To learn more about the vacations I host, visit www.culinaryvermont.com and www.italyonaplate.com. To follow what I’m working on, see deborahkrasner.blogspot.com.
The Web is a wonderful and overwhelming source of information, contacts, products, and resources. Each of the sources below will direct you to many more if you follow their links. Especially, do not miss the links on Eatwild, which maintains perhaps the most thorough list of related articles, organizations, and resources anywhere on the Web on the subject of traditionally raised, grass-fed, and pastured food.
Slow Food USA (www.slowfoodusa.org) is the American wing of an extraordinary international organization devoted to linking the pleasures of food with the community and the environment. Local chapters across the country offer members a chance to organize, celebrate, and connect with farmers, cooks, educators, students, and everyone who cares about food and their environment.
The American Grassfed Association (www.americangrassfed.org) is a national organization dedicated to protecting and promoting grass-fed producers and products.
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (www.albcusa.org). A nonprofit membership organization working to protect over 150 breeds of livestock and poultry from extinction; the pioneer organization in the U.S. working to conserve historic breeds and genetic diversity in livestock.
Eatwild (www.eatwild.com) is indeed, as they themselves say, the number-one site for grass-fed food and facts. You can click on your state to see what is available locally; you can also find farms that will ship to you. Read the articles; follow the links to other studies and sites—this is an incredible resource!
LocalHarvest (www.localharvest.org) is a compendium of local farmers, CSAs, and other local resources, listed state by state.
Organic Grass Fed Beef Info (www.organicgrassfedbeefinfo.com) offers clearly written and attractively presented information about grass-fed beef.
Center for Food Safety (www.truefoodnow.org) is an activist group aimed at promoting organic and other forms of sustainable agriculture.
Community Food Security Coalition (www.foodsecurity.org) is an umbrella organization for more than 300 member organizations dedicated to building strong, sustainable local and regional food systems.
Cool Foods Campaign (www.coolfoodscampaign.org) aims to educate the public about how food choices can affect global warming.
Eating Green Calculator (www.cspinet.org/EatingGreen/calculator.html). This interactive site allows you to calculate the environmental impact of a week’s meals.
Factory Farm (www.factoryfarm.org). This is an advocacy group devoted to sustainable food production that is healthful and humane.
Farm Aid (www.farmaid.org) works to keep family farmers on their land to build a family-farm-centered system of agriculture.
Food & Water Watch (www.foodandwaterwatch.org) is a nonprofit group that works to ensure clean water and safe food.
FoodRoutes (www.foodroutes.org) is dedicated to encouraging consumers to buy local, sustainable, grass-fed, and organic products.
Small Farmers Journal (www.smallfarmersjournal.com)
Stockman Grass Farmer (www.stockmangrassfarmer.net)
Of course, it is always preferable to obtain your food as locally as possible, and there are producers now in every state who sell direct to consumers. However, below is a selection of meat producers who ship and sell by the cut or quarter. They may offer cuts you can’t find elsewhere or breeds that are not available locally, or they may age their meat in a way that is more to your liking.
Heritage Foods (www.heritagefoodsusa.com). Retail food products from heritage and traditionally raised animals. They offer grass-fed beef, pork from hard-to-find breeds, and other food in their capacity as the sales and marketing arm of Slow Food.
D’Artagnan (www.dartagnan.com). Retail duck and a great many other products, including hard-to-find meat breeds and duck fat.
Preferred Meats (www.preferredmeats.com) is Bill Niman’s new company, which offers Boer goat meat, grass-fed beef, pork from Berkshire and Duroc pigs, and poultry.
La Cense Beef (www.lacensemontana.com and www.lacensebeef.com) is nationally available, certified grass-fed beef. There is even a La Cense burger truck that sells grass-fed beef burgers on the streets of New York City. La Cense Beef offers individual cuts and packages of cuts.
Grassland Beef (www.grasslandbeef.com) sells grass-fed and pastured meat nationally, by the cut.
Slanker’s Grass-Fed Meats (www.texasgrassfedbeef.com)
AmericanGrassFedBeef (www.americangrassfedbeef.com)
Alderspring Ranch Grass-Fed Beef (www.alderspring.com)
Organic Prairie (www.organicprairie.coop)
Meadow View Farm (www.meadow-view-farm.com)
Lasater Grasslands Beef (www.lgbeef.com)
Grass-Fed Traditions (www.grassfedtraditions.com)
Caw Caw Creek (http://cawcawcreek.com)
Flying Pigs Farm (www.flyingpigsfarm.com). Pork is sold at their farm, online, and through Lobel’s Meats, in New York City.
Earth Shine Farm (www.earthshinefarm.com)
Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch (www.reeseturkeys.com)
Jamison Farm (www.jamisonfarm.com)
Lava Lake Lamb (www.lavalakelamb.com)
Fresh Tracks Game and Poultry (www.vermontqualityrabbits.com)
Centre français d’information des viandes (CIV), or French Meat Information Center (www.civ-viande.org/uk). Offers an English-language copy of part of their terrific French meat Web site, which describes meat parts and provides recipes for each part.
Civil Eats (http://civileats.com) promotes critical thought about sustainable agriculture and food.
Eat Local Triangle (http://slowfoodtriangle.org/eatlocal) is a project of North Carolina’s Slow Food Convivium, with links to local CSAs and meat producers.
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (www.iatp.org) is a Minnesota-based organization that defines its mission “to create environmentally and economically sustainable rural communities and regions through sound agriculture and trade policy.”
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture (www.leopold.iastate.edu). This Iowa-based center works to reduce the negative impacts of agriculture on natural resources and rural communities.
Local Fork (www.localfork.com) is a food guide for New York City.
The Meatrix (www.themeatrix.com) is a terrific flash movie about meat.
Polyface (www.polyfacefarms.com). Joel Salatin’s Web site, offers information about the food he produces, his books and methods, talks, visits, and more.
The Sustainable Table (www.sustainabletable.org) celebrates sustainable food by educating consumers on food issues, aiming to build community through food.
Wilson College Robyn Van En Center (www.wilson.edu/wilson/asp/content.asp?id=804) will help you find a CSA near you.
Penzeys Spices (www.penzeys.com) sells a large selection of spices in bulk.
Vanns Spices (www.vannsspices.com) is another large bulk spice seller.
Global Palate (www.globalpalate.com) sells their spices already packaged in tins.
Specialty Bottle (www.specialtybottle.com) is a good source of containers of various kinds; I get my spice tins here.
Lee Valley Tools (www.leevalley.com) sells the “low-profile mortar and pestle” I like for smashing garlic.
King Arthur Flour (www.kingarthurflour.com) sells all sorts of baking supplies, including the handy “pie crust aid” for rolling out pie dough.
Thai Supermarket (http://importfood.com). This online market sells Thai ingredients and a great mortar and pestle.
Kalamala (http://kalamala.com) offers a great selection of Persian ingredients.
Kalustyan’s (www.kalustyans.com), which has a store in New York City, also has an online store, which offers Indian ingredients and other unusual and bulk foods.
McMurray Hatchery (www.mcmurrayhatchery.com) was the source of my Rainbow Layer hens, as well as the Toulouse goose, Rouen ducks, and guinea fowl.
J. M. Hatchery (www.jmhatchery.com) was the source of my meat chickens, the “colored range chicks,” which are bred to thrive on pasture, as well as the larger French guinea fowl I raised this year.
Ledgewood Farm Icelandics (www.ledgewoodfarmicelandics.com) is where I get the sheep I raise for meat and fleece.
For all of Canada, province by province: www.eatwild.com/products/canada.html
The Healthy Butcher
The Healthy Butcher specializes in offering completely organic food. They’re a “good old-fashioned butcher.”
565 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 2B6, Canada
T: 416-703-2164
Ferme Morgan
They will deliver to a drop-off point in Montreal, and offer a bulk discount for those who have freezer space to buy half a cow.
1 Van Horne, Montreal, Quebec H2T 2J1
T: 819-687-9021
Donava Angus
100 percent grass-fed beef and lamb, and pastured pork from Black Angus cattle, North Country Cheviot lamb, and heritage breed Tamworth pigs.
T: 450-264-3395
Ferme Borealis Inc.
They specialize in breeding grass-fed bison and pure-bred Highland cattle.
236, Lisgar Ulverton, Québec J0B 2B0
T: 819-826-2056
Triple H Beef
Triple H Beef sells wholes and sides as well as cuts of 100 percent grass-fed beef.
Box 222, Dysart, Saskatchewan, S0G 1HO
T: 306-432-4583
Country Quarters
Country Quarters is a working beef farm that strives for low-impact and sustainable agriculture.
Box 26, Arborg, Manitoba, Canada R0C 0A0
T: 1-888-376-2369
