Meet your meat: Here’s what you need to know to start buying beef straight from the farm | Food

When did it get so hard to decide what to eat?

Do you eat meat? How about fish or chicken or eggs? Have you tried keto, intermittent fasting, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free? What IS healthy eating anyway? Do some internet research and you’ll find countless contradictory claims regarding a healthy diet. And if you want to eat in a way that is healthy for the planet, too, there are even more conflicting claims and choices.

How then, to decide what’s for dinner? For my family it means moderation in all things and buying local wherever possible.

One of the best things about living in Lancaster is our proximity to local farms. Not just for bountiful produce, but also for locally raised meat. If you are interested in supporting local farms and eating healthfully, consider buying beef directly from the farmer.

Supporting local businesses

Buying direct from the farm provides the farmer with much-needed financial support and provides the buyer with full transparency into the source of the food. When it comes to meat, transparency into how the animals are raised is important to many consumers.

However, Pennsylvania regulations specify that you cannot actually buy meat from the farmer –instead, you must buy a share of the live animal, typically a quarter of the steer. Separately, you buy the services of a local butcher to create the cuts that you want from your share of the animal. This means that you are supporting two local businesses, both farmer and butcher, and cutting out middlemen. This also means that you are not giving your money to the handful of massive national companies who do the butchering for supermarket meat.

Farming for health

Shad Sahm of Daniel’s Farm to Table believes that “you are what you eat.” This means that Daniel’s Farm to Table uses “regenerative farming techniques” informed by his Christian faith.

Regenerative farming means “tapping into what God has created in how you use animals in a cycle so that they complement each other.” The cattle at Daniel’s Farm to Table are 100 percent grass fed and they share the land with complementary animals such as chickens. Chickens tear up the cow patties to get to fly larvae and thus distribute the nutrients in the manure. Plus, chickens add their own high-nitrogen excrement to the land, forming a perfect circle of regeneration. Shad says that this type of farming results in a low carbon footprint because there is no need for fertilizing machinery.

Shad says that it’s hard to do regenerative farming in Lancaster because of the high price of land, but he believes strongly in the benefit of regenerative farming for the health of the land, the animals and the people who consume the animals.

Choices, choices

Once you’ve decided to buy a quarter steer, you have some choices to makes such as which breed of cattle. Most beef farmers in Lancaster raise Black Angus, a breed known for excellent steaks. However, Daniel’s Farm to Table raises American White Parks, which are a heritage breed originating from white sacrificial cattle brought to England by the Romans. Another unusual breed, the Japanese Wagyu – famed for its extensive marbling – is raised by the Umble family at Glen-Valley Farms just over the border in Chester County.

You’ll also need to decide if you want 100 percent grass-fed or if you prefer the flavor of corn-finished beef. The cattle at Charles Family Farm spend their time out to pasture but also have access to corn. Farmer Curtis Charles says that the cattle decide what they want to eat, and they generally choose both corn and grass. Charles is a proponent of offering corn because it increases the marbling in beef and develops a flavor that many people prefer.

What do you get?

The final weight of the quarter of beef you take home will be roughly 100 to 125 pounds. If this sounds like a lot, corral a friend to split your beef quarter with you. Plan for 40 to 60 percent ground beef, with the rest split between steaks and roasts. You’ll work with your butcher to determine how you want it cut.

Options for different cuts include chip steaks, beef cubes, short ribs, briskets, beef sticks, hot dogs and hamburger patties. You can also opt for specialty items such as tongue, heart, and liver. Farmer Seth Hershey, of Hershey’s Lancaster Beef, offers choice and prime beef that is corn-finished and dry-aged. Dry aging for 10 to 14 days tenderizes the beef and creates better tasting steaks.

What’s the cost?

On average, expect to spend from $5 to $7 per pound for the mix of different cuts. Specialty products like Wagyu will cost more. If you currently buy exclusively ground beef at Costco then you won’t be saving money. But if you currently buy different cuts of organic beef from Wegman’s or Whole Foods your costs will at least remain comparable – and you may even see some savings.

Tips for first-time buyers of beef quarters:

• You’ll need 4 to 5 cubic feet of freezer space for a beef quarter – either a chest or upright freezer. Upright freezers are more convenient when it comes to organizing and finding your different cuts.
• A freezer thermometer with an alarm is a good idea because it protects your investment in case the freezer stops working or the power goes out.
• Vacuum-sealed packages are best and ensure that the beef will remain safely frozen for a year or more.
• Talk to your farmer about his farming practices and about how to cook unusual cuts of meat. Farmers enjoy the relationship with their buyers as much as you’ll enjoy the relationship with your farmer.