As part of the UVa AYAC blog, we hope to have a series of posts introducing the activities that Philly branch members are involved with. This week, we introduce Megan Bucknum and Philly CowShare. Thank you Megan Bucknum for your post!
Philly CowShare | Some of our grass-fed beef on pasture!
What is an urban planner doing delivering grass-fed beef throughout Philadelphia?
As food system planner, I have sought career opportunities that allow me to work within the intersection of food and planning. This has led to jobs in the field (literally), school gardens and cafeterias, as well as working to create food-based businesses. My current job is with Philly CowShare, a Philadelphia-based small business that connects the communities of grass-fed beef producers and processors to the communities of people who simply want to eat well.
Boxes of beef in transport on the refrigerated truck
We do this by aggregating beef from 5 different producers, packaging them into bundles -- called CowShares -- and delivering them directly to people’s doors. We have created an alternative supply chain for local meat that values each business along the way and keeps the transparency of the meat throughout the chain. Customers receive packages of beef all from one animal with source identifying information.
With only two people running this business, a day in my life is almost never the same! It can range from being on a farm and having a sales meeting to taking inventory in a freezer and riding in the delivery truck.
Delivery to someone’s cooler!
My delivery days take me all over the Philadelphia region and in an effort to make this efficient, I ride my bike or take public transportation as close to the first stop, as possible. I then meet our driver’s refrigerated truck and ride along and bring all the beef to our customers. At the end of the day, i get dropped off at a train station close to where we end and make my way back to the city.
In addition to bringing local 100% grass-fed beef directly to people’s doors, I am working to educate more people throughout our area about sustainable meat production. An increase in education, coupled with convenient access to grass-fed meat can create a higher demand for this meat. If there is enough consumer demand, producers can continue to have their farmland be in production and conserved.
Yours truly doing some experiments on a side of beef for our potential new bundle
I am continually intrigued at how a background in urban and environmental planning leads me to have vocational experiences that are far beyond the confines of a desk. It reminds me how even riding in a truck can have a much larger impact on building healthy communities.
Megan Bucknum
MUEP ‘09
