The big beef debate
@enchantedleppard (1541)
United States
January 11, 2013 7:13pm CST
Prices are going up, the price of meat is as high as ever. What about the quality? Do you know what is happening to that cow before it is processed? The thought disgusts me. But if you're an average American, your household consumes meat. We used to raise our own hogs and have them processed. This year we decided to invest a little and were lucky enough to purchase a side of beef from a neighbor. 100% pure red Angus, grain fed. We realized we were indeed LUCKY. We got to choose our cuts and custom package. Even though it was a hefty investment at the time of purchase, we calculated our savings. We got $708 worth of meat for just under $400. Leanest cuts, little to no fat, a nice variety of beef in our order and it was already pre-packaged and froze. As a meat eating family, I see no downfalls to saving and purchasing local from a farmer. We were thinking of purchasing a hog this year instead of going through the pains to grow our own. I'm curious to see if other people do this regularly? If you have in the past, what is your experience? Would you rather purchase directly from a local farmer than purchase from a grocery store? I am trying to figure out the down side of doing this.
4 responses
@shansavy (171)
• Jamaica
12 Jan 13
i buy pork from my uncle that lives down the road from me. he does not use process food to feed them and i find that the meat taste much better and it actually is cheaper. we also got to choose the cuts we want, i think it work out much better to buy from farmers.
@enchantedleppard (1541)
• United States
12 Jan 13
I am in agreement with you, I do believe it is much cheaper and most healthy. Plus, we're giving the farmers our business, rather than corporate grocery stores.
@Arieles (2473)
• United States
12 Jan 13
There's a dairy farm not to far from us, that feed their cattle only hay and everything they sell is organic. They even sell organic milk door to door in their own truck just like they use to back in the 30's and 40's. I agree, is someone is going to eat meat and dairy, they should be getting it from the local farmers.
@OpinionatedLady (5965)
• United States
12 Jan 13
We do the same buying from a local Amish farm. I like to buy from them because I know they do not believe in hormones and pesticides. I know that my meat and produce is fresh and not contaminated. I buy large amounts and then freeze, can or dry what ever we need for the rest of the year to come. We have a freezer full of beef, pork, bison and venison as well as some chickens and a turkey none to mind blueberries, sliced or grated zucchini, corn, tomatoes, green beans and many other fruits and veggies. I also have jams, sauces, salsas, pickles, relishes, chutneys and pastes canned up in the pantry along with various dried herbs and roots. I do still go to the store and farm market for eggs and milk and other items but we have been trying to live as much without store bought items as we can.
1 person likes this
@enchantedleppard (1541)
• United States
12 Jan 13
Ahh yes, we love buying from Amish farms as well. I also can and freeze from the garden. I want to learn to do dried herbs as well. I need to create a space to plant in. Thanks for your response. Its so great to learn these arts are not lost.
@Arieles (2473)
• United States
12 Jan 13
We don't eat meat, so it's not really an issue for us. I have heard though that the prices are skyrocketing. I am semi-happy about this news, because if less people can afford beef, the less people will be eating it.
I've seen the slaughter houses where the bulls are placed. I've heard of the grain they are fed (full or genetically modified corn and soy) instead of being able to graze the grass as they should. It's just a way to fill them up faster and get them to the market all that much sooner. I've heard of the antibiotics they have been given, and then sent to the slaughter houses with it still in their system. I have heard of all the rain forests being cleared (the rainforest where 90% of our oxygen comes from) so they can have fields for the cattle.
I know it's bittersweet for some who enjoy eating meat. I use to eat meat, and I do miss it at times, but I have also heard that one cow emits more gas than ten cars in it's lifetime. That's pretty sad.
I think with the prices going up, it might get people to thinking about where our food comes from and start making different choices.
Thanks for posting this topic. It's sure to be a great one.
@enchantedleppard (1541)
• United States
12 Jan 13
I think the prices of everything are going up, meat or not. Thankfully, we know where the cattle comes from, what they eat, and also know where the processing is done. To each their own on what they choose to eat, I definitely think that buying grain fed meat is safer than purchasing anything processed and sold in a grocery store. Thanks for your response.
@Arieles (2473)
• United States
12 Jan 13
The attitude of most. I wish they did care about the environment a little more though. We all live here on Earth I mean. Yesterday in San Diego it was twenty degrees cooler than what it was in Chicago. Global warming is very real and a very serious consequence of eating and raising all that processed beef.
@reddog25770 (212)
• United States
12 Jan 13
We talked about buying a half a beef but haven't done it yet. My freezer is filled with deer meat now so maybe when that runs low. My husband hunts alot when its in season and he fishes so alot of our meat comes from that. We have had fresh pork from a farm and that was really good.
