The Real World > Products and Services
Grass-fed food directory
domi:
I was doing some research today on finding local ranches/farms to buy quality pork and beef from and I came across _http://eatwild.com
They feature local farms on a map by state.
For example, for California, there is the following map: _http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=103278713038992589454.00000112ff700814dbb44&ll=38.651198,-120.761719&spn=8.577009,11.030273&z=5&source=embed
It was quite helpful to find some farms very close buy that seem to have a monthly meat buying clubs or online ordering of quality meats.
If anybody comes across a website where one order a whole organic hog, then please pass along. (edit: found some local farms that sell half and whole hogs)
fabric:
That's a good resource, thanks!
I don't know about getting a whole hog, but here in Ontario (Canada), I've ordered meat from:
http://www.brookersmeat.com/store
and
http://www.whisperingmeadows.ca/order-natural-beef.html
Both deliver to the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and have reasonable prices.
Courageous Inmate Sort:
If you're having trouble finding local grass fed food in Brazil (like I am), you may want to try Friboi Organic Beef. You can find it in large supermarket stores like Pão de Açúcar, Walmart and Carrefour. The cattle is organically raised by the Brazilian Association of Organic Cattle (Associação Brasileira de Pecuária Orgânica - ABPO) in the Pantanal Region.
The meat tastes great. Just try to buy pieces that have been vaccuum packaged in 30 days or less, because it spoils faster then non-organic meat. Also go for the fattier cuts, because they usually cut out most of the fat to have a "clean" piece of meat (that is, clean in their opinion).
_http://www.organicfriboi.com.br/
_http://abpopantanalorganico.com.br/
D Rusak:
I second the directory eatwild.com, for the US and Canada also I believe. I am hoping to save up in the next few months to buy 1. a little freezer and 2. some meats. Paige River Bottom Farms seems like my preferred option of the CA farms (in terms of cost, package, and variety- not just beef), though I suppose if I am getting it shipped it could come from anywhere. I am also surveying some local meats around town that I'm finding at farmer's markets and such to see if any stand out. Basically, they are ALL pretty good so far! <insert smiley with guy licking his chops- can we get one of these :D>
I would say though to be careful about the "organic" beef. At least here in the US, organic doesn't necessarily mean grass-fed, just that the grains and such are "organic". Ick. Maybe it's different in Brazil though?
Courageous Inmate Sort:
--- Quote from: D Rusak on June 29, 2011, 08:18:35 PM ---I would say though to be careful about the "organic" beef. At least here in the US, organic doesn't necessarily mean grass-fed, just that the grains and such are "organic". Ick. Maybe it's different in Brazil though?
--- End quote ---
You are completely right D Rusak, one must be careful when buying something labelled as organic. I posted this Friboi beef because after some research it is the best one I could find that is sold where I live.
The cattle seems to be raised mostly with grass, although mineral salt and organic plant supplementation is allowed. The grass cannot receive any chemicals, like synthetic fertilizers and must be taken care of only with manure (the Pantanal region has vast areas of natural pasture). Also, the cattle can not be medicated with antibiotics, although they must be vaccinated against aftosa fever, which is mandatory by law.
I found a reference differentiating "organic cattle" from "green cattle" here in Brazil. While organic has to comply with the requirements I mentioned above and others, green cattle, for example, can have antibiotics, their pasture can be treated with synthetic fertilizers and any plant supplementation does not have to be organic.
There is more info here (in Portuguese, but I can search and translate if you or someone would like more specifics):
_http://www.planetaorganico.com.br/pecorg.htm
One thing I must say is that the taste of this organic Friboi meat is significantly different (and better, IMHO) than other prime meat cuts I can find around here. This difference is specially noticeable in the fattier cuts such as ribs. Another thing that seems to point to the fact that these cuts are from a properly fed animal is that the ribs are significantly smaller than the ribs of other prime brands (I read somewhere that cattle is now much bigger than it used to be because of the way they are fed and medicated). These organic ribs also seem to have a higher fat to meat ratio than non-organic prime brands.
Nevertheless, I wouldn't argue that a small local farm where you could verify how the cattle is raised would be best.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version