Last week we completed the final pour of concrete which closed in the building. 82 cu-yards of concrete in a mix of poured reinforced concrete and ferro-cement using lots of lathe, wwm, rebar, stainless steel and basalt. Now we can work indoors, finishing off the USDA inspector's office, bathroom and initial cutting room while the cold winds and snows of winter blow outside. Here are some posts with lots of details and photos:

http://SugarMtnFarm.com/2012/12/03/ceilings-poured/

http://SugarMtnFarm.com/2012/12/08/threaded-rod-retrieval/

http://SugarMtnFarm.com/2012/12/04/inspectors-slab/

http://SugarMtnFarm.com/2012/12/06/butcher-shop-bedded-down/

http://SugarMtnFarm.com/2012/12/15/insulaltion-vs-concrete/

It feels really good to finally have the structural building closed in. It is super insulated and super massive designed for easy cleaning, low maintenance and energy efficiency. We're only a little over budget after four years of work. This winter we anticipate starting to cut meat in our own on-farm butcher shop. We can almost taste the bacon!

Cheers!

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in Vermont

It's been wonderful following this project. I'm so glad you were able to get it closed in prior to the first big snowstorm.

We're in Wisconsin, so are unlikely to buy large quantities of pork from y'all, but I can't wait to see how the rest of the project goes. I can see Will going into the gourmet sausage business, selling mixed meat sausages for $9/pound. (My favorite sausage from our own butchering projects this fall was Cole's lamb/pork sausage with dried apricots, dried cranberries and crystallized ginger.)

Our son Will is very interested in the charcuterie, doing the specialty sausages, bacon, hams, fermented meats and such. He's been reading about them and experimenting in small ways in our home kitchen but looks forward to having a facility with a commercial kitchen, fermenting caves, brine room and smokehouse where he can do this stuff for real. After we get the meat cutting up and running sausage follows very quickly. Then next we hope to setup a small smoker and small commercial kitchen. Later we'll expand those once we have the slaughter on-farm too. Baby steps.

I'm sure you've gotten him a copy of Ruhlman's and Pulcyn's excellent book on the topic, Charcuterie? That was my source of information for making 2 full-leg bone in prosciutto 2 hogs ago, and 2 classic american hams with this year's hog. He has a new book, Salumi, but I haven't bought that. Yet.

Value-added is where it's at--go, Will! Gourmet bacon will get you another scalder/dehairer, or some other equally cool implement.

*grin* Isn't that what it's all about? Fun and stainless steel toys!