Buying From Local sources

[Cathy]

I've been encouraged to buy meat from local farmers who raise their animals by allowing them to graze in fields and feed them grains. People tell me that the meat is a lot different, tastes better and is better for you than what you buy in stores. Does anyone know if that is true?

[Annie Jane]

Oh gracious yes! It taste so much different, you may not recognize what meat you are eating unless you know it's beef. I love it. It's sweeter, and well....fresher. We buy a half of a beef every fall from a local slaughter house that is run by the Amish and they do a wonderful job.

[GreenAlley]

I believe that buying meat directly from a local farmer is a good option, but course make sure that the farmer is a trusted one! I think locally-raised meat is fresher and healthier because farmers feed their animals with a more natural diet. Those who are raising animals for heavily commercial purposes might be using synthetic means to facilitate their production.

[CleanGreen]

Yes that is very true. Those meats are much better for you because they are more "organic meats" since they generally don't pump their animals with hormones to make the animals more plump. So you are eating a more natural and healthier product this way.

You can also feel good about buying from these farmers because not only is it better for you, but the animals are living a better life by being able to be out in the fields and rome about the land. They are not kept in tiny little pens all day or inside some large "warehouse" full of livestock.

I think eggs from chickens who are able to be in open spaces and not in cages taste a lot better than chickens who are forced to stay in tiny cages their whole miserable lives.

[Evelynisorganic]

I have a friend who supplies me with fresh eggs all of the time. They even have ducks and we will get a few duck eggs in the batch. LOL It's hard to find the eggs if the chickens are too free ranging. They have a chicken pen but it's large and attached to the barn where the chickens can get in out of the rain or other weather. They are happy and my friend has her kids go hunt worms for the chickens a lot. They dig worms for fishing anyway so it's not a problem to throw some in the chicken pen.

[Annie Jane]

I get all of my vegetables during the summer from local farmers. I don't have space to grow my own so that's a good alternative for me. I love that they taste a LOT better than those at the store too.