grass-fed meats

[julieapfel]

Anyone know of any supermarkets or butchers that sell grass-fed meat? (as opposed to corn-fed)

[massfarmer]

not to burst a bubble or anything, but late fall is the only time grass fed only local beef is available. The grass season is short here and cow hay rarely has the quality to keep the animal healthy and strong without aid. I raise my own along wih other animals, hay must be suplimented with grain, especially these last 2 years.

[MrsCheese]

No bubbles burst here, massfarmer. I get my meat from Stillman's, and here's what it says on their website:
We do not feed our cattle or lambs grain as we believe such a practice reduces the quality and the flavor of the meat.

So I think you can get purely grass-fed meat around here.

[ebaba]

Savenor's is selling Boyden Farm beef -- delicious and grass fed, I believe. And if not Boyden then I'm forgetting the name -- they've had signs in the window recently.

[fmcoxe6188]

Thank you! I couldn't remember the name either-but Ive had it as well and it was definitely a delicious piece of steak.

[dtremit]

Just had one of these steaks recently and it was a revelation. Not cheap, though! I believe Savenor's has several sources for grass-fed beef; the staff will happily explain what's from where.

[Karl S]

PriceRite in Lynn sells Australian grass fed beef (Nature's Reserve brand) at exceptional prices. For example, skirt steak at $3/lb when I was there on Saturday.

[drewinmrblhd]

Tendercrop farm in Newbury. Don't forget to feed Buffy the Buffalo!

[julieapfel]

Thanks everyone! I think I'd like to join the Chestnut Farm CSA once I get a car, but in the meantime, does anyone know of anything in the city? I don't have a car and live in Boston so would love to be able to find a place that is t-accessible. If not I'll look into the delivery options.

[pasta]

Stillman Farm is at the Copley Market, Tues & Fridays and their meat is 100% grass fed and finished.

[PinchOfSalt]

Can you get to a Whole Foods? They do sell some grass-fed beef, although it is even pricier there than from other sources.

The Chestnut Farm CSA has a waiting list. You might consider signing up now. I had to wait nearly a year! When you do make it to the top, you can pick up your share in a parking lot in Arlington Center. The bus that goes down Mass Ave runs very frequently and is quite reliable as bus lines go. So, you could take the Red Line and then a bus and you would be one block away from the pick up point. How's that for T-accessible?

[MrsCheese]

Or you can join Stillman's CSA (no waiting list right now I believe) and they have pickup locations that are probably closer to you. Jamaica Plain or Brookline might work. We've been members for about a year now and we think they're great. The only thing I will mention is that when we started we had a quarter share (5 lbs/mo) and I really wasn't too happy with the variety of meat we received. I even had to complain once, which really isn't like me. We seemed to get more "lower end" cuts - may have been a bad luck of the draw. Once we upped to a half share (10 lbs/mo) we were very pleased - with the larger share and more variety in each month's take, the variability in value is not an issue. I think their meat can't be beat (though I haven't tried Chestnut Farms but have heard they're great too).

[almansa]

I like Stillman's as well - I think those belties are delicious for the grass-fed admirers (like people who like the taste in their mouths when they get their gums scraped at the dentist). But they are also super expensive. I got a pig trotter from them recently for $12. It was tasty though. And Stillman's does gorgeous flower arrangements.

[julieapfel]

MrsCheese - how many people are you feeding on 10 lbs a month? It's just me and my soon to be husband and I don;t want to over do it. I am sure we could consume all the meat, but realisticially I'd probably include it in 2 or so meals a week. Thanks!

[MrsCheese]

It's just me, my husband, and my 3 year old, and 10 lbs/mo is a bit much. 5 lbs/mo was a bit too little. We ended up with a backlog in our freezer after 6 months of 10 lbs/mo and I've had to take a break for the last few months (Kate was great about letting me wait to renew in Oct instead of July). It kind of depends on how often you plan to entertain, and whether you plan to supplement with supermarket meat. Once we went to 10 lbs, we swore off supermarket meat altogether and only use our CSA meat and that's working out well for us. Hope that helps!

[Chris VR]

There's also Houde Farm's CSA although I don't know if they offer a beef only CSA; theirs is usually Pork, Veal and Beef but you can request no veal. They do home delivery in some towns, and also offer UPS delivery if you aren't in their delivery area. I think their website says which areas they deliver to, might even be in the Place page I linked below.

Once you are a member (6 month membership at 10#, 15# or 20# level), they also let you buy extras. They were giving veal sweetbreads away last month. I've also bought pork fat for rendering into lard. Here's what we were offered this month:

Here is this months extras list

Beef Brisket $6.50 per pound
Beef burger $4.50 per pound
Beef stew $4.50
Veal stew $4.50
Veal brisket $10 per pound **new item**
Breakfast Sausage $5 per pound
Sweet Italian sausage $5 per pound
Hot Italian sausage $5 per pound
Pork spare ribs (2 to 3 #) $5 per pound
Ground pork $5 per pound
pork liver and heart $1.50 per pound
pigs feet $1 per pound
pork shanks with meat (Approx 1.5 to 2 #) $4.50 per pound
Fresh jowls $2 per pound
Cured pork jowls (Jowl bacon) $7.00 per pound --great for baked beans or casseroles--
bacon $7 per pound
bacon ends and pieces $6 per pound
No-Nitrate bacon $7.30 per pound
no-nitrate bacon ends and pieces $6.50 per pound
cured ham ends (3 to 4.5 lbs) $7 per pounds

Linked sausages:priced at $6.50 per package (approx 1# pkgs)
chorizo
sweet Italian
Garlic and Parmesan cheese
Hot Italian
Beer brats


There is still some of Mary's Maple Syrup from 2009
Pints $12
Quarts $22
Half Gallon $30

-----
Houde Family Farm
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819, St Johnsbury, VT 05819

[PinchOfSalt]

Looking at the website, share prices at Houde Family Farm have changed a bit from the CH link. Since I can't figure out how to update the CH info, here is what I found on the HFF website (includes delivery info):

$7.00 per pound for a 10 pound share for a total of $420 for six months ($7.00x10x6)

$7.00 per pound for a 15 pound share for a total of $630 for six months ($7.00x15x6)

$6.75 per pound for a 20 pound share for a total of $810 for six months ($6.75x20x6)

The shares are made up of veal, pork and beef consisting of approximately 50% better cuts (steaks, cutlets, hams, bacon, etc) and 50% lesser cuts (hamburger, stew meat). The shares will be different each month. Sometimes it will be more pork, sometimes more veal, etc. (We have added the option of choosing whether or not we include veal in your share so if you request us not to include any than your share will not contain veal.) We do occasionally purchase beef animals from like minded local farmers to supplement our supply.

CSA shares are delivered once per month to homes in the Andover, Arlington, Cambridge, Lexington, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Reading, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Wilmington, Winchester and Woburn areas in Massachusetts or you can pick them up at the farm. Individual shares are packaged in heavyweight paper bags to help keep the meats frozen during travel to your home once they leave our mobile freezer at the delivery location. We are also now offering overnight UPS delivery for an additional $1 per pound shipping charge to those in the Boston, MA and Burlington, VT areas that are outside our monthly delivery routes. (Please call us for details if this is something you are interested in.)

[Chris VR]

Thanks for the update-- it seems according to the posts on Site Talk that it's not possible to edit Places right now.

[djd]

Bos Localvores, I think, posted a link to the Austin Brothers Valley Farm meat CSA: http://blog.austinsfarm.com/2009/07/1... Anyone have any experience with this farm? I see only one mention on the boards in the last year, and that's someone who bought their sausage at a market and then realized it came from NY.

[lbfoody]

How about buying the beef right at the farm? Mainstone Farm in Wayland grows and selss its grass-fed beef on site.

http://www.mainstonefarm.com/

[lisa13]

wheelview farm in shelburne will ship up to about 20lbs for a flat rate, the product is great, and they have good prices. You can also visit the farm to buy and/or see the cattle roaming the range.

www.wheeviewfarm.com

[franksnbeans]

I'll put in another plug for the local farmers' markets. Easy to stock up at them right now. River Rock farms, Stillman's are both good, at the markets, and have naturally-raised animals.

[almansa]

River Rock is great, but the cattle do get corn feed, so if the OP were seeking grass-fed for the health benefits, then River Rock wouldn't cut it.

[Zatan]

Their cattle are pasture raised and fed hay and grass, I think they use the corn only for a couple of weeks before slaughter, but i can't recall exactly. In any case, they are well raised! They are at the Brookline Farmer's Market each Thursday.....

[almansa]

That's true. They have 3 pastures and when the maturing cattle reach the final one, there are corn troughs available to them. And when given the choice the cattle definitely prefer the corn to the grass. But the point I was making is that the amount of corn that the animals do get negates the health benefits of the ratio of omega 3s to omega 6s in the beef of purely grass-fed cattle.

[Duster17]

Just bought some grass fed beef this weekend at Mainstone farm in Wayland (Old Connecticut Path).

[PinchOfSalt]

The beef from Chestnut Farm is grass-fed. You can buy it at some farmers' markets or you can join their meat CSA.

[tsackton]

eatwild.com is a good resource for finding this type of information. Here is their listing of MA resources: http://www.eatwild.com/products/massa...

[fmcoxe6188]

Hardwick Beef sells to City Feed and Supply and to Harvest Co op Market in JP as well as Lionettes Market on tremont.
http://www.hardwickbeef.com/

[Oliver Ranch]

It's been a while but I included Hardwick Beef (Devon breed) in the tasting I set up a few years back to create our steak tasting guide. No doubt it will vary in flavor / texture by season but it was simply delicious. The owner Ridge Shinn is well-regarded in the grass-finished beef industry; he focuses a lot on getting the genetics right. I see at least one Boston store listed. Maybe you can try it first and then order in bulk if you like it.