By Kristen Thompson
Food Connects was thrilled to onboard Short Creek Farm as a new vendor in 2022. Based out of Northwood, NH, Short Creek Farm crafts unique and delicious sausage, salami, and bacon from their own pasture-raised meats and heritage-breed pork from other family farms in the U.S. We had a chance to ask Co-Founder Jeff Backer more about the farm and its delicious products.
How was Short Creek Farm started? What was its inspiration?
Short Creek Farm was started by me (Jeff Backer) and my long-time friend Dave Viola in 2015. Throughout my early years of farming and selling products at local farmers' markets, I found that the quality of sausages, bacon, and other cured meats available from local processing plants did not do justice to the quality of the meat I was raising. Dave, an amazing cook and all-around "food guy" since high school, had been experimenting with making charcuterie at home while I was getting into farming. In 2015, we came together to build a business that offers distinctive, delicious meats produced from pork and beef raised on our farm. In 2020, we expanded our sourcing to include heritage breed pork raised on other small farms in the US.
What makes your products unique?
All Short Creek products start with incredibly flavorful heritage breed pork and beef raised on small farms, including our own 300-acre farm in Northwood, NH. Our recipes have been refined on the farm over the years, and we craft the ingredients for every single batch by hand. Our Homegrown varieties feature 100% local pork and often make use of seasonal (or preserved) produce and ingredients from other local farms and producers like craft breweries and distilleries.
What is your favorite part of producing meats?
On the farm, we love seeing how thoughtful farming can lead to increased productivity of the farmland we steward. At our processing plant in Kennebunk, ME, we love taking a kernel of an idea for a new flavor, especially one with New England roots or a collaboration with another local producer, and developing it from start to finish into a product ready to roll out to retail stores.
Why is buying and selling locally and the local food movement important to you?
We believe people should have access to good, real food. Fostering a stronger connection between consumers and food producers is key to achieving this goal because it allows consumers to become more educated about how food is made (e.g., how livestock are raised, how raw agricultural goods are transformed into finished products, what environmental and societal impacts are associated with different production models, etc.) and ensures that producers are responsive to the desires of their customers. As cooks, we both love knowing the stories of where our food came from, the people who produced it, and its context in culture and cuisine.
How does working with Food Connects help your business/what are you excited about in this partnership?
Short Creek started out squarely in the local farm and food movement in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire, reaching people through farmers' markets, farm stands, and small retailers. As we expand our wholesale business, we want to make sure we are still reaching the same types of customers who would come and visit our booth at the farmers' market. Working with Food Connects will allow us to reach more customers across a broader region who appreciate the value of small local farms.
Any fun facts about your business?
Short Creek Farm sits atop a ridge in Northwood, NH and straddles the Merrimack River/Great Bay watershed divide. A short walk from the house brings you to the headwaters of the Lamprey River.
