Albany Patch takes a look at the people behind the Albany farmers market. Read . John Harley Richter, the founder and executive chef of Berkeley-based Harley Richter Meats, gives a quick look at his 2-year-old business.
How did Harley Richter Meats get started?
I've always enjoyed food and the culinary arts. Two years ago, I started the catering business and then started to focus on sausage and butchery.
What meats do you specialize in?
We specialize in pork, duck—but beef, lamb, goat and chicken are the primary meats.
Where do you get them from?
We get our pork from either Capay Valley out in Yolo County near Sacramento, or Magruder Ranch up in Mendocino. We get our beef from Prather Ranch based up in Shasta, and we get our duck from Liberty Duck which is up in Petaluma. And lamb generally comes out of the Napa Valley.
What are your prices like?
They're appropriate with the quality of meat that we're using. A lot of people might look at them and think they're expensive, but we're using the highest quality from around Northern California... Sausage is between $9 and $10 a pound.
How has the Albany Farmers Market been so far?
So far, so good—it's really enjoyable. The Bacon Jam seems to be a big hit so far. It's a reduction of bacon, apple cider, vinegar, maple syrup and coffee.
Where else can customers find you?
We only do one other market, Marin Country Mart, but we do a lot of online sales. The website is www.harleyrichtermeats.com.
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