Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Meat CSA

I got John the best Valentine's present ever: MEAT!

That's right, meat. The perfect gift for the man who has everything or nothing.

In the dead of winter, I realized there wasn't much for local produce to be had. We do live in Minnesota. However, I could go local with the meat I was consuming.

In an effort to use meat that was raised more humanly and locally, I purchased a 3 month half share in a meat CSA. The animals all graze freely in fields (grass fed beef). They are raised chemical and antibiotic free at a farm dedicated to sustainable agriculture. Our meat CSA is Sunshine Harvest Farm.

More importantly, however, the meat tastes really, really good! It is such a difference from the bargain priced meat I buy at the grocery store that I end out slathering in ketchup. This meat is very tasty.

Each month we have gotten a bag of premium cuts of beef, ground beef, a chicken and one dozen farm fresh brown eggs.

Yes, it does cost a bit more per pound, but with all that flavor we have found we don't need as much meat. Trust me, this meat tastes really good. We would rather eat less, but better quality. With a farm that we can visit, we also can feel a lot better about the treatment and lives the animals have lived before they end up on our plate and we know our money is going directly to support a local family owned farm. It is win-win!

After ordering, we showed up at a pick-up sight. As soon as we got out of the car, the farmer greeted us by name and gave us a personalized bag of meat. We personally opted out of port and were alright with processed meets. They make if very easy to customize your order to your preferences.

Here is our bag of delicious meat:


And here are the main attractions:
We were very impressed with the cuts of meat we got. The unbelievable steaks, brisket and spare ribs are definitely some of our favorites!