How a love for history, language, cooking, and pasture raised meats brought about Brats of the World Part II with Jeff Suchland

Welcome to Part II of our discussion with small-scale farmer Jeff Suchland, owner of Alpacas of Troy. In this episode, Jeff shares the journey of creating authentic, global sausages using exceptional pork from his farm. Jeff set an ambitious goal of crafting a sausage offering from each of 200 different countries, and you'll learn about his farming practices, sourcing non-GMO, high-quality spices, and reviving traditional techniques and ingredients. Get ready for a flavorful adventure into sausage-making and farming practices.

Alpacas of Troy is a family-run operation with pigs, fainting goats, chickens, turkeys, peacocks, horses, and of course alpacas. The farm is located in eastern Missouri north of St. Louis, and in addition to the “Brats of the World” business, also produces yarn for felted and knitted products, all of which are made from the alpaca fiber grown and spun on the farm.

Most people only see the beautifully packaged, final food products at farmer’s markets and specialty grocery stores, but the Tangled Taproot podcast will showcase unique stories from small-scale midwestern farmers, entrepreneurs, and other thought leaders in regenerative agriculture. Guests will share their successes, challenges, and future goals for their own companies and for the sustainable farming industry. The podcast is brought to you by St. Louis-based sustainable food startup Mylk and Hummus, and hosted by M & H Founder John Cowan, Kitchen Manager and Recipe Developer Christin Jameson, and Jackson. 

Founded in 2020 by John Cowan, Mylk and Hummus makes on-the-go, chickpea-based snacks that focus on flavorful hummus varieties and ready-to-drink plant-based lattes. Mylk and Hummus products nourish the physical and mental endurance needs of today while considering environmental goals for the future. At Mylk and Hummus, plant-based food is made with ingredients proudly sourced through sustainable and regenerative agriculture where farming principles and practices enrich soils, restore watersheds, and lead to healthy ecosystems. The company operates on these principles to significantly reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to the reversal of global trends in climate instability, habitat loss, and the vitality of the natural world.

Discussion Points:

• Jeff Suchland's journey into small-scale farming and sausage-making
• Creating authentic sausages from 200 countries with Alpacas of Troy
• Unique farming practices and diverse animals on the farm
• Importance of sourcing high-quality, non-GMO spices
• Hand-grinding spices for unique blends
• Jeff's passion for language and history in sausage recipes
• Reviving traditional techniques and ingredients
• Borde Burst sausage and favorite farmers market experiences
• Connection with customers and fellow vendors
• Over 200 global sausage varieties crafted
• Traditional serving methods for sausages
• Alpaca fibe