We supply fresh meat to restaurants and retailers in the upper Midwest, and directly to customers through our retail store in Black Earth and over the internet. We are a USDA facility with third-party certification for humane handling (Animal Welfare Approved) and are certified organic (Iowa Department of Agriculture).
Although we come from a direct marketing farm background, we provide more than what a single farm can raise. We aggregate from a number of small, sustainable farmers to provide a consistent supply of quality animals. In addition, as a small plant, we try to keep the prices as unadorned as possible – we do not have a “marketing budget” or extensive sales programs. Instead, we develop a relationship with our chefs and grocers to learn together how to utilize more of each animal.
The integral people of Black Earth Meats.
ALBERTO SANCHEZ, artisan butcher
Alberto is our craftsman butcher and has been in this business for twenty years. Need a special cut? Ask for Alberto.
SCOTT EVENSON, artisan butcher/sausage maker
Scott is our resident sausage maker, honing our recipe to the current product.
CHELSEA NELSON, custom orders and Buyer's Club specialist
Chelsea is our resident custom order specialist. Having several years experience in this unique skill, she can help you get the best cuts from the animal you have selected for our processing. She also selects product for our monthly Buyer's Club boxes.
CHRISTOPHER PAX, our new "chef liaison" and point person on sales
Christopher has twenty years of experience in restaurants and opened The Old Fashioned, one of the more popular restaurants in Madison. He has friends and contacts throughout the Madison and Chicago restaurant world and literally speaks the language of the chefs.
TOM BATES, Operations Manager and partner in the company
Tom is a former consultant in the meat industry specializing in converting or building processing plants that meet federal standards. Tom owned three separate processing plants and has been in the industry for over thirty-five years.
BARTLETT DURAND, owner
Bartlett Durand, the Farm Administrator, is a lawyer by training and profession. He is heading up the marketing efforts for Otter Creek’s unique value added products. He is the president of Local Choice Marketing, a tiny distribution company focused on a cooperative arrangement with artisan producers in the Spring Green area to get their products to market efficiently and cost-effectively.
GARY ZIMMER, owner
Gary Zimmer is a pioneer of a special type of farming called ‘mineralized balanced agriculture,’ which has farmers growing their own fertilizers, learning which fertilizers are best for their farm, and using farming practices that encourage beneficial organisms living in the soil.
