FAQs
WHERE CAN I BUY OLYMPIA PROVISIONS PRODUCTS NEAR ME?
We are proud to have a diverse range of retailers all over the place. Please reach out to us at info@olympiaprovisions.com so we can find the best retailer near you!
HOW CAN I REACH CUSTOMER SERVICE?
We are available for support Monday-Friday 8am-4pm PST, excluding weekends and holidays. Emails and voice messages are typically returned within a 24-hour window, excluding weekends and holidays. Please call 503-894-8275 or email info@olympiaprovisions.com
DO YOU TAKE DONATION REQUESTS?
We primarily donate to small non profits located in the Portland Oreon Metopolin area. Please contact info@olympiaprovisions with information about your event and organization. Requests are reviewed often and you should expect to receive a response within two days of reaching out!
WHAT PRESERVATIVES ARE USED IN OLYMPIA PROVISIONS PRODUCTS?
Salami is preserved with the use of salt. Fresh sausages use a cultured dextrose and vinegar solution. We ONLY use natural preservatives.
IS YOUR SALAMI LACTOSE AND GLUTEN FREE?
Yes it is.
WHAT IS THAT STUFF ON THE OUTSIDE OF MY SALAMI?
That dusty stuff is a natural, edible mold similar to those found on aged soft cheeses. Its called Penicillium, and we inoculate our salami with it to help the aging process. The mold acts as a natural barrier to protect the salami from any competing mold or bacteria growth during the drying process. Spraying the mold on the salami inoculates it with good mold and drives off any potential bad mold that might exist in the environment. It is a point of pride for us that all of our salami are naturally molded.
While there are easier ways to produce salami, such as imitating flora with rice or milk powder, we do not use shortcuts. These molds are natural and delicious, but are easily removable by taking off the salami's casing, if you so desire.
The picture below shows some examples of the variation in our mold colors. It's normal to see everything from a dusty white to vibrant blues and greens, all the way down to a shadowed grey. The colors change with the seasons, just like the rest of the flora in nature.
WHAT IF MY SALAMI GETS SLIMY OR THE MOLD ISN'T WHITE?
If your salami gets slimy or their is a change in its appearance or smell, it is usually due to improper storage. Salami is a living product and needs to breathe, and when it is suffocated or held at warm temperatures, it can affect its quality. It’s still safe to eat, but we don’t recommend eating it for quality reasons. If you just have a color change and it still smells fine, then your salami is fine and you should enjoy it, preferably with some nice wine.
DO I NEED TO PEEL MY SALAMI?
Olympia Provisions uses all natural casings, so there is no need to peel the product. If you prefer the salami without the casing that is fine too! Variations are delightful and delicious. Enjoy!
IS MY SALAMI SAFE TO EAT IF IT IS SOFT?
Yes. Our salamis are all tested to ensure that they are safe and ready to eat. Salami is a fermented product and meat is cured, not cooked. If you let it sit out on your counter, it will dry out and harden a bit more.
HOW LONG WILL MY SALAMI LAST?
Salami stored in its original wrapping in the refrigerator will last up to 3 months. Salami will continue to harden and dry out as it ages, however it never "spoils"
WHY DOES MY SALAMI HAVE AN AMMONIA SMELL?
The natural molds of salami do create an off-gas that smells like ammonia. When the molds get warm, they off-gas more. If you open it up and let it breathe, the smell will dissipate a bit. If it really bothers you, you can also peel the salami.
CAN I COOK OLYMPIA PROVISIONS SALAMI?
Of course! Visit our blog or buy our cookbook for recipes.
CAN I FREEZE MY SALAMI?
No. The molds will die.
CAN I FREEZE THE SAUSAGE IN IT'S ORIGINAL PACKAGING?
Yes. You can freeze your fresh sausages, but not your salami.
HOW LONG DOES PÂTÉ LAST?
Once opened eat within 7 days. The rillettes are preserved in fat and can last much longer, use your judgement. Unopened the pate can be stored for about 2 weeks. Pate can also be frozen.
WHAT IS YOUR REFUND, RETURNS, REPLACEMENTS, AND EXCHANGES POLICY?
Sorry, we don't accept returns or exchanges on any of our products. Replacements are typically only offered if a product is damaged or defective. Refunds are determined on a case by case basis. If you aren't satisfied with your order, please contact us. Additionally, refunds and replacements can only be applied to products bought directly from OP, either on the webstore or from one of our restaurants. If you bought an item from a vendor, please contact them about any issue you might experience.
WHAT'S YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY?
Please reach out to us as soon as possible. If an order has not yet been packed we may be able to cancel it. We cannot guarantee that we can cancel an order once it is placed.
MY ORDER IS WRONG OR MISSING AN ITEM, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
We are so sorry! If you made your purchase from the web store contact us at info@olympiaprovisions. If this is about a wholesale order, contact us at orders@olympiaprovisions.
CAN I MAKE A CHANGE TO MY ORDER AFTER I'VE PLACED IT?
Generally, the answer is no. Once we receive an order it is packaged and processed for shipping pretty much right away. That being said, you can always reach out and we can help figure something out!
DO YOU OFFER FREE SHIPPING?
Free shipping is available on orders over $50 in the continental U.S.
WHEN WILL MY ORDER SHIP?
Orders placed Friday after 3pm, Saturday, Sunday and Monday will ship on Tuesday.
Orders placed on Tuesday and Wednesday before noon will ship on Wednesday.
Orders placed after 1pm on Wednesday, orders placed on Thursday and orders placed before 3pm on Friday will be shipped on Tuesday the following week.
Rest assured that our meat masters will maintain the quality and freshness of your order during this time! Please note, orders may be split and shipped separately. Shipments may arrive via different carriers.
FedEx now offers picture proof of delivery! Simply track your order, no need to enroll.WHERE DO YOU SHIP?
We ship to any US address.
I SPENT $50 BUT WAS CHARGED SHIPPING!
Unfortunately, due to increased shipping costs we are not able to offer free shipping to Alaska or Hawaii.
Free shipping is only available with the standard shipping option. Overnight and 2-Day aren't free shipping options.
If you feel like you were charged in error please reach out to us!
CAN I ORDER A GIFT?
For gifts orders, you can leave a gift message in the gift message box at checkout and it will be printed and included with your order! Our packing slips do not contain any billing or price information
CAN I CHANGE WHAT PRODUCT I AM SUBSCRIBED TO?
Yes! You can add or swap products through your membership account portal. Just go to www.olympiaprovisions.com/account and select Manage My Subscription after logging in.
CAN I SKIP A SHIPMENT?
Yes! You can manage and pause your club at any time by logging into your account at www.olympiaprovisions.com/account and clicking on Manage My Subscription.
WHEN WILL MY ACCOUNT BE CHARGED?
Your account will be charged on the Thursday before your order ships out. We then ship out orders on the following Tuesday.
WHERE DO I MANAGE MY SUBSCRIPTION?
You can manage your subscription by logging into your Olympia Provisions Account at www.olympiaprovisions.com/account and clicking on Manage My Subscription.
WHEN CAN I CANCEL?
You can cancel at any time before your next order is billed. Billing occurs on the Thursday before your shipment goes out.
’M LOCKED OUT OF MY ACCOUNT, HOW DO I GET IN?
If you are locked out, click the forgot password link under the password box. You will be sent an email with instructions to change your password. If you are still having issues please reach out to us at info@olympiaprovisions.com
WHAT PERKS DO I GET FROM JOINING THE CLUB?
When you join the Olympia Postal Provisions Club you will receive all of the following amazing benefits:
Exclusive & early access to new products and events
Quarterly special discounts from our website just for club members
Customer support from 8-4, M-F
Pairing tips and tricks from our chefs and makers
WHEN DOES MY SUBSCRIPTION SHIP?
After signing up, your first month will be shipped based on our normal shipping guidelines. Sausage, pâté, and cheese ship Mondays. Salami and pickles ship Tuesdays. Maker's Choice ships Thursdays.
WHERE DO YOU SHIP?
Anywhere in the United States. We ship to Alaska and Hawaii via FedEx 2Day only to ensure product quality.
OLYMPIA PROVISIONS PORK SOURCING INFORMATION
Where does our pork currently come from?
We source our pork from the following farms:
- Deck Family Farms (Junction City, OR) GAP 4
- Malheur River Meats (Vale, OR) GAP 4
- Coleman Natural (North Carolina) WF minimum
- Heritage Foods (various locations, SE USA) WF minimum
- Pederson’s (Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska) GAP 1
- Field Gate Organics (Canada) GAP 1
- Carlton Farms (Oregon, *only Landrauchshinken)
100% of our pork is antibiotic and hormone free, and comes from 3rd party audited farms. While these farms are located throughout the United States, we have spent the last several years creating a local northwest farmer network.
Deck Family Farms & Malheur River Farms are the first two local northwest farms to sign onto our new network. The hogs from these independent family farms are all GAP Certified, and we’re able to purchase the entire animal from their operations, making it more sustainable for their businesses, their land and the future of Oregon pork production. We’re partnering with Oregon’s legendary Carlton Farms who have an amazing track record in certified humane animal processing. They are SQF certified and are elemental to the success of this new sourcing model.
We expect 75% of our pork to come from the Northwest Farmer Network by 2023.
Requirements for the OP NW Farmer Network:
- GAP Certified Level 3 (Outdoor access required, outdoor area maintained with a minimum 25% vegetative cover, wallows/sprinklers/showers required, no tail docking, teeth clipping or de-tusking, minimum weaning age of 42 days, no more than 25% slatted floors inside).
- Must operate within Oregon, Washington, Idaho or Northern California to qualify as Northwest.
- Must be able to sell the entire animal to Olympia Provisions
- Farms must be independently owned and operated
- Farms must be operationally transparent
- Olympia Provisions has direct contracts with each farm, and ongoing communication
The pigs we source from our local NW Farmer Network are able to access the outdoors and engage in a cage-free environment. The majority of the pigs from this network are fully pasture-raised.
Current Farmer Network:
Deck Family Farms (GAP 4)
Malheur River Meats (GAP 4)
As we move toward our goal of 75% of our hogs coming from our NW Farmer Network, our minimum standards are for all hogs to be certified GAP or meet Whole Foods minimum standards.
Shop our Farmers Network products, like Rosette d'Oregon and the Farmers Network Sampler here.
What is GAP (Global Animal Partnership) certification?
Our preferred and the foundation of our NW Farmer Network, this certification has multiple levels because they believe “Pig farms vary significantly depending on geography and climate.” But no matter the level of verification, all GAP certified farms:
- do not use farrowing crates or gestation stalls
- never use antibiotics
- never add hormones
- never use animal by-products
- are audited by a 3rd party every 15 months
- To see every level of GAP certification, visit their website: https://globalanimalpartnership.org/standards/pig/
What are Whole Foods minimum standards?
Whole Foods Standards: Heritage Farms
For pig farming, Whole Foods minimum standard farms:
- Vegetarian fed diet
- Antibiotic free and never ever administered antibiotics
- Weaning age of over 21 days
- Prohibits teeth clipping and tail docking
- Prohibits use of farrowing and gestation crates
- No more than 25% slatted floors
Why aren’t we sourcing 100% locally?
The short of it; we’re on our way! When we started over a decade ago, we did all we could to source from local farms with farmers we knew. As we grew, the supply of Pacific Northwest Hogs did not support our demand. Even though not each of our farms is local, we have a goal to have 75% of our hogs coming from our local NW farmer network by the end of 2023.
What’s our vision for the future?
Our vision for the future of our sourcing is that our farmers will use pigs as a way to improve the environment, pigs are a way for farmer’s to find profitability in their business, and pigs will be the path to growing our local agriculture system and decentralizing the meat industry. In the next 5 years we will partner with these farmers to fix a very broken industry by setting up systems to help coordinate affordable transportation between hog operations and slaughter, setting up financials models that can be used to analyze and lower costs, educating on how to use pigs to regenerate the land, and by paying the farmer a premium by purchasing the entire pig. It is our responsibility to then use that entire animal and honor this system that we believe will change the food industry forever.
Learn more about our Sourcing Philosophy here.
What motivates our vision?
A lot of people can come out and say they have a vision to make the world a better place, but we want you to know what is driving our vision.
Our Motivators
- Animal Husbandry: Studies have shown that animals raised in confinement heighten the risk of spreading food-borne illnesses. This creates the potential for real global human crises, like pandemics. Studies also show confinement causes anxiety and stress in the animal, causing hormones to enter the body that can dramatically impact post-production quality.
- Environmental Impact: Today, pig farming practices found in most of America play major roles in poor air and water quality, which impacts surrounding communities. Waste and byproducts from pig production can secrete into local waterways, while large amounts of nitrogen from waste can impact soil and air quality. Most factory farms push this waste into large lagoons, which can become cesspools and severely impact community health. Rarely is the entire animal utilized in pork production, resulting in massive waste.
- Antibiotic Impact: In large and industrial hog operations, antibiotics are used to keep pigs alive in unsanitary conditions. The animals are pumped with antibiotics at a very young age. After animals are pumped with these antibiotics, they can develop deadly bacteria called MRSA, which is drug resistant. MRSA can also greatly impact community health.
We see these three motivators as the things we work within every day to change. The pork industry is massive, and has been excused for its mistakes for years. We believe that with a system that certifies the correct farming and slaughter practices, the industry can be changed.
*Our Landrauchschinken is the only product not sourced in the same manner, which we are actively working on to remedy.