Florida is well known for it's sweet oranges, juicy tomatoes, and tart grapefruits, making it easy for "locavores" to eat locally-grown fruits and vegetables. Now a Hendry County farm is seeking USDA approval to make it easier to add local meat to the menu.
Circle C Farms currently harvests its own chickens, but the farm is preparing a 6,000-square-foot facility for USDA certification that would enable them to process cows, pig, and other livestock. It would be the only USDA-approved facility processing both red and white meat in the state, and one only a handful of meat processors in all of Southwest Florida.
Beyond providing local meat to local menus, the facility would allow area farmers and ranchers to prepare their livestock for market closer to where the animals are raised.
Thursday at 1:30 p.m. on Gulf Coast Live, Circle C Farms owner Nicole Cruz will talk about what makes the facility unique and how it can help both farmers and shoppers get locally-raised meat on the menu.
Also joining the program is Chef Kristina San Filippo, with the Purple Spoon Kitchen Hub, to discuss the growing demand for locally-raised meat and produce.