Local Meat
I am very particular about the meat I eat, for a multitude or reason, and feel very lucky to have so many amazing locally raised options available on the North Fork and Shelter Island.
Here are some options if you're looking to shop for local, grass fed and finished, pasture raised, organic, antibiotic free, and ethically raised animal based protein. There are a multitude of reason why we should eat local meat, which you can read about bellow.
Where To Find Locally Raised Meat
8 Hands Farm
Located on Cox Ln in Cutchogue, they offer a variety of ethical farmed, organic, pasture raised, and grass fed beef and finished meat. Their cuts and offerings vary on availability and season and include beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and turkey. They also have a curated selections of house made sausage, charcuterie, and Pâté. 8 Hands Farm is extremely conscious about everything regarding their animals, from feeding them the very best diets for their indivudual needs to their environment, making sure they can root, scratch, and graze as they would in the wild.
Sylvester Manor
Located on Shelter Island offers their woodland raised pork which also nourish the land as they rotate through 60+ acres of preserved pasture land. They sell the pork at their farm stand and for special holidays offer variety boxes for delivery like their Valentines day Bacon Box.
Nofo Cattle
North Fork Cattle in Cutchogue sells direct to consumer as well as at several farm stands on the North Fork. They offer a wide variety of grass fed organic beef cuts ranging from ground beef, organ meat, short rib, t bones and much more. If you're looking to stock up or share with your friends or family you can also inquire about whole and half cow orders.
INF
Indian Neck Livestock is located in Peconic is dedicated to producing clean, sustainable, pastures raised meat for the community. They have several types of local grass fed, pasture raised and organic meat including: beef, lamb, pork, duck, and chicken. Similar to other farms their offerings vary on availability.
Deep Roots Farm
Deep roots farm located in Southold offers chickens (May- October) and pork (when available) raised without antibiotics and supplement their forage diet with organically grown, non GMO grain and vegetables from local farms. Their chickens are free range and have a steady supply of grass, bugs, and have open floor houses for a safe place to grow. Their heritage pigs are rotated through vegetable fields and pastures, allowing them to dig, run and act like pigs.
Zilnicki Farms
A family run 4th generation farm located in Riverhead. They offer organic, grass fed, pasture raised beef. You can choose from a variety of cuts or order one of their bundles. The 1/8th beef box bundle includes 31 LBS of Grass Fed Beef (depending on availability) premium steaks: filet mignon, ribeye, NY strip, sirloin, comfort cuts, meat for stew, and short ribs.
Pendleton’s Harvest Moon Farm
Located on Sound Avenue Riverhead, Pendelton’s focus on regenerative grazing practices for healthy sheep and offers pasture-raised lamb. They offer 3 meat share options along with individual cuts including, rib chops, rack of Lamb, leg steaks, shoulder chops, loin roasts, loin chops, leg of Lamb, boneless shoulder Roasts, spicy Lamb sausage and more.
Local Farm Stands and Markets
There are also a lot of local farm stands and markets that sell a variety of local meat as well, including, Seps, Sang Lee, Treibor farms, Fit Foods, and The Market Greenport.
Benefits of Eating Locally Raised Meat
If you're looking for a way to get more nutritious and environmentally-friendly meat, eating locally raised meat is an excellent choice. Local meat comes with a host of advantages over the meat you find at most supermarkets. Here are some of the top reasons to source your meat from local farms and butchers:
Better for the Environment
Locally raised meat leaves a much smaller environmental footprint compared to meat from industrial operations. Local farms emphasize sustainable practices like rotational grazing and avoiding excessive use of antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals. The animals don't have to travel long distances to processing facilities either. All of this results in a lower carbon footprint.
Higher Animal Welfare Standards
With local farms, the animals are raised ethically and humanely. They are able to live in natural conditions rather than being confined and cramped in filthy feedlots or cages. You can have confidence the animals were treated well and allowed to exhibit their normal behaviors.
More Nutritious and Flavorful
Meat from locally raised animals contains more beneficial nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and antioxidants. This is due to the animals consuming a natural diet and living lower-stress lives. Local meat also simply tastes better - the meat is allowed to become well-marbled and develop great flavor.
Benefits of Grass-Fed and Pasture-Raised
When animals are raised on grass and able to forage pasture, their meat is even more nutritious. Grass-fed beef contains higher levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants like vitamin E than grain-fed beef. Pasture-raised pork and chicken also provide more vitamins and minerals. The meat from these animals tends to be leaner yet more flavorful as well. Pasture-raising is beneficial to the land, the animals' welfare, and ultimately your body and soul when consuming the meat.
The Problem with Industrially Raised Meat
In contrast, animals raised in industrial feedlot operations are fed an unnatural diet based on corn and soymeal. This is done because it leads to faster weight gain, but it makes the nutritional profile of the meat much less healthy. The corn-based diet gets broken down into sugars and carbohydrates that are stored in the animals' tissues, leading to higher sugar/carb content in the meat for human consumption. The meat also contains more anti-nutrients like phytic acid that can block absorption of minerals. The meat ends up higher in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids and lower in nutrients like antioxidants, vitamin E, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Factory farm meat is also much higher in antibiotics and added hormones.
Traceability and Peace of Mind
With local meat, you know exactly where it came from and how it was raised. This gives you the ability to make informed decisions and have confidence in what you're eating. Industrially produced meat is much more opaque about its origins and processes.
The next time you need to purchase meat, look for suppliers in your area that raise animals locally and sustainably. Your body, the environment, and your community will thank you! The higher price is well worth it for a more nutritious, ethical product.
Support for Local Economies
Buying from local farms allows you to support hard-working members of your community. The money goes directly to them rather than an industrial conglomerate. You're investing in your local food system.
Choosing local, organic, ethically raised, pasture raised, grass feed and finished may be slightly more expensive but hugely outweighs the cons of industrial meat.