Meat Shenanigans
What ??? There are meat shenanigans? Say it isn’t so. It is so and I am going to help you avoid the shenanigans.
Here’s the first thing to wonder, is local really local? A meat processor near where I live markets actively on social media about being “local”. They do grow beef and own a processing plant. Some if not most of their beef is local but not all of it. Rib-eye steaks are delicious and in very high demand. There are only 11-12 of these precious steaks per cow and customers want to buy more than they can produce from their locally grown beef. So, their solution is to buy boxed beef from a large factory farm producer. It may very well be amazing quality beef, it’s also likely not local. This same meat processor markets hog shares for sale at a great price. Here’s the problem. They buy boxed primal of pork not whole hog. So who knows the point of origin for the hog shares. It may be local like their marketing says. It also may be from a large factory farm.
I see two main reasons why local matters. The first being supporting farmers in our community. As a farmer I know how much I appreciate local support and do my best to support local producers for the products I buy. The second reason is how the animals are raised and treated. Local farms particularly smaller producers have more opportunity to treat their livestock better.
What to do as a consumer? It’s hard to find good local meat. My advice:
First step is to find a farmer or farmers who you can visit. Most of us are happy to show you around and talk about how we raise our livestock.
Second best step is to find a local processing plant. A shop that butchers whole animals and ask them a lot of questions. Where do they get their meat is where I would start. If it's a local farmer and I hope it is, ask if you can call or visit the farmer.
Third is to find the largest farmers market in your area. Go and talk to the producers. If there isn’t anyone selling meat, ask the produce folks who they use. Someone there will know a meat farmer.
