A good friend of ours, author Aaron Newton of A Nation of Farmers, has a rule for his family. They only eat meat if they know the first name of the person who raised the animal. When he first shared this new way of eating, I thought – wow, what a great idea…but is it all that realistic? Is it really possible if you’re not extremely entrenched in your local farming community? I could understand the desire but I just wasn’t sure about the realistic possibilities.
I’m pretty lucky and blessed that my Fisherman Husband catches all the seafood we consume but what opportunities were there for meat consumption from local farmers? A few local cattle farms offer meat shares or packages but these were only for beef. And while I love beef, I have to admit that I always dreamed of a farm that could offer a variety of meat choices.
Luckily for me, my dream came true! Keegan-Filion Farm in Walterboro, SC began an assorted meat share program this January which runs similar to a CSA. Each month you receive 20 pounds of various cuts of pork, beef, and chicken. The meat is pasture raised, antibiotic free, and you can feel good knowing it has been humanely processed.
They have 3 and 6 month shares available. The 6 month share comes out to $110/month which is only $5.50/lb. I think this is a fantastic price! You can get to know the farmers, Annie & Marc, visit their farm, read their newsletters, etc. It makes you feel great to support a local farm, it allows you to have healthier cuts of meat for better health, and it gives you a clear conscious that the animals had a good life. If you don’t believe me on the importance of a good life for animals, watch Food, Inc. and then go visit Keegan-Filion or another local farm. It’ll make you see the drastic difference in how these animals are treated. And, if that wasn’t enough, the meat simply tastes better. It has more flavor and depth than anything you’ll find at the grocery store.
We got quite the assortment in our share this month…beef roast, pork chops, ground pork, whole chickens, kielbasa, flank steaks, ground beef, and the list goes on!
Click here to learn more or visit their website.
If you are interested in other Lowcountry livestock farms click here. Cordray Farms in Ravenel, SC offers an 1/8 side of beef share which is a great way to get about 50 pounds of beef at a very good price. The smallest size many farms offer is 1/2 a side of beef, so the 1/8 of a share is a great option.
Don’t live in the Lowcountry and interested in finding livestock farms near you? Eat Wild’s website includes 1,300 farms throughout the US and Canada, so there is a good bet you could find a local farm in your area.
So here’s to more of us eating meat from farmer’s we know on a first name basis!
Jess
I am, as ever, envious of your access to meat with such ease! I try to buy things from small farms here whenever possible, but it is a lot harder to do so in a capital city. Still, if you don’t try… me, I choose to try. 🙂
Hi Veronika,
Yes, I am extremely lucky for the meat share and just the access to local meat in particular. Good luck finding that where you’re at. If I ever see any searches for small farms in Europe I’ll let you know.
I am in a motel in Atlanta, its 9:45 pm. I work off the farm and travel on a weekly basis. I decided to Google our farm for the fun of it. while scrolling through the posts I came accross your blog and read what you had written about our meat share program; it made my night! Thank you so much for your support of our farm. We are glad you are enjoying the meat share and hope we can earn your support for years to come.
Marc
Hi Marc,
I am the one that is so thankful that you all offer the meat share. The meat is superb, the taste is wonderful, and its so convenient to just have the meat in my deep freezer. Every meal is a treat in our house now. The pesto/sundried tomato sausages were out of this world!
Thanks,
Jessica