Buy Local
And I’m not talking about produce. I’m talking about local meat. As opposed to purchasing meat at your grocery store, knowing the meat your family is getting, where it came from, and what the animals ate is extremely important in ensuring the health of your family. We buy local because:
We recently purchased some pork from Christensens Hog Farm. If you live in Utah, I highly recommend getting on their list for some pork. Their pigs are
- grass fed,
- antibiotic and hormone free,
- cheaper, and
- tastes WAY BETTER than factory farm ham.
After years of processed, crappy lunch meat, I was so releived to find these guys. Ever wondered what all the fuss is about considering hormones and anti-biotics that your factory farmed meats contains? There is a big problem!
- Antibiotics: Antibiotics are given to cattle and other HEALTHY farm animals to prevent disease and infection. The fact they are given to the healthy animals when they don’t need it contributes to our resistance to antibiotics. They are already overprescribed in humans, and when we eat animals treated with antibiotics, new strains of bacteria that RESIST antibiotics are created and spread. This is BAD NEWS for our children who constantly get ear infections and other things that current antibiotics are not helping.
- HORMONES: Need I say more! Do you really want your 8 year old daughter (or younger) taking hormone supplements? No dietary hormone levels are safe for children. When children consume animal flesh that has been treated with hormones, hormone levels rise. Children naturally have low levels of hormones, why mess with that?
It took me a while to find some beef and pork that was locally raised and grass fed. But I’m glad I did. Hopefully the meat will last us a long time considering we are ”less meatatarians now!”
TUESDAY: Lunch Idea
Forget about processed, pressed, and gross deli meat. Do your family a favor and make ham sandwiches with local, tasty, inexpensive, REAL ham!
Looking for some meat?
- Go to your local farmers market and ask around, or the farmers may be there themselves.
- Ask friends or let them know you are looking for some local meat.
- Make a comment if you have contact information for local meat for SHK readers from other states (or even Utah).
Lets share our resources! Do you think local meat is important? I know I have a lot of vegetarian readers, so this may not even apply.
Posted: June 23rd, 2009 under Lunch.
Tags: antibiotics in meat, farmers market, hormone free, ideas, kids, local meat, Lunch
Comments
Comment from Amy
Time June 23, 2009 at 8:47 am
I’ve had such trouble finding beef! Everyone tells me, “Oh I got a guy, but he doesn’t have any cows ready right now. So I’m still waiting on one farmer, who has one cow, and my neighbor works for him and has been the middle man in communication, so I don’t even know how to contact him myself. BUT on the Christensens blog they mentioned they have a beef counterpart (neighbor farmers I guess) Who I’m about to call if this current one doesn’t come through.
Here is the post where he mentions it http://christiansenshogheaven.blogspot.com/2009/05/new-piglets.html
It says
PS. Leanin’ H Ranch our beef counterparts have half of a grass fed beef for sale. The steer will be slaughtered in a few weeks. Leanin’ H Ranch is run by Darryl and Angie Holden who are 5th generation ranchers. They hold the same philosophies as we do in the way animals are raised. They raise their animals humanely with lots of love and care. They don’t give their animals antibiotics, hormones etc… These are delicious all natural grass fed beef. Give them a call, you won’t be sorry!
Darryl and Angie Holden
Vernon, UT
435-839-3408 home
435-830-2353 cell
Comment from aimee
Time June 23, 2009 at 9:58 am
We get all our milk, eggs, and meat from a local dairy and farm. I love knowing it is so healthy and we can definitely taste the difference.
Comment from Lisa
Time June 23, 2009 at 4:16 pm
what have you found as a cost comparison? I do realize the additional value in grass fed, hormone/anti-biotic free meat but there is still a cost difference.
Comment from Amy
Time June 23, 2009 at 4:43 pm
It is cheaper if you compare it to normal prices, not deep discounted meat. But the pork is $3.00 per lb .. even the ham slices for sandwiches.
Beef seems to be a little less, but I’ll let you know when I get mine.
Comment from Kristi
Time June 24, 2009 at 2:23 am
Its hard to find local meats in a lot of places we found a few out here.
Comment from Vennesa
Time June 24, 2009 at 9:44 pm
If you have any readers in Montana. Tami from Tami’s grassfed beef is a friend of mine. Here is the link to her site: http://www.tamisgrassfedbeef.com/about.html
Comment from Vennesa
Time June 25, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Me again, Tami’s grassfed beef also sells in Utah. If anyone is interested she’ll be making a trip to Utah in July.
Comment from Melissa
Time June 26, 2009 at 7:25 pm
For years we have gotten our beef from my grandpa who farms in California. Recently, we have started getting beef from my father-in-law in Arizona (where we are). But you know, I’m not sure what their practices are. We just bought from family because it was cheaper! Guess I better look into that–thanks!
Comment from Catherine
Time June 23, 2009 at 8:37 am
Amy, I’ve been looking for local meat, but I’m not a big fan of pork. I would love to hear where to get local beef and chicken (near West Jordan is preferred). Thanks for posting this, buying local is fun, healthy and sustainable, I love it! I recommend this site for searching local businesses in Utah http://www.localfirst.org