05/05/2024
A word from our wonderful farmers & ranchers:
Know what you’re buying. This picture has store beef(left), and farm beef(right). There is an obvious visible difference between the two but the differences don’t stop there!
1. 🏬 You may notice the color difference in the picture. The color change is due to the hemoglobins exposure to oxygen during the grinding, shipping, and presentation stages.
This would normally lead to meat spoilage, but the store bought beef is pumped full of additives and preservatives, including propyl gallate, to protect against spoilage due to the long term air exposure. All in the name of increased profits. 💰
2. 🐄 There isn’t a guarantee that the beef came from America, OR how many cows are in it.
Yes, it may have the USDA label on it but as long as that animal was packaged in the US, it can be called a Product of the USA.
And yes, the meat in the left package is not from one single cow, rather scraps from multiple cows. It may have come from Argentina, Canada, or Brazil.
3. 🐮 The beef on the right is fresher, darker and is farm raised beef. It is single ground, and is filled with more nutrients & flavor. The ground is also from one cow and not just low quality scraps from multiple cows.
4. 🧑🌾 When buying your beef from a local farmer/rancher, you are helping to buy a little girl dance shoes or a little boy baseball gear. Buying from the store just lines the pockets of the already wealthy meat packers.
Let’s help each other. We help you eat healthy, you help us provide for our families.
Buy from a local ranch/farm!
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A few questions/statements are continuously coming up so I’ll answer them here:
1. “How is buying local cheaper?”
When purchasing a quarter or half cow, the overall cost is LOWER.
You will receive steaks, roasts, ground beef, etc. for what you pay. So while the ground beef may be a bit more expensive, your steaks and roasts are often half price.
Speaking from my own personal experience; the half my family just purchased for $1,500 provided around 340 lbs of meat. That's about $4.41/lb, including steaks, roasts, and more.
You’ll need to price check your local farms and ranches.
2. “How can I find local beef?”
Use Google to search “Local farms with beef in {your states name}” and begin price checking a few farms against each other. Be sure to ask about their 1/4 and 1/2 cow deals, as these will be where the money is saved!
3. “Why does the beef taste different?”
Identify if you prefer the taste of grain finished, corn finished, grass finished, etc. Each will have its own distinct flavor because cows, just like humans, are what they eat. Figure out your preference BEFORE you buy in large quantity.
4. “How am I supposed to afford a whole cow?”
You don’t have to buy the whole cow yourself! You can always pitch in with family, friends, neighbors, etc. to make it work. Sharing freezer space may be an option, too.
5. “Well, there aren’t any farms in the cities!”
Those of us living in cities will have to drive outside the city to find high quality meats for sustainable prices. Again, this is where pitching in with family, friends, neighbors, etc. comes into play.
Wishing you well on your hunt for high quality local food products!
