Ep 049 Camas Davis: Pieces of Ate (And No Mr. Roboto, Either).

We often talk about animals, and we talk about food, but very rarely do we actually discuss the middle part – how one turns into the other.  Before you run screaming in a panic, don’t worry, we’re not going to discuss the nitty gritty in detail here, either.  We are, however, going to bring you a conversation with one of the rock stars in the world of butchery.  

Camas Davis is a magazine editor, outside-the-box thinker, leader, speaker and author of the memoir, “Killing It,” in which she discusses her adventures in the world of meat.  She has studied butchery and charcuterie in southwest France, and has brought that education and all of the delicious possibilities along with it back to our shores.  

She sits down to speak with us about how a transparent process is necessary for a healthy food system, and how she uses experiential education (you get to eat the homework at the end of the class…) to help connect farmers, butchers, chefs, restaurateurs, and consumers, so that we all can have a stronger understanding of what we ingest and what it took to get it to our plates.  Responsible meat consumption also means that we try to learn how to utilize more of the animals we raise, not just the top two or three parts that everyone can name.  If you’ve ever enjoyed Mary Roach’s gastronomic adventures in “Gulp,” Camus that might be right up your alley.

Camas is also the Executive Director of the Good Meat Project, founder of the Portland Meat Collective, and a self-professed “Meat Thinker.”  That alone should draw you in, just to find out what she might mean by that.

Links:

https://goodmeatproject.org/about
https://www.pdxmeat.com/
https://www.pdxmeat.com/about
https://www.pdxmeat.com/instructors#camas-davis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butcher
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcuterie
http://maryroach.net/gulp.html
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21814351-much-ado-about-mutton
http://www.muchadoaboutmutton.com/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/wwii-food-america_n_1398132