattle, there are also free range chickens, beautiful flower gardens and a family vegetable garden to see. Join in on tours of the farming operation throughout the day, and learn about intensive pasture management, as well as a “meet and greet” with the Black Angus cow/calf herd.

The McKeen Family farm cattle are naturally raised with kindness, care and close attention. Their Black Angus feed on lush grass pastures and are finished with a flatted barley mash plus special treats of apples, plums and pears that fall from the orchard. The positive attributes of grass fed beef are well known. Pasture raised beef are tastier and healthier than those born into the life of factory farming and large feed lots (and we think happier too!). Grass-fed beef is also charged with health-giving omega-3 fatty acids. The McKeens have especially enjoyed getting to know the personalities of the Mother Cows who have become part of the family these past few years, as their small herd has grown from 6 to 30. Although they use no growth hormones or steroids and their beef is raised organically, it is not certified organic. Holly tells us that “We have Beef customers who have been coming back each year for the past ten years! Once folks find a supplier of consistently excellent naturally raised beef, grown locally with care and kindness, they come back year after year. Most of our beef is sold by side or mixed quarter, but we do also offer Freezer Sampler Packs in smaller quantities that are available here at the Pottery, throughout the summer and fall.

Be sure to bring your cooler along in your vehicle, for the Slow Food Cycle Tour day. Pop back into our farm at the end of the day, and take home a $99 Freezer Sampler Pack to taste the amazing difference for yourself! Pick up some farm fresh brown eggs too.