Comments on: Video Interview with Devora Kimelman-Block about DC’s Kosher, Organic Meat Project http://jcarrot.org/interview-with-devora-kimmelman-block-about-the-kosher-organic-meat-project-at-dcs-tuv-haaretz/ Jews, Food, and Contemporary Issues Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:53:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Rose Eisenstein http://jcarrot.org/interview-with-devora-kimmelman-block-about-the-kosher-organic-meat-project-at-dcs-tuv-haaretz/#comment-12335 Rose Eisenstein Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:42:28 +0000 http://jcarrot.org/interview-with-devora-kimmelman-block-about-the-kosher-organic-meat-project-at-dcs-tuv-haaretz/#comment-12335 Where can I buy your meat? Online? Delivered to NJ? Where can I buy your meat? Online? Delivered to NJ?

]]> By: Devora Kimelman-Block http://jcarrot.org/interview-with-devora-kimmelman-block-about-the-kosher-organic-meat-project-at-dcs-tuv-haaretz/#comment-1814 Devora Kimelman-Block Tue, 24 Jul 2007 02:29:12 +0000 http://jcarrot.org/interview-with-devora-kimmelman-block-about-the-kosher-organic-meat-project-at-dcs-tuv-haaretz/#comment-1814 I'm finding the logistics around chicken much more difficult than beef or lamb because there is no shochet in our area who will shecht poultry. I am importing a non-local shochet (Shalom Kantor) to do it, but then, like you, it is reliant on many volunteers to do the processing. I think that I and many others are interested in volunteering once, but that is not sustainable. My feeling is that the poultry industry is so very commercial and industrialized that there is no room for the local anymore. With beef and lamb I do not have this problem, but people who live in places without large Jewish communities do. Where there used to be a shochet in every Russian village, now there is no shochet anywhere near (for example) Vancouver. A major city! I have been contacted by people (like this one from Vancouver) who ask me for advice on setting up meat projects like the one I set up, but they have no local shochet. Like I mentioned before, this is a reflection of how industrialized and centralized the kashruth and meat industries are. To me this is quite unfortunate. Devora PS. About meat costs... we charge between $3 and $3.50 more a pound for the meat to be kosher than the same meat would be without a heckshire. I find that unfortunate as well. I’m finding the logistics around chicken much more difficult than beef or lamb because there is no shochet in our area who will shecht poultry. I am importing a non-local shochet (Shalom Kantor) to do it, but then, like you, it is reliant on many volunteers to do the processing. I think that I and many others are interested in volunteering once, but that is not sustainable. My feeling is that the poultry industry is so very commercial and industrialized that there is no room for the local anymore. With beef and lamb I do not have this problem, but people who live in places without large Jewish communities do. Where there used to be a shochet in every Russian village, now there is no shochet anywhere near (for example) Vancouver. A major city! I have been contacted by people (like this one from Vancouver) who ask me for advice on setting up meat projects like the one I set up, but they have no local shochet. Like I mentioned before, this is a reflection of how industrialized and centralized the kashruth and meat industries are. To me this is quite unfortunate.
Devora

PS. About meat costs… we charge between $3 and $3.50 more a pound for the meat to be kosher than the same meat would be without a heckshire. I find that unfortunate as well.

]]> By: Natan Margalit http://jcarrot.org/interview-with-devora-kimmelman-block-about-the-kosher-organic-meat-project-at-dcs-tuv-haaretz/#comment-1741 Natan Margalit Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:45:14 +0000 http://jcarrot.org/interview-with-devora-kimmelman-block-about-the-kosher-organic-meat-project-at-dcs-tuv-haaretz/#comment-1741 We paid the farmer $3.00 a pound + we paid the shochet $5.00 a chicken. In the end it seems to come out about the same as the Wise Kosher Organic chickens. We paid the farmer $3.00 a pound + we paid the shochet $5.00 a chicken. In the end it seems to come out about the same as the Wise Kosher Organic chickens.

]]> By: peter http://jcarrot.org/interview-with-devora-kimmelman-block-about-the-kosher-organic-meat-project-at-dcs-tuv-haaretz/#comment-1735 peter Thu, 12 Jul 2007 02:19:45 +0000 http://jcarrot.org/interview-with-devora-kimmelman-block-about-the-kosher-organic-meat-project-at-dcs-tuv-haaretz/#comment-1735 Mazel tov on your efforts! I know many kosher people where I live, and they may be interested in kosher meat, but thew price seems like it could get pretty high. Out of curiosity, after getting the organic chickens from the farmer and them hiring a slaughterer and buthcer, how does does each chicken cost? Mazel tov on your efforts!
I know many kosher people where I live, and they may be interested in kosher meat, but thew price seems like it could get pretty high.
Out of curiosity, after getting the organic chickens from the farmer and them hiring a slaughterer and buthcer, how does does each chicken cost?

]]> By: Natan Margalit http://jcarrot.org/interview-with-devora-kimmelman-block-about-the-kosher-organic-meat-project-at-dcs-tuv-haaretz/#comment-1730 Natan Margalit Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:49:44 +0000 http://jcarrot.org/interview-with-devora-kimmelman-block-about-the-kosher-organic-meat-project-at-dcs-tuv-haaretz/#comment-1730 This is great. We have been trying to get together kosher, local, free range and organic meat in our area (Boston) for over a year now. Finally, we got together a "trial run" of about 100 chickens that will be divided between three families. This past Sunday I spend an very interesting,challenging, tiring and ultimately very worthwhile and even enjoyable day rounding up, plucking, salting, dunking and bagging chickens out at farm near Worcester. I did everything except the shechting itself. I found myself quietly thanking and apologizing to the chickens, but as one who eats meat (after of course, a six year stint as a vegatarian) it was important to me to be there to witness and register what my eating requires. But the experience was much more than the chickens. It was wonderful working with the farmers, who were very good natured about all the requirements and the laborious extra work the koshering process required, and then turning around and speaking Hebrew with the Temani shochet who was assisting with checking organs. It has been very difficult to find a shochet who will agree to this kind of job. Many quickly change the subject making me suspect there are issues of the union or something preventing them from doing it. Finally we found a rabbi who is also a shochet but not working in that area nowadays who was willing. We hope to work out some of the kinks in the operation and expand to include the many families who have expressed interest in our circle of friends. And we are looking for help and suggestions if you have them. Natan This is great. We have been trying to get together kosher, local, free range and organic meat in our area (Boston) for over a year now.
Finally, we got together a “trial run” of about 100 chickens that will be divided between three families. This past Sunday I spend an very interesting,challenging, tiring and ultimately very worthwhile and even enjoyable day rounding up, plucking, salting, dunking and bagging chickens out at farm near Worcester. I did everything except the shechting itself. I found myself quietly thanking and apologizing to the chickens, but as one who eats meat (after of course, a six year stint as a vegatarian) it was important to me to be there to witness and register what my eating requires.
But the experience was much more than the chickens. It was wonderful working with the farmers, who were very good natured about all the requirements and the laborious extra work the koshering process required, and then turning around and speaking Hebrew with the Temani shochet who was assisting with checking organs.
It has been very difficult to find a shochet who will agree to this kind of job. Many quickly change the subject making me suspect there are issues of the union or something preventing them from doing it. Finally we found a rabbi who is also a shochet but not working in that area nowadays who was willing.
We hope to work out some of the kinks in the operation and expand to include the many families who have expressed interest in our circle of friends. And we are looking for help and suggestions if you have them.
Natan

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