News
Seaman’s Now Offering Meat From Two Local Farms
By: Sara Brumfield | Athens Messenger
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Seaman’s Grocery Store on West Union Street is now offering locally raised meat from two Athens County family farmers — something the business takes great pride in.
The family run grocer has been providing local beef from RL Valley Ranch in Guysville for about two and half years now and recently added inventory from King Family Farms in Albany.
J.B. King, one of the owners of King Family Farm, said he stopped selling his meat at the Athens Farmers Market earlier this summer due to some personal health issues. Leaving the market has allowed his business to supply the grocer with beef, pork, turkey, and chicken. He said he couldn’t supply meat to both the market and Seaman’s in the past.
King said he is also continuing to provide meat to area shops and restaurants such as The Farmacy, Village Bakery, Avalanche Pizza and Casa Nueva. Larger quantities of his products are also available at the farm directly. He said he’d also like to expand into some buying clubs in the county.
“We have not quit. We’ve just slowed down,” King said of the misconception that his farm has gone out of business.
J Seaman, one of the owners of the grocery store, said that he feels good being able to offer local meat from the Kings and Rob Phillips (owner of RL Valley Ranch). Seaman said the owners like to know the farmers as it’s hard to get natural meat from places further away.
“We think it’s a better product,” Seaman said. “We know these guys. We like them and trust them.”
According to Seaman, it’s important to his business to be able to know that the animals are not injected with hormones or fed genetically modified food.
“Our clientele wants to know that our products are safe,” he said. “And we’ve been very successful with that.”
Seaman said that King’s retirement from the farmers market came at the perfect time as the grocer was looking for a local pork supplier.
“The customers have been asking for it for a long time,” he said. “We are local so we like to support local.”
Phillips said that one thing that is unique about Seaman’s is that the grocery store’s meat department will make custom cuts from meat from both farms upon request.
Both Phillips and King said that they are happy to supply the community with high quality meat.
“We’re raising food for your family that we’re feeding our family,” King said.
Seaman pointed out that he is a third generation owner of the grocery store, which was opened by his grandfather in 1951. Both King and Phillips are fourth generation farmers.
King said the families have actually been intertwined for a number of years, stating that his family used to sell produce to Seaman’s back when J’s grandfather owned it.
“It takes all of us to be able to do what we’re doing,” Seaman said. “It’s a partnership.”
For information about King Family Farm, visit www.kingfamilyfarm.com or call 698-3940. To find out about RL Valley Ranch, visit www.rlvalleyranch.com or call 818-6863.