Local beef and pork!

[David M. Bueker]

Finally got a chance to try some local meat from a farm located just 2 miles from our house.

Made burgers with their ground chuck, and they were just spectacular. The first thing I noticed was that my hands did not get so oily/slimy when prepping the burgers as they do when I use grocery store beef. The texture was so much softer and the finished burger so much more juicy that it was hard to believe.

Can't wait to try the bone-in pork chops tonight!

Oh, and the cost was no more expensive than the local grocery store. Go figure.

[Robin Garr]

Welcome to the side of the light! I'm glad your first experience with local beef was so good. You might have noticed that the fat coming off wasn't orange, either.

In addition to the flavor issue, the health issues (no hormones, etc.) and the humaneness issues (no factory farms) made local produce (and eggs) a real no-brainer for us. Even at a premium, but if you're getting it for prices competitive with industrial ground beef, that makes it a four-bagger.

[David M. Bueker]

Yeah, I was stunned at the pricing. We now have local (within 5 miles) milk, yogurt, butter, eggs (though I still buy Pete & Gerry's), ice cream, veggies, fruit, pork and beef. It's a far cry (in a very good way) from the way things were around here when I was growing up.

Good to know. I may have some Trotanoy to open the next time you want to do local beef burgers...

Finally got a chance to try some local meat from a farm located just 2 miles from our house.

Made burgers with their ground chuck, and they were just spectacular. The first thing I noticed was that my hands did not get so oily/slimy when prepping the burgers as they do when I use grocery store beef. The texture was so much softer and the finished burger so much more juicy that it was hard to believe.

Can't wait to try the bone-in pork chops tonight!

Oh, and the cost was no more expensive than the local grocery store. Go figure.

David, were you able to buy just the amount of meat that you wanted, or were you required to buy a fractional portion of the beef. Here AFAIK it would be necessary to buy a half beef to do that. I agree that it would be better than the commercial market price and quality, but it is likely to be more meat than many want to buy at one time.

We had many family farms among our family and friends when I was growing up, so we had good meat always. I remember how shocked I was when as a teenager I was at a friend's home and helped prepare dinner. I couldn't imagine where they could have gotten that stuff they were cooking. Turned out to be the higher end grocery in our area at the time. No comparison.

[David M. Bueker]

Bob,

We were able to buy a one pound pack of ground beef and two pork chops. Had the pork tonight. Good stuff.

You are very fortunate David. We have plenty of sources around here, but prices are out of sight.

Like Carl, I am fortunate to have a number of meat producers within a 5 mi. radius of home. Grass finished, grain finished, wanna know the name of your dead cow, hormone and antibiotic free, and we pretty much got it. As long as you buy "at the farm" and are a known as a local resident the prices are quite fair and equivalent to the grocery stores. Where the prices get steep for us is if you travel 30 miles or so to the closest to the Farmer's Markets....I guess they figure city folks will/can pay the additional freight. Again, nuttin' wrong with that since it is capitalism redistributing the wealth.

We actually have cattle being raised about an hour away from Palm Beach and there are a few shops in the area that sell the local product. The beef is so much better than what you find in a supermarket that it's ridiculous. The price is a bit higher, but not outrageous.