A fellow inthekoots member, Don Carmichael, sent me a link that is one of the best I’ve seen in terms of addressing what it takes to buy meat from local farmers. Don is the local Core Strength Guy and a supporter of local meat farmers.
A farmer visited every two hours to make sure this lamb and her mother were healthy and cared for.
When I go to the supermarket and look at meat prices, I damn near shit myself. Good local meat is much cheaper, raised in a natural environment and free of antibiotics, steroids and other drugs. You get to meet the person who raised your animal, crusty as they may be.
As a meat farmer, I still buy meat from others. We haven’t raised cattle for 2 years so I usually buy a whole cow and sell off the half or quarters I don’t need. This year I bought and sold 3 cows from a local farmer. I didn’t make money on it, as it was shared with friends, but my relationship with that farmer is bombproof. He had several people back out after the animals were slaughtered and needed to sell them quickly. Amongst farmers, it’s often not about the money. It’s about sharing and helping out.
If you’re buying local meat, sharing is a great way to buy without purchasing a whole animal. Sharing 3 cows (2400 pounds) between 9 families cost us $2.65 plus a $0.60 cut and wrap fee per pound.
Our animals eat right and you can too.
We had a beautiful 4 pound prime rib roast last Sunday night that cost us $13. We have a bunch of ground meat we paid the same amount for. When you understand how an animal carcass is cut, you learn what you like and don’t like. Anything we don’t like, we have turned into ground or sausage. Sausage costs an extra $1.75 per pound but is worth every cent.
Melissa McEwan produced a great slide show called Meatshare that covers the nitty gritty of buying local meat in a pragmatic and down to earth way. While she is from the USA, her presentation is just as relevant in Canada.
If you are interested in purchasing local meat but have no idea what is involved, I encourage you to view her piece.
http://www.slideshare.net/mgmcewen/meatshare
Thanks, Don.
Tasty post Jim, and yeah, slide show seems appropriate for all of Turtle Island ; )<
Don