November 2006
As Michael Pollan points out
in his article in the New York Times on June 4th, 2006;
Organic doesn't always mean BETTER.
"Like every other commodity that global corporations
lay their hands on, organic food will henceforth come
from wherever in the world it can be produced most cheaply.
It is about to go the way of sneakers and MP3 players,
becoming yet another rootless commodity circulating
in the global economy". The off-shoring of our food
poses a tremendous threat to the health of our bodies,
our land, our security, and our economy. While we strongly
encourage those who provide certified organic food,
there are important considerations that move Let's
Be Frank beyond organic".
So what is Let's Be Frank?
It's the latest sustainably tasty idea from
Larry Bain. Larry's career started at the City of Toronto's
Mayor's office. But when the culinary world came calling
he left Toronto to cook with some of New York's finest
chefs including Larry Forgione and Patrick Clark.
He moved out to San Francisco and opened Zola's, a much-acclaimed
restaurant. And opened a second Zola's in 1989, and
then opened Vince in 1992.
He moved into restaurant management, running Restaurant
LuLu and then opening Rose Pistola and Rose's Café before
taking a break from restaurants to become the Associate
Director of Human Resources for the Tides Center, a
non-profit organization that supports Social Justice
and Environmental groups around the country.
In September of 2000, Traci Des Jardins, the owner of
Jardiniere in San Francisco, lured him away from Tides
to become her Director of Operations and to lead her
initiative to turn Jardiniere into a Socially Responsible
business. In 2002, he opened Acme Chop House with Traci
Des Jardins.
In the summer of 2004, he and Traci opened Mijita Cocina
Mexicana, with the primary goal of bringing commitment
to seasonal, sustainably raised, local food to a mass
market. Between Jardiniere, Acme and Mijita they had
a combined revenue of $11 million annually and 200 employees.
He has become an outspoken advocate for social responsibility
in the restaurant industry, and now has launched Let's
Be Frank. An unusual twist on common commodity…
Let's Be Frank Is Local
- Cliff Garrison is the Ranch Manager at Hearst Ranch
and comes from a long line of ranchers who take pride
in their cattle and the way they care for the land they
graze. The herd ranges on 80,000 acres of pristine pasture
overlooking the Pacific Ocean near San Simeon, California.
Engelhart Gourmet, the third generation Bay Area sausage
company, turns this meat into delicious hot dogs. Using
meat from local ranchers ensures that our ranchers and
ranches will be with us for future generations of growers
and eaters.
Let's Be Frank Is Grass Fed
- It has taken Cliff many years and unwavering commitment
to raise a herd - predominantly Angus - that has returned
to its natural place in nature, eating grass. Of course
all cattle evolved to live well on grass, but over the
last 60 years, industrial farming has been re-engineering
cattle to fatten up on cheap corn on feedlots. Our cattle
graze all year long on a lush mix of native grasses,
brassicas, and rye grass. Hay is used sparingly and
only as a supplement during the winter months.
Let's Be Frank Is Environmentally
Conscious - Since our meat comes from the closest
possible source, this reduces the amount of petroleum
needed to transport and process our hot dogs and the
green house gases and other contaminants that are the
usual by-products of other farming methods. Also, most
of the grazing land has been placed in a conservation
easement with the State of California that will ensure
it remains healthy agricultural land in perpetuity.
Let's Be Frank Is Ethically
Raised - From birth, weaning and, ultimately,
slaughter these cattle are treated with dignity and
consideration.
Let's Be Frank Is Fairly Traded
And Economically Sustainable - Everyone from
ranch to cart receives a fair price or a good wage for
the work they do to bring these delicious hot dogs to
you.
Let's Be Frank Tastes Good
And Is Better For You - The meat for our hot
dogs is specially chosen from excellent cuts: shoulder,
chuck roll and plate. There are no additives, no hormones,
no antibiotics, just pure FREE RANGE, CALIFORNIA GRASS
FED beef. The rich diet of grass yields well-marbled
meat that is loaded with Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Our hot
dogs are much lower in sodium and calories than most
other hot dogs. We worked for six months before coming
up with the final recipe for the Let's Be Frank hot
dog.
Let's Be Frank - Dogs Gone
Good - Our hot dogs provide a better way for
everyone to afford and enjoy good, healthy and delicious
food.
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