Thinking About Buying Grass Fed/Pasture Raised Meat? Read This First.
If you’re feeling a bit unsure if buying grass fed/pasture raised meat in a larger quantity, I completely understand.
It’s a big decision!
The most common amounts of meat are 1/4, 1/2, or whole. You can also often get a mixed pack of varying sizes, this is a great way to start out and get a sample of the different cuts.
Here are a few things to consider that are based off of my experience.
PROS
IT’S BETTER FOR THE PLANET. Grass fed, pasture raised, and organic is 100% better for the animal, you, and the planet.
There is strangely A LOT debate on this, but let’s think about it logically; if animals (including humans) are raised eating what they’re meant to eat, and being raised in a positive environment with space to walk around and enjoy life — they will be healthier, happier and less stressed. That has got to be better for their health, you and your family’s health, the farmers health, and the planet's health. No studies required to decipher that.
ANIMAL WELFARE. If quality of life and animal welfare is important to you, this is how you make that statement. Bovine is meant to roam and graze on grass and plants, chickens are meant to scratch and peck in the dirt, and hogs are meant to root and roll around. Letting them do what they are meant to do is how we support them living a good life. It’s kindness.
SHOPPING LOCAL. Puts money back into your own community, supports local families, and is less transporting of goods so better for the environment.
COST. It’s the most cost effective way to buy quality meat.
AVAILABILITY. You will have food available without needing to go shopping.
TIME. You will dial in meal planning, which will actually free up time in the long run.
HEALTH. It’s a great opportunity to experiment with BATCH cooking. This can free up even more time in the long run, AND encourage healthy eating even when time is short.
There are also studies that suggest pasture raised animals are more nutrient rich and lower in fat. ;)
ADVENTURE. It’s an opportunity to try new and delicious cuts of meat you may not know about, like brisket or flank steaks, render lard and bake a delicious pie, or make chicken heart paté!
CUSTOMIZATION. You can customize your order to a certain degree. For example, if you’re like us and eat more ground beef than other cuts, you can let your farmer know and they will have extra meat ground for you.
POSITIVE IMPACT. It feels good to know we are supporting a local (ish) and small farm (probably) and family, encouraging more sustainable farming techniques, and eating something that has had a good life.
Work that gratitude into your mealtime to not only increase your overall level of life satisfaction, but ALSO your digestion! When we take a moment to feel grateful for our food before we eat it, it actually will trigger our body to get ready to digest things! Isn’t that cool!? Our bodies are amazing. Ok, side rant over.
CONS
COST. It’s expensive. There is no way to get around it — when we buy a bunch of meat at one time it costs a lot.
SPACE. You need space to store all your meat!
We have 2 small chest freezers that we use for everything we buy in bulk; like nuts and seeds, meat, and summer harvest. We didn’t have space for one large freezer but it turns out it’s nice to have the separation anyways. Accidental win.
PLANNING. You need to plan, otherwise you might not actually eat the meat and that would be a real bummer. If you feel like you’re not getting through it, share some with friends or let people know you would sell them some meat if they want it.
WASTE. There are some cuts you might be unfamiliar with, or perhaps meal planning isn’t going quite as well as you hopped, or who knows why — sometimes the meat doesn’t get eaten. That is a bummer. (See the planning note above.)
What has worked well for me is having one day a week that I pull some random things from the freezer; maybe a roast, some chops, and a whole chicken. It’s all thawing at different rates due to size and whatnot, but I always have something available. (Then I pull a salmon fillet for the days I don’t have a plan, or some ground meat that I can cook quickly or in the Instant Pot from frozen.)
FLAVOUR. Sometimes the flavour is different from what you are used to, particularly in pasture raised beef. This might take some getting used to, or discussing it with your local farmer to see what they suggest. Other people are actually thrilled with the fact that the meat HAS a flavour. It’s personal, but unlike shopping at your grocery store your famer can help you work through your concerns.
SUMMERY
We have been buying pasture raised meat for many years now, and these are the challenges and the positives that we have tried to figure out. Because when it comes down to it, I prefer getting meat locally and sustainably.
I also want to mention that this is a real financial struggle for many of us, and I am deeply compassionate to that.
We can talk to our farmer and ask about getting the least expensive cuts, the organ meat, or starting with a bag of bones. This might sound crazy to some, but for those of us who are using food as medicine and have been prescribed animal protein that is pasture raised, the cost can be the biggest challenge we face.
Talk to your local farmer and see what you can work out or what they suggest… just another reason to connect with the people who are raising livestock and growing food.
Thank you for reading, and please, let me know your experiences or if you have any questions or concerns!
Xox,
Gwen
