This week’s conversation is with Eiko Vojkovich of Skagit River Ranch. Theirs is a small but mighty family ranch she and her daughter, Nicole, run together. They sell grass-fed & -finished cattle, pastured hogs, pasture-raised poultry and eggs at Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets and some co-ops around the Puget Sound. 

When I came to Seattle in the late 90’s, I was ecstatic to learn about the existence of farmers markets, something that didn't exist in the suburban area of my upbringing (but more and more are popping up everywhere!). I met Eiko at her stall at the University Farmers Market around the turn of the century, where she introduced me to the taste of grass-fed cows and acorn-fed pigs. I fell in love and wanted to know more, so I took a trip to their ranch where they taught me about rotational grazing, regenerative agriculture, and happy animals.
 

The majority of the meat we consume in America is produced by large-scale farms and sold at multinational chain supermarkets, where it is virtually impossible to tell how people, places, and animals in their care are treated. Factory farms, concentrated animal feeding operations and massive processing plants compromise human and animal welfare as they leave huge carbon footprints. 

But small-scale farms like Skagit River Ranch do still exist in every state in the country, and it makes sense to find them: they are more likely to employ regenerative and sustainable practices, they're often family run, and they sell their products directly or via area farmers markets .