Tweet
When it's grilling season, it’s time to head to your local grocery store and stock up on meat. If you’re still eating hamburger meat from plastic tubing or buying shrink-wrapped cuts that have been shipped thousands of miles from some feedlot, you might want to consider another option: buying meat directly from a farmer.
Why buy meat direct from a farmer?
The taste and quality of meat that’s been raised on high-quality feed is unparalleled. The meat is local, it’s fresh and it’s healthier for you. A better diet for the cow also means better quality. Most small-lot farmers feed their stock grass -- not the corn diet of many agribusiness farmers. Eating locally grown beef offers more “good” fats, and fewer “bad” fats. Grass-fed beef is richer in antioxidants such as vitamin E, beta-carotene and vitamin C. Meat produced from small lots has fewer traces of added hormones, antibiotics or other drugs -- common ingredients in most commercial meat -- that you ultimately digest when chomping down on that burger. Whether fed corn, grain or grass, smaller farmers offer superior product in comparison with that of commercial feedlots.
Here are some ways to get to know your local farmer and start buying some of the best meat you’ve ever tasted.
How do I find a farmer?
Do you live near a rural area? If so, finding a farmer should be a breeze, but what about city dwellers? Chances are you can find a farm within a 50 to a 100 mile radius from your high-rise pad. One of your best bets in finding a local farmer is asking your neighborhood butcher. (You do have a butcher, right?) They can steer you in the direction of a farmer to work with, and they can cut the meat to your specifications if you purchase a side of beef. Many farmers do the raising and slaughtering so you’ll need to provide your butcher with the side and have them cut and wrap it. You don’t have to go near a farm if you don’t want to. Many farmers have an online presence, making it possible for you to order from them without leaving your home or office.
How much meat to buy?
One of the most important benefits of buying meat direct from a farmer is that you can usually get beef by the piece or by the side, either whole, half or quarter -- which isn’t an option at your supermarket. Different sides of beef are available as are different cuts ranging from sirloin to ground beef. A great way to save some cash is to go in with a couple of buddies on a share of a whole side and split the costs. Buying a larger side might be your best bet; prices go down as the size goes up.
What are the signs of quality?
Besides taste, look for a healthy red color and not too much fat. The fat should have a slight yellowish color from the beta-carotene, never a grayness. “The best way to judge the meat is to eat it. You will notice a wonderful flavor, a good moist, tender chewy texture, not pumped full of liquids, not too fatty,” says Karen Hermsen from Little Creek Farm in LaFarge, Wisconsin. Hermsen also says that you “don't get a big pool of grease after cooking it in a pan, so it's leaner and healthier for you in so many ways.”
What makes grass-fed beef taste better?
The better taste comes from how the animals are fed. Most commercially grown beef cows are fed corn-based feed and artificial growth hormones, both of which maximize the amount of growth in the minimum amount of time. Since the cows are kept in tight quarters and can easily get sick, their diet often includes antibiotics. With a grass and chemical-free diet, the feed is a good quality pasture with a mix of grasses and other plants mixed in. Clovers, weeds, tree leaves, and shrubs are very healthy for your future steak. Grazing in pasture means the fat will be more thoroughly marbled with the muscles -- meaning it will be more distributed throughout, which makes for more flavorful meat.
How should I prepare the meat before starting the barbecue?
Like commercially processed beef, meat you buy direct from a farmer can be frozen or grilled right away. You might want to marinate it; some grass-fed meat tends to dry out in cooking since it’s lower in fat, so monitor it a bit more carefully and cook it more slowly than you normally would.
According to American Grass Fed Beef, an online beef buying club, since grass-fed beef is extremely low in fat, it’s recommended you coat it with extra virgin olive oil, truffle oil or any other light oil for flavor enhancement and easy browning. The oil will also prevent drying and sticking.
pleased to meat you
The one downside to buying grass-fed beef direct from a farmer is that it will cost you more than a typical grocery store purchase, with prices ranging from $3.50 to upward of $7.00 a pound. But if your goal is superior grilling, it’s worth the cost. Not only will you impress your guests with a superior burger or steak, but you might even learn a thing or two about the parts of a cow -- something every meat-loving man worth his salt should know. There's no reason you should stop at beef, either. Many farmers sell lamb, chicken and pork -- all of which are worth trying fresh from the source.
Why buy meat direct from a farmer?
The taste and quality of meat that’s been raised on high-quality feed is unparalleled. The meat is local, it’s fresh and it’s healthier for you. A better diet for the cow also means better quality. Most small-lot farmers feed their stock grass -- not the corn diet of many agribusiness farmers. Eating locally grown beef offers more “good” fats, and fewer “bad” fats. Grass-fed beef is richer in antioxidants such as vitamin E, beta-carotene and vitamin C. Meat produced from small lots has fewer traces of added hormones, antibiotics or other drugs -- common ingredients in most commercial meat -- that you ultimately digest when chomping down on that burger. Whether fed corn, grain or grass, smaller farmers offer superior product in comparison with that of commercial feedlots.
Here are some ways to get to know your local farmer and start buying some of the best meat you’ve ever tasted.
How do I find a farmer?
Do you live near a rural area? If so, finding a farmer should be a breeze, but what about city dwellers? Chances are you can find a farm within a 50 to a 100 mile radius from your high-rise pad. One of your best bets in finding a local farmer is asking your neighborhood butcher. (You do have a butcher, right?) They can steer you in the direction of a farmer to work with, and they can cut the meat to your specifications if you purchase a side of beef. Many farmers do the raising and slaughtering so you’ll need to provide your butcher with the side and have them cut and wrap it. You don’t have to go near a farm if you don’t want to. Many farmers have an online presence, making it possible for you to order from them without leaving your home or office.
How much meat to buy?
One of the most important benefits of buying meat direct from a farmer is that you can usually get beef by the piece or by the side, either whole, half or quarter -- which isn’t an option at your supermarket. Different sides of beef are available as are different cuts ranging from sirloin to ground beef. A great way to save some cash is to go in with a couple of buddies on a share of a whole side and split the costs. Buying a larger side might be your best bet; prices go down as the size goes up.
What are the signs of quality?
Besides taste, look for a healthy red color and not too much fat. The fat should have a slight yellowish color from the beta-carotene, never a grayness. “The best way to judge the meat is to eat it. You will notice a wonderful flavor, a good moist, tender chewy texture, not pumped full of liquids, not too fatty,” says Karen Hermsen from Little Creek Farm in LaFarge, Wisconsin. Hermsen also says that you “don't get a big pool of grease after cooking it in a pan, so it's leaner and healthier for you in so many ways.”
What makes grass-fed beef taste better?
The better taste comes from how the animals are fed. Most commercially grown beef cows are fed corn-based feed and artificial growth hormones, both of which maximize the amount of growth in the minimum amount of time. Since the cows are kept in tight quarters and can easily get sick, their diet often includes antibiotics. With a grass and chemical-free diet, the feed is a good quality pasture with a mix of grasses and other plants mixed in. Clovers, weeds, tree leaves, and shrubs are very healthy for your future steak. Grazing in pasture means the fat will be more thoroughly marbled with the muscles -- meaning it will be more distributed throughout, which makes for more flavorful meat.
How should I prepare the meat before starting the barbecue?
Like commercially processed beef, meat you buy direct from a farmer can be frozen or grilled right away. You might want to marinate it; some grass-fed meat tends to dry out in cooking since it’s lower in fat, so monitor it a bit more carefully and cook it more slowly than you normally would.
According to American Grass Fed Beef, an online beef buying club, since grass-fed beef is extremely low in fat, it’s recommended you coat it with extra virgin olive oil, truffle oil or any other light oil for flavor enhancement and easy browning. The oil will also prevent drying and sticking.
pleased to meat you
The one downside to buying grass-fed beef direct from a farmer is that it will cost you more than a typical grocery store purchase, with prices ranging from $3.50 to upward of $7.00 a pound. But if your goal is superior grilling, it’s worth the cost. Not only will you impress your guests with a superior burger or steak, but you might even learn a thing or two about the parts of a cow -- something every meat-loving man worth his salt should know. There's no reason you should stop at beef, either. Many farmers sell lamb, chicken and pork -- all of which are worth trying fresh from the source.
Comment