Northern Valley Pastoral Guild Grassfed Produce
Grass Fed Products from the Shenandoah Valley - The Good is in the Green
Grass Fed Products from the Shenandoah Valley - The Good is in the Green
Northern Virginia Pastoral Guild Pastured and Grass fed products
Pasture Raised Beef, lamb, pork and cabrito
Grass Fed  Pastured Artisan  
Beef  
Lamb  
Cabrito  
Milk  
Chicken  
Pork  
Rabbit  
Eggs  
Honey  
Cheese  
Sausage  
Paté  
Quantities are
often limited --
be the first in line!
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Updates from the Valley


3/1/2010 - NVPG 
Pastured Eggs now Available! US Grade AA Eggs from 100% cage-free and Pastured hens. Click on the Egg icon to order your fresh eggs. Available for pick-up at Briarmead farm in Front Royal.


2/11/2010 - Briarmead 
At this time of year with much SNOW on the ground and this past season's beef and lamb entirely sold out, we look ahead to warmer weather and our next butchering date in May-June; place your orders now.  We appreciate all of the feedback about this year's healthy and delicious beef and lamb.  The beef has excellent, rich flavor that has made several customers comment on how it makes conventional feedlot beef taste oh-so-BLAND.   Additionally, Briarmead lamb chops are planned as the centerpiece of a local professional chef's upcoming gourmet dinner; sure to please the palates of a group of discriminating guests.  We'll let you know how that comes out in March!


11/11/2009 - NVPG 
Thanks for the strong support; we have sold out of whole lambs (some cuts available via request), and Beef is sold through December.  We are taking orders for January Beef delivery, so do feel free to order for January.


10/4/2009 - NVPG 
NY Times - woman paralyzed by eColi in ground beef... read on:

"Ground beef is usually not simply a chunk of meat run through a grinder. Instead, records and interviews show, a single portion of hamburger meat is often an amalgam of various grades of meat from different parts of cows and even from different slaughterhouses... confidential grinding logs and other Cargill records show...the ingredients came from slaughterhouses in Nebraska, Texas and Uruguay, and from a South Dakota company that processes fatty trimmings and treats them with ammonia to kill bacteria.  Using a combination of sources — a practice followed by most large producers of fresh and packaged hamburger — allowed Cargill to spend about 25 percent less than it would have for cuts of whole meat."

Would you pay 25% more to know where your beef comes from and how it is processed?


10/1/2009 - NVPG 
Harvest season is upon us and the early fall orders have been fulfilled.  Order your Beef, Lamb and Rabbit for the holidays.


8/20/2009 - Notting Hill 
New batch of Black Star chicks arrived today; now begins the 22 week process of nurturing them into Laying Hens.  A lot of work goes in to producing that first pastured Egg.


7/31/2009 - Fair Knowe 
Harvested the Summer honey!  Supplies are in high demand, please send us an email if you would like to get on the customer list.

Pastured Eggs from the Northern Valley Pastoral Guild
To ORDER EGGS Click here
Pastured organically grown eggs

Grass fed chicken and pastured eggs from the Shenandoah valley in Front Royal VANorthern Valley Pastoral Guild eggs come from chickens that are 100% cage-free and pastured.

Grass-fed/pastured hens are raised on pasture, as opposed to being kept in confinement and fed primarily grains. Eggs from pastured hens contain up to 20 times more healthy omega-3 fatty acids than those their less fortunate cousins, factory hens.

Pastured hens' diets are naturally complemented with bugs, earthworms, and other such critters that give their eggs a huge nutritional boost. Pastured hens are much healthier and happier than their space-restricted and antibiotic-pumped industrial cousins.

Pasturing is the traditional method of raising egg-laying hens and other poultry. It is ecologically sustainable, humane, and produces the tastiest, most nutritious eggs.

Egg Facts

The Quality of an Egg is determined primarily by two things: what the Hen eats and the fresh­ness of the Egg.  Store bought eggs fail to deliver quality products owing to the fact that their hens are fed sub-standard industrial products and their eggs must move through elaborate centralized distribution systems to reach your local store.

NVPG provides an alternative to industrial Eggs: Grade “AA” Farm Direct.  Our hens are 100% pastured which enables them to improve their diet by eating grass, seeds, clover, and bugs in addition to their feed.  We do not run a significant Egg surplus— which guarantees freshness (and also makes it challenging to meet the tremendous demand!  Thanks for your patience). 

Most of the eggs currently sold in supermarkets are nutritionally inferior to eggs produced by hens raised on pasture. Based on 2007 Testing by Mother Earth News, results showed that, compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:

  • 66% More Vitamin A
  • 200% More Omega-3 fatty acids
  • 300% More Vitamin E
  • 700% More Beta Carotene
  • 33% Less Cholesterol
  • 25% Less Saturated Fat

Source: 2007 Study at Mother Earth News

What makes an Egg “AA”?  According to the USDA, there are three consumer grades for eggs: U.S. Grade AA, A, and B. The grade is determined by the interior quality of the egg and the appearance and condition of the egg shell. Eggs of any quality grade may differ in weight (size).

U.S. Grade AA eggs have whites that are thick and firm; yolks that are high, round, and practically free from defects; and clean, unbroken shells. Grade AA and Grade A eggs are best for frying and poaching where appearance is important.

U.S. Grade A eggs have characteristics of Grade AA eggs except that the whites are "reasonably" firm. This is the quality most often sold in stores.

U.S. Grade B eggs have whites that may be thinner and yolks that may be wider and flat­ter than eggs of higher grades. The shells must be unbroken, but may show slight stains.

In our experience, only fresh Pastured eggs have the texture, color and “lift” to meet the “AA” standard.  When you compare an NVPG guild farm egg to a store bought egg, you will likely conclude that the store eggs are really Grade B—but since the grading is subjective and the graders are comparing batches of industrial eggs, it is no surprise that the lower quality eggs have simply lowered the bar for what they call Grade A.

Jumbo size?  The USDA assigns size descriptions according to weight by the dozen.

  • Jumbo                  30 ounces
  • Extra Large          27 ounces
  • Large                   24 ounces
  • Medium                21 ounces

As a general rule, Farm Direct eggs would be categorized as “Large.”  However, any given carton will have whatever the hens gave that day… Medium, Large, Extra Large and, yes, the occasional Jumbo.

To ORDER EGGS Click here

 
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