Serving local, supporting local

Danny Burau, owner of The Malt in Saratoga, knows the concept of farm-to-table isn’t new or revolutionary in the food industry.

It’s been around long enough it was once parodied by the sketch comedy series “Portlandia” when two characters—played by Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein—are so invested in the chicken on the menu they visit where it was raised. Being a comedy series, hijinks ensue. While it may seem almost hyperbolic in its critique of the locally sourced movement, there is perhaps a small kernel of truth to be found.

“Those trends have been in food for a while, we’re certainly not pioneering any new concepts, but these animals around here are getting a pretty free range lifestyle,” said Burau. “When you’re hiking around in the mountains and you come upon a herd of cattle that a ranch around here is raising, what better quality of life for that animal.”

Burau’s goal since starting The Malt—and before that, Firewater Public House—was to reconnect people with their food, especially their protein. According to Burau, a major issue facing both the economy and health of the United States is a lack of understanding where our food is sourced.

“It really did come down to wanting to understand where our food came from, how those animals were being treated, why they were being raised the way they were and that, in turn, provides a really great product for our guests,” said Burau. “I want people to be aware that they’re eating animals. These animals died. They’re lives were taken so that we could survive.”

Whenever possible, primarily when the price point allows, The Malt serves beef from Berger Beef, owned by Kyle and Stacy Berger. Recently, said Burau, the use of Berger Beef is for specially catered events. Burau also serves bison from Iron Creek Bison Company, owned by Les and Tammy Barkhurst, whenever possible, too. To serve either protein, it has to be processed in a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspected facility. One, which is used by Iron Creek Bison Company, is located in Hudson. Another, 307 Meats, is located in Laramie. For Burau, it’s a concept that he both believes in and can sell: protein raised in Wyoming, processed in Wyoming and served in Wyoming.

“Prices are a little higher when we do it this way. We’re working with Bergers right now trying to figure out how we can help them scale, who we can connect them with so they can distribute more across the state and then we’d be able to serve more of their stuff because they’re price could come down per pound,” said Bura. “Working with a supplier so they understand what the demand is, that helps us set a price point where we can keep selling it.”

Due to current beef prices, Burau buys beef from his wholefoods supplier to serve on his menu. It’s an economical decision, but not one he is entirely pleased about. As he continues to explain his philosophy, he touches on the push for COOL (Country Of Origin Labeling) among rural and family ranches when it comes to USDA certified beef. The practice ended in 2015 and, today, most beef labeled as “Product of USA” may actually come from a foreign country but can be labeled as such if it is processed domestically.

Burau understands the task he’s assigned himself isn’t easy. Serving locally raised protein is a novel concept, but not one which could be reproduced across the country. According to the USDA, Americans consume 57 pounds of beef per person per year. In 2021, that number hit an all-time high with 30 billion pounds of beef consumed in a year.

“I think we’re lucky to be in a place like Wyoming where … if we can get that country of origin labeling, people would be willing to spend a little bit more in order to get local beef because it means something to them,” said Burau. “McDonald’s is not worried about where their beef is coming from, they’re moving it at huge volumes, they’re not worried about quality. They certainly don’t care about country of origin [labeling].”

And while McDonald’s is estimated to have served more than 300 billion hamburgers since its founding, Burau said interactions with his customers is encouraging. With tourism being one of the major economic drivers of the Valley, The Malt sees guests from across the country and the world who, said Burau, want locally sourced protein.

“When people take time to read the menu, they would want to ask questions. They would want to know how local, is it just from Wyoming. I could say it’s a herd eight or 10 miles down the road. You could see a smile on their face because they’re understanding this is really a local product,” said Burau. “It helps me from a marketing perspective, so it’s not entirely altruistic. I know people get excited about that and they like that we can give them a story. People so often are buying a story in a cocktail or a food item.”

Changing the consumer mindset and getting people hungry enough for locally sourced protein to pay a little extra is only half the battle, though. The other side is helping local ranchers and producers change how they’ve operated for generations. That battle, according to Burau, doesn’t seem to be as difficult.

“I think it’s an interesting point to consider that we’ve had these producers in this Valley for this long and their willingness to try to find ways to provide protein locally, I know they don’t have to do that,” said Burau. “It’s extra work, it’s an extra challenge because it isn’t the same volume.”

And while farm-to-table, or ranch-to-table in this case, isn’t a revolutionary idea, Burau still sees something of a revolution ahead. A substantial change to how people think about their food, about how they can better connect with it by knowing how it was raised and where it came from.

“This kind of disruption, if we can find a way to empower smaller family operations to get their foot in the door and then really get pushing, that’s great for everybody except the giant producers. I don’t really feel any emotional attachment to them so I’m fine disrupting them in the biggest way possible,” said Burau. “It’s not a small amount of work, but it feels like everybody I’ve talked to is willing to entertain it.”