You live in Seattle, so I’m sure you’ve heard of Community-Supported Agriculture, or CSA. Simply put, you subscribe to a farm, and, on a regular basis, the farm delivers unto you a box of vegetal vittles that they have grown (or partnered with another farm to provide).
But what to do if you’re hankering for some animal protein to go with all that local and in-season veggie goodness?
Thundering Hooves has the answer.
Thundering Hooves is a fourth-generation family farm down in Walla Walla which raises, finishes, AND slaughters beef (100% grass-fed), lamb, goat, and pastured poultry. They also offer pork from hogs raised in their area under the same standards they’ve set for their own animals.
While they are CSA-like (you work directly with the farm to order products), Thundering Hooves (TH) is not going to put random parts of animals in a box and send it to you every week. “Surprise! It’s tongue for dinner!” will not be a problem (unless YOU want it to be).
Here’s how it works (for Seattle residents ordering à la carte, so to speak):
- Customers order online from TH’s product list (containing 119 different items, from beef cheeks to whole hogs);
- Each item ordered is ‘reserved’ to be delivered at the location of your choice (locations are listed in chronological order), and an estimate total is generated;
- A 7% delivery fee is added (maximum of $30) is added to cover fuel costs;
- On the chosen delivery date and time, simply show up to the chosen delivery date to pick up orders. Pay with cash or check (no cards yet, at this time). A reminder email is sent out a few days before the delivery date.
Final price is dependent on the final weight of the items (pork chops are like snowflakes, you know), which is only finally official at the time of delivery. I would suggest that those who pay in cash should bring along a little extra, just in case.
Thundering Hooves has been delivering in Seattle for while now, distributing orders at various pick-up sites on a monthly (four week) basis. There’s a Ravenna/Maple Leaf delivery location that neighborhood residents are already taking advantage of. AND, starting next month, a Bryant delivery location will be added to the list.
Sarah, the host at the new Bryant delivery location, was kind enough to chronicle her first delivery for us (all pictures by Sarah):
Thundering Hooves' distributor is Carfini Gourmet. In addition to delivering the TH orders, Carfini also offers their own milk, eggs and small chickens for purchase at delivery sites (while supplies last).
Delivery guy, pick-up guy, and an ice chest full of meat
A closer look at the goods in the ice chest
Sarah's order - "a really nice ham (with no bone!! about 10 meals worth of ham!!), bacon, bacon bits, lamb bones for my mom's dog, 2 NY steaks, 4 garlic lamb sausages, 1 pork tenderloin, and 2 lamb shanks"
Sarah has a few Thundering Hooves sample bags available, if you’d like to try before you buy. Contact her at swanney40 [at] hotmail.com, if you’re interested.
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Local Thundering Hooves delivery locations (orders must placed by midnight the previous Monday for Saturday delivery):
Bryant (5754 28th Ave NE): FIRST delivery Saturday, October 2nd at 9am (place order by midnight on Monday, September 27th), then every four Saturdays (October 30th would be the next delivery date)
Ravenna/Maple Leaf (8217 18th Ave NE):Â Next delivery is Saturday, October 23th (place order by midnight on Monday, October 18th)
If you’d like to learn more about Thundering Hooves, here are some specific pages from their website you might want to check out:
- Thundering Hooves online ordering page (with all items available showing)
- TH contact page (includes a toll-free phone number – 866.350.9400)
- TH Frequently Asked Questions page – everything but the animals’ names
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If you are interested in making an order with Thundering Hooves, here is a $20 off a $50 order coupon from their website (which also includes ordering instructions) for first-time customers.
And, if you have a Chinook Book, there’s a coupon in there for $25 off an order of $50 or more.
Furthermore, Sarah is offering free cookies for folks who walk to her house to pick up their orders — one cookie for each block they’ve walked (up to 6 cookies per order). Blood sugar high, carbon footprint low.
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