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News about Jamison Farm in Latrobe, Pennsylvania

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John and Sukey Jamison are not sheepish about sharing their passion for lamb. Call these proprietors of Jamison Farm in Latrobe "accidental farms," or, as Sukey more precisely puts it, "providential lamb produers. "It's weird," she says, "how one thing leads to another."

And so things did. In 1976, looking for an old country house, they bought one that incidentally came with a 65-acre farm -- perfect for grazing a few sheep to support Sukey's small catering business. In 1985, with an increasing herd size and hard-earned lamb-raising experience, they relocated to their current 210-acre farm.

Today, Jamison Farm processes about 5,000 animals a year, providing meat and prepared foods to both retail customers and top chefs coast to coast. Not suprisingly, David Kamp singles out this "boutique purveyor of natural lamb" in his recently published "The Food S nob's Dictionary: An Essential Lexicon of Gastronomical Knowledge."

John and Sukey regularly attract publicity raves. But it wasn't always so. In the early years of their business, lamb was not an easy sell in America. A turning point came in 1987 when the late, great, France-born chef Jean-Louis Palladin tasted and fell in love with their lamb. He spread the word, and soon other star chefs placed orders. Jamison's client roster grew to include such chef luminaries as Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Daniel Boulud, Terrance Brennan, Eric Ripert, Bill Telepan, Frank Stitt, Dan Barber...and the list goes on. Intermingling with so many unique and talented personalities, the Jamisons' vibrant life yields as many tales as tails.

Sukey recalls working with Jean-Louis on his Mama's Stew recipe, designed to utilize lamb shoulder, the secret ingredient turned out to be V-8 juice. Perfectly mimicking Jean-Lou is' accent, John describes one of the chef's visits to the farm. Surveying the flocks, Jean-Louis asked: "How many mommies are there?" "400," John replied "How many daddies?" Four. Whistling, Jean-Louis registered an "Ooh-la-la!"

The Jamisons also have stories about their friend, the late Julia Child,who once, when she couldn't locate her coffee-making equipment served them a Chateaunef-du-Pape wine for a 10:30 a.m. breakfast. And they've had endless odd or difficult requests -- Alain Ducasse wanting a particular lamb's neck muscle for a dish; Mario Batali needing 400 to 500 lamb's tounges per week for his famous salad.

"Artisinal," "all-natural" and sustainable" before the terms became fashionable, Jamison Farm is a true agricultural and culinary icon. Reared free of herbicides, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics, pastured sheep and lambs roam outdoors, munching bluegrass and white clover all year long. Only in frigid winter, when nothings grows, are they hand-fed hay and corn. Grass-fed lamb tastes like lamb, John explains. Corn-fed lamb tastes more like beef.

The farm is Certified Humane, meaning the animals are treated well from their moment of arrival until their ultimate departure at the nearby Jamison-owned USDA-inspected processing plant. As John paraphrases the adage: "A happy lamb is a tender lamb."

The Jamisons diligently manage all business details, while maintaining a remarkably generous spirit. Both happily reflect on America's fresh appreciation of lamb."Twenty years ago I couldn't sell a lamb shank," explains John. "Now I can't keep up with the demand."

Chef Frank Stitt's Bottega restaurant in Birmingham, Ala., embodies a Renaissance Italy spirit and work ethic in creating terrific Italian-inspired food and wine experiences. The master chef, culinary team and waitstaff have enthralled appreciative locals and visitors alike since 1988.

To read the entire article, click here: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/search/s_574359.html

Restaurant in a League of Its Own

South Greensburg's Spitfire Grille, a small restaurant-bar with a patio, carves out a niche with a commitment to seasonal fare.

To read the entire article, click here: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_574554.html

Meet John and Sukey Jamison

The June 21 dinner at Jamison Farm, which benefits Jean-Louis Palladin Foundtion, has been cancelled. Stay posted here for the next Jamison Farm event.

Artisinal Products Class in Newport, RI

Sukey will be the moderator and John a guest panelist on artisinal products at the National Conference of Women Chefs and Restauranteurs in Newport, Rhode Island, November 3-5, 2007.

For more information on the master class read on or go to www.womenchefs.org

Monday, November 5, 2007 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Master Classes: Session III Sponsored by Chef Designs

MC09 - Artisanal Products: Inspire Your Menus With Change in the Seasons

Sukey Jamison - Moderator
Co-Owner, Jamison Farm

Adeline Folley
Operations Manager, Vermont Butter & Cheese Company

John Jamison
Co-Owner, Jamison Farm

Anne Quatrano
Chef/Owner, Bacchanalia, Floataway Café, Quinones,
Star Provisions

Taste the difference! This panel will illustrate the difference between small artisan products and the common mass produced varieties. While you savor the flavors, see if you can taste the difference. Come discover the pros and cons of dealing with small producers vs. major food service suppliers.

Picture Perfect

By Karen Becket and Ann Haigh
For the Tribune-Review
Monday, August 6, 2007

Ewe knew it!

When Sukey and John Jamison host a party at their famed Latrobe sheep farm, it’s sure to be sumptuous supping and sipping. And the Bastille Day event, benefiting the Jean-Louis Palladin Foundation, certainly raised the roof on raves.

Visiting celebrity chefs corralled the kitchen: Bill Telepan, of Telepan’s, NYC; Jimmy Sneed, of Richmond Virginia; and Chris Jackson, of Pittsburgh’s Six Penn Kitchen, were ably assisted by chef Evan Danko, cousin of San Fran’s finest Gary Danko; and Chef Erica Wides, a recent JLP Foundation intern at the farm.

Guests grazed on tubs of fois gras, buckets of soft-shell crab, exotic cheeses, serious fine wines — and, of course, platter after platter of the Jamisons' divine, all-natural lamb.

The foundation, headquartered in Bethesda, Md., honors the late France-born chef, Jean-Louis Palladin, promoting his mission of pursuing fine products and mentoring talent in his adopted USA.

Members of the Board, a who’s who of culinary stardom, came from across the country — including Foundation Director Ann Brody Cove, of Bethesda, and incoming president Clint Arthur, of Five Star Butter, Los Angeles.

Others feeding on the sensational spread: Carrie Jackson; Leah Telepan; Red Room chef Chris Bonfili and wife Jen; Eat ’n Park’s Mark Broadhurst; Mountain View Inn’s Vance Booher; Latrobe Country Club’s Jerry Palmer; and from Ligonier: Dr. Dan Vittone, Jim and Carrie Cooper and Joann & Bob Lightcap.

— Ann Haigh

Taken from http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/search/s_520767.html

Madelyn's Restaurant & Wine Bar opened last month to the delight of Anthemites and residents all over the North Valley.

Learn More >>

Picnic at Jamison Farm for Jean Loius Palladin Foundation.

Prep in Sukey's Kitchen: Jimmy Sneed & Evan Danko

Our Three Star Chefs at the event: Jimmy Sneed, Chris Jackson & Bill Telepan

"Ten to fifteen years ago, we couldn't sell lamb shanks. Now we can't keep them," reports supplier John Jamison.
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