BBQ Revolution – Meet Your Local Ranchers

The 3rd annual Barbeque Revolution takes place on September 17 at Gary West Meats in Jacksonville.  The event focus is connecting consumers with local ranchers and their products.  This year, five local ranchers will showcase grass-fed, organic, grain-fed, and natural meats.  Chef Bob Denman of Slagle Creek Vineyard will operate the BBQ.  Attendees can buy individual cuts or half and quarter animals directly from the ranchers.  Other vendors will sell their locally-made BBQ sauces, wines and other complementary dishes.

The event was originally conceived by Paul and Whitney Murdoch of Gary West Meats.  “Shoppers want to buy local beef.  But they’ve lost track of the ranchers who are producing them.  People want to get away from large-scale feedlot meats, but don’t know how.  Our event is designed to re-introduce them,” explained Paul.  “We also have lots of people asking about grass-fed and organic.  We’ll have grass-fed, grain-fed, natural and organic products side-by-side.  Shoppers can taste the difference for themselves.”

Attending ranchers will be from Yale Creek and Salant Ranch in the Applegate Valley, Martin Family Ranch from Central Point, Valley View of Ashland and Scott River of Scott Valley. Although Gary West sells cuts from Salant, Yale Creek and Scott River, ranchers will be selling directly at the BBQ Revolution.

“We’ve always been advocates of the local rancher,” continued Murdoch.  “We need to keep them in business.  No one asks for beef from corporate feedlots…they want it to be pasture-raised.  But to keep that going, we need to know our producers, and make the effort to buy directly from them.  It takes a little more effort, but the product is better, the animals are treated more humanely, and the impact on the planet is lessened.  And you keep your community healthy as well.  It is just the right thing to do.”

Come to the BBQ revolution on Sept 17.  Meet your rancher and learn more about what they do.  Enjoy tasty BBQ’d samples along with wines, beers and sauces from other local producers.  It’s a delicious way to support your local economy.