517110 Thu May 08 09:18:12 -0700 2008 31 15 Pennsylvania 0 3668343 After reading Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food, Animal Vegetable Miracle, and a number of other timely tomes, we have decided to try to buy only grass-fed beef from now on. So far, we've found that selection is limited. Many places only provide ground beef that is from grass-fed cattle. Do you know of any places that sell steaks and other cuts? We live in the Glenside area and would like to drive less than an hour. Thanks! Thu May 08 09:18:14 -0700 2008 41763 kiwijen 1 3668534 Guinta's Prime at Reading Terminal Market has grass-fed beef: http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/merchants/view/84 Admittedly I don't know where Glenside is so depending on how fast you drive it may meet your driving requirements. Thu May 08 10:01:27 -0700 2008 3668343 12572 bluehensfan 2 3670540 No, actually, Guinta's does not have grass fed beef. They do carry "all natural" organic beef, which I'm sure is a cut above say Acme beef, but this issue is really important to me and I recently had an extended conversation with a staffer there. She told me that grass fed beef is too expensive and that there's no demand for it. Everyone who thinks it's important to should request that Guinta's begin carrying it. It people were willing to pay up I think they and other others would sell it. Thu May 08 19:38:56 -0700 2008 3668534 29938 Pgoat 3 3670553 It would be nice if their market description accurately stated what they do indeed carry...sorry about that! Thu May 08 19:42:11 -0700 2008 3670540 12572 bluehensfan 4 3671225 Honestly, I think they cultivate the vagueness. I went there specifically for grass fed beef because I had heard it was available there. I kept asking, and they kept skirting the question. Finally, the staffer I spoke with told me that the cows, while organic, eat corn-based feed because they are less expensive and consumers prefer the taste. Fri May 09 06:49:29 -0700 2008 3670553 29938 Pgoat 1 3668536 There was a grass fed beef vendor at the Headhouse Square Farmers market on Sunday - not sure of the cuts, but there was a long list! Also, Fair Food Farms in the Reading Terminal Market carries some cuts and I believe, although I am not positive, that Giunta's in the Reading Terminal Market also carries some grass fed beef. Thu May 08 10:01:40 -0700 2008 3668343 76938 Bigley9 2 3669402 Giunta's is great. They also have free range chicken. Transportation alternative: Regional Rail (R5) -If you take the R5 from Glenside Station westbound (Paoli/Thornsdale) to Market East Station, you end up right there at the Reading Terminal Station. 30 minutes tops. Driving would take about 40 minutes to get there and park. There is discount parking in the indoor parking lot see website for info. http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/about/parking/ Thu May 08 13:28:29 -0700 2008 3668536 182432 SpdRcr069 1 3669405 You are in luck,,,The Glenside Farmers market (at Elcies) has vendors that bring grass fed beef to the market on Sat. Thu May 08 13:28:54 -0700 2008 3668343 166891 cybermome1207 2 3669519 Almost all the butchers at the allentown farmers market sell grass fed beef. Windy springs farm is where we get our grass fed beef, and we normally get butchered at Harrings or Herrings (sp?) or Barringers Bros in Quakertown. I like Barringers because they carry a lot more offal. Some of the qmart butchers carry grass fed beef. If you attend the grange fair, all of the kids 4H projects will be sold, and they will take them to be butchered for you, a majority of them now raise grass fed only. This is just off the top of my head! Look in the Penny Power, a free discount center magazine for the Lehigh Valley, Lancaster Farmer, you can read that online, etc. It is not nearly as limited or expensive as some believe. :) Thu May 08 13:57:41 -0700 2008 3669405 159354 sommrluv 1 3670498 You've gotten some great suggestions about sources for grass-fed beef. I also suggest - because I sure needed it myself - reading up on the shifts you have to make switching from conventionally farmed beef to grass-finished. Ten second soundbite: Less fat = less moisture = eating a shoe if you don't adjust slightly. 1) Cook it less if using a dry technique; 2) wet cooking is good. Thu May 08 19:21:05 -0700 2008 3668343 42513 Mawrter 2 3671375 Demand is low for grass fed beef because it lacks the body and flavor of grain finished (traditioanl) beef. Remember that most beef is grass raised and only finished on grain at the feed lots. Fri May 09 07:46:22 -0700 2008 3670498 112776 crispycar 3 3674259 Hmmm...most beef is grass raised for a very short time then "finished on grain" where the cows are fed corn and animal by-products to get their weight up as fast as possible so they can be slaughtered as quickly as possible. Yes, this leads to more marbled beef that has the flavor profile we expect in American beef, but the ethics and the health issues involved in "grain finishing" are enough to make me look for grass-fed beef. I think if more people knew about feed-lot conditions, they'd increase demand for grass-fed. Sat May 10 06:44:26 -0700 2008 3671375 41763 kiwijen 1 3671522 Hendricks farm in Telford has grass fed beef and lamb. Hendricksfarmanddairy.com Also great poultry, eggs, raw milk, nitrite free bacon, cheese and raw goat milk. It is about a half hour drive from Chestnut Hill. I go every other week. Fri May 09 08:30:50 -0700 2008 3668343 36443 jado 2 3671599 www.Hendricksfarmanddairy.com wont get you there, it's http://www.hendricksfarmsanddairy.com/ Fri May 09 08:51:50 -0700 2008 3671522 41679 Den 1 3672257 Glad to see people jumping on the grass-fed bandwagon! The more demand, the more farmers will switch over. There is a great site called eat-wild.com that provides a list by state of all the farmers who have grass-fed beef. We go to Hendrickson farms for their raw milk, yogurt and butter. We get our eggs and chickens there too. And they offer grass-fed beef from other farms. If you like yogurt, theirs is out of the world. It is a little thin for me, so I strain it in a coffee filter to thicken it, but the flavor is wonderful. Also, there is a farm called PurelyFarms that sells grass-fed beef, pork and lamb. Their info is on eat-wild.com. I don't think they have their own website. Finally, there is a bison farm in Telford, I can't remember the name. Good luck! Let us know if you find additional good sources. Fri May 09 11:28:51 -0700 2008 3668343 141059 pafoodie 2 3672485 I honestly haven't seen or tasted much of a difference. I do use some rubs, occassionally. Remember grass fed is high in omega 3 fats, which doesn't make it lean, like venison. Some breeds of cow do taste better than others. I've had crappy tasted grass fed angus. Limosine immediately comes to mind as a wonderful grass fed cow, I'm sure there are many others. Fri May 09 12:31:57 -0700 2008 3672257 159354 sommrluv 2 3672491 I think it matters too, if it's purchased in alfalfa hay, or field grass, etc. Fri May 09 12:32:41 -0700 2008 3672257 159354 sommrluv 1 3674286 I vaguely remember seeing some vacuum packed frozen Australian(?) grass fed beef at Trader Joes. Sat May 10 07:02:10 -0700 2008 3668343 123478 percyn 1 3674739 Kiwijen, I've participated with other people in a handful of beef co-ops. Most were grass-finished and raised with sustainable principles but not *certified* organic. I haven't liked all the beef, but I love the beef from the Herr's - dry aged for 3 wks, grass-finished. It would be worth getting some cuts to try before committing to a whole steer, IMO. farmer: Larry Herr sells regularly @ Eagleview Farmer's Market 717-519-7174 Sat May 10 11:32:54 -0700 2008 3668343 42513 Mawrter 1 3682035 We have been delighted with the beef we got at Tussock Sedge in Souderton. http://www.tussocksedgefarm.com/ After reading Omnivore's Dilemma, I contacted the Charlotte Rosenberg at Tussock Sedge to find out if the beef was completely grass fed, and she told me that it is mostly grain finished, but that she also had just read OD and they planned to finish some on grass this year. The only problem with TS is that you have to buy large quantities: sampler pack (12 lbs), variety pack (30 lbs), or a quarter, half, or whole steer. We got the variety pack, which had ground beef, steaks, roasts, etc. All of it was FANTASTIC (I just braised the rump roast this past weekend, and we long ago ran out of the ground meet, which made the best hamburgers ever). I would like to buy a quarter so I would get some of the other cuts that aren't available in the sampler pack, but not sure my husband and I can eat that much beef before it gets freezer burned. We may have to buy it and share it with our four kids (who don't live at home). I'm sure they would be very happy if we did that! Also, I think Hendricks Farm & Dairy carries Tussock Sedge beef, and I assume you could buy individual cuts there, but I'll bet it's quite a bit more expensive. We had gotten very good beef at Hendricks before we discovered Tussock Sedge (someone at Hendricks told us about it), and we still like to go to Hendricks for all the other great stuff they have. Tue May 13 06:40:07 -0700 2008 3668343 78320 zelbee 2 3695802 We've had beef, just wrapped in the butcher paper, for up to two years in our chest freezer in the basement with no freezer burning or loss of flavor. The basement is somewhat climate controlled (old stone, stays in the mid sixties) and is not a self defrosting freezer...EXTREMELY important. There is also the foodsaver way, but I imagine that would be difficult, as most quarter, half, or whole are already frozen when you pick them up, but I guess you could just vac the outside of the butcher paper. Hope that helps! Fri May 16 22:43:14 -0700 2008 3682035 159354 sommrluv 1 3682151 FYI - I was in the Reading Terminal Market on Saturday and Livingood's (who are only there on Saturday's) sells their own grass fed beef. They also participate in a number of other farmers markets, so they likely sell, or would bring, their beef to those as well. Tue May 13 07:15:50 -0700 2008 3668343 76938 Bigley9 1 3695488 We've been buying cow shares from Pasture's Pride in Kutztown, PA. I pick up my share (usually a quarter) directly from the butcher in Quakertown. The cows are purely grass fed & grass finished. The beef is *fantastic*. Joy, from Pasture's Pride is a great lady, always willing to answer questions. Kutztown or Quakertown would be a drive for you, but by filling your freezer with a quarter or a half, you wouldn't have to worry about the availability for months. Fri May 16 19:31:01 -0700 2008 3668343 192919 Metasequoia 1 3695529 i think the grass fed beef is noticebly more flavorful - slightly tougher. THe higher acidity of the grass fed beef means its less likely to harbor e-coli and other bacterias. Bid diffrerence between all the different types - organic , vs natural vs grass fed. As a consumer we really need to educate ourselves. A lot of my freinds think natrural is the same as organic. I am intolerent of corn - there is enough in regular beef to set off my syptoms and show on blood test. Fri May 16 19:49:47 -0700 2008 3668343 78681 coastie 1 3696746 Anyone read the Inquirer article on this? Most of you could pretty much have *written* it - but it's for the general public to be introduced to these ideas. I meant this article (see link below) but then I got a bunch of other hits when I searched the Inky. Have fun. The Humane Factor 5/15/08 http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/18957969.html source - Derek David market http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/12434331.html more Davis-lovin', also form 12/07 http://www.philly.com/dailynews/features/12453711.html from 5/15, about local farmers' markets http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/18957974.html (NB: despite the similarity of name, I am not MM, the writer of this article!) excerpt: "Fairmount has [grower] Dwain Livengood [edit]. Along with organic produce, Livengood sells organic, grass-fed beef from his small herd - 4-ounce patties at $5.25 a pound to T-bone steaks at $16 a pound." link to area farmers' markets, many of which have grass-fed beef: http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20080515_Where_to_find_area_s_markets.html There are a slew of them that are reasonable driving distance from Glenside, and I bet a few have grass-fed beef. Then you can develop a relationship with the farmer and order what you need. Sat May 17 13:20:40 -0700 2008 3668343 42513 Mawrter 1 3855489 I recently found it very difficult to determine what was grass-fed and/or organic at the RTM. I would suggest that you look into buying clubs where you can research the farms and get a straight answer about how the animals are raised. Check out farmtocity.org, specifically the Meadow Run Farms buying club has an great selection of beef, pork and lamb all grass raised and finished. Thu Jul 10 06:07:59 -0700 2008 3668343 208382 mek2000 1 4231535 We have grass fed beef in the Pittsburgh area and we need to give instructions to the butcher on Wed. Contact me at (202) 213-5237 if you are interested. 100% grass fed beef, no hormones, no drugs. Tue Dec 09 00:04:40 -0800 2008 3668343 246901 pleasantvalleyorganicfarm 2 4233258 Grass Fed Beef is sold every Saturday at the bottom of Chestnut Hill, right on Germantown Avenue on the cobblestone road coming up from the outdoor flower shop (across from Staples). There are a few farms that come down from Lancaster and sell grass fed beef, fresh produce, pies, jams, etc. I made the decision to start buying grass fed beef only for a few reasons including the fact that the large meet factories in this country are a greater cause of global warming than all of the automobiles in the country combined. When I did searches on line, not only were the prices out of sight, it looked like I'd have to have it shipped across country. Then I discovered this farm stand on Saturday mornings in Chestnut Hill. The prices are great and the beef is incredible! My children literally can not get enough of the steaks, burgers, and roasts. Give it a try you will never go back to grain fed again. Tue Dec 09 13:15:41 -0800 2008 4231535 208801 hillster 1 4246134 We buy grass-fed beef from Livengood (http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M12002), who sell at various farmer's markets and Reading Terminal. It's some of the best beef I've had -- it's spoiled me for everything else. The texture and flavor redefine meat. I haven't done a side-by-side comparisons of course, but it's better than or comparable to Peter Luger's in Brooklyn, and to the Kobe beef I've had at a few restaurants. Some time after we started eating Livengood, we went to the Capitol Grille for someone's birthday. Their steak seemed like a tasteless, textureless hunk of meat by comparison. (And no, I have no relationship to Livengood, other than being a very happy customer.) Sun Dec 14 13:06:16 -0800 2008 3668343 248465 guanxi 1 5106361 The biggest advantage for me with organic, grass-fed beef is I can eat it! A few years ago, I swore off red meat due to digestive problems. This past summer, I served organic, grass fed burgers at a BBQ and they were a big hit. Afterwards, I didn't have any of my usual digestive problems. I still don't eat much red meat but I have since tried other cuts of grass-fed; I am thrilled I can eat red meat again. I am able to purchase quality, organic, grass-fed beef (a wide variety of cuts) at our local coop in the Twin Cities. A couple of other small groceries carry the products, too, but not the variety. I've asked for grass fed at the local Cub meat counter where I'm told they have many requests but I notice they still don't carry the products. Thu Oct 15 15:04:23 -0700 2009 3668343 1116613 foodieftmidwest 2 5107577 The market has been open at the bottom of Chestnut Hill, but I believe it closes at the end of this month. Fri Oct 16 07:01:15 -0700 2009 5106361 208801 hillster 1 5108337 I've bought grass fed beef steaks at the Whole Foods in Jenkintown before. I can't remember the cut - strip or ribeye for sure though. Fri Oct 16 11:02:55 -0700 2009 3668343 291183 pahiker6