26 October 2011
Intimidated at the Butcher Counter? Try a Meat CSA!
Contributor Post
I’m definitely not shy about my love for local, organic, grass-fed (pastured), sustainably raised, hormone-free meat. But I’ve never had a chance to join a meat CSA. Lucky for you, contributor Blair T. has, and she’s about to tell you all about it! In her post, she explains why you should join a meat CSA, how to find one in your area, and what to do once you’ve joined. Plus, she explains why it’s even perfect for a busy college student like herself.
YNC Contributor
Blair T.
Many of us choose to include meat in our diets for pretty simple reasons: it’s delicious and packed with satisfying protein and fat. But if you’re just starting out shopping for yourself, choosing the right cut can be intimidating, not to mention trying to find meat that’s been humanely raised and/or pastured. It can make shopping anything but simple—not to mention expensive.
As an omnivore, I used to find myself overwhelmed by all the choices and usually came home from Whole Foods with a boring pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts that was destined never to leave my freezer—that is, until I discovered a great solution: I joined a meat CSA.
If you’ve never heard of a community-supported agriculture, or CSA, the setup works like this: the customer (that’s you!) buys a “share” of a farm’s products for a certain amount of time (usually a season between 3-6 months) and picks up a bunch of farm-fresh goodies on a regular basis (weekly, biweekly, or monthly is most common). Vegetable CSAs are common in the summer months, but many people don’t know that farms can also offer shares of meat, cheese, or eggs (or a combination!)
The meat you get from a CSA is, more often than not, sustainably raised and humanely treated, so it’s better for you and the environment. Plus, it eliminates the tricky decision-making at the butcher counter: you get a variety of things without having to pick. Best of all, it’s easier than you think to start.
“But I don’t know where to find a farm!” Check localharvest.org and look up your area to see if you’re within range of a CSA. Chances are good that you’re near one—many farms go both to big cities and offer sales on their rural locations. My CSA comes into Chicago once a month to drop off shares at a farmer’s market.
“But I can’t afford it!” A meat CSA can be surprisingly affordable, even though you have to pay for the whole share up front. If I spread out the share I just got—two 3 lb. chickens, two sirloin steaks, two pork chops, 1 pound each of sausage and ground beef, a pound of stew beef, and 1 dozen eggs—until my next pick-up, it comes out to about $12 a week. Mixing up meaty meals with vegetarian recipes helps stretch what I buy, too.
“But I’m too busy to pick up a share every week/month.” Many farms will be flexible with pick-up dates if you get in contact with them. That’s the beauty of working directly with farmers! My farm lets me do 3 months’ worth of pickups over a 6-month timeframe, so I only pick up from them every other month—perfect for a busy, single college student. You can also go in on a share together with a friend and divvy up the goods.
“But I don’t have space for all that food.” Again, splitting with a friend (or 2!) is a great way to get meat without sacrificing too much freezer space.
“But I don’t know what to do with all the meat!” One of my favorite parts of buying meat from the people who raise the animals is that they are the best for getting recipes and techniques. Before you leave with your share, ask the farmer if they have any good ways or tips to cook up the food. You’ll be sure to get a few ideas there—and don’t doubt the power of a quick Google search, either!
Besides being healthier, tastier, and oftentimes cheaper than buying organic meat at the grocery store, a CSA is a great way to broaden your culinary horizons. Broiling steak and pan-frying chops was totally new to me, but I love that I’ve branched out and gotten some new techniques under my belt. So do a little research, find yourself a farm, and get cooking!
