Organic Meats, free range chicken, grass fed beef *?*

[nonofyobiz]

Does anyone know of any local farmers that they go to directly to get their meat??

I know of Winters Turkeys but i think they only do turkeys. They are only a few minutes SE of Calgary.

Any others out there? (besides the farmers market)

[theken]

Check out the organic supermarkets. The one downtown says they have meat and stuff. Grass fed beef is not as good as other organic beef.

[core_upt]

great-chicken

located out of Strathmore, but they deliver to Calgary on a pretty regular bases. Prices are listed online.

I bought a few half-chickens and some chicken breasts from them. It's definitely tastier than the Lilydale stuff, but it is pricey!

[sputnik]

www.bowdenfarmfreshchicken.com

NOT organic (since it costs $$$$ to be certified) but still free range, non-force fed and drug free chicken.

The guy delivers everything to your door frozen and vacuum sealed in heavy plastic. Also everything is in 1lb increments so it makes it easy for 1-2 people to share a meal or just combine packs for larger meals.

GREAT service and AMAZING chicken.

[cooperS]

check out the farmer's market by Mount Royal on the weekend. they have lots of organic farmers out there

also check blush lane on aspen

and sunworks farm

[sillysod]

Stay away from the "Organic markets"..

I don't want to say too much but we do a lot of work in meat packing plants, and......uh.... yeah


Best bet is to find a farm or farmers market like most of the guys here suggested.

[Sasuke_Kensai]

Originally posted by cooperS
check out the farmer's market by Mount Royal on the weekend. they have lots of organic farmers out there

also check blush lane on aspen

and sunworks farm

Sillysod: Do the organic farmers in farmer's markets count? (a little confused at terminology overlap) Or are you talking about organic supermarkets that would carry meats with the official "organic certified" stamp?

[seksy]

Originally posted by core_upt
great-chicken

located out of Strathmore, but they deliver to Calgary on a pretty regular bases. Prices are listed online.

I bought a few half-chickens and some chicken breasts from them. It's definitely tastier than the Lilydale stuff, but it is pricey!

That's Country Lane Farms.
http://www.great-chicken.com/
It's the only chicken I ever eat.

[core_upt]

Originally posted by seksy


That's Country Lane Farms.
http://www.great-chicken.com/
It's the only chicken I ever eat.

thanks for the fix! don't know why the link didn't paste, but yes - tasty stuff!

[nonofyobiz]

Cool.

Ya anything that goes to the meat packers is no good. even if it's "certified organic". Disgusting places

I'm sure the farmers raising natural chickens clean and prepare their chickens themselves, but i'm wondering about the beef - if they do it themselves or if they send it to the meat packers plant.

[Baron O' Funk]

Hoven Farms, Valbella Meats... google it.

[TYMSMNY]

If you can, try and visit the actual farm and see how they treat them. For the most part, they won't let you visit due to what goes on back there.

Hoven Farms is pretty reputable.

[B20EF]

Originally posted by theken
Grass fed beef is not as good as other organic beef.

I'm pretty sure grass fed cows are much healthier than grain fed. Is there something else you meant?

[cancer man]

Originally posted by B20EF


I'm pretty sure grass fed cows are much healthier than grain fed. Is there something else you meant?

It's all about taste,grain feed is the best for flavor and texture.

[nonofyobiz]

lol it's not all about taste. It's about cows being meant by nature to eat grass, not grain/corn/animal by-products.
And i don't even agree that the flavor is better for grain fed beef.

[Darkane]

Farmers Market. I bought bulk 40lbs of grass fed, extra lean ground beef for 160$.

Pretty good price, tasted awesome. It was much 'redder' than supermarket beef

[HondaKid]

Originally posted by nonofyobiz
Cool.

Ya anything that goes to the meat packers is no good. even if it's "certified organic". Disgusting places

I'm sure the farmers raising natural chickens clean and prepare their chickens themselves, but i'm wondering about the beef - if they do it themselves or if they send it to the meat packers plant.

I have spoken a few times to the rancher who owns Canadian Celtic Cattle Company (Strome, Alberta) and two of the owners of Second to None Meats (Calgary). They are very passionate about their businesses and are very easy to speak with, tons of information on the meat industry here in Alberta and Canada. I recall the (beef) animals are processed at small meat packing plants, really small ones which do have an inspector right there overseeing everything. The chickens I did not ask about, but I bet anything it is much the same.

Here is an article which really shows how the meat industry in Alberta is a massive billion dollar business and the little guys are being pushed out. I buy all my meat from Second to None, everything from wieners to chicken and steak. Am totally off any other meat, just do not trust the sources, these guys are solid as it gets.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...b8b840c6db&p=6


Their suppliers:
http://www.stnm.ca/partners.php