The 3 Best Places to Buy Regenerative, High-Quality Meat
A Short Guide to Sourcing Meat with Integrity
1. Your Local Farmer’s Market
While often a bit pricier, local farmer’s markets are a great resource for quality meat. If you’re feeding a family, ask if farmers offer options to buy animals in quarters, halves, or as a whole, which can be more affordable than individual cuts. If bulk options aren’t available, see if they have a website for online orders so you can plan your meals and easily stock up for the week.
2. Facebook
Farmer’s markets aren’t the only way to find great local products. Since markets can be selective about vendors, many small farms don’t make it in but still raise excellent grass-fed and pasture-raised animals. Often these farms don’t have a website, so they rely on their Facebook page to connect with customers. Try searching for keywords in Google like “Facebook” + “grass-fed” or “pasture-raised” or “organic” + “farm” to find options nearby.
Facebook Marketplace is also a great resource to find local dairies, vegetables, and meat in bulk. These producers often sell meat cheaper than at farmer’s markets because they don’t pay market dues, and for some, farming is a side hobby.
3. Online Ordering
While generally the most expensive option, online ordering can be very convenient. The following farms offer easy online ordering and are committed to regenerative practices:
The following are two other sites that aggregate farms across the U.S. for easy searching:
If supporting American ranchers is a priority, I would avoid ButcherBox, as they import most of their 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised beef from New Zealand. Their American-sourced beef is only Certified Humane (per their website), which is a good standard, but it doesn’t guarantee pasture access or that the cattle are actually eating grass.
In general, I recommend choosing local sources over imported meat whenever possible. Buying domestically supports American producers and often provides much more transparency into the practices involved in raising the animals.