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“It’s like a third world country in Upstate New York… I’m a farmer and I want to farm and I do really believe that this grass fed beef is a great hope for New York State.”

Meet Farmer Ingimundur Kjarval and Ulla Kjarval of Spring Lake Farm in the western Catskills. They are passionate about pasture-raised animals. So passionate, that in a time when many upstate farms are facing foreclosures, they are expanding. To them, grass fed meat just has a “beefy” “distinctive” and “pleasant” taste to it – a taste you can’t get from factory farmed meat you buy in the supermarket – a taste they are sure New York diners and chefs will want to seek out.

Spring Lake Farm wants to serve as an inspiration for what the future of sustainable agriculture could look like for New York State. And with demand growing locally for grass fed animals, they believe the millions of acres of unused land in their area would make perfect land for farmers to raise their own grass fed beef and pork.

So, take a moment to enjoy my little story about this amazing little grass fed operation. It was stunning to film upstate on their farm. Walking in the grass amongst the animals in the fresh mountain air left no doubt in my mind that these animals were happy animals. And like they say, a stress free animal always tastes better.

If you would like to try any of the beef, lamb or pork raised on Spring Lake Farm, you can find them on http://www.springlakefarmny.com, or reach out to Ulla on Twitter: @NYCUlla

**And for cooks and chefs who are interested in “tasting notes” on the grass fed beef, you can visit The Artisan Beef Institute’s website for their first impressions. Professional taster Carrie Oliver walks you through her thoughts and details on the meat.**

Thanks for watching food. curated. Happy eating!