Grass-fed food directory

domi

The Living Force
FOTCM Member
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)
 
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/
 
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?
 
D Rusak said:
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?

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.
 
In Australia and around the NSW/Sydney area, Megalong beef who have a farm up the road. Their steaks are awesome. Although they do start on pasture, they grain finish them in the last 110 days.

https://www.megalongbeef.com/
 
Johnno said:
In Australia and around the NSW/Sydney area, Megalong beef who have a farm up the road. Their steaks are awesome. Although they do start on pasture, they grain finish them in the last 110 days.

https://www.megalongbeef.com/

That's really too bad that they grain finish them. From what I understand, that removes almost all of the healthy fats. It really makes a huge difference, even the last 110 days, just reduces all that time of grass feeding to pretty much nothing. Can you find anywhere nearby that grass finishes?
 
Is there a good reason for 'grain-finishing' the cattle? I suppose it would be cheaper, but if they have been out in the pasture their entire life, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference economically.
 
anart said:
Johnno said:
In Australia and around the NSW/Sydney area, Megalong beef who have a farm up the road. Their steaks are awesome. Although they do start on pasture, they grain finish them in the last 110 days.

https://www.megalongbeef.com/

That's really too bad that they grain finish them. From what I understand, that removes almost all of the healthy fats. It really makes a huge difference, even the last 110 days, just reduces all that time of grass feeding to pretty much nothing. Can you find anywhere nearby that grass finishes?

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to search further afield by the looks of it. Seems to be one south of Sydney in Bowral although their website is not working.

The grain finishing seems to be a Japanese method of "improving" the beef. :rolleyes:
 
liffy said:
Is there a good reason for 'grain-finishing' the cattle? I suppose it would be cheaper, but if they have been out in the pasture their entire life, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference economically.

I think it's to fatten them up and make them taste better. But that's not a good reason for health.
 
domi, I just found your post weith references to grass fed beef. That is excellect info. Thanks for posting it.
 
Courageous Inmate Sort said:
D Rusak said:
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?

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.

Nevertheless, I wouldn't argue that a small local farm where you could verify how the cattle is raised would be best.
Recently I was excited to get the organic ground beef from costco with out knowing that they can be fed with organic grains. Oh Boy! :cry: this is becoming painful to know the proper one. I will look into eatwild.com
 
For those in the Netherlands, you can buy grass-fed beef from the Boni supermarkets, see here for locations of this supermarket:
_http://www.bonisupermarkt.nl/onzewinkels

It's nice that they're having success with selling those products! Hopefully soon they'll sell pork too.
 
FWIW I found a woolly-pig farm in Germany with great prices imo. According to the page they are not fed with gluten: grass, pumpkin, acorns and non modified corn.

_http://www.mangalitzawollschwein.de/fleischpreise-versand/preise-wollschwein/

The price for 1kg wolly-porkbelly is 7,50 € which is pretty low and should contain much fat, but I like to ask them. The shipping costs are high, but considering that it must be cooled and transported over a longer distance it is normal and in total for 10kg meat ~20€. And the last butchering was at the end of August.

I like to order maybe about 4kg in the next days, well if possible and available.

But as I researched a bit about meat, I think it is important, what for example Lierre Keith wrote in her book, to get into contact to local organic-meat-farmers and maybe hunters as well.
 
For people in the UK there is the Great Tasting Meat Company. _http://greattastingmeat.co.uk/ They are located in Cheshire.

I have been using these guys for half a year, I visit regularly, taking apples and cabbages for the pigs and piglets which are running all over the place and seem to having great fun.

Unfortunately the bacon has nitrates, but other than that the meat is superb. The pork has a healthy layer of fat. And the butcher will give you a discount if you ask for the fat left on, he tells me he can't sell the pork with too much fat left on :umm:

Be careful not to order their listed sausage as it contains gluten, he will happily make batches of gluten free sausages if you ask. Ive discussed shipping with him and he was all for shipping overseas but has since become a become a little reluctant.

He will arrange delivery around the UK.
 
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