St. Louis Wing Week Returns April 8-15, 2024

The Farmers' Larder

Hidden in the back of an 1800s white-washed country store in Lyon, Missouri, is the workshop/headquarters of the Farmers' Larder, owned and operated by mother-son duo, Anne and Lucian Matoushek. After a failed attempt at vegetable farming, the Matousheks decided to venture into meat products. They started by making a simple kielbasa and now regularly offer andouille, all-beef franks, pork chops and various types of bacon. Photos by Beth Farrow Clauss. Read Holly Fann's article about the Matousheks.

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Beth Farrow Clauss

Fresh half hogs arrive to Lucian Matoushek, Laura Palmer-style.

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Beth Farrow Clauss

The Farmers' Larder is a one-room operation.

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Beth Farrow Clauss

Removing the ham hocks with a hand saw.

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Beth Farrow Clauss

Lucian gets stabby while removing the loin.

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Beth Farrow Clauss

Removing the ribs from the pork loin.

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Beth Farrow Clauss

"When I first started started I really 'butchered' up a lot of these hogs," jokes Lucian.

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Beth Farrow Clauss

The very popular English bacon that the Farmers' Larder offers.

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Beth Farrow Clauss

Lucian sadly remembers his first failed attempt at gardening.

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Beth Farrow Clauss

The entire half hog cut up into parts ready for either curing as bacon and grinding into sausages.

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Beth Farrow Clauss

Lucian attended the Iowa State University Meat Sciences School.

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Beth Farrow Clauss

"When the economy changed I started to think about a new career" explains Matoushek.

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Beth Farrow Clauss

Getting ready to mix up some andouille.

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Beth Farrow Clauss

The Farmers' Larder uses organic ingredients including all-natural alternatives to many of the ingredients commonly used in large-scale sausage production.

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