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Pacific NW game purveyor Nicky USA branches out with exclusive Nicky Farms produce line featuring local game birds and meat.

Game a healthier choice with lower fat and cholesterol; Pacific NW quail, rabbit, elk, buffalo a few Nicky Farms products for both home cooks and professional chefs

Natural game birds and meats raised in the Pacific Northwest are now readily available as part of the new Nicky Farms product line offered by Portland-based Nicky USA. Working with local family-owned farms and ranches across the Northwest, Geoff Latham, founder and owner of Nicky USA, brings chefs and epicureans authentic American meats like rabbit, quail, fallow venison, Northwest elk and free roaming American bison (buffalo). Nicky Farms offers its exclusive line of products for purchase to professional chefs and home cooks by calling 800-469-4162

Connecting to the Land

Historically, wild game was part of the American diet throughout the American West. This all changed when people moved into the city, abandoning the bounty of the land. Today, there is a growing interest in connecting with our local food source and educated “locavores” are searching for more choices, especially in places like the Pacific NW suited for raising indigenous game. Cooking with locally raised game is a healthier choice to commercially raised beef, pork and lamb. Ranch raised meats are lower in fat and cholesterol and do not carry the gamier flavor characteristics since the animals graze stress free.

Partnering with Pacific NW Chefs

Geoff Latham of Nicky USA has been working with farmers and ranchers since 1990 when he first started Nicky USA by selling rabbits from the trunk of his Ford Escort to restaurants and retailers in the Portland area. He quickly aligned with the talented chefs in the region and has cultivated long standing relationships with chefs from Bend to Seattle.

to read the full press release please click here

NICKY USA FEATURES EUROPEAN-STYLE AIR CHILLED TURKEYS FOR THANKSGIVING

Holiday ideas from Nicky Farms include Geese, Smoked Duck Breast, Elk Sausage with Huckleberries & Pinot Noir and Venison & Rabbit Sausage with dried Cranberries and Applewood Smoked Bacon

For many Americans, turkey is the main ingredient at the holiday table. This year, Nicky USA offers a unique European-style air chilled turkey from Nicky Farms raised by farmers practicing responsible animal husbandry and sustainable farming. The turkeys grow slowly with antibiotic free food, alleviating the stress of fast muscle development. The farmers pay close attention to animal welfare and raise the turkeys in an environment with fresh air, sunlight and unlimited space to exercise.

“Unlike traditional turkeys that are flash frozen or sub-zero chilled, Nicky Farms turkeys are truly fresh,” said Geoff Latham, founder and president of Nicky USA. “After processing, the birds are air chilled overnight prior to packaging. They are packed in a clear bag the week prior to Thanksgiving to ensure you see the freshest bird available on the market today.” The air chilling technique practiced at Nicky Farms is the pure technique, practiced by those in the industry committed to quality.

To Order: A limited number of Nicky Farms air chilled turkeys will be available for Thanksgiving. To pre-order your turkey, please call Nicky USA at 503-234-4263. The Hens range from 10-16 pounds and the Toms are approximately 20 pounds.

Specialty Meats for Holiday Entertaining

Nicky Farms is developing a growing line of specialty sausage to combine Northwest ingredients and use the “whole animal.” One of the latest creations is an elk sausage with wild huckleberries and Pinot Noir. Another popular choice is a venison and rabbit sausage with dried cranberries and Nueske’s Applewood smoked bacon. Other popular products for the holiday table include smoked duck breast and fresh goose (available December 16th).

LAURELHURST MARKET WINS TOP GAME HONORS AT NICKY USA’S 9th ANNUAL WILD ABOUT GAME COOK-OFF

Judges Janie Hibler, Chris Cosentino and Tom Douglas taste dishes with ingredients from Buffalo Heart and Duck to Guinea Hen, Pheasant and Partridge

After tasting ten dishes featuring ingredients such as elk, venison, quail, guinea hen and rabbit, the judges had to narrow down the culinary talent. Portland’s David Kreifels and Will Cisa of Laurelhurst Market took top honors at the Wild About Game cook-off using Nicky Farms Rabbit in a dish of chard wrapped rabbit saddle and sausage stuffed into the hindquarter.

The ten competing chefs had two hours to prepare an original dish using game meats or fowl for the panel of judges, including Janie Hibler, cookbook author and contributing writer for Gourmet, Chris Cosentino, chef of Incanto in San Francisco and founder of Boccalone, and Tom Douglas, restaurateur and cookbook author, Seattle. The 2009 event included chefs from Portland and Seattle competing in the black box cook-off. Other events throughout the day included cooking demonstrations with Pascal Chureau of Fenouil, Dustin Clark of Wildwood, and Chris Carriker of the Gilt Club.

“It’s a tough competition and picking the top three dishes wasn’t easy,” said Janie Hibler. “The chefs that won cooked completely different types of game but each creation was cooked to perfection.”

Gabriel Rucker

Le Pigeon
The Oregonian Diner 2008

Gabriel Rucker, chef and co-owner, maestro and mischief-maker, cooks highly original, often fantastic, sometimes excessive food from ever-changing ideas that pop into his head. No recipes. On the fly. Everything going down in Real Time. He's having a ball! With thanks to Karen Brooks and our friends at The Oregonian

Click here to read full article

In the August 2008 edition of Food and Wine Magazine two of our finest NW chefs explain what "Locavore" means to them.

Locally minded chefs Joseph Humphrey of Sausalito, California, and Gabriel Rucker of Portland, Oregon, divulge their favorite regional food finds.

"I work almost exclusively with Nicky USA for my meats—and their customer service is the best in the business,” Rucker says of this purveyor of buffalo, Oregon lamb and other rare meats.

Click here to read the full article.

With thanks to Emily Kaiser and ours friends at Food & Wine Magazine.

NickyUSA is honored to have been featured in the July 2008 edition of Delta Airlines SKY magazine

Although Nicky Farms Northwest buffalo rib-eye steaks could be at home on your range, the real thrill will come..."

click here to read full article

Nicky USA's 8th Annual Wild About Game Event at the Resort at the Mountain.
"Wild About Game 2008" Press Release 8/14/2008

Nicky USA's 7th Annual Wild About Game Event at the Resort at the Mountain.
"Wild About Game 2007 " Press Release 7/26/2007

Nicky USA & Portland Chefs Join Forces to Defend Foie Gras Production
"In Defence of Foie Gras" Press Release 4/14/2005

"On Track With Buffalo"

"The Game is On: Dinner Becomes a Wilder Affair as Americans Turn to Once Exotic Meats"
by Lisa McLaughlin, Time Magazine, February 2, 2004

"Gaming the System: That Wild Pheasant Never Left the Farm Exotic Species With a Secret Turn Up on Chic Menus; Buffalo Osso Bucco"
by James P. Sterba, The Wall Street Journal, December 30, 2003

"In This Annual Cook-off, It's How You Play the Game"
by Sara Perry, "Taste Makers," The Oregonian, October 18, 2003

"Meat Purveyor Has a Passion For His Game"
by John Dooley, The Portland Tribune, December 30, 2002

"Entrepreneur Gains a Following With Exotic Repertoire of Meats,"
by Ken Hoyt, The Oregonian, November 23, 2001

On Track With Buffalo
by Leslie Cole, FOODDAY/The Oregonian, Tuesday, March 2, 2004

Article Excerpt:

(And) starting in June, much of it (buffalo) will carry a marketing label verifying the handling practices ranchers say they've been following for years.

The Certified American Buffalo stamp, on a meat package or menu, will be a guarantee that the animal can be tracked from ranch to restaurant or retail case. It will also mean it wasn't fed antibiotics or given artificial hormones, and that it was kept separate from other species at processing.

Ounce for ounce, a buffalo rib-eye has half the total fat and saturated fat of a similar piece of beef, and more iron.

At Pazzo Ristorante in downtown Portland, you'll find grilled Oregon buffalo rib-eye with cornmeal-and-leek budino (a savory Italian pudding) alongside the pasta choices.

Down the street at Red Star Tavern & Roast House, you can dive into slices of grilled buffalo flank steak paired with cascabel chile and cherry sauce and a yam and roasted poblano empanada. You'll find buffalo burgers at Huber's and at McMenamins Grand Lodge in Forest Grove; buffalo enchiladas at Esparza's Tex Mex Grill in Southeast Portland; and slow-braised buffalo short ribs at Hayden's Lakefront Grill in Tualatin. 

Click here to link to the Oregonian archives for access to the complete article. 

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The Game is On
Dinner Becomes a Wilder Affair as Americans Turn to Once Exotic Meats  
By Lisa McLaughlin, Time Magazine, February 2, 2004

Article Excerpt:

Game is nature's Lean Cuisine: it's often lower in fat and cholesterol than traditional choices.  Concerns about mad cow disease and antibiotics in beef are also causing health-conscious diners to explore game.

"There is definitely a significant increase in people interested in eating game meat," says Geoff Latham, president of Nicky USA, a game distributor in Portland, Ore.

Latham is also the founder of the annual Wild About Game Cook-Off in Welches, Ore. At its 2000 debut, about 50 people showed up. In 2003 more than 600 checked out the creations of such top chefs as Joseba Jimenez of Seattle's Harvest Vine restaurant, who made a pheasant braised in Cabernet Franc and sherry vinegar with foie gras.

Click here to link to Time Magazine's archives for access to the complete article.

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"Gaming the System:  That Wild Pheasant Never Left the Farm Exotic Species With a Secret Turn Up on Chic Menus; Buffalo Osso Bucco"
by James P. Sterba, The Wall Street Journal, December 30, 2003

Article Excerpt:

At the recent "Wild About Game" cook-off in Welches, Ore., a braised MacFarlane pheasant in cabernet franc and sherry vinegar took first place.

Game fans contend "wild" has more cachet than "farm raised," which can conjure up images of industrialized agriculture. "Wild says healthy, pure, something that hasn't been tampered with," says Janie Hibler, author of the "Wild About Game" cookbook.

NickyUSA, a game distributor in Portland, Ore., expects sales to be about $3.5 million this year, up from $250,000 in 1990.

Bill MacFarlane's pheasant-raising company, one of the largest in North America, hatches 1.5 million eggs a year.

The winner of this year's "Wild About Game" cook-off, Joseba E. Jimenez, the chef/owner of Harvest Vine in Seattle, has "wild pheasant" on his menu at various times of the year. He always uses MacFarlane birds.

Click here to link to the full article.

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In This Annual Cook-off, It's How You Play the Game
by Sara Perry, "Taste Makers," The Oregonian, October 18, 2003

Article Excerpt:

It was, after all, the third annual Wild About Game Cook-Off, and the rules of this game were not for the tame: No chef would know the cut of meat he or she would be preparing or where it came from until it was time to produce four finished plates: two for judging, one for the photographer and one to display for the public. From boar to buffalo, from guinea hen to squab, quail, rabbit or venison, it was anyone's guess.

"That's the fun of it," said Geoff Latham, founder of the Oct. 25 event and Nicky USA, the Northwest's leading distributor and processor of wild- and farm-raised game birds and meats.

Latham is on to something. A man who loves a good celebration, he also is a stickler for detail and follow-though. He made sure, with the help of his staff and The Resort's executive chef, Dale Rasmussen, that this yearly event -- which has drawn national coverage from The New York Times to the Outdoor Channel -- was fun, filling and full of good information.

"Game is such a healthful meat. It's all protein and no intermuscular fat, and this is the eye-opening event and chance to learn more about it from the experts," said Janie Hibler, Portland's own award-winning author of "Wild About Game" and leader of the pack of Wild judges, including chef Philippe Boulot, Seattle food writer Hsiao-Ching Chou, television host Ken Hoyt and yours truly.

Click here to link the Oregonian's archives for access to the full article.

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Meat Purveyor has a Passion For His Game
by John Dooley, The Portland Tribune, December 31, 2002

Article Excerpt:

In just over 12 years, Geoff Latham has turned a “garage-based business” into the Northwest’s leading game-meat distributorship.

If there is such a thing as a typical Oregonian, Latham seems an honest example. At 37, he is an unpretentious and good-natured family man with a country-style inflection to his voice. Yet he speaks with the pride and authority of a man who knows he is sitting on a gold mine. Latham’s company, Nicky USA, grosses an estimated $2 million yearly in domestic sales.

Whereas local chefs once had to seek exotic provisions from distant, upscale distributors, they can now turn to Nicky USA, which has become the Pacific Northwest's largest supplier of locally farmed game.

Establishing lasting relationships with Oregon ranchers is an important component of Latham's business.  He visits the ranches to determine that their products and practices meet his strict demands.  

Latham is convinced the ranchers he deals with share his concern for the ethical treatment of animals and ecologically sound, sustainable farming practices.  By following guidelines that increase quality and reliability, these ranching families can carry on their businesses for generations.  Allowing animals to live without the suffering of constriction and refusing to use feed that contains animal byproducts, are building blocks of sustainable ranching.

Amateur chefs can find Latham's products in select local retail outlets, such as Zupan's or can order them directly from Nicky USA.

"I think I've done a good job to help local chefs be more aggressive in using what was traditionally local indigenous species, because we make it user-friendly for them," he says. "By melding local foods from the wild, like the settlers had to do, like Lewis and Clark might have done when they came out here, they are invigorating Northwest cuisine."
 

There's much more...click here to read the full article in the Portland Tribune archives!

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Entrepreneur Gains a Following With Exotic Repertoire of Meats
by Ken Hoyt, The Oregonian, November 23, 2001

Article Excerpt:

Geoff Latham started out brokering game -- and delivering it in the back of his red pickup -- in 1994. About the same time, chefs Philippe Boulot, Cory Schreiber, Vitaly Paley and Anthony Demes moved to town. They joined resident Greg Higgins in supporting Latham's business, the fledgling Nicky USA.

It doesn't hurt the company that Latham has unbridled energy and a real passion for the business. "This is what I was born to do," Latham says.

The company's success is built on delivering the highest quality goods.

The next step is vertical integration, allowing the company to control its quality by owning, raising and distributing its own products.

While restaurants are the backbone of Nicky USA's business, regular consumers can order Latham's products from Pastaworks, Stroehecker's, Viande Meats & Sausage at City Market, Wizer's, Zupan's, all in Portland, L&L Market in Eugene, Fitts Seafood in Salem and Newport Avenue Market in Bend.

Click here to link to the Oregonian archives for access to the complete article. 

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Nicky USA, Inc.
223 SE 3rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97214
503-234-4263 ~ 1-800-469-4162