Meat suppliers!
*note, we are still working on fish*
Austin Farm in Belchertown
Farm with on-site sales + farmers' market
The Austins (5th generation farmers) raise grass-fed, grain-finished cattle, as well as pigs. Their website has an extensive listing of cuts, and apparently they dry age their beef for 14-21 days. You can purchase from them directly on the farm or, more conveniently at the Central Sq farmers' market on Mondays. (They also go to the market in Framingham.)
Caledonia Farm in Barre
Boston Metropolitan Buying Club
Distribution: TBA
Farmer Dave Petrovick devised the buying club after noticing the
stream of cars coming from Boston. He raises grass-fed cattle and
free-range chickens. This is not a CSA, so you simply purchase beef
cuts to order, but chickens need to be pre-ordered.
Chestnut Farms in Hardwick
Meat CSA
Distribution: Arlington
When Farmer Kim bought this 100 acre delapidated farm 10 years ago, it
was unsuitable for raising animals. She and her husband Rich have done
a tremendous amount of work to restore the land to health and are now
running a successful CSA. Shares are sold in 10, 20, 25 and 50 pound
per month levels (six and 12 month shares available) and include cuts
of beef, lamb, pork and chicken. The more you order, the less
expensive the share is, but prices range from $6.25 to $7 per pound.
Codman Community Farms in Lincoln
Non-profit farm with on-site sales
Codman Farm is mainly in the egg business, but their farmstand is open
year round and their freezer is full of beef, pork and lamb.
Crosby's (North Shore and in Concord)
Local grocery-store chain
Customers started asking for local beef and because it's a small enough chain, the owner agreed to carry Hardwick Beef, a New England-based consortium of farms.
Drumlin Farm in Lincoln
Non-proft farm with on-site sales
Drumlin Farm has pork, goat and lamb for sale frozen, though call
ahead for availabity, especially for lamb. Open year round.
Houde Family Farm in St. Johnsbury, Vt.
Meat CSA
Distribution: Arlington, Melrose (additional home delivery will begin in July and will include many more towns, Cambridge, Somerville, Woburn, Winchester, Andover, Reading, Wakefield, Stoneham and Reading among them).
In addition to the CSA, the Houdes sell half or full animals. Their
farm is also an organic dairy. CSA shares come in 10, 15 and 20 pound
per month quantities and range in price from $6.25 to $6.50 per pound.
Shares include beef, pork and veal (lambs are available whole and in
the fall only).
Lionette's Market in Boston
Fancy shoppe
This is the only retail outfit in the entire city of Boston to carry
local, sustainable, grassfed meats. They're the real deal. They buy in
a Vermont pig weekly and butcher the whole thing, making some of the
finest bacon available. But they can tell you the origin of every beef
cut, rabbit, chicken, quail or turkey in stock.
Misty Brook Farm in Hardwick
mistybrookorganicfarm@yahoo.com
Beef, pork and veal available through special order for Just Dairy
Members (Milk)
Natick Community Organic Farm in Natick
Non-profit farm with on-site sales
508-655-2204
Natick Community Organic Farm is an educational farm, but sells its
pork, chicken, turkey and beef from the farmstand during the growing
season and from the main farm building during the winter months.
Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds in Concord
Pre-order & pickup chicken, pork & eggs
Customers pre-order chickens and pork and the meat is distributed on
three pick-up days during the summer and fall (both Pete Lowy and Jen
Hashley work full time, somehow, in addition to raising broilers, pigs
and eggs.) Order well ahead of time — last year the pigs sold out
entirely in two days. Chickens run $5 per pound and pork is $5.75
per pound. Pete and Jen see lots of Boston traffic, with people
ordering just one bird or ten (or more!).
River Rock Farm in Brimfield
City Feed + Supply in JP, on-site sales + farmers' markets
More aged beef! The family behind River Rock raises pasture-fed beef and boasts, on its web site, that it's one of few aged beef retailers. That means the beef is unwrapped + kept in a fridge for 14-28 days, to make it more tender and flavorful. They sell cuts at the Lexington and Newton markets on Tuesdays, the Davis Sq market on Wednesdays and at the Brookline market on Thursday. Marlbehead on Friday!
Stillman's at the Turkey Farm in Hardwick
Meat CSA
Distribution: Jamaica Plain, Brookline
Kate Stillman, whose family runs Stillman's vegetable CSA, and her
husband Aidan Davin undertook this huge project in in 2006 at the
tender ages of 26 and 30, respectively and with a small group of
members. They've quickly grown to near capacity. Their shares include
beef, pork and lamb cuts and whole chickens. Shares come in five, ten
and 20 pound quantities and range in price from $7 to $9.16 per pound.
