Going to the Source
In the San Francisco Chronicle today, Carol Ness talks about the growing trend of Americans buying their meat directly from ranchers now, or “farmers who raise meat animals the old-fashioned way, on grassy pastureland.”
Ranchers and farmers are starting to see a swell of new customers in search of good meat that is “humanely raised by people whose ranches they can visit and practices they can see first-hand, unlike mass-market meat.” And interestingly enough, it’s going past beef, to include pork, lamb, chickens and even eggs.
Doing it this way, consumers are buying a large quantity, sometimes up to 80 pounds of meat at a time, but the ends justify the means. They’re getting meat that is less costly, but safer and healthier.
The article is packed with useful information, so if this is something you’re passionate about, make sure to check it out. If you would like to find a local farmer or rancher in your area to buy from, visit Eat Wild, where you can search by state.
Hi: I’m the Ethicurean blogger (and G&G reader) who was mentioned in the Chronicle’s meat article, and it’s inspired me to do what I’ve wanted to do for a while: start a meat CSA. I posted my intentions here:
http://www.ethicurean.com/2006/09/20/were-in-the-chrons-food-section/
and I’ve gotten about 40 interested people so far.
I have no idea yet how it’s going to work, but I’m hoping to find a small rancher willing to deliver a mixture of pastured, humanely raised beef, pork, and chicken to a few drop-off locations in the Bay Area. If this sounds good to you, go to the post and e-mail me and I’ll put you on the progress list.